College of the Environment

E-Newsletter

April 23, 2010
Vol. 2, No. 7


Announcements

College of the Environment 2009-2010 Awards - As the College of the Environment approaches the end of its inaugural year, we are pleased to announce that we are seeking nominations for awards to honor members of our College community who have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication. For the 2009-2010 year, the College seeks nominations for the following awards:
Distinguished Staff Member
Outstanding Teaching Faculty
Outstanding Researcher
Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist
Graduate Dean’s Medalist
Please see the College website for award criteria and eligibilty. The deadline for all nominations is Friday, May 7, 2010.

U.S. News and World Report - The Department of Earth and Space Science has been ranked in the top ten graduate schools for Geology and for Geophysics and Seismology by U.S. News and World Report. Rankings were determined from data from surveys of more than 1,200 programs and some 12,400 academics and professionals conducted in fall 2009.

Dean's Office Staff - We are happy to announce that CoEnv’s new Marketing and Communications Director, Michelle Ackermann, officially began work last week. Michelle has expertise in a wide variety of strategic communications and marketing arenas. Most recently she was with The Wilderness Society, a national conservation NGO. Her primary focus will presently be on creating short and long-term communications and marketing strategies for the College. Please help us welcome her aboard!

Endowed scholarship fund established - The Program on the Environment (PoE) has initiated an effort to create its first endowed scholarship fund benefiting its undergraduates. PoE is pleased to announce that it has secured a $25,000 matching pool, and is offering a 1:1 match on a "first come, first served" basis for all gifts or pledges of $100 or more. Pledges must be fulfilled by June 30, 2011. To date, donors have contributed more than $8,000, and PoE seeks to secure additional contributions totaling $17,000. A description of the fund and ways to contribute can be found on the PoE website.

Kudos

Ray Hilborn (Professor, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences) has been announced as a new Fellow into the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Hilborn studies human impacts on world fisheries and the global ocean environment. The Academy will induct the new class of fellows at a ceremony Oct. 9 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Susan Bolton (Professor, Forest Resources; Adjunct Professor, Civil Engineering) will be honored at the College of Engineering’s Diamond Awards Banquet on May 7 for her work as a faculty mentor for the UW student chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Over the last four years, Bolton has mentored more than 150 UW students as they work with villagers in a remote, mountainous region of Bolivia to implement sustainable engineering solutions aimed at improving quality of life and increasing access to schools, markets, and health clinics.

Julian Olden (Assistant Professor, Aquatic and Fishery Sciences) is being recognized with the 2010 Early Career Conservationist Award from the Society of Conservation Biology. The award is granted to professionals in the early stages of their career who have shown extraordinary scientific contributions and leadership in the field of global conservation ecology.

Environmental Studies student Alan Wright was recognized on April 22 as one of the first-ever winners of the Husky Green Awards. The awards, established by the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee, celebrate individuals and teams who have contributed to UW's environmental stewardship efforts. Wright is actively engaged with sustainability efforts and participates in groups such as WashPIRG and the Green Coalition and he served as a student representative for the UW Climate Action Plan academic committee. He supported the efforts to establish the campus sustainability fund by speaking with administrators and faculty, helping draft a detailed proposal and organizing a campaign to create awareness and garner student support.

Jim Murray (Oceanography), Terrie Klinger (Marine Affairs), and Ken Sebens (Friday Harbor Labs) have been awarded a $125,000 grant from the Educational Foundation of America (EFA) to fund the study of the biological impacts of ocean acidification at the Mesocosm Experimental Facility at Friday Harbor Labs.

Student Opportunities

Port of Seattle has three paid summer internship positions open, including a graduate and undergraduate position with the Seaport Environmental Program, and an undergraduate internship with the Aviation Environmental Programs Group. Additional information and application instructions can be found on the Port of Seattle website.

Funding