Category: News

By Danica Wood

In June, the University of Washington hosted filming for the HBO Max series, The Sex Lives of College Girls, created by Mindy Kaling. Filming for this series will continue July 22 through August 4, with the production upgrading accessibility and communication following feedback from the earlier filming. 

The UW is standing in for the series’ fictional Essex College, meaning the University’s name will not be used. The series focuses on the lives of four college students and their experiences at Essex College in Vermont. The show features a diverse cast and utilizes satire and humor to explore issues of identity as well as the struggles many college students face. 

Filming will take place this summer on the Seattle campus, primarily in the Quad, showcasing the UW’s beautiful campus while providing educational experiences for students and a boost to the region’s economy.  

Approximately 250 cast and crew members are involved in the filming of the show and, during the earlier filming, around 100 UW students were hired as extras. The crew includes many locally-based artists, vendors and freelancers and the production provides income for area businesses.

Additionally, productions such as this generate revenue which is dispersed into a pool to aid in the support of smaller, new and upcoming filmmakers and photographers. 

This production uses an open set, allowing staff, students and faculty to watch and engage with crew members. An open set like this is a rare occurrence, so community members with an interest in TV and film production are invited to observe the filming and see what a career in the arts could look like. 

For every production, the UW Film Office works closely with the Disability Services Office and unit representatives to mitigate disruptions and ensure accessibility of campus facilities during productions. Productions such as this also include submission of a University Use of Facilities request, coordination with UW Facilities and building coordinators, arranging parking via Transportation Services, and consulting with Environmental Health & Safety and the UW Police Department.  

Based on feedback during the previous filming, the UW Film Office is making changes to policies and practices for this and future productions. This includes not allowing filming to occur during certain times of the academic year, including the last two weeks of each quarter, and improving signage and wayfinding during the production. 

While this production is the largest to take place at the UW in the last 10 years, filming occurs on all UW campuses and properties throughout the year. The University hosts student filmmakers, independent productions, local and national advertisements, product launch videos, episodic series for streaming, movies and more.  

If you have any questions about filming on campus, contact the Director of Brand Management, Alanya Cannon, at alcan@uw.edu, or visit the Campus Use for Film & Photography website for more information.

 

By Danica Wood

The UW’s Faculty Field Tour — a 25-year tradition — was put on pause amid the COVID-19 pandemic. After a two-year break, the tradition resumed this year.

Beginning on June 11, 34 new faculty from across the UW’s campuses boarded a charter bus to experience a 1,000-mile tour of Washington state. Starting in Seattle, going south to Olympia, east to Yakima and Spokane, on to the Grand Coulee Dam and back home, this tour provided insight into the communities, culture and beauty within our state.

“Volcanoes and basalt rocks, black holes and neutron stars, bees and wildflowers! During the Faculty Field Tour, I had a blast learning about the wild state that we inhabit and was reminded that we are infinitesimally small — in the very best way,” said Rawan Arar, assistant professor of Law, Societies & Justice. “It was impactful to meet with leaders from the Colville Reservation, who reminded us that, as teachers, we not only have a responsibility to our students but also to our students’ families and communities that entrust us with their children’s education.”

Throughout the five-day tour, faculty met with community members, local residents and collaborators to gain insight into the people, economy and scenery of the Pacific Northwest.

“We serve the entire state, and we wanted to make sure from the outset that faculty had the opportunity to experience some of our regions that are more rural, or have different economic drivers, different cultures or different feelings and expectations about the purpose and experience of higher education,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce.

“It’s also a way of introducing residents from across the state to the excellent faculty we have at the UW who might serve as teachers or mentors for their students if they were to attend the UW, or who might be good collaborators on community or research projects,” said Provost Mark Richards.

Experiences on the tour included stopping at the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, which provides services to local agriculture workers in collaboration with the UW, and a visit to Heritage University, which partners with the University of Washington that aims to make law degrees more accessible to students from historically excluded communities — including Latino/Latina/Latinx and Indigenous students.

The tour stopped next at the Hanford Site to tour the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) — where UW professors have been instrumental in some of the key findings of a gravitational-wave astrophysics experiment — as well as a visit to Sen. Mark Schoesler’s wheat farm. Last, the group stopped at the Grand Coulee Dam and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

“By better understanding the history and culture that shapes our region, we can be better partners in telling the story of our state,” said Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, who has been deeply involved in the program since the mid-2000s. “By taking this tour, we are able to learn about and honor the past, present and future of our state so that we may deepen our appreciation for how we as educators can thoughtfully care for our region.”

