Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-460 & 510 and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of the: AVAILABILITY OF FINAL SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (FSEIS*).

Project Name: Recreational Sports Intramural Activities Field No. 1 Improvements

Proponent: University of Washington

Description of Proposal: Improvements include installation of approximately 150,000 square feet of artificial turf, curb, pedestrian paths, light poles providing night time field illumination and fencing.  The total disturbance will be approximately 200,000 square feet.  The project does not impinge upon the University Slough and its riparian areas and setback.

Location: University of Washington Seattle Campus, East Campus.  3200 NE Clark Road.  The site is bounded by NE 45^th Street on the north, Mary Gates Memorial Drive and Laurel Village on the east, Clark Road on the south and University Slough and the Golf Driving Range on the west.

Lead Agency: University of Washington

Copies Available: A limited number of copies are available while supplies last at the Capital Projects Office, University of Washington, Box 352205, University Facilities, Seattle, WA 98105.  Additional copies may be obtained for the cost of copying.  CDs are available at no charge.

The document is also available at: http://www.cpo.washington.edu/html/Projects_SEPA.htm

Responsible Official:
Richard K. Chapman
Associate Vice President for Capital Projects
Capital Projects Office
University of Washington, Box 352205
Seattle,  WA 98107
(Telephone 206.543.5200)

Contact:
Jan Arntz, Environmental Planner
Capital Projects Office
University of Washington, Box 352205
Seattle,  WA 98107
(Telephone 206.543.5200)

Xiaodong Xu garners Department of Energy early-career grant
Xiaodong Xu, a UW assistant professor in the departments of materials science and engineering and physics, has been awarded an Early Career Research Program grant by the Department of Energy. The program, now in its third year, supports outstanding scientists early in their careers working in areas of interest to the energy department. Xu's was among 68 grants selected from nearly 850 applicants. The award covers up to $150,000 in research expenses annually for five years.

Xu's proposal concerning photon-electron interactions in Dirac quantum materials will investigate new materials at the quantum level. These materials display unusual interactions between incoming light, electrical charge transport and electron spin. His research seeks to better understand these interactions, potentially leading to new high‐speed electronics, memory devices and solar cells.

Ethnic Cultural Center's 'Raise the Roof' party Thursday
The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center will host a "Raise the Roof" party Thursday, May 24, at 3 p.m., at the building’s renovation site on the corner of Brooklyn Ave Northeast and Northeast 40^th Street. Students, staff, faculty and community members are invited to sign a beam and watch as a crane lifts this beam to the top of the roof.

Food will be available courtesy Seattle’s first Native American food truck, Off the Rez. For more information, visit the ECC web site.

The new Samuel E. Kelly ECC is undergoing an extensive renovation and is scheduled to open in late fall of 2012. Check out photos of the building progress: April 5, 2012, Jan. 31, 2012, Dec. 2, 2011 and Oct. 12, 2011 - Groundbreaking.

New financial conflict of interest regulations
The UW’s policy on financial conflicts of interest is being revised so that it complies with new public health service regulations which go into effect Aug. 24.  Implementation processes to ensure compliance with the new regulations are still under development. Email communications will occur throughout the summer, and the new financial conflict of interest website will be updated frequently.

For all investigators, the monetary threshold for disclosing a significant financial interest will be lowered from $10,000 to $5,000, with no threshold for disclosure of equity in a non-publicly traded company. All investigators disclosing a significant financial interest will use a new electronic reporting tool currently under development.

Investigators engaged in public health service-funded research must complete online financial conflict-of-interest training prior to the expenditure of funds on any newly-funded projects; all significant conflicts of interest related to institutional responsibilities must be disclosed; the institution must make conflict-of-interest information publicly available prior to the expenditure of any funds; and investigators must disclose all travel reimbursement sponsored by (i.e., paid by an outside entity) or reimbursed by an outside entity for travel after Aug. 24, 2012.  Travel reimbursement from the following outside entities does not need to be reported:  an institution of higher education, a federal/state/local government, an academic teaching hospital, a medical center, or a research institute affiliated with an institution of higher education.

The staff in the Office of Research is available to assist and answer any questions.

'Cirque,' an activism traveling carnival, launches June 2 at UW Tacoma
UW’s Q Center is celebrating National Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride with "Cirque," Washington state's first student LGBT arts and activism traveling carnival, with Tacoma, Spokane and Seattle events.

Cirque features live music, performances, slam poetry, speakers, carnival games, food and refreshments at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 2, in UW Tacoma’s Philip Hall. The event is free. Register at http://depts.washington.edu/cirque

Preceding the UW Tacoma program, at 2 p.m., Cirque presents a talk by David C. Ward, the curator of the Smithsonian-curated Tacoma Art Museum Hide/Seek queer art exhibit in its final week. Tacoma Art Museum offers a discounted rate and exclusive tour through Cirque that afternoon. The UW Tacoma events are sponsored by Office for Equity & Diversity, the Diversity Resource Center, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and the Arts and Lectures Fund.

Cirque will have an event later in June in Spokane at which it will honor individuals statewide who have advanced the Q Center’s mission of building and facilitating queer academic and social community though education, advocacy, and support services.

