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Presidential Blog

Category: UW News

The power of unleashing ideas

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One of the things I most appreciate about a major research institution like the University of Washington is that our ideas are limitless. In every UW college, school, program and discipline, people are individually and collectively engaged in the pursuit of ideas with the potential to become something transformative. With thousands collaborating in the creative process each day, the UW is able to sustain an environment of ongoing discovery, and the possibilities for innovation are boundless.

Much of the university’s focus is on finding ways to unleash this vast storehouse of human ideas and potential, and one of my principal endeavors is to lead that effort. We strive to empower people and to create an environment in which everyone feels encouraged to think expansively and broadly for the greater common good. At the same time, we aim to provide people the freedom to innovate, knowing they have the support and resources to take risks, choose unexplored paths and try bold approaches. And when great ideas are conceived, we take them where they have the capacity to make a difference.

Innovating with a purpose is and always has been fundamental to the UW’s mission. Like many others engaged in the creative process, our ideas are not complete until we connect them with the larger world, to the great opportunities and challenges of our time. One way we achieve this is through commercialization — licensing faculty research or incubating student startups.

Korvata Inc., a UW student-led startup, won the top award at the 2014 UW Environmental Innovation Challenge. Launched in April, the company provides customers in the food and beverage and consumer-packaged goods industries with cutting-edge alternative chemistry products to help mitigate their environmental impact. Members of this student team succeeded in turning their passion for cleantech into a marketable opportunity that meets a genuine need, and many other UW students are engaged in similar pursuits.

Photo of members of the Korvata startup team
Korvata Inc., a UW student-led startup, won the top award at the 2014 UW Environmental Innovation Challenge.

Commercialization and incubating startups are not the only creative ways we link with the larger community. Ideas with impact can be found in scholarly publishing, delivering health care, crafting public policy and creating partnerships with the community on a host of activities essential to a vibrant, successful society. Indeed, nearly every aspect of our world is predicated on ideas that can be applied in solid, practical ways.

No matter how our faculty, staff and students innovate, the UW is committed to providing the opportunities and the resources that will unleash their ideas. This is the higher purpose of higher education — where the real strength of our thinkers, creators and doers will flourish.

Impressive efficiency gains at the UW

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It was a beautiful day on the UW Tacoma campus. At the UW Board of Regents meeting there today, I was excited to share some fantastic metrics about the University’s efficiency.

Efficiency is one of the topics foremost on my mind every day in terms of providing quality education for the lowest cost to as many students as possible. In an effort to control administrative costs, the UW’s Finance & Facilities department, in 2010, began learning and instituting Lean processes, a method of streamlining systems by involving every employee who has a role in the system, identifying the goals, and encouraging ideas for how to best meet them. Since implementing Lean, Finance & Facilities has realized substantial cost savings and cost avoidance through much more efficient administrative processes. I’m proud that we have created a culture where we are continually striving to improve our work and use our resources most effectively.

A summit to celebrate the UW’s leadership in environmental sustainability

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Sustainability Summit logoDear Faculty, Staff and Students:

This week marks the third annual Sustainability Summit on our Seattle campus. The Sustainability Summit celebrates the University of Washington’s leadership and accomplishments in environmental stewardship and sustainability. It is a great opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to find ways to get involved with sustainability efforts here on campus and beyond and also to learn more about the UW’s commitment to sustainability.

You can learn more about the summit and view a list of events by visiting the Sustainability Summit website.

I hope you will participate in this exciting summit celebrating our University’s commitment to sustainability.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young's signature
Michael K. Young

President Young attends Bothell groundbreaking

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President Young at Bothell groundbreaking

President Young joined UW Bothell students, faculty, staff and friends Friday for the groundbreaking for a Science and Academic Building, which will be known as UWB 3.

The 74,000-square-foot building will house 11 science labs, several classrooms, gathering space and a 200-person lecture hall. This space translates into the ability to serve an additional 1,000 students each year. It is the first building to be constructed on the UW Bothell campus in 10 years.

