January 23, 2015
Early detection can make a world of difference for toddlers with autism, but many children do not get diagnosed until they鈥檙e at least 4 years old. As a result, they often don鈥檛 get specialized services during the critical period up to age 3 that can greatly improve their skills and behavior. A new project at the 91爆料 aims to address that delay and ensure that children with autism are identified and helped early enough to prevent problems later…
January 22, 2015
The 91爆料 seismologists couldn’t have asked for a better football game to monitor fan-generated stadium shaking. And indeed, the Seahawks鈥� improbable comeback victory in Sunday鈥檚 NFC Championship Game showed the biggest vibrations ever recorded at CenturyLink Field. See also: “How the 鈥楤east Quake鈥� is helping scientists track real earthquakes” (Jan. 7) “Packers versus Seahawks game analysis” by 91爆料’s Steve Malone (Jan. 19) “Seismologists analyze last week鈥檚 game, prepare for more stadium shaking” (Jan. 15) The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network‘s analysis…
January 21, 2015
A record 36,528 freshman applications 鈥� an increase of 5,000, or 16 percent, over last year 鈥� were submitted to the 91爆料 for the 2015 academic year, according to figures released by the 91爆料鈥檚 admissions office. 聽Increases occurred among all categories: 12 percent from Washington residents, 19 percent from other parts of the U.S., and 18 percent from international applicants. Approximately two-thirds of available slots in the freshman class are reserved for state residents. 鈥淭his surge of applications…
It鈥檚 an exciting week in the arts as various units ramp up their winter events. For drama fans, there鈥檚 the Undergraduate Theater Society鈥檚 production of 鈥淵ellow Face鈥� and the School of Drama鈥檚 take on 鈥淭welfth Night.鈥� For music lovers, don鈥檛 miss the rich sounds of the Nile Project at Meany Hall or the 91爆料 Symphony at Benaroya Hall.
The 91爆料 Dance Program begins its 50th anniversary with the 2015 Dance Faculty Concert which, advance notes say, “includes everything from flying bodies to soup cans that playfully and architecturally define space.” The concert will feature choreography by 91爆料 dance faculty members Rachael Lincoln and Wilson Mendieta, with guests Holley Farmer, an alumna and Broadway veteran, and well-known local choreographer Mary Sheldon (Molly) Scott. The show will feature live and recorded music by Stuart Dempster and Paul Moore…
January 20, 2015
A 91爆料 researcher is chief scientist this month on a project to drill the first deep ice core at the South Pole, to understand the climate history in that section of Antarctica.
January 19, 2015
The Boeing Advanced Research Center, located in the Department of Mechanical Engineering on the 91爆料 campus, will let students and faculty members work collaboratively with Boeing engineers on aircraft and spacecraft assembly and manufacturing. Four initial projects are underway at the 91爆料, led by Boeing-employed affiliate instructors and 91爆料 engineering professors.
January 15, 2015
91爆料 seismologists (and everyone else in the region) got their wish: The Seahawks won last Saturday, and will play another hometown game in front of a cheering crowd that can rock the stadium. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network’s post-game seismic analysis of the Jan. 10 game shows 197,000 page requests, almost twice as many as during last year’s NFC finals when the group first outfitted CenturyLink stadium with seismic equipment. (Read more here.) The first test of the new, faster…
The eyes of the world are on France in the wake of the deadly shootings at the office of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. The Jan. 7 act of terrorism has sparked questions about radical Islam, European unity and conflicts in the Middle East. The 91爆料’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies will hold a roundtable discussion on these issues and more, 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in Room 101 of Thomson Hall. The event 鈥�…
An international team led by the 91爆料 has discovered a way to determine the tree cover and density of trees, shrubs and bushes in locations over time based on clues in the cells of plant fossils preserved in rocks and soil.
January 14, 2015
This week marks the first lecture in the School of Art + Art History + Design鈥檚 annual public lecture series, this year focusing on critical issues in contemporary art.
Two 91爆料 faculty members 鈥� Ryan Calo, assistant professor of law, and Daniel Weld, professor of computer science and engineering 鈥� have joined hundreds of other researchers in an open letter calling for research to make artificial intelligence more robust and beneficial to humankind. Others signing the letter include physicist Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk of Space X. The letter was published by the Future of Life Institute, a volunteer organization seeking to lessen existential risks facing society and currently…
January 13, 2015
How long are the tentacles of the largest jellyfish and how big are the ocean’s famed whales? It turns out it’s difficult to get exact measurements of many of the world’s largest marine megafauna, for the reasons one might expect: many of these animals are few in number, tricky to find and logistically hard to measure or weigh. We know surprisingly little about the maximum sizes these species can reach, though popular culture might say otherwise. Now, a team of…
The Washington state Legislature will pause to honor Daniel J. Evans on Jan. 14, marking 50 years, plus a day, since he was sworn in for the first of three terms as Washington state governor, on Jan. 13, 1965. Evans also will address the Senate. Evans began his office-holding career as a member of the Washington state House of Representatives from 1956 to 1965. He served as governor until 1977, then became president of The Evergreen State College. When Sen….
