Health Digest is UW Today’s round-up of news stories from UW Health Sciences.
April 22, 2014
The latest news from the UW
News digest: Burke-Gilman detours, Honor: McCarthy, provost town hall, Honors: Sutton and Loveland, Green UW
Compiled by the Office of News and Information.
Doug Underwood scouts border between fiction, journalism in new book
Doug Underwood, UW professor of communication, discusses his latest book, “The Undeclared War between Fiction and Journalism: Journalists as Genre Benders in Literary History.”
April 21, 2014
Campus events Earth Day, April 22
Network with representatives of environmentally minded campus units and learn who won this year’s Husky Green Awards during Earth Day activities Tuesday on the HUB lawn.
‘Upside-down planet’ reveals new method for studying binary star systems
What looked at first like a sort of upside-down planet has instead revealed a new method for studying binary star systems, discovered by a UW student astronomer.
April 18, 2014
UW moving to online course evaluations to save paper, money
The University of Washington is expanding online course evaluations to reduce its use of paper. The online evaluations are expected to save the university tens of thousands of dollars every year in paper costs while giving faculty and administrators more direct access to evaluation results.
April 17, 2014
2014 Awards of Excellence recipients announced
UW recognizes achievements in teaching, mentoring, public service and staff support.
April 16, 2014
Arts Roundup: Film, University Symphony – and ‘The Beggar’s Opera’
There’s much to see and do this week in the arts. Join the Burke Museum this Saturday for Native Arts and Artists Day or Head to the Jones Playhouse for the debut of “The Beggar’s Opera” presented by the UW School of Drama.
Metoyer to present 10th annual Samuel E. Kelly Distinguished Faculty Lecture
In her lecture “Are We There Yet? The Four Directions in Native American Higher Education,” Metoyer will talk about the historic development of Native Americans in higher education.
April 15, 2014
UW requires licensees to sign Bangladesh Accord
UW licensees who source, produce or buy apparel in Bangladesh are now required to become signatories to The Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh.
Health Digest: Sleep and cancer, bioethics, and lead contamination
Health Digest is UW Today’s round-up of news stories from UW Health Sciences, compiled by News and Information.
Astronomers: ‘Tilt-a-worlds’ could harbor life
A fluctuating tilt in a planet’s orbit does not preclude the possibility of life, according to new research by astronomers at the University of Washington, Utah’s Weber State University and NASA. In fact, sometimes it helps.
UW graduate’s lens turns any smartphone into a portable microscope
The Micro Phone Lens, developed by UW mechanical engineering alumnus Thomas Larson (’13), can turn any smartphone or tablet computer into a handheld microscope.
April 14, 2014
Babies prefer fairness – but only if it benefits them – in choosing a playmate
Babies as young as 15 months preferred people with the same ethnicity as themselves — a phenomenon known as in-group bias, or favoring people who have the same characteristics as oneself.
When job security becomes insecurity: Inequality the topic of April 25 conference
Economic inequality will be the topic when activists, academics and policymakers meet the public for a conference presented by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies titled “Working Democracy: Labor and Politics in an Era of Inequality.”
Puget Sound’s rich waters supplied by deep, turbulent canyon
UW oceanographers found fast-flowing water and intense mixing in a submarine canyon just off the Washington coast.
April 11, 2014
Greenland ice cores show industrial record of acid rain, success of U.S. Clean Air Act
Detailed ice core measurements show smog-related ratios leveling off in 1970, and suggests these deposits are sensitive to the same chemicals that cause acid rain.
April 10, 2014
Ballmer to speak at University of Washington commencement
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will be the speaker at this year’s UW commencement exercises June 14.
Fruit flies, fighter jets use similar nimble tactics when under attack
Get on your 3-D glasses for one of the animations of tiny fruit flies employing banked turns to evade attacks just like fighter jets.
April 9, 2014
Arts Roundup: Exhibits, lectures – and Music of Today
From the Burke’s new exhibit “Imagine That.,” highlighting some of the interesting objects they have amassed over the years, to an intimate Music of Today performance presented by the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media and the School of Music, don’t miss out on these exciting events!
