UW News and Information Web     |     UW News     University Week UW News+Community     Kathy Sauber Kidnapping water David Stutz, on the ground, sings as James Whetzel plays the water drum at the UW Bothell Monday. The two were performing in environmental artist Byron Au Yong’s Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas, one of a series of “portable operas” inspired by the I Ching. A Pacific Northwest native and a visiting artist at the UWB, Au Yong is noted for creating ceremonial musical events scored for Asian, European and hand-made instruments. VOLUME 25, NUMBER 34   |   8/7/2008  –  8/20/2008  |   UWEEK.ORG Ivory poaching at critical levels: Elephants on path to extinction by 2020? African elephants are being killed for their ivory at a pace unseen since a global ban on the ivory trade in 1989, but the public outcry that resulted in that ban is absent today. A UW conservation biologist says most remaining large elephant groups could be extinct by 2020 unless people intervene. Governor calls for fuel reduction, hiring freeze Gov. Chris Gregoire on Monday called on state agencies to reduce costs in several ways — to reduce fuel, stop non-emergency travel and freeze hiring. UW to host CIA officer for research residency The UW will participate for the first time in the Officer in Residence Program, in which a Central Intelligence Agency officer spends two years as a visiting researcher at a United States college or university. An artful match: Summer day camps and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery Not many student artists can say their work has hung in the prestigious Jacob Lawrence Gallery — but thanks to a clever connection, the elementary school-age members of the UW Summer Day Camp can make that boast with pride. Faculty, staff female singers wanted for choir Where can women get weekly singing lessons, perform three times a year and meet others who love music as much as they do? The answer is the UW Women’s Choir, which is currently looking for new members. Also, the recital choir is looking for both men and women members. Abstinence: Teens, adults speak different languages Abstinence can mean different things to adolescents than to adults. That’s one reason why abstinence-only programs do not have strong effects in preventing teenage sexual activity, according to new UW research. Amid the ice, hot smoker vents Well inside the Arctic Circle, scientists have found black smoker vents farther north than anyone has ever seen before. The cluster of five vents — one towering nearly four stories in height — are venting water as hot as 570 F. Parasitic fly influences nocturnal bee behavior Strange things are happening in the lowland tropical forests of Panama and Costa Rica, UW researchers have found. It’s the first known case of a parasite having a positive effect on the social behavior of its host. New research challenges notion that dinosaur soft tissues still survive Paleontologists in 2005 hailed research that apparently showed that soft, pliable tissues had been recovered from dissolved dinosaur bones. But new research challenges that finding and suggests that the supposed recovered dinosaur tissue is in reality biofilm — or slime. Bulging prison system called massive intervention in American family life The mammoth increase in the United States’ prison population since the 1970s is having profound demographic consequences that disproportionately affect black males, says UW researcher Becky Pettit. Etc: Campus news and notes An award for Biren Nagda, a co-founder of the intergroup dialogue technique, and a $2 million grant for AccessComputing, to encougage people with disabilities to participate in computing. Official Notices UW at the Olympics: Social work practicum coordinator to referee tae kwon do Leon Preston, a practicum coordinator for the School of Social Work, also is one of the most senior referees of tae kwon do in the world. So he’s headed to China to referee at the Olympics. Husky Band leader a director of Beijing Olympic Orchestra When Brad McDavid led the Husky Marching Band on a tour to China in 2001, little did he realize that the performances were also an audition. He’s been selected as one of the international band directors for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Orchestra, which will perform at various venues before and during the Olympic Games. Fellowships for Canadian study come to UW The Ottawa-based Killam Fellowships Program, recently expanded to the United States, will allow two to four UW students per year to study at a Canadian partner institution for a semester or an academic year. Teachers as change agents: New UW Bothell teacher education program aims for something radical A program for secondary education teachers at UW Bothell aims to produce certificated teachers who are comfortable in a variety of educational formats and interdisciplinary approaches. Another sign of changing times: Suzzallo’s periodicals desk to close Aug. 23 The Suzzallo Library periodicals service desk on the third floor will close at the end of summer quarter, Aug. 23. Most journal articles are easily available online. But never fear, reference librarians will field any questions users have. A home away from home for international students For international students and scholars studying at the UW, that first week in Seattle can be disorienting and lonely. But the Homestay Program offered by the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students can turn that first week into a memorable time for students and host families alike. Rock, Paper, Scissors event at Henry Aug. 9 Ten local do-it-yourself-ers will showcase and sell dynamic and locally-made works at the Henry Art Gallery from noon to 4 p.m. Satuday, Aug. 9, in an event called Rock, Paper, Scissors. Eileen Whalen appointed HMC executive director A national expert in emergency and trauma services has been selected to lead Harborview Medical Center. Consortium to help reshape Thai pharmacy practices The UW School of Pharmacy joins other schools to help strengthen the practice and education of pharmacists in Thailand. Jack Thompson leaves public health leadership post Director of Northwest Center for Public Health Practice Jack Thompson turns the position over to Dr. Susan Allan. Stephanie Steppe steps down The director of Health Sciences Academic Services & Facilities retires after 34 years of service at the UW. UW medical student vaults her way to the Olympics Leila Ben-Youssef, first-year medical student, will represent Tunisia in the pole vaulting event. Public Health Informatics 2008 set for Sept. 18-19 The conference will focus on integrated public health information systems for low-resource settings. Can you guess where this photo was taken? Guess correctly, and you might win a gift certificate to the University Book Store!