March 2011
From Dean Graumlich
News
Events
For & About Students
News from Advancement
Kudos
In the Media
Careers
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From Dean Graumlich
I am excited to be starting my first spring quarter as Dean and look forward to meeting even more
members of the College community in the coming months. While I am no doubt influenced by the fact
that I am beginning to see the promise of sunnier days and warmer temperatures, spring is also the time
where we celebrate the successes of our undergraduate students and the transition of our Seniors to life
beyond the University of Washington.
In the College of the Environment, we have just under 1,000 undergraduate majors divided across six
academic departments. In addition to our majors, we reach thousands more undergraduate students
every year through our courses, seminars, and research opportunities.
I was fortunate to be able to participate in several class discussions during winter quarter and was blown
away by the students in the classes I attended. Our students are curious, passionate, and committed to
their education. They come to us from all corners of our State, our nation, and the world with the
expectation that they will have access to the best faculty, curriculum, and learning opportunities
possible.
In addition to my enthusiasm over our student body as a whole, I don’t want us to lose sight of our
students as individuals.
I’d like to introduce you to Ricardo Humphreys, a native of Washington State who is now a junior with a
major in Atmospheric Sciences. Ricardo is a Mexican American transfer student and recently completed
a Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) internship with the National Weather Service. He is also
this year’s recipient of the College’s Nancy Wilcox Endowed Scholarship.
I’d also like you to meet Veronica Tamsitt, a junior from Australia with a major in Oceanography and
minor in Math. Veronica manages to balance the demands of the student-athlete with grace and is an
honors student as well as a rower on the varsity crew team.
Finally, you should also know about Dani Dawson. Dani is another Washington State native who
transferred from Olympic College, where she participated in the Running Start program. She is now a
senior in Earth & Space Sciences and has served admirably as an Undergraduate TA for ESS 101.
Ricardo, Veronica, Dani and their peers have chosen to invest their education in us and it is an honor
and a privilege to work with them to make sure they are have the tools and knowledge that will allow
them to soar when they leave us. With budget cuts looming and world events shifting attention from
events here at home, I invite you to take a moment and celebrate the successes of our undergraduates
with me – their success is our success. And if you happen to see Dani’s poster at the 2011
Undergraduate Research Symposium in May, please make sure to stop and wish her well for her life
after graduation.
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News
COLLEGE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 2011 AWARDS
The College of the Environment is seeking nominations for awards to honor members of our College
community who have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication. For the 2010-2011 year,
nominations are sought for the following awards:
Distinguished Staff Member
Outstanding Teaching Faculty
Outstanding Researcher
Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist
Graduate Dean’s Medalist
Outstanding Community Collaboration
The deadline for nominations for the awards listed above is Wednesday, April 18th, 2010, with the
exception of the Outstanding Community Collaboration Award which has an extended deadline of
Friday, April 29th. In its inaugural year, the Outstanding Community Collaboration Award will be granted
in recognition of a partnership, program, project or team involving one or more College of the
Environment staff, student or faculty, and one or more external community members or organizations,
that models a collaborative and innovative approach to environmental science within the broader
community.
Please click here (http://coenv.washington.edu/admingateway/awards/index.shtml - I still have to
update this in DW) for additional information on award criteria and eligibility.
--------------------UW CAMPUS CERTIFIED AS SALMON-SAFE
The UW’s Seattle campus has become the largest institution in the state to be certified as salmon-safe.
The certification, which was created by the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability,
recognizes the UW’s efforts to protect water quality and salmon habitat. In addition, the UW has agreed
to further reduce its environmental impact over the coming five years. Click here
(http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/salmon-safe-uw-recognized-for-protecting-water-qualitysalmon-habitat) to read the full UW Today story.
--------------------Include Sarah Reichard is new UWBD Director?
--------------------SUMMER FUN FOR OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS
The College of the Environment, the University of Washington, and our partners offer a wide range of
summer activities geared at providing hands-on learning experiences for youth to explore
environmental and earth sciences and have fun at the same time.
