Blakemore Foundation-Seattle

We are proud to share that Blakemore Foundation chair Mimi Gardner Gates has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon by the Emperor of Japan, recognizing her decades of leadership in introducing Japanese culture to the United States and strengthening cultural ties. Mimi’s vision continues to inspire the Blakemore community, opening doors to understanding other cultures through language and art. We celebrate this recognition of her extraordinary contributions.

Meet our 2026–27 Blakemore Freeman Fellow, heading to Vietnam.

Based in Ho Chi Minh City, Phong Hong will continue strengthening his Vietnamese while advancing his work on disease early warning systems. As a Senior Social Scientist at Oxford University’s Clinical Research Unit, his work depends on close coordination with local partners across Vietnam.

We can’t wait to see how this next stage of language study supports the impact of his work.