Casey Tran, one of the UW Information School’s finest students, was found dead at the shores near the Aurora bridge on the evening of May 1, 2020. While we don’t fully understand why Casey took his life, his family has shared that he struggled with his mental health and cyberbullying.
Casey was a direct admit to UW’s Informatics program, concentrating on Human-Computer Interaction. He was involved in a number of student organizations including the Informatics Undergraduate Association, Human-Centered Design and Engineering research groups, and the Alpha Theta Delta Design Fraternity.
As a recipient of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship sponsored by Microsoft, Boeing, and the State of Washington, he was granted support in his endeavors of pursuing a STEM degree and career in the state. Additionally, he was also the sole recipient of the Avis Burrill Memorial Scholarship and was recognized for being a DECA Washington State qualifier.
Serving as the Creative Director for the Informatics Undergraduate Association, Casey led the design and creation of Informatics branded merchandise and apparel. He was passionate about his impact on the informatics community, bringing his skills, interests, and goodwill to better it. Additionally, Casey was responsible for organizing several academic and professional events for students around campus.
Casey was passionate about inclusive and accessible design—principles that sparked his imagination and innovation to create experiences that helped bridge the gap between technology and humanity. Striving to always create meaningful and empathic experiences, Casey would actively partake in hackathons as an opportunity to manifest his vision. Before his unexpected passing, he had signed an offer to a summer design internship for a local startup laboratory.
Casey was an outgoing and genuine person. He was talented, kind, and soft-spoken. He had a lot of passion for his work and was very mature, patient, and inspiring. His loss will be felt deeply by our community: his classmates and professors, the colleagues with whom he worked closely, his fraternity brothers, and the broader UW class.
We are indebted to Casey for his advocacy, his strength, his kindness, and his friendship. We share many tears, memories, and our love for him. May his soul rest in peace.