The UW’s new AAAS Fellows are:

, a professor of biology and resident scientist at the UW’s , is honored for her research contributions in biomechanics and ecophysiology, as well as efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in science. Her research has shown how marine life in near-shore ecosystems, especially invertebrates and seaweeds, respond to both short-term fluctuations in their environment and long-term shifts due to climate change. Carrington’s research has illuminated the many ways that expected shifts in oceans due to climate change — including heat waves and increases in dissolved CO2 — will negatively impact shellfish, algae and other organisms in coastal ecosystems and aquaculture. Her investigations of the biomaterials that mussels use to adhere to underwater surfaces have also aided the design of wet adhesives and antifouling surfaces for biomedical and maritime applications. A member of the 91̽��faculty since 2005, Carrington also served as a program director in the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Biological Sciences from 2016 to 2019.

Gabriela Chavarria, the executive director of the Burke Museum, is honored for her work on ecosystem sustainability, as well as leadership in education and conservation programs. Chavarria is an expert on native bees. She studies tropical bumblebees, and has long advocated for conservation of native pollinators. Chavarria was also trained as wood anatomist, and has helped to combat illegal traffic of hardwoods. An interest in conservation and policy led Chavarria to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a science adviser to the director, and later became a senior science adviser and head of forensic science at the agency’s wildlife forensic laboratory in Ashland, Oregon. Since 2018, she has served as Chief Curator and Vice President of the Science Division at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. In announcing Chavarria as the next executive director of the Burke Museum last month, Dianne Harris, Dean of Arts and Sciences at the UW, said: “Chavarria’s experience as a museum administrator, scholar and visionary leader in the scientific community uniquely positions her to lead the Burke in its exciting next chapter.” That chapter commences March 1.

, a professor of chemistry, was selected for her studies of a large class of enzymes that promote biochemical reactions in living cells for functions such as suppressing tumor growth, removing toxic compounds and synthesizing antibiotics. Kovacs’ research focuses on how the bonds between atoms in these enzymes shift as they catalyze reactions, revealing details of the underlying mechanism that these key cellular players use to carry out their functions. She is also studying how oxygen atoms form bonds with one another — a process that occurs naturally during photosynthesis, but details of which are poorly understood. Elucidating this mechanism could help the green energy industry develop efficient fuel-storage technologies. Kovacs joined the 91̽��faculty in 1988 and has previously chaired the American Chemical Society’s Division of Inorganic Chemistry.

, a professor emeritus in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, is recognized for his advocacy and inclusion efforts for people with disabilities in computer science and related fields. Trained in mathematics, Ladner spent much of his career researching fundamental issues in computer science — including optimization, computational complexity and distributed computing. He also co-founded what is now the Theory of Computation Group at the Allen School. In the latter half of his career, Ladner worked largely on accessibility in computer science. These endeavors included development of numerous tools to perform specific tasks, for example: translating textbook figures into formats accessible to persons with disabilities, or allowing people to communicate via cell phones using American Sign Language. Among numerous honors, Ladner was a Guggenheim Fellow, a Fulbright Scholar, an Association for Computing Machinery Fellow and an IEEE Fellow. He joined the 91̽��faculty in 1971 and retired as a professor emeritus in 2017.

, a professor of chemistry, is honored for developing new techniques and tools in chemistry, particularly novel algorithms and methods for electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Stoll uses this unique form of spectroscopy — which can explore the microscopic details and fast dynamics of chemical compounds that have unpaired electrons — to measure distances as small as a few nanometers, which is roughly 1/5000th the diameter of the thinnest human hair. Stoll applies this to study the structure of cellular proteins and discern the conformational changes that they undergo while performing their functions, such as catalyzing reactions or regulating heartbeat. These fundamental insights broaden our understanding of the human body and how it works. Stoll joined the 91̽��faculty in 2011.

Jessica Ray named among Talented 12 ‘young stars’ by chemical and engineering newsmagazine

, 91̽��assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been named a member of the 2020 of young chemists working to solve world problems by the weekly newsmagazine Chemical & Engineering News, or C&EN.

