UW News

June 5, 2000

Third annual field tour connects faculty with life of Washington state






President Richard L. McCormick and a busload of new University of Washington professors and librarians will embark June 12 on the third annual Faculty Field Tour.

The 30-member delegation will tromp through an orchard and blown-down forest, inspect a prison, medical clinic, military base and two factories, and discuss regional issues with tribal leaders, past and future UW students, businesspeople, educators and many others.

The five-day tour is designed to give new UW faculty members an understanding of and appreciation for the state, and a chance to make research, teaching and public-service connections.

“This is becoming a UW tradition,” McCormick said. “We want our new professors to get a feel for all of Washington, and to discover how they can work with citizens around the state to address some of their challenges, opportunities and problems.”

This year’s route covers 1,000 miles. In addition to hearing presentations about Washington’s economy, geography and politics, participants may develop research and teaching initiatives addressing state needs and form connections that lead to collaborative projects.

 



 


The tour is open to faculty members and librarians who have been at the UW for three years or less. This year’s group represents the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses and disciplines from architecture to zoology. Among the newcomers are Jack Faris, vice president for university relations, and Yash Gupta, dean of the Business School.

The university pays for meals, lodging and transportation for the tour using non-state-appropriated funds. The total cost for the week is estimated to be $50,000.

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For more information contact Harry Hayward, UW special projects manager, (206) 543-2560 or hhayward@u.washington.edu before the tour, or on the road at (206) 484-6796. The full itinerary is on the Web at http://www.washington.edu/univrel/facultytour/