The journal Science recently reviewed Scott Montgomery’s book Does Science Need a Global Language?: English and the Future of Research. Montgomery, a lecturer and consulting geologist the UW Jackson School of International Studies, explores in the book the use of English as a “global language” for scientific researchers. Read more at UW Today…
Tag: faculty
‘Future of Ice’ initiative prepares students for leadership in the Arctic
Through the “Future of Ice” Initiative, the University of Washington is leveraging faculty expertise and making new investments to build a pipeline of thinkers, researchers and leaders focused on Arctic regional issues. Eight countries hold territory within the region, but a changing landscape due to rapidly melting sea ice is attracting attention from new international players. With its unique resources and interdisciplinary expertise related to the Arctic, UW is uniquely positioned it to make an impact through teaching, research and collaborative partnerships.
Undergraduates Garrett Knoll and Walter O’Toole and graduate student Erica Escajeda are three of a growing group of UW students preparing for diverse leadership roles in the changing Arctic.
Unique resources
Erica is first-year graduate student conducting thesis research on the Polar Bears of Baffin Island, Canada. UW offers her the opportunity to be mentored by outstanding faculty and participate in specialized research.
“What really drew me to the UW was Dr. Laidre’s research at the Polar Science Center. It’s an incredible resource, and the research is cutting edge.”
Without Dr. Lairdre’s connections in Canada and Greenland, she adds, “I would not be able to travel to the Arctic at all during the course of my master’s research due to funding constraints.”
![Inuktitut language course](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2014/03/06115150/Inuktitut-language-course-Melanie-Eng-via-Jackson-School.jpg)
An English major, Walter is expanding his understanding of the Arctic by studying Inuktitut, an Inuit language spoken in tribal communities in the Canadian Arctic. He and one other student – a Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellow in Inuktitut and aspiring environmental lawyer – study with two instructors, a language expert and a native speaker from Canada.
“Inuktitut is quite different than any other class I’ve taken UW,” he says, “There are only two students, so that makes for a lot of interaction with our professors. It’s mostly done over Skype, which can be spotty at times, but without videoconferencing I wouldn’t even have the opportunity to learn Inuktitut. Both [instructors] are accomplished Inuktitut linguists.”
An interdisciplinary approach
Through UW’s “Future of Ice” course this winter quarter, led by instructors Nadine Fabbi and Eric Steig, Walter, Garrett and Erica are engaging with six Polar region experts, including scientists, political and indigenous leaders and wildlife photographers. Each guest provides a new and different perspective on changes facing northern regions.
“I really like how the class brings in the top people from a variety of fields all having to do with the Polar Regions,” Garrett explains,
“An interdisciplinary perspective is essential to a topic like the Arctic because it involves so many different fields and ways of thinking. You have to have a grasp on all of them in order to understand the whole picture.”
![Erica Escajeda working in Nome, Alaska as a field technician](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2014/03/06115153/EricaEscajeda-Nome-AK-225x300.jpg)
Erica is excited to broaden her knowledge of the political, cultural and scientific issues surrounding the Arctic. “Interdisciplinary courses like the ‘Future of Ice’ instill a deeper sense of collaboration, and hopefully inspire students to think outside of their fields. The lessons I’ve learned from the course are readily connected to my own research and career goals.”
Walter is pursuing the unique Arctic Studies minor jointly offered by the Jackson School of International Studies and the School of Oceanography. The interdisciplinary minor provides cultural, political and scientific perspectives on the rapidly changing region. “[My instructors’] enthusiasm for my studies in Inuktitut is wonderful; they each are incredibly knowledgeable in their fields, and they have been eager to share their knowledge with me, going out of their way to help me expand my awareness of the Arctic.”
Diverse directions
Walter plans to pursue graduate studies in English and make a career teaching and writing. “Through the Arctic Minor, I hope gain understanding of the context in which Arctic and Inuit literatures are created, an understanding that could enable me to teach in those areas.”
![Garret Knoll at Polar Science Weekend](https://uw-s3-cdn.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2014/03/06115146/GarrettKnollPolarSciencewkend-300x200.jpg)
Erica’s career trajectory also points north. She is considering teaching or working as a research scientist and biological consultant on Arctic issues.
An Aquatic & Fisheries science major “hooked on Arctic Studies”, Garrett is using his science training to educate the public about a little known Arctic species, the Greenland shark. For his capstone project, Garrett designed an interactive game that teaches kids about the animal by inviting them to pick out plastic animals they think the shark would eat.
Garrett shared his game at the Pacific Science Center’s Polar Science Weekend. His dedication won’t stop there. “After I graduate I hope to get involved with outreach programs that get kids interested in science by taking them out into the field and showing them the incredible animals that inhabit our world.”
-Sara Stubbs
Cross-cultural study examines kids’ understanding of intellectual property
Children from the US, China and Mexico participated in a recently-published study by University of Washington researcher Kristina Olson and colleagues from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania. The group examined children’s reactions to a video where puppets make their own drawing or copy a friend’s drawing. Despite cultural differences, 5 and 6 year-old children from all three countries viewed negatively the puppet who stole his friend’s idea. Read more at UW Today…
Jackson School professor: ‘Ukraine is a special case’
KUOW’s Ross Reynolds spoke with University of Washington professor Scott Radnitz about anti-government protests in Ukraine. Radnitz directs UW’s Ellison Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies. The country’s population is politically divided, he explained, “…what happens in Ukraine is really going to be very important to the future of Eastern Europe.” Read more and listen…
Polar Science Center observes Greenland’s fast-melting glaciers
In partnership with the German Space Agency, researchers from the UW Polar Science Center observed Greenland’s Jakobshavn Glacier in 2012 and 2013. Their observations capture the glacier moving ice from land into water at the fastest pace ever recorded; results were published in The Cryosphere, an open access journal of the European Geosciences Union. Read more from UW Today…
Head of Baltic Studies authors book on “Singing Revolution”
The University of Washington Press recently published “The Power of Song“, by Guntis Šmidchens, Associate Professor of Scandinavian Studies and head of the UW Baltic Studies Program. Šmidchens’ work examines the use of song in passive resistance movements in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia during Soviet rule. Read more from A&S Perspectives…
UW Bothell professor gives keynote at international marketing conference
Dr. P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan, Professor at UW Bothell School of Business, delivered the keynote address at the International Great Lakes – North American Society for Marketing Education in India (NASMEI) conference in Manamai, India in December. He also facilitated an interactive session on management leadership. Read more…
Studying world’s largest carnivores, scientists call for preservation
Together with colleagues from the US, Australia, Italy, and Sweden, UW’s Dr. Aaron Wirsing recently co-authored a review paper on the world’s largest carnivores. The co-authors examined 31 of the Earth’s largest meat-eaters and highlighted their important ecological roles. Read more from UW Today…
NPR pundit highlights Dept. of Classics ‘War Games’ course
Classics professor Sarah Stroup’s ‘War Games‘ course examines Greek athletic games and Roman gladiatorial battles, proposing that many modern team sports descend from these ancient, winner-takes-all contests. Sports commentator Frank DeFord of NPR interviewed Professor Stroup, and UW football players who took the course, for an opinion piece. Read more and listen…
Global public good? Examining strategies to combat global warming
UW researchers led a three-year project bringing together scholars from diverse disciplines to consider new geoengineering techniques designed to counteract the effects of climate change. Read more from UW Today…