UW News and Information Web     |     UW News     University Week UW News+Community     Earth Day becomes Earth Week Giving gardens, composting at home and office, a “no-waste” picnic, some green-minded dumpster diving and green tours, information tables, charities, a rally and more — the UW Tacoma and Seattle have so much for Earth Day it became a weeklong celebration. Read our story here. VOLUME 26, NUMBER 23   |   4/16/2009  –  4/22/2009  |   UWEEK.ORG Provost’s budget conversation postponed The budget conversation that Provost Phyllis Wise had planned to hold on Friday, April 17 has been postponed until Friday, May 8. Calling all campus filmmakers: The Pocketmedia Film Festival is here Attention campus Scorceses, Coppolas and Tarantinos — your moment in the spotlight may have arrived. The first-ever UW Pocketmedia Film Festival is about to begin. It’s a competition of videos shot on cameras that will fit in your pocket, such as a mini camcorder, a digital camera or a mobile phone, and it runs from April 17 to May 13. Sandpoint Gallery exhibit opens April 23 The work of six painters from the UW School of Art will be featured in the Sandpoint Gallery’s next exhibition, New Works, which will be on display at the gallery, in Magnuson Park, from April 23 to May 8. The exhibition reception will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery on Friday, April 24. Tom Collier, Marc Seales in two concerts, April 17 and 24 Faculty artist Tom Collier and his UW percussion students will present marimba music on April 17, and he’ll join jazzman Marc Seales in concert April 24. Harnessing cloud computing for data-intensive research on oceans, galaxies The UW has won three recent awards from the National Science Foundation related to cloud computing -- the name for massive clusters of computers connected through the Internet. Two of the grants will fund projects examining ocean climate simulations and analyzing astronomical images, and the third provides curriculum and training to teach cloud computing. People’s misperceptions cloud their understanding of rainy weather forecasts New research indicates that only about half the population knows what a forecast means when it predicts a 20 percent chance of rain, according to researchers at the UW. Scorpion venom with nanoparticles slows spread of brain cancer By combining nanoparticles with a scorpion venom compound already being investigated for treating brain cancer, UW researchers found they could cut the spread of cancerous cells by 98 percent, compared to 45 percent for the scorpion venom alone. UW Medicine featured stop on Mayor’s South Lake Union tour UW Medicine CEO Paul Ramsey gives Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels an overview of research facilities at South Lake Union. Drug and device development symposium set for May 4 UW Institute for Translational Health Sciences provides forum on optimizing research through public-private partnerships. Etc.: Campus news & notes Multiple honors for the UW Daily, Hanson Hosein’s Katrina documentary lauded at film festival, GRobin Smith returns as Benjamin Franklin. Organization of the week: Family Caregiver Network Members of the UW community who are involved with caring for someone over the age of 18 are welcome to meet with the Family Caregiver Network, a group that discusses issues relating to caregiving. Official Notices A meeting about the transition of the College of Forest Resources to the College of the Environment, volunteers needed for memory and aging research, a Board of Regents meeting, blood drives and a reference update. An excellent audit — and an award — for the UW Environmental Health and Safety Department A compliance audit is not usually an occasion for celebration, but Environmental Health and Safety employees Matt Moeller and Doug Gallucci left their last audit with smiles on their faces and an award in their hands. Read why. UW students to learn firsthand of culture, corals, islands threatened by sea level rise Given projected sea level rise, the Marshall Islands in the tropical Pacific Ocean are expected to be underwater in 90 years. And in the nearer future the islands face flooding and a degradation of the coral reefs on which they make their money. This summer, a UW professor is leading an Exploration Seminar to the area which will involve students in addressing these problems. Pedagogy is the priority at the annual UW Teaching and Learning Symposium April 21 The innovative work of more than 50 faculty, staff and teaching assistants will be on display at the annual Teaching and Learning Symposium. Global health conference at UW creates a global buzz Transcending Global Barriers: Education & Action conference attracts hundreds who are grappling with hard global health issues. Garbage and gardens: side by side in Guatemala Landscape Architecture Professor Daniel Winterbottom and his students worked with a nonprofit called Safe Passage to build a garden, a classroom and a gathering space next to the biggest garbage dump in Central America UW Medical Center celebrates 50 years A community celebration will take place on the opening day of boating season, May 2. Barriers to ecosystem-based fisheries management is subject of symposium The world report card on ecosystem-based fisheries management is not encouraging, with more than half the countries receiving failing grades, according to an assessment of 33 countries published last year in the journal Marine Policy. A symposium at the UW April 30 and May 1 will take up the subject. UWMC advisory councils excel in putting patients, families first As part of an ongoing process to include patients and families, the medical center recently announced the formation of a sixth advisory council that will focus on outpatient services. Danger of eyewitness identification is subject of talk A man who served 11 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit will appear together with the victim who mistakenly identified him at the law school April 20. The two will discuss the problems connected with eyewitness identifications. Lecture on using DNA to thwart ivory trading April 22 The illegal ivory trade has returned with a vengeance. Sam Wasser, UW professor of biology, will speak on Using DNA Forensics to Combat the Burgeoning Illegal Ivory Trade from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. Arab public opinion is topic of lecture April 22 Arab Public Opinion: Change and Continuity since 9/11 is the title of a lecture by Shibley Telhami, to be presented Wednesday, April 22. The lecture will analyze the trends found in annual Arab public opinion polls in the Arab world since 9/11, focusing on attitudes toward collective identity and foreign policy. Global Justice in the 21st Century is topic of conference Health care, environmental degradation, political violence, human rights, and world poverty are among the global issues requiring global solutions that will be discussed at a conference on global justice to be held at the UW April 17 and 18. Mystery author J.A. Jance to keynote libraries’ fundraiser, ‘Literary Voices’ J.A. Jance, New York Times best-selling author of the Joanna Brady series, the J. P. Beaumont series and three interrelated thrillers, will deliver the keynote speech at Friends of the UW Libraries "Literary Voices," where guests dine at tables with authors, at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 25, at the UW Club. Voice workshop set for May 11 Voicing in Fitz(Maurice) and Starts is the title of a participatory workshop to be offered by Gin Hammond from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, May 11, in Eagleson Hall, 1417 NE 42nd Street. ‘Select a seat’ on April 25 for faculty-staff football discount Faculty and staff are offered a discount on Husky sporting events, and on April 25 you can choose your seats for football season tickets at a special event. Ancient graffiti. A lecture by Chloe Ragazzoli, University of Sorbonne, Paris, presented by the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilization. What do these idiosyncratic texts tell us of the scholars of the past and how they liked to show off? (6:30 p.m., 226 CMU.) Ryan Crocker speaks. Crocker, who served as U.S. ambassador to Iraq from 2007-2009 and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, gives a lecture titled Middle East Briefing: Current Conditions in Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan. (10-11 a.m., 205 Smith.) Henry Open House. A celebration at the Henry, including announcement of the Brink Award, music and projections by local musician Leeni. Patron preview from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (7:30-10 p.m., Henry Art Gallery.) ‘Arab Public Opinion.’ Shibley Telhami, a Middle East scholar at the University of Maryland and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, will speak on Arab Public Opinion: Change and Continuity Since 9/11 for the Farhat J. Ziadeh Distinguished Lecture in Arab and Islamic Studies. (7 p.m., Henry Art Gallery Auditorium.) Can you guess where this photo was taken? Guess correctly, and you might win a gift certificate to the University Book Store!