While much has been written recently about declining trust in higher education, research points to a simple conclusion that the University of Washington has long embraced: Trust is built locally. People gain confidence in colleges and universities when they see them solving problems, partnering with communities, and improving lives close to home.

We like to say that the UW is the University for Washington – a reflection of our role as a public university, dedicated to serving the people of our state. To make the greatest impact, and fulfill our promise to the Washingtonians who invest in the university, we prioritize our partnership with communities, our engagement with them, and our commitment to serving them.

One way we do that is by introducing some of our newest faculty members to their new state by taking them on a week-long, 1,000- mile bus trip each June. On the Faculty Field Tour, new faculty members learn more about our state and develop authentic connections.

We visit the state Capitol, Mount St. Helens, the Yakima Valley, the Grand Coulee Dam, the Colville Reservation and Leavenworth – making many stops along the way. In Vancouver, Toppenish, Zillah, Richland, Ritzville and Wednesday night in Spokane, we engage with soon-to-be-students and their families; alumni; and business, civic and tribal leaders, learning what makes each of these communities special. The tour also is an opportunity for new faculty to see some of the places that have educated and nurtured the students they will teach, given that about three-quarters of those students are Washington residents.

Faculty also learn about long-standing partnerships between the UW and community organizations, such as the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, one of the largest community health centers in the nation. In collaboration with UW, the clinic provides comprehensive medical, dental and social services to local agricultural workers. Pediatric residents from the UW School of Medicine serve a rotation here to address the occupational and environmental health concerns of farmworkers.

Throughout the trip, faculty not only begin to understand and appreciate our state, they begin to see how they might contribute to our state’s prosperity. They start to imagine how – through true partnership and collaboration – their teaching and research will uplift communities by expanding UW’s contributions to communities across our state.

This year, the 35 faculty participants come to the UW from places as close as Olympia and as far away as Zimbabwe. Their research interests include diabetes in pregnancy; energy-aware computing; technology in dentistry; Coast Salish artifacts; dark matter and the Milky Way; and natural resources policy and management. Through these interests, along with their ideas, expertise and experiences, new faculty will work on solutions that improve lives here in Washington and beyond.

New faculty also connect with each other through deep conversations on the bus, or over dinner, forging connections and brainstorming projects across fields of study. And while these new faculty come from a variety of backgrounds, interests and expertise, they share two things with each other and with everyone they meet along the tour – a belief in the possible and a commitment to making an impact now and long into the future.

As the University of Washington’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, Tricia R. Serio focuses on advancing the UW’s academic mission by leading the faculty, allocating resources, overseeing research and global affairs, and promoting students’ success.