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Category: General

UW Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman

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Last night, University of Washington Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman passed away after a long battle with lung cancer. She was 58.

In just two-and-a-half years at UW Tacoma, Chancellor Friedman brought into sharp focus an identity for UW Tacoma as an urban-serving campus, building on the substantial investment the region has always made in its university. That identity and investment is rooted in her unyielding passion: the transformational impact of education—that changes the lives of individuals and the communities of which they are a part. In those two-and-a-half years, she became a key leader in the South Sound region.

Chancellor Friedman was a true daughter of the University of Washington. She received her graduate degrees from UW – a Master’s in Sociology in 1978 and a Ph.D. in Sociology in 1983, during which time she received an Excellence in Teaching award. Her daughter Eliana graduated from UW in 2006 as a Rhodes Scholar.

Debra was a teacher, a scholar and a gifted administrator. She was known for her constant energy, her tenacity, and her persistence.

A formal event to memorialize Chancellor Friedman will be held in the coming days. More information will be available soon.

OSTP Accepting Summer Intern Applications

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The Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Summer 2014 Internship Program.  The application deadline is 11:59pm Friday, March 7.  Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be actively enrolled during the 2014 academic year are welcome to apply.

More information and application instructions are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/about/student/.

About OSTP.  The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government.

About the Internship Program.  Interns are accepted for one of three annual terms (Spring, Summer, or Fall), which each last no more than 90 days. While these positions are without compensation, the assignments provide educational enrichment, practical work experience, and network opportunities with other individuals in the science and technology policy arena.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Grimm rgrimm@ostp.eop.gov.

White House Establishes Task Force to Combat Sexual Assault on Campuses

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The Obama administration is beefing up a commitment to combating sexual violence on college campuses with the creation of a new task force and release of a new report Wednesday from the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Nearly one in five women have been raped in their lifetimes, and alcohol and drug use are exacerbating the violence, the report says. Most victims know their attackers, repeat victimization is common, and young women are especially at risk
Read the Memorandum establishing the Task Force here.

Murray Introduces Bill to Provide In-State Tuition for DREAMer Students

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Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) introduced the Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for Dreamers Act of 2014. The IN-STATE for Dreamers Act establishes the American Dream Grant program, which encourages states to increase access to higher education for low-income students, regardless of immigration status. This program would provide $750 million in need-based student financial aid to states that set equitable in-state tuition rates or offer state financial aid to the thousands of undocumented students who graduate from American high schools each year.

American Dream Grants would supplement state financial aid funding, in order to increase higher education affordability for all students. States would qualify for grants by allowing in-state tuition for undocumented students or by expanding access to state financial aid for these students. This legislation is not a state mandate and is fully paid for. Already 19 states, including Washington, currently offer in-state tuition for undocumented students.

At the state level, the Washington State legislature is currently considering a similar measure called the Washington State DREAM Act which would offer need-based aid to undocumented students. Several other states, including California, Texas, Illinois, and New Mexico, already offer need-based grants to undocumented students.

Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) have also signed on as original co-sponsors of this legislation.

The University of Washington, Washington State University, Colorado State University and the University of Hawaii have voiced their support of the bill.

Additional information on the legislation is here.

OSTP Now Accepting Intern Applications

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The Office of Science and Technology Policy is currently accepting applications for its Summer 2014 Internship Program.  The application deadline is 11:59pm Friday, March 7.  Students who are U.S. citizens and who will be actively enrolled during the 2014 academic year are welcome to apply.

More information and application instructions are available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/about/student/.

About OSTP.  The Office of Science and Technology Policy advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The office serves as a source of scientific and technological analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans and programs of the Federal Government.

 About the Internship Program.  Interns are accepted for one of three annual terms (Spring, Summer, or Fall), which each last no more than 90 days. While these positions are without compensation, the assignments provide educational enrichment, practical work experience, and network opportunities with other individuals in the science and technology policy arena.

For questions, please contact Rebecca Grimm rgrimm@ostp.eop.gov.