April 30, 2020

Charmila Ajmera (MPA ’20) Recognized in 2020 Husky 100

The Evans School is proud to recognize its newest member of the Husky 100 Charmila Ajmera, whose passion, leadership and commitment inspires us to make a difference on campus, in our communities, and for the future.

Charmi was selected based on her ability to embrace innovation and novel ways of thinking, to seek understanding of and engagement with diverse communities, to lead proactively, and to take on her bright futures with enthusiasm, savvy, and fortitude.

“Charmi is a natural leader,” writes Evans School Senior Assistant Dean of Students Carrie Evans. “Other students look to her for guidance, direction and support.  She is remarkably strategic, astute and tactical in how she has sought to build a successful and effective coalition of students, faculty and staff working collaboratively towards shared goals on critical issues pertaining to race, equity and inclusion.”

Charmi contributes to the Evans School community in many ways, including as a leading member of the student-led Curriculum Advocacy Team. The Curriculum Advocacy Team has been instrumental in engaging with faculty to more effectively integrate race, equity, and inclusion as a core element of their syllabi, course delivery, and approach to teaching. This work has been transformative for the Evans School, and Charmi has been at the forefront.

In Charmi’s own words: “I am humbled to be recognized as one of the Husky 100 and so proud of the work that the Curriculum Advocacy Team has done in partnership with Evans students, faculty, and staff. This is hard, generational work to change public policy education (and public policy!) to center equity and to be intersectional, anti-racist, and anti-oppression. COVID-19 and all of its repercussions are revealing just how vital it is to center equity in policy and what tremendous losses we suffer as a society when we don’t. We have a unique and powerful opportunity to set the curve for how public policy institutions all over the country think about who – and how – they serve. I am honored to help further this vital work.”  

The Husky 100 recognizes UW juniors, seniors and graduate students who are making the most of their Husky Experience, as demonstrated by the ways in which they fulfill the five program criteria. This year’s selection process was highly competitive, with more than 1,800 nominations and more than 600 applications from all three UW campuses.