“This was an eye-opening experience that made me realize what an honor it is to hold the position that I have,” said Chirag Shah, associate professor in the Information School. “Being a faculty member at a public university is not just a job or a career — it’s a calling. It’s a privilege to be at the forefront of world-class research and education while also serving our local community.”

For those who joined the UW during the pandemic, the tour also provided an opportunity to build community and explore the region.

“The Faculty Field Tour was an unbelievably enriching opportunity to learn about the remarkable state of Washington,” said Annie Downey, associate dean of University Libraries and director of the UW Tacoma Library. “I spent the week in awe of how inspired I felt while traveling in a packed bus up and down mountains, across open land, and alongside flourishing farms and flowing rivers. All the while, I had the pleasure of learning with and about an amazing group of kind, curious, brilliant and fun new colleagues.”

To learn more about the Faculty Field Tour, visit uw.edu/externalaffairs/faculty-field-tour/

As part of its population health efforts, the University of Washington will again host Tent City 3 (TC3) for 90 days, from mid-December 2022 through mid-March 2023. The tent-city community, which provides shelter space for local people experiencing homelessness, will be located in the E-21 parking lot, next to the UW Waterfront Activities Center.

Tent City 3 hosted approximately 40-60 people the past two residencies on the UW campus, in 2017 and 2021, on a lot near the Fishery Sciences buildings. Organizers are expecting similar numbers for this winter.

“The past two residencies have provided great opportunities for students and TC3 residents to learn from each other,” said Sally Clark, Director of the UW’s Office of Regional & Community Relations. “TC3 remains a valued partner in UW’s academic mission given their track record of self-government, safety and compassion.”

UW’s Tent City Collective, a registered student organization made up of students, staff and faculty, made the request for UW to host a third time. During previous stays on campus, faculty worked homelessness and housing crisis issues into their course curriculum in concert with the arrival of TC3 on campus. UW student groups and professional organizations held service days on-site. UW’s School of Nursing and the Center for One Health Research have led multiple engagements for students learning about direct care and homelessness.

As with previous residencies at UW, the TC3 community and UW will develop an agreement regarding rights and responsibilities during TC3’s stay, including a safety plan. Information about previous residencies and previous agreements can be found on UW’s Addressing Homelessness webpage.

This year’s Awards of Excellence recipients are being recognized for achievements in teaching, mentoring, public service and staff support. 

The winners will be honored from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on June 9 at the Meany Hall for the Performing Arts. The UW community and the general public are encouraged to attend. The program includes a one-hour ceremony hosted by President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards, followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres, desserts, a photo booth and a chance to connect and celebrate with your team members and the rest of the UW community. Please invite your colleagues, friends and family! 

Alumna Summa Laude Dignata 

• Pamela F. Cipriano (she/her), ’81, School of Nursing; President, International Council of Nurses 

David B. Thorud Leadership Award 

• Karen E. Moe (she/her), Director, Human Subjects Division and Assistant Vice Provost, Office of Research 
• Julie K. Stein (she/her), Emeritus Executive Director, Burke Museum; Professor, Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences  

Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award 

• David N. Stone (he/him), ’68, Michael G. Foster School of Business; Signal Corps Officer, U.S. Army (ret.) 

Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning Award 

• Yvonne S. Lin (she/her), Associate Professor, Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy 

Distinguished Librarian Award 

• Azusa Tanaka (she/her), Japanese Studies Librarian, University Libraries 

Distinguished Service Award 

• Michael Verchot (he/him), Director, Consulting and Business Development Center, Michael G. Foster School of Business 

Distinguished Teaching Award

• Stefanie Iverson Cabral (she/her), Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Nursing & Health Studies, UW Bothell 
• Samuel Jaffee (he/him), Associate Teaching Professor, Spanish & Portuguese Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 
• Ines Jurcevic (she/her), Assistant Professor, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance 
• Adam Leaché (he/him), Professor, Biology, College of Arts & Sciences; Curator, Burke Museum 
• Mikelle Nuwer (she/her), Associate Teaching Professor, School of Oceanography, College of the Environment 
• Claudia Sellmaier (she/her), Assistant Professor, School of Social Work & Criminal Justice, UW Tacoma 

 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award 

• Kenneth A. Sirotnik (he/him), Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education (posthumous) 

Excellence in Teaching Award 

• Marcus J. Johnson (he/him), Doctoral Candidate, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences 
• Kristin Privitera-Johnson (she/her), Doctoral Candidate, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, College of the Environment 

Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award 

• Ralina L. Joseph (she/her), Professor, Communication, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, Center for Communication, Difference and Equity 

Outstanding Public Service Award 

• Ann Spangler (she/her), Administrative Assistant, W.H. Gates Public Service Law Program, School of Law 

Retiree Excellence in Community Service Award 

• Erasmo Coronado Gamboa (he/him), Professor Emeritus, American Ethnic Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 

Together We Will Award 

• Taylor Paul Anuhea Ahana (he/him), Program Manager, UW Study Abroad, Office of Global Affairs 
• Yasmin Ahmed (they/them), Assistant Director of Student and Community Engagement, Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, College of Arts & Sciences 
• BrieAnna Bales (she/her), Senior Director of Operations, Office of Advancement, UW Tacoma  
• Burlyn Birkemeier (she/her), Research Scientist, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies, College of the Environment
• Jacob Dobner (he/him), Manager, Creative Communications
• Kirsten Espiritu (she/her), Area Director, Housing & Food Services, Student Life
• Erin Goecker (she/her), Retrovirology Laboratory Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine
• Jennifer Greenwood (she/her), Senior Remote Testing Site Manager, Laboratory Medicine & Pathology, UW Medicine
• Nell Gross (she/her), Director of Academic Services, Geography, College of Arts & Sciences
• China S. Hardison (she/her), Program Operations Specialist, Surgery, School of Medicine
• Joanna Long (she/her), Gardener, UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment
• Jessica Muhamad (she/her), Medical Assistant, Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, UW Medical Center
• Evalina Taganna Romano (she/her), Custodian, Building Services, UW Facilities
• Adrienne Schippers (she/her), Manager, Infection Prevention, UW Medical Center
• Madison Schumaker (she/her), Certified Nursing Assistant, Surgery, Harborview Medical Center; Patient Care Technician, Surgery, UW Medical Center
• Samuel Shupe (he/him), Physics Lab Coordinator, Physical Sciences, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, UW Bothell
• Kevin Springer (he/him), Program Support Supervisor II, UW Counseling Center
• Kathy Strand (she/her), Health Services Manager, Campus Health Clinics Montlake/Northwest, UW Medical Center
• Rick Wells (he/him), Research Scientist, Comparative Medicine, School of Medicine
• Renee M. Wolken (she/her), RN3 and Assistant Nurse Manager, Orthopaedics Operating Room, Harborview Medical Center 

University Faculty Lecture Award 

• David W. Hertzog (he/him), Professor, Physics, College of Arts & Sciences 

 

by Will Shenton

As we get ready for more employees and students to return to campus this September, our first priority is the health and safety of all UW community members. With autumn quarter approaching, the Environmental Health & Safety department (EH&S) has been hard at work developing and refining protocols to address COVID-19 cases and concerns.

Let’s review how contact tracing works at the UW.

What to do if you have a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19

Whether or not you currently work on-site at a University location, all UW community members are required to notify EH&S immediately after:

• Receiving a positive test for COVID-19
• Being told by your doctor that they suspect you have COVID-19
• Learning that you have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19

You can notify the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team by emailing covidehc@uw.edu or calling 206.616.3344.

Note: We encourage all UW students, faculty and staff to enroll in the Husky Coronavirus Testing (HCT) program for easy, accessible testing. HCT will automatically notify the COVID-19 Response and Prevention Team of any positive test results.

How UW contact tracers respond to a COVID-19 case

Within 24 hours of learning about a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 case, EH&S contact tracers leap into action and connect with the individual to identify any situations where they have been in close contact with other people while they were infectious.

They also provide the individual with guidance on how long to isolate and monitor symptoms.

• Close contact means being within 6 feet of a person who has confirmed or suspected COVID-19 for a total of at least 15 minutes during a 24-hour period (even if both people were wearing face coverings), living with or caring for a person who has COVID-19, or having direct contact with infectious secretions (e.g., being coughed on, kissing, or sharing utensils).
• The infectious period starts approximately 48 hours before the first symptoms appear. For people without symptoms, the infectious period starts 48 hours before they were tested for COVID-19.

Using this information, the contact tracers then quickly reach out to any UW community members who were in close contact with the person who tested positive and help them take action to protect themselves and others. Considering the close contact’s exposure dates, vaccination status, and symptoms, they will make recommendations that may include:

• Staying home and away from others for a period of time
• Getting tested for COVID-19
• Watching for symptoms of COVID-19

For privacy reasons, EH&S contact tracers will not reveal the identity of the individual who tested positive for COVID-19.

