Make the most of your Husky experience and get involved, meet fellow students and build your MolES community.

Graduate Student Association

The Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute Graduate Student Association (GSA) was formed primarily to organize DEI efforts and build a stronger community within and beyond MolES. Students that join have the opportunity to make graduate school more enjoyable for everyone, build a community within MolE, recruit great students to UW, lead DEI efforts, become a mentor and build their leadership experience. Goals of the GSA:

• Organize community-building processes
• Provide inclusive learning and membership opportunities
• Advocate for institutional processes that are equitable and transparent
• Education members of the MolES community on issues of inequity in STEM
• Empower students to be engaged global citizens and agents of societal change

There are two branches of the GSA that work on different aspects of these goals:

Community Development:

• Professional development opportunities for students
• Facilitating mentorship opportunities for faculty/grad students and grad student/undergraduates
• Fostering stronger community within the MolES program through happy hours, movie nights, and more
• Invite and host MolES seminars

Outreach:

• Organizes outreach events for high school students, undergraduates, and non-traditional students
• Promotes molecular engineering research to the general public
• Collaborations with existing groups, such as UW Women’s Center and Undergraduate Research Program
• Recruiting new students through conference tabling
  
  

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2026–2027 GSA Officers:

President
Arielle Hancko

Co-Vice President / Community Development Co-Chair
Anika O’Brian

Community Development Co-Chair
Jordan Koehler

Outreach Co-Chair
Annie Li

Follow the GSA on Instagram and Twitter/X @uw_moles_gsa and check out quick Q&As with our students on Instagram and here.

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Other Organizations

Explore opportunities that enhance your UW experience. Get involved. Our students join clubs and organizations to learn more, get hands-on experience and to make a difference. Some of these organizations include:

• Women in Chemical Engineering
• National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
• Society of Women Engineers
• UW Science Explorers
• Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (oSTEM)
• Soundbio Lab
• Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) – UW Chapter

Other opportunities can be found through student clubs, committees and competition teams in the College of Engineering and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Student Awards

The Ph.D. program recognizes exemplary achievements amongst our Ph.D. students. A full-listing of the awards and students who have received them is here.