Dr. Gerald Baldasty joined the UW Communication faculty  in 1978, where he worked until his retirement in 2019. During his career, he was a beloved professor, department chair, Dean and Vice Provost of the Graduate School, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Student Affairs, and Provost and Executive Vice President of UW. While serving in the department, he relied on what he experienced as a student to shape his own goals as a faculty member and administrator. According to one of his nominators, “In his long career as a professor, scholar, academic leader and administrator at the University of Washington, Jerry Baldasty has demonstrated an extraordinary lifetime commitment not just to UW students but to faculty, staff, UW alumni and the larger community of UW partners and supporters, including the City of Seattle and the State of Washington.” In 2000, Baldasty was awarded the UW Distinguished Teaching Award and was Honorable Mention for the Graduate Mentor Award. According to UW President Ana Marie Cauce, “Jerry said ‘yes’ to transforming the Husky Experience, working to ensure that students gain just as much outside the classroom as they do inside — whether studying abroad, conducting research in a lab, or taking an internship. He said ‘yes’ to saving the graduate school and ‘yes’ to helping the UW grow into the research powerhouse that it is today. He said ‘yes’ again to creating the Husky 100. And Jerry, who received the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000, has said ‘yes’ to countless students as a mentor, teacher, and advocate. What I value most about Jerry’s generosity is that with every ‘yes,’ he has helped create a cascade of opportunities for others to say ‘yes’ as well.” Baldasty credits his experiences in the department for giving him the knowledge, skills, and tools to take advantage of the opportunities that have come his way since graduating from the department. In his own words, “That’s quite a gift, with an impact that has played out across the years. I am greatly honored to be included in a group that includes so many people whom I admire and who have inspired me for many years.”