Archive

September 24, 2004

Mount St. Helens hit by swarm of small earthquakes

The following statement was issued today by the U.

September 23, 2004

Americans had strong need for spiritual support following 9/11 attacks

Americans had a strong need for spiritual support and a positive outlook in coping with the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, according to a new study conducted by University of Washington and University of Michigan researchers.

September 22, 2004

‘Come Together Washington’ October 15

WHAT: A celebration of the contributions of our community and University of Washington students faculty and staff in support of our society, our region and our world.

September 20, 2004

Free public forum to present balanced analysis of stem cell issues

There will be a free educational forum with nationally recognized experts to explain current issues in stem cell research and policy at 7 p.

September 18, 2004

UW included among national sites to perform 1918 influenza research

University of Washington researchers will be taking part in a multi-site project examining a portion of the genome of the strain of influenza responsible for the “Spanish Flu” outbreak in 1918.

September 16, 2004

Volunteers needed for borderline personality disorder treatment studies

Volunteers needed for borderline personality disorder treatment studies

More than 60 Puget Sound residents with borderline personality disorder, a serious but treatable psychiatric condition, are needed as volunteers for two studies at the University of Washington designed to refine a therapeutic treatment for the disorder.

September 15, 2004

Oceanographers seek to better understand ferocity of hurricanes like Frances

Five floats loaded with instruments and deployed in the path of the eye of hurricane Frances have transmitted data that may help scientists better understand ocean conditions that put a damper on tropical storms and those that pour on the gas.

UW chemical engineering celebrates 100 years of life-changing innovations

The next time you change junior’s diaper, think of the University of Washington’s Department of Chemical Engineering as you conveniently toss the soiled article in the trash.

September 14, 2004

Work together, live apart: Study shows racial divide in America’s cities

Using previously unavailable census data, a team of geographers has found that residents of one of America’s largest metropolitan areas are far less racially and ethnically segregated at work than they are in their home neighborhoods, confirming what social scientists have long suspected but could not verify.

September 13, 2004

Injuries due to mismatch crashes support need for vehicle redesign

While the number of fatalities resulting from crashes between passenger vehicles decreased steadily between 1980 and 1998, there has been an increase in fatalities resulting from collisions between passenger vehicles and light trucks, a category that includes sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks and vans.

Sugar-coated sea urchin eggs could have sweet implications for human fertility

For many years scientists have believed they understood how closely related species that occupy the same regions of the ocean were kept from interbreeding.

September 10, 2004

UW launches computer forensics studies to thwart cyber-threats

With hacking, spam and computer viruses disrupting more businesses and even threatening national security, three area colleges will launch a new program to train experts in countering such cyber-threats.

September 9, 2004

Boot camp for budding entrepreneurs debuts at the UW

Students from many disciplines will be reporting for a week of duty beginning Monday.

September 8, 2004

Adaptive changes in the genome may provide insight into the genetics of complex disease

One of the most comprehensive studies of the forces that have shaped patterns of human genetic variation has found strong evidence for the action of natural selection, which may help explain why certain people are at risk for a variety of conditions and others are not.

September 3, 2004

Bone marrow cells routinely help with wound healing

Bone marrow produces cells that not only help fight infection but also permanently heal wounds, according to research at the University of Washington.

September 2, 2004

The September Project to celebrate democracy on Sept. 11, 2004

Nonpartisan, grassroots effort started at the UW encourages citizens to gather at public libraries for discussions of democracy, citizenship and patriotism — and much more — on Sept. 11, 2004.

September 1, 2004

Paper or mouse-click? What’s on computers is easier to find, study shows

As office workers pause for Labor Day and students prepare for school, a new study sheds harsh light on an item that gives both groups headaches — paper.

UW receives $4.7 million to study implications of genomics in medically underserved populations

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), one of the National Institutes of Health, is awarding $4.7 million to the University of Washington to address the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genomic research in minority communities.

August 31, 2004

Tri-campus UW program on restoration ecology earns international recognition

A University of Washington program that brings together students from all three campuses to restore damaged landscapes has just received the Society for Ecological Restoration’s highest service award.