The honors, bestowed each year since 2015, highlight a dozen “rising young stars who are using chemical know-how to change the world.” Ray, who joined the 91̽��in 2019, researches composites, surface chemistry and targeted removal and recovery of wastewater constituents. She is developing low-cost selective absorbents to remove toxic compounds from wastewater and improve drinking water.

The Talented 12 honorees will give short TED-style talks about their research during a two-day that will be part of the magazine’s free inaugural online Futures Festival Aug. 25 and 26.

The magazine is a publication of the Read an article about this honor and Ray’s work on the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering .

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Richard Ladner receives National Science Board 2020 Public Service Award

The National Science Board has named 91̽��computer scientist recipient of its , honoring his career of contributions to increasing public understanding of science and engineering.

Ladner is a professor emeritus in the UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. The board, called the NSB for short, was created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. Its dual roles are to establish science policy and to serve as an independent body of advisers to the nation’s leaders. The award was established in 1996.

The board , who has championed digital accessibility and inclusivity, for “demonstrated exemplary science communication and diversity advocacy throughout his career and has been called the ‘conscience of computing.'”

Victor McCrary, NSB vice chair, said, “We cannot exclude anyone when it comes to the important pursuit of scientific advancement. Richard Ladner’s work has significantly enlarged the circle of perspectives at the bench, and by welcoming and empowering those with disabilities to fully contribute he has greatly enhanced and advanced our nation’s global leadership in science, engineering, and technology.”

Read more on the Allen School’s .

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Maryam Fazel chosen for inaugural Moorthy family endowed professorship

, 91̽��professor and associate chair in the , has been named the first recipient of the new Moorthy Family Inspiration Career Development Professorship, for her work as a researcher and educator.

Fazel co-directs the 91̽�� and holds adjunct appointments in the mathematics and statistics departments at the UW, as well as the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. Her research focuses on data science, robotics and controls.

The professorship, funded by an endowment established in 2019 by Ganesh and Hema Moorthy, recognizes the support they received from the family and in turn are passing on to other generations. Ganesh Moorthy, president and chief operating officer of Microchip Technology, earned a BA in physics from the 91̽��in 1981 and has served on the department’s advisory board. Hema Moorthy, an electrical engineer, worked at Hewlett-Packard for many years.

The endowment supports faculty members who have shown significant promise early in their careers. Read more on the department .

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Jackson School gets $200,000 cybersecurity grant from Carnegie Corp of New York

The 91̽��Jackson School of International Studies has received a $200,000 grant for cybersecurity research from .

The grant will support the expansion of the including its cybersecurity training program in the Jackson School’s , which was funded by previous grants by Carnegie. The aim is to bridge the gap between academia and the policy world.

, professor of international studies, is principal investigator for the grant. Other participating faculty are , and — all faculty members in the Jackson School. The grant will provide research opportunities for students as well.

Read more on the Jackson School .

White House honors 91̽��engineering professor, associate dean Eve Riskin

, professor and associate dean in the 91̽��College of Engineering, has been named a recipient of a 2019 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.

The White House in science, mathematics and engineering on Aug. 3. There were 15 recipients of the mentoring award — 12 individuals and three organizations, representing 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Riskin also is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the College of Engineering’s . She is the faculty director of the UW’s , where she works on mentoring and leadership development programs for women faculty in STEM areas.

The White House established the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, or PAESMEM, in 1995; the award is administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology. Each recipient receives a $10,000 award and a commemorative presidential certificate.

Previous of this award include in 2016, in 2009, in 2004, in 2003, the Women in Engineering Initiative (WIE) in 1998 and the UW-based Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology (DO-IT) program in 1997.

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National Science Foundation renews grant for 91̽��Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity

The National Science Foundation has renewed a three-year grant for the , totaling $376, 535. The grant is aimed at bringing change and greater inclusion to engineering and computer science.

