Dean's Letter
The
state of the planet has been in the news with the release of the 2013 United
Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change assessment report. Not surprisingly, a key finding is that our planet’s frozen landscapes and seascapes
face an uncertain future. This is an issue of global concern because the
glaciers and sea ice at high latitudes are not only crucial sources of fresh
water, habitats for unique species, and home to many diverse cultures, but also
play a key role in the climate system. That is why the College of the
Environment, together with partners across the University of Washington, are
committing new resources to increasing the scientific and public understanding
of the future of polar regions.
Read more of Dean Graumlich’s letter and how the College of the
Environment and partners are putting ideas and research into action on the
College website.
News
College
of the Environment Launches New Website
The College of the Environment is pleased to share
with you our brand new website,
launched in late September. This platform will serve as a conduit for
information related to faculty, students, and staff, and will be a place for
reporting what’s happening broadly in the College. From news items that feature
researchers in our community, to the latest cross-cutting initiatives spearheaded
by leadership, to bringing resources to increase science communication efforts,
our new website will keep you up to speed on the latest at the College of the
Environment.
 Stanley Asah named to White House Panel
Environmental
and Forest Sciences Professor Stanley Asah has been appointed by the White
House to participate as an alternate on an advisory panel for Wildlife
Trafficking. The panel is charged by the
president to develop a national strategy that will combat wildlife trafficking
as part of an executive order, leading not only to better coordination of
government agencies, but also to building capacity with our international
partners to end this illegal trade and corruption.
Read more
about the panel and the problem of wildlife trafficking on the White House
website.
 Washington Center on Ocean Acidification
Included in the recent budget passed by the State of
Washington is the new Washington Center on Ocean Acidification, housed at the
College of the Environment. Terrie
Klinger at the School of Environmental and Marine Affairs and Jan Newton at the
Applied Physics Lab have been appointed as co-directors. The charge of the new center is to help
coordinate research and monitoring of ocean acidification and its effects in
our region specifically.
Read more
about this center on the College website.
 Washington Sea Grant Partners to Restore Puget Sound Shorelines
Puget
Sound has more armor than a medieval arsenal — 600-plus miles of concrete, rock
and timbers, enclosing 26 percent of its shoreline. Quantified local data on
shoreline armoring’s biological effects are in short supply. But armoring has been widely observed to
block natural beach replenishment, contribute to scouring, and choke off
intertidal habitats that are essential nurseries and feeding grounds for salmon
and many other fish species.
Read
more about how Washington Sea Grant partnered with the Bainbridge Island
Land Trust, the State, and the Powell Family to restore 1,800 feet of Puget
Sound shoreline.
Substantial New Funding Brings Programs to the College
College of the Environment reseachers have been successful in recently landing substantial awards to either launch new programs or to continue and leverage previous work. Below are a few recent awards:
- Doris Duke Conservation Scholars: The College of the Environment will oversee a new program
that will increase opportunities for underrepresented students to become
conservation leaders. The Doris Duke
Foundation awarded $1.5 million to launch a program at UW aimed at
connecting youth to the landscapes we are all part of, and ultimately increase
leadership capacity in conservation. Read more about the program on our College website.
- Magnitude 9 Earthquake Scenarios - Probabilistic Modeling, Warnings, Response and Resilience in the Pacific Northwest: This project will bring together a strong interdisciplinary team of researchers spanning the geosciences, mathematics, engineering, and social sciences, as well as members of the public and non-profit sectors, to tackle the problem of earthquake risk reduction in the Pacific Northwest. The goal is to ultimately reduce the catastrophic potential of large earthquakes through advances in prediction, warning, and planning for such events. Funding for this project comes from the National Science Foundation at the level of $3 million.
- Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST): COASST
received $2.7 million from the National Science Foundation to expand its operations. A
citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with
state, tribal and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community
groups, COASST believes citizens of coastal communities are essential
scientific partners in monitoring marine ecosystem health. By collaborating
with citizens, natural resource management agencies and environmental
organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into effective marine
conservation solutions. Read more about this organization on the COASST website.
