Note: This message was originally sent on September 7, 2022
Just moments ago,
Gonzaga gathered with colleagues from the University of Washington and community members throughout the region at the opening of the UW School of Medicine-GU Health Partnership facility to celebrate its grand opening. Check out this brief video to experience a flythrough of the new state-of-the art hub for medical and health education, research and innovation.
The building is coming to life by hosting:
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120 First and Second Year UW School of Medicine students
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225 GU Human Physiology students
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30+ UWMedex Northwest Physician Assistant students
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300+ GU Nursing and Health students
But the video and stats above provide only one dimension of how the innovative and unique UW School of Medicine-GU Health Partnershipis shaping learning experiences and guiding studentstoward becoming leaders within their professions.
You see those smiling faces in the photo? Well, here is their story. I am pleased to share this very specific example of five GU undergraduate students who assisted with biomedical research at the University of Washington School of Medicine laboratories this past summer.
Rhys Heenan (’23, human physiology), Paxton Carson (’23, biochemistry), Emma Winter (’23, biology), Emma Spiegel (’23, psychology) and Ashley Chon (’25, human physiology/philosophy) completed this summer's UW-GU Undergraduate Summer Research Program in Seattle. Read more about these amazing students, their research, and mentors here.
The celebration today and the experiences of these research scholarsare tangible examples of the depth that the Regional Health Partnership has expanded within GU and UW, to programs and students throughout many academic programs. As summed up by Dr. McCulloh’s comments at today’s dedication event, this is just the beginning: “Built upon our deep roots in the Spokane region, this new facility represents one fulfillment of our shared promise to work together to attract, grow and keep the next generations of healthcare professionals.”
A very special thank you, as well, to our partner the McKinstry’s Emerald Initiative which has resulted in this exceptional new home for this collective work to continue. Please note, if you plan to be here for Zagapalooza weekend (October 14-16), or at any time – let me know if you would like a tour of this great new space.