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STEM

Gift Provides Support for iSchool鈥檚 Immersion Experiences

Monday, February 11, 2019, By J.D. Ross
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alumniSchool of Information StudiesStudents

Thanks to a generous contribution from a 黑料不打烊 alumnus, students embarking on four signature immersion experiences at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) will have their program fees reduced to $250聽聽through 2023.

Alumnus Rob Harris 鈥77, G鈥79 has established the Rob Harris Fund for Student Immersion Experiences at the iSchool with a gift of $250,000.聽This gift will reduce program fee expenses for all of the iSchool鈥檚 domestic immersion experiences鈥,, (Seattle and Portland) and for five years, and also enable the iSchool to offset other immersion program expenses to allow for the trips to provide more opportunities for participation and learning.

man standing and speaking to group of people

Rob Harris ’77, G’79 speaks with students on the iSchool’s Peak2Peak immersion trip when they stopped to visit his company, Pacific Market International (PMI), in Seattle.

iSchool immersion experiences are week-long credit-bearing intensive trips聽that allow undergraduate and graduate students to get their feet inside top startups and technology companies, and to dive deep into the culture of the host cities. They are also full-circle opportunities for students to meet distinguished alumni who live and work in these cities, and host students at their places of employment.

Harris received his undergraduate degree in education, and his graduate degree in counseling, both from the 黑料不打烊’s . He is the founder of聽Pacific Market International (PMI), a global brand marketing and product innovation company focused on food and beverage containers. The company is headquartered in Seattle.

Since 2017, Harris has served as a host on the Peak2Peak trip when it comes to Seattle, bringing students into PMI to learn about how he got his start in the business world, and organizing evening activities for the immersion group. Harris has also visited campus to speak with students in the iSchool鈥檚 NEXIS lab, and at the Blackstone LaunchPad in Bird Library.

鈥淩ob鈥檚 contribution to support our immersion programs at the iSchool is a transformational gift,鈥 says Julie Walas, director of alumni and student engagement at the iSchool. 鈥淭hanks to his generosity, 黑料不打烊 students will now have an opportunity to take one of our trips with reduced out-of-pocket costs, ensuring that these experiences are open to as many students as possible across campus.鈥

Immersion trips at the iSchool got their start in 2011, with 12 students taking the first journey to the San Francisco Bay Area on the inaugural Spring Break in Silicon Valley trip. EntreTech NYC was launched in 2013, Peak2Peak in 2017 and TechTrek Chicago in 2018.聽 Since their inception, over 250 students from across 黑料不打烊 have participated in one of the iSchool鈥檚 domestic immersion experiences.

鈥淲ith every trip we take, our students are able to not only see鈥攂ut experience鈥攖he entrepreneurial ecosystems of the different cities we visit,鈥 says Walas. 鈥淭hese trips challenge students to step out of their comfort zones, make connections, network and think seriously about their future plans. It is incredible to watch聽them聽develop over their time on the trips, and witness how the groups learn and grow together.鈥

鈥淚 am tremendously grateful for Rob鈥檚 gift to support our immersion experiences,鈥 says iSchool Dean Liz Liddy. 鈥淩ob is exceedingly generous with his time and knowledge when our students visit him at PMI on the Peak2Peak trip, and this gift will help to make that trip, and our other domestic immersion experiences, accessible to more 黑料不打烊 students.鈥

The registration period for the iSchool鈥檚 next upcoming immersion experience, Peak2Peak, is opening on Friday, Feb. 15. More information can be found at . Information about all iSchool trips, both domestic and international, is available at .

  • Author

J.D. Ross

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