David Iyall is newly installed as assistant vice president of advancement for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity at the University of Washington. He previously served as a major gift officer for the College of Engineering at UW. He earlier worked at UC Irvine and UC Riverside, serving as director of development. Iyall earned his bachelor's degree from Washington State University in 1999. He can be reached at Iyall@u.washington.edu.

Talk about your goals in your new position and how they dovetail with UW's diversity initiatives.
My involvement in planning the UW Tribal Leadership Summit held in 2007 and 2008 played a central role in why I was brought on to my existing position. The summit brought together our university president and Washington tribal chairs. It focused on setting a vision for partnership between the tribal communities and the university's programs in education, research and service.

We want to make sure the University of Washington represents our state in terms of student and faculty diversity. My primary focus in my new role is on scholarship fundraising with a special emphasis on diversity fundraising, such as through our Educational Opportunity Program. EOP promotes academic success and graduation for underrepresented ethnic minorities, economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students.

My second priority is the House of Knowledge, a new university facility that will be built with traditional longhouse-style architecture. This project has been discussed on campus for about 35 years. Now an official university capital project, the 19,000-square-foot-project requires a $12.5 million to $13.5 million budget. The cost hopefully can be split among state, federal and private monies. We're just getting started in our efforts to connect with donors and potential donors.

As part of our planning, we toured several campuses, including the University of British Columbia, Evergreen State College and Portland State University, to take a look at their longhouses and how they are being used.

How will the House of Knowledge demonstrate your institution's commitment to diversity?
The purpose of this project is to support Native American students, faculty, and staff recruitment and retention. Just over 1 percent of our student population is Native American, and among graduate students, it's 0.9 percent.

Other objectives associated with the House of Knowledge are to contribute to the body of knowledge about indigenous culture and peoples and to strengthen indigenous research projects and relationships with tribal communities.

It tells Native American students they can come to U of Washington without leaving their culture. The longhouse will be a clear message to them that their culture is respected and that it is a place for them to come to on campus.

Also, the physical presence of the building and its gathering places and classrooms will demonstrate the university's acknowledgment that the region's native people are an important part of our history and present.

At UW, we have students from all over the world who don't necessarily know the history of the area. The longhouse will help them understand who the first people of this region were.

How does your background as a Native American influence your approach to your work?
In my work, I do convey my background, and it is useful to UW in building relationships with the tribal community. My family has been involved in tribal leadership in Washington state for centuries. My great grandfather, Frank Iyall, was a lobbyist for the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act. Prior to the passage of that act, Indian people were not considered U.S. citizens. My dad has been on the Cowlitz Tribal Council for about 30 years, and my uncle is the Cowlitz Tribal chairman.

I like development because I've always liked being in a position to enable projects and solve problems. And working in the Office of Minority Affairs is the place I feel the closest connection. It's a place that pushes the idea that diversity is at the heart of our educational mission. It's broader than just education. Diversity adds a lot to the experience of our students.

What are some of your major accomplishments as a development officer?
When I was a major gift officer in the department of electrical engineering, we established the first endowed professorship. We put on a centennial celebration for the department's 100th birthday, and in my final year, we increased the endowment by 30 percent.

Overall, I've had many opportunities to connect with wonderful people. It's been a real pleasure to work with people with such good hearts and who are so generous. They understand so well what we're trying to accomplish.

You serve as a District VIII board member as well as co-chair of the Opportunity and Equity Committee. What are some of your most promising programs?
District VIII has been quite progressive in the accomplishments of the Opportunity and Equity Committee.

Our previous chairs, George Zeno and Cheryl Nations, did a great job providing leadership on creating three different programs-a newcomers scholarship, a minority multicultural internship program and an advancement networking program. We hope to continue and grow what George and Cheryl started.

This article is from the September 2008 issue of BriefCASE.
Please share your questions and comments with Pam Russell via e-mail at russell@case.org or by telephone at +1-202-478-5680.