Good News at Fred Hutch

Dr. Michele Andrasik honored for volunteer work, advocacy for women with HIV

Dr. Michele Andrasik, a staff social scientist in Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, is the 2015 honoree for Stella Steps Out, an annual benefit for the BABES Network-YWCA.

Andrasik is being recognized for her volunteer work with the program, which provides peer support for women with HIV and their families, and for her efforts to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS in marginalized communities and involve these communities in clinical research.

Andrasik, a trained psychologist who is the lead behavioral scientist for the Hutch-based HIV Vaccine Trials Network and a University of Washington clinical assistant professor of global health, began volunteering with BABES when she moved from Miami to Seattle 11 years ago. She has never stopped.

Nationwide, about one in four people living with HIV is a woman, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet BABES is one of the few programs in the country to focus on women with HIV, providing services for about 250 women and their families from Seattle and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s always shocked me that there are so few services for women,” Andrasik said. “Data show that support services are really instrumental in women’s lives.”

Nicole Price, BABES program manager, praised Andrasik as a strong supporter who over the years has volunteered as a therapist, workshop leader, fundraiser and advocate.

“What I really like about Michele,” said Price, “is that she has, like, 77 degrees, but she is so down to earth. You can understand what she’s talking about.”

About 200 people are expected to attend the event tonight at the Georgetown Ballroom in Seattle.

Fred Hutch’s website wins digital marketing ‘humanitarian award’

Fred Hutch's Communications & Marketing Department has received the EVOLVE’15 Humanitarian Award for its public-facing website, fredhutch.org. The award was given by 3|SHARE, a digital marketing company, at its recent conference in San Diego for Web developers and producers who use Adobe’s website-building software, Adobe Experience Manager, or AEM.

The EVOLVE'15 Humanitarian Award was one of three awards given at the August conference. Fred Hutch was selected as an organization that demonstrates “excellence, innovation and collaboration” through its use of AEM for the betterment of humankind, according to 3|SHARE’s statement about the 2015 awards.

Ian Schempp and Josh Hamilton, Fred Hutch Web developers, and Jeremy Fisher, Fred Hutch Web producer, accepted the award on behalf of the Hutch's communications team.