Historian Patricia Ebrey receives Association of Asian Studies’ top award for 2020

The Association of Asian Studies has given 91̽»¨historian its 2020 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Asian Studies. The award, the highest the bestows, honors outstanding scholarship in the field.

Ebrey is the Williams Family Endowed Professor of History. She has written or edited many works on China and East Asia as well as a sourcebook on China for undergraduate teaching. She has written over 70 journal articles and book chapters and her works have been translated into several other languages.

Praising Ebrey for groundbreaking efforts in several areas, the association said in a news release: “By editing or co-editing volumes of scholarly work, and by providing translations and reproductions of primary materials, she has dedicated herself to developing the historical study of China both in terms of research and teaching.”

for the honor at the Association of Asian Studies website.

* * *

91̽»¨political scientist Christopher Parker joins Cascade Public Media board of directors

, 91̽»¨professor of political science, has been chosen to join the board of directors for Cascade Public Media, the nonprofit home of KCTS 9 television and Crosscut.

Parker has taught at the 91̽»¨since 2006 and is the author of two books, “” (with Matt Barreto, 2013) and “” (2009). His next book, planned for this year, is “The Great White Hope: Donald Trump, Race, and the Crisis of American Democracy.”

Parker was one of two new named, along with Holly Mesrobian, a 91̽»¨alumna who is a director of engineering at Amazon Web Services. The appointments were April 28. Also on the Cascade Public Media board is , 91̽»¨professor of law.

“Not only is the world of media changing rapidly, the world itself is changing at a breakneck pace,” Robert Dunlop, CEO of , said of the two new directors. “Their insights will be extremely valuable as we continue to bring the people of our region news and programming that informs and inspires.”

* * *

Terryl Ross receives 2020 social equity award from American Society of Public Administration

The American Society of Public Administration has given , assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion in the 91̽»¨College of the Environment, its 2020 Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award for 2020.

The recognizes lifetime achievement in the cause of social equity. Candidates are evaluated on the consistency, level and duration of their work on social equity as well as the impact of their efforts. The society’s 8,000-some members are practitioners, academics and students.

Ross came to the 91̽»¨in 1992 as a doctoral student in the Educational and Communication Technology Program housed in the College of Education and later created the group Multicultural Organization of Students Actively Involved in Change, or MOSAIC.

“Ross continues to work in diversity and inclusion today as he collaborates with college stakeholders to envision diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the college,” the association wrote.

The award, established in 2003, is named for a longtime employee of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.

* * *

David Montgomery honored by Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography

The Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography has awarded , 91̽»¨professor of Earth and space sciences its 2020 for achievements in physical geography. He was honored his work in the field of geomorphology — the study of the origin and evolution of landforms.

Montgomery has written several popular science books as well as teaching materials and over 200 articles. The society praised his impact on the research community. His last book was “,” published in 2017.

“He has studied everything from the ways that landslides and glaciers influence the height of mountain ranges, to the way that soils have shaped human civilizations now and in the past,” the society wrote in its award announcement.

The was founded in 1878 and is supported mainly by the King of Sweden. Its objective is to promote the development of anthropology, geography and closely related sciences in Sweden and serve as a link between scientists in these disciplines, and the public.

The award, one of two informally referred to as the Nobel prize of geography, is named for the of Swedish explorer , who discovered the Northwest Passage in 1881.

Read more on the College of the Environment .

* * *

In other faculty news:

Openness letter: , 91̽»¨professor of urban design and planning in the College of Built Environments, was one of 31 scientists to sign an open letter to the journal Science calling for more openness in coronavirus modeling. “” was published in Science on May 1.

“A hallmark of science is the open exchange of knowledge, the cosigners wrote. “We strongly urge all scientists modeling the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and its consequences for health and society to rapidly and openly publish their code … so that it is accessible to all scientists around the world.”

Seattle Channel meets Indigo Mist: The Seattle Channel recently filmed a visit with the 91̽»¨School of Music faculty members who comprise the improvisational music group : professors , , and , the school’s director — , artist in residence (and longtime bassist). The school took note in its April newsletter.

“You just let go and let your creativity do its thing,” Vu said in the video, describing the group’s creative approach. Whatever art comes out of that, he said, is “going to make sense – and it’s going to be uniquely your expression.”

Watch the Youtube video:

The Disklavier is an electromagnetic piano that — like the UW-created recently reported on by the Seattle Times — is played by brain waves alone, with the performer hooked up to an electroencephalogram (EEG).

