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UW releases 2017 state legislative agenda

Just in time for the start of the 2017 legislative session, the University of Washington released its legislative priorities. Here’s an overview of key priorities from the agenda:

Operating Budget Priorities

Competing for excellence:

As a world-class academic and research institution, the UW is dedicated to retaining and attracting the best faculty and staff who provide a world-class educational experience to our students. As a means of investing in talented educators, the UW requests funding for competitive compensation.

Investing in proven strategies to ensure student success:

It is critical that historically underserved students are supported to boost retention, graduation, and career preparation in high demand fields. Delivered through a tri-campus initiative, UW requests $5.1 million to expand programming and bolster support to underserved students.

Additionally, the UW supports full funding of the State Need Grant, which provides financial assistance to low-income students pursuing a higher education in Washington. More than 24,000 students who are eligible for the State Need Grant have not had access due to lack of funding.

Targeted investments to serve the needs of the state:

Washington currently faces severe workforce shortages in areas related to healthcare, computer science, and engineering. To combat this problem, UW is requesting $9.3 million to invest in rural health care professionals and another $16 million to invest in engineering, computer science, and ocean engineering and cyber operations.

Key Capital Investments

Seismic improvements

The safety of our students, faculty, and staff are of paramount importance at the UW. At the Seattle campus, there are masonry buildings in need of major reinforced upgrades to reduce the risk of collapse in case of an earthquake. The UW seeks $25 million to upgrade multiple buildings in critical need of repair.

Population Health sciences

In an effort to support and improve the health and well-being of communities both in Washington and globally, the UW requests $20 million for a Population Health research building. An additional $10 million is requested for the design of a shared Health Sciences classroom facility to replace the Magnuson Health Sciences Teaching Center (T-wing).

Accommodating growth

UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are experiencing rapid student enrollment in high-demand programs. In response to the increasing growth, UW requests $3.5 million in predesign and design funding to accommodate the academic needs of students.

Parrington Hall renovation

Enrollment has doubled in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Parrington Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus and home of the Evans School, is in need of maintenance and renovation. The UW requests $10 million for construction.

Burke Museum

The Burke Museum provides diverse science and cultural programming to schools, communities, and families. In an effort to increase programming and access, the Burke Museum is in the process of constructing a new facility on campus. To complete construction, $24.2 million is requested by UW.

Washington Competes

The University is committed to partnering with other statewide public baccalaureate institutions, community and technical colleges, and independent colleges to advance a jointly supported agenda focused on increasing investments in higher education to bolster student success. Read more about Washington Competes here.

State and local leaders recognize Together UW Day – October 21, 2016

In recognition of the launch of the university’s Be Boundless – For Washington, For the World philanthropic campaign, Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, City of Spokane Mayor David Condon, Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council offered their support in proclamations and a salutation, recognizing October 21, 2016 as “Together UW Day.”

 

Go to uw.edu/together for more information about all of the events taking place October 21-23.

Show your support by sharing these posts on social media with the hashtag  #TogetherUW

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To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

You’re invited: Denny Hall re-opening Oct. 26

UW State Relations and External Affairs invites you to join us in celebrating the re-opening of the iconic Denny Hall.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | 10:30-11:30 AM
Denny Hall (MAP)
Spokane Lane
Seattle, WA 98105
Coffee, tea and assorted pastries provided.

Please RSVP:
Amanda Rich at eaevents@uw.edu or 206-221-5670.

About Denny Hall
Constructed in 1895, Denny Hall is the oldest building on the UW’s Seattle campus and is eligible to be listed in the Washington State Heritage Register. The building was named in honor of Seattle pioneers Arthur A. and Mary Denny.
Restoration of Denny Hall began in the Spring of 2014 and was completed in September, 2016. This building houses offices and programs for the College of Arts & Sciences, including the Departments of Anthropology, Classics, Germanics and Near Eastern Languages & Civilization, as well as the College’s Language Learning Center.
The renovation upgraded all major building systems, corrected seismic deficiencies, improved accessibility, and abated hazardous materials. The building now achieves Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Hacker (previously known as THA) of Portland, Oregon, was the project architect. SiteWorkshop was the landscape architect, and BNBuilders (BNB) was the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM). Both are located in Seattle.

UW’s innovations in medical education in the spotlight

From Tuesday’s edition of the Seattle Times:

While most UW students have a few more weeks of summer to enjoy, the School of Medicine is already in full swing. With the introduction of new curriculum, first-year medical students are spending less time in a traditional lecture hall and more time with hands-on patient care on day one.

Read more about this innovative approach to teaching here.

From KREM2 in Spokane:

One of the great traditions in medical school is the white coat ceremony, when new students put on the unofficial uniform of the medical profession for the first time. KREM 2 captured the recent exciting night with students, friends and their families in Spokane here.