, a research scientist in sociology, is principal investigator on the grant with , affiliate assistant professor of sociology. Litzler directs the center and Margherio is assistant director.

The 91̽��Center for Evaluation & Research for STEM Equity conducts its research in tandem with the Making Academic Change Happen team at the , in Terra Haute, Indiana, which received $243,560 from the NSF. The 91̽��center works with recipients of NSF “ grants working to broaden participation in engineering, improve student outcomes and build more inclusive educational environments.

The project team is called Revolutionizing Engineering Departments Participatory Action Research, or REDPAR for short. Read a from the project that tells more about its research agenda, and a .

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Kenneth Mugwanya of global health and team awarded $3 million by National Institutes of Health to study HIV prevention in Kenya

, a 91̽��assistant professor of global health and public health, and his team have been awarded a five-year, $3 million grant by the National Institutes of Health.

The grant is for Mugwanya and the team to study the effectiveness of integrating methods of HIV prevention into sexual and reproductive health services for women in Kenya.

“Ensuring that young women seeking access to effective contraceptive methods in Kenya specifically, and Africa in general, are also able to protect themselves from HIV is critical for women empowerment and ending the HIV epidemic,” said Mugwanya, who is a physician-epidemiologist by training.

“Our hope is that providing family planning and HIV prevention services in a one-stop location will minimize barriers that women face in accessing HIV prevention services, including lack of time, cost and potential stigma of visiting a facility solely for HIV prevention.”

Other members of Mugwanya’s research team are , , , , and , all of the Department of Global Health, which is part of the 91̽��School of Medicine and the School of Public Health.

Read more at the School of Public Health .

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Doctoral student Vikram Iyer honored by Marconi Society

, a 91̽��doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, has been named one of three recipients of the by the Marconi Society.

The society is a nonprofit group named for Italian inventor and electrical engineer (1874-1937) and “celebrates, inspires and connects innovators building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.” Iyer works in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering’s .

The society’s Paul Baran Young Scholar Awards, named for a computer engineer and developer, recognize young scientists and engineers who show great capability as well as the potential to bring about digital inclusivity.

The Marconi Society honored Iyer for “creativity in developing bio-inspired and bio-integrative wireless sensor systems.” Iyer’s contributions, the society writes, “enable traditionally stationary Internet of Things devices to move, putting a new and scalable category of data collectors into the world to help us understand our environment at scale and with a fine degree of detail.”

More Americans are using mobile devices and other technologies at home, from diet and exercise to sleep patterns and bloodwork.

Because people who are blind or have low vision are more likely to have health problems such as obesity or diabetes, it’s especially important that mobile health (mHealth) applications — health tracking sensors that connect with smartphone apps — work for those users.

Yet 91̽�� researchers who conducted the first academic review of nine mHealth applications on the market in March 2014 found none met all the criteria that would make them fully accessible to blind customers.

In a in the 2015 issue of the , they investigated nine common iPhone mHealth applications that upload data from blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring devices. Accessibility shortcomings ranged from improperly labeled buttons to confusing layouts that don’t work well with iPhone VoiceOver or Android TalkBack services that “read” information on the phone screen.

“We wanted to see if these health applications would be out-of-the-box accessible, and most really weren’t,” said lead author , a 91̽��computer science and engineering doctoral student. “They made a lot of amateur mistakes that people make when they build apps.”

The researchers also concluded it would take little effort for developers to make mainstream health sensors fully accessible to blind smartphone users — largely by following accessibility guidelines already established by Apple and the federal government.

“It wouldn’t have been hard to make their apps accessible by making that a priority in the first place. They could have been heroes from the get-go,” said senior author , a 91̽��computer science professor who to make technologies more broadly accessible.

The research team — which includes co-author , a 91̽��human-centered design and engineering doctoral student — rated four iPhone glucose monitoring apps (iBGStar, Glooko Logbook, Telcare, iGluco) and five blood pressure monitoring apps (iHealth BP Monitor, Withings, iBP, myVitali, Digifit).

