Tyson Marsh didn’t know what was in store for him when he arrived as an undergraduate at the University of Washington in 1996.
For the previous 12 years, he had attended schools in which his experience and his communities — Indigenous, Black and, later, Muslim — were completely absent from the curriculum.
But?that changed at?the?UW, where?classes in?political science and American ethnic studies?began to?paint a fuller picture.?For the first time,?he said, his courses?addressed?both the achievements and the struggles of his forebears.?
“I?finally had access to the wonderful stories of my communities,” he said.?“It made me want to create opportunities for other people to see themselves in our curriculum and the contributions they made?— and, quite frankly,?the erasure.”?
More than two decades later, Dr. Marsh has been recognized with the Multicultural Alumni Partnership Distinguished Alumni Award for doing just that. He now directs the Leadership Development for Educators and Educating for Critical Race 足彩app哪个是正规的ory concentrations at UW Bothell’s School of Educational Studies. Through these programs, he prepares future educators, administrators and nonprofit executives to become anti-racist leaders.
Creating pathways to higher education
“I am deeply committed to holding the UW responsible to the needs of all our communities in Washington state,” said Marsh, an associate professor in SES. “This award to me means that this work is still valued by the institution, which is important in this particular moment.”
His passion for activism caught fire in his undergraduate days, when affirmative action in Washington was then under attack via Initiative 200. “I realized I had agency!” he said. “I saw that we couldn’t rely on a colonial institution to do the critical work for our communities.”
He took special inspiration from?Dr.?Saraswati?Sunindyo,?an?ethnic studies professor who?assigned?his class a pivotal project:?Identify?an issue or challenge facing?your community and design an intervention.?
In response,?Marsh teamed?up with other students, including Tyrone Porter, Keoke?Silvano and Chris Knaus, to create an outreach?program?of?the Minority Think Tank?—?which he cofounded with Jerald Harris, Tyrone Porter and Michael Tuncap?—?called?EMPOWER.?Its?mission:?Create a pathway?to higher education by teaching ethnic studies to Black,?brown?and minoritized students in local high schools.?
Over the next few years, the UW undergrads reached about 150 teens in roughly a dozen area schools by weaving hip hop, spoken word and multimedia arts into a tailored ethnic studies curriculum. 足彩app哪个是正规的y also arranged for these EMPOWER students to visit the UW campus, make personal connections and get help with the college admissions process.
“It made me want to create opportunities for other people to see themselves in our curriculum and the contributions they made — and, quite frankly, the erasure.”
Dr. Tyson E.J. Marsh, associate professor, School of Educational Studies
Setting a lifelong trajectory
Sumona Das Gupta, who now chairs the education committee of the Multicultural Alumni Partnership, led EMPOWER for three years as an undergraduate. She worked closely with Marsh on everything from mentorship to community engagement.?
“Through EMPOWER, Tyson demonstrated an ability to bridge diverse perspectives and build inclusive spaces where others feel seen and supported,” she said. “His integrity, follow-through and genuine care for people have had a lasting impact on our community.”
Marsh also worked closely with the UW’s Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, where he was a member of the student advisory board. “Advisers in the office supported, consulted and nurtured us in our activism,” he said. “足彩app哪个是正规的y set me on a trajectory and made me the human I am today.”
He was excited to learn from leaders such as Dr. Emile Pitre, who co-founded the UW’s Black 足彩app哪个是正规的 Union, which in turn laid the foundation for the creation of OMAD. “It was the first time I could use my voice,” said Marsh of his undergraduate days. “It was the first time I had folks from my community I could look up to and learn from.”
Marsh?also?took an active role in?student government, both?as a member of?the?Associated?足彩app哪个是正规的s of UW’s?board of?directors and?as?director of the Black 足彩app哪个是正规的 Commission.?“That service,” he said, “put me continuously?in contact with?the?amazing resources that exist at UW for first-generation students like me who have largely experienced education devoid of their cultural experience.”?
Coming full circle to Bothell
After graduating in 2001 with a double major in political science and American ethnic studies, Marsh considered pursuing an advanced degree in political science. But when a UW friend gave him a copy of “足彩app哪个是正规的 Paolo Freire Reader,” he realized that “the field of education would give me the space to do what I wanted to do.”
So?he?enrolled?in the University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned his?doctorate?in education. Marsh’s professional path?next?took?him?to?Egypt, where he?cofounded an international American school, and eventually back to the United States, where he taught in?several?universities before returning to the UW in 2019.?
This time, he set down roots in Bothell.
In SES,?Marsh?has?played?a central role?in redesigning the Leadership Development for Educators concentration to more strongly emphasize antiracist leadership and educational justice.?He?also co-designed the Educating for Critical Race 足彩app哪个是正规的ory concentration — a?University-wide program housed at UW Bothell — with faculty at the UW in Seattle and UW Tacoma.?
“While the E-CRiT?concentration has been in development for five years,” said Marsh, “I feel that the autumn quarter 2026 timing for its launch could not be better. It will bring much-needed dialogue and understanding to a body of knowledge and research that, while often misunderstood, is deeply rooted in community knowledge and voice.”?
Developing new frameworks
Marsh’s recent scholarship?has him partnering to develop the Indigenous Decolonizing School Leadership framework, which critiques Eurocentric schooling as a tool of colonialism and offers an Indigenous-centered approach to educational leadership. He?also?has?joined with Navajo leader Dr. Shawn Secatero, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico,?to?forward?the Corn Pollen Model of Indigenous well-being.?
Considering all his?ongoing?work,?Marsh?said he?has found fertile ground at UW Bothell?— and?looks forward to sharing his learnings?with his students?in SES and?with?those in other disciplines across the University.?
“UW Bothell is the best campus,” he said. “It reflects all the students I worked on behalf of as an undergrad. It is intentionally of service to first-generation students and makes an effort to respond to the needs of minoritized communities.
“I’m grateful to be in a place surrounded by colleagues and staff who go above and beyond to ensure that our students are represented in the curriculum, that their needs are met.”
