Over 110 first-year Huskies from across all three University of Washington campuses are starting their UW journey with something powerful: conversation.
This fall, LEAD 298: Navigating Challenging Times | Dialogue, Empathy, and Leadership for Today’s World invites students to lean into disagreement, listen deeply, and lead with understanding. This tri-campus course is helping first-year Huskies explore what it means to be a leader in a complex, divided world.
Taught by an all-star faculty team, Ed Taylor (UW Seattle), Cinnamon Hillyard (UW Bothell), and Bonnie Becker (UW Tacoma), this course takes on one of the biggest challenges of our time: how to talk to each other.
Each week, students dive into timely, thought-provoking topics like misinformation and disinformation, AI in education, art and democracy, and even college athletics. Through conversations with scholars, journalists, artists, and university leaders, students are practicing how to navigate tension with humility, curiosity, and empathy skills the world desperately needs.
A journalist and author known for her work at Braver Angels, Guzmán joined the class to share stories from her mission to build bridges across political divides. Students learned that belonging isn’t about agreeing on everything; it’s about staying in conversation even when it’s hard.
A UW professor and expert on online information flows, Starbird unpacked how rumors and falsehoods spread faster than facts and how leaders can fight back with transparency and critical thinking. Students explored how to tell truth from noise in an age of AI and endless feeds.
The world-renowned theater director brought his creative spark to the course, challenging students to see art as a civic act. His message? Art doesn’t just reflect society, it shapes it. And every student has a role to play in that creative democracy.
LEAD 298 isn’t about memorizing facts; it’s about becoming the kind of person who can hold space for multiple truths. Through reflection, discussion, and dialogue practice, students are asking big questions:
As Dean Ed Taylor puts it, “Conversation is a manner of living, a way to keep company with one another.”
From tackling tough global issues to sharing perspectives across campuses, these first-year students are proving that dialogue is more than a classroom skill; it’s a way of life.
So, if you hear laughter, deep thought, or a spirited (but respectful!) debate echoing through a UW lecture hall this fall, chances are it’s LEAD 298. And if you’re lucky enough to join the conversation next year, bring your curiosity and an open mind.
Because at the University of Washington, leadership starts with listening.