Ana Mari Cauce named UW Provost

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Members of the University Community:

I am pleased to announce my decision to appoint Ana Mari Cauce, dean of our College of Arts & Sciences, to be the next provost of the University of Washington, effective January 2. As I described in my message a few weeks ago, Dean Cauce is an accomplished scholar, a brilliant teacher, and a seasoned and widely respected administrator at the UW. She has been here virtually her entire career, starting 25 years ago as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and over the course of her career, adding a joint appointment in the Department of American Ethnic Studies, as well as secondary appointments in gender, women & sexuality studies, Latin American studies, and the College of Education. From 1996–2000, she was director of clinical training in the Psychology department, and she also chaired the Dept. of American Ethnic Studies from 1996–1999. From 2000–2002, she served as director of the UW Honors Program and then chaired Psychology from 2002–2005. She served as executive vice provost from 2005–2008 before being appointed dean of Arts & Sciences.

Dean Cauce has been an inspirational teacher and mentor to undergraduate and graduate students alike. In 1999, she received a coveted UW Distinguished Teaching Award. In nominating her for the award, one student commented, “I have never met a faculty member who was more egalitarian and concerned about the welfare of her students.” Another wrote, “The sheer volume of students whose lives she has touched through small classes and personal mentoring is staggering.” Dean Cauce has continued to teach each summer in the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity Transition Program. From each position she has held, Dean Cauce also brings a well-deserved reputation for respecting and practicing shared governance and collaborative decision-making, traits that I value highly and which will be particularly important as we address the issues in front of us.

As you know, over the past several weeks, Dean Cauce has met with a number of groups at the University and held an open public forum so that you could meet her and hear her thoughts about taking on this new responsibility. Reports from those who met with her and attended the forum have been uniformly positive, reinforcing the search committee’s and my estimation that she is the right person for this job. I look forward to working with her in the coming years and leading this great University to even greater heights.

I also want to express on behalf of the entire University our collective thanks to Interim Provost Doug Wadden. He stepped into this role at a very challenging time and did an outstanding job this fall.

Sincerely,

Michael K. Young's signature
Michael K. Young

King County recognizes the UW’s 150th

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Members of the King County Council and County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg are joined by Michael Young, president of the University of Washington. Young accepted a proclamation from the county recognizing the UW's 150th anniversary.

Elected leaders in King County on Monday recognized the UW’s 150th anniversary and presented a special proclamation to UW President Michael Young. County Council Chairman Larry Gossett noted that he and six of his council colleagues are graduates of the University of Washington, which is recognized as one of the top research and training institutions in the country.

“In its 150 years of service, the University of Washington has played a pivotal role in the lives of people throughout the region and throughout the world,” Gossett said. “Through research and innovation, the UW has built an unmatched reputation that attracts the best and brightest staff and students from all over the world. There are so many remarkable contributions of this institution to our economy, our culture, our quality of life and to the lives of the UW alumni.”

A Husky anniversary: A yearlong party to celebrate the UW at 150

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The University of Washington’s 150th anniversary celebration has officially begun — and it’s a party that’s going to last all year long.

The 2011-12 school year marks a century and a half since the UW opened its doors in downtown Seattle as the Territorial University of Washington. The UW sesquicentennial was kicked off in high style at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel on Tuesday, Sept. 13. The Fairmont Olympic is not only at the site of the original university, it’s also where President John Kennedy stayed when he visited the UW in 1961.

There, UW President Michael Young joined Gov. Christine Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and other University and community leaders to cut a beautiful cake. And of course, the Husky Marching Band also made a showstopping appearance. Read the full article in UW Today

Caption: UW President Michael Young and Governor Christine Gregoire cut the cake at the kickoff celebration. (Photo by Ron Wurzer)

Provost Wise named chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Dear Members of the University Community:

I am writing to let you know that Phyllis Wise, our UW provost and executive vice president, has been selected as the next chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, beginning in October. This is a great tribute to Dr. Wise’s leadership capabilities and to her remarkable success at the UW. She has been a wonderful provost and executive vice president and leaves behind a trail of accomplishment, especially in shepherding the University through very difficult financial times and in establishing the College of the Environment. She did an exceptional job this past year as interim president, enabling me to inherit a university that is lean, energetic, and ready to engage the challenges of the next decade. We are all deeply indebted to her, and though we hate to lose her, we wish her the very best success as she assumes her leadership role at Illinois.

Little did I anticipate that my first appointment would be a new provost and executive vice president. Before Provost Wise leaves, of course, I will be appointing an interim provost and will then commence a national search for her successor. As soon as I have progress to report on both counts, I will do so. In the meantime, please join me in thanking Dr. Wise for her work here and in wishing her all the very best at Illinois.

Sincerely yours,
Michael K. Young