Staff Spotlight: Ignacio Sunkel
Background
Ignacio grew up in Viña del Mar, Chile, a coastal city located in the middle of the country about 90 minutes west of the capital, Santiago. Viña del Mar is highly frequented by tourists in the summer as it benefits from dry, warm summers, numerous beaches and a broad variety of seafood.
He has many fond memories from growing up in Viña del Mar, particularly spending time with his close-knit family and enjoying time together cooking and enjoying meals together.
“My grandmother was an awesome cook who would draw an immense level of happiness watching everyone empty their plate. No one would go hungry at my grandparents’ home. As tradition has it, food always was and continues to be a centerpiece in gatherings with family and friends.”
Emphasizing the cultural values of connection, food and family, he also cherishes memories of riding his bike around his neighborhood.
“As a kid my parents would sometimes send me to the nearby grocery store to pick up a few missing items, including a bottle of wine- no ID required. All that was required was balancing the groceries and myself on the bike,” he recalled.
“There were other times when they would also send me to the local bakery to pick up some bread. Chilean bakeries, known as panaderias, are a prominent part of the country's culture, with a large presence in both urban and rural areas turning out hot, freshly baked bread multiple times throughout the day. One problem -- I would start eating the bread on the way home and arrive with a practically deflated bag.”
Ignacio and his family moved to the US while he was in high school, originally settling in New York where his mother’s extended family had lived for many years, apart from his uncle who lived in Washington State.
“Upon visiting us in New York, my uncle spoke of Washington’s stunning natural beauty, high quality of life and warm summers without the suffocating humidity that is common to the East Coast,” he said.
“It didn't take much convincing after hearing his praise for Washington as we were once again on the move, this time for good.”
Education
Ignacio is a Husky through and through. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, followed by a second bachelor's also from UW in economics.
"While I ultimately sought out to work in the financial sector, I owe so much of an inquisitive and problem-solving mindset to engineering which has served me well in my current as well as previous jobs, including three market research firms, Weyerhaeuser and the Census Bureau."
He also earned his master's degree in economics from the University of Connecticut.
Ensuring financial health
He began working at the UW over 12 years ago and has been in Gastroenterology for the last six.
In his role, Ignacio primarily oversees the financial health of the division's operating, commitment and gift accounts that support operations, faculty research and program needs, as well as clinical trials, and manages faculty salary distribution and costing allocation.
His approach to work is driven by problem-solving and continuous improvement.
He is involved in a variety of operations, including assessing resource needs and making recommendations for optimizing accounts and effort allocation. He also helps the division in identifying inefficiencies in processes and recommending changes to streamline operations.
Recently, Ignacio was recognized for his contributions to the division with a nomination for the 2024-2025 Distinguished Staff Award in the Collaboration category.
UW Pride
“Having graduated from UW-Seattle, there is a sense of pride that comes with working at a global research powerhouse like UW and witnessing the impact that it makes on students, the local community and private sector,” Ignacio said. “Many businesses have been born from the research carried out in labs and leaders developed in classrooms across campus with the support of distinguished faculty.”
Ignacio’s pride in working at UW, particularly in Gastroenterology, is driven by the intellectually stimulating environment and the opportunity to work alongside passionate colleagues, as well as the culture of support and commitment to employee well-being.
He enjoys how dynamic his workdays tend to be and the new challenges and learning opportunities he often encounters.