Lauren Dobrovolny

Lauren Dobrovolny (she/her) is the Program & Outreach Coordinator at the University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies (UW JSIS) Office of Academic Services (OAS). Her name is pronounced: LAW-ruhn DO-broh-vawl-nee.

Here at JSIS OAS and CGS, I… manage the Donald C. Hellmann Task Force Program and perform outreach and grant reporting for the Center for Global Studies, a grant funded National Resource Center housed in JSIS. Both roles include facilitating information sessions with new faculty teaching Task Force, placing and advising students in Task Force, event and logistics planning, researching and collecting course and placement data, distributing surveys to improve the instructor and student experience, and general support for the OAS team.

I like thinking about and studying… food security, wholistic agricultural practices (native restorative practices), healing arts, civil rights, positive equitable environments (radical inclusion) science of meditation, numismatics, and humankind.

My first year in college… was a challenging but transformative experience! As a first-generation college graduate, I was excited to transition from community college to a university, but also intimidated. I had to balance full-time work with a full course load, but this taught me how to persevere in the face of adversity, advocate for myself, and reach out for help using the resources available to me.

Fun facts: Before joining the University of Washington, I spent 8+ years in the non-profit and non-governmental sectors. On the weekends, I’m operating a small farm with my partner; cultivating our own food; tending to our flocks, grape vines, and edible garden; working in our wood shop; or sharing and enjoying super healthy home-cooked meals with my friends. When I’m not working with the Jackson School’s hard-working staff and faculty, or farming, you can find me writing songs and performing with a talented group of musician pals!