Debra Friedman, chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma, died earlier this week at the age of 58. She had been suffering from lung cancer.
On January 8, Chancellor Friedman announced to the campus community that she had been diagnosed with cancer and would be cutting back on her duties. On Friday, January 24, Dr. Friedman took full medical leave and she died two days later.
University of Washington President Michael K. Young, stated, “It is impossible to ignore this tragedy when someone is lost to us who has so much to give.”
A native of Seattle, Dr. Friedman held master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Washington. From 1994 to 2005, she held several posts at the University of Washington including assistant dean and associate dean of undergraduate education, associate provost for academic planning, and director of special projects in development and alumni relations.
From 2005 to her appointment as chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma, Dr. Friedman served as dean of the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University and later as university vice president and director of the university’s downtown Phoenix branch campus.