Led by principal investigator Craig Lee, an oceanographer at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory, researchers from around the world are conducting the longest and most extensive effort ever to track the melting of arctic sea ice. Members of the international research team hail from the United States, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and France.
Tag: research
Global index ranks UW startup incubator #1
The New Ventures Facility is a business incubator providing startups critical access to University of Washington facilities and researchers. This year, the New Ventures Facility was ranked #1 among university business incubators by the 2014 University Business Incubators Global Index.
Dhruv Bhatli, the global index’s co-founder, said the New Ventures Facility was selected because it provided “exceptional quality to its clients [and] produced growth companies and high economic impact for the region.”
[VIDEO] Learn more about the New Ventures Facility from UW 360…
Forensic research at UW helping to end illegal ivory trade in Togo
The government of Togo, a small West African country with a dwindling population of elephants, recently sought assistance from Samuel Wasser, Research Professor and Director of the UW Center for Conservation Biology. The Togolese government sought information about ivory thought to be illegal, and Wasser provided a report demonstrating that the ivory samples provided indeed came from illegal sources.
International experts predict that new forensic technologies like the ones used by Wasser will help illuminate origins and pathways of illegal ivory and eventually end the trade altogether.
UW researchers find obesity on the rise worldwide
In a review of over 1,700 studies from 188 countries, researchers from the University of Washington’s Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation found that more than two billion people are now obese worldwide. No country has been able to curb rising obesity rates over the past 30 years.
Study leader and School of Public Health professor Christopher Murray as well as leaders from the World Health Organization and other national and international health agencies have commented on the results.
Read more from the Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation…
Student researchers present at UW Tacoma Global Honors Colloquium
Presenting at last week’s Global Honors Spring Colloquium, Noelle Gichohi started by thanking her mentors and supporters. “I stood in front of the audience and said, ‘I grew up in a village in Kenya, and it took a village to get me here’”. Her ‘colloquium village’ included UW Tacoma professors and librarians, a Highline Community College professor, fellow students and family.
For Noelle and 12 other graduating seniors in UW Tacoma’s Global Honors program, the colloquium was a chance to share and reflect on their capstone research projects. They will now apply their learning as community leaders heading toward jobs and graduate school.
The students presented before audiences of 40 to 60 faculty, staff, community members and fellow students. Diverse in terms of discipline and geography, their projects exemplify UW Tacoma’s emphasis on student-led, use-inspired research.
Inspired by her work with State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Williams during a Legislative Internship, Kristie Weisert’s thesis examines sex trafficking in the U.S. and India. Human trafficking is a pressing issue locally and internationally, and Kristie pointed out Washington state’s efforts to address the problem through new legislation.
Brandon Napenias Oreiro’s research project explores the development of Filipino American identity in the context of a globalized culture. A leader in UW Tacoma’s Filipino American Student Association, Brandon paired his research findings with examples of the group’s efforts to create a sense of identity and community on campus and in the region.
Noelle Gichohi’s research project was inspired by her study abroad to Italy. “We were studying preschools, and I saw that [Italian schools] had kitchens right next to the classrooms and served the kids three-course meals on real plates. It was totally different from the U.S., where my kids went to preschool, and Kenya, where I grew up.”
She began thinking about how place influences the food children are served at school, and how parents’ perceive the healthfulness of school meals. For her thesis, Noelle surveyed Kenyan and U.S. parents about their children’s school meals, and their perceptions of the meals.
“Carrying out a research project and presenting at the colloquium “was enriching for me personally and as a scholar,” Noelle reflects. The experience gave her new confidence about her ideas and ability to communicate. “I won’t be afraid to stand up and give my opinion in the workplace,” she says, “I’ll think, ‘I’ve done Global Honors, I can do anything.’”
During his remarks at the colloquium, UW Tacoma Chancellor Kenyon Chan underscored the local relevance of the students’ research and the urgency of the issues addressed. Echoing Noelle Gichohi’s recognition of her village, Chancellor Chan also emphasized the students’ important roles as leaders – locally and globally.
-Sara Stubbs
Undergraduates present research with global relevance
This Friday, undergraduate researchers, faculty mentors and community members will converge in Mary Gates Hall for the 17th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Over 1,000 undergraduates will present their research work at the event, and many of their projects address pressing global issues.
Here are four exciting examples of globally-relevant undergraduate research projects:
The Role of Root-Zone Oxygen Dynamics in the Intake of Arsenic by Rice Plants, presented by Joe Ellingson, a senior civil engineering major and Mary Gates Scholar
Intimate Partner Violence: An Analysis on Domestic Abuse and Femicide in Italy, presented by Zoraida Arias, a senior majoring in Italian and Law, Societies & Justice and Ronald E. McNair Scholar
A Survey of Late Mesozoic Vertebrate Microfossils from the Blue Nile Gorge, presented by Sam Bottman, a sophomore from Seattle Central Community College, Brandi Agena, a sophomore anthropology major, Marine Lebrec, an Oceanography major and Guanlin Yu a freshman pre-science major
Qualitative Analysis of HIV Stigma in Seattle’s African Born Population, presented by Misghana Andemichael, a senior majoring in biochemistry and Ronald E. McNair Scholar
Undergrad presents global land use research to DC lawmakers
Biology major Mollie Holmberg was one of 60 US undergraduates to present research at last week’s Posters on the Hill event in Washington D.C. Supported by Luke Bergmann from the Department of Geography, Mollie investigates the impact of the global economy on agricultural land worldwide.
International researchers document Clean Air Act’s success
Funded by the National Science Foundation, UW researchers partnered with colleagues from the US and France to document changes in the Greenlandic Ice Sheet since the 1970 passage of the US Clean Air Act.
‘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.”
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 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.”
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…