November 13, 2023

I am pleased to provide this recommendation for Mackenzie Otterson and hope you will
give her close review of the opportunity this is directed at. I had the pleasure of working
with Mackenzie in 2023 and feel I can give a clear assessment of her professional practice
in student affairs.

I have had a career in student affairs for over twenty years, serving in comprehensive
community colleges, technical colleges, a private faith-based university, and a Research I
institution. I have hired, trained, and supervised dozens of professional staff in that time,
primarily in enrollment and student services. I serve as Assistant Dean for Students in a
professional school serving about 2000 students, ranging from bachelor's degree seekers
to doctoral students.

Mackenzie Otterson undertook an independent project in the Office of the Dean at the
School of Public Health (SPH) during summer 2023. The project’s objectives were to
revitalize and lead a selection process for the Dean’s student leadership group, Deans
Advisory Council for Students (DACS), and to create and initiate an orientation for the
DACS. Mackenzie’s work was excellent. Her efforts' outcomes were a roster of 25 student
leaders representing the breadth of degree levels and academic departments in the SPH.
The DACS orientation, a new offering for these student leaders, was well conceived and
received strong reviews as to its impact on the students starting as student leaders in the
SPH.
Mackenzie began research into the role by talking with staffers who had previously
engaged with the DACS. Because former DACS members were not available to interview,
Mackenzie reviewed written summaries former DACS members submitted about their
experience in DACS. She pulled themes that were used in the consideration of the dozens
of students who applied for the DACS slots. She also applied the themes from former DACS
member’s writings to develop a custom orientation for the incoming DACS cohort.
The School of Public Health had never offered an orientation for DACS members.
Mackenzie contacted other Student Services Directors across the UW, who have similar
student leadership bodies to consider and situate the orientation she developed within the
UW and SPH contexts. The detail and attention, combined with her insight into the
perspective of students who are interested in serving as leaders in the School, and learning
lessons applicable to their future practice as leaders in public health led to a session that
moved beyond what professional literature about leadership practice says to something
that aligned more closely with the objectives for leadership for and in public health.

If I can be of further support as you consider her application, contact me. I can be reached
most easily by email to jmricks@uw.edu

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Sincerely,

Juanita M. Ricks, MA
Assistant Dean for Students