Scholarships for Undergraduates

Undergraduate students in the Department of Communication can receive scholarship awards because of generous gifts from our alumni and friends. Each scholarship has a story behind it – whether created by friends of the Department to honor a prestigious professor, recognize a prized alum, or remember a fallen journalist who left behind a legacy. To learn more about each award, click the (+) next to its name.

Class standing varies for each award. However, seniors graduating in the spring are ineligible to receive scholarships. Please note that scholarships for which only Journalism and Public Interest Communication (JPIC) students are eligible are indicated as such in the list below.

The 2024-2025 scholarship application will open on the first day of Spring Quarter, Monday, March 25th. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 19th, at 11:59 PM PDT.

For more information about applying for scholarships, please contact the Advising office in CMU 118, or email comadv@uw.edu.

This scholarship was established in the 1930s by Jim and Peg Marshall to honor her son, Bob, who was a community leader in Ellensburg, WA. The Bob Doble Memorial Scholarship has been funded over the years by contributions in various amounts by many supporters.

The Puget Sound Advertising Federation made initial contributions to this fund in 1978 to honor Robert Willey, a 1953 graduate of the former School of Communications, who received national recognition for his expertise in radio advertising. Dan Warner was honored by the Puget Sound Advertising Foundation for his significant contributions to the field.

This scholarship was established in honor of Ms. Bryant and her service to the Association for Women in Communications. She was elected as the first treasurer of Theta Sigma Phi, the original name of the organization, which was founded on the UW Seattle campus. Early in her professional life, she saw the importance of strong local and national organizations committed to the development of women journalists.

This award was established in honor of Christy C. Bulkeley, who was one of the few female newspaper publishers in the United States in the 1970s. Bulkeley later helped update landmark research about women in journalism. She was also a Pulitzer Prize nominating judge and a 1978 winner of the national Headliner Award from what is now the Association for Women in Communications, and served as that organization’s national president.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Department is able to support additional Communication Student Scholarships for students with a demonstrated financial need.

David Horsey is a 1976 graduate of the Communication department here at the UW. While at the UW he took on the job of political cartoonist for the UW Daily, and became the first cartoonist to become editor in chief. In 1979, he was hired by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and over the next 32 years, he won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work. He worked for the Los Angeles Times, and in 2014, he received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for his cartoons related to social justice issues. He recently returned to Seattle to work at the Seattle Times. He and his wife, Nole-Ann Usery-Horsey, created the David Horsey Endowed Scholarship to support outstanding students in journalism.

This scholarship was established in honor of Professor Don Pember, who cared greatly about providing education opportunities to all students. Many other donors, both alumni of the Department and former students and colleagues of Pember, also contributed to the establishment of the scholarship. Don Pember joined the University of Washington faculty in 1969 and served as a mentor to many undergraduate and graduate students. He received the UW’s prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award in 1973 and was recognized two years later for excellence in teaching by the Carnegie Foundation. He retired in the early 2000s.

The Edgar Gonzalez Endowed Scholarship in Communication. It is a merit based scholarship supporting undergraduate students in Journalism or associated media studies.

This award was established by a UW Journalism alumna, and provides financial support for journalism students who have expressed an interest in a career in journalism, and to encourage the highest standards of journalism: to encourage excellence in thought and expression, to encourage the exercise of the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech and the press, and to advance the people’s right to know in a responsible manner.

The Flip Wilson Minority Scholarship is an endowment from the estate of the late comedian Flip Wilson. His Emmy award-winning show broke through racial and economic barriers in the 1970s. Flip Wilson was a pioneer in the entertainment industry, paving the way for many successful comedians and he was a strong supporter of education.

This award was established by Harold E. and Joyce C. Carr to support upper level undergraduate students in the Department of Communication who study in the fields of journalism, public relations, global communication, and political communication.

This award honors Dan McConnell, a highly regarded instructor in UW Professional & Continuing Education, his hard work and lifelong dedication to communications, public relations, and community service.

Jane Roller established the Jane and Reid Roller Scholarship in Communication in memory of her husband, J. Reid Roller, to support Department of Communication undergraduate students. J. Reid Roller was an Associate Professor in the School of Communications in the 1980s. He came to the department after a long career at J. Walter Thompson, a renowned advertising agency (known as JWT since 2005).

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students studying journalism in the Department of Communication. It is the Donors’ preference that funds support students interested in the intersection of journalism and arts, culture, and/or public interest. This scholarship is named in honor of Joe Copeland, former senior editor for Crosscut.

This award was established by Wally Reid to honor his parents commitment to education and journalism. John was orphaned in 1886 at the age of 13 and taken in by Capt. Luther Osborn, who owned the Red River Valley News in Glyndon, MN. By the age of 16, John knew he wanted to be a journalist and Capt. Osborn was happy to teach him. Over the next 28 years, John owned two newspapers then founded a third, the University District Herald, when his family settled in the University District. Although neither John nor Harriet had a high school education, all nine of their children graduated from the University of Washington, two with a degree in journalism. In 1941, John and Harriet received Honorary Degrees from the UW; only the third time that honor had been awarded.

Marion Impola established the John Impola Endowment for Journalism Education in memory of her husband. John Impola was born in Cathlamet, WA. He was the first member of his family to earn a college degree, graduating from the UW with a 1928 B.A. in Journalism. His entire career was devoted to the practice of journalism in the Northwest. The Daily Journal of Commerce employed him for 25 years, where he served as its managing editor for many years before retiring.