They developed seven criteria for making apps accessible to low-vision users, borrowing from to help app developers take advantage of the phone’s built-in accessibility capabilities and that technologies purchased by the federal government must meet.

Those include buttons that are programmed correctly to tell a user what to do with them, hints that help with navigation and grouping items so they make sense to screen readers that tell blind users what icon their finger is on or describe aloud what’s happening on the screen.

Those typically “read” from the top left to the bottom right of a screen. If an app hasn’t been laid out with the iPhone’s VoiceOver program in mind, for example, a blood pressure reading of 120 mmHg over 70 mmHg and a heart rate of 80 beats per minute taken on Sept. 28 might be communicated to someone who can’t see as “120, 70, 80, September 28, mmHg, mmHg, beats/minute.”

At the time that the mHealth apps were tested in March 2014, one blood glucose monitoring app — the Glooko Logbook — met all of the accessibility criteria except for one. The other apps failed to meet at least half the accessibility guidelines. The study did not examine other accessibility features such as the ability to zoom or the use of large or high-contrast print, and researchers say it’s possible manufacturers have made accessibility upgrades to more recent versions of the apps.

In fact, when app developers simply “borrowed” standard iPhone operating system elements, the products were more accessible, the researchers found. When they designed custom elements, they rarely included the necessary information to make them work with screen readers that assist low-vision users.

“If people just used the basic widgets and things that Apple provides, they’d have better results,” said Ladner. “But the number of app developers has increased, and most of them are thinking about trying to make things pretty. They’re not thinking about all the users.”

For more information contact Milne at milnel2@cs.washington.edu.

Finals are barely over for 91̽�� student Jessie Zhang and already she’s excited to be back on campus. Zhang, who just finished her freshman year, will learn programming skills, meet mentors in the tech industry and try her hand at animation – all while speaking with her cohort and advisers through signing and technologies that help her communicate.

Zhang joined 16 other deaf and hard of hearing students from around the country June 24 to participate in an intensive summer of computer science courses, industry tours and networking.

“I’m hoping to get a head start on what I want to pursue at the UW,” Zhang said.

The 91̽��program, called , is the only one of its kind in the nation that offers a full quarter of academic credit to incoming college students or those who just finished their first year.

It also gives deaf students a chance to explore an academic field they may not have already considered, said , a 91̽��professor of computer science and engineering who started the academy six years ago.

“It has many facets and a richness that many programs don’t have,” Ladner said. “It really opens up their worldview to what they can do.”

The program, which runs through Aug. 23, will end after this year. It was the brainchild of Ladner, born to two deaf parents, who has decided after 42 years at the 91̽��that his time as program lead is complete.

Still, this year’s class is the largest and most competitive yet, said Robert Roth, the academy’s director. After its final summer, the program will have graduated more than 80 students.  A number of those alumni have majored in computer science fields and have returned to the Seattle area to work.

Matt Starn, a software development engineer at Microsoft, was a summer academy student during the first year of the program in 2007. He came after his sophomore year at University of California, Los Angeles, where he hadn’t yet decided what to major in. After the summer quarter at the UW, Starn decided to transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology, where he studied computer science.

“The summer academy played a big role in identifying computer science and helping me pursue it,” Starn said.

The program’s field trips around the city and networking visits to local companies helped Starn “fall in love” with Seattle, he said, which is partly why he returned to the area for work.

Summer academy students live on the 91̽��campus and take a nine-week computer programming course for college credit, plus a certificate class in animation. They produce at the end of the quarter and present them at a community event.  Graduate students and alumni of the program serve as tutors and mentors throughout the summer, and participants visit a number of local tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Adobe.

Graduates of the program’s first year are starting to land jobs or enroll in graduate programs. Some, like Starn, are at tech companies, while many are pursuing degrees at the Rochester Institute of Technology, which houses the . Others are completing programs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.

Before the 91̽��experience, they often were the only deaf or hard of hearing students in their high schools, so learning to communicate within a deaf community is a big part of the program, Ladner said. Some learn American Sign Language for the first time.