UW Botanic Gardens Summer Camp (Ages 6-12) Summer camp at the Washington Park
Arboretum is back and better than ever. Come join us for a week (or two or three!) of fun &
educational adventures in our 230 acre outdoor classroom located in the heart of Seattle.
http://depts.washington.edu/uwbg/education/Youth/summer.shtml
NOAA Science Camp 2011 (7th and 8th grade in fall of 2011) Held at NOAA’s facility at Seattle’s
Sand Point, participants are introduced to earth and ocean sciences and to science careers
through hands-on activities emphasizing solutions to real-world problems.
http://www.wsg.washington.edu/education/events/noaa.html
NOAA Science Camp Junior Leadership Program (9th and 10th grade in fall of 2011) This pilot
program aims to provide hands-on learning experiences in youth leadership, communication
skills, team-building and the opportunity to teach marine science to younger kids.
http://www.wsg.washington.edu/education/events/camp/camp_juniorleadership.html
UW Day Camps for Elementary School Students (1st - 5th grade in fall of 2011) Around the
World in 15 Days, This Planet Rocks, and Animal Tales - Study the wonders of the world, discover
the rocks beneath our feet, and learn about some amazing animals and their tales without ever
leaving the UW Seattle campus.
http://www.summer-camp.uw.edu/all-day/elementary-school/default.asp
--------------------------------Director Ginger Armbrust: Two Truths & A Lie:
Ginger Armbrust (http://www.ocean.washington.edu/people/faculty.jsp?id=3&keywords=armbrust), a
marine microbiologist and the newly appointed Director of the School of Oceanography
[http://www.washington.edu/news/articles/virginia-armbrust-named-director-of-uw-school-ofoceanography], joined the UW in 1996 as an Assistant Professor. She obtained her undergraduate
degree in Human Biology from Stanford University, followed by her Ph.D. in Biological Oceanography
from MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Dr. Armbrust’s research work (http://armbrustlab.ocean.washington.edu/) incorporates molecular
approaches into lab and field studies to address the roles of phytoplankton in marine ecosystems. She
heads the UW Center for Environmental Genomics and co-directs the Pacific Northwest Center for
Human Health and Ocean Studies. A Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Investigator in Marine
Microbiology and a Lowell A. and Frankie L. Wakefield Professor, Dr. Armbrust has been the recipient of
multiple honors and awards including being recognized three times by UW graduate students for
excellent teaching.
(Photo: Dr. Ginger Armbrust)
Two truths and a lie:
1. In her current spare time(?!), Ginger has been plowing through Tolstoy's "War and Peace."
2. Ginger was second runner up in her third grade Double-Dutch jump rope competition at Kinkaid
Elementary School in Houston, Texas
3. Ginger's beloved dog, Sam, graduated with honors from obedience training in 2010.
Click here to find out which are true and which one is not! [please make this an internal link to the
bottom of the newsletter, where the answer can be found]
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EVENTS
“A New Dawn for Solar energy”
Meeting the demand for clean, low-cost energy in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way is one
of the defining issues of our time. Solar power can be a big part of the solution; however, ensuring it is
affordable and scalable requires significant scientific and engineering breakthroughs.
Explore the potential of solar energy and learn how UW researchers are combining basic scientific
research in chemistry and physics with the powerful tools of molecular engineering, advanced materials
and device design to meet this monumental challenge.
The presentation by Deans Ana Mari Cauce (Arts & Sciences) and Matt O’Donnell (Engineering) will be
followed by a panel discussion with:
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Lisa Graumlich, dean of the College of the Environment
Rick LeFaivre, OVP Ventures partner and director of the UW Center for Commercialization New
Ventures
Denis Hayes, Bullitt Foundation president & CEO
Susannah Malarkey, Technology Alliance executive director
Jack Faris, Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute CEO (moderator)
Date: Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
A live webcast of the event will be available on UWTV’s website. Watch the presentation live and submit
your questions for the panelists via Twitter by using the hashtag #newdawn or via email to
uwartsci@uw.edu.
More information available here
(http://engage.washington.edu/site/Calendar?id=102181&view=Detail).
