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Archive

January 5, 2006

Notices

Academic opportunities

Participants wanted for Continuums of Service conference

Washington Campus Compact and the Western Region Campus Compact Consortium announce the dates, location, theme, and call for proposals for the Ninth Annual Continuums of Service Conference.

Please join your colleagues April 19-21 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Bellevue, Washington.

Entitled “Engaging Leadership: New Visions, Voices, and Models,” the conference will bring together 500 colleagues from the western region and beyond to explore multiple perspectives on leadership, service-learning, and civic engagement; share program models, research, and best practices; and network with diverse service learning practitioners.

Choose to participate in one or more of the following opportunities:


Leadership for the 21st century requires asking courageous, thoughtful, and inspiring questions rather than grasping the “right” answers to conventional questions. How do we — as faculty members, students, scholars, community partners, educators, and administrators — encourage new models of collaborative, shared, and reciprocal leadership that create and sustain change in our communities and on our campuses?

The 2006 Continuums of Service conference commits to deepening the opportunity for all those engaged in the civic and service learning process to reflect upon and dialogue about leadership roles and responsibilities to address the critical social, educational, and environmental issues we face as a regional, national, and world community. In this light, the conference will explore the following key questions:


  • What are the strengths and limitations in our current understandings of engaged leadership?
  • What are the new models of leadership that transform conventional theory and practice to create change, promote collaboration, and bring hope to students, communities, and the educational process?
  • Who are the bold voices for and what are the innovative visions of new leadership on campuses and in communities?
  • How do we encourage new and diverse leaders to emerge across the field of engagement?
  • What new models of leadership are developing from our responses to current events and crises?

In the end, we hope to renew our individual and collective understandings of the various forms of leadership and how they empower or limit the capacity of service-learning and civic engagement to respond to our most pressing challenges.

The advisory committee invites proposals that address the following:


  • Comparative definitions, theories, and practices of leadership for engagement.
  • Institutional and programmatic change models that promote collaborative, shared, and reciprocal leadership in our communities and on our campuses.
  • New leadership developments and frontiers in engaged scholarship, programs, and curricular designs.

Proposals addressing other aspects of the theme are welcome.

Before beginning the process of developing a proposal, please also review the following information:


All proposals may be submitted on-line at https://www.acadweb.wwu.edu/campcomp/USER/Proposal/proposal.submission.form.I.asp. The deadline for receipt of proposals is Friday, Jan. 13.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss an idea for a proposal, please contact me at 360-650-7554 or julie.muyllaert@wwu.edu.

Pilot project funding available

The Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health (CEEH) is offering pilot project funding in broadly defined areas of “gene-environment interactions.” The CEEH fosters basic and applied research into the molecular and genetic basis for diseases with an environmental etiology. The CEEH is also interested in the Ethical, Legal and Social Issues (ELSI) surrounding the use of genetic information from a public health context. Up to four scientific research projects including an ELSI-related project, will be funded in 2006 for up to $25,000 each. Applications are due on Jan. 30 for funding beginning April 1. For applications materials contact Azure Skye, Program Manager/Administrator, Center for Ecogenetics & Environmental Health via e-mail: azure@u.washington.edu or phone: 206-543-4383, Box 354695. Application information and forms are available at: http://depts.washington.edu/ceeh/index.html.

Other News

Board of Regents Meeting

The University of Washington Board of Regents will hold a regular meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in Petersen Room on the 4th floor of the Allen Library, Seattle campus. The Regents will meet in formal session to take official action on personnel appointments and changes, gifts and grants, contracts and agreements with outside agencies, and other University business.

English Language Courses

The UW English Language Programs (UWELP) offers quarterly online and on-site courses designed primarily for non-native speakers of English.

Convenient online courses are available for UW employees who want to improve their sentence-level grammar and vocabulary in academic, business, or technical writing. All of the courses have online interactive exercises and short assignments to be completed each week. Instructors respond to assignments within two business days, giving detailed one-on-one feedback.

Evening and Saturday on-site courses focus on improving conversational skills, grammar, pronunciation, presentations, and preparation for the TOEFL, TPEIC, and verbal parts of the GRE and GMAT. There are also daytime courses in reading, writing, grammar, speaking, listening, and vocabulary and idioms.

UWELP customizes courses in English for the Workplace. Depending on the needs of your group, courses can be designed for such areas as pronunciation and fluency, assisting clients by telephone, presentation skills and the language of meetings, e-mail communication, and job-specific vocabulary and idioms.

