WSAS Elects Chen, Chi, and de Castro as New Members and Takeuchi as New Board Member
Posted: 8/7/2025 (CSDE Research)
Last month, the Washington State Academy of Sciences announced 36 new elected members in recognition of their outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and willingness to assist the Academy in providing the best available scientific information and technical understanding to inform complex policy decisions in Washington. CSDE UW Affiliates Cynthia Chen (Civil & Environmental Engineering) and Donald Chi (Health Systems and Population Health) and CSDE External Affiliate Butch de Castro (Seattle University) are three out of the 36 individuals who were elected to WSAS. Dr. Chen was elected for pioneering work in human mobility analysis and infrastructure resilience, which have transformed transportation systems in terms of both demand and supply, and shaped the future directions of transportation systems research on community-based solutions and disaster resilience. Dr. Chi was elected for leadership in understanding and addressing children’s oral health inequities through community-based sociobehavioral interventions and evidence-based policies. Dr. de Castro was elected for contributions to health research addressing workplace conditions, culture, race, and structural inequalities, advancing understanding and solutions for health disparities. The WSAS also announced the election of six WSAS members for new terms on its Board of Directors, which included new board member and CSDE UW Affiliate David Takeuchi (Social Work). Dr. Takeuchi, who was elected to WSAS in 2012, is a sociologist who has written extensively on issues related to health disparities in society. Dr. Takeuchi has received numerous honors and awards over the years, which can be viewed here. To view the other 33 new WSAS elected members and the 5 other WSAS members on the Board of Directors, visit the links.