For additional listings of environmentally-related events happening on and off
campus, please visit our calendar of events
(http://myuw.washington.edu/cal/showMain.rdo;jsessionid=720339F7B945F06EB285E126C
9A00AA4.myuw3t2?calendar=coenv). To submit an event for inclusion on the
calendar, please contact coenv@uw.edu
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"Do you take steps to decrease or change your energy usage? Do you consider sustainability an
important part of your life? We want to hear about it! Take our survey here -->>"
(https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/jnfrdvsn/125544)
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FOR AND ABOUT STUDENTS
Student Spotlight: Alex Thomas, Senior
Major: Environmental Science and Resource Management
Minors: Quantitative Science; Music
Department: School of Forest Resources
(Photo: Alex at the TransAlta Centralia Coal Mine collecting field data on the forest reclamation project
last November)
(Photo: Alex in the rain forest is from the Summer of 2009 on a backpacking trip through the Bogachiel
Valley on the Olympic Peninsula)
Senior Alex Thomas from Carnation, Washington, did not travel far geographically to get to the UW, but
did take a long path to becoming a UW student with a major in Environmental Science and Resource
Management (http://www.cfr.washington.edu/academicPrograms/undergrad/index.shtml#majors) and
minors in Music and Quantitative Science. Having played percussion in his middle school band, Alex’s
earliest interests focused on music, so when he dropped out of high school and received his GED at 16,
he soon started attending Seattle Central Community College with a focus on music. His path took
another turn when he dropped out of college and got his first full time job at a fish shop in Pike Place
Market, then worked as a manager at the Pike Place Market Creamery for over two years, all the while
composing and performing music with a local circus, starting a performance art troop, and playing
drums for a children’s theatre.
Of his decision to go back to school in 2007 to study Environmental Science, he says, “It is hard to point
to one thing in particular that pointed me in that direction. I always had a love of the natural world as a
child and enjoyed hiking. I also grew up with a lot of information about environmental degradation.
Around that time I was also learning a lot about the growing sustainability movement.”
Since coming to the UW, he has completed an internship with Sally Brown
(http://www.cfr.washington.edu/SFRPublic/People/FacultyProfile.aspx?PID=68) studying nitrous oxide
emissions from compost and biosolid amended soils. He has also worked with Darlene Zabowski
(http://www.cfr.washington.edu/SFRPublic/People/facultyProfile.aspx?PID=65) doing field work testing
a modified forest reclamation approach at the TransAlta Centralia Coal Mine. Currently, he is working
with Friends of the Cedar River Watershed (http://www.cedarriver.org/) designing his own experiment
on soil amendments and restoration efforts for his senior capstone, and is also beginning work on his
senior thesis with Christian Torgersen
(http://www.cfr.washington.edu/SFRPublic/People/facultyProfile.aspx?PID=59) doing a multivariate
analysis of zooplankton communities and landscape characteristics of lakes and ponds in Mount Rainier
National Park.
Alex won the Charles L. Pack Essay Competition in 2010 with his essay entitled Hidden Providers: Forest
Ecosystem Services of the Pacific Northwest, was awarded the School of Forest Resources Scholarship,
and was appointed as the Undergraduate Student Representative on the College of the Environment
Curriculum Committee. When he’s not immersed in his studies and fieldwork, Alex participates in the
Society for Ecological Restoration University of Washington Student Guild
(http://students.washington.edu/seruw/SER-UW.html) and still finds time to play and record music.
--------------------------Two Graduate Fellowships Available for 2011 Friday Harbor Labs Science Filmmaking Workshop –
Apply Now!
The College of the Environment has a professional development funding opportunity for graduate
students looking for training to communicate science in creative ways with compelling stories and
professional videos.
The College will fund two CoEnv graduate students to participate in the 2011 Friday Harbor Labs (FHL)
Science Filmmaking Workshop April 24 - May 1, 2011. The workshop will help teach participants the
storytelling and technical skills needed to create visual narratives.
The fellowships will cover the cost of the workshop ( $1449), which includes instruction,
accommodation, meals, and some equipment. The fellowship does not include travel to or from the
workshop. For more information on the ScienceFilm training workshops and a sample itinerary, see their
website at http://sciencefilm.org/. No prior experience in video or filmmaking is necessary.
