LeAnne Wiles
LeAnne Wiles
Executive Director,
First Year Programs and
Strategic Initiatives,
Student Academic Services,
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Nominated by Dan Ratner
Associate Dean, Engineering
Professor, Bioengineering
Awarded 2024
Anyone who has dropped a child or loved one off at college knows that this transition is one of the greatest and scariest rites of passage on the journey to adulthood and independence. Every parent and family member needs to know that someone will be there for their student. LeAnne has created that partner for every husky parent and family member by building and fostering a team that creates a caring and nurturing environment to welcome each and every incoming first-year student. First Year Programs serves as the welcome mat to the University, simultaneously building a sense of belonging while teaching incoming huskies the skills they need to be successful as a college student.
When I look at the remarkable list of past recipients of the David B. Thorud Leadership Award, I am humbled by the contributions of our many colleagues who make the University of Washington one of the greatest and most recognized institutions in the world. I see in each of the past recipients the same characteristics that make LeAnne Wiles one of the most respected and beloved leaders on campus. LeAnne embodies the criteria that define eligibility for this award, and she deserves to be acknowledged for them all.
LeAnne demonstrates quality work that sets an example while including others. LeAnne has built a team that runs some of the most recognized experiences on the UW campus: Orientation, First-Year Interest Groups (FIGS), and Dawg Days. To say that LeAnne sets an example for others would be an understatement, LeAnne leads a team that transforms the Seattle campus and defines what it means to be an incoming husky while creating a space that includes EVERYONE.
LeAnne values and honors diverse experiences and perspectives. Welcoming over 7,000 students from dozens of countries and hundreds of different communities from across the world requires an unparalleled level of honor and respect for diverse experiences. Through the years I’ve directly witnessed how the first-year interest groups have created spaces for students from different backgrounds to learn how to communicate and work with peers who hold different views and perspectives. The student leaders that LeAnne’s team trained serve as facilitators for new students as new and unfamiliar ideas challenge them and force them to grow and learn how to be part of a large and inclusive community.
LeAnne respects the well-being of people in achieving large-scale goals. LeAnne’s scope of work is the very definition of achieving large-scale goals in support of the well-being of others. LeAnne anchors the first Husky experiences of over 7,000 18- to 20-year-olds on the idea that we can best support each other through a shared sense of community and belonging. While 7,000 new students are leaving their childhood homes, First Year Programs, under LeAnne’s skillful leadership, makes the UW their new home.
LeAnne exhibits an openness to new ideas and partnerships. I could fill pages with stories of LeAnne’s many MANY partnerships across campus, but I will speak to one that is nearest and dearest to my experiences in the College of Engineering. With the launch of Direct-to-College admissions, LeAnne partnered with the College of Engineering to launch a First Year Program experience specifically tailored to Engineering’s Goal to create a 4-year experience for incoming engineers. Thanks to LeAnne’s flexibility and partnership, each year we train 100 (!) engineering student leaders to support our 1,000 incoming first-year engineering students, run our outreach and recruitment, and teach hands-on engineering experiences in our campus maker spaces. This partnership with LeAnne’s team has become a signature experience as part of our Emerging Leaders in Engineering program.
LeAnne advances access and opportunity for others. LeAnne’s commitment to make the University of Washington open, accessible, inviting, and welcoming, is evident each year as the entire campus comes together under LeAnne’s leadership to welcome our newest huskies. One of LeAnne’s greatest leadership qualities is her ability to mobilize the entire university community around the common goal of making a 50,000-student campus feel approachable and accessible to all. Each year LeAnne coordinates activities across Student Life, OMA&D, UAA, and the academic units so that each incoming student can succeed.
I appreciate that the selection committee seeks to recognize only the most extraordinary staff members who demonstrate our shared values of integrity, diversity, excellence, collaboration, innovation, and respect. Without a doubt, LeAnne embodies all these qualities, and more. I’m thrilled to be able to provide my enthusiastic nomination of LeAnne for the David B. Thorud Leadership Award. LeAnne exemplifies the very best of our institution, and when I shared my plan to nominate LeAnne, I was overwhelmed with colleagues from across campus who wanted to add their voices to support her nomination. In addition to the supporting letters by Vice President Rickey Hall and Vice President Denzil Suite, I want to share the words of a few additional campus partners who can speak to LeAnne’s broader impact on the UW:
Shanai Lechtenberg, Senior Director of Student Academic Services, College of Engineering:
“LeAnne is an incredible, innovative leader who expertly navigates a high degree of complexity in engaging campus partners to create a consistent first year experience across the entire institution for over 7,000 students, while also maintaining flexibility for each unit to tailor their programming to meet the needs of their specific population. She’s an amazing collaborator who embodies the spirit of this award by always being open to new ideas and approaches, taking a constructive, solution-oriented perspective, and consistently creating synergy across such a diverse group of stakeholders to achieve massive impact for all entering undergraduate students at the university. It’s an honor to know her and work with her; her mentorship throughout my career at UW has been so significant in shaping my own approach to leading my team and to cultivating inclusive and productive relationships with campus partners.”
Helen Garrett, University Registrar and Chief Officer of Enrollment Information Services:
“LeAnne Jones Wiles demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities that has a positive impact on future, new, and current students, on her fellow administrators, on faculty, and most specifically on her team in First Year Programs.
Having served on many committees with LeAnne and observed her in hundreds of hours of meetings together since I arrived as University Registrar in 2016 I can state boldly that LeAnne facilitates decision making that is not based on her needs and agenda, but always on what is best for everyone involved.
She is caring, funny, honoring of others, and is incredibly innovative and successful. I have learned how to be a better leader as a result of years of watching her interact and collaborate with others.”
Melissa Aydelott, Assistant Director of Admissions:
“I have immense respect for LeAnne Wiles and the First Year Program team she leads. Every single person I know who works with her in any capacity has exemplary things to say about her. Each time I am with her, I learn something important. People who have worked for her tell me that she is the best supervisor they have ever had. LeAnne and her team are doing innovative work with heart, impacting student success academically, emotionally, personally, and developing their staff at the same time. Admissions works closely with First Year Programs as we transition students from admitted and enrolled status to registered new Huskies. If we identify students who experienced academic decline in their last year of high school and are vulnerable to making a successful transition to the UW, we connect them to the robust support services they learn about at Advising and Orientation. LeAnne and her FYP team are the glue that makes our new Huskies stick. I consider it Super Glue.”
LeAnne is one of the most respected and beloved members of our community. LeAnne’s leadership has transformed the experience of tens of thousands of students over the years, and the University of Washington is truly a better place thanks to her leadership. I truly hope that LeAnne can be recognized with the David B. Thorud Leadership Award, acknowledging her tireless leadership and contributions to this institution.
Sincerely,
Dan Ratner
Associate Dean, Engineering
Professor, Bioengineering