In her position Trosvig is responsible for strategic oversight, planning and direction of the UW’s information technology infrastructure, resources and services. She also works with the president, provost, and UW committees to determine information technology strategies, policies, priorities and resource allocation.

“Kelli Trosvig has demonstrated her exceptional leadership capabilities the past few years in leading UW-IT out of a challenging situation and putting it on a path of fiscal responsibility and restraint,” said Young. “It is a critically important area of support for so many of the University’s key functions, and I am confident in her hands it will become a national model for efficiency, creativity, and sustainability.”

As interim vice president Trosvig stabilized the organization’s finances, while maintaining key service levels for the UW community.  She launched initiatives to meet the growing technology needs of UW students, faculty and staff, while positioning the university for the future. Other major efforts have included initiatives to improve the student experience, infrastructure upgrades to wired and wireless networks, telecommunications upgrades, enhanced mobile offerings, and modernization of administrative systems.  Trosvig strengthened strategic partnerships with external vendors, resulting in sizable discounts for UW cell phone users, as well as licensing agreements that provided Microsoft and Apple software at significant savings.

Trosvig’s previous experience includes academic planning, research facilities design and program development. She played a key role in the opening of the South Lake Union research campus of UW Medicine and the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) Spokane Medical Campus.

Trosvig worked for eight years as director of Health Sciences Administration, where she was responsible for several key initiatives: the creation of a Division of Bioinformatics, one of the first in the country, and a major redesign of central administrative systems user interfaces for the campus.

She received a bachelor’s degree in economics and a masters in health administration from the UW.

Her annual salary will be $290,556.

“We know this is an exciting yet anxious time for many students and their families,” said Philip Ballinger, the UW’s assistant vice president for enrollment and admissions. “The university has admitted a very talented and dynamic class but obviously cannot accept all those who apply.  While some outstanding students will receive disappointing news, many have made it into the class. We want them to make a decision that is good for them when it comes time to picking which institution they plan to attend. We hope, of course, it is the UW.”

Admission to the UW remains highly competitive, with last fall’s freshmen class average GPA at 3.75 and average SAT scores above 1800.  Data for next fall’s class will not be available until after the class actually enrolls in October, but indications are that scores will be even higher.

The science of admissions is based largely on past patterns of behavior. Because students apply to a number of colleges and universities, more students are offered admission than will enroll. The UW will be extending over 14,000 offers of admissions to yield the class of 6,000. Typically, for residents of the state of Washington, the UW enrolls more than 60 students from every 100 offers of admission. For students who reside in other states or countries, the UW enrolls fewer than 25 students for every 100 offers.

The UW’s enrollment mix of residents and nonresidents of the state historically has heavily favored students from Washington, while also recognizing that a diverse student body includes enrolling students from other states and nations. Their perspectives contribute significantly to the learning environment, particularly as the world has become more globally connected and competitive. While this year’s freshman class aims for a two-thirds/one-third split between residents and nonresidents, overall the UW’s percentage of resident undergraduate students hovers near 80 percent, as most community-college transfer students are Washington residents.

Non-resident students pay nearly three times what residents pay in tuition. The revenue generated from nonresidents actually helps subsidize the education of all students and enables the university to maintain its statutory commitment to enroll 4,000 residents of Washington. This has been especially critical as the state has withdrawn over fifty percent of its funding of the UW over the past four years.

Joel Berg

“Joel Berg is one of the nation’s leaders in dental education and research, and we are fortunate to have him here already at the University of Washington to assume this important leadership position in our School of Dentistry” said Cauce.  “You look for someone at the top of his game for positions like this, and I’m just delighted that Joel is here and ready to take this on. I look forward to working with him in the years to come.”

Berg came to the UW in 2003 as professor and chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Yeshiva University. Berg received a D.D.S. degree in 1983, a certificate in pediatric dentistry in 1985 and a master’s degree in oral biology in 1985, all from the University of Iowa. Before joining the UW, he also served on dental faculty at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas.

Berg also has significant experience working in industry. He worked as a clinical research consultant at IONOS-America from 1992 to 1995, becoming vice president of research and development in 1995. He was executive vice president for research and clinical affairs at ESPE America, Inc., from 1995 to 2000, and from 2000 to 2003 he was vice president for clinical affairs at Phillips Oral Healthcare Corp.