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

News via the Spokesman-Review: Gonzaga, UW welcome new medical students to Spokane

Great news from The Spokesman-Review:

Sixty medical students in the inaugural class of a collaboration between the University of Washington and Gonzaga University received their first stethoscopes in a special ceremony Tuesday night.

The ceremony marked the beginning of their medical studies, but it was much like a graduation ceremony: Each student was called forward to shake hands with local doctors, and some students couldn’t resist flinging up their hands and cheering when their names were called.

John Goodman, a graduate of Gonzaga Prep, Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University, was one of those called. He requested Spokane as the place where he wanted to attend medical school.

“This is my home,” he said. “A huge part of who I am is because of this city.”

He attended SFCC to become a radiation technician, but two of his instructors encouraged him to consider medical school. After his mother died of lung cancer two years ago, he decided he wanted to be an oncologist.

“It’s a difficult field to be a part of, but I keep coming back,” he said.

Continue reading

 

Learn more about the UW School of Medicine’s partnership with Gonzaga University here.

External Affairs hosts state, city staff for Early Learning Showcase

On Tuesday, the Office of External Affairs hosted an Early Learning Showcase. Attendees started the day at the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, learning about brain development and language, plus cognition and social understanding. The visit also included a tour of the facility and a discussion about how research can be put into practice.

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Patricia Kuhl, Ph.D., Co-Director of I-LABS
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Andrew Meltzoff, Ph.D., Co-Director of I-LABS

 

The second half of the day was spent in the Magnuson Health Sciences building, where the group heard about early learning research at UW from several leading faculty members and researchers. The first presentation was from Gail Joseph, Ph.D., and Janet Soderberg, Ph.D., providing an overview of the work of the Childcare Quality & Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development. Drs. Joseph and Soderberg also presented the findings from a recent study of the state’s Early Achievers Standards.

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Gail Joseph, Ph.D. and Janet Soderberg, Ph.D., from CQEL

Next on the agenda was Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, to discuss how early learning experiences affect brain development. Dr. Christakis also provided insight into how certain types of media exposure in young children might adversely affect them later in life.

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Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, from UW School of Medicine

The final speaker of the day was Liliana Lengua, Ph.D. Dr. Lengua’s presentation covered the bioecological model of economic disadvantage and children’s well-being, discussing how early experiences of adversity may have long-term and widespread impacts on developmental outcomes.

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Liliana Lengua, Ph.D., Director of CCFW

 

Materials from the Early Learning Showcase can be found here. View more photos from the event on UWGOV’s Facebook page.

External Affairs hosts state, federal staff and business leaders for Clean Energy & Innovation Tour

On Monday, the Office of External Affairs hosted a Clean Energy & Innovation Tour. Attendees started the day at the UW Clean Energy Institute in the Molecular Engineering & Sciences building, learning about CEI and the UW’s efforts to accelerate a clean energy future from Director Dan Schwartz. The tour included a visit to the Hugh Hillhouse Research Group lab to see the development of low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells from inks and dyes.

At the David Ginger Research Group lab, the group viewed scanning probe microscopy and optical spectroscopy for next-generation solar and learned about techniques for understanding the basic science of energy materials and application.

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Hugh Hillhouse discusses developing low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells.
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David Ginger discusses optical spectroscopy for next-generation solar.

Devin MacKenzie then discussed future testbed facilities and equipment that will be available for university researchers and industry partners. Time at CEI concluded with a lunch discussion with graduate students Sarah Vorpahl and Matthew Murbach about the opportunities they’ve had at UW and the importance of state and federal investment in clean energy research.

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Devin MacKenzie discusses future testbed facilities and equipment coming to the university.
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Graduate students Sarah Vorpahl and Matthew Murbach discuss their Husky experience.

The second half of the tour was spent at CoMotion in Fluke Hall. Vikram Jandhyala, Vice President for Innovation Strategy, and Elizabeth Scallon, Associate Director of the CoMotion Incubator, provided an overview of the university as a leader in innovation and the services provided by the incubator. Event guests also spent time in the wet labs with current incubator startups and met students in the MakerSpace.

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Event guests meet current CoMotion incubator startups.
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Event guests hear from the award winning hyperloop student team in the CoMotion MakerSpace.

 

View more photos from the Clean Energy & Innovation Tour on UWGOV’s Facebook page.

UW releases 2016 state legislative agenda

Today, the University released its legislative priorities for the 2016 session that began yesterday in Olympia. The governor delivered his State of the State address this afternoon, with Board Chair Bill Ayer representing the UW Board of Regents as one of the governor’s guests.

