Today University of Washington External Affairs staff participated in a service project at the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation and co-operated by Seattle Tilth, a non-profit community-run organization. Staff is pictured here after spending the morning helping to restore wetlands by removing invasive plants (bindweeds). The annual service project is a chance for EA staff to give back to the local community.
Category: UW News
News Roundup: UW startups, medical education expansion, and women in computer science
Governor Jay Inslee returned to campus this week for the 2014 UW Start-Up Celebration.

In his keynote remarks, Governor Inslee lauded the Center for Commercialization (C4C) for its most recent big news: A record 18 new startups were spun out in the past fiscal year. Learn more about C4C and the New Ventures Facility at Fluke Hall here. Learn more about UW’s new Startup Hall initiative here.
5 UW startups to watch this year – Puget Sound Business Journal
Stem cells that adapt to any body, robots that repair coral and a camera that can see the inside of a carotid artery are just three of the inventions being created at the University of Washington.
Editorial: Expand, don’t dilute, UW medical school – The Olympian
The Olympian editorial board considers a number of issues related to the ongoing conversation over medical education. Learn more about UW’s plan for expansion at: http://uw.edu/spokanemedschool
UW Medicine ranks highly in U.S. News Best Hospitals listing – HS News Beat
U.S. News & World Report ranked UW Medical Center #11 in the nation in its Best Hospitals edition. Read more about the awards honoring medical excellence at President Young’s blog.
ICYMI: UW Med Center got nat'l recognition from @usnews this week! #ourdocsrock & so do our nurses/students/staff! pic.twitter.com/fznL2i2TSG
— University of Washington (@UW) July 18, 2014
University of Washington named ‘Great College to Work For’ – Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized colleges for best practices and policies in its 2014 survey. The UW was cited for overall employee job satisfaction and tenure clarity and process — making it one of 10 large universities recognized in each of those categories.
Some Universities Crack Code in Drawing Women to Computer Science – New York Times
The UW Computer Science & Engineering Department is featured. Learn more about UW CSE’s efforts and impacts here.
Did You Know: 1,450 kids and teens are enrolled in UW summer programs this year
Every year, @UW welcomes kids & teens to campus for a wide variety of Summer Youth Programs: http://t.co/oKP9dkExil pic.twitter.com/s8FWCbOnEl
— University of Washington (@UW) July 16, 2014
For more news about campus happenings and visits by elected officials throughout the week, follow @UWGOV on Twitter, and Like UWGOV on Facebook.
News Roundup: NW WA study mission, Addressing the skills gap, Record number of UW startups
Northwest Washington Study Mission – Seattle Chamber
State Relations was back on the road in late June to participate in the Seattle Metro Chamber and Puget Sound Regional Council’s NW WA Study Mission. Delegates visited a series of sites that showcased innovation and economic development in sectors such as tourism, agriculture, maritime, manufacturing, and higher education.
PIC: Touring PACCAR, a global tech leader in the design and mfg. of light, med., and heavy-duty trucks. #nwwa2014 pic.twitter.com/HyEcxDY2pz
— UW Government & Community Relations (@UWGOV) June 26, 2014
Guest: How Seattle is falling behind other 21st century cities – Seattle Times
According to guest columnists Randy Hodgins, UW Vice President of External Affairs and Maud Daudon, President & CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber, the region must take aggressive actions to close the existing skills gap.
Is a college degree still worth it? Study says yes – Associated Press
Those with bachelor’s or associate’s degrees earn more money over their lifetime than those who skip college, even after factoring in the cost of higher education, according to a recent report by The Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Spinout success: New leadership steps in at UW’s C4C – Puget Sound Business Journal
.@UWC4C's Linden Rhoads leaving UW; @VikramJandhyala takes new UW innovation post July 1: http://t.co/zWevD6A42L pic.twitter.com/SvDccOpweR
— UW News (@uwnews) June 24, 2014
After spinning out record number of startups, UW C4C named ’emerging incubator of the year’ – TechFlash
When Michael Young took the reins of Washington state’s largest public university in 2011, he pledged to slash the red tape and spin out more companies than ever before from the University of Washington. Well, it’s working. And now the school is getting recognized for it.
New record: U. Washington @uwc4c spun out 18 startups last year incl our favorite @AnswerDash – @GeekWire http://t.co/KPSnC5nzYY ^ws
— OCIO (@WAOCIO) July 3, 2014
10 Best Cities to Launch a Startup – CNN Money
Seattle comes in at No. 8, and UW is cited.