“This is the beginning of their networking lives,” he said.

Google software engineer has helped with practically every aspect of the summer program its first several years while she was a 91̽��doctoral student in computer science and engineering. She has seen students forge lasting friendships and land highly competitive jobs through networking.

“The transition to college can be a little extra daunting for deaf and hard of hearing students,” Cavender said. “This program helps students navigate the hurdles and introduces them to other students with similar backgrounds and interests.”

The summer academy is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the National Science Foundation. It’s part of the 91̽��, which is a collaboration of the 91̽��department of computer science and engineering and the Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology center.

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For more information, contact Ladner at ladner@cs.washington.edu or 206-543-9347.

The article shares newly defined signs for terms like “light-year,” “organism” and “photosynthesis.” It also describes a successful crowdsourcing effort started at the 91̽�� in 2008 that lets members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community build their own guide to the evolving lexicon of science.

“It’s not a dictionary,” explained , a 91̽��professor of computer science and engineering. “The goal of the forum is to be constantly changing, a reflection of the current use.”

A scientific and technical dictionary for American Sign Language has existed since the late 1990s.  It is called Lexicon, launched by , an early proponent of science in the deaf community and a professor at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology.

But a dictionary can’t include the newest terms, Ladner said, and many graduate students won’t find the specialized terms used in their chosen fields. For example, Ladner helped organize a 2008 workshop where a deaf scientist said only about one-quarter of his field’s specialized terms existed in his native language, American Sign Language, or ASL. Many workshop participants reported that at some point they had had to work with their interpreters to develop their own code words.

That year, with funding from Google Corp. and the National Science Foundation, Ladner’s group launched the , an online compilation of signs used in science, technology, engineering and math that is more like Wikipedia or the Urban Dictionary.

“The goal was to have one place where all these signs could be,” Ladner said. “We’re not trying to decide on new signs but just collect the ones that are in current use.”

The site lists 6,755 terms from biology, chemistry, engineering, math and computer science textbooks. Of those, about 2,800 have video entries, some with multiple entries. Partnerships with the country’s two largest higher education institutions for deaf and hard-of-hearing students have helped provide content.

Collaborators include , a 91̽��alumna and biology professor at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., and Lang and at Rochester’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf.

Visit the forum to see a sign for “,” “” and “,” none of which is listed in the Science Signs dictionary. Terms still seeking an ASL translation include “” and “.”

Anyone can visit the forum, but to add signs a user must create a free account then record a short video using a computer’s camera that can be reviewed and uploaded. People also can rate and comment on signs uploaded by other users.

Ladner hopes the recent article will spur interest and encourage people to suggest more entries among the remaining terms. He is seeking funding to update the site, and hopes it will reach critical mass among ASL speakers in scientific and technical fields.

Between 2006 and 2010, U.S. institutions awarded 301 doctorate degrees in STEM fields to people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, Ladner said. Because that number includes hard-of-hearing, the number of science PhDs who use ASL is likely much lower. Many members of that community are geographically scattered, and to make matters worse, American Sign Language and British Sign Language have their own technical lexicons.

“I hope ASL-STEM Forum helps more deaf students become scientists and engineers,” Ladner said. “And as more deaf students enter these fields they will hopefully contribute to the forum, making it sustainable and useful over time.”

Now working on the forum at the 91̽��are , a doctoral student in computer science and engineering, and John Norberg, a 91̽��undergraduate in math who is minoring in ASL. Early members of the 91̽��team include computer science and engineering doctoral students , now working on accessibility projects at Google, and , now an accessibility researcher at the University of Rochester in New York; and former 91̽��undergraduates , Michelle Shepardson and Jessica Dewitt.

Ladner runs a national to encourage deaf and hard-of-hearing students to pursue careers in computer science, and he leads , a larger UW-based national effort to encourage people with disabilities to pursue computing fields. His group is also involved in a number of that combine computing, mobile technology and accessibility.

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For more information, contact Ladner at 206-543-9347 or ladner@cs.washington.edu.