Details about the Seattle events are still in the works. For more information, contact: leoule@uw.edu or cirque@uw.edu

Buddy Ratner recognized for contributions to field of biomaterials
The European Society for Biomaterials has chosen Buddy Ratner, a UW professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering, for the 2012 George Winter Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of biomaterials. The committee cited Ratner's excellence in research, his vision and his leading role in the promotion of biomaterials science worldwide. He will be honored at next year's society conference in Madrid, where he will present the award lecture.

Glaciology graduate student to discuss science behind SIFF film 'Chasing Ice'
Kristin Poinar, a UW graduate student in glaciology, will join director Jeff Orlowski following two screenings of the movie “Chasing Ice” to talk about the science behind melting glaciers. The documentary features stark video of vanishing glaciers, shot over years using time lapse cameras deployed in the Arctic. Inspired by National Geographic photographer James Balog, the film aims to shine a spotlight on the effects of climate change.

Poinar anticipates answering questions about moulins – kilometer-deep holes through the ice sheet bored by meltwater each summer – which figure prominently in the film. She may also share expertise on subjects including glacier acceleration and the use of satellite images to study glacier change.

The film, featured as part of the Seattle International Film Festival, screens on June 9 at 6:30 at Harvard Exit and June 10 at 1 at SIFF Cinema Uptown.

Jeff Hou named community builder
Jeff Hou, chairman of the Department of Landscape Architecture, has been presented a Community Builder Award by the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority. Hou brought stakeholders together for improvements in the International District, including the recently re-opened International Children’s Park. Hou has also been a leader in the King Street Visioning Project, which aims to revitalize the core of the International District.

“Our program has come a long way since its early beginnings,” said Micheal Meyering, manager of Housing & Food Services.

“We started our first front-of-the-house compost pilot at the Eleven 01 Café in February 2007. The 70,000-plus members of our campus community are the real winners. They make it happen every day by participating as environmental stewards.”

In addition to waste management, the association also recognized sustainable dining practices in four other operational categories: procurement practices, energy and water conservation, materials and resources, and outreach and education.

New book explores creating, supporting livable communities
What is a livable community? How do you design and develop one? How can government support and nurture the cause of livable communities? A new book co-edited by Fritz Wagner, UW research professor in urban design and planning, studies such questions using case studies from North America, Brazil and the United Kingdom.

"Community Livability: Issues and Approaches to Sustaining the Well-Being of People and Communities," co-edited by Wagner and Roger Caves of San Diego State University, is published by Routledge Press. Wagner, who also has an adjunct appointment in landscape architecture, manages the UW's Northwest Center for Livable Communities.

Using a blend of theory and practice, experts in the field look at evidence from international, state and local perspectives to explore what is meant by the term "livable communities."

Chapters examine the effect and importance of transportation alternatives to the elderly, the significance of walkability as a factor in developing a livable and healthy community, the importance of good open space providing for human activity and health, the importance of coordinated land use and transportation planning, and the relationship between livability and quality of life.

'New Directions' award to UW anthropologist
Danny Hoffman, a UW associate professor of anthropology, is one of 15 faculty members around the country to receive a New Directions Fellowship from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation this year.

An expert on African warzones and militarization, Hoffman will use the fellowship to study architecture and urban planning through the UW College of Built Environments and in South Africa with scholars of postcolonial cities.

"The U.S. and allied militaries always came at the idea that fighting in cities was the last resort," Hoffman said. "There was little specific thinking of how one would do security in urban environments or what it would mean to fight in an urban environment. That has changed in the last few years."

How cities are put together and how people move through them are now being considered by military thinkers. It has implications for urban military operations, including how a military could isolate parts of a city if a mass pandemic broke out.

In addition to supporting advanced interdisciplinary training for individual scholars, the Mellon Foundation hopes the New Directions program will contribute to the development of interdisciplinary courses and cross-disciplinary teaching collaborations.

Disability, Law, Policy and the Community poster session May 24
Students from the class Disability Law, Policy and the Community will present their research on the effects of various policies on individuals with disabilities in a poster session from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, May 24, in the Allen Library Research Commons.

Students from this class in the Law, Societies and Justice Program will present on topics such as the Involuntary Treatment Act, the Community First Choice Act, Shaynan's Law, the Seattle Police Department's Crisis Intervention Team Program, elimination of the death penalty, acquiring accommodations in postsecondary education, standards for Washington state educational interpreters and more. The event is free and open to the public.

Minority Affairs and Diversity hosts undergraduate research conference
More than 70 undergraduate McNair scholars and colleagues representing 14 universities will converge at the UW for a research conference, May 17-19.

Students will present year-long collaborative research in the social science, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and humanities fields at the 20^thannual Pacific Northwest McNair/EIP/GO-MAP Research Conference, held in conjunction with UW's Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The event will feature the work of 32 UW students who are affiliated with the McNair Scholars Program, the Presidential Scholars Program and the Early Identification Program.

MathAcrossCampus showcases applications of mathematics, with a special emphasis on the growing role of discrete methods in math applications.