Automated age-progression software lets you see how a child will age
University of Washington engineers have developed software that automatically generates images of a young child’s face as it ages through a lifetime. The technique is the first fully automated approach for aging babies to adults that works with variable lighting, expressions and poses.
April 8, 2014
Board of Regents — April 10 Special Meeting
The Board of Regents will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m. by teleconference. The meeting will be held in Room 142, Gerberding. The full agenda is available online.
April 7, 2014
President Young announces Medical Education Advisory Council membership
UW President Michael K. Young has announced the appointment of an Advisory Council on Medical Education Access and Affordability,
Hundreds turn out for Ellen
The Ellen Show made a surprise visit to the University of Washington Monday, and hundreds of students turned out for a shot at appearing on national TV.
UW startup creates underwater robotics with a human touch
A team of University of Washington scientists and engineers working at the Applied Physics Laboratory is creating a control system for underwater remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs. Researchers will demonstrate the technology at the SmartAmerica Challenge in Washington, D.C. in June.
News digest: Students at Town Hall, home fair, renew passes and permits
UW student speaker series at Town Hall starts Wednesday || Home Improvement Fair Thursday || Time to renew annual parking permits, U-Pass
April 4, 2014
UW researchers, radar company conduct aerial surveys of Oso site
UW researchers made some of the first aerial surveys over the Oso mudslide, using radar technology to map the condition immediately after the slide.
April 2, 2014
Arts Roundup: Music, dance – and exhibit openings
With the start of spring quarter brings a fresh lineup of exciting events to attend on the Seattle campus.
Science-themed music videos boost scientific literacy, study shows
As the United States puts ever-greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to keep competitive in the global economy, schools are trying to figure out how to improve student learning in science. University of Washington researchers think music may be the answer for some students.
New book explores ‘frontier’ metaphor in science
Leah Ceccarelli, professor of communication, discusses her well-reviewed new book “On the Frontier of Science: An American Rhetoric of Exploration and Exploitation.”
March 31, 2014
UW experts part of technical team investigating Snohomish County mudslide
A national team jointly led by a University of Washington geotechnical engineer and an engineering geologist will investigate what caused the March 22 mudslide in Snohomish County and what effects the disaster had on the nearby residential communities.
School of Music’s Tom Collier celebrates ’60 Years Behind Bars’ with concert
Longtime School of Music Professor Tom Collier celebrates 60 years of performing with a concert on April 2 in the Meany Studio Theater.
UW launches online bachelor’s degree completion program in social sciences
A new UW online bachelor’s degree completion program in social sciences is intended to provide a flexible, lower-cost option for individuals who want to finish their college education without coming to campus.
March 28, 2014
News Briefs: Minimum wage analysis; Climate change discussion; Suicide prevention bill
UW faculty analyze $15 minimum wage | Panel discussion on climate change April 1 | UW group helps pass suicide prevention bill
“Simming” a mile in others’ shoes
A waiter in a logging camp, Mexican migrant trying to cross into the U.S, and observer during an attack on an Iraqi village are examples of roles played by Scott Magelssen, a UW associate professor of drama, and described in his new book about simulated experiences.
Documents that Changed the World: Mental disorder diagnostic manual, 1952
Three little words fittingly kick off the latest installment of Joe Janes’ Documents that Changed the World podcast series: “Are you crazy?”
March 27, 2014
Citizen scientists: UW students help state legislator with climate policy
Four graduate students were part of a year-long legislative process in Olympia working to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in Washington state.
March 26, 2014
Decline of natural history troubling for science, society
Seventeen North American scientists outline the importance of natural science and call for a revitalization of the practice.
Arts Roundup: Ballet, lectures — and ‘Sixty Years Behind Bars’
Rounding out spring break there is a variety of events to keep you entertained. From the School of Art Distinguished Artist Lecture featuring Mel Chin to Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève presented by the UW World Series, prepare yourself for spring quarter because it’s looking bright!
UW School of Medicine launches “Next Generation WWAMI” in Spokane
The UW School of Medicine plans to establish Spokane as the center of an effort called “Next Generation WWAMI.”