He has received numerous honors and awards. He is a fellow of the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists, as well as a board director of the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry. He is also the president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Berg has authored or co-authored more than a hundred abstracts, articles and chapters, and is co-editor of a textbook on early childhood oral health. His present research includes innovative new technologies for early caries detection.

Since 1945, the University of Washington School of Dentistry has been attracting leaders in oral health care science from around the world. As the leading educator of dental professionals in the Pacific Northwest, the school has trained thousands of oral health care providers practicing in Washington. The school seeks to educate a progressive oral health workforce, develop community collaborations, and bring advances in science to address the pressing oral health needs of the state, the nation and the world.

Berg’s annual salary will be $318,000.

Pamela H. Mitchell

Mitchell, who has been at the UW since 1969 when she was an acting assistant professor (part time), received her Ph.D. from the UW in 1991.

“Pamela Mitchell’s distinguished career as an educator and researcher has focused on collaboration and teamwork, which makes her very well suited to lead the top nursing school in the nation during this period of transition,” said Cauce. “I was thrilled when she agreed to take on this job while we commence a search for new leadership for the School.”

Mitchell is the founding director of UW’s Center for Health Sciences Interprofessional Education and Research. She is also co-director of the Research Education Core in the Institute for Translational Sciences.

Mitchell is the author or co-author of more than 200 peer reviewed journal articles, books or book chapters, and book reviews, abstracts and technical reports.

She has received many awards over her career. In 2011 she was honored with the Ada Sue Hinshaw Award by the Friends of the National Institute for Nursing Research, presented to nurse scientists who make major contributions to improving health care through research. In 2010, she was selected by Sigma Theta Tau International as an inaugural member of the Nurse Research Hall of Fame.

Mitchell has served on numerous national commissions and on the boards of many professional organizations. She is currently a member of the Expert Panel on Quality Health Care, American Academy of Nursing. She is a fellow of the American Heart Association and Stroke Council. She served as president of the American Academy of Nursing from 2007 to 2009. She served on the editorial board of the Journal of Advanced Nursing for six years, and on the editorial board of Biological Research in Nursing for nine years.

Mitchell received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the UW and a master of science in medical-surgical nursing from the University of California, San Francisco.

For more than 25 years, the School of Nursing has been ranked America's No. 1 nursing school, including 17 years atop the US News & World Report list, which began ranking nursing schools in 1993. The school’s mission is to advance nursing science and practice through generating knowledge and preparing future leaders to address local, national and global societal needs.

“The president’s commitment to expanding research funding in his 2013 budget to spur our nation’s innovation is a critical investment in our nation’s future and one we at the University of Washington fully support. The partnership between the federal government and our nation’s research universities in funding and conducting basic and applied research has fueled innovation for 60 years and propelled the U.S. to the forefront of the world’s economies. It is crucial, especially at this point in time, that this partnership remain vital and productive. We warmly applaud the president’s initiatives in this regard.

“We are also very pleased that the president is maintaining support for federal student financial aid through Pell grants and federal work-study programs. This aid is crucial to helping students afford a college education, particularly when states have been struggling to support higher education, forcing tuition to rise.  It is important for states to reinvest in their colleges and universities, as well as for universities to continue to operate as efficiently as possible. College affordability remains one of the hallmarks of American higher education and one of the chief paths to opportunity and success. We are grateful for the president’s recognition of this reality and his support of students, especially in these difficult times.”

Samuel E. Kelly and the new Ethnic Cultural Center

The Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity’s new Ethnic Cultural Center will be named in honor of the late Samuel E. Kelly, the founding vice president for the office and a pioneer for diversity on campus. The UW Board of Regents approved the center’s naming at a meeting Jan. 12.

Currently undergoing extensive renovation, the new Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center is scheduled to open in late fall 2012.

“We are excited about this opportunity to recognize Dr. Kelly and his contributions to both the University of Washington and the region,” said Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity. “He opened the door for hundreds of underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students here at UW. Dr. Kelly set the standard for, and established a commitment to, diversity before it was popular among American colleges and universities.”

