Leah Pistorius
February 15, 2025
Donna Sakson, an alumna from the University of Washington's Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, was named a 2025 Diamond Award recipient by the UW College of Engineering.
The Diamond Awards honor outstanding alumni and friends of the College who have made significant contributions to the field of engineering. Sakson's award is in the category of Dean's Award, made at the discretion of Dean Nancy Allbritton.
Read on to learn more about Sakson and her career achievements.
Dean’s Award
2025 College of Engineering Diamond Awards
Donna M. Sakson, B.S. 1982 Technical Communication (HCDE)
President, S&A Mosaic, Inc.
Just three years after graduating from the University of Washington, Donna Sakson founded Sakson & Taylor, Inc., a technical communications firm with a mission to connect people, information and jobs. Initially specializing in technical and product documentation, information design analysis, website usability and development, the company grew to become one of the largest information design and specialized talent placement companies in the nation and was recognized three times ( ’99, ’00, ’01) by Working Woman magazine as one of the Top 500 Women-Owned Businesses. In 2006, Sakson sold the company to Aquent.
Leveraging her business success to make a difference, Sakson has demonstrated a deep commitment to philanthropy and service, both at the UW and in the broader community. As a student, Sakson benefitted from scholarships that played a pivotal role in her education and career. Inspired by their impact, she and her late husband Jonathan Mark established two endowed scholarships to support underrepresented and financially challenged students in what is now the UW Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE).
At the UW, she currently serves on the UW Foundation Board and as a member of the Executive Committee of the College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board; she previously served as chair of the Advisory Board as well as serving on the 2008 Campaign Committee. In these roles, her strategic counsel to the College of Engineering Deans over almost two decades has been invaluable. Beyond the university, her contributions extend to organizations such as United Way of King County, TeenFeed, BikeWorks, and the American Red Cross. Sakson was honored with the HCDE Distinguished Alumna award in 1999 and the Diamond Award for Distinguished Service in 2008.
Learn more about the UW College of Engineering’s Diamond Awards on the CoE website.