Compiled by the Office of News and Information.
July 25, 2014
The latest news from the UW
Budget or bust: Primer on public finance teaches government officials the basics
Many newly elected or appointed officials arrive knowing next to nothing about public finance. That’s why Justin Marlowe of the Evans School of Public Affairs wrote this basic guide to public finance.
July 23, 2014
Historical guide ‘Shaping Seattle Architecture’ returns in second edition
Jeffrey Karl Ochsner, UW professor of architecture, discusses the second edition of “Shaping Seattle Architecture: A Historical Guide to the Architects.” Ochsner edited both editions, working with a five-person editorial board.
July 22, 2014
University of Washington named ‘Great College to Work For’
UW is recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Oso disaster had its roots in earlier landslides
The UW is part of a new study that shows the disastrous landslide that killed 43 people at Oso, Washington, involved the “remobilization” of a 2006 landslide in the same place.
July 21, 2014
Sean D. Sullivan named dean of UW School of Pharmacy
University of Washington President Michael K. Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce announced Monday the selection of Sean D. Sullivan as the new dean of the UW School of Pharmacy, effective Sept. 15. The appointment is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents. “Dr. Sullivan occupies a very prominent position nationally and internationally in pharmacy practice and education,” said Cauce. “We have had the great good fortune to have him on our faculty for the past 22 years….
July 18, 2014
Sloan Digital Sky Survey — including UW — now to view entire sky
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a consortium of institutions of which the University of Washington is part, will soon expand its view to see the entire sky, and even peer into the Milky Way’s galactic center.
July 17, 2014
Geophysicists prep for massive ‘ultrasound’ of Mount St. Helens
Dozens of geophysicists and volunteers will deploy 3,500 seismic sensors at Mount St. Helens next week in an unprecedented study of the volcano’s plumbing.
July 16, 2014
Tracking the breakup of Arctic summer sea ice
An international team has placed sensors on and under Arctic sea ice to monitor this season’s retreat. Scientists hope to understand the physics of the ice edge in order to predict summer conditions in the Arctic Ocean.
July 15, 2014
Sustainable, sharing communities explored in Karen Litfin’s book ‘Ecovillages’
UW political scientist Karen Litfin spent a year traveling to 14 ecovillages worldwide in researching her book “Ecovillages: Lessons for Sustainable Community.”
Brain responses to emotional images predict PTSD symptoms after Boston Marathon bombing
By using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans from before the attack and survey data from after, the researchers found that heightened amygdala reaction to negative emotional stimuli was a risk factor for later developing symptoms of PTSD.
July 14, 2014
Months before their first words, babies’ brains rehearse speech mechanics
Research from UW’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences shows that in 7- and 11-month-old infants speech sounds stimulate areas of the brain that coordinate and plan motor movements for speech.
July 11, 2014
University of Washington sees record-breaking fundraising in 2013-14
Donors contributed more money — more than $482 million — to the UW in the 2013-14 fiscal year than in any previous year.
July 10, 2014
Students calculate future sea-level rise in Olympia
Students in a UW statistics course did a case study on sea-level rise in Olympia. All are co-authors on a new paper that looks at the uncertainties around estimates of rising seas.
UW business incubator gets top spot in global ranking
The UW’s New Ventures Facility has been named emerging incubator of the year in a global ranking of top university business incubators.
July 9, 2014
Arts Roundup: Exhibits, theater and Burke’s Summer Festival
Summer is here and with that comes a vibrant local arts scene. In this special issue, we highlight events not only on the UW’s Seattle campus but also events in the community that involve our talented students, faculty and alumni.
July 8, 2014
Documents that Changed the World: Rules of Association Football (soccer), 1863
Joe Janes explores the rules of “an ancient and sometimes dangerous game, now generally regarded as the most popular sport in the world.”
Better visualizing of fitness-app data helps discover trends, reach goals
University of Washington researchers have developed visual tools to help self-trackers understand their daily activity patterns over a longer period and in more detail. They found people had an easier time meeting personal fitness and activity goals when they could see their data presented in a broader, more visual way.
July 3, 2014
Board of Regents — July 10 meeting
The Board of Regents will hold meetings Thursday, July 10. The Board meetings will take place in the Bill & Melinda Gates Commons, CSE Room 691, Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering. The first committee meeting is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. The Regular Board meeting is scheduled to begin at 10:05 a.m. The full schedule and agendas are available online.