The King County Public Health Contact Tracing Team will also reach out to any individuals who test positive for COVID-19. They will ask about all potential close contacts during the infectious period, including those outside the UW community.

If the person has the WA Notify – Washington Exposure Notifications app on their phone, they will be able to enter a verification code that will send anonymous notifications to any other app users who have been near the COVID-19 positive person in the past two weeks, without revealing any names, dates or locations.

How COVID-19 cases affect in-person classes, labs and offices

If you were in the classroom, lab, office or other University location where a COVID-19-positive person spent at least 10 minutes, even if you were not a close contact of that person, EH&S will notify you of the potential exposure and provide guidance to help prevent spread.

EH&S will notify instructors directly if a student in their in-person class has a suspected or confirmed case, and provide them with a notification to send to all other students who attended the class. The notification includes information about the date of the potential exposure, as well as guidance on how to watch for symptoms and quarantine, if necessary.

• Only those who have been in close contact with a COVID-19-positive individual may need to quarantine. In most cases, fully vaccinated people who are not experiencing symptoms do not need to quarantine following an exposure.
• While in quarantine and isolating, students are expected to not attend class. Instructors and students are both encouraged to communicate needs for accommodations and questions or concerns regarding their ability to fulfill the class’s academic requirements.
• UW staff will receive a similar notification about potential exposures in the workplace.

If you are not directly contacted by a contact tracer, that means you were not identified as a close contact.

We’re in this together

The UW is committed to maintaining a safe, healthy learning and working environment for our whole community, and your participation is an essential part of our efforts.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more deep dives into our COVID-19 policies so that we can all do our part to make this a fantastic autumn quarter.

This April, faculty and staff from across the UW shared photos that embody spring. Thank you to all who participated in our Employee Photo Contest!

“A snowy season” of Mount Rainier taken by Louis Tam 

This contest’s winning photo comes from Louis Tam, networks and systems administrator at University Advancement. The photo shows a stunning view of a snowcapped Mount Rainier. Louis received a $25 gift card to the University Bookstore as the winner of this round’s photo contest.

“Butterfly = a self-propelled flower” taken by Maja Pasovic

The second-place photo comes from Maja Pasovic, engagement officer from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the UW School of Medicine. Spring is here, as shown by the butterfly perched on the blooming flower.

“The UW Campus is so quiet these days” taken by Buddy D. Ratner

The third-place photo comes from Professor Buddy D. Ratner, the Michael L. and Myrna Darland Endowed Chair in Technology Commercialization in the College of Engineering, among other appointments. As shown in the photo, the UW campus has been quiet since the shift to virtual learning.

Interested in participating in our next contest? Stay tuned to enter the next Employee Photo Contest by keeping an eye on our next UW Insider.

 

Written by Fiona Tian, Internal Communications Intern, UMAC

You rely on MyUW to navigate life all things UW. Now MyUW is a native app on iPhones and Androids, keeping you connected to the resources you need every day without having to sign in daily with your UW NetID.

The MyUW app gives you access to all the content and information you’ve come to rely upon, now in a native look-and-feel experience. Features include:

• Visual course calendar
• Profile
• Campus resources
• Husky Experience Toolkit
• Specialized content for international students & applicants
• Personalized Quick Links
• Registering for courses
• Course resources for instructors

 

If you are new to MyUW or would like to learn more, please view the following quick links:

• Personalize Quick Links
• Create a class mailing list
• Video: MyUW for Students
• Video: MyUW for Instructors
• Video: MyUW for Staff

If you have any comments or questions, please contact MyUW via help@uw.edu.

The University of Washington Phi Beta Kappa chapter is seeking to update its list of faculty and staff who were inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at their respective undergraduate institutions. Phi Beta Kappa members in the UW community are automatically considered a member of the Washington Alpha Chapter.

At last count, the Washington Alpha Chapter had approximately 475 faculty and staff members in its ranks. If you are a member of Phi Beta Kappa, please email uwpbk@uw.edu to ensure you’re included in the chapter’s membership list.

Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest and most respected undergraduate honor society in the United States. The Washington Alpha Chapter was established at the University of Washington in 1914.

Visit this page to learn more about the chapter.

Procession across Red Square during the 2015 Initiation Ceremony

A change has been made to the UW COVID-19 Employee Emergency Fund (EEF) that will help staff and faculty whose positions require them to work on-campus or in UW Medicine’s hospitals and clinics pay for pandemic-related child care costs.