Skip to main content Skip to footer unit links
  • UW Home
  • Directories
  • Maps
  • Intranet
  • News
  • Make a Gift

College of the Environment UW College of the Environment Logo

  • About
    • Dean’s Office
      • Dean Maya Tolstoy
      • Executive Committee
      • Dean’s Office Staff
    • Strategic Planning
      • Autumn 2022 Town Hall and draft framework
      • Timeline and process
    • Quick Facts
    • Core Units
    • Our Facilities
      • Reimagining Anderson Hall
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
      • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force
      • Bias Incident, Non-Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Resources
      • Climate Justice and Sustainability
      • Knowledge, Community & Action
      • Tools and Additional Resources
      • Data and Reports
    • Awards and Honors
    • Jobs
      • UW College of the Environment Science Communications Fellowship
    • Contact Us
  • Research
    • Major Initiatives
      • Ocean Health
      • EarthLab
      • Climate Change
      • Polar Regions
      • Freshwater
      • Natural Hazards
      • Conservation
    • Research Units
    • Field Stations
    • Fleet
    • Postdoctoral Scholars
      • Meet Our Postdocs
      • Postdoc Career Resources
      • Postdoc Discipline and Demographic Data
      • Postdoc Resources
      • Open Postdoc Positions
    • Science Communication and Outreach
      • Amplify
      • Resources
      • Training, Fellowships, Coaching and Courses
    • Get Involved
  • Students
    • Meet Our Students
      • Undergraduate Ambassadors
      • Graduate Student Profiles
      • Student Advisory Council
    • Future Undergrads
      • Connect
      • Prepare
      • Visit
      • Apply
    • Future Graduate Students
      • Prepare and Apply
      • Graduate Student Discipline and Demographic Data
    • Current Students
      • Scholarships and Funding
      • Student Support
      • Diversity Resources
      • Graduate Student Professional Development
      • Identity, Belonging and Inquiry in Science (IBIS) Program
      • Get Involved
      • Research University Alliance (RUA)
    • Degrees and Courses
      • Undergraduate Degrees and Minors
      • Undergraduate Courses
      • Graduate Degrees
      • Science Communication Courses
    • Environmental Jobs
      • For Employers
      • UW Environmental Career Fair
      • Tips for Job/Internship Seekers
  • Alumni and Community
    • Giving to the College
      • Give Now
      • How to Give
      • Support a Cause
      • The President’s Circle
      • Our Advancement Team
    • Calendar and Events
      • The Doug Walker Lecture Series
    • Visit and Explore
    • Alumni
    • Volunteer
    • Headlines Newsletter
  • Faculty
  • News

    May 2018

    Feature Story

    Share
    May 30, 2018
    • College of the Environment

    Dean’s letter: When our progress feels glacial — Reflections on diversity and inclusion

    UW Environment Dean Lisa J. Graumlich
    UW Environment Dean Lisa J. Graumlich

    As Dean, this is the joyous time of year when we honor the achievements of our faculty, staff and students and confer degrees on our proud graduates. And then, as this season of ceremonies, champagne and cupcakes winds down, I will pause to take stock of our progress on our most important priorities. Here’s what’s weighing on my mind.

    Throughout higher education, marginalized scholars continue to experience microaggressions and discrimination at all stages of their academic paths, from student to job candidate to faculty member. The UW and the College are not exceptions.

    In reflecting on this, I want to acknowledge that anything I write here has been said before, and better, by people of color in higher education.

    I know that I am part of a larger UW leadership that is committed to equity and inclusion. I also know that the lived experience of our community members shows we have a very long way to go. We are moving at a glacial pace despite the fact that the urgency is real and should be felt by every member of our community, particularly those who are in positions to change systems—people like myself who are administrators and/or tenured faculty members. With each passing year the stakes are higher and the toll is greater.

    Consider the inequitable burdens of intellectual and emotional labor placed on marginalized and underrepresented members of our community. Some examples come to my mind:

    • People of color: expectations around recruiting other people of color, serving on diversity committees, being viewed as speaking ‘on behalf of’ entire racial groups, carrying the trust and pain of students of color, the toll of constant code-switching
    • White women and women of color: fewer opportunities for professional growth and advancement, incidents of harassment and assault, feeling of being alone and having one’s career jeopardized by speaking out
    • Marginalized scholars: too often they find themselves in a double bind. We congratulate ourselves as we recruit a more diverse faculty while loading a heavy and often conflicting set of expectations on these scholars. Of course, we expect they will be engaged colleagues, but what happens when the engagement is labeled as “too much activism,” taking time away from doing “real” academic work? What message, in turn, does that send to students—our future faculty and staff members—who share similar experiences and backgrounds?

