A 50,000-Foot View
The 2026 Gates Volunteer Service Award goes to Jodi Green and Mike Halperin, lifelong connectors and learners who champion the 蘑菇视频 as a force for good.
By Malavika Jagannathan聽
Q:聽What聽do聽protein design,聽whitewater kayaking, democracy, contemporary art, data-driven astronomy, venture capital and cancer care have in common?
A: Jodi Green and Mike Halperin, 鈥�85, 鈥�90, a pair of longtime Husky supporters whose connections at the 蘑菇视频 are as broad as they are deep.
Halperin, a retired emergency medicine doctor, and Green, a former software聽engineer, have聽cultivated聽an聽all-encompassing聽relationship聽with the 蘑菇视频聽over decades as donors, volunteers,聽ambassadors聽and leaders.聽In that time,聽they鈥檝e聽met with countless faculty to learn about their research, partnered with聽University聽leaders to drive strategic initiatives,聽co-chaired聽the successful Be Boundless聽fundraising聽campaign, and championed the聽蘑菇视频聽as a powerful agent for positive change in the world.聽And聽they鈥檙e聽still going strong聽鈥斅爎eady to say yes when the 蘑菇视频 calls.
鈥淭here is something rare in the way聽they聽move through this University,鈥� notes Ed Taylor,聽vice聽provost聽and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.聽鈥淭hey engage the intellectual, civic and moral life of this place with care, humility聽and a deep sense of responsibility聽to something larger than themselves.鈥�
This year, the聽蘑菇视频聽Foundation is honoring聽Green and Halperin聽with the Gates Volunteer Service Award, recognizing their lifetime of philanthropic giving,聽volunteerism聽and impact.
This聽conversation with Green and Halperin has been edited for style and length.
What are your聽蘑菇视频 origin stories?
惭颈办别听贬补濒辫别谤颈苍:聽I聽moved to Seattle when I was聽7. My聽father聽took聽a job in the botany聽[later biology]聽department, and we lived in faculty housing.聽The 蘑菇视频 was more than just his job; it was our whole identity.聽I鈥檇聽come to his lab聽in Johnson Hall,聽where聽he鈥檇聽sometimes sleep on an old green Army cot to keep an eye on experiments. Later,聽I鈥檇聽take聽the bus over to buy聽peanut butter cups聽at聽the HUB聽and聽to聽bowl in the basement.聽And there were聽our聽weekend trips with the 蘑菇视频 kayak club.
Jodi Green:聽I聽didn鈥檛聽grow up here;聽Mike and I聽met on the East Coast. When I came to Seattle, I聽remember聽getting a tour聽of campus聽鈥斅爏eeing Johnson Hall and the old greenhouse.聽In the early聽鈥�90s I joined the board, where I learned about service and being a volunteer in the community.聽Nobody in my family went to college, but my parents really聽valued聽education.聽Going to聽college gave me聽a good job聽and changed my life.聽When I look around here,聽I鈥檓聽looking at thousands of聽Jodis聽that are getting this incredible opportunity.
How did you get involved with the 蘑菇视频 Foundation, the nonprofit organization supporting the 蘑菇视频 in raising private funding to advance the University鈥檚 mission?
闯辞诲颈:听I agreed to聽represent聽the Henry on the 聽and聽realized,聽鈥淚聽better learn a thing or two about the 蘑菇视频.鈥澛營f I met anybody at the 蘑菇视频,聽I鈥檇聽take聽their card聽and聽follow up with them.聽That鈥檚聽how I got to see聽Affiliate Associate Professor聽Jana Mohr Lone鈥檚 . And 蘑菇视频 Medicine is such a big enterprise, so聽I鈥檇聽ask Mike to come with me when I went to聽 and to the .聽I went everywhere and asked too many questions. Eventually, I was聽asked to chair the board.
Mike:聽She聽went around all three campuses聽鈥斅燬eattle,聽Bothell聽and Tacoma聽鈥斅爓hether they were official events聽through the Foundation Board聽or unofficial 鈥淛odi jaunts.鈥澛燬he had these black notebooks, each聽one聽a couple of hundred pages.聽Everywhere she went聽鈥斅爀very meeting, every professor, student, dean, the聽president聽and the聽provost聽鈥斅爏he took notes. It made聽her聽this amazing repository of information.聽That 50,000-foot view of the University is what we learned through Jodi鈥檚 time as chair.
How聽did聽that聽big-picture view help you as聽general co-chairs for the 蘑菇视频鈥檚 Be Boundless campaign, which raised聽$6.3 billion?