Welcome to New College Faculty
The College of the Environment is pleased to welcome
several new faculty to our campus, including Edward Allison (School of Marine
and Environmental Affairs), Curtis Deutsch (Oceanography), Alex Gagnon
(Oceanography), and Gordon Holtgrieve (School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences).
 Seattle Mathematics,
Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) has a New Director
Neiri Carrasco is the new Seattle MESA Center Director, which is operated
through the College of the Environment. Neiri has been the Director of
Yakima Valley/Tri-Cities MESA Center for the last four years and under her
leadership, Tri-Cities grew to be the largest K-12 MESA Center in
Washington. Through MESA, students of color and girls achieve their full potential in
mathematics, engineering, and science. MESA students excel in a supportive,
challenging, and fun learning community.
 Tikvah’s Garden
A radiant spirit and friend to many in the College,
Tikvah Weiner of the Program on the Environment lost her battle with cancer
this past September. Everyone who knew Tikvah or worked with her during her five years at the College experienced her incessantly positive attitude, her broad
sunny smile, and her love of life, people and nature. Tikvah’s community of friends
at the University of Washington are inspired by her life to build a garden that
captures her joyful spirit and brings people together in nature. Tikvah’s Garden has been approved by the University and is seeking your support.
Awards & Kudos
 2013
Ecological Society of America Fellowships
Congratulations to
Dean Lisa Graumlich on being named a 2013 Ecological Society of America Fellow,
and to Julian Olden (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences) on being named an Early
Career Fellow. The Ecological Society of
America is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
of scientists aimed at improving communication among ecologists, raising the
public’s level of awareness of the importance of ecological science, and increasing
the resources available for the conduct of ecological science. The ESA also
helps ensure the appropriate use of ecological science in environmental
decision-making by enhancing communication between the ecological community and
policy-makers.
 UW Oceanographers named American Geophysical
Union Fellows
Oceanography professors Allan Devol and Barbara Hickey have been named
fellows of the American Geophysical Union, an international organization that
represents more than 62,000 members in 144 countries. New fellows will be
honored at the annual fall meeting in San Francisco. AGU is a non-profit
organization of scientists whose activities are focused on the
organization and dissemination of scientific information in the geophysical
sciences, which includes atmospheric and ocean sciences.
Bonderman Fellows for 2013-2014
Congratulations
to College
of the Environment undergraduates Nicola Follis (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences)
and Stephanie Morriss (Program on the Environment) on their receipt of the
Bonderman Travel Fellowship.
Read more about this
award and what it entails on the College website.
 Green
Lab Certification
Congratulations
to Bruce Nelson (Dean’s Office and Earth and Space Sciences), Sharon Doty
(Environmental and Forest Sciences) and Jody Deming (Oceanography) for having
their labs certified green.
Read more about what this entails on the
Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability webpage.
Washington
State Book Award
Congratulations
to David Montgomery (Earth and Space Sciences) on being one of six authors to
receive the 2013 Washington State Book Award. The award recognizes his work in The
Rocks Don’t Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah’s Flood.
 Spotlight
Nelson Del Rio, Philanthropist
Spotlight is an ongoing series that
will introduce you to the many members that make up the College
community.
A high
school dropout, Nelson Del Rio came to the UW as a teenager with encouragement from
the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and scholarship support. He graduated magna cum laude (’84) with great distinction in economics three
years after enrolling, then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, became
a Wall Street merger and acquisition attorney, and then moved on to a
successful business career, philanthropy, and to spend time with his family. Del Rio has created the Del Rio Global Citizens Scholarship and the College of
the Environment Del Rio Environment Scholarships to support students in the
UW’s Educational Opportunity Program. Among many
engagements and a broad involvement in the NGO world, Del Rio is a member of
the College’s Dean’s Advisory Board. He is currently the Founder and
President of Emergent Intelligence Solutions, and he and his wife, Suzanne, are
UW Benefactors.
