2024-2025 Wylie Burke Endowed Scholarship for Diversity Recipients

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2024-2025

Wylie Burke Endowed Scholarship for Diversity! 

Natalia Montes

Bio: Natalia earned a BA in Psychology with a Philosophy Minor at UW and currently works as a Program Specialist for the UW Graduate Program in Neuroscience. Natalia was recently admitted to the MA in Bioethics program!

In her own words: “My academic work focuses on mental health, an often overlooked facet of healthcare. I aim to highlight the social, ethical, and policy implications of mental health research, particularly for marginalized communities. Drawing from my own background as the child of immigrants, I strive to give voice to individuals who are frequently marginalized in healthcare, including immigrants, non-native English speakers, and those from economically disadvantaged or rural areas. By examining these populations, I seek to uncover and address the systemic inequities they face. My interdisciplinary approach integrates insights from social psychology, clinical psychology, philosophy and neuroethics to understand the complex power dynamics in healthcare...”

Asal Alqaysi

Bio: Asal is a Junior, majoring in Microbiology with a Bioethics & Humanities Minor. Asal is a transfer student who recently completed her first year at UW!

In her own words: “In my academic pursuits, I am dedicated to exploring the social, ethical, and policy implications of health research and healthcare. Through my research endeavors, such as investigating genetic regulatory pathways at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, I aim to not only advance scientific knowledge but also address broader societal concerns, such as equitable access to genetic healthcare and informed decision-making...By bridging the gap between science, ethics, and policy, I aspire to drive positive change in healthcare delivery and outcomes, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and inclusive approaches in addressing healthcare disparities and ethical issues.”

Ernest Balezi

Bio: Ernest is a Senior, majoring in Public Health-Global Health with a Bioethics & Humanities Minor. Ernest is a transfer student, and recently completed his second year at UW!

In his own words: “Throughout my time at UW, I noticed that not many students of color had the desire to pursue careers in the healthcare field, which I knew contributes to the lack of diversity in healthcare. Hence, me and my peers in the Brotherhood Initiative program have dedicated our yearlong positive social change project to finding ways to encourage more high school students of color to pursue healthcare careers. We are currently coming up with a proposal that we can share with hospitals and high schools, that would connect high schoolers of color with mentors in the healthcare field. We hope that students in our program will pursue healthcare careers and believe that they are capable of being successful individuals in this path."