April 7, 2005
Etc.: Campus News & Notes
DUE NORTH: Most of us dream of attending conferences in places like Maui, but Adam Schiff, a principal cataloger for the UW Libraries, went to the opposite extreme, attending the Alaska Library Association’s annual conference in Barrow, described as the “northernmost outpost of American civilization.” Schiff said the temperature was a balmy minus 45 when he stepped off the plane, with the wind whipping off the frozen Arctic Ocean. He got to see some caribou while touring, but was disappointed that no polar bears — creatures known to wander into the town of 4,000 — put in an appearance. As for food, Schiff sampled maktak, the local Inuit delicacy consisting of blubber and skin, and reports that it’s an “acquired taste.” Schiff is anxious to return to Barrow in the summer, when the sea ice has melted, the tundra is in full bloom and the sun doesn’t set for 84 days.
POPULAR PAPER: A research paper published by College of Forest Resources Professor Jerry Franklin in 2002 has been recognized by Thomson – ISI as one of the most cited papers in the research area of Environment/Ecology. The article, entitled “Disturbances and Structural Development of Natural Forest Ecosystems with Silvicultural Implications, Using Douglas-Fir Forests as an Example,” was published in Forest Ecology and Management. The paper was recognized as an Emerging Research Front topic in an ESI Special Topics feature for February, 2005.
EXCELLENT ENGINEERING: Allan S. Hoffman, professor of Bioengineering, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his “pioneering work on the medical uses of polymeric materials.” One of four National Academies organizations, NAE’s membership of distinguished engineers advises the government and conducts independent studies.
PARTNERS IN PLANTS: Washington State University Extension honored the UW’s College of Forest Resources on March 2 with its 2005 Partner Award. The award was presented at WSU’s All Extension Conference. The Husky-Cougar partnership has involved a number of long-term collaborations, including the location of WSU Extension Forester Don Hanley on the UW campus, hybrid poplar culture, the Rural Technology Initiative, and WSU’s King County Master Gardner program at the Center for Urban Horticulture.
LEGAL AUTHORITY: The prestigious Council on Foreign Relations, http://www.cfr.org/, which is widely considered the most important international relations think tank in the United States, has chosen Assistant Professor of Law Clark Lombardi as a key resource for questions and background information regarding Islamic law, or sharia, and constitutionalism. Lombardi’s teaching and research at the law school focuses on Islamic law, U.S. and comparative constitutional law and development law.
FORMIDABLE INFORMATICS: Informatics students Andrew Martin and Amelia Lacenski were awarded the best student poster award in the Social Sciences category at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The poster was for their work on the Helpful Help Project, which is funded by the National Science Foundation. They were acknowledged in the March 25 issue of Science and will receive a cash prize.
EARLY BLOOMERS: The Arboretum Foundation’s Early Bloomers sale will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Graham Visitors Center. Admission and parking are free. For information, call 206-543-8800 or go to http://www.arboretumfoundation.org/.
KUDOS: College of Forest Resources Dean Bruce Bare was recently elected a 2005 Fellow in the Society of American Foresters in recognition of outstanding service to forestry and the Society of American Foresters . . . Carolyn Apel, office assistant at Harborview, has a new book out, a humorous and educational children’s book called I Have a Problem . . . Miranda Wecker, who manages the marine program for the UW’s Olympic Natural Resource Center at Willapa Bay, has been named to the Fish and Wildlife Commission by Gov. Christine Gregoire.
