David Hodge Named Acting Dean
Neurobiology Program Approved
SAM Exhibit Inspires Ancient Egypt Workshop
Awards Lead to Innovative Courses
Major Gift Increases Castor Professorship
It's All Greek to the Hellenes
Tapping the Northwest Drizzle
On the Web: What's Shakin' in the Northwest

David Hodge Named Acting Dean
On July 1, David Hodge began serving as acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He will continue to serve in this role while the University conducts a national search for a successor to John Simpson, who served as dean of the College for four years. Simpson is now executive vice chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC).

"This is a challenge but a most exciting one," says David Hodge, who has been serving as acting Dean since July. Photo by Mary Levin.

Hodge is no newcomer to the Dean's Office. He has been divisional dean for computing, facilities, and research since 1996, following two years as chair of the Department of Geography. He joined the UW faculty as an assistant professor of geography in 1975, after receiving a bachelor's degree from Macalester College and a master's degree and Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.

Both as a teacher and scholar, Hodge has been recognized for his abilities. In 1990, he received the UW's Distinguished Teaching Award, the University's highest honor for teaching excellence. As a researcher interested in urban and transporation geography and information technology, he was appointed by the Governor and State Legislature to serve on the Puget Sound Transportation Expert Review Panel from 1989 through 1994. He also spent a year in Washington, D.C., serving as a National Science Foundation program officer.

Hodge welcomes the challenge of his new role. "There is a strong cast in place to build on the momentum that developed under John Simpson's leadership, most notably a set of exceptional divisional deans and a wonderful group of chairs and directors," Hodge explains. "This is a challenge but a most exciting one."

Simpson, who joined the UW faculty in 1975 and held various administrative posts before heading the College, agrees that the helm of Arts and Sciences is an exciting place to be. So much so, in fact, that he was torn about leaving for UCSC. "This has been perhaps the most trying decision I have made in my adult life," he wrote in a letter to his colleagues when he resigned. "…I have a continuing admiration for the remarkable strengths of the University of Washington. My departure is in no way a statement of leaving this university because I see difficulties ahead; rather, it is because of the extraordinary opportunity that UCSC at this time affords."

The national search for the College's next dean is expected to take up to one year.

Neurobiology Program Approved
For undergraduates with an interest in neurobiology--the study of nervous systems--there have been limited courses available. That is about to change. In January, 50 undergraduates will begin a new and challenging interdisciplinary program in neurobiology, developed by faculty in Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine.

"The University is one of the top institutions in world for neurobiology research," explains William Moody, professor of zoology and director of the program. "Most of the others at this level offer an undergraduate major in neurobiology and have done so for a long time. It was time for us to pursue this."

Moody explains that the UW has had a flourishing Ph.D. program in neurobiology but no undergraduate sequence of courses. With the new program, students will complete six courses in neurobiology, which they will take as a group, in sequence. Fifty students will be admitted to the program each year, through a competitive process.

"The courses build on each other," says Moody. "First there are two 300-level courses, both with labs, that cover the basics of neurobiology. Then four 400-level courses cover more specialized topics, such as neurological diseases and drug action on the brain." Most of the 400-level courses will be taught by medical school faculty.

Given the University's strength in the area of neurobiology research, undergraduates in the program will be encouraged to find work in faculty laboratories. Students taking an honors degree through the program will be required to complete a one-year research project in a laboratory.

The University Initiative Fund provided the funds to develop the neurobiology program. In addition to Moody, the committee that created the new major consists of the chairs of pharmacology, physiology and biophysics, biological structure, and psychology.

SAM Exