Driven by her desire to support students in fragile financial situations, School of Pharmacy alum and Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board Dana Hurley (’97, ’00, ’04) initiated her support of the School of Pharmacy quickly after graduation and was eventually joined by her husband, Matt Thomlinson, BSEE ‘94 and MSEE ‘97.
“Once I graduated, I started giving to the School of Pharmacy immediately,” Dana says. Later, the couple approached the School of Pharmacy about additional need. “We asked, how can we provide something of meaning that would be impactful? The drive to give back has led both Dana and her husband Matt Thomlinson toward deeper and more meaningful engagements with the UW ever since.
Dana was not sure she would be able to afford to complete her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy at all. As a student with limited financial resources, she didn’t have anyone to turn to until she was connected to UW support services for students in her precarious position. Through grant funding the UW was able to provide her with $500, an amount she says, “felt like the whole world,” and gave her the financial resources to continue her education.
Dana did not come from a financially stable family and she experienced the impacts of having a parent with a pharmaceutical painkiller addiction, so paying for a college degree came with challenges. Despite those challenges, she went on to complete not only her undergraduate degree in Pharmacy (‘97), but also a masters (‘04) and PharmD (‘00) in Pharmacy at the UW. Dana’s own connection to addiction and her desire to provide pathways to a better future for others was what initially drove her education and career, and now her giving.
While Dana has led the charge on her and Matt’s giving plans through the School of Pharmacy, Matt has recently become more involved in advising projects more closely related to his field of interest in technology and AI that also overlap with pharmacy research.
“It was fun sitting down and having the conversation,” he said. “Half of the conversation is over my head and Dana was understanding, and the other half was where I was geeking out.”
Once engaged with the university as a donor, Matt says it was easy to dive even deeper.
“When you give, you start getting looped in to all the communications, and you become an insider as to what is happening at the UW,” he said. “Stories start pulling you in and you become interested in this research, or another program, or the Nobel Prize.”
The couple’s desire to connect with the UW in a more substantial way has led them to give their time as volunteers on the UW Foundation Board, as well as advisory committees for emerging programs. Matt relishes the opportunity to take his involvement further.
“You can give of yourself in many ways,” he said. “There are times when we give more time than money, and there are times when we give money and then we want to back it up with being involved.”
Matt also believes the UW is well positioned to be a leader in many technology fields. “The university is on the cutting edge of so many fields, and in the near future the outcomes are going to be even more interdisciplinary,” he notes. “I think that puts the UW in a really good spot.”
While the couple’s connection to UW runs deep, it’s the connection to a broader community that keeps them engaged and encourages other people to join them in support of programs that reach students in need, much like Dana was herself.
“We’re all connectors,” she said. “I can’t help it. When I meet new people, I want to know, ‘what are you interested in? What is your background, and have you thought about the University of Washington?’”
Dana believes it’s worthwhile to get involved with the UW in any capacity, either financially or as a volunteer. “The more you get involved, the more you are aware and the bigger impact you can make for everybody,” she says. “My first gift was $50, I think, to the Dean’s Fund in the School of Pharmacy,” she continues. “It doesn’t have to be a lot. There will always be a need. Somebody will always benefit from what you have to offer. So just get started.”