“It’s fun working with the students because they also enjoy doing the labs. It’s fun to get your hands dirty.”

MSE is excited to announce the promotion of Tatyana Galenko to Labs Manager. Mentored by the previous manager, Tatyana has amassed seven years of experience in the labs. Her skills and enthusiasm will continue to make the labs an important learning tool for MSE undergraduates.

Tatyana began working in the labs in the fall of 2011 when she started her undergraduate work at UW. Although her field of study, public health, was unrelated, her talents impressed the Labs Manager, Tuesday Kuykendall. As a result, Tatyana had the opportunity to increase her responsibilities. “Slowly but surely, I got hands-on experience on different instruments,” Tatyana says. Once she graduated, she was offered a full-time position as Scientific Technician; recently, with Tuesday’s departure, Tatyana was promoted.

Although she obtained her bachelor’s in public health, Tatyana has developed over time a “really strong interest” in MSE. “I like that it’s just so broad, you can pick whatever you’re interested in and focus on that,” she says. To augment her knowledge, she recently completed a certificate in composite manufacturing from Edmunds Community College. She enjoys the hands-on aspect of working in the labs and her interaction with students. “It’s fun working with the students because they also enjoy doing the labs. It’s fun to get your hands dirty.” Tatyana’s knowledge, skills, and dedication earned her the 2019 College of Engineering Classified Staff Award.

A native of the Seattle area, Tatyana enjoys kayaking, biking, and other outdoors activitie. She also enjoys spending time with her family and teaches Sunday school at her church. Still interested in public health, she has volunteered at nonprofits offering health-related services to the community.

Tatyana brings a wealth of experience to the job, and the labs will continue to thrive under her leadership. As one MSE constituents says, “Tatyana is passionate about creating a high quality undergraduate lab experience.”