Seattle a Best City to launch a startup, legacy of innovative spirit! @Microsoft @Amazon @Costco @Starbucks @UW http://t.co/bcjdxyQClM
— SeattleMetroChamber (@SeattleChamber) July 9, 2014
Recent grad seeks for serve needs of Tri-Cities – Tri-City Herald
When it comes to #STEM #skillsjobs, @WSACouncil Chair Maud Daudon asks "Why not us?" http://t.co/I4zEbuZLnd #WAedu #WAgov #WAleg
— Washington Student Achievement Council (@WSACouncil) July 3, 2014
News Roundup: Clean Tech, Faculty Field Tour, Revenue Forecast, Sustainability Award
Expo Showcases Wash. State Companies’ Budding Clean Tech Economy – KPLU
Among the companies … is Arlington-based Microgreen Polymers, which spun out of research at the University of Washington.
Forecast shows $395M uptick in state revenue – AP/The Columbian
“While the revenue increase is welcome news, we still face a significant budget challenge in our next budget,” David Schumacher, director of the Office of Financial Management, said in a written statement.
Read the forecast meeting materials here.
High costs of college: The truth behind the myths – Seattle Times
Eight myths (and some truths) about why college costs so much, and why you can’t work your way through school anymore.
On the road with the UW Faculty Field Tour – President’s Blog

The Annual UW Faculty Field Tour is a 5-day, 1,000-mile tour of Washington state for faculty members new to Washington and the University. View more posts on Tagboard, and photos on State Relations’ Facebook page.
The Spokane Solution – Columns Magazine
Expanding medical education in Eastern Washington’s largest city will address a key problem: increasing the number of primary care physicians in rural and underserved areas. Learn more about UW’s expansion plans at uw.edu/spokanemedschool.
State not producing enough graduates in high-tech fields – King5News.com
The College Success Foundation and Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Board hosted a round table with UW leaders and student scholarship recipients on campus June 9.
Getting started @UW with inspiring words from WSOS Chair @BradSmi on why @Microsoft is so dedicated to this program. pic.twitter.com/Yk5ikYW4eD
— Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (@OppScholarship) June 9, 2014
International award cites UW for leadership in sustainability – UW News
News Roundup: President Young in Spokane, Dental and Medical programs recognized, Gift supercharges UW research
President Young visited Spokane on May 29 for a series of meetings to discuss growing the region’s healthcare economy through research and expanded medical education. In the evening, he spoke at a UW alumni lecture event featuring UW researcher Dr. Charles Murry. Learn more on the President’s trip on his Facebook page.

UW-Spokane alliance has unique value, Young says – UW Health Sciences NewsBeat
Very few areas in the United States are as well positioned as Washington state to become national research centers. That was the message of University of Washington President Michael K. Young in an address to UW alumni in Spokane.
Top-Ten List: Family Medicine
The UW School of Medicine was recognized by the American Academy of Family Physicians for contributing to the pipeline of family physicians. Learn more in a recent letter to the UW community from Dean Paul Ramsey, M.D.
A reason to smile: Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income kids – Puget Sound Business Journal
UW team builds a hybrid with some muscle for collegiate contest – Seattle Times
How a “game-changing” gift is super-charging UW research – Crosscut
State investment in #cleanenergy and protein design leads to more innovation & research at @UW http://t.co/T8wN4R0rh4 #waedu #highered
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) May 15, 2014
Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe recognized for commitment to UW Bothell – Bothell Reporter
Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell, has been awarded the 2014 Legacy Award from the University of Washington in Bothell.
Technology Alliance- State of Technology
UW State Relations attended the annual State of Tech event hosted by the TechAlliance. The Innovation Showcase Company of the Year went to SNUPI, a UW spinoff. Other program highlights included a presentation on the economic impacts of technology-based industries in Washington state.
PIC: #TechAlliance Innovation Showcase Company of the Year is a @UW spin off! @snupitec #startups #woof pic.twitter.com/jcSPXLauMH
— UW Government & Community Relations (@UWGOV) May 19, 2014
Thanks to @RepDrewHansen for joining us at our @UW table for the State of Technology Luncheon! #TechAlliance
— UW Government & Community Relations (@UWGOV) May 19, 2014
News Roundup: Monkey hearts, UW spinouts & innovations, Dental care for kids, and more!
Scientists regenerate heart muscle in primates – Health Sciences NewsBeat
In a major advance, researchers at the University of Washington have successfully restored damaged heart muscle of monkeys using heart cells created from human embryonic stem cells.
$31M gift will fund early stage UW research by high-tech entrepreneurs – UW Today
The funding will be used to hire new faculty, attract competitive postdoctoral researchers and enhance facilities and infrastructure. The goal is to boost the UW’s contribution in these high-need research areas and encourage spinout companies among involved researchers. Two of the labs, the Clean Energy Institute and Institute for Protein Design, both recently received state support from the Legislature and Governor Inslee.
A reason to smile: Washington leads nation in access to dental care for low-income kids – PSBJ
Washington leads the country in the percentage of babies and preschoolers from low-income families getting dental care. UW School of Dentistry and the ABCD program in Spokane is mentioned.
