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News and Updates

News and Updates

RIDE students bolster Eastern Washington’s dental health

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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.

New Team Member

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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!

 

On the road: Southwest Washington study mission

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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”

UW 360: UW Center for Urban Waters

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In this segment of UW 360, head to Tacoma to learn more about the amazing, innovative work being done at the UW’s Center for Urban Waters.That’s where scientists, students, professors and community leaders are all working together to make the Puget Sound a better place for all of us.

Watch more of UW 360.

What does a MOOC look like up close?

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Learn more: Introduction to Public Speaking

This summer, University of Washington senior lecturer Matt McGarrity is teaching a MOOC (massively open online course) titled “Introduction to Public Speaking” through a partnership with Coursera.

Seattle Times reporter Katherine Long is taking the course, and blogging about her experience at a blog titled, “The Massive Classroom.” Follow the blog to get a close up look.

Governor Inslee appoints new UW Regents

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Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointments of Constance Rice and Rogelio Riojas to the University of Washington Board of Regents.

From the Governor’s statement announcing the appointments:

“Constance and Rogelio are well-suited to the UW Board of Regents. They bring important life and professional experiences that will guide the UW’s vision and work as one of our nation’s premier research institutions while ensuring that quality higher education opportunities are available to meet growing numbers of students,” Inslee said.

Rice is the former vice chancellor and senior chancellor of Seattle Community College and currently is the managing director for Knowledge Management for Casey Family Programs.

“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Inslee,” said Rice. “The University of Washington is one of the finest institutions in the world. As an alum I am proud of being associated with the superior administration staff, students and faculty. The University of Washington represents a strong engine of progress and innovation for our state and nation.”

Riojas is President and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers. He has led Sea Mar since its inception in 1978, growing it from a single Seattle clinic to a comprehensive health and human services organization in 10 Washington counties.

“I am honored and humbled by the Governor’s appointment. I am looking forward to working with the other Regents and I plan to work very hard to help the UW with its mission to educate our students,” Riojas said.

In a statement to campus, President Michael K. Young said:

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with these two outstanding alumni who are so passionate about improving higher education opportunities for the citizens of the state of Washington.  I would also like to thank former Regent Jewell and Regent Cole for their extraordinary service as University of Washington Regents.  This institution is much stronger today because of their dedicated work and leadership.”

Earlier this week, Governor Inslee selected Kiana Scott as the 2013-2014 student regent.

The Daily has more on Scott’s appointment:

Scott, who will replace previous student regent Christopher Jordan, is only the second doctoral candidate to be selected as the student regent since 2000. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Evans School of Public Affairs and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in political communication. She also works as a graduate teaching assistant in the communications department.

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“UW students who serve as board members provide the Board of Regents with important information and perspective,” 2012-2013 board chair Joanne Harrell said in a statement. “We know that Kiana will help in our deliberations in the coming year.”

UW launches record 17 startups in 2013

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via UW Today:

The University of Washington launched a record 17 startup companies this fiscal year.

That makes fiscal 2013 the UW’s single most productive year for startup formation.  It places the UW among the top five schools in the nation.

Last year, President Michael K. Young challenged the university to increase its number of fundable technology startups.

“University startups give the American public a valuable return on their investment in academic research.  UW start-ups deliver impact to the public from our life-changing discoveries,” Young said.

Read more at GeekWire.

Photos from the event, featuring remarks by Vice Provost Linden Rhoads, President Michael K. Young, and Washington State Department of Commerce Director Brian Bonlender, are below the fold.

Continue reading “UW launches record 17 startups in 2013”

Washington Student Achievement Council Selects New Officers

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Meeting at the UW Seattle Campus on Wednesday (July 17), members of the Washington Student Achievement Council selected Maud Daudon and Karen Lee to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Council, respectively, for one year terms.

Maud Daudon and Karen Lee are both citizen members of the Council, serving at the request of Governor Jay Inslee.

Maud Daudon
Maud Daudon Photo: wsac.wa.gov
Karen Lee
Karen Lee Photo: wsac.wa.gov

From the Council’s statement announcing the selections:

Maud Daudon is president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, where she has been an active member for more than 20 years. She also chairs the board of trustees of the Bullitt Foundation and is on the board of trustees for Seattle Biomedical Research Institute.

Karen Lee is the chief executive officer of Pioneer Human Services, a nationally recognized organization that is the only provider of integrated treatment, housing and employment services in Washington State. In December 2010, Lee was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Western Washington University. She also served five years as a commissioner of the Washington State Employment Security Department

Seattle Times: Using small businesses to create community opportunities

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Seattle Times columnist Jerry Large writes in a recent article about the efforts of UW’s Foster School and other business schools around the country to improve their local communities:

Business schools teach people how to run businesses and make money, and their focus has usually been high on big business and finance. But partly in response to changing values among their students, and striking economic disparities, more schools are working in low-income communities to improve and grow existing businesses and to encourage more people to start their own.

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Last year the center helped 230 businesses around the state, either by having teams of students work with them, or by having the owners attend business short courses taught by UW professors.

Lewis Rudd, one of the founders of Ezell’s Famous Chicken, said he’d been wanting to grow his business about 10 years ago, when a friend suggested he contact Verchot.

Over the next several years, several student teams worked with him. “We had students in the kitchen taking pictures of bread being baked,” he said. They ran time studies and efficiency studies. He held up a thick operating manual the students helped write. The UW also connected Rudd with alumni who had expertise he needed. “We had close to a 50 percent increase in sales over the next year as a result of some minor changes,” Rudd said. The business moved from a family operation to a more corporate structure, and there is more expansion on the horizon.

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Universities can help make those connections between the financial world and small businesses and teach business owners the skills they need to grow.

Read the entire column.