To Apply: Send the following to the College of the Environment Dean’s Office at coenv@uw.edu
(mailto:coenv@uw.edu) by March 31, 2011:
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A short statement about why you want to attend this workshop and how doing so will help you
meet your professional and academic goals;
A brief email of support from your Faculty Advisor;
An unofficial copy of your transcript.
Fellowship recipients must agree to allow the College of the Environment to feature the video projects
created during the workshop (or completed upon return) on the College website and for presentation
other venues.
--------------------------College co-sponsors Sustainable Living Community in new LEED-certified Poplar Hall – Opens Fall
2011!
The College of the Environment is partnering with Housing and Food Services to offer a new residential
community for students interested in sustainability and the environment. Located in the brand new
LEED-certified Poplar Hall (http://www.hfs.washington.edu/housing/Default.aspx?id=1876), the
Sustainable Living Community (http://www.hfs.washington.edu/housing/Default.aspx?id=2243) will
provide the social events, academic support, and opportunities to become involved that are found in all
UW residential communities, while also offering residents the opportunity to explore environmental
impacts and live and learn with other students interested in sustainability.
College of the Environment staff are Campus Partners for this new community and will provide insight
and access to programs and opportunities, including tours of campus and area sustainability resources,
informal gatherings with faculty renowned for their environmental research, and information on how to
“clean green.” Students will have the opportunity to participate in the One Thing Challenge
(http://www.hfs.washington.edu/countmein) and to create a Sustainability Pledge
(http://www.hfs.washington.edu/housing/Default.aspx?id=2261) for their own unique commitment to
sustainable living.
Poplar Hall is situated in the vibrant West Campus community close to classes and The Ave. With the
largest residence hall rooms on campus, Poplar Hall will feature energy- and water-efficient design with
a thermostat in each room, Wi-Fi and Ethernet ports, and an allergy-free community kitchen facility.
Current residents living in the University residence halls system, including Stevens Court have priority
and should apply for housing April 5 - 11. Students in all majors are welcome and can indicate their
interest by selecting the Sustainable Living Community in the Theme Community Preference portion of
the housing application (http://www.hfs.washington.edu/housing/Default.aspx?id=278 ) and
will complete a personal Sustainability Pledge to be eligible.
---------------------------------------Environmental Management Certificate Students Help Launch Zimride
When seven graduate students were asked to develop a behavior-change project to reduce carbon
emissions that aligns with the UW Climate Action Plan (http://f2.washington.edu/oess/uw-climateaction-plan), the result was a new initiative called UW Seattle Zimride.
Students in the Environmental Management Certificate Program must complete a two-quarter Keystone
Project that tackles projects proposed by community partners to address an environmental challenge or
need. The Zimride Keystone Project team (http://www.wix.com/zimtervention/zimtervention) was
made up of seven graduate students from the Evans School of Public Affairs: Kate Curtis, Chris Hoffer,
Chris LaRoche, McKenna Morrigan, Emmett Nelson, Dan Welch, and Lindsey Grad (concurrent degree
with the School of Law). Dr. Karin Frey, Research Associate Professor in Educational Psychology, served
as their faculty advisor. The team decided to focus on transportation as a pathway to reducing carbon
emissions. The result was UW Seattle Zimride, a way for UW commuters to share the seats in their car or
get a ride with classmates or coworkers going the same way. UW Seattle Zimride users can offer or
request rides for commutes, road trips, and events.
UW Commuter Services had been hoping to introduce the service for some time, but lacked the capacity
for a successful launch. In order to ensure a critical mass of UW Zimride users, the team researched
and implemented a community-based social marketing campaign to foster more sustainable
transportation behavior on campus. The team has also applied for and secured funding from the
Campus Sustainability Fund for a campus rideshare coordinator position to continue their efforts even
after their Keystone Project is complete at the end of the Winter Quarter 2011.
