UW: Open for Business
Summer 2008

Each quarter, visit this Web page to find some of the most important news about research commercialization, partnerships, start-ups, and other ways the University of Washington is building relationships with Washington businesses and helping strengthen our state's economy.

News Alerts

Linden Rhoads to Head UW TechTransfer
Linden Rhoads, who has held senior management positions in Seattle-area companies for 20 years, becomes UW's vice provost for technology transfer August 14, 2008. Read the Seattle P-I's Q&A with her.

Ask the President

Question of the Quarter
“What strategic advantage will the new College of the Environment provide our state?”
See the answer.

Profiles in Partnership

PENTAX and UW
UW TechTransfer recently signed an exclusive license agreement with PENTAX Corp. (now HOYA Corp.) for a suite of scanning fiber endoscope technologies. Endoscopes are lighted optical instruments used to get a deep look inside the body. The technologies represent one of the largest intellectual property suites ever to be licensed from the UW. Hoya's first commercial application of the technology is an endoscope that is very small in diameter, which should make endoscopic procedures more comfortable for patients. One of its most important functions is cancer detection. "Although this technology was developed to detect cancer at an early stage and thus save lives," says lead UW researcher Eric Seibel, "there is no impact on society without commercialization."

Top Dawgs

Meet Morela Hernandez
Morela Hernandez, assistant professor of management, grew up in Honduras, Brazil, and the United States and speaks four languages. She counts her father, a career politician and diplomat, as one of the most honest leaders in this region. And she's seen the results of less scrupulous businessmen and politicos—both growing up and after taking a job at Enron in May 2001. "I grew up with this knowledge that people are taken advantage of every day by those with more power and privilege," Hernandez says. "I feel very strongly that people who have the most power must take the most responsibility for their actions." This insight colors everything she touches, from her research on effective, ethical leadership and cross-cultural issues to her undergraduate, MBA, and Executive Education courses on leadership.

Discoveries & Opportunities

BusinessWeek Interviews Business School Dean
In a video interview, Dean Jim Jiambalvo discusses his plans to turn the Foster School of Business into the nation's leading public business school by focusing on strategic thinking and leadership.

Mentor Law and MBA Students
UW's Entrepreneurial Law Clinic pairs students with pro bono attorneys to provide legal and business advice to entrepreneurs facing significant economic barriers to success.

Saving Lives Is the Aim of This Game
Researchers in computer science and engineering collaborated with a biochemistry professor to create Foldit, a computer game that challenges players to build new proteins to help cure diseases like cancer. Read more on Economist.com.

Doing Business at UW

Why We're Increasing Tuition
Tuition at the UW historically has been relatively low ($6,800 in 2008–2009). In fact, Kiplinger's has again rated the UW one of the nation's top 10 best values in higher education. Yet the core activity of the university—educating students—is funded primarily from two sources: state appropriations and tuition. When I attended the UW in the early 1970s, the state paid 75 percent and students 25 percent of the cost; today, the state pays about 43 percent, and students and their families pay the rest—and the UW's Husky Promise covers those who otherwise can't afford to come. When we compare what the UW has available to spend educating students with that of our peers, our amount is about $4,000 less per student than the average of our peers. To remain competitive, we must close that gap. It is unrealistic to expect to secure all the necessary funding from the state in the short term, especially in our current economic climate. So, for the time being, we must make the hard choice and raise tuition to ensure that our students continue to receive a high-quality education.