The center provides a learning environment where students and student organizations collaborate, develop, and implement programs while building leadership and organizational skills. It currently serves about 70 student groups and has been a “home away from home” for students of color since its inception in 1971. The original building was demolished last fall and a groundbreaking for the new facility took place on Oct. 12, 2011.

Kelly came to the UW in 1970 as the university’s first vice president for minority affairs. He also was the first African-American senior administrator at the UW. For six years, he led one of the strongest programs in the nation dedicated to integrating students of color at a major university. The innovative programs he developed to recruit and retain underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students continue to this day.

Since 2005, the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity has hosted a faculty lecture series honoring Kelly that showcases nationally recognized research focusing on diversity and social justice. He attended every lecture until his death in 2009.

His autobiography, “Dr. Sam: Soldier, Educator, Advocate, Friend,” written with the assistance of UW history professor Quintard Taylor, was published by the UW Press in 2010.

Robert C. Stacey

“I am honored to have been selected as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,” stated Stacey. “I look forward to working with the faculty, staff and students of the college and with the outstanding administrative team we have here in the Dean’s Office to ensure that, as a College, we continue to provide our students with exceptional educational and research opportunities.”

Prior to this new appointment, Stacey has had numerous leadership roles in the College. He has served as the divisional dean of the Arts and Humanities divisions since 2007 and before that served as divisional dean of social sciences from 2003-05. He has held a wide variety of University and departmental leadership positions involving shared governance, budget, accreditation and intercollegiate athletics, including chairing the department of History and the Jewish Studies Program. He has been a member of the Faculty Senate and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and he currently serves as chair of the Advisory Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics.

“Dr. Stacey is an ideal choice to serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, “stated Doug Wadden, interim Provost at the UW. “He has a strong scholarly record and is an inspirational leader and teacher with an excellent record as an executive.   He is extremely familiar with this very complex and diverse institution and we are fortunate to have someone with his in-depth knowledge of our entire institution.”

Stacey’s scholarly work focuses on the history of Jews in medieval England and his teaching interests include classes in European history, English history and Jewish history. Stacey is a recipient of a Guggenheim and ACLS fellowship and has received Distinguished Teaching Awards from both the University of Washington (1977) and Yale University (1988). HisP h.D. is from Yale (1983); and he holds a B.A. from Williams College and a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University.

His family has requested that attendees wear purple in “honor of this university that he loved so much.”

Gifts can be made in his honor to the UW School of Pharmacy. To make a gift, visit www.pharmacy.washington.edu/support or contact the School of Pharmacy Office of Advancement at (206) 616-3217 or rxgiving@uw.edu. Checks can be made to the UW Foundation and sent to Claire Forster at UW School of Pharmacy, Box 357631, Seattle, WA 98195-7631.

“It is hard to put into words the impact that Dr. Sid Nelson had on this school, the university, the scientific community and everyone who knew him,” said Thomas Baillie, the current dean.

“Indeed, there are just too many good things to say about Sid to encapsulate what he meant to all of us. I suppose, when it comes down to it, what we will all miss about him most was his kind spirit. Sid Nelson was a caring, genuine man who made a positive impression on everyone who had the good fortune to know him. The School of Pharmacy is not going to be the same without him. We will all remember his off-color sense of humor, his giant collection of penguin paraphernalia and his enduring authenticity.”

Nelson received a bachelor’s of science from the UW School of Pharmacy. He received a doctorate in medicinal chemistry from the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the UW School of Pharmacy faculty in 1977.

Nelson was dean from 1994 to 2008. Under his leadership, the school converted from a bachelor’s degree to an entry-level doctor of pharmacy degree program and added a nontraditional approach that enabled existing pharmacists to obtain the advanced degree. He also evolved the graduate programs and worked to expand the school's faculty.

Individuals can sign a guest book for the family here.

The ranking was conducted by the Centre for Science and Technology Studies of Leiden University in the Netherlands.

The new study does not rely on subjective measures of an institution’s quality but is based on analysis of a large database of publications in the sciences and social sciences.

MIT ranked first in the study. The highest ranking U.S. public university was the University of California, Santa Barbara, at 7. Among ranked American public universities, the UW was 4^th.