Geography "legend" announces last doctoral committee defense
A bittersweet moment transpired in the geography department May 1. At the end of a dissertation exam, Emeritus Professor Dick Morrill announced that it would be his very last doctoral committee.

He has overseen 28 dissertations since 1966. His last dissertation defense, which occurred May 1 for geography graduate student Elise Bowditch, took place in Room 409 – the same room where Morrill defended his own dissertation in 1959.

In a tribute that describes his contributions and lists the dissertations he's supervised, Morrill's colleagues in the UW geography department thank him for "inspiring so many aspiring geographers" and call him a "legend" and "one of a kind."

Education and research timeline stretches back 150 years
In honor of the UW's 150^th anniversary, the Office of Research has created a timeline of education and research at the UW. Take a tour of UW's beginnings from a small university of 30 students in the territory of Washington to the university it is today.

The timeline is a research-focused look at UW history with facts and photos about such things as the first open-heart surgery in the Pacific Northwest to the development of the first ultrasound instrument sold in the U.S.

Evans School Faculty roundtable on education May 2
Some urban school districts use a portfolio strategy as they seek to improve education. This means developing a diverse mix of schools and granting them autonomy over budgets and hiring, while holding them accountable to performance standards.

But what are the effects of such reforms on student achievement? What counterarguments are made, and what are the challenges facing these pioneering districts?

Join the Evans School of Public Affairs for "Strife and Progress: Transforming Public Education in Big Cities," its third and final faculty roundtable in celebration of the school's 50^th anniversary. The roundtable will be 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, in Kane Hall's Walker-Ames Room. RSVP to esevents@uw.edu or call 206-221-7779.

The opening lecture by Paul Hill, founder of UW Bothell's Center on Reinventing Public Education, will present results of a three-year study of six cities using the portfolio strategy. The lecture will be followed by a discussion with Evans School faculty Mark Long, William Zumeta, alumna Edie Harding of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Evans School doctoral candidate Katharine Destler.

Political cartoonist Aislin to speak May 10
For Terry Mosher and cartoonists like him, the joke’s the thing that tells the truth.

Mosher, best known as Aislin, the political cartoonist whose work is published in The Montreal Gazette, will speak at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, May 10 in 210 Kane Hall on “The Arctic and Inuit in the Hearts and Minds of Editorial Cartoonists.”

An exhibit of Canadian political cartoons about the Arctic and the Inuit people, including several by Mosher, will be exhibited in  the Allen Library North Lobby May 5 to 30.

In a late-April interview, Mosher said the Inuit and the Arctic are featured in lots of Canadian editorial cartoons because of tremendous national concern for precious land and the 50,000 members of the tribe. “The Inuit have survived phenomenal hardships, and the north is really our last frontier,” Mosher said.

Mosher, who’s president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists, said he didn’t so much choose his profession “as back into it.”

“I like to draw. I pass comment on the public parade, things that concern us,” Mosher said. The reward, he said, is to cause reaction. “The society that can laugh at itself is a healthy society indeed – and the Inuit are very, very good at laughing at themselves,” Mosher said.

His visit and the exhibit are sponsored by the Canadian Studies Center, the Jackson School of International Studies, the UW, the Consulate General of Canada Seattle, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (the national Inuit association in Canada) and the UW Libraries.

Bob Morgan receives leadership award
R.L. “Bob” Morgan, senior technology architect for UW Information Technology, has received the Internet2 President’s Leadership Award. The award recognizes individuals from the Internet2 membership for their exemplary service to the national and global research and education community. Internet2 is a member-owned advanced technology community founded by the nation's leading higher education institutions.

Entrepreneurs share insights with UW researchers
The University of Washington’s Center for Commercialization has added four additional industry experts to its Entrepreneurs-in-Residence program. Through the program, entrepreneurs with specific subject expertise and industry experience become acquainted with UW faculty who are translating fundamental research results into practical applications.

The entrepreneurs help identify UW technologies with commercial promise and consult with researchers, providing expertise about target markets, product development and fundraising.

Students An, Woelfer garner awards
Jonathan An, a first-year student at the School of Dentistry, has won a Hatton Award from the American Association for Dental Research. An will represent the U.S. in the International Hatton Awards competition in Brazil in June, said Dr. Linda LeResche, the school’s interim associate dean for research.  His winning presentation was titled “Modulating Alcohol Effects on the Midface by Vitamin A Derivatives,” and his preceptor was Dr. Timothy Cox, pediatrics and oral health sciences.

Jill Palzkill Woelfer, a doctoral student in the Information School, has been awarded the 2012 Graduate School Medal. The award, which is given to one UW student each year, recognizes Woelfer’s commitment to homeless young people and dissertation research about ways such people use technology. Read the iSchool story about Woelfer:http://ischool.uw.edu/feature/jill-woelfer-awarded-graduate-school-medal

New child care resources available
Bright Horizons, a private provider of child care services, in partnership with WorkLife in the UW’s office of Human Resources, now offers priority enrollment access and emergency back-up care to UW faculty, staff and students.

