Dean's Letter
The beginning of the summer is a time to switch gears and recalibrate for many of us at the College of the Environment. In fact, in many ways it’s like our New Year's Day—a day that marks fresh beginnings and new perspectives. Summer gives us a chance to reflect on the past and forge pathways into the future; it also lets us get out and show what we are made of, sharpening our scientific smarts as we go.
Simply put, summer brings opportunity. For faculty, it means designing new experiments, checking on old ones, or testing fresh hypotheses based on the mountains of data we’ve been methodically crunching. We get to spend time with colleagues in the lab and field, breaking new ground, asking new questions, and building new partnerships. We nudge the boundaries of science closer to the horizon and advance our understanding of the world around us.
For graduate students, summer allows us to dive deeply into a newfound system of study. It’s a time of laser focus, executing that first big experiment or figuring out why the last one didn’t turn out as expected. We learn that science is as much about learning from failures as it is about reaping successes, and that the process yields unexpected surprises that ultimately underpin and strengthen our work.
For undergraduates, summer brims with excitement and offers the opportunity to move outside of the classroom, perhaps cutting our scientific teeth in the field or lab for the first time. You try a few different pathways, dipping your toes into forestry or fisheries or physics, exploring the connections between all sciences and getting a first glimpse at what your potential career path may be.
And for those graduating, newly minted with a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD, it’s the time to take your polished skillset and begin the next chapter, meeting head on the challenges that define your chosen professions. This particular summer marks a profound milestone for you, both in terms of what has already been accomplished and those accomplishments that lie ahead.
As this “new year” begins, let’s celebrate our collective triumphs as a College community and embrace what the upcoming summer has to offer each of us. Congratulations again to all of our new graduates and thank you to everyone who makes our College such a spectacular place.
Now get out there and have fun!
Lisa Graumlich Dean, College of the Environment Virginia and Prentice Bloedel Professor
News
Changes to Our Newsletter
We are making some changes to our
e-communications here at the College of the Environment. Starting
with this edition, we are creating two editions of the Insider newsletter: one for faculty, students and staff; and
another for alumni and friends. Our goal is make it even easier for you
to stay informed about the topics you care about in the College. If you have feedback for us or questions
about our e-communications, please contact John Meyer at jjmeyer@uw.edu.
Dean
Graumlich to Lead UW Board of Deans and Chancellors
Lisa Graumlich was elected by her peer Deans and Chancellors to serve as co-chair—along with the Provost—of the Board of Deans and Chancellors (BODC), a group that meets regularly to consider matters related to educational policy and administrative processes, as well as other topics relevant to UW. The BODC can submit recommendations on such matters to the President as it relates to the welfare of the University and the achievement of its objectives through its academic colleges, departments and schools.
Biofuels Group
Meets with Industry Partners
In late May, Rick
Gustafson, Professor of Environmental and Forest Sciences, along with
colleagues from the College of the Environment and College of Engineering, met
on campus with industry partners to discuss research objectives and the path
forward for the commercial use of biofuels. Gustafson and colleagues are using woody biomass to expand what has been
a Midwest-centric biofuels industry into the Pacific Northwest. Funded through a $40M US Department of Agriculture
grant, this research is aimed at catalyzing the commercial production of bio-based
aviation, diesel and gasoline fuels using plantation-grown poplars as
feedstock. To learn more about the
research and biofuels visit the Biofuels and Bioproducts Laboratory website. (photo from Forest Products Society)
A Gift to
Our Graduating Class
In celebration
and recognition of the numerous achievements of the 2013 College of the
Environment graduating class, the College has given a gift of carbon offsets in
their name to protect critical habitats. As directed by popular vote among the graduating students, the 456
metric tons of offset CO2—one metric ton per graduate—will be split between
Carbonfund’s Reforestation & Avoided
Deforestation Projects
and Renewable Energy &
Methane Projects. The College recognizes that our graduates are
the next generation of leaders in environmental science and decision-making, and
we believe this is a contribution that showcases our collective commitment to
the sustainability and well being of our society and our planet. Congratulations to all of our graduates!