Ana Mari Cauce

“Dean Cauce is an accomplished scholar, a brilliant teacher, and a seasoned and widely respected administrator,” said Young. “She has earned a well-deserved reputation for respecting and practicing shared governance and collaborative decision-making, traits that I value highly and which will be particularly important as the University addresses the issues in front of it. I look forward to working with her in the coming years and leading this great university to even greater heights.”

Cauce, who came to United States at age three when her family fled Cuba at the start of the Cuban revolution, is the Earl R. Carlson Professor of Psychology. She joined the UW faculty in 1986. She received her B.A. in psychology and English from the University of Miami in 1977.  Her M.S. in psychology was awarded by Yale University in 1982. She received an M. Phil. in psychology from Yale in 1982 and a doctorate in 1984.

She holds a joint faculty appointment in American Ethnic Studies, as well as secondary appointments in gender, women & sexuality studies, Latin American studies, and the College of Education.

Cauce was director of clinical training in the Department of Psychology from 1996 to 2000. She was also chair of American Ethnic Studies from 1996 to 1999. She directed the UW Honors Program from 2000 to 2002, and she was chair of the Department of Psychology from 2002 to 2005. She served as executive vice provost from 2005 to 2008.

Throughout her career, Cauce has been an active teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students. She is a recipient of the UW Distinguished Teaching Award in 1999. In nominating her for the award, one student commented, “I have never met a faculty member who was more egalitarian and concerned about the welfare of her students.” Another wrote, “The sheer volume of students whose lives she has touched through small classes and personal mentoring is staggering.”

She has continued to teach every summer in the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Transition Program.

At-risk youth are central to Cauce’s research. She has worked with homeless youth in the University District, teens from disadvantaged families, and minority youth. While her projects have varied, her subjects are usually adolescents.

Cauce’s annual salary will be $405,000.

UW graduate students Rhoan Garnett and Roxanne Christian attend Getting Connected, a reception for underrepresented graduate students of color which is hosted each fall by the Graduate School’s Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program.

Eleanor Lee

“The University’s vision is to educate a diverse student body, and while we’ve had some success, we are a very long way from making good on that promise,” said Gerald J. Baldasty, vice provost and dean of the graduate school, who led the team that put together the report.

The report is part of an ongoing series from the Graduate School on campus and national trends in graduate education. The Diversity Report present enrollment statistics, outlines the challenges the UW faces, offers solutions and presents a call to action. The report is posted on the UW Graduate School website.

The UW is falling behind, as its minority representation lags behind many other peer universities and fails to reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of Washington state. As of autumn 2008, the UW had the third smallest proportion of minority graduate students among its peers, including UCLA, University of California-Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins University, University of Arizona, Arizona State University and University of Illinois. Only the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University-Bloomington had smaller percentages of minority students.

“We have made some progress in the past decade, but it’s clear that we are not keeping up with changes in our state and nation,” Baldasty notes in the report.

Like the nation, Washington’s population is becoming increasingly diverse. In 2006-07, 24 percent of Washington college students were minorities. By 2021-22, the state projects that number to increase to 40 percent.

The Diversity Report points out some daunting challenges:  The state’s degree production is well below the national average, and Washington is not educating as many of its residents as most other states.  The UW’s prospective graduate students are more diverse racially and ethnically than ever before, and they face obstacles on their paths to graduate education, such as fewer financial resources.

“Higher education is the key to economic prosperity and livable communities; if the UW does not do better, Washington state will suffer greatly,” the executive summary states. “The threat to our state’s prosperity — and to the well-being of our children and their children — is clear.”

While the UW’s overall minority graduate enrollment numbers are low, a few UW graduate programs are making significant strides in enrolling minority graduate students. As of autumn 2010, 40 percent of the School of Social Work’s graduate students were minorities, followed by the School of Dentistry with 35 percent minority graduate students and the College of Education with 24 percent minority graduate students.

The Graduate School’s Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO-MAP) is making a difference by providing approximately $600,000 a year in recruitment funding to about 25 departments. The Graduate School has launched an energetic advancement effort to build endowment funds for minority and underrepresented graduate and professional student fellowships for all UW schools and colleges. The recently posted recruitment and retention guide outlines best practices and plans for attracting minority graduate students to the UW.

In addition, minority recruitment efforts at the undergraduate level are beginning to work: 30 percent are the first in their families to go to college, and 40 percent are from minority backgrounds. The autumn 2011 freshman class has an average grade point average of 3.75 and SAT scores of around 1,800.

