Dembowski awards Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service to Ana Mari Cauce

June 10, 2025

King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski on Tuesday awarded Ana Mari Cauce with the Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes individuals whose work has answered the question asked by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “What are you doing for others?”

“Ana Mari Cauce has been an exceptionally accessible President of the University of Washington, always engaged with students and the big, broad Husky community,” Dembowski said. “She has cared for our beloved UW with unparalleled devotion and openness, and we will all miss her and the humility and democratization she has infused into the office of the presidency. We are deeply grateful for her service.”

Cauce is the 33rd and current president of the University of Washington. She became a member of the UW faculty in 1986 and served in several roles, including provost and executive vice president, before becoming the college’s president in 2015. She was raised in Miami after emigrating with her family from Cuba. Cauce earned a B.A. in English and psychology from the University of Miami and a Ph.D. in psychology, with a concentration in child clinical and community psychology, from Yale University. She has received numerous awards and maintains an active research program, focusing on adolescent development with a special emphasis on at-risk youth. She will be stepping down from her role as president in June and will return to her faculty position.  

She was a key figure in establishing the Husky Promise program that covers full tuition and standard fees for low-income Washington residents. she also launched the UW’s Race & Equity Initiative to transform the University culture and embed equity as a key value of the UW.

This marks the 10th year that councilmembers have each selected someone from their district whose work embodies the spirit of King’s question.