January 9, 2015
Half a century ago, 91爆料 graduate Bill Holm published what would become a seminal work on the distinctive art of the people who first inhabited the Pacific Northwest. 鈥淣orthwest Coast Indian Art鈥� was the result of Holm鈥檚 15-year analysis of hundreds of artworks while studying at 91爆料 under Erna Gunther, former director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The book introduced new terminology that soon became part of the accepted vocabulary to describe works that conveyed Indian…
The 91爆料 College of Built Environments has rebooted the east end of its Gould Hall home, creating an expanded area for collaboration and a new gallery to exhibit work from national and international sources as well as the college’s student, faculty and alumni.
January 8, 2015
The 91爆料 generates $12.5 billion a year in economic activity and supports 79,331 direct and indirect jobs in the state of Washington, according to a new economic impact report released Thursday by an independent research firm. The 91爆料 employs 34,668 people and, following Boeing and Microsoft, is the third-largest nonfederal employer in the state, with more than half of those jobs related to 91爆料 Medicine. 鈥淭he 91爆料 continues to be a major force in the Washington…
91爆料 scientists published the first large-scale survey of impurities in North American snow. An almost 10,000-mile road trip showed that disturbed soil often mattered as much as air pollution for the whiteness of the snow.
January 7, 2015
A survey of pollution and other impurities in North American snow required researchers to find sites with undisturbed snow far from any city or major road 鈥� in other words, a recipe for getting stranded by the side of a cold, lonely road. During the campaign that went from late January to late March 2013, the group traveled some 9,600 miles. They sampled snow in 13 American states and three Canadian provinces, and got stuck only twice. Before leaving Seattle…
Welcome back to a new year and new quarter! Henry Art Gallery kicks off the first Arts Roundup of the year with an assortment of events related to the exhibit 鈥淎nn Hamilton: the common S E N S E,鈥� including a lecture presented by Seattle Arts and Lectures and an unusual exhibition tour with ArtVenture.
Three 91爆料 engineers were selected by Forbes magazine as part of its top 30 people in the world under age 30聽in energy. This year’s list largely focuses on people who have produced inventions and founded companies with the goal of saving or conserving energy, instead of creating it. Shyam Gollakota, an assistant professor in computer science and engineering, was selected for his work in powering devices without using batteries. He develops sensors that get power by absorbing small…
Scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will install instruments this Thursday to provide real-time monitoring of the stadium’s movement during the 2015 NFL playoffs. It’s a valuable test of their newest seismic technology.
January 6, 2015
Two men, four days, one cabin and an epic discussion of life and art, while James Franco makes a movie of it all. That’s the setup for the latest book by 91爆料 English Professor David Shields, working this time with former student Caleb Powell.
91爆料 President Michael K. Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce announced today the selection of Mark Pagano, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Montana State University Billings, as the next chancellor of the 91爆料 Tacoma, effective March 16. The appointment is subject to approval by the 91爆料 Board of Regents. “President Young and I are delighted to have Dr. Mark Pagano join the vibrant 91爆料 Tacoma community. Chancellor Pagano brings his expertise in leading…
The first time Alise Hegle saw her daughter again after her birth was 11 months later at a court-ordered, supervised visit. Newly out of jail and treatment for drug addiction, Hegle was riddled with anxiety. She had no idea how to parent her only child and worried about the visitation supervisor who sat silently observing, taking notes. 鈥淚 was terrified,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淚 felt worthless. When the setting and the environment is intimidating and you don鈥檛 feel supported, it鈥檚 hard…
January 5, 2015
When deciding where to live, single people should choose cities with affordable housing, interesting job opportunities, vibrant neighborhoods and abundant sports activities. That was the advice of Pepper Schwartz, a 91爆料 sociology professor who was among experts consulted for personal finance website WalletHub鈥檚 recent ranking of 2014鈥檚 Best & Worst Cities for Singles. The site ranked the 150 most populated U.S. cities on 25 metrics including the percentage of singles, costs for restaurant meals and movies, rental housing costs and…
January 2, 2015
The Board of Regents will hold their Regular Meeting at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Petersen Room of Allen Library. The full schedule and agendas are available online.