• Priority enrollment access: Upon approval from WorkLife, UW faculty, staff and students are eligible for enrollment priority at designated centers on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact Bright Horizons directly to locate centers in your area and receive information on their tuition rates and potential waitlists. All registration and tuition fees are the responsibility of the family. Once you have decided on a Bright Horizons location, email WorkLife for priority access approval before registering at Bright Horizons.
• Emergency back-up care: Back-up care may be needed, for example, when a child’s school is closed or a caregiver is sick. To locate a facility, contact Bright Horizons and let them know your UW affiliation and need. Most Bright Horizons facilities accept children 6 weeks to 5 years of age; the Bright Horizons in downtown Seattle accommodates children up to age 12. Be prepared to show your UW Husky card at time of drop-off. Cost is $100 per day, paid by the family.

For more information check WorkLife’s child care services website, call  206-543-6963 or send email.

UW police open house set Wednesday
Guided public tours, bomb dog demonstrations with K9 Kali and a beer goggle obstacle course are among the activities planned during the 2012 UW Police Department Open House 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 18, at the Bryants Building on Boat Street.

The annual open house is an opportunity to meet police officers and share community policing initiatives, according to the invitation issued by Chief John Vinson. Other organizations with information booths at the event include Sound Transit, UW Housing & Food Services and Seattle Police.

UW has highest participation in state's workplace giving program
Secretary of State Sam Reed visited the UW on April 5 to give the UW Combined Fund Drive an award for having the highest percentage of participation of any university in the state. Fully 15 percent of UW employees contributed to the workplace giving campaign in 2011 and raised more than $2 million for nonprofit agencies. He praised UW for its generosity and said the UW Combined Fund Drive campaign is not only number one in the state, but in the entire country.

Six health sciences students named 2012 Magnuson Scholars
Six students, one from each UW health sciences school, have been named this year's Magnuson Scholars. The awards commemorate the late Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, remembered for supporting health research.  Selection is made on academic performance and potential scientific contributions. They are:

• Juliet Dang, School of Dentistry, an oral biology doctoral student characterizing the human papillomavirus in oral cancer.
• Amelia Seraphia Derr, School of Social Work, a doctoral candidate studying disparities in healthcare access among immigrants.
• Astrid Suchy-Dicey, School of Public Health, an epidemiology doctoral candidate investigating population genetics and heart disease, as well as diabetes, medication use and gene expression.
• James Stewart Lang, School of Medicine, an Underserved and Hispanic Pathway medical student planning a career in diabetes treatment and prevention.
• I Chun Liu, School of Nursing, a doctoral candidate researching dietary acculturation in Chinese Americans.
• Eri Nakatani, School of Pharmacy, a medicinal chemistry doctoral student exploring nanoparticle therapeutics in HIV vaccine development.

Transportation Services also started a trivia contest on its Facebook page, with eight U-PASS related questions in all. Answer correctly (all answers can be found within the U-PASS timeline) and you could win a massage or a haircut, Pike Place Chowder or even a $50 Zipcar certificate. The questions kicked off April 2 – with the first winner being Lucas Dressel – and continue through April 20.

According to Transportation Services, about 55,000 people — almost 81 percent of the UW campus population — use the U-PASS or other transportation that's greener than driving alone. Here in the 20th year of the U-PASS program, they say only 19 percent of UW commuters drive to campus alone.

KUOW trio wins national broadcast award
KUOW editor Phyllis Fletcher, senior editor Jim Gates and news director Guy Nelson received a first place in broadcast reporting from the Education Writers Association, a national organization, for Fletcher's ongoing coverage of local and regional education issues.

15th annual home improvement fair April 11
This year’s home fair focuses on how to integrate technology and green resources to transform your home. The event, which is free, will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 11, Mary Gates Hall Commons.

Exhibitors include non-profits like Habitat for Humanity as well as companies such as Metropolitan Appliances, See3D digital design, Garden Hotline and Salmon Bay Woodworks. There will be demonstrations, refreshments, and a chance to win door prizes.

The event is sponsored by HomeStreet Bank, a partner of the UW Benefits Hometown Home Loan Program. All expenses are paid by HomeStreet Bank and participating exhibitors.

For more information: Kathleen Dwyer, 206-543-2812, kdwyer@uw.edu or Mary Parker-Hale, 206-616-4932, mphale@uw.edu.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Guntis Smidchens.

Baltic Studies co-founder honored by Estonia
Guntis Smidchens, assistant professor of Baltic studies and co-founder of the UW Baltic Studies Program, has been awarded the Order of the Cross of Terra Tariana, 4th class, by the Republic of Estonia.

The honor is for non-Estonians who have provided special services to the country. Smidchens received the award from Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in Tartu, Estonia, Feb. 23, which is Estonia’s independence day.

"Estonia fascinates our students," said Smidchens. "The country has a very rich cultural heritage, and it's at the cutting edge of high tech — Skype, for example, was created by Estonian programmers."

He said the School of Engineering began the first regular student exchanges with Estonia in the 1990s, when the UW expanded its Scandinavian exchanges program to the Baltic. UW students have since gone to Estonia, Latvia or Lithuania on Fulbright grants or undergraduate exchanges, studying biorobotics and computer science as well as history, society and culture.