Remembering Robert Fleagle, Professor Emeritus of Atmospheric Sciences
Professor Robert Fleagle passed away on April 20, and will be missed greatly by his university colleagues and others that knew him well. His distinguished career spanned 40 years, which included time as the Department of Atmospheric Science’s Chair and as a Senior Fellow in the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean. His work reached beyond the boundaries of UW, chairing the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Atmospheric Sciences and the University Corporation of Atmospheric Research Board of Trustees. He was also President of the American Meteorological Society, and served under President Kennedy in the Office of Science and Technology overseeing atmospheric research in government agencies.
"Bob Fleagle was a Founding Father of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, who helped establish the productive and collegial culture that yielded the excellent international reputation the department now enjoys,” said Greg Hakim, Professor and Chair of Atmospheric Sciences. “In addition to his publications, students, and influential textbook, his legacy includes an endowed lectureship on atmospheric science policy and a fund to support graduate education."
To read more about the life and influence of Professor Fleagle, please visit the College of the Environment website.
Awards & Kudos
Each year, the College of the Environment recognizes
outstanding faculty, students and staff for their efforts. Congratulations to this year’s award
recipients:
- Distinguished Staff Member:
Juan Carlos Chavez, Washington
Space Grant
- Outstanding Teaching Faculty:
Nives
Dolšak, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
- Outstanding Researcher: Trevor
Branch, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Outstanding Community Impact:
Karl
Lang - Student, Earth and Space Sciences; David Fluharty - Faculty, School
of Marine and Environmental Affairs
- Undergraduate Dean's Medalist: Taryn
Black, Earth and Space Sciences
- Graduate Dean's Medalist: Kate
Allstadt, Earth and Space Sciences
The Awards of Excellence honor members of the UW community who exemplify the University’s values with special distinction. Special congratulations go to André Punt, Professor and Chair, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, on receiving one of this year’s Distinguished Teaching Awards.
Congratulations to David Battisti—Professor of Atmospheric Sciences—and numerous others for being awarded the 2013 Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) Sustainability Science Award. Battisti and colleagues’ work, entitled Seeds of Sustainability: Lessons from the Birthplace of the Green Revolution, is recognized by the ESA as a single scholarly contribution published in the last 5 years that represents the greatest contribution to the emerging science of ecosystem and regional sustainability through the integration of ecological and social sciences.
Congratulations
to Ceclia Bitz—Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences—on being awarded the 2013
Ascent Award from the American Geophysical Union. First given in 2012,
the Sciences Ascent Award aims to “reward exceptional mid-career (academic,
government, and private sector) scientists in the fields of the atmospheric and
climate sciences."
As voted by the Faculty Senate,
Rob Wood—Associate Professor of Atmospheric Sciences—was elected to the Senate
Executive Committee for 2013-2014. The SEC sets Faculty Senate agendas, helps the Senate conduct
business per the Faculty Code, and facilitates communication between the
President and the faculty. SEC coordinates with the UW Faculty Councils, recommends
Faculty Senate actions, nominates Council and committee members, and responds
to the concerns of voting faculty members. Congratulations to Rob!
Spotlight
Karl Lang, Graduate Student
Spotlight is an ongoing series that will introduce you to the many
members that make up the College community.
Karl
Lang speaks as if being a geologist was his destiny. “I’ve always been
interested in geology,” says Lang, who as a child was fascinated by rocks and
fossils. He went on to study Geology and Economics at the College of William
and Mary in Virginia and is now a PhD student in the Department of Earth and
Space Sciences at the UW College of the Environment. Drawn by the quality of
faculty, and the strengths of his advisor—Assistant Professor Kate
Huntington—Karl joined the Tectonics and Erosion research group, which applies
novel geochemical tools to understand the complex relationship between erosion
and landscape evolution across the globe. Read more on the College of the Environment website.
For & About Students
College of the Environment Careers and Funding Blog
Are you graduating
this year and looking for a job? Don’t forget about the College of the
Environment Careers and Funding Blog! This easily accessible website lists
current opportunities for jobs, internships, conferences, and funding for
further education in both the Seattle area and from around the world. Look for
new postings every week related to all majors offered by the College of the
Environment. Check out the Careers and Funding Blog today.
College of the Environment Awards 2013-2014 Dean's Office Scholarships
The College is pleased to announce the
following scholarships awarded for 2013-2014:
Del Rio Endowed Environmental Studies Scholarship
The Del Rio Family
Foundation established the Del Rio Endowed Scholarship Fund for Environmental
Studies to encourage and support students with an interest in the environment
who are participating in the Educational
Opportunity Program, which promotes
academic success and graduation for under-represented ethnic minorities,
economically disadvantaged and first generation college students at the
University of Washington. The Foundation hopes that through their studies and
participation in real-world environmental research and problem-solving, students
will broaden their personal horizons to include issues of global concern and
will develop a passion and the skill set for making a difference in the world.