For more information, call 206-543-6242 or e-mail uwelp@u.washington.edu.

Blood drives

Friday, Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Health Sciences Lobby, 3rd Floor C-Wing.

Monday, Jan. 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:45 to 4 p.m. in the HUB, Room 108.

Tuesday, Jan. 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on Stevens Way, across from Lewis Hall.

Thursday, Jan. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:45 to 5:30 p.m. on the north side of Schmitz Hall.

Friday, Jan. 13 from 1 to 3:15 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. in the Terry Hall Lounge.

Friday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 12:45 to 3 p.m. in the Black Room, Ethnic Cultural Center, 3931 Brooklyn Ave.

Legal Notices

Environmental Impact Statement

Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-560 (4) Final Environmental Impact Statement — response to comments and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice that a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Golf Driving Range Improvement Project (2501 NE 45th Street) will not be prepared. The UW, as the SEPA Lead Agency, did not receive any comments critical of the scope or content of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. An updated Fact Sheet for the project, a site plan and the comment letter have been sent to the SEPA mailing list for the project. Copies of this documentation are available – contact Jan Arntz, University of Washington, Capital Projects Office, Box 352205, Seattle, Washington, 98195-2205, or call 206-543-5200.



Anti-kickback, Conflict of Interest and Whistleblower Regulations



Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 52.203-7) require the university to implement procedures designed to prevent and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 (41 USC 51-58). This is published as a reminder of the policies and procedures in place at the UW.





  • Kickback Defined. “Kickback” as defined by FAR means any money, fee commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.


  • Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties.


  • Regulations published by the State Ethics Board and in University rules at http://www.washington.edu/admin/adminpro/APS/47.02.html prohibit the use of university facilities and equipment for personal business use. E-mail and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.


  • Procurement Integrity Provisions. The Procurement Integrity Provisions of Public Law 100-679 (1988) prohibit university employees from offering promises of future employment, business opportunities, money, gratuities or other things of value to federal procurement agents. University employees are precluded from soliciting information about proprietary or source selection information from any federal officer or employee prior to the award of a contract. University employees responsible for a federal contract over $100,000 may be required to certify before the award that they have no information concerning a violation of the procurement integrity provisions.


  • Outside Consulting Work. Faculty and staff are required to receive prior approval from their supervisors before engaging in outside professional work for compensation. See University Handbook Vol. IV, Part V, Chapter 6 and Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/adminpro/APS/47.03.html. University facilities and resources, including computers and e-mail, may not be used in outside work.


  • Internal and Governmental Audits. Internal audits conducted by the university’s Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the office of the State Auditor and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to University procedures.


  • Purchasing Procedures. The Purchasing Department solicits competitive bids for most purchases on behalf of the university. Purchases may not be made by university personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with signature authority and by a Purchasing Department Buyer. Purchasing procedures are described at http://www.washington.edu/admin/purchasing/. No gift or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition. (Revised code of Washington Sections 43.19.1937 and 42.52.140.) The state ethics law also prohibits any state employee from participating in a purchasing transaction that may result in an economic benefit to themselves or to a family member. Check writing and accounting functions are conducted by Payables Administration.

Under the state ethics rules, a University employee who independently contracts with the University for the sale of goods and services may need to receive prior approval from the State Ethics Board.





  • “Whistleblower” Provisions and Protection. University employees may report improper governmental actions to the Office of the State Auditor. To encourage the reporting of improper governmental actions, employees are protected from reprisal or retaliatory action by the provisions of state law. The Whistleblower law is codified in Chapter 42.40 of the Revised Code of Washington. Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions are in the Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/adminpro/APS/47.01.html.


  • Summary of the Provisions and Protections of RCW 42.40.

“Whistleblower Act” chapter 42.40 RCW was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions to the State Auditor’s Office. “Improper governmental action” means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee’s official duties that is:





  • A gross waste of public funds of resources; or


  • violation of federal or state law or rule if the violation is not merely technical or of a minimum nature; or


  • Of substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety.

“Improper governmental action” does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, such as employee grievances and related complaints.


In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the State Auditor’s Office within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.


Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the State Auditor’s Office. Telephone calls are not accepted. Assertions can be reported using the Whistleblower Reporting Form or in a separate letter. In either case, the report should include:





  • A detailed description of the improper governmental action(s);


  • The name of the employee(s) involved;


  • The agency, division and location where the action(s) occurred;


  • When the action(s) occurred;


  • Any other details that may be important for the investigation – witnesses, documents, evidence, etc.;


  • The specific law or regulation that has been violated, if known;


  • The whistleblower’s name, address and phone number.