For the past 18 years, the UW has been one of two American universities to teach Estonian language, teaching about half of the American students learning Estonian.

Now, the two organizations have released a follow-up study that explains how five successful charter school organizations put those approaches into practice. "Learning from Charter School Management Organizations: Strategies for Student Behavior and Teacher Coaching" offers guidance for schools and districts looking to replicate these practices.

The report, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, is one of several arising from the National Study of Charter Management Organization Effectiveness. This four-year study analyzed the effectiveness of 22 such organizations by comparing reading and math scores of about 19,000 of their middle schoolers with students of similar backgrounds in traditional schools.

These schools used a model that includes schoolwide student behavior expectations with positive reinforcements and clear consequences, zero tolerance policies for potentially dangerous behaviors and consistent enforcement of the student behavior systems. In monitoring and coaching teachers, the schools provided teachers with individualized coaching and ensured they are observed frequently by master teachers as well as administrators.

Red Square site of annual UW "Trash-In" April 11
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 11, on Red Square, student and staff volunteers will suit up and sort through one day’s worth of trash from around the UW campus. The annual ‘UW Trash-In’ reveals how much compostable and recyclable material is still being thrown away on campus.

After a brief introduction to the sorting process, volunteers are given cover-up suits, gloves and goggles, and sent to a sorting station. Bags of trash are emptied onto tables and volunteers sort materials by type into nearby bins for compost, cans/bottles, mixed recycling and garbage. The party-like atmosphere includes music, sorting games and challenges.

“There’s a lot of dancing and laughing while we sort,” said Aubrey Batchelor with the UW sustainability office. “You learn so much about what can be composted or recycled, and it’s surprisingly fun to see what others have thrown away.”

Mirroring the protest power of a sit-In,  the first Trash-In took place on the UW campus in 1970 to emphasize the waste associated with American life. Students and faculty collected trash from around campus and separated it into categories, returning recyclable materials to the original producers for reprocessing.

“The first Trash-In was about students taking action to bring the issue of recycling to the forefront,” said UW Recycling & Solid Waste Manager Emily Newcomer. “Today’s Trash-In is about recognizing our wasteful habits and identifying goals for the future.”

UW Summer Youth Programs has a variety of summer courses for all ages, and is taking registration. From late June into August, the program's the place for would-be writers, artists, musicians, biologists, fashionistas — even toymakers. There are full-day and half-day courses.

Leslie Rome-Nagata, program manager for UW Educational Outreach, said there's a new set of STEM courses (science, technology, engineering and math) for middle-school students with a focus on sustainability. Other courses for students that age include "Fashion Design: Create Wearable Art" and "Seattle’s Architecture: Learning from Modern Masters."

New half-day courses for high school-age students include playwriting and "Sculpt Mold and Cast: A DIY Approach to Toy Design." And in all-day programs, elementary-age students can get into juggling and mask-making, while also learning team-building and cooperation, in a class on circus arts.

Visit the website for informational meetings being conducted online and on campus in April, or call 206-543-2310.

Vavilala warns: Don't ignore children's head injuries
Monica S. Vavilala, UW professor of anesthesiology and pediatrics, discussed traumatic brain injury as a public health problem worldwide during the keynote presentation on translational research at the Indian Society of Neuroanesthesia and Critical Care Conference in Bhopal last month. She also spoke to Hindi newspapers and television on prevention efforts and outcomes research, telling parents how to recognize symptoms of head injury and stressing the need for rehabilitation. Children's head injuries during play, she said, shouldn't be neglected as they might lead to disability.

“Fighting Cancer with Nanoparticle Medicines: The Nanoscale Matters!” is the topic of UW Department of Bioengineering’s annual Rushmer Lecture, Friday, March 23, 4:15 p.m. in the Physics/Astronomy Auditorium.

Mark Davis, professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, will present the current understanding of why these engineered, nanosized medicines – highly multifunctional chemical systems – may hold the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment.

Davis’ lab has taken two nanoparticle cancer therapies from mere laboratory curiosities to experimental therapeutics in human clinical trials. His presentation is the 24th annual Robert F. Rushmer Lecture. A reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the north lobby of the Foege Building.

UW business-diversity efforts  recognzied
The UW was named “Public Agency of the Year” by the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council, an organization dedicated to expanding business opportunities for minority business enterprises. The UW also received this award in 2008. It was based upon the university’s successful efforts to ensure diversity among those with whom the university does business locally, the organization says.  The UW Business Diversity Program leads a campus-wide effort that encourages interaction between minority businesses in the community and potential UW clients.

The UW Autism Center plans public events in April.

UW plans Autism Awareness Month events for public
The UW Autism Center will host a series of community events sharing the latest findings in autism’s causes and treatments as well as coping strategies for kids with autism spectrum disorders and their caregivers.

Parents, teachers, therapists and researchers are invited to the free lectures to be held in Seattle and Tacoma throughout April, which is Autism Awareness Month. Free childcare, with advance registration, is available at the Seattle events.

The full schedule is available on the UW Autism Center’s website.  To register, call 1-877-408-UWAC or email uwautism@uw.edu.

Papers study political, human sides of school closure
Education is a people business. A new working paper series from the UW’s Center on Reinventing Public Education takes a close look at the political forces and the human side of policies designed to improve public schools.

The series, “Better Schools through Better Politics: The Human Side of Portfolio School District Reform,” examines initiatives in New York City, Chicago, Denver and Oakland. It’s about the politics of closing high schools, but the focus is on the people who carry out reforms and those who are affected by them: students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and politicians.

These papers

• Examine the advantages and disadvantages of initiatives that close some schools in order to create new opportunities for students
• Discuss the value of community involvement and how Denver – after a disastrous start – and Oakland turned it to advantage
• Look at how the students, parents and teachers cope with school changes that, however well intended, often cause major disruptions and do not always work to their benefit

For the paper, the center retained Sam Sperry, whose 30-year career in journalism included serving as associate editor of the editorial page for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and who was policy director for Washington state Gov. Gary Locke. Sperry created a cross-district comparison of the school closure experiences in New York, Chicago and Denver, with an emphasis on high schools.

Husky Green Award nominations due March 26
Submit nominations online by March 26 for the Husky Green Award program that recognizes individuals and teams demonstrating outstanding leadership, initiative and dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability at the UW.

Students, faculty and staff at the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses are eligible.

The third annual Husky Green Award ceremony will be conducted during HuskyFest at the Earth Day celebration April 20 in Red Square.

The math classes are not intended to move students ahead in the standard curriculum but rather to explore areas of math not usually covered in the K-12 classroom.  Robinson Center writing classes focus on expanding students’ writing and editing skills but also on creative expression across genres. The only requirements are interest and grade level.

Tuition is $250 for our 50-minute classes and $450 for our extended writing class.  Financial aid is available to families in the Free/Reduced Lunch Program. To learn more and register, visit the Robinson Center website. Classes run on Saturdays March 31 to May 26.

For any other questions, contact Kristy Carter, program coordinator, at kcarter4@uw.edu or Maren Halvorsen, associate director, at maren@uw.edu or 206-543-4160.

Faculty roundtable on philanthropy March 14
Can nonprofit social enterprises achieve new scale in responding to human needs? What is the role of companies in increasing social enterprise? How can foundations spur new and promising advances in social enterprise?

The UW Evans School of Public Affairs will address these questions and more in a faculty roundtable discussion titled “How Philanthropy Can Build Enterprising Nonprofits,” from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in the Walker-Ames Room of Kane Hall.

The event will feature an opening lecture by Carla Javits, president of the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund, and a post-lecture discussion with Evans School faculty Mary Kay Gugerty, Justin Marlowe, Sanjeev Khagram and David Harrison.

The roundtable is the second of three this year celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the Evans School. The next discussion, titled “Strife and Progress: Transforming Public Education in Big Cities,” will be held on May 2.

To secure a seat to the March 14 event, RSVP by emailing esevents@uw.edu, or call 206-221-7779.

Batya Friedman

Friedman is known for value sensitive design, which considers human values in designing information systems. She and a team of researchers, legal experts and videographers created “Voices from the Rwanda Tribunal,” believed to be the first collection of stories from lawyers, judges, interpreters and other professionals who have served on a war crimes tribunal.

Friedman will deliver a talk on her work as part of receiving the award in Austin this May.

Photographer  recalls 1987 stadium collapse with extraordinary photos
When the north stands of Husky Stadium collapsed while under construction 25 years ago, on Feb. 25, 1987, UW photographer and lecturer John Stamets just happened to be nearby. He reached up and shot a nine-image sequence of this famous accident that ran in University Week and has been widely seen and praised ever since.

Stamets will discuss these events and present a slide show of photographs at 6 p.m. today, Feb. 28, in Room 322 of Gould Hall, and the public is invited.

Stamets will relate the event as he saw it and discuss the cause of the accident. He will also show photos and discuss two other major construction accidents that he has witnessed: the 1991 collapse of Hammering Man during installation at the Seattle Art Museum, and the 2002 mid-air disintegration of a large rebar curtain at the Seattle Central Library. A common thread links the three.

The lecture will also include samples of Stamets' construction photography from 1988 to 2012, including his current projects documenting the construction of the new South Park Bridge and the Bullitt Center for Sustainable Design & Construction.

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 52.203-7) require the University to implement procedures designed to prevent and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 (41 USC 51-58). This is published as a reminder of the policies and procedures in place at the University of Washington.

1. Kickback Defined. “Kickback” as defined by FAR means any money, fee commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.

2. Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties.

Regulations published by the State Ethics Board and in University rules at http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/APS/47.02.html prohibit the use of University facilities and equipment for personal business use. E-mail and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.

3. Procurement Integrity Provisions. The Procurement Integrity Provisions of Public Law 100-679 (1988) prohibit University employees from offering promises of future employment, business opportunities, money, gratuities or other things of value to federal procurement agents. University employees are precluded from soliciting information about proprietary or source selection information from any federal officer or employee prior to the award of a contract. University employees responsible for a federal contract over $100,000 may be required to certify before the award that they have no information concerning a violation of the procurement integrity provisions.