Here is a quick overview of what’s on the agenda:

Make the University Whole – Implementing the state’s new tuition policy

A critical piece of the state’s new tuition policy is its commitment to fully compensate institutions for the tuition revenue they will lose due to the reduction. As the tuition backfill in the adopted 2015-17 budget was based on outdated enrollment numbers, we seek $4.4 million to make the UW whole.

Expanding our Successful Rural Dentistry Program in Spokane

UW requests state funding to expand the UW School of Dentistry’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program in Spokane and Eastern Washington with the addition of a simulation lab and expanded clinical rotation opportunities. RIDE trains students to practice in rural and underserved areas, and partners with Eastern Washington University and others in the community to improve oral health across our state.

Restoring Fairness for Public Agencies Paying Leasehold Excise Tax

Part of the leasehold excise tax (LET) statute was deleted by a 2013 bill, and as a result the UW now pays additional excess tax out of a fund which otherwise pays for repair and maintenance projects. The UW supports the ability of public property owners to once again pay taxes equal to – not greater than– those of private property owners.

Computer Science & Engineering – Making more degrees a reality

In the 2015 legislative session, the legislature dedicated a total of $32.5 million toward our new Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) building, helping double CSE degree production. However, $15.0 million was taken from the UW’s own building account, which pays for systemwide repairs and maintenance. We ask the legislature to allocate $15.0 million in the state bonds to restore the building account funds to their intended and much-needed purpose.

Click here to view and download the 2016 Legislative Agenda document.

External Affairs hosts local, state, federal officials for Innovation Day

This week, the Office of External Affairs hosted Innovation Day @ UW. The day showcased how the university is contributing to the growth of our region’s innovation ecosystem, and is finding solutions to today’s major challenges. Visitors included members of the state legislature, state legislative staff, federal delegation staff, local/regional staff, and economic development leaders.

Vice Provost Vikram Jandhyala presents to Innovation Day at CoMotion
Vice Provost Vikram Jandhyala presents to Innovation Day at CoMotion

Participants started the day with a visit to CoMotion, the University’s collaborative innovation hub. Visitors heard pitches from a number of UW startups in the CoMotion Incubator, and had a chance to see their technology. Next, participants had a conversation with Vice Provost for Innovation Vikram Jandhyala, who overviewed CoMotion’s efforts to take ideas to impact.

A UW student shows off a prototype to translate sign language being developed in the CoMotion MakerSpace.
A UW student shows off a prototype to translate sign language being developed in the CoMotion MakerSpace.

Vice Provost Jandhyala then facilitated a panel discussion with a UW faculty member, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, and undergraduate student who shared their experiences and insights from launching companies across a wide range of fields based on UW research and technology. The group’s morning agenda wrapped up with stops at CoMotion’s MakerSpace and Wet Lab. In both spaces, participants got a behind the scenes look at the technology, expertise, and facilities available to students and entrepreneurs on campus — from bench space to 3D printers, laser cutters, specialized hand tools, and more.

Over the lunch hour Innovation Day attendees were welcomed by Vice President of External Affairs Randy Hodgins, who introduced Dr. Norm Beauchamp, Chair of both the Faculty Senate and the Department of Radiology.

Dr. Beauchamp shared how his stroke research at UW is changing lives with a very poignant patient story. He also discussed the global and local impacts of his research and service work, with examples spanning collaboration with a research team in China, to volunteering as the Medical Director for the Seattle Free Clinic. Dr. Beauchamp told the group he came to UW because of the unparalleled collaborative potential. The University drives the innovation mindset beyond the campus, inspiring action in the wider community.

After lunch, participants walked across campus to the Molecular Engineering & Sciences building, which houses the Clean Energy Institute. The group learned about the UW’s efforts to accelerate a clean energy future from Dan Schwartz, Director of CEI. Visits to the Hillhouse and Ginger labs emphasized how state and federal investment is being leveraged to spur new discoveries in next generation materials for solar cells.

A student researcher demos a solar ink process to Innovation Day attendees in the CEI Lab.
A student researcher demos a solar ink process to Innovation Day attendees in the CEI Lab.

Innovation Day ended at StartUp Hall to get an up close look at the public/private partnership powering the U District’s hub for entrepreneurial talent. Chris DeVore, CEO of Tech Stars, talked about the vision for Startup Hall and UW’s efforts to catalyze the U District into an Innovation District.

Visit to Startup Hall
Visit to Startup Hall

Following a tour of Startup Hall’s co-working and tenant spaces, participants received a presentation from Connie Bourassa-Shaw, Director of the Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at the Foster School. Several of the Buerk Center’s students and alums were also on hand to share their entrepreneurial experiences.

The day concluded with a thank you from the External Affairs team, and an open invitation to elected officials and their staff to continue engaging with the campus community, whether it be in the innovation space or any other area of interest.

View more photos from Innovation Day @UW on UWGOV’s Facebook.