The report also details some of the successful recruitment and retention efforts by the Department of Psychology, the School of Social Work and the Department of Biology.

To build on these efforts and move forward, the report calls for the University to establish diversity as an immediate priority, create and support fellowships for graduate students, make endowments a focus of the next capital campaign and recognize that success depends on establishing a culture of diversity throughout the University.

The single biggest obstacle to recruiting promising graduate students of all backgrounds is money. The UW does not have enough money to offer competitive financial packages to prospective graduate students, the report states, based on interviews with UW faculty.

“The University of Washington’s long-term success — and that of our state — depends heavily on our ability and willingness to attract and retain a diverse body of graduate students,” the report concludes. “We must start now.”

Nicole Mitchell

Georgia Magazine

"Nicole is an incredibly talented leader and manager, and I am delighted that she is joining us," says Gerald Baldasty, dean of the UW Graduate School, which houses the press within the University system. "We are deeply impressed by her success throughout her career, and particularly at Georgia, and in her very analytical and creative approach to the challenges that university presses face today."

Mitchell launched her career in scholarly publishing at Cambridge University Press in 1983, where she gained experience in acquisitions, copy editing, production, and marketing. Starting as an assistant editor at the University of Alabama Press in 1988, she soon became the press's first full-time acquiring editor and was named director in 1996. In her 12 years at Alabama, she focused the press's lists and increased sales by 50 percent and title output by 25 percent.

During her decade-long tenure as director of the University of Georgia Press, Mitchell and her staff developed 10 new book series, recruited the press's first fundraising board, hired the press's first director of development, and initiated the first digital publishing and e-marketing programs in Georgia's history. Additionally Mitchell developed numerous partnerships with state, regional, and national organizations and worked with two other university presses and press staff to secure a $648,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for a collaborative series entitled Early American Places.

"I am honored and delighted to be joining the University of Washington Press," Mitchell says. "I have long admired the quality and diversity of Washington's publications and was greatly impressed with the strong support for the Press both at UW and within the community. I look forward to working with the Press's dedicated, caring, and talented staff as we build upon Pat Soden's impressive legacy and take the press in new directions."

Over the past three years, state funding for the University of Washington has been cut in half.  Despite 20% reductions in administrative budgets, over $30 million saved through greater efficiencies, and nearly 1,000 job losses, the UW has had to increase tuition steeply and limit access to the University in order to balance its budget.  These choices are not sustainable.

The potential 20% budget reduction outlined today by Governor Gregoire would represent an additional $82 million cut in state support to the University of Washington— a loss of two thirds of our public funding in the past three years. After the cuts we’ve already experienced, adding these would impact our ability to keep the doors open for the citizens of Washington.

Possible elimination of the State Need Grant program threatens the continuation of our “Husky Promise” program that allows our lowest income students to pay no tuition to attend the University of Washington.  Without this program, these students will lose the opportunity to get their college degree.

We are also seriously concerned about the governor’s proposed cuts in health services for our most vulnerable citizens.  UW Medicine currently provides nearly a third of the charity care in Washington State.  Proposed elimination of the Basic Health Plan and Disability Lifeline and proposed cuts to grants for hospitals that provide a significant amount of charity care will impose an untenable financial burden on our entire UW health system.

As Governor Gregoire has said – these cuts are not just numbers, they are people, jobs, and lost opportunities.  I call on the Governor, the state legislature, and the citizens of Washington to consider a balanced approach—reforms, innovation, and revenue—to solve our state’s financial challenges.

For the past 150 years, the citizens of this state have built the University of Washington into a world renowned educational institution, a top-tier medical system, and an economic powerhouse. This is your university, and we need your support.

“I know it’s difficult for senators to find the time to read all the briefings available,” she said. “There’s a lot of information you need to absorb if you want to really understand issues. And all of them have day jobs.”

Susan Astley

Astley, a professor of epidemiology and pediatrics, understands that situation very well. As the director of a clinical/research/training program for individuals with fetal alcohol syndrome, she, like all other faculty, must spend considerable time attending to the duties inherent in that position.

Nonetheless, she feels that discussions in senate meetings will not be effective unless senators are up to speed on the issues being discussed.