4. Outside Consulting Work. Faculty and staff are required to receive prior approval from their supervisors before engaging in outside professional work for compensation. See Presidential Orders at https://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/PO/EO57.html and Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/APS/47.03.html. University facilities and resources, including computers and e-mail, may not be used in outside work.

5. Internal and Governmental Audits. Internal audits conducted by the University’s Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the office of the State Auditor and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to University procedures.

6. Procurement Procedures. Procurement Services solicits competitive bids for most purchases over $5000 in behalf of the University. Purchases may not be made by University personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with signature authority and by a Procurement Services buyer. Purchasing procedures are described at http://f2.washington.edu/fm/ps/ No gift or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition. (Revised code of Washington Sections 43.19.1937 and 42.52.140.) The state ethics law also prohibits any state employee from participating in a purchasing transaction that may result in an economic benefit to themselves or to a family member.

Under the state ethics rules, a University employee who independently contracts with the University for the sale of goods and services may need to receive prior approval from the State Ethics Board.

7. “Whistleblower” Provisions and Protection. University employees may report improper governmental actions to the State Auditor’s Office. To encourage the reporting of improper governmental actions, employees are protected from reprisal or retaliatory action by the provisions of state law. The Whistleblower law is codified in Chapter 42.40 of the Revised Code of Washington. Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions are in the Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/APS/47.01.html.

Summary of the Washington State Whistleblower Act

The “Whistleblower Act” was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions. “Improper governmental action” means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee’s official duties which:

• Is a gross waste of public funds or resources; or
• Is in violation of federal or state law or rule if the violation is not merely technical or of a minimum nature; or
• Is of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety; or
• Is a gross mismanagement of funds; or
• Prevents the dissemination of scientific opinion or alters technical findings without scientifically valid justification, unless state law or a common law privilege prohibits disclosure.

Improper governmental action does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, including, but not limited to, employee grievances, complaints, transfers, reassignments, demotions, alleged labor agreement violations, claims of discrimination, and related complaints.

In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) or designated University officials within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.

Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the SAO or the following designated University officials:

• President
• Provost
• Chancellor, University of Washington, Bothell
• Chancellor, University of Washington, Tacoma
• Vice President, Human Resources
• Associate Vice President/Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine
• Executive Director, Internal Audit
• Executive Director, Harborview Medical Center
• Executive Director, University of Washington Medical Center

Telephone calls are not accepted. Assertions can be reported using the Whistleblower Reporting Form or in a separate letter. The Whistleblower Reporting Form is available by contacting the SAO at (360) 902-0377 or through the SAO homepage at http://www.sao.wa.gov. The report should include:

• A detailed description of the improper governmental action(s);
• The name of the employee(s) involved;
• The agency, division and location where the action(s) occurred;
• When the action(s) occurred;
• Any other details that may be important for the investigation – witnesses, documents, evidence, etc.;
• The specific law or regulation that has been violated, if known;
• The whistleblower’s name, address and phone number.

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.

The SAO has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law listed factors to be considered when making this determination. The SAO will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within 15 working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the SAO will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the SAO determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, head of the employee’s agency, Attorney General, Governor, Secretary of State, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and the public.

The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.

A more detailed summary of the Whistleblower Act and methods of transmitting whistleblower assertions are contained in the Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/policies/APS/47.01.html. You may call Internal Audit at 543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.

8. State Government Efficiency Hotline

State law requires the State Auditor’s Office (SAO) to establish a toll-free telephone line that is available to public employees and members of the public to:

• recommend measures to improve efficiency in state and local government,
• report waste, inefficiency, or abuse,
• report examples of efficiency or outstanding achievement by state and local agencies, public employees, or persons under contract with state and local agencies.

The SAO must conduct an initial review of each recommendation for efficiency and report of waste, inefficiency or abuse. Following the initial review, the SAO must determine which assertions require further examination or audit under the auditor’s current authority.

The hotline can be reached by:

• Telephone: 1-800-902-3900
• Web site: www.sao.wa.gov
• Mail:
  State Auditor’s Office Attn: Hotline
  P.O. Box 40031
  Olympia, WA 98504

The identity of a person making a report through the hotline, by e-mail through the SAO’s web site, or other means of communication is kept confidential unless the person consents to disclosure by written waiver or until the investigation is completed. All documents related to the report and subsequent investigation are also confidential until completion of the investigation at which time the records are subject to public records laws.

“We talk about working for social and economic justice in class and this is going to give students a practical understanding of what advocacy, activism and practice really look like,” said Virginia Eader, UW graduate student who is on the event’s organizing committee. “I am excited about the opportunity to be able to learn from such a dynamic cross-section of Seattle’s active community.”

The teach-in will include multi-media, art and panels on topics such as economic inequalities, historical roots of radical social work, legislative advocacy and the occupy movement.

In Romania in 1942, Nazi ally Marshall Ion Antonescu ordered the mass deportations of Roma people to Transnistria.