    This inequitable labor can make it possible for administrators to avoid holding themselves and institutions accountable for real systemic transformation.

    Incoming generations of students will be majority people of color. Even our College’s traditionally white, male-dominated fields will see more and more white women and people of color. I fully imagine that our programs will embrace these shifts and we will be champions for diverse ways of learning and knowing, which will strengthen our work and expand possibilities for discovery.  However, we aren’t fully there yet; we are still too near the start for me to see the finish line.

    We’re in this together. I thank the College Diversity Committee for their work this year in prioritizing actions that reflect our Culture Study as well as their own experiences. We will be acting on these priorities while keeping an eye on emerging challenges and opportunities. Our earth science colleagues can point to times and places where glacial change has accelerated, reshaping landscapes in its wake. That’s what I look forward to, knowing that to do this we must all move forward together. Participating in this work isn’t optional.

     

     

    Lisa J. Graumlich
    Dean, College of the Environment
    Mary Laird Wood Professor

    UW Environment Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Homepage »

    Read More

    More News

    Share
    May 4, 2018
    • Conservation
    • Ecology

    Expanding field-based learning opportunities

    A group of about 30 students in hiking gear pose with their professor in the snow at the top of a Cascade mountain peak
    Professor Hinckley’s lifetime of learning After leading countless field trips, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences Professor Emeritus Tom Hinckley still learns something new every time he enters the forest. “When you learn to see all the parts of an ecosystem, you become more comfortable walking into a forest. You know the context, the history, the stories.  Read More
    Share
    May 30, 2018
    • Ecology
    • Extreme Environments
    • Genetics/Genomics

    Broccoli in space: How probiotics could help grow veggies in microgravity

    A new experiment will test whether microbes can help broccoli grow better in challenging conditions in space.
    Deborah Rigg
    A new experiment will test whether microbes can help broccoli grow better in challenging conditions in space.

    Astronauts at the International Space Station are spending more time away from Earth, but they still need their daily serving of vegetables. In the quest to find a viable way for crew to grow their own veggies while orbiting, student researchers are sending broccoli seeds coated with a healthy dose of probiotics to space.

    Six broccoli seeds are aboard the Orbital ATK Cygnus spacecraft that launched last week from Wallops Island, Virginia, as part of a space station cargo resupply mission. Three of the seeds are traveling to space as is, while the other three are coated with two different species of bacteria, developed at the UW, that can live inside crop plants and improve their growth. These “beneficial” microbes, also called endophytes, may help plants grow better in extreme low-gravity environments, and in places where nutrients or water could be lacking. The goal is to learn how to grow vegetables in the challenging, microgravity conditions of the space station — and eventually on the moon and Mars — as human space exploration expands.

    “It would be ideal if we could grow crops for astronauts at the space station or who are lunar- or Mars-based without needing to ship potting mix or fertilizer,” said Sharon Doty, a plant microbiologist and professor in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences who isolated and characterized the microbes used in this experiment.

    Watch the May 21, 2018, launch

    Read more at UW Today »

    Read More

    Share
    May 18, 2018
    • Extreme Environments
    • Geophysical Sciences
    • Natural Hazards

    Q&A with UW Environment volcano and magma expert George Bergantz

    Atmospheric Sciences' George Bergantz
    Earth and Space Sciences’ George Bergantz

    The University of Washington’s College of the Environment and its faculty members are no strangers to ground-breaking and important research on volcanoes and magma—from a land-sea experiment tracking earthquakes and volcanoes along the Alaska Peninsula to publishing an atlas of seafloor volcanoes and deep-ocean life.

    George Bergantz, a professor in the College’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences, is a geologist who studies the physics of magma. As part of the physical petrology group at UW, he uses a diverse set of tools—numerical modeling, lab experiments and fieldwork—to study volcanoes. In recent years, he and his team were the first to simulate the individual crystals’ movement in magma chambers to better understand the motion of the magma and buildup of pressure.

    Coinciding with the anniversary of the devastating 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption that killed 57 people and as Kilauea ash clouds threaten Hawaii’s Big Island, we caught up with George to see how both events have informed and will continue to inform the study of volcanoes and how we prepare and respond to them.

    Where were you when Mount St. Helens erupted?

    “I was an undergraduate at the Mackay School of Mines at the University of Nevada, Reno when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980. I was a faculty member here when it erupted again in 2004.”

    What did you and other volcanologists learn from the event itself?

