Meet the VPA staff

Hi there! I’m Sam Harkness and prefer he/him pronouns. I’ve worked in the gender-based violence field in community non-profits for 5 years, and have worked in the broader field of social work around 14 years now. I’m Seattle born and raised, which I hear is rare to come by these days, so you can call me a towny if you want. I’m very passionate about violence prevention work and specifically like to focus on engaging young men (or folks who identify as being socialized as boys/men) in violence prevention work. I love a lot of the cliché PNW activities like hiking, camping and ultimate frisbee. I have a hard time sitting still, so you might catch me walking around all over campus or running sprint workouts on the soccer field during my lunch break. Feel free to stop by and say hi or email to get in touch – shark9@uw.edu!

Hello! I use she/ her pronouns and I’m a WA state licensed clinical social work associate, Alta language certified (Spanish) with trauma-focused CBT skills. I completed my MSW from the UW school of social work and double majored in Society Ethics and Human Behavior/Global Studies with a double minor in Human Rights/Education and Society from UW Bothell, after receiving my AA transfer degree from Cascadia Community College.  My professional background is in conducting psychosocial, risk assessments and crisis interventions when working in our local hospitals from Evergreen Health and Providence to Harborview Medical Center; safety is also one of my core values after working investigations with Child Protective Services.  Fun fact about me; I love advocacy work! You can find me on the UWB webpage for being one of the first recipients of the Husky 100 award after advocating for parenting resources at UWB.  In my spare time I love being outdoors and spending time with mi familia at our beautiful tree nursery. Contact me at medinar1@uw.edu.

Hi UWB! I use she/her pronouns and am originally from Dearborn/Detroit, Michigan. I moved to Seattle for city life, ocean, and mountains. My career began as a Peer Health Educator at Michigan State University, and I later earned my Master of Public Health from Oregon State University. Most of my professional experience has been in higher education, where I’ve worked as a survivor advocate and prevention educator. I love the college environment and bring an anti-oppression and trauma-informed lens to my work while centering students’ voices. In recent years, I’ve also become a documentary filmmaker, video editor, and producer. I believe deeply in the power of storytelling to foster empathy, build understanding, and inspire social change. I am a fan of science fiction novels, cooking with pals, yoga, and outdoorsy adventures. Email to get in touch – tumasm@uw.edu.