‘Roma Tears,’ about treatment during Holocaust, runs Thursday
The documentary film “Roma Tears,” about the treatment of Roma – or Gypsies – during the Holocaust, will be shown at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in Room 120 of the Communications Building. The film is free and open to the public.

In the documentary, Luminita Mihai Cioaba, Roma cultural leader in Transylvania, Romania, interviews some of the last remaining Roma Holocaust survivors about the historical events of 1942. In that year in Romania, military dictator and Nazi ally Marshall Ion Antonescu ordered the mass deportations of Roma people and Jews to Transnistria.

Cioaba will be on hand for the screening and a question and answer session afterward.

“I think the value of the film lies in the fact that the Roma are very reluctant to speak to outsiders. Very little is known about the Roma Holocaust for this reason,” said Mihaela Giurca, a UW lecturer in International and English Programs who organized the screening. “The film consists of interviews with Roma Holocaust survivors. It is very unlikely that they would tell these stories to anyone other than another Roma.”

The event is sponsored by the departments of Spanish & Portuguese and comparative literature, the Cinema and Media Studies Program, the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences, Educational Outreach and the Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities.

Nominations close Feb. 28 for “Celebrating UW Women” program
Nominations will be accepted through the end of February for this year’s Celebrating UW Women program sponsored by Housing and Food Services.

The program honors women from across all three UW campuses as part of Women’s History Month. The program is not a competition and every woman nominated will be recognized at a reception at 4 p.m. March 15, at the Burke Museum. All members of the campus community are invited to attend,  no RSVP is necessary.

Nominees can be students, staff or faculty members. Contributions can be global or personal, according to the program’s website.

For more information or to be involved in the organization of the program, contact Erica Barton at ericab4@uw.edu.

Offices collect gold and silver by going green
Ten offices have been certified under the UW’s Green Office program since its launch in September.

Offices certified as gold, by scoring at least 85 percent overall based on criteria such as energy use, conserving paper and recycling, are:

• Emergency Management, UW Tower, office of 3.5 members
• Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability office, Gerberding Hall, office of 8 members
• Libraries Purchasing and Supply, Suzzallo Library, office of 2 members
• Recycling & Solid Waste, Bryants Building, office of 5 members
• Transportation Services, University Transportation Center, office of 48 members

Offices certified as silver, which scored at least 70 percent overall, are:

• UW Botanic Gardens - Merrill Hall, office of 36 members
• Center for Urban Waters -  Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma, office of 10 members
• Evans School of Public Affairs - Parrington Hall, office of 58 members
• Southwest Maintenance Zone office, Southwest Maintenance Building, office of 10 members
• Student Fiscal Services office - Schmitz Hall, office of 21 members

The Green Office certification program encourages staff and faculty to help make their office or workplace sustainable, according to the UW Green Office website. Certification involves an informal audit process about office practices. A short online survey allows the office to see what steps they are already taking to be green, and areas where they can improve, the website says.

Jeffrey Ochsner

They cited his 1982 book, “H.H. Richardson: Complete Architectural Works” as “one of the seminal texts” on Richardson, who is regarded as a key figure in American architecture.

The judges also said Ochsner’s research on Seattle architecture “has helped bring national attention to the region.”

Ochsner, a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, has taught at the UW since 1988. In the College of Built Environments, he has served as associate dean for academic affairs since 2007.

Architecture has two past Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture distinguished professors: Sharon Sutton and Steve Badanes. The association includes nearly 5,000 faculty members at schools in the U.S. and Canada.

Reception Thursday honors Distinguished Staff Award nominees
Come celebrate the accomplishments of UW staff at the 2012 Distinguished Staff Awards reception, 2:30 to 4 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, in the UW Tower Cafeteria. Join the UW community and guests of nominees recognizing the individuals and teams nominated this year. Please bring your Husky card or a photo identification as the UW Tower is a secure building.

Q Faculty and Staff host Winterruption Thursday
Join fellow UW faculty and staff for hors d’oeuvres, happy hour and comments by guest speaker Ana Mari Cauce at “Winterruption” sponsored by the Q Faculty and Staff group, along with the Q Center and the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity.

The social for LGBTQ – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people – and allied employees of the UW will be 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Hotel Deca’s District Lounge. This is the group’s largest reception of the year, with a guest speaker and catered food. The third Thursday of other months, there is an ongoing, more casual LGBTQ social at 5:30 p.m. at the District Lounge.

UW Retirement Association offers eldercare workshop
UW employees, retirees, alumni and their family members who are caregivers of an adult family member or anticipate being in this role, may register for the upcoming UW Retirement Association eldercare workshop 12:30 to 5:30 p.m., Saturday, March 24, at the UW Seattle campus.

This comprehensive workshop covers legal and medical steps, regional and national resources and family dynamics. Learn about resources, practical guidance and receive a take-away workbook. This workshop will be led by Liz Taylor of Aging Well Consortium and former Seattle Times “Growing Older” columnist.

Registration is $100 for first family member; $85 for each additional family member. Register on-line by March 16. Questions: email retiremt@uw.edu or call 206-543-8600 Tuesday-Friday.