    “The lessons from 1980 were many and are ongoing! Perhaps one of the most central and lasting lessons was about the lateral blast that blew out the side of the volcano northward, forming the horseshoe crater. In 1980 the hazard from a process like this was not adequately anticipated and with tragic results. After the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, these kinds of things, called a “sector collapse” were recognized as a common process at volcanoes like Mount St. Helens worldwide. Other lessons pertain to the importance of having a decision-making protocol in place at the start of unrest, to adequately inform the public and guide multi-agency decision making. Lastly, the importance and utility of geophysical monitoring techniques such as volcano seismology and ground deformation were demonstrated.”

    What scientific insight have you gained from studying the volcano in the years since its eruption?

    “I don’t work specifically on Mount St. Helens—my research interests pertain mostly to understanding the “architecture” or plumbing systems that produce volcanoes like Mount St. Helens. Active volcanoes don’t reveal much about the inner workings, so it can be hard to interpret and understand the complex geological and geophysical signals of unrest. Hence I have worked primarily on older volcanoes where erosion and geological tilting has revealed a significant portion of what is actually underneath an active volcano. From this, we have learned where in the Earth’s crust the most significant chemical changes take place and the timescales involved. For example, a volcano like Mount St. Helens is part of a process that can completely form and rebuild the Earth’s crust below it in less than 4 million years. That’s rapid geologically speaking!”

    UW doctoral student Jillian Schleicher and UW professor of Earth and space sciences George Bergantz with a Mauna Loa basalt samples they will compare with the simulation results.
    Dennis Wise/UW
    Jillian Schleicher, former UW doctoral student and post-doctoral scholar, and UW professor of Earth and space sciences George Bergantz with a Mauna Loa basalt samples they will compare with the simulation results.

    With volcanos in the news here and in Hawaii, are there key lessons from science for policymakers and communities who want to be prepared for future volcanic events?

    “One guidepost in volcanic hazard assessment is that the eruptive history of a volcano is a reasonable expression of what it might do in the future. To that end, every volcano should be as completely mapped and dated as possible, to develop a portfolio of possible eruptive behavior so that land managers and public officials have something to work from at the start of volcanic unrest. Secondly, geophysical monitoring like seismology and deformation, are essential tools to get a warning as to the movement of magma in the crust. In terms of having some personal resilience, having a 72-hour “survival kit” with adequate water and supplies for the family is a practical way to provide for any natural disaster. And lastly, heed the advice of the authorities, especially the spokespeople at the USGS where there is a staff of trained volcanic hazard professionals.”

    To dive deeper into George Bergantz’s research on volcanoes, their plumbing and magma, see also:

    • KING 5: “Hawaii volcano could erupt just like Mount St. Helens in 2004“
    • Q13 FOX: “Could Hawaii’s lava flows happen in volcano-rich Washington state?“
    • Seattle P-I: “As Hawaii deals with a volcanic eruption, where are the peaks in Washington state?“
    • NBC News: “Satellite photos show Hawaii volcano leaking lava, toxic gas“
    • The Western Journal: “Hawaii Eruption Has Some Experts Worried About US West Coast“

    Read More

    Share
    May 16, 2018
    • Climate
    • Ecology
    • Natural Hazards

    Forest loss in one part of US can harm trees on the opposite coast

    This August 2016 aerial photo of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California shows widespread tree loss. The new study shows changes here can affect plant growth across the country.
    U.S. Forest Service
    This August 2016 aerial photo of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California shows widespread tree loss. The new study shows changes here can affect plant growth across the country.

    Large swaths of U.S. forests are vulnerable to drought, forest fires and disease. Many local impacts of forest loss are well known: drier soils, stronger winds, increased erosion, and loss of shade and habitat. But if a whole forest disappears, new research shows, this has ricocheting effects in the atmosphere that can affect vegetation on the other side of the country.

    A University of Washington-led study published May 16 in Environmental Research Letters shows that forest die-offs in specific regions of the United States can influence plant growth in other parts of the country. The largest impacts seen were from losing forest cover in California, a region that is currently experiencing dramatic tree mortality.

    “These smaller areas of forest can have continental-scale impacts, and we really need to be considering this when we’re thinking about ecological changes,” said first author Abigail Swann, a UW assistant professor of atmospheric sciences and biology.

    Read more at UW Today »

    Read More

    Share
    May 14, 2018
    • Marine Science

    New UW vessel, RV Rachel Carson, will explore regional waters

    The RV Rachel Carson is a 72-foot vessel built for fisheries research in Scotland. It will carry UW students and researchers on regional trips out to sea.
    Dennis Wise/University of Washington
    The RV Rachel Carson is a 72-foot vessel built for fisheries research in Scotland. It will carry UW students and researchers on regional trips out to sea.

