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Current Students

Undergraduate Student Association

The Human Centered Design & Engineering Undergraduate Student Association (HCDE SA) is a registered student organization founded and operated by undergraduate HCDE students.

The HCDE SA was first established in 2009 with the mission of fostering a sense of community within the department by providing opportunities for socializing and professional networking.

Connect with the SA

We hope that every HCDE student will feel welcome at and enjoy our events and programs. Please reach out to us at uwhcdesa@gmail.com with any requests or ideas.

SA on Instagram

2025-2026 SA Officers

Athena Ortega

Co-President

Athena Ortega

Hi there! I’m Athena, a senior in HCDE, minoring in Data Science and pursuing the Interdisciplinary Honors track at UW. Aside from going to cafes, playing tennis, and skiing, I love doing anything music-related, like producing, arranging, and composing music; as well as curating songs for my playlists and going to concerts! One thing I love about being in HCDE is meeting a variety of designers, researchers and creatives, and I’m looking forward to creating opportunities that will bring our undergraduate students together! 

aaco@uw.edu | LinkedIn | Instagram

Sophia Mai

Co-President

Sophia Mai

Hi everyone!! My name is Sophia and I am a senior studying HCDE with a minor in Data Science. I enjoy reading, listening to music, cooking, hitting the gym, or playing volleyball! I'm so excited to be a part of HCDEsa this year to host social and professional events to bring our community together!

sophm23@uw.edu | Instagram

Zahra Hassan

Community Outreach Coordinator

Zahra Hassan

Assalamu Alaykum! (Peace be Upon You). My name is Zahra Hassan, and I am a rising senior in HCDE. I am passionate about community outreach and engagement, especially within academia.  I aim to create spaces where students can show up authentically without the need to conform. As a Community Outreach Coordinator, I am excited to connect with various organizations and communities that will challenge us to think more broadly of what it means to be in HCDE.  Outside of school, I love to read (any genre) and spend time outside, especially by the water!

zahrah22@uw.edu

Hannah Huang

Marketing Coordinator

Hannah Huang

Hi! I’m Hannah, a junior in HCDE and your Marketing Coordinator for the year! I’m really excited to share what’s going on in our community, whether that’s through social media updates, fun event promos, or spotlighting the amazing projects HCDE peers are working on.
This year, I want our channels to feel like a space where you can stay in the loop, get inspired, and maybe even have a laugh or two. One thing I’m especially excited about is bringing cool swag to life for us to show some HCDE pride! If you ever have an idea for merch or an event you’d like to see, I’d love to hear from you :)

hannah09@uw.edu | LinkedIn

Isha Kumar

Treasurer

Isha Kumar

Hii! I am Isha. I am a junior in HCDE with a minor in Business Administration. I am excited to be the treasurer this year and hope to bring some awesome events to you guys. Outside of academics, I am really into tennis and also enjoy baking. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to chat :)

ikumar5@uw.edu

Jane Pietsch

Secretary

Jane Pietsch

Hi my name is Jane I’m a senior in HCDE and I can’t wait to work with the HCDEsa team this year. Outside of school I love to swim at the cut, find cool clothes at Goodwill, and play tennis. I love HCDE because of its combination of technology, people, and problem solving. I can’t wait to help foster connection within the HCDE community!

janep7@uw.edu