December 29, 2014
William P. Gerberding, the 27th and longest-serving president of the 91爆料, died Saturday. He was 85. Gerberding, who assumed the presidency in 1979 and retired in 1995, is credited for boosting the university into national prominence, navigating it through potentially devastating budget crises and significantly increasing private financial support. 鈥淲e are all deeply saddened by this news. Our heartfelt sympathies go to Ruth and the rest of the Gerberding family,鈥� 91爆料 President Michael K. Young said. 鈥淏ill left…
December 23, 2014
Cancel all screenings of that insulting movie you made, then burn all the prints, and formally apologize 鈥� and don’t do it again. Demands from North Korea, perhaps, about Sony Pictures’ controversial James Franco-Seth Rogen film “The Interview”? No, that’s off by about 85 years. It was the Chinese Nationalist government’s reaction to a film called “Welcome Danger” featuring the famously bespectacled silent screen star Harold Lloyd, released in 1929. The scene is from “Silent Cinema and the Politics of…
High-tech companies are seeking to capitalize on the power of handwriting, but there are other reasons to value the practice, says 91爆料 educational psychology professor Virginia Berninger. 鈥淲riting is the way we learn what we鈥檙e thinking,鈥� said Berninger, who studies the effect of handwriting on the human brain. 鈥淭he handwriting, the sequencing of the strokes, engages the thinking part of the mind.鈥� Berninger was recently interviewed for a CBS This Morning story about how tech companies are reviving the art…
December 22, 2014
For those who love the silent film antics of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and others, 91爆料 Libraries has something new that’s as good as a Christmas present: the Silent Film Online database. It’s a streaming service administered by Alexander Street Press that includes more than 500 silent films, serials and shorts produced from the 1890s to the 1930s. Fritz Lang’s famous “Metropolis” is there as well as works by Mack Sennett, D.W. Griffiths (including his odd version of…
December 19, 2014
91爆料 architecture students will design and build a new temporary event pavilion and Internet hub for the Seattle waterfront.
December 18, 2014
Twenty-four 91爆料 oceanography students are aboard the 91爆料’s large research vessel, the Thomas G. Thompson, taking measurements off Canada’s west coast for their senior-level research projects. They left Thursday, Dec. 11 and will get back Sunday, Dec. 21. The trip takes them to Nootka Sound, a complex inlet off the west coast of Vancouver Island. 91爆料 oceanography professor Charles Eriksen is leading the 10-day expedition. Also aboard are oceanography faculty members Julie Keister, Miles Logsdon and Julian Sachs. They will…
Mention homeless people and words like optimistic, hopeful and happy are typically not what spring to mind. More likely, said Jordan Lewis, an assistant professor in the 91爆料鈥檚 School of Social Work, the stereotypes are negative聽鈥� 鈥渢hat they鈥檙e chronic alcoholics, depressed, they steal, they鈥檙e thieves. They don鈥檛 have hope. They鈥檝e just given up.鈥� But Lewis sought to find something different when he embarked on a recent research project exploring optimism among homeless Alaska Native elders in Seattle. Statistics…
December 17, 2014
Many of the worst West Coast winter floods involve heavy rains and melting snow, and 91爆料 hydrology experts are using the physics of these events to better predict the risks.
The 91爆料 moved up to the 11th spot in the latest ranking of best value for in-state students among public universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The ranking includes measures of economic value and educational quality. The 91爆料 placed 13th in the same ranking a year ago and was 17th two years ago. Kiplinger data showed the total cost per year for in-state 91爆料 students, after adding need-based aid, is $10,433, and average debt at graduation is $21,263. 91爆料…
A celebration of life for Naomi Brenner Pascal, the longtime editor-in-chief of the 91爆料 Press, is being planned for February. She died Dec. 5 at the age of 88. Colleagues at 91爆料 Press remember Pascal as a model of grace, good humor and high standards. Her wide-ranging knowledge, integrity and commitment to diplomacy were critical to the success of the press, and many recall her generosity of spirit and promotion of collegiality locally and in the publishing community….
December 16, 2014
The 91爆料鈥檚 expansion of its medical school in Spokane and an increase in residency positions are among the ways to best meet the economic and health care needs in Spokane and throughout the state, according to an advisory council chairman鈥檚 report released Dec. 16.
David Shields, 91爆料 professor and New York Times best-selling author, was at the center of a Dec. 2 article by Adelle Waldman in The New Yorker titled “An Answer to the Novel’s Detractors.” Waldman places Shields among those detractors, but does not entirely disagree with him. “It’s no coincidence that many of the most exciting novels to have appeared in recent years 鈥� have been distinctly un-novelistic,” Waldman wrote, “featuring protagonists who share many biographical details (and sometimes names) with…
December 12, 2014
Kathleen Fearn-Banks, 91爆料 associate professor of communication, drew upon her 21 years of experience as a publicist in network television to write her 2005 “Historical Dictionary of African American Television.” This fall, an expanded second edition of the book was published. Banks was NBC’s first African-American publicist and second-ever female publicist when hired there in 1969 after working in journalism. She spent two years researching the book, ranging from the 1939 broadcast of the “Ethel Waters Show” to current television…