Recipients
(*Denotes continued funding from 2012-2013):
- Aundrea
Lugo Penaloza*, Senior, Bioresource Science and Engineering
- Tara
Wilson*, Junior, Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management
- Burlyn Birkemeier*, Sophomore, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Samantha Mendez*, Sophomore, Pre-
Bioresource Science and Engineering
- Viviana Castillo, incoming 2013
Freshman, Oceanography
Nancy
Wilcox Endowed Scholarship
This scholarship is made possible by the
generosity of former UW Provost Phyllis Wise, who established it to support
students pursuing degrees in the College of the Environment. Dr. Wise
named the endowment in honor and memory of her late sister, Nancy E. Wang
Wilcox, a middle school teacher who tried to develop the minds of young
adolescents using creative and innovative ways of learning. It is this
legacy that inspired Provost Wise to establish this endowment to carry on her
sister’s commitment to helping others achieve their educational goals.
Recipients
(*Denotes continued funding from 2012-2013):
- Hayley
Davidson*, Junior, Environmental Studies
- Brandon
Ringstad*, Junior, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Lilia
Bannister*, Sophomore, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Emily
Richmond*, Freshman, Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource
Management
- Dana
Chapman, incoming 2013 Freshman, Environmental Science and Terrestrial
Resource Management
Clarence H. Campbell Endowed Lauren Donaldson
Scholarship
Clarence H. Campbell established this scholarship in memory of Lauren
"Doc" Donaldson to support students in the Schools of Aquatic &
Fishery Sciences, Marine and Environmental Affairs, and Oceanography. Professor Donaldson earned his MS and his PhD degree from the UW. He
served on the faculty of the School of Fisheries from 1932 until his retirement
in 1973. Doc was a world-renowned expert in development of fish stocks
and trained countless students in freshwater fisheries research and management.
Clarence Campbell, '30, established this fund to recognize Doc's lasting
influence.
Recipients
(*Denotes continued funding from 2012-2013):
- Richard Berg, Graduate
Student, Oceanography
- Juliana Houghton*, Graduate
Student, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Brit Sojka*,
Graduate Student, Marine and Environmental Affairs
- Lauren Brandkamp,
Junior, Oceanography
- Sarah Friedman,
Junior, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Campbell Glass,
Sophomore, Oceanography
- Daniel Geldof,
Freshman, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Zachary
Houghtaling, incoming 2013
Freshman, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Nirupam Nigam, incoming 2013 Freshman, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences / Biology
College of the Environment Scholarship
This scholarship is made
possible by the generosity of many donors. The scholarship was created to
support both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in the
College of the Environment.
Recipients:
- Brooke Cassell, Graduate
Student, Environmental and Forest Sciences
- Elizabeth Phillips, Graduate
Student, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Benjamin Roe,
Graduate Student, Environmental and Forest Sciences
- Anne
Gower, Junior, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
- Jennifer Zech,
Junior, Environmental
Science and Terrestrial Resource Management
- Sierra
Kross, Freshman, Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management
- Natalie
Pollett, incoming 2013 Freshman, Pre-Bioresource Science and Engineering
- Eliot
Shoemaker, incoming 2013 Freshman, Pre-Bioresource Science and Engineering
- Alison
Wang, incoming 2013 Freshman, Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource
Management
Philanthropy: Making a Difference
Private
gifts and grants make all the difference in the lives of our students, faculty,
and programs. The College receives numerous gifts and grants annually from
generous and far-sighted alumni and friends whose philanthropy helps fund
crucial student scholarships and fellowships, critical research, public
outreach and much more. In this, the closing issue of The Insider in the 2012-2013 academic year, we wish to salute and thank every one of our amazing
supporters, be they individuals, corporations, private foundations,
organizations, or community partners. You help ensure that the
College of the Environment—and all of its exceptional schools, departments,
centers and programs—remain and grow as national and global leaders in
education, research and outreach across a broad array of environmental
fields.
For
more information on ways to make a gift, or programs you can support, please
contact Marilyn Montgomery, Assistant Dean for Advancement, at 206-221-0906 or mmmontg@uw.edu.