Read more about
Nelson Del Rio and how he connects to the College on our website.
For & About Students
College of the Environment Student Meeting Fund
Autumn 2013 Quarter Deadline: October 31, 2013
The
College of the Environment supports undergraduate, Masters, and PhD students in
furthering their careers, and in particular in connecting students to
networking opportunities afforded by the presentation of their original work in
meeting venues. Read more about what types of support the College
offers for students and the steps required for consideration.
Philanthropy: Making a Difference
Private
gifts and grants make all the difference in the lives of our students, faculty,
and programs. 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, programs
and people—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.
College Private Giving Hits New Record High
The College had its most successful year
in its history, raising just over $12.8 million in gifts and private grants. Here are a few details about our donors and the support they
provide:
- The
College, including the Dean's Office and schools and departments, benefitted
from $5.2M in gifts, and $7.6M in private grants.
- Nearly
2,500 donors contributed private support in the 2013 fiscal year. The largest cohort of
supporters are UW alumni, accounting for approximately 46% of donors, followed
closely by UW friends, at 45%.
- Close
to 90% of gifts/grants are directed towards current use funds; the remaining
10% go towards endowed funds.
- The
College received several gifts and grants of $1 million or more.
We
thank all of our alumni, friends, and community partners who have contributed
to such a successful year and look forward to reporting out to you on the
impact of your support for the benefit of our students, faculty, and programs.
This Month's Highlighted 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:
- College
of the Environment Scholarship Fund: provides scholarships, covering tuition,
books and fees, to qualified undergraduate or graduate students in the College
of the Environment on the basis of academic merit and/or financial need.
- Program
on the Environment Fund: supports the PoE's mission of working collaboratively
across the University to strengthen interdisciplinary environmental education,
research, the University's community of environmental scholars, environmental
information networks, diversity, and undergraduate and graduate community
service.
- Geology Undergraduate Field Support Fund: provides immediate
financial support for transformational student field experiences by covering
field-work related expenses to undergraduates in the Department of Earth and
Space Sciences.
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.
Schlumberger Foundation: 2014-2015
Faculty for the Future Fellowships
Award amount: up to $50,000
Internal
Deadline: by November 15, 2013
Description: Fellowships will be awarded to female
scientists from developing nations to help them pursue advanced graduate
degrees and postdoctoral fellowships in scientific disciplines at leading
universities around the world.
For more information or to apply, visit the foundation’s
website.
SeaWorld
and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund: Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Projects
Award amount: ranging
from $5,000 to $25,000
Internal
Deadline: December 1, 2013
Description: Grants will be awarded in the areas of
species research, animal rescue and rehabilitation, habitat protection, and
conservation education.
For more information or to apply, visit the conservation
fund’s website.
Schmidt
Ocean Institute: Oceanographic Research on RV Falkor in 2016
Award amount: In-Kind
Deadline:
December 6, 2013
Description: Schmidt Ocean Institute invites
Expressions of Interest in collaborative research cruises on R/V Falkor in
2016. The 2015 research cruise planning
process is in progress, and we anticipate that the R/V Falkor will be operating
in the Western Pacific Ocean in 2015.
The target region of scientific operations for 2016 will be determined
based on the review of the Expressions of Interest received in response to this
call.
For more information or to apply, visit the institute’s
website.
Mountaineers
Foundation: Projects to Research and Conserve Pacific Northwest Wilderness
Award amount: Up to
$5,000
Deadline:
February 1, 2014
Description: Grants will be awarded to
organizations and agencies working to preserve the natural beauty and
ecological integrity of the Pacific Northwest.
For more information or to apply, visit the foundation’s website.
X
PRIZE Foundation: Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE
Award amount: $1,000,000
(two separate awards)
Deadline:
March 2014, teams
must be registered
Description: The competition aims to catalyze the
development of accurate and affordable pH sensors that can transform the study
of ocean acidification caused by the rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide.