-----------------------2011 Bullitt Environmental Fellowship Applications Due April 4
Are you a current graduate student interested in pursuing a leadership position within an environmental
field? If so, you may want to apply to The Bullitt Environmental Fellowship, a two-year, $50,000/year
award for graduate students attending universities located in areas where The Bullitt Foundation
supports efforts to build regional models of a healthy, sustainable environment: Washington, Oregon,
Idaho, western Montana, southern Alaska, and British Columbia.
Offered in memory of longtime Bullitt Foundation Chair, Priscilla Bullitt Collins, the fellowship is awarded
annually to “an outstanding, environmentally knowledgeable graduate student from a community
under-represented in the environmental movement, who has demonstrated exceptional capacity for
leadership as well as scholarship.”
Eligible applicants must first secure a recommendation from a faculty member. Only faculty
recommended applications will be considered. See the Fellowship FAQ for more information on
eligibility.
To apply, download an application online. All completed application packages must be postmarked or
delivered to the Bullitt Foundation office NOT LATER THAN APRIL 4, 2011.
----------------------------------------The College Connects with K-12 and prospective undergraduate students
The College is connecting with K-12 and prospective undergraduate and graduate students regularly in
an effort to attract more outstanding and diverse students to our degree programs.
In January and February 2011, CoEnv staff and faculty hosted information tables, gave presentations, or
coordinated activities and workshops at the following recruitment and outreach events to connect with
students:
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January 20: UW Robinson Center for Young Scholars Freshman Majors Fair – CoEnv
staff gave a presentation on environmental majors to 50 early entrance students.
January 26: UW Green Career Fair – Employers from public, private, and nonprofit
sectors and CoEnv staff interacted with 450 students, mostly undergraduates,
interested in careers in environmental fields.
February 4: SoundCitizens High School Poster Session – Over 100 high school students
presented their independent projects at a poster session attended by UW faculty,
students, and staff, and CoEnv staff gave a presentation on environmental majors.
February 5: Ocean Career Day at the Seattle Aquarium – CoEnv staff hosted an
information table and connected with 300 local K-12 and college students, teachers,
and parents.
February 26: UW Women in Science & Engineering Conference “Two Decades of
Progress in Stride” – CoEnv faculty offered lab tours, and CoEnv staff hosted a table at
the Networking Lunch for over 300 women undergraduates and high school students
who attended the conference.
February 26: Orca Bowl / WA State Ocean Sciences Bowl – Over 100 students from 12
regional high schools participated in this only regional high-school ocean sciences
competition in Washington. CoEnv faculty and staff served as judges and volunteers for
the event.
-------------------------------Two Grants Offered by Xi Sigma Pi
Xi Sigma Pi, the Forestry Honors Society, is offering two research grants of up to $500 for the 2011-2012
academic year. This call is open to all undergraduate and graduate students across all units in the
College of the Environment. Grants will be awarded based on merit and financial need and grant money
must be used for research expenses and/or equipment. Click here
(http://environmentlink.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/research-grant-500-appl-due-325-xi-sigma-pi/ ) for
additional information, noting that the deadline for submissions has been extended to April 1, 2011.
--------------------
News from Advancement
The College is grateful to be the recipient of several outstanding gifts this month. Following are two
wonderful examples:
The University has received three generous gifts from Professor Emeritus in Atmospheric Sciences
Conway Leovy. One of these gifts is directed to the Department of Astrobiology, and one will go to
further endow the Jan and Conway Leovy Endowed Graduate Support Fund in the Department of
Atmospheric Sciences. Prefessor Leovy’s third gift is directed to the College’s Environmental Leadership
Fund and will be used to address the Dean’s highest priorities. Thank you, Professor Leovy, for your
continued support and friendship.
Friday Harbor Laboratories has received a total of $700,000 from the Wendt Family Charitable
Foundation to establish a permanent endowment Research Apprenticeship Program. They have
challenged FHL to raise an additional $700,000 to match their contributions—with the success of
reaching this goal, the Wendts will make an additional financial commitment to the program. The
Research Apprenticeship Program housed at Friday Harbor Laboratories offers an intensive
transformational undergraduate research experience at a critical time in young scientists’ educational
lives.
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IN THE MEDIA
Jody Bourgeois?
