A feature article in the Seattle Weekly focuses on the University of Washington’s online education efforts.
Here’s a preview:
[T]he University of Washington is betting on low-cost online courses that could attract more students and money. And maybe turn its professors into stars.
Read the article here.
University of Washington researchers have performed what they believe is the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface, with one researcher able to send a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of a fellow researcher. To learn more, watch the video below, or read this article in UW Today.
Washington Monthly, which ranks universities based upon social mobility, research production and commitment to service, has ranked the University of Washington 13th among national universities for 2013.
The UW also was ranked ninth among national universities in “Best Bang for the Buck,” a measure of “colleges in America that do the best job of helping nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices,” according to the magazine.
Learn more at UW Today.
The Seattle Times recently reported on UW researcher Zoran Popovic‘s work to make computer games more effective at teaching math.
One of the most successful examples, for adults and students alike, is the UW Center for Game Science’s Foldit, which challenges users to help uncover the structures of biologically important proteins.
Players around the world have made a number of important discoveries about the structures of proteins just by playing the game.
The UW lab has recently turned to K-12 education, and is “using the same mechanisms to reach high levels of mastery for kids,” said Popovic, the center’s director.
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“We were able to show that even kindergartners and first-graders can master solving equations,” Popovic said. “This is shockingly good,” he said — especially for elementary school, where algebra concepts usually are not taught.
Read the whole story.
Yesterday (August 14), UW External Affairs staff participated in a service project at the University Heights Center, a non-profit community-run organization.
From helping clean windows and alcoves, to landscaping upkeep, and moving soil for new raised beds in the P-Patch, the crew had a great time! Each year, the UW community provides over 346,000 hours of service to our communities.
Here’s a photo of the crew, after finishing up the project:
University of Washington engineers have created a new wireless communication system that allows devices to interact with each other without relying on batteries or wires for power. Watch the video below to learn more, or read this article at UW Today.
The Puget Sound Business Journal reports:
University of Washington School of Medicine was ranked No. 1 in a national survey of current medical students.
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One Class of 2015 student at UW wrote: “The first thing every faculty and staff member in my program has said is, ‘We are here to help you; this is going to be a lot of hard work, but we are here for you,’ and that makes all the difference in the world to me. Graduate school is never going to be easy and it shouldn’t be, but having that support structure is what makes this a great program.”
Read the article here.
The UW School of Dentistry’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program is helping improve access to dental care in rural and underserved areas of the state, especially in Eastern Washington:
Spending the spring before graduation with your hands in strangers’ mouths might not be every student’s cup of tea. Kaitlin Poppe, however, couldn’t have enjoyed herself more.
Dr. Poppe, who received her dental degree from the University of Washington in June, spent the spring at the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Nob Hill clinic in Yakima in a clinical rotation for the UW School of Dentistry. The rotation was part of the school’s Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, which was launched in 2007 with state funds. In addition to Dr. Poppe, UW dental students fanned out to rotations at community clinics in Colville, Moses Lake, Spokane, Lake Spokane, Wenatchee, Othello and Okanogan.
“Every day I was treating someone who otherwise would not receive care. Every day I knew I was making a difference in someone’s life, and I don’t think there is anything more rewarding than that,” Dr. Poppe said.
Read more at the School of Dentistry’s RIDE updates page.
The Office of State Relations is pleased to announce a new arrival.
Director of State Relations Margaret Shepherd gave birth to a baby boy on Sunday evening.
Henry Jude Shepherd was born yesterday at 5:59PM. Six days early, 7 lbs 11 oz, and 19 inches.
Mom, dad and baby are all doing great.
Please join us in congratulating the Shepherds on their new arrival!
Last week, yours truly joined the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Puget Sound Regional Council for a study mission to Southwest Washington.
The study mission started bright and early on Thursday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and wrapped up Friday afternoon at the Port of Vancouver. Along the way, the delegation of business and government leaders gained insights into the breadth and depth of the regional economy. The delegation was also joined by a number of state legislators, representing the Puget Sound area, and Southwest Washington.
From workforce needs at Weyerhauser’s Longview production facility, to innovations in composite materials at Christensen Shipyards, to the economic development strategies employed at the region’s ports, the agenda was jam-packed with information and a chance to build relationships with leaders in the local communities we visited.
For a snapshot of the agenda, read The Columbian’s write up on a panel of high-tech leaders we heard from on Friday morning in Vancouver.
Below the jump are some photos and additional highlights.
Continue reading “On the road: Southwest Washington study mission”