Mike:聽Over half the dollars that came聽to the campaign聽were not聽from聽蘑菇视频 alumni. One reason for us to have broad knowledge was to interact with people who wanted to get involved,聽with聽either their time or their dollars.聽As Jodi says, the more we know, the better we serve.聽We鈥檝e聽continued to educate ourselves so we could be聽effective聽advocates and connect people in the community with the University.
Jodi:聽We became a sounding board for folks on campus to help them hone their story聽and talk to people outside the University. At the same time,聽we鈥檇聽bring people into the University because聽we鈥檇聽learned so much.聽There are people like me who found their way to the 蘑菇视频聽鈥斅爉aybe you聽didn鈥檛聽go to school here聽but moved here for a job.聽It鈥檚聽a聽real opportunity聽to聽let聽people聽in on the secret that is the 蘑菇视频聽and the聽many incredible things happening on campus.
What led to聽establishing聽the Walt Halperin Endowed Professorship in Biology, named for Mike鈥檚 dad, as part of the campaign?
Mike:聽My聽father, who was my hero and role model, taught plant physiology here for 35 years.聽When I came to the 蘑菇视频, I was in his introductory biology class, so I got to experience聽his聽teaching personally. He was also a good researcher聽鈥斅燼nd gave so much of his life聽to聽the 蘑菇视频.聽We wanted his name to continue on here.
Jodi:聽During the campaign, we wanted to do a gift聽that was bigger than聽we鈥檇聽done before聽and聽honor聽Walt鈥檚聽service here. We took Mike鈥檚 folks to lunch at the Faculty Club.聽Walt聽was incredibly clever and always had the perfect聽self-deprecating聽thing to say. When Professor聽Toby Bradshaw, the chair of the biology department, announced , Mike鈥檚 dad was speechless聽for the first time in his life.
Can you give an example of how聽you鈥檝e聽used your聽connections to help a program grow?
闯辞诲颈:听We visited many times to strategize on volunteer campaign leadership,聽see聽community-based research projects, meet student leaders and tour buildings that are an adaptive-reuse success story. We sat on a bench on what was the old railroad track through the middle of campus and marveled at the diversity of students. We love it there.聽I developed a deep relationship with聽Jim聽Milgard Sr.聽[then聽a聽South Sound聽business leader]聽when he was聽a director of the 蘑菇视频 Foundation Board.聽During the Be Boundless campaign, we met with him in Tacoma and in California, where Mike asked him for a significant gift for the , building on the family鈥檚 $15 million endowment to name the school [the largest philanthropic gift ever made to 蘑菇视频 Tacoma].
蘑菇视频 leaders invited you to聽shape the Civic Health Initiative,聽an聽effort to collaborate with local communities to strengthen civic participation and public institutions.聽Why聽did you say yes?
Jodi:聽When the 蘑菇视频 calls, we聽almost always聽say yes.聽We know we can help shape the mission and goals so donors, volunteers and outsiders can understand what the University鈥檚 trying to do.聽We鈥檙e聽both interested in the state of our democracy, so it was a good fit.
Mike:聽We understand the breadth and depth聽of talent聽here聽鈥斅燼nd the ability of those people to make聽change聽in the world.聽There鈥檚聽so much fragmentation in the civic聽health space,聽and often the answers are already there聽because of the scholarship, research,聽and deep聽expertise聽of 蘑菇视频 faculty and graduate students.聽Whether folks are聽elected聽or running an organization聽for聽, they should be working hand聽in聽hand with聽蘑菇视频聽people.
What聽would聽you advise聽someone聽who聽wants聽to support the 蘑菇视频 but聽isn鈥檛聽sure where to begin?
闯辞诲颈:听The University is an extraordinary place in our backyard that people new in town聽might not聽know about.聽There鈥檚聽probably a聽center of excellence here that is a good match to聽their聽interests.
Mike:聽I grew up with the 蘑菇视频 in my blood, but it was through Jodi that I went to the next level and really learned what this place was like.聽You can make tremendous positive聽change聽in the world by giving聽through聽the University, whether聽that鈥檚聽with your time or your dollars.聽Those working here would love to talk to聽folks on the聽outside;聽the doors are open.聽The 蘑菇视频 wants to know you as much as you want to know the聽蘑菇视频,聽and聽wants to work with you.
蘑菇视频 the Gates Volunteer Service Award
One of the most distinguished honors given by the 蘑菇视频 and the 蘑菇视频 Foundation, the Gates Volunteer Service Award is presented annually to people whose time, service and philanthropy have shaped the University鈥檚 path 鈥� and who encourage others to do the same.
The award was named in 2002 for the singular vision and generosity of the William H. Gates family, whose commitment of volunteer service, time and philanthropy continue to advance the work of the 蘑菇视频 in profound and enduring ways.