The holiday season kicks off in full force with a variety of arts events to enjoy, including the School of Music’s annual CarolFest is on Dec. 4.
November 26, 2013
The latest news from the UW
Redesigned purple 91̽»¨license plates now available
The newly designed 91̽»¨ vehicle license plate is now available for sale from the state Department of Licensing.
AAAS names five 91̽»¨researchers as fellows
Five 91̽»¨ researchers are among new fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
News digest: ‘StormReady’ status, Ryan Calo blogs, green seed proposals due, ease Net access
“StormReady” status ups UW’s ability to cope with weather extremes || Ryan Calo blogs for Forbes || First Green Seed Fund proposals due Dec. 3 || Ease Net access at 5,500 institutions with “eduroam”
November 25, 2013
Study: Greenhouse gas might have warmed early Mars enough to allow liquid water
The mystery of how the surface of Mars, long dead and dry, could have flowed with water billions of years ago may have been solved by research that included a 91̽»¨ astronomer.
Dashboards to bring culture change in strategic decision-making
New dashboards for exploring trends are bringing about a culture change in strategic decision-making at the university
November 24, 2013
How living cells solved a needle in a haystack problem to generate electrical signals
Filtered from a vast sodium sea, more than 1 million calcium ions per second gush through our cells’ pores to generate charges
November 21, 2013
Studies to probe confluence of human, animal and environmental health in Africa
Grand Challenges Exploration Grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will allow two UW-led teams to study the health determinants people share with other living creatures.
David Barash explores science, religion and meaning of life in ‘Buddhist Biology’
David Barash, a 91̽»¨psychology professor, is an evolutionary biologist, unapologetic atheist, and self-described Jewbu. In his latest book, “Buddhist Biology: Ancient Eastern Wisdom Meets Modern Western Science,” Barash examines the overlap between Buddhism and biology.
November 20, 2013
Board of Regents — Nov. 29 Special Meeting, Dec. Regular Meeting canceled, 2014 schedule announced
The Dec. 12 Regular Meeting of the Board of Regents has been cancelled. The Regents will hold a Special Meeting with the WSU Board of Regents on Friday, Nov. 29, at 9:30 a.m. in the Jim Houston Stadium Boardroom at Husky Stadium. The agenda is available online. The 2014 Board of Regents schedule has been announced and is available online.
Arts Roundup: Music, drama — and ‘Elwha: A River Reborn’
This week slows down as the campus prepares for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. However, don’t miss your last chance to see School of Drama’s “Fifth of July” or venture to the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture to explore their new exhibit “Elwha: A River Reborn.”
Study shines light on what makes digital activism effective
Digital activism is usually nonviolent and tends to work best when social media tools are combined with street-level organization, according to new research from the 91̽»¨.
December deadlines approach for Awards of Excellence nominations
Nominations are due in December and coming months for this year’s 91̽»¨ Awards of Excellence categories.
November 19, 2013
Paddlers spread pump-out ‘gospel’ to recreational boaters
Washington Sea Grant’s “Pumpout Paddlers” are readying their kayaks for winter paddling to deliver more adapters so boaters have a cleaner, easier way to pump their sewage-holding tanks.
November 18, 2013
Documents that Changed the World: the Zapruder film, Nov. 22, 1963
He only came to get the iconic footage through a series of coincidences and later regretted what he had done. It was the last film Abraham Zapruder would ever shoot.
Post-shutdown, 91̽»¨Arctic research flights resume
91̽»¨researchers this month are on missions to fly above the Arctic Ocean to measure glacier melt, polar storms and Arctic sea ice.
Faculty Senate chair Jack Lee charts course for year
Faculty & Staff Insider asked this year’s Faculty Senate chair, Jack Lee, professor of mathematics, to discuss some of the the issues it is likely to tackle in the coming year.
November 14, 2013
FDA-approved immune-modulating drug unexpectedly benefits mice with fatal mitochondrial defect
Rapamycin, an anti-rejection drug for organ transplant patients, has now been shown to increases survival in and delayed symptoms of Leigh’s syndrome. The drug appears to cause a metabolic switch that bypasses the mitochondrial deficiency.
A decline in creativity? It depends on how you look
Recent research suggests that young Americans might be less creative now than in decades past, even while their intelligence — as measured by IQ tests — continues to rise. But new research from the 91̽»¨Information School and Harvard University hints that the dynamics of creativity may not break down as simply as that.
November 13, 2013
Arts Roundup: Music, drama — and the Hall Health Artwalk
It’s a packed week in the arts, with an event option for every day. DXARTS and the School of Music offer an electro-acoustic concert, the 91̽»¨World Series presents “Café Variations” in collaboration with the School of Drama, the Burke Museum of History and Culture has its Meet the Mammals day, and more.
2014-2015 Faculty Senate Vice Chair Nominations
Nominations for Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate are being sought.
Snow melts faster under trees than in open areas in mild climates
91̽»¨ researchers have found that tree cover actually causes snow to melt more quickly in warm, Mediterranean-type climates. Alternatively, open, clear gaps in the forests tend to keep snow on the ground longer into the spring and summer. Their findings were published this fall in Water Resources Research.
November 12, 2013
Grant will support interdisciplinary, data-intensive research at UW
The UW, along with the University of California, Berkeley, and New York University, are partners in a new five-year, $37.8 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation that aims to accelerate the growth of data-intensive discovery across many fields.
November 8, 2013
Board of Regents — Nov. 14 Meeting Announcement
The Board of Regents will hold a Regular Meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. in the 91̽»¨Tower Board Room (22nd Floor).
Forest fires and fireside chats: 91̽»¨students learn about management challenges
An intensive two week field course helped 20 91̽»¨ students learn firsthand about the challenges of managing dry, fire-prone forests of the Pacific Northwest.
November 7, 2013
Cost-effective method accurately orders DNA sequencing along entire chromosomes
The method may help overcome a major obstacle that has delayed progress in designing rapid, low-cost — but still accurate — ways to assemble genomes from scratch. It also may validate certain types of chromosomal abnormalities in cancer.
Arts Roundup: Music, lectures — and the School of Drama’s ‘Fifth of July’
This week there is a smattering of events with a highlight being the School of Drama’s “Fifth of July,” directed by Professor Valerie Curtis-Newton. Also, if Mongolian music suits your fancy, you’re in luck because the vibrant young ensemble, AnDa Union makes their Seattle debut on the Meany stage. JewDub Talks 7 p.m., Nov. 7 | 91̽»¨Tower Auditorium Short lectures on big ideas in Jewish history and culture. This year’s faculty speakers will discuss: “Are you Jewish or are…
November 6, 2013
Floods didn’t provide nitrogen ‘fix’ for earliest crops in frigid north
Floods didn’t make floodplains fertile during the dawn of human agriculture in the Earth’s far north. Turns out early human inhabitants can mainly thank cyanobacteria. It raises the question of whether modern farmers might reduce fertilizer use by taking advantage of cyanobacteria that occur, not just in the floodplains studied, but in soils around the world.
News Digest: TEDx talk on brainy crows, Town Hall ‘rocks’ tonight
Brainy crows subject of TEDx talk Saturday || Town Hall talk “Stories from My Pet Rocks” tonight
Washington home sales surged, affordability declined in third quarter
Washington state’s housing market continued to strengthen in the July-September quarter, registering the fifth consecutive quarterly improvement in home sales activity, according to the UW’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies.
Brain may play key role in blood sugar metabolism and diabetes development
Future diabetes treatment approaches might target regulatory systems in both the brain and the pancreas to achieve better blood glucose control, or even put the disease into remission.
91̽»¨scholars offer short takes on Shakespeare Nov. 14 at ACT Theatre
Ten Shakespeare scholars, students and actors, most from the 91̽»¨, will discuss the Bard’s life and work at Seattle’s ACT Theatre on Nov. 14 — and verily, they’ll be quick about it.
A shot in the dark: Detector at 91̽»¨on the hunt for dark matter
Physicists are using a detector at the 91̽»¨to search for a particle called an axion, which would be the first physical evidence of the universe’s dark matter.
November 5, 2013
‘Music is an infinite thing’: Jazz great Bill Frisell joins School of Music
The School of Music has lured Bill Frisell, one of modern jazz’s premier guitarists, to a position on the faculty.
November 4, 2013
More wildfires, earlier snowmelt, coastal threats top Northwest climate risks
A new comprehensive report co-authored by the UW’s Climate Impacts Group looks at what climate change will mean for Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
91̽»¨Bothell prof, students present crowd-funded study of coal train emissions
Atmospheric scientist Dan Jaffe tonight will present the first results of a crowd-funded study of train emissions, conducted with four undergraduates from the Seattle and Bothell campuses and funded by public donations.
November 1, 2013
Documents that Changed the World: The Rosetta Stone
The latest installment of Information School Professor Joe Janes’ podcast series takes a look at the 2,200-year-old Rosetta Stone.
91̽»¨surgical robot featured in 2013 movie ‘Ender’s Game’
A 91̽»¨ surgical research robot appears in the sci-fi movie “Ender’s Game” starring Harrison Ford. Two 91̽»¨students operated the robot during the filming of the movie, which opens Nov. 1 in theaters across the country.
October 31, 2013
Epilepsy film to be screened Nov. 9 at Harborview Medical Center
Independent film producer Louis Stanislaw will present “Living on the Edge” at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Harborview Medical Center Research & Training Building. The showing will be followed by a panel discussion of individuals living with epilepsy and 91̽»¨Medicine professionals who treat seizure disorders.
October 30, 2013
Arts Roundup: Faculty performances — and the Earshot Jazz Festival
As we head into November, the 91̽»¨ offers an array of events to get you out of the rain and into a museum or performance. If jazz is your flavor, make sure to check out the Earshot Jazz Festival with special performances by 91̽»¨music professors and other local jazz favorites.