Kiki Jenkins, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, has been
writing for the New York Times “Scientist at Work” blog, reporting from Ecuador where she is studying
factors in the cross-cultural adoption of marine conservation technologies like turtle excluder devices
and circle hooks. Dr. Jenkins will be joining the faculty of the School of Marine and Environmental
Affairs in fall of 2011.
To read more on colleagues in the news, click here (http://coenv.washington.edu/news/news.shtml).
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Career
The Makah Tribe (Neah Bay, WA), currently has a position open for a Watershed Scientist. A great
opportunity for a recent graduate, this position is responsible for developing, coordinating, and
implementing habitat research, monitoring, and protection efforts throughout the Makah U&A. It will
also focus on the implementation of the Lake Ozette Sockeye Recovery Plan priority restoration projects
while maintaining and improving the existing streamflow and water quality monitoring network.
Click here (http://www.makah.com/pdfs/watershedsc.pdf) to view the complete position description.
For updates on other career, internship, and volunteer opportunities with an environmental focus, you
can subscribe to the College of the Environment career listserv here
(https://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/coenv_careers). To post to the list, vacancy
announcements can be sent to coenv_careers@uw.edu (mailto:coenv_careers@uw.edu)
KUDOS
Director of Oceanography Ginger Armbrust was elected as a 2011 Fellow of the American Academy of
Microbiology (http://academy.asm.org/index.php/fellows/fellows/fellows-elected-in-2011). Fellows of
the Academy are elected annually through a highly selective, peer-review process, based on their
records of scientific achievement and original contributions that have advanced microbiology.
Professor of Oceanography Steve Emerson has been named a 2011 Geochemistry Fellow
(http://www.geochemsoc.org/awards/geochemicalfellows.htm). In 1996, the Geochemical Society and
The European Association of Geochemistry established the honorary title of Geochemistry Fellow, to be
bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have, over some years, made a major contribution to the
field of geochemistry.
(Two Truths and a Lie Answer)
Check it out Side Bar:
Letter from the UW Foundation Chair featuring the College of the Environment
(https://devar.washington.edu/CommToolkits/Chairs_Corner_Feb_2011.pdf )
The Poetry of the Ocean:
Listen to KUOW reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro interview John Delaney (Director, Ocean Observatory
Instiative) on his mission to blend science and poetry to achieve a deeper understanding of our planet.
(http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=11-P13-00006&segmentID=8)
College of the Environment senior Audrey Djunaedi (Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and Oceanography)
featured in Sharing a Passion for Nature (http://www.washington.edu/giving/features/sharing-apassion-for-nature) for her volunteer work promotion environmental stewardship through youth
outreach.
----------------------------------------------------------Do you know someone who might wish to receive this newsletter? We’d be delighted to add them to
our mailing list. They can do so by going directly to [this link] to subscribe. Thank you!” [Becca, make
this a hyperlink
to: http://coenv.washington.edu/admingateway/communications/newsletter/insider_subscription.php]
.
Include?
- Columns magazine (profile of Cliff Mass; article on local citizen science efforts, including Julia Parrish’s
COASST, Rick Keil’s SoundCitizen, and the UWBG’s Rare Plant Care and Conservation program; and
mention of Cecilia Bitz’s work in an article on “New Hope for Polar Bears.”)
-Prostaff award
-Dog Days, Raven Nights, by SFR Wildlife Professor John Marzluff and Colleen Marzluff has just been
published by Yale University Press and features original linocut illustrations by Evon Zerbetz. It
chronicles the Marzluffs' three-year endeavor, when John was a postdoc at the University of Vermont,
to research a mysterious and often misunderstood bird. The Marzluffs assembled a gigantic aviary,
climbed sentry trees, built bird blinds in the forest, captured and sustained 300 ravens as study subjects,
and endured harsh Maine winters in pursuit of their goal. They also shared the challenges and joys of
raising, training, and racing the sled dogs that assisted them in their work. John’s current research focus
is blending biology, conservation, and anthropology to understand if and how human and animal
cultures have co-evolved. Recent projects include studies of human face recognition among crows and
the effects of urbanization on songbirds in the Seattle area. (Submitted by Cecilia Paul – not sure what
category it should fall under)