Harborview to offer free Legs For Life® screening event Sept. 18

Harborview Medical Center physicians and staff will do their part to improve the cardiovascular health of the community by offering free Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) screenings 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18 at Harborview’s Patient and Family Resource Center (325 9th Avenue, ground floor of East Hospital near the Gift Shop).

New national research center at UW aims to solve big chemistry problems

A new national research center is being established at the University of Washington with the aim of finding easier, more powerful and more environmentally friendly ways of manipulating the strong chemical bonds found in most materials, from petroleum products to pharmaceuticals and biological molecules.

August 30, 2004

Time isn’t money: Study shows that consumers would rather waste minutes than cash

Ever since Benjamin Franklin urged citizens to “Remember that time is money,” economists have concurred that both are equally valuable commodities.

Modest climate change could lead to substantially more and larger fires

The area burned by wildfires in 11 Western states could double by the end of the century if summer climate warms by slightly more than a degree and a half, say researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Pacific Northwest Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington.

August 27, 2004

Botanist known internationally for research, plant dictionary joining UW

A former dean with Oxford University – who oversaw refurbishment of gardens in the heart of Oxford that are visited by many thousands every year and managed one of the most historically significant herbarium collections in the United Kingdom – has been named director of the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture and Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum.

August 25, 2004

Colville tribes, UW alliance to advance economic growth and education

University of Washington Business School leaders say a new partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will serve as a multi-integrated, educational stepping stone toward achieving tribal economic self-sufficiency.

August 24, 2004

Women who have donated eggs sought for national study

Over the last two decades, thousands of American women have donated eggs to help themselves or other women bear children. But little is known about what motivated them to become egg donors and what, if any, physical and psychological effects resulted from their experience. To answers these and other question, UW researchers have begun a national study and are looking for volunteers to participate in an on-line survey.

Environmental costs of home construction lower with wise choice, reuse of building materials

Most of the energy that goes into building U.S. homes is consumed – not by the power tools, welding and trucking during construction – but during the manufacture of the building materials, according to a comprehensive life-cycle assessment comparing typical wood-, steel- and concrete-frame homes.

Two warbler species find the West isn’t big enough for both of them

A songbird species known as the Townsend’s warbler has been steadily displacing its more timid sister species, the hermit warbler, from Western forests for thousands of years. New research suggests substantially higher androgen levels is the reason.

August 20, 2004

Risks of falling lowest in older adults who wear athletic shoes

Falls are the most frequent cause of fatal injury to older Americans, and non-fatal falls, which are also common, can curtail mobility and quality of life for older adults. The choice of footwear for adults aged 65 and older may be an important factor in preventing these falls, according to new research by investigators at the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound.

August 19, 2004

Tuttle named chair of Mechanical Engineering

Mark Tuttle, a UW professor of mechanical engineering whose work includes studying the design and durability of the kinds of composite materials scientists say will make up the next generation of air and spacecraft, has been named new chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

September project prompts exhibits

The September Project has grown exponentially since it started as a UW communication professor’s idea for a day of discussion and deliberation at public and academic libraries on Sept.

Opinion: Students need individual help with writing

International students struggling to make sense of our language and culture; returning students, rich in personal history, but perhaps slightly under-prepared to negotiate cryptic academic conventions; freshmen or community college transfers getting a head start in their studies, curious, but also apprehensive.

Boaters’ opinions wanted for survey

Sailors, kayakers, power boaters and fishermen are needed to help staff at the Applied Physics Laboratory design a system to benefit them.

UW employees to get free help with English

Starting this fall, a centrally-funded program will provide free “English in the Workplace” (EWP) courses to UW employees.

Polyglutamine repeat diseases destroy neurons

In just a little over a decade, researchers have been able to identify mutations causing several hereditary neurodegenerative diseases, those that damage motor neurons, and in the process have shed considerable light on the mechanisms at work in more common conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Etc.

NO RUST ON HER: Rusty Barcelo, UW vice president for minority affairs, recently took a break from administrative work to ride her bicycle all the way to the San Francisco area with a friend.

Strauss Lecturer to speak on overhauling residencies

“The Overhauling of Graduate Medical Education: The Time Has Come” is the title for the Department of Surgery’s 55th annual Alfred A.