March 15, 2012
News Digest: Nanomedicine’s potential, business-diversity honor, autism events, school-closure politics, ‘green’ nominations due
Lecture explores nanomedicine’s potential to treat cancer
Papyrus writings from 1600 BC describe cancer and attempts at its treatment. Today, centuries later, cancer remains a devastating disease. Given the long history of difficulties in developing cancer therapies, why is there excitement about nanoparticle medicine, or nanomedicines, for fighting cancer?
“Fighting Cancer with Nanoparticle Medicines: The Nanoscale Matters!” is the topic of UW Department of Bioengineerings annual Rushmer Lecture, Friday, March 23, 4:15 p.m. in the Physics/Astronomy Auditorium.
Mark Davis, professor of chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, will present the current understanding of why these engineered, nanosized medicines – highly multifunctional chemical systems – may hold the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment.
Davis lab has taken two nanoparticle cancer therapies from mere laboratory curiosities to experimental therapeutics in human clinical trials. His presentation is the 24th annual Robert F. Rushmer Lecture. A reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. in the north lobby of the Foege Building.
UW business-diversity efforts recognzied
The UW was named “Public Agency of the Year” by the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council, an organization dedicated to expanding business opportunities for minority business enterprises. The UW also received this award in 2008. It was based upon the universitys successful efforts to ensure diversity among those with whom the university does business locally, the organization says. The UW Business Diversity Program leads a campus-wide effort that encourages interaction between minority businesses in the community and potential UW clients.
The UW Autism Center plans public events in April.
UW plans Autism Awareness Month events for public
The UW Autism Center will host a series of community events sharing the latest findings in autisms causes and treatments as well as coping strategies for kids with autism spectrum disorders and their caregivers.
Parents, teachers, therapists and researchers are invited to the free lectures to be held in Seattle and Tacoma throughout April, which is Autism Awareness Month. Free childcare, with advance registration, is available at the Seattle events.
The full schedule is available on the UW Autism Centers website. To register, call 1-877-408-UWAC or email uwautism@uw.edu.
Papers study political, human sides of school closure
Education is a people business. A new working paper series from the UWs Center on Reinventing Public Education takes a close look at the political forces and the human side of policies designed to improve public schools.
The series, “Better Schools through Better Politics: The Human Side of Portfolio School District Reform,” examines initiatives in New York City, Chicago, Denver and Oakland. Its about the politics of closing high schools, but the focus is on the people who carry out reforms and those who are affected by them: students, parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and politicians.
These papers
- Examine the advantages and disadvantages of initiatives that close some schools in order to create new opportunities for students
- Discuss the value of community involvement and how Denver – after a disastrous start – and Oakland turned it to advantage
- Look at how the students, parents and teachers cope with school changes that, however well intended, often cause major disruptions and do not always work to their benefit
For the paper, the center retained Sam Sperry, whose 30-year career in journalism included serving as associate editor of the editorial page for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and who was policy director for Washington state Gov. Gary Locke. Sperry created a cross-district comparison of the school closure experiences in New York, Chicago and Denver, with an emphasis on high schools.
Husky Green Award nominations due March 26
Submit nominations online by March 26 for the Husky Green Award program that recognizes individuals and teams demonstrating outstanding leadership, initiative and dedication to environmental stewardship and sustainability at the UW.
Students, faculty and staff at the Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma campuses are eligible.
The third annual Husky Green Award ceremony will be conducted during HuskyFest at the Earth Day celebration April 20 in Red Square.
