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News & Updates

News & Updates

Update from State Relations: Initial state election results are in

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The State Relations team has been closely monitoring the results of the election for our state-wide and state legislative offices. Here are some of the highlights and things to expect in January 2017:

-Governor Jay Inslee will continue to reside in the Governor’s mansion.

-Five new faces in state-wide office:

Lt. Governor: Cyrus Habib – current State Senator for the 48th legislative district

State Treasurer: Duane Davidson – current Benton County Treasurer

State Auditor: Pat McCarthy – current Pierce County Executive

Commissioner of Public Lands: Hilary Franz – current executive director for Futurewise

Superintendent of Public Instruction: Chris Reykdal – current State Representative for the 22nd legislative district

-The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus lost one seat to Senate Democrats, but will retain control of the chamber by a 25-24 margin. (The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus is comprised of Senate Republicans and one Democrat.)

-The House Democratic Caucus is positioned to maintain its majority with 50 seats accounted for. Depending upon the outcome of close races in the 5th and 19th legislative districts, they could expand their majority to 52-46.

-New senators to be appointed in the 37th, 45th and 48th legislative districts:

With the death of Senator Andy Hill, and the election of Senator Pramila Jayapal to Congress and Senator Cyrus Habib as Lt. Governor, there will be three additional seats to fill when the legislative session begins on January 9.

State and local leaders recognize Together UW Day – October 21, 2016

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In recognition of the launch of the university’s Be Boundless – For Washington, For the World philanthropic campaign, Governor Jay Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, City of Spokane Mayor David Condon, Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council offered their support in proclamations and a salutation, recognizing October 21, 2016 as “Together UW Day.”

 

Go to uw.edu/together for more information about all of the events taking place October 21-23.

Show your support by sharing these posts on social media with the hashtag  #TogetherUW

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To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

You’re invited: Denny Hall re-opening Oct. 26

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UW State Relations and External Affairs invites you to join us in celebrating the re-opening of the iconic Denny Hall.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | 10:30-11:30 AM
Denny Hall (MAP)
Spokane Lane
Seattle, WA 98105
Coffee, tea and assorted pastries provided.

Please RSVP:
Amanda Rich at eaevents@uw.edu or 206-221-5670.

About Denny Hall
Constructed in 1895, Denny Hall is the oldest building on the UW’s Seattle campus and is eligible to be listed in the Washington State Heritage Register. The building was named in honor of Seattle pioneers Arthur A. and Mary Denny.
Restoration of Denny Hall began in the Spring of 2014 and was completed in September, 2016. This building houses offices and programs for the College of Arts & Sciences, including the Departments of Anthropology, Classics, Germanics and Near Eastern Languages & Civilization, as well as the College’s Language Learning Center.
The renovation upgraded all major building systems, corrected seismic deficiencies, improved accessibility, and abated hazardous materials. The building now achieves Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Hacker (previously known as THA) of Portland, Oregon, was the project architect. SiteWorkshop was the landscape architect, and BNBuilders (BNB) was the General Contractor/Construction Manager (GC/CM). Both are located in Seattle.

Update from State Relations: October 2016

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We are officially in Autumn Quarter at the university and things are still bustling for the State Relations team. Here are some highlights from the month so far:

 

On October 7, Governor Inslee issued an executive order to combat the opioid crisis facing our state. The press conference took place in the Hogness Auditorium in the UW Health Sciences Building and featured Dr. David Tauben and Dr. Caleb Banta-Green from UW Medicine. Read a summary of the executive order here and learn more about the Department of Pain Medicine at UW Medicine here.

Governor Inslee announces plan to #ActOnOpioids
Governor Inslee with UW Medicine, legislators and public health leaders.

 

Also on October 7, Senator David Frockt paid a visit to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Led by director Christopher Murray, IHME is an independent global health research center at the UW that provides high-quality data on major world health problems and evaluates strategies used to address them. You can find more information about IHME here.

 

On October 11, UW Medicine hosted the House Health Care & Wellness Committee for an interim work session. The committee received a briefing on IHME from director Christopher Murray and heard from Dean Joel Berg (UW Dentistry), Peggy Odegard (UW Pharmacy), Karen McDonough (UW Medicine) and Dean Sean Sullivan (UW Pharmacy) about interprofessional collaboration and training happening between UW Health Sciences schools.

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Watch the full committee work session on TVW.org

Check out pictures from the hearing on our Facebook page. Materials from the work session are available here.

 

On October 12, the Clean Energy Institute (CEI) welcomed Representative Norma Smith for a briefing and several lab visits, starting with an overview from CEI Director Dan Schwartz. Rep. Smith learned about the printing of solar cell polymers from associate professor Christine Luscombe, the future of solar cell materials from CEI graduate fellow Jessica Kong, and advanced manufacturing and battery materials from associate professor Vince Holmberg. The tour ended with an update from professor Devin MacKenzie on roll-to-roll processing and printed materials as he prepares to open the new Washington Clean Energy Testbeds facility.

You can find pictures from Rep. Smith’s visit on our Facebook page. Learn about CEI here.

 

Coming October 21 – Together UW Day. Register at uw.edu/together. STAY TUNED!

Coming October 26 – Celebration of the new Denny Hall. STAY TUNED!

 

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

 

Update from State Relations: September 2016

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September was a busy month for the State Relations office, starting with the arrival of our new director, Bernard Dean, on September 1. He has been busy learning about UW’s programs and meeting with as many students, faculty, and staff as possible prior to the start of the 2017 legislative session in Olympia.

Here are a few highlights from last month:

On September 13, President Cauce spoke at the Association of Washington Business 2016 Policy Summit with Washington State University President Kirk Schulz. You can watch their discussion on TVW, starting at the 5:45 minute mark.

On September 23, the university celebrated the cornerstone laying for the new home of the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) in Bellevue. The event was well attended, and included Governor Inslee, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Tsinghua University President Yong Qiu and many others. Learn more about the unique partnership between UW and Tsinghua University here.

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President Cauce at GIX cornerstone laying celebration.

 

September 26 was moving day for the State Relations team in Olympia. You can find our new office space at:

410 11th Ave SE, Suite 103 Olympia, WA 98501

If you are visiting the capitol during the next legislative session, be sure to say hello!

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

UW’s innovations in medical education in the spotlight

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From Tuesday’s edition of the Seattle Times:

While most UW students have a few more weeks of summer to enjoy, the School of Medicine is already in full swing. With the introduction of new curriculum, first-year medical students are spending less time in a traditional lecture hall and more time with hands-on patient care on day one.

Read more about this innovative approach to teaching here.

From KREM2 in Spokane:

One of the great traditions in medical school is the white coat ceremony, when new students put on the unofficial uniform of the medical profession for the first time. KREM 2 captured the recent exciting night with students, friends and their families in Spokane here.

To keep up with the latest from Olympia, follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have any questions about state topics, please call 206-543-7604.

News via the Spokesman-Review: Gonzaga, UW welcome new medical students to Spokane

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Great news from The Spokesman-Review:

Sixty medical students in the inaugural class of a collaboration between the University of Washington and Gonzaga University received their first stethoscopes in a special ceremony Tuesday night.

The ceremony marked the beginning of their medical studies, but it was much like a graduation ceremony: Each student was called forward to shake hands with local doctors, and some students couldn’t resist flinging up their hands and cheering when their names were called.

John Goodman, a graduate of Gonzaga Prep, Spokane Falls Community College and Eastern Washington University, was one of those called. He requested Spokane as the place where he wanted to attend medical school.

“This is my home,” he said. “A huge part of who I am is because of this city.”

He attended SFCC to become a radiation technician, but two of his instructors encouraged him to consider medical school. After his mother died of lung cancer two years ago, he decided he wanted to be an oncologist.

“It’s a difficult field to be a part of, but I keep coming back,” he said.

Continue reading

 

Learn more about the UW School of Medicine’s partnership with Gonzaga University here.

External Affairs hosts state, city staff for Early Learning Showcase

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On Tuesday, the Office of External Affairs hosted an Early Learning Showcase. Attendees started the day at the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, learning about brain development and language, plus cognition and social understanding. The visit also included a tour of the facility and a discussion about how research can be put into practice.

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Patricia Kuhl, Ph.D., Co-Director of I-LABS
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Andrew Meltzoff, Ph.D., Co-Director of I-LABS

 

The second half of the day was spent in the Magnuson Health Sciences building, where the group heard about early learning research at UW from several leading faculty members and researchers. The first presentation was from Gail Joseph, Ph.D., and Janet Soderberg, Ph.D., providing an overview of the work of the Childcare Quality & Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development. Drs. Joseph and Soderberg also presented the findings from a recent study of the state’s Early Achievers Standards.

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Gail Joseph, Ph.D. and Janet Soderberg, Ph.D., from CQEL

Next on the agenda was Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, to discuss how early learning experiences affect brain development. Dr. Christakis also provided insight into how certain types of media exposure in young children might adversely affect them later in life.

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Dimitri Christakis, MD, MPH, from UW School of Medicine

The final speaker of the day was Liliana Lengua, Ph.D. Dr. Lengua’s presentation covered the bioecological model of economic disadvantage and children’s well-being, discussing how early experiences of adversity may have long-term and widespread impacts on developmental outcomes.

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Liliana Lengua, Ph.D., Director of CCFW

 

Materials from the Early Learning Showcase can be found here. View more photos from the event on UWGOV’s Facebook page.

New UW faculty tour Washington, meet state leaders and incoming students

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The annual UW Faculty Field Tour took place this week with stops that highlight Washington’s rich geography, economy, history and agricultural community. Below are a few pictures from time spent in eastern Washington.

The first day of the tour departed from Seattle and headed south, with stops at the Port of Tacoma, Mount St. Helens and dinner at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver. Representatives Sharon Wylie, Brandon Vick and Paul Harris joined the faculty for dinner and an evening lecture on Washington’s geologic history by Professor David Montegomery.

UW President Ana Mari Cauce with Rep. Brandon Vick and Rep. Paul Harris at the Heathman Lodge.
UW President Ana Mari Cauce with Rep. Brandon Vick and Rep. Paul Harris at the Heathman Lodge.

On Wednesday, State Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler took the faculty on a tour of his wheat farm in Ritzville. The visit included discussion of Washington’s agricultural products and the importance of international trade to the state economy.

Sen. Mark Schoesler discusses his wheat farm with new UW faculty.
Sen. Mark Schoesler discusses his wheat farm with new UW faculty.

Faculty were greeted in Spokane by the UW Alumni Association and Provost Jerry Baldasty at the Welcome to Washington celebration. The annual dinner with parents, alumni, and community members offers a chance to celebrate students who are new to the Husky family.

Provost Jerry Baldasty welcomes new faculty and students to the Husky family.
Provost Jerry Baldasty welcomes new faculty and students to the Husky family.

On Thursday morning, Spokane area elected officials, business & community leaders and representatives from Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University joined UW faculty for breakfast at the Davenport Hotel.

Spokane Tribal Council Vice Chairman, David Browneagle, speaks to faculty.
Spokane Tribal Council Vice Chairman, David Browneagle, speaks to faculty.

 

View more pictures from the 2016 UW Faculty Field Tour on UWGOV’s Facebook page and Twitter.

External Affairs hosts state, federal staff and business leaders for Clean Energy & Innovation Tour

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On Monday, the Office of External Affairs hosted a Clean Energy & Innovation Tour. Attendees started the day at the UW Clean Energy Institute in the Molecular Engineering & Sciences building, learning about CEI and the UW’s efforts to accelerate a clean energy future from Director Dan Schwartz. The tour included a visit to the Hugh Hillhouse Research Group lab to see the development of low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells from inks and dyes.

At the David Ginger Research Group lab, the group viewed scanning probe microscopy and optical spectroscopy for next-generation solar and learned about techniques for understanding the basic science of energy materials and application.

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Hugh Hillhouse discusses developing low-cost and high-efficiency solar cells.
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David Ginger discusses optical spectroscopy for next-generation solar.

Devin MacKenzie then discussed future testbed facilities and equipment that will be available for university researchers and industry partners. Time at CEI concluded with a lunch discussion with graduate students Sarah Vorpahl and Matthew Murbach about the opportunities they’ve had at UW and the importance of state and federal investment in clean energy research.

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Devin MacKenzie discusses future testbed facilities and equipment coming to the university.
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Graduate students Sarah Vorpahl and Matthew Murbach discuss their Husky experience.

The second half of the tour was spent at CoMotion in Fluke Hall. Vikram Jandhyala, Vice President for Innovation Strategy, and Elizabeth Scallon, Associate Director of the CoMotion Incubator, provided an overview of the university as a leader in innovation and the services provided by the incubator. Event guests also spent time in the wet labs with current incubator startups and met students in the MakerSpace.

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Event guests meet current CoMotion incubator startups.
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Event guests hear from the award winning hyperloop student team in the CoMotion MakerSpace.

 

View more photos from the Clean Energy & Innovation Tour on UWGOV’s Facebook page.