UW developing pill for gluten intolerance, other innovations – KING 5 News
You could call it an adult science fair: University of Washington entrepreneurs and students displayed new ways to reboot damaged hearts, save lives in the E.R. and prevent severe reactions to gluten.
UW Libraries Receives Historical Society Award
The University of Washington Libraries Special Collections has been awarded the Washington State Historical Society’s David Douglas Award for the documentary Grays Harbor Happenings:The Newsreels of C.D. Anderson. Read more.
Latest UW medical startups and innovations featured in local media
The University of Washington’s Center for Commercialization (C4C) recently hosted an inter-active tour for journalists at its New Ventures Facility, where the media got a first-hand look at the latest technologies moving from lab to market.
KING 5 Healthlink’s Jean Enersen reports:
You could call it an adult science fair: University of Washington entrepreneurs and students displayed new ways to reboot damaged hearts, save lives in the E.R. and prevent severe reactions to gluten.
The Puget Sound Business Journal reports:
University of Washington is home to researchers investigating the latest technologies and drug candidates for a healthier world. The challenge is getting those big ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace.
UW’s Center for Commercialization is the incubator trying to make that happen. C4C was created to help the university’s researchers get their products on the market.
Learn more about how UW is propelling ideas from the lab to the marketplace at C4C’s website.
News Roundup: UW news you can use and share!
Every month we will bring you a sampling of news clips about UW projects and programs impacting our state and region. Below are a few to kick us off for the month of April. Have an article you want to see featured in the roundup? Leave a link in the comments, or email us at: staterel “at” uw “dot” edu.
UW Center Helps Turn Big Ideas Into Reality – Puget Sound Business Journal
UW Launches Effort to Prepare Region for Major Quake – KING 5 News
Medical School Task Force Convenes – Spokesman-Review
UW Students Learn Rural Medicine in Grand Coulee – The Star
Looking to Complete That Degree? UW Adds Another Option – Seattle Times
Social News:
https://twitter.com/usatodaynews/status/457892603963248641
History of Native Americans in higher ed is topic of @UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity's annual series http://t.co/gh5sLMdz0l
— UW News (@uwnews) April 16, 2014
Steve Ballmer to speak at @UW commencement June 14: http://t.co/ivOUTermdT
— UW News (@uwnews) April 10, 2014
Congrats to the staff and students of the @UW's brand new Latino Center for Health! http://t.co/7i8FAbrk6L @FutureLatinoDoc #Latinohealth
— UW Medicine (@UWMedicine) April 25, 2014
UW ranks among top for return on college investment
via President Young’s blog (a great source of news & info, bookmark it!):
The University of Washington ranks fifth among all public and private universities in the country in a survey that estimates the financial return on degrees.
“While financial return on investment isn’t the only value in a college degree, being fifth in the nation among all public and private universities certainly validates the power of a UW education and the excellence of our graduates,” President Michael K. Young said.
The research was done by PayScale, which surveyed college graduates to estimate the annualized return on investment.
View an interactive chart of the rankings on The Economist’s website.
UW School of Medicine launches “Next Generation WWAMI” in Spokane
via UW Today:
The University of Washington School of Medicine announced plans today to establish Spokane as the center of an effort called “Next Generation WWAMI.”
The UW, in partnership with the city’s health care professionals and other higher education institutions, will work to rapidly grow and continue to implement innovative approaches to medical education intended to prepare the next generation of family physicians and other doctors needed to serve both Spokane and rural and underserved urban areas in Washington.
…
The Next Generation WWAMI plan includes three elements.
First, thanks to the generous support of the Spokane community, which raised private dollars to temporarily fund the second year of medical education in Spokane, the UW School of Medicine will seek state funding in the next legislative session to guarantee that Spokane will become the first permanent four-year medical education program outside Seattle in the five-state WWAMI region. This funding request will also support previously-announced plans by the UW, in partnership with Washington State University, to quadruple the number of students in Spokane’s classrooms from 20 to 80 per year.
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Second, the UW School of Medicine will adopt a new state-of-the art medical education curriculum in Spokane and expand clinical training opportunities in underserved areas across the state, including Yakima, Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, Bellingham and Vancouver. The new curriculum is characterized by greater integration in the program of basic science with clinical training, more active learning, and an emphasis on team-based, inter-professional medical education. New and enhanced clinical training sites will ensure that students educated in Spokane will have the desperately-needed opportunities to put their education into required practice.
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Third, the WWAMI partnerships will enable the growth of biomedical research in Spokane. This is the most exciting time in history for medical research, and success with translating the research discoveries to improvements in healthcare depends on collaboration among multiple organizations. The Spokane medical community has a strong history of clinical innovation. Next Generation WWAMI will provide the stimulus for the connection of basic medical research to clinical innovation in Spokane.
Click here to read more at UW Today.