Huge congratulations to Dr. Mia Hoffman, recipient of the University of Washington’s 2026 Graduate School Medal – awarded to doctoral graduates whose research and civic engagement drive real social change.
Mia’s dissertation grew out of a simple question: how could a toddler with cerebral palsy play alongside her sibling? That question led to the Switch Kit, a low-cost, customizable system that helps children with motor disabilities engage in play, co-designed with families, clinicians, and speech-language pathologists. Her leadership of HuskyADAPT helped bring adapted toys to families across Washington State.
Mia earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, co-advised by our own Dr. Kat Steele and Dr. Heather Feldner, and was also named to this year’s Husky 100. She’s headed to Ohio State for a postdoctoral fellowship, and eventually hopes to launch her own lab focused on mobility, accessibility, and play.
Congratulations, Dr. Hoffman – we can’t wait to see what’s next!
Read the full feature from the UW Graduate School.