    The University of Washington’s School of Oceanography has a new member of its fleet. After revamping its global-class research vessel earlier this year, it now also has a new ship that will allow UW researchers and students to explore waters in Puget Sound and nearby coasts.

    The RV Rachel Carson was built as a fisheries research vessel in Scotland in 2003, and the UW acquired it in 2017 and had it shipped to Seattle last winter. It completed its first science voyage in early April, and is expected to officially join the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System fleet this summer.

    “With its significantly greater capabilities, the Rachel Carson really expands our ability to take more scientists and students to sea, to provide better hands-on instruction, and to conduct a much wider portfolio of oceanographic science,” said Douglas Russell, the UW’s manager of marine operations.

    Read more at UW Today »

    Read More

    Share
    May 29, 2018
    • Climate
    • Extreme Environments
    • Geophysical Sciences

    A promising target in the quest for a 1-million-year-old Antarctic ice core

    Laura Kehrl on a hike near McMurdo Station while waiting for a flight to the Allan Hills area.
    Nicole Spaulding/University of Maine
    Laura Kehrl on a hike near McMurdo Station while waiting for a flight to the Allan Hills area.

    Ice cores offer a window into the history of Earth’s climate. Layers of ice reveal past temperatures, and gases trapped in bubbles reveal past atmospheric composition. The oldest continuous ice core so far comes from Dome C in East Antarctica and extends back 800,000 years.

    But a tantalizing clue recently offered the possibility to go back even further. A collaborative study between the University of Washington and the University of Maine now pinpoints a location where an entire million years of undisturbed ice might be preserved intact.

    “There’s a strong desire to push back the date of the oldest ice core record, to better understand what drives natural climate changes,” said Laura Kehrl, a UW doctoral student in Earth and space sciences and corresponding author of a recent paper in Geophysical Research Letters. “The Allan Hills has been an area of interest since the 1970s, when scientists started finding lunar and Martian meteorites that had struck Earth long ago. Now we’re discovering its potential for old ice.”

    Read more at UW Today »

    Read More

    Events

    Calendar Icon

    June 12, 2018

    Humans and their Effects on Coral Reefs

    Calendar Icon

    June 19, 2018

    A Closer Look: Plants of the Arboretum Loop Trail

    Calendar Icon Check out our calendar for more events

    News From Around the College

    • SAFS Centennial Stories, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
    • Staff Spotlight: Stacy Kinsell, Botanic Gardens
    • Public outcry propels NPS to rethink fee increases, Marine and Environmental Affairs
    • Check out the Simply Science series, Marine and Environmental Affairs
    • Q&A with graduate student Colin Bowser, Marine and Environmental Affairs
    • A speakers bureau for local, worker-centric climate caucus, Program on Climate Change
    • Frieda Cohan and Beth Wheat honored at 2018 Husky Green Awards, Program on the Environment
    • 2018 Hall Conservation Genetics Research Fund winners announced, UW Environment
    • Congrats to 2017-2018 UW Environment College award winners, UW Environment
    • Two UW Environment undergrads receive Udall scholarships, UW Environment
    • UW Environment announces 2018-2019 dean’s office scholarship recipients, UW Environment
    • UW Environment student Frieda Luoma-Cohan awarded 2018 Bonderman Travel Fellowship, UW Environment
    • Q&A: Washington Sea Grant's Penny Dalton a leader, mentor in ocean policy field, Washington Sea Grant

    Stay Connected

    More news from the
    College of the Environment

    Sign up to receive
    UW Headlines monthly


    • Headlines Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Newsletter
    • Feed
    College of the Environment Logo

    College of the Environment

    1492 NE Boat St., Seattle, WA 98105

    coenv@uw.edu

    • Intranet
    • News

    Staff Login

    • Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
    • Atmospheric Sciences
    • Center for Quantitative Science
    • Climate Impacts Group
    • Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, & Ecosystem Studies
    • EarthLab
    • Earth and Space Sciences
    • Environmental and Forest Sciences
    • Friday Harbor Laboratories
    • Marine and Environmental Affairs
    • Marine Biology
    • Oceanography
    • Program on Climate Change
    • Program on the Environment
    • Quaternary Research Center
    • UW Botanic Gardens
    • Washington Sea Grant
    University of Washington
    University of Washington - Be Boundless for Washington for the WorldBe Boundless - For Washington For the World

    © 2023 University of Washington

    • Privacy
    • Terms
    • GDPR
    • Link Policy