The 2018 annual convocation and awards ceremony marked the passing of another successful year for the department. Featured front and center were the accomplishments of our graduating students. The Department conferred a total of 71 Bachelor of Arts degrees this year: 14 in Chinese, 37 in Japanese, 7 in Korean, 2 in South Asian Languages and Literature, and 11 in the Asian Languages and Culture major, brand new in spring quarter 2018.
A number of graduate students received degrees this year. The Master of Arts degree was conferred upon Siyuan Fu, Youngjun Kwon, Hannah Chi, and Zhihua Li (all specializing in Chinese languages and literature). Candidate for Doctor of Philosophy status was granted to Nathaniel Bond (Japanese), Jennifer Liu (Chinese), Michael Butcher (Buddhist Studies), and Corbett Costello (South Asian Languages and Literature).
The Department was also glad to give a number of awards, marking the highest achievements of our undergraduate and graduate student. In terms of graduate students, Siyuan Fu, Ross Henderson, and Youngjun Kwon received the Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award, while Christopher Diamond and Zhinan Chen received the Turrell V. Wylie Memorial Scholarship Award. For undergraduates, Hung Huu Bao Nguyen received the Scott Swaner Memorial Book Award and Kaleo Chan, Valerie Owens, and Peiyu Wu received the Henry S. Tatsumi Award.
Headlining the event was the keynote address from Mr. Eugene Saburi, an experienced global IT executive who most recently served as president of Adobe Japan. Mr. Saburi has also served as Board Member of the UW Alumni Association in Japan, and graduated from the Asian Languages and Literature Department in 1993. Mr. Saburi’s enthusiastic and heartfelt speech detailed his varied career path, and encouraged students to never be afraid to take chances. As he told the graduates with a final joke, “Your future’s so bright, you gotta wear shades!”
Congratulations to all of our graduates and award recipients! For photos from the ceremony and reception, please visit our department Flickr page.