“A prime source of information for senators is the senate website,” Astley said. “Resources like the senate blog and ‘issues under consideration’ provide senators efficient access to the most pertinent, up-to-date information that will help them stay abreast of the issues. One of my roles will be to continually direct the senators to these resources.”

The senate meets bimonthly, with the first meeting at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, in 260 Savery. Astley said that meeting will be largely introductory, with reports from the senate leadership — herself; Gail Stygal, chair of the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting; Marcia Killien, secretary of the faculty; and Jim Fridley, faculty legislative representative. The senate will also hear from President Michael Young. For many senators, Astley said, this will be the first opportunity to meet the new president. He and his wife are hosting a senate reception at the president’s home immediately following the meeting.

“Although this is the first meeting of the year for senators, the senate leadership has been meeting continuously over the summer,” Astley said. “So they will be reporting on their work and taking questions from senators.”

Unfortunately, Astley expects that budget matters will once again dominate the agenda in the senate this year. The state Legislature will convene a special session on Nov. 28, and further budget cuts to the University may occur. Discussions have already begun on what the impacts might be from various levels of cuts.

Other items on the agenda this year may be a bit more positive. Astley said a key item for discussion at December’s meeting will be the role of online learning at the UW.

“It is the way of the future. Demand for online learning continues to increase,” Astley said. “There’s been concern expressed by both students and faculty about the impact of online instruction on learning. There is often the belief that online courses can deliver education to more students at lower cost.”

The concern was serious enough that the Faculty Council on Teaching and Learning devoted time last year to studying the matter, Astley said. Committee members reviewed the literature on the costs and benefits of online courses and concluded that such courses are not universally less expensive to run and can, in fact, be more expensive than traditional courses. (Their last report of the 2010-1011 academic year includes an appendix outlining their findings.)

Astley has taught a number of hybrid online courses that blend online learning with in-class learning. She says she loves the sophisticated tools and increased access online learning provides, which can greatly complement traditional in-class learning. But she has found such courses more time-consuming when the primary means of communication with students is via email, which she says is less efficient than face to face or phone conversations. The literature concludes that this is just one of several reasons why teachers of online courses often cannot handle as many students as teachers of traditional courses.

“I think there is a convergence of opinion forming about online courses among students, faculty, administration and regents,” Astley said. “Online learning presents both strengths and limitations. And online learning will play an important role in the future of higher education. Our goal will be to identify how to best harness the strengths of online learning. I look forward to the discussions that will ensue on this topic at the December senate meeting.”

Other topics for senate meetings this year include Activity Based Budgeting (ABB) and differential tuition. ABB is a method of budgeting in which the revenues generated from instructional and research activities are allocated directly to the unit responsible for the activities.

“This is a new model that has been partially implemented,” Astley said. “Several faculty have asked me how ABB might impact their program. ABB is complex and it is unlikely that faculty know very much about it, so we may bring in a speaker to talk about it and answer questions.”

Differential tuition is the variation in tuition rates based on student or instructional characteristics. Most people are familiar with the current forms of differential tuition (in-state vs. out-of-state, undergraduate vs. graduate, etc.). But the question coming up now is, should differential tuition be expanded to address the variable costs of undergraduate majors (humanities vs. science/engineering)? The idea is controversial, of course.

“In the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting faculty and administrators have been investigating other institutions and what they’ve done in this regard,” Astley said. “The University has made no decision on this, but with all the budget cuts, topics like these are coming to the table for discussion.”

Astley comes to the chair’s position after serving three terms as a senator and service on the Senate Executive Committee and the Faculty Council on Faculty Affairs.

“It’s interesting to be here at the UW for 30 years in the medical/research arena and to have had so little time to experience life on upper campus,” she said. “As the chair of the Faculty Senate, it is fascinating to interact with faculty who come from such diverse units with such diverse faculty/student experiences. It is what makes this University great.  So this full immersion in senate leadership — attending meetings and learning how this institution is run, fiscally, politically, etc. —is a great experience for me.”

Astley said that serving as chair of the senate is both an honor and a challenge. “It can be difficult to penetrate the complexity, in the time available to me, to really understand how things work.  But I enjoy both the challenge and the opportunity and look forward to a productive year.”