91̽»¨audiences will get a look at, and listen to, this creative new technology in “,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in Meany Hall.

This evening of all-digital music will include , professor and director of the School of Music, performing a piece on the Disklavier called “Human Subject” hands-free, via an EEG.

For the second piece in the program Karpen will be joined by School of Music professor emeritus and , 91̽»¨associate professor of music and director of the Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media — called DXARTS for short. This piece, called “Cisternization.” is an improvisation for piano, trombone and live electronics using the virtual acoustics of the Dan Harpole Cistern at .

Closing the program is “Hemispheres” by Pampin, a piece for EEG and 3D sound projection, with Stuart Dempster as performer.

Music of Today is a concert series co-sponsored by DXARTS and the School of Music featuring modern classics and new works by faculty and guest composers.

are $10-$15, available through .

###

For more information about music played via EEG, contact Pampin at 206-616-6258 or pampin@uw.edu.

The popular New York-based will perform two concerts in the Meany Hall Studio Theater on March 15.

The will feature compositions by , professor and director of the 91̽»¨ School of Music; and , associate professor and director of the . The 7:30 p.m. show will feature the composers’ works; at 10 p.m., the quartet will perform improvisations with 91̽»¨musicians.

JACK is a contemporary string quartet known for creating and performing new works. Its members — two violinists, a violist and a cellist — also are spending a weeklong residency at the School of Music, collaborating with the composers and rehearsing with musicians who will join them on stage.

Karpen and Pampin answered a few questions about the concerts and the importance of collaboration in presenting music at the UW.

Q: Contemporary music is complicated for many listeners. How do you help people understand the language of your compositions?

JP: There is a misconception that new music is hard to understand, but really it’s easier to understand than a lot of classical music. We work with perception, with the direct signal that goes into your brain. We are experimenting with ways of listening.

To experience the good pieces you have to get beyond what you like. There is a continuum of creation — if it’s experimental we are just doing what Beethoven, Haydn and Bach did with music in their time.

RK: As composers we are always thinking: What are you going to hear? What wll you experience? There is a direct sensorial path from our ears into the brain. Not understanding the sound is sometimes what makes it great. It’s a matter of people taking risks to go to something that they have never heard before. The experience itself is what it is.

Q: How will bringing the JACK Quartet to Seattle benefit the composition program at the UW?

RK: We are both artist researchers; bringing the quartet is part of the research process. In a way, the JACK Quartet is a scientific instrument for our music, like a living microscope that provides us feedback — particularly because I do not write for instruments; instead I write music for people playing instruments.

This is the quartet’s second trip here and we invited them because they are colleagues that we can do research with. Research is what artists have been doing for a long time. Beethoven did research, look at his manuscripts – half of it is scratched out. He was doing research.

Usually composers – like those of us on faculty – have active international careers. We would normally travel abroad to work, but we are bringing musicians here to support our research, benefiting both students and faculty. They are able to experience our research process, which will ultimately lead to the concerts on March 15.

Q: Could you each talk about one unique aspect of a piece listeners will hear the JACK Quartet play?

RK: My piece involves the JACK Quartet and another trio, the Six Tones; what will be interesting is that they will be playing ancient Vietnamese instruments. These are two groups I have worked with separately and they have not worked together.

JP: My piece is called “Respiración Artificial.” It is for the JACK and player Mirta Wymerszberg. The piece is about breathing cycles. The bandoneon has a big bellows and is able to hold a note for a very long time. The timing of the inhale and exhale of the instrument was used to define the time structure of the piece.

The beginning of my piece is all in the very upper register. Your ear is not able to resolve what is happening with pitch, the notes tend to shimmer, it builds sensation. I am using a three-dimensional audio system and ultrasonic speakers we developed that can produce highly localized beams of sound – akin to spotlights – which can move around the audience and bounce off the architecture of the room.

Q: These concerts are presented jointly by the 91̽»¨School of Music, Center for Digital Arts and Experimental Media and World Series. How was this collaboration formed?

JP: Usually these pieces would be presented in New York or Europe and our artists would travel far away to create their work. This collaboration is setting a precedent, and shows that the 91̽»¨has decided to prioritize the arts on campus.

The directors of these arts departments and the 91̽»¨World Series are willing to experiment, which is how we can work together to present exciting new music. The priorities of the departments have aligned and now the organizations are willing to take risks. The JACK residency is for the students, for the faculty, and for the audience.

• This was edited from a posted at the 91̽»¨World Series website.