This award was established by a UW Journalism alumna, and provides financial support for a Communication major focusing in journalism to work as an intern reporter at a foreign newspaper and to travel after the internship. The donor’s goal is to give journalism students exposure to another culture and a more thorough understanding of journalism and culture. Students may travel to any country outside of North America.

Read more on the International Journalism Reporting scholarships page.

This award was created through another donor, who was inspired by the Journalism Foreign Intrigue Endowed Scholarship. This endowment provides financial support for a journalism student to work as an intern reporter at a foreign location in North America.

Read more on the International Journalism Reporting scholarships page.

The Judith Henderson Hammond Endowed Communication Scholarship provides need based financial assistance to students studying Journalism in the Department of Communication.

This award was founded in 1985 by the parents of Mr. Ellis, who graduated from the UW in 1981. In 1982, he was kidnapped by rebel dissidents in Zimbabwe while on a tour of Africa to learn more about the country and its people. His death was confirmed in 1985. The Westin Hotels and family members and friends have contributed to this fund as well. The scholarship is awarded to students who, like Mr. Ellis, have an interest in international communication.

This award was created to provide student support for intense, immersive opportunities for leadership development in the Department of Communication. It is designed to support students who are seeking to be civic and community leaders, with communication at the heart of their work.

This award was established by Marjorie Kaczor Alhadeff, who graduated from the University of Washington in 1971, with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a double major in Sociology and Communications (Editorial Journalism). An ardent advocate of responsibility and ethical reporting, she offers this scholarship in support of future responsible and ethical reporters.

This award was established in 1996 with memorial gifts received from Marty Wilson’s family, friends, and admirers. Her professional career began in 1957 with the development of a program about education from the point of view of a parent. She produced numerous programs for KOMO-TV and served as a visiting lecturer in the UW School of Communications. Her many achievements and awards throughout her creative and courageous career offer an example of what a new generation of journalists can accomplish.

This award was established in 2006. Max Holsinger, a 1938 graduate, was a lifelong supporter of the UW. After graduation, he sold advertising for Mining World in Eastern and Western Europe and Africa. He also had a long and successful career in the publishing industry. The Holsingers established a scholarship to not only support UW journalism students, but also the communities in which the students will ultimately pursue their careers.

Assunta Ng, the President and Publisher of Northwest Asian Weekly and the Chinese Post, established the Northwest Asian Weekly Scholarship. She received her bachelor’s degree from the UW in 1974, her teaching certificate in 1976, and a master’s degree in Speech Communication in 1979. In 1982 and 1983, she founded the Seattle Chinese Post and Northwest Asian Weekly, respectively, with a goal to connect an Asian community that was greatly ignored by other newspapers in Seattle. Assunta has been honored many times for her work in the Asian community and beyond.

The Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA) is a professional organization of automotive journalists and media members from throughout the Pacific Northwest and Southwest Canada. Founded in 1991, NWAPA includes 53 voting members representing more than 100 newspapers, magazines, radio stations, media groups and the Internet. Non-voting members include representatives from automotive manufacturers and related industry professionals. NWAPA and its members are dedicated to supporting future journalists (automotive or otherwise) and are proud to offer this scholarship to journalism students.

In 2018, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, Inc. (WE Communications) established a new academic award to honor one of its founders, Pam Edstrom. A public relations industry pioneer, this scholarship celebrates Edstrom’s legacy in our community and aids those with the passion to grow, learn, and find their own place in the industry.

This award supports students in their pursuit of professional opportunities, with the goal of supporting student creativity, in any form, so that students can take a chance on an idea. Patricia Cranston taught at the UW School of Journalism for more than 35 years, where she was the first tenure-track woman professor. She helped start KCTS and KUOW, where she was the News Director, and became the first woman president of the Broadcast Education Association. Cranston retired from the UW in 1990.

Deborah Wiegand created the Richard Wiegand Earl Memorial Scholarship in memory of her husband, Richard Earl Wiegand, who worked for The Boeing Company and retired shortly before his passing in 2006. Richard Weigand was born in Illinois and attended the University of Illinois, graduating with a degree in communications. Richard would go on to be elected President and recognized as a Fellow of the Society for Technical Communication. Deborah Wiegand has been a longtime faculty member in Chemistry here at the UW and is beloved by students. She is deeply committed to community partnerships; in 2000 she received the Sterling Munro Public Service Faculty Award.

Robert F. Philip graduated from the UW in 1940 and was an active participant in, and observer of, University affairs for over six decades — as a University of Washington student in the 1930s, as president of the Tri-City Herald newspaper, as a member of the Medical School’s visiting committee, as district governor of the Alumni Association and, for 18 years, as a member of the University of Washington Board of Regents. Mr. Philip established this scholarship to ensure academic and professional excellence at the University in the field of Communication.

Robert Patterson was professor emeritus at Castleton State College in Vermont. After the passing of his wife in 1991, Marilyn Mathis Patterson, UW Class of 1948, he arranged for an endowment for her alma mater. Marilyn was an avid journalism alumna, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Delta Pi, and recipient of the UW Faculty Medal while she was a student here.

This award was founded in 1996. Lawrence began his professional life as the Director of Publicity for the Detroit Institute of the Arts and then went on to serve as manager at The American Boy magazine and Fortune magazine. He was vice president of the New York Stock Exchange from 1953 to 1968 and founded his own consulting firm, Lawrence Associates, in 1977. Throughout his career, he was committed to community service and education.

This award was established in 1990 with a goal to introduce new ideas and customs into university study programs; and to spread ideas, understanding and information to the general public by increasing the number of underrepresented men and women in journalism.