Catherine Zeigler was named the 2009 Graduate Program Assistant of the Year by the UW Graduate School and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. Catherine is an alum of the department (BA ‘97), and has been working with us for eight years now. As graduate student Ta Trang said, “her responsibilities are particularly challenging as compared to other departments, because anthropology graduate students tend to be dispersed around the world conducting fieldwork. I remember during my own three years of fieldwork in China, I could always trust and depend on Catherine.” She “treats everyone with warmth and respect,” says grad student Jessica Johnson, and is “an invaluable source of information, support, and encouragement.” When asked what the best part of her job is, Catherine says “helping people schedule their dissertation defenses! It's a huge step in a grad's life, and I like being a part of it, knowing that they will head off into the world making a difference.” Our students are able to do so in no small part because of the enthusiasm and dedication of Catherine and the rest of our wonderful staff.
Congratulations Catherine!