July 2, 2014
‘I see it, learn it and do it’: A peek into the lives of some of UW’s online students
Forty-nine students from eight states are part of the inaugural group of Huskies in the UW’s first online bachelor’s degree completion program in early childhood and family studies.
July 1, 2014
Victor Balta becomes director of UW Office of News and Information
The former news planning editor for Aljazeera.com, the online home of Al Jazeera America cable news channel, is the new director of the Office of News and Information.
Engaging parents, community to map student success in South King County
The Road Map Project highlights how students are most successful when schools and communities find creative and culturally responsive ways of engaging parents.
June 30, 2014
Rebecca Thorpe studies military spending in new book ‘The American Warfare State’
UW political scientist Rebecca Thorpe discusses her new book, “The American Warfare State: The Domestic Politics of Military Spending.”
June 27, 2014
Portland’s 1990s bookmobile stars in staffer’s mystery series
Barbara Cantwell, a UW Libraries staff member, is the co-author of “Corpse of Discovery,” the second book in a series of mysteries featuring “fiery-haired librarian Hester Freelove McGarrigle” and Portland’s old library bookmobile.
June 26, 2014
Nanopore technique rapidly decodes long DNA strands
A low-cost technique may make DNA sequencing more convenient and less cumbersome, perhaps eventually replacing large lab machines with hand held devices.
Foul fumes derail dinner for hungry moths
New research on how pollinators find flowers when background odors are strong shows that both natural plant odors and human sources of pollution can conceal the scent of sought-after flowers.
Ask the crowd: Robots learn faster, better with online helpers
University of Washington computer scientists have shown that crowdsourcing can be a quick and effective way to teach a robot how to complete tasks.
Notice of Expedited Rule Making
Housekeeping changes to Title 478 WAC rules are intended to keep the university’s rules accurate and up to date.
June 25, 2014
Shellfish center – named after UW’s Ken Chew – to tackle shellfish declines
Washington state’s newest shellfish hatchery has been named after longtime faculty member Ken Chew.
News digest: 35,000 to stadium July 4 weekend, transportation-safety research, new poetry, staff awards
Compiled by the Office of News and Information.
June 24, 2014
Rhoads leaving UW commercialization; Jandhyala takes new innovation post
Linden Rhoads will leave her post as UW vice provost for commercialization; Vikram Jandhyala will take over the new position of vice provost for innovation.
June 23, 2014
Ferroelectric switching seen in biological tissues
University of Washington researchers have shown that a favorable electrical property is present in a type of protein found in organs that repeatedly stretch and retract, such as the lungs, heart and arteries. These findings are the first that clearly track this phenomenon, called ferroelectricity, occurring at the molecular level in biological tissues.
Zippy, electric micro cars coming to campus for sustainability research
The University of Washington is one of four institutions receiving four Innova Dash all-electric micro vehicles this summer. They will be able to communicate data such as position, speed and battery charge directly to the UW’s network, which will provide the information to various research projects.
June 20, 2014
UW students’ electric-hybrid car takes 2nd in international competition
The University of Washington’s Advanced Vehicle Works team won second place in the international EcoCAR 2 competition this month for turning a Chevrolet Malibu into a highly efficient hybrid vehicle running on electric grid energy and biodiesel.
June 18, 2014
Global issues at play in book of study-abroad student letters
Creative letters written by UW undergraduates who studied last summer in Bangalore, India, are gathered in a new book, “T.I.P.S. for Study Abroad.”
Health Sciences News Digest
News from the UW Health Sciences: Muscular dystrophy research center, UW Medicine part of a care network for Boeing employees, and a Q&A with Aaron Katz, a UW expert on health systems and policy.
Scientists ready to study magma formation beneath Mount St. Helens
Scientists are embarking on research to improve volcanic eruption forecasting by learning more about how a deep-underground feeder system creates and supplies magma to Mount St. Helens.
June 17, 2014
UW news office, advancement services, Columns win national awards
UW units have won medals in the annual awards program sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.
June 16, 2014
Ferries for science: Instrument will monitor flow in Puget Sound
The UW, the state Department of Ecology and Washington State Ferries are working together to get a better understanding of water circulation in Puget Sound.
Accounting graduate named as next UW student regent
Gov. Jay Inslee has named Marnie Brown, a recent accounting graduate who will pursue a master’s degree, as the next student member of the UW Board of Regents.