This Month's Highlights
- The Arboretum Foundation has made an
extraordinarily generous commitment of more than $350,000 to the University of
Washington Botanic Gardens (UWBG) for the coming fiscal year (July 2013-June
2014). This gift is one in a series of remarkable contributions made
by the Arboretum Foundation over many decades, and exemplifies the vital
partnership between the UWBG and the Arboretum Foundation. This
gift will help fund gardeners and arborists working in the Washington Park
Arboretum (WPA), as well as education programs for the community. The WPA is
one of Seattle’s most cherished parks, and the partnership between UWBG, the
Arboretum Foundation, and the City of Seattle ensures that the community will
continue to enjoy its beauty and cultural and educational offerings.
- The ExxonMobil Foundation (EMF) has been
a steadfast supporter of the College, most specifically as a donor of
scholarship support for undergraduate students in the Department of Earth and
Space Sciences (ESS). The Foundation continues to donate critical scholarship
support for ESS students, noting that these students are among the top
graduates in their field nationwide. This scholarship helps ESS
attract a very strong pool of undergraduate majors, and in turn helps provide
these students opportunities to further their careers in the private sector
upon graduation.
This Month's Target Funds
Please consider making a generous annual gift
to any of the funds below, or to the fund of your choice via the UW Foundation:
- UW Botanic Gardens Director's Priorities
Fund: supports the most critical needs for the programs and gardens
within the UW Botanic Gardens, including the Washington Park Arboretum.
- Geology Undergraduate Field Support
Fund: provides financial support for transformational student field
experiences, especially the required Summer Geology Field Camp, by covering
field-work related expenses for undergraduate students.
- College of the Environment –
Environmental Leadership Fund: to be used at the Dean’s discretion
to support innovative education, research and public service programs in the
College of the Environment.
Private Funding Opportunities
Seeking private funding for your project or program? Below
are upcoming corporate and foundation opportunities. If your project fits the
criteria or you have other thoughts on how to engage corporate and foundation
funders please contact Lauren Honaker, Associate Director for Corporate and
Foundation Relations, at 206-685-4423 or lhonaker@uw.edu.
Association
of American Colleges and Universities
Program Description: Campus Engagement, Civic Development Projects Amount: Up to $10,000 Deadline: June 15, 2013 and September 15, 2013
Bringing Theory to Practice Project (BTtoP), an independent
project established by the Association of American Colleges and Universities,
is accepting proposals from universities and colleges in the United States for
projects aimed at promoting the nexus of engaged learning, civic engagement,
and psychosocial well-being among college and university students.
Seminar grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded for projects
that bring together diverse members of the campus community to discuss the
civic mission of the institution and how the full expression of that mission
can be achieved. Proposals will be accepted on a quarterly-deadline system
(June 15, September 15, December 15, and March 15), with awards announced two
weeks after each deadline.
Program Development grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded
to enhance or extend a program that is consistent with BTtoP's objective of
promoting engaged learning, civic engagement, and the psychosocial well-being
of students. Institutional matching support is required for all grants.
Proposals will be accepted on a quarterly-deadline system (same timeline as
above), with awards announced six to eight weeks after each deadline.
To be eligible, U.S. institutions of higher education must
be members of the Association of American Colleges and Universities.
See the Bringing
Theory to Practice website for eligibility and application guidelines.
American
Educational Research Association
Program Description: Research Using Large Scale Data Sets Amount: Up to $35,000 Deadline: September 1, 2013
Grants will be awarded to academics conducting studies of
education policy and practice using quantitative methods, including the
analysis of data from the large-scale data sets. With funding from the National
Science Foundation, the American Educational Research Association has announced
the continuation of the AERA Grants program, which provides small grants and
training for researchers conducting studies of education policy and practice
using quantitative methods, including the analysis of data from the large-scale
data sets sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics and NSF.
For more information or to apply, visit their website.
Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation
Program Description: Pre-Proposals for International Agricultural Research Projects Amount: Range of $200,000 to $500,000 Deadline: September 30, 2013
The
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation is accepting
pre-proposals for agricultural research with the potential to increase the
sustainable productivity of smallholder farmers in developing countries.