For more information
or to apply, visit the foundation’s website.
Save the Date
 2013 UW Sustainability Summit
The
UW Sustainability Summit—held this year on October
23—celebrates the University’s leadership and accomplishments in
environmental stewardship and sustainability. It provides the opportunity for
students, faculty, and staff to find ways to get involved with sustainability
on campus, and to learn about the Campus Sustainability Fund, the
UW Climate Action Plan, and how our community partners play a role in helping
UW remain a continued leader in sustainability. With a variety of activities,
something is sure to spark your interest. College of the Environment Dean, Lisa Graumlich, will be on a panel discussing climate change.
Read more
on the UW Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability website.
Meet, Greet, Teach
Join
us from 5:00-6:30pm October 29 in
Wallace Hall for the next Meet, Greet, Teach entitled Inclusion or Exclusion? Where is Diversity in Science? Panelists
include Thomas Ackerman,
Professor, Atmospheric Sciences and Director, Joint Institute for the Study of
the Atmosphere and Ocean, Sapna Cheryan,
Assistant Professor, Psychology, and Kerry
Naish, Associate Professor, Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. Register
online for this free event.
Meet, Greet, Teach is an evening series
offering graduate students, postdocs, staff and faculty with an interest in
engaging in artful, interactive, innovative teaching a chance to interact with
colleagues from across campus who are willing to share their enthusiasm and
experience.
Climate Change
and the Bottom Line
How are our local businesses responding to
the realities of climate change? On October 31, Sustainable Seattle will host a conference
on UW campus that explores this question. Amy Snover, the College's Assistant
Dean for Outreach, will speak to the work that the Climate Impacts Group does
to help businesses adapt to climate change.
Read
more about this event on the Sustainable Seattle website.
John
Marzluff to speak at TEDxRainier
Environmental and Forest Sciences professor John
Marzluff will speak at the TEDxRainier on November 4.
An expert on crow and raven behavior, Marzluff will speak at this independently
produced TED event, which is meant to showcase the incredible talent present in
our community.
Read more
about this event and purchase tickets on the TEDxRainier website.
W
Day and Love Purple Raise Gold
On October 25, come celebrate the UW’s 152nd
birthday and keep the purple and gold tradition going strong by giving back.
Join your fellow Huskies on campus, online and in the community for W Day. You
can also help the UW reach the goal of 1,152 donors with a gift to any fund
during our 48-hour online giving event, Love Purple, Raise Gold. Whether you
give $5 or $152, don’t miss out on this chance to join in, make an impact and
show your love for UW.
Read more about W Day
and the Love Purple, Raise Gold on the UW’s website.
UW
Research Featured in Artwork
Mark
your calendars to see the Mt. Waddington
Reliquary, a sculpture and sound installation by artist Anna McKee, with
sound artist Steve Peters. UW’s research is heavily featured through Anna’s
work, who has accompanied College scientists in the field in British Columbia,
and was an artist in residence in Antarctica. Her work is on display at the Francine
Seders Gallery from
October 11 to November 2.
Recipe for Tomorrow – Climate Change and
the Future of Food
Join
Washington Sea Grant and numerous partners for a one-day symposium entitled Recipe for
Tomorrow--Climate Change and the Future of Food on October
31 in Bellingham.
The symposium will bring together local and regional experts and
stakeholders to explore how the climate
in the Pacific Northwest is changing, and the challenges and opportunities for
the marine and land-based food systems we rely on for our health, economic,
environmental, and cultural well-being that come with it.
Read more about
this event and register on the event website.
Don’t forget the many on-going
series of seminars of interest to researchers and laypersons alike happening
throughout the College and elsewhere, like the Environmental and Forest
Sciences Seminar Series, the Wildlife Seminar Series, and the Freshwater Series
– you can stay current through our events calendar or by
subscribing to our weekly events bulletin here.
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