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.


The Whistleblower Reporting Form is available by contacting the State Auditor’s Office at 543-4196 or through the State Auditor’s Office homepage at http://www.sao.wa.gov.


The Whistleblower Reporting Form or letter should be mailed to: Washington State Auditor’s Office, Attention: State Employee Whistleblower Program, P.O. Box 40031, Olympia, WA 98504-0031


The State Auditor’s Office has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law listed factors to be considered when making this determination. The State Auditor will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within five working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the State Auditor’s Office will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the State Auditor’s Office determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, the head of the employee’s agency and, if necessary, the Attorney General or other appropriate authorities.


The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.


A more detailed summary of the Whistleblower Law is contained in the Administrative Policy Statements at http://www.washington.edu/admin/adminpro/APS/47.01.html. You may call Internal Audit at 206-543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.



Degree Exams



Members of the graduate faculty are invited to attend the following examinations. Chairpersons are denoted in parentheses.


General Examinations





  • Sabiha K. Barot, Neurobiology and Behavior, Ph.D. 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9. Health Sciences Ctr., K-069. (Prof. Ilene Bernstein).


  • Stefan Baums, Asian Languages and Literature, Ph.D. 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. Gowen Hall, M-230. (Prof. Richard Salomon).


  • Carolyn R. Baylor, Speech and Hearing Sciences, Ph.D. 9:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13. Eagleson Hall, 111. (Prof. Tanya Eaide).


  • Johanna I. Eddy, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ph.D. 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Health Sciences Ctr., T-466. (Prof. Nancy Maizels).


  • William A. Felps, Business Administration, Ph.D. 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11. Mackenzie Hall, 367. (Prof. Terence Mitchell).


  • Dustin Michael Frame, Materials Science and Engineering, Ph.D. 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Wilcox Hall, 243. (Prof. Raj Bordia).


  • Ihunnaya Okoro Frederick, Public Health and Community Medicine – Health Services, Ph.D. 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. Health Sciences Ctr., H-670. (Prof. Michelle Williams).


  • Floyd Brian Karp, Bioengineering, Ph.D. 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. Chemistry Bldg., 102. (Prof. Buddy Ratner).


  • Eric A. Machorro, Applied Mathematics, Ph.D. 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. Guggenheim Hall, 408-D. (Prof. Anne Greenbaum).


  • Carolina Mejia, Public Health and Community Medicine – Health Services, Ph.D. 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18. Health Sciences Ctr., H-670. (Prof. Diane Martin).


  • Dana M. Rhule, Psychology, Ph.D. 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 19. Guthrie Annex 1, Conference Room. (Prof. Robert McMahon).


  • Sky Kilo Lani Sjue, Physics, Ph.D. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10. CENPA Conference Room. (Prof. Alejandro Garcia).


  • Jessica D. Torrey, Materials Science and Engineering, Ph.D. 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 13. Wilcox Hall, 243. (Prof. Rajendra Bordia).


  • Ming Yuen Tsu, Music, D.M.A. 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Music Bldg., 206. (Prof. Craig Sheppard).


  • Artemiza Woodgate, Business Administration, Ph.D. 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13. Mackenzie Hall, McCabe Room. (Prof. Paul Malatesta).


  • Pisun Xu, Business Administration, Ph.D. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17. Mackenzie Hall, 367. (Prof. Edward Rice).

Final Examinations





  • Sarah F. Benki, Microbiology, Ph.D. 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12. FHCRC, Pelton Auditorium. “The Relationship Between Female Reproductive Hormones and HIV-1” (Prof. Julie Overbaugh).


  • Alexander Theodore Stein, Neurobiology and Behavior, Ph.D. 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6. Health Sciences Center, CD-150. “Nerve Growth Factor Produces Hyperalgesia Through P13K-dependent Recruitment of TRPV1 Ion Channels” (Prof. Sharona Gordon).


  • Ding Wang, Chemistry, Ph.D. 1:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6. Chemistry Bldg., 239. “Application of Mass Spectrometry in Enzyme Deficiency Assay for Newborn Screening Purpose” (Prof. Michael Gelb).


  • Lei Yang, Electrical Engineering, Ph.D. 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 9. Electrical Engineering Bldg., 303. “VLSI Implementation of Low-Error-Floor Multi-Rate Capacity-Approaching Low-Density Parity-Check Code Decoder” (Profs. Richard Shi and Hui Liu).