Mark Ostersmith: UW President Cauce leaves a legacy in the Inland Northwest

In Spokane and Eastern Washington, we are all rightfully proud of the institutes for higher education that physically reside in our region, and the significant contributions they make on our society and economy. Too often, however, we overlook the impact that is made by the University of Washington.

This impact has grown exponentially over the past decade during the tenure of UW President Ana Mari Cauce as she has “Dawgedly” pushed for the state’s flagship university to be one of the best in the world while actively promoting its reach throughout the entire state. Spokane is no exception.

You might be surprised that the UW’s expansion of the Medical School here in Spokane is projected, by 2030, to create 9,000 jobs resulting in $1.6 billion in economic impact right here in the Inland Northwest.

A recent study by Parker Strategy Group concluded that the UW generates $81.4 million annually in economic impacts for the region. Given its current investment and momentum, the UW is projected to generate $1.628 billion by 2034. These findings reflect just how embedded and essential UW’s presence is in Eastern Washington’s economy.

President Cauce began as an assistant professor in 1986 (my freshman year) and held administrative roles of dean and provost before she was appointed to serve as the 33rd president in 2015. As she prepares to step down from her leadership post in July, highlights of her tenure that impact our community are worthy of recognition.

UW’s investment in medical and health education is an anchor project. Working alongside then-Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh, Cauce was integral in establishing the University of Washington-Gonzaga University Health Partnership in 2016, with the goal of improving the health of Eastern Washington residents through education, research and innovation.

Since the Health Partnership was formed, approximately 3,000 medical and health care professionals have been trained to care for the residents of our region. They are doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, physical therapists and other health care professionals. Each fall, 60 new medical school students choose to receive the same education they could get at the Seattle campus by coming to Spokane.

The investments toward this vision included facilitating the construction of a cutting-edge health education facility adjacent to Gonzaga’s campus and have spurred additional economic impacts.

The impact doesn’t end with dollars, though, as 63.3% of UW School of Medicine graduates return to our state and region to practice, providing care and helping to meet the needs of underserved populations.

Additionally, Cauce brought together Washington’s public four-year institutions, community colleges, UW alumni and business community to advocate for public funding and support for expanded financial aid and higher education broadly. Culminating in the Workforce Education Investment Act, which passed in 2019 by a single vote, the expansion of the Washington College Grant has made our state one of the most generous need-based financial aid states in the nation. This act has allowed countless local students to graduate with little to no student loan debt.

And last year, UW, in partnership with Eastern Washington University, secured additional appropriations from the state to expand the schools’ Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which trains dentists at a state-of-the-art facility in Spokane to meet the needs of rural and underserved populations in the state. Her advocacy has allowed this program to double its annual capacity to 64 Spokane participants, improving health outcomes in underserved areas of our region.

Growing up and obtaining my K-12 education through Spokane Public Schools, the University of Washington was the only university I aspired to attend. I was fortunate enough to be admitted and graduate, and it was only upon my return “home” that I, and perhaps the other 18,000 UW alums in Eastern Washington, began to truly appreciate how UW benefits our region, state and world.

I remain truly astonished by how much we all gain from UW, whether or not we studied there. And so much of that return is attributable to President Cauce and her focus on making the “University FOR Washington” one of the best in the world.

Mark Ostersmith is a 1990 UW graduate, lifetime Spokane resident and the first president of the University of Washington Alumni Association to reside in Spokane.