Through
its Program for Emerging Agricultural Research Leaders, the foundation will
award grants for projects led by scientists at national agricultural research
institutions and universities in sub-Saharan Africa working in collaboration
with other researchers internationally (either within Africa or beyond the
continent). Priority will be given to projects that have potential
applicability to one or more of the following crop or livestock species: maize,
wheat, rice, millet, sorghum, cassava, sweet potatoes, yams, beans, cowpeas,
chickpeas, groundnuts, banana, chickens, small ruminants (e.g., goats), and
cattle.
Grant
awards will be based on the project's potential for long-term impact to help
smallholder farmers and the innovation of the proposed idea and complementarity
with other initiatives in the same area of research. Projects should have an
estimated budget in the range of $200,000 to $500,000 (including salary
support, which will be allowed at capped rates to be agreed upon with host
institutions if a full proposal is invited) and have a duration of four years
or less.
To
be eligible, applicants must: be an African scientist residing in sub-Saharan
Africa or planning to relocate to sub-Saharan Africa to implement the proposed
project; identify a local host institution; have at a minimum an M.Sc. degree;
and be able to devote at least 70 percent of his or her time to the proposed
project.
Pre-proposals
must be received no later than September 30, 2013. Upon review, selected
applicants will be invited to submit full proposals in December.
See
the Gates
Foundation for eligibility and application guidelines
Save the Date
Awards of Excellence Ceremony
Join the greater UW community on June 13 in the Meany Hall Auditorium from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for this year’s Awards Ceremony. The Awards of Excellence honors members of the UW community who exemplify the University’s values with special distinction. While the first ceremony was held in 1970, the origins of these awards date back to 1938, when the Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus Award was first presented. Since that time, other awards have been added to pay tribute to individuals from across our UW community who have demonstrated exceptional talents, dedication and service. The reception will have light refreshments; reservations are not required.
Seattle Science Festival
On June
15, ScienceOnlineSeattle—a partnership of the College of the Environment,
COMPASS, and the Open Science Federation—will live stream a thought-provoking
event titled Our 11th Hour:
Straight Talk on Climate Change from People Who Know. This will be part of the closing night of the
Seattle Science Festival and feature three TED-style presentations with
world-leading experts on climate change, including Dr. Kevin Trenberth, Dr. Richard
Alley and New York Times journalist Andrew Revkin, followed by an
uplifting 30-minute opera focused on environmental stewardship set in the
Pacific Northwest, Heron and the Salmon Girl,
performed by Seattle Opera and Seattle Opera’s Youth Chorus. Emceed by
Pulitzer- and Polk-prize winning environmental journalist, Usha McFarling. For
more information, visit their website.
2013 Illg Distinguished Lectureship—Friday Harbor
Laboratories
This year’s Distinguished Illg lecture will be delivered by Dr.
Gonzalo Giribet, Harvard University, Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary
Biology and Curator of Invertebrates at the Museum of Comparative Zoology. For more information, visit the Friday Harbor
Laboratories website.
Scientific Lecture Understanding the Animal Tree of Life--from Morphology to
Genomes Wednesday, June 19
at the Friday Harbor Laboratories Commons, 4:00pm
Since the times of Haeckel zoologists have attempted to
understand the composition and the relationships among the animal phyla. While
morphology has played a fundamental role in elucidating these patterns our understanding
of animal phylogeny has changed drastically after the incorporation of
molecular data. The widespread use of large fragments of genomes and
transcriptomes in modern phylogenetic analyses is helping to perfect the
picture of the Tree of Life.
Public Lecture Around the world in search of invertebrates for species
discovery, biogeography and systematics Thursday, June 20
at the San Juan Community Theater, 7:30pm
Invertebrates dominate all the ecosystems on earth and are
perfect models for studying the patterns of distribution of organisms in our
planet. During the past decade I have collected invertebrates in all continents
and all oceans and discovered new species to address biodiversity questions and
to study biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns.
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June 2013
Dean's Letter News Awards & Kudos Spotlight For & About Students Philanthropy Private Funding Save the Date
In the Media
Scientists resolve a 3.5 billion-year-old mystery of life
Rise of 'Altmetrics' revives questions about how to measure impact of research
Whale songs and melting ice: Stories of a changing Arctic
Transportation fuels from woody biomass promising way to reduce emissions
New food exploration community opening in Mercer Court
Amazon River exhales virtually all carbon taken up by rain forest
Scientists excited about new lab at bottom of Pacific Ocean
UW research vessel Clifford A. Barnes marks its 1,000th cruise
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