May 18, 2006
Etc: Campus News & Notes
TOPS IN TECH: The UW’s Office of Learning Technologies has snagged the Technology Leadership Award given by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium. The award is for the development of the Catalyst WebQ for Research, a suite of 12 Web-based communication and collaboration tools designed for use by anyone with a UW affiliation. Among other things, the tools can be used to build online portfolios, publish Web pages or create surveys. In fact, more than 6,500 Human Subjects research surveys have been developed with WebQ since the software was introduced.
Louis Fox, vice provost for learning technologies, said the award “showcases the accomplishments of a talented Web development team, the Catalyst Group, and their commitment to serving diverse UW stakeholders and communities.” The Northwest Academic Computing Consortium is made up of 30 colleges, universities and other nonprofit organizations in the Pacific Northwest.
HELPING MOTHERS: The UW has been named the 2006 Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington Outstanding Employer. The UW is among six other employers to be acknowledged since 1999 for their leadership and contributions to promoting and supporting breastfeeding as a vital part of the health and development of children and their families. There are seven lactation stations on the UW campus where nursing mothers can use electric pumps provided to express milk for their babies, thus helping them continue to breastfeed after they return to work from maternity leave. See http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits/wellness/lactationsvc.html
The award was presented last week at the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Making Connections for Health Fundraising Luncheon. In receiving it, Randi Shapiro, head of UW Work/Life, said, “At the University of Washington we are in the business of transforming lives, and what better way to support our most valuable resource, our employees, than helping them keep their children healthy by continuing to breastfeed. It makes perfect sense; healthy babies, healthy moms, healthy employees. It’s a win/win.”
HELPING ANNA NICOLE: A law review article by Peter Nicolas, a professor at the UW School of Law, was cited in the May 1 Supreme Court decision finding in favor of former Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith, aka Vickie Lynn Marshall.
In Marshall v Marshall, the Court was unanimous in finding that Smith could pursue her claim to her late husband’s fortune in federal court. The Court reversed the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decision, which had held that the case fell within the probate exception to federal court subject matter jurisdiction. In arriving at that conclusion, the Supreme Court relied in part on Nicolas’ article, “Fighting the Probate Mafia: A Dissection of the Probate Exception to Federal Jurisdiction,” which described the scope of the probate exception to federal court jurisdiction and explained how some federal courts had interpreted it too broadly. The court’s decision can be read at: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/05pdf/04-1544.pdf.
CASE NATIONAL CHAMPS: The UW picked up five national awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The “Power of Ocean” case statement won a gold in Individual Fund-Raising Publications for Linda Maxson, Robyn Ricks, Arthur Nowell, Karen Schmitt, Jean Patterson, Aly Vander Stoep and Theresa Rasmussen. The News & Information’s team of Vince Stricherz, Joel Schwarz and Nancy Gardner won a silver in General News Writing for several news releases. The Alumni Association’s Bryan Daisley and Jill Edinger won a silver in Electronic Media: PSAs and Commercial Spots for the Student Video Campaign, while the alumni magazine, Columns, won a silver in Periodical Staff Writing for External Audiences for Tom Griffin, Eric McHenry and Rob Harrill. The Office of Research won a bronze in Visual Design in Print for Janet Skeels, Jo-Ann Sire, and Maggie Keech for its 2006 calendar. Congratulations to all the winners.
COOKING AGAINST CANCER: UW employee Eric Lenard is one of four chefs who will be donating their culinary talents at the Premier Chefs Dinner May 21 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Proceeds from the dinner benefit the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Lenard, who presides over the kitchen at Eleven-01, will help prepare a five-course dinner that will be paired with Northwest wine. A live auction and a raffle are also part of the evening. For more information or to make a contribution contact Rachel Kaber at rkaber@fhcrc.org, call 206-947-5523 or see www.fhcrc.org/chef.
IDIOT SHIP: You can enjoy the new film Poseidon, but you shouldn’t take it too seriously. That’s the word from William Asher, principal oceanographer at the Applied Physics Lab. Asher was asked by the New York Times if a rogue wave of 150 feet, as depicted in the movie, was possible and if it could capsize a ship. Asher said such a wave wouldn’t turn a ship over because of modern safety systems. In fact, he went on, with modern technology, even a collision with an iceberg a la Titanic was unlikely. “You can’t run your ship into an iceberg anymore, the radar is just too good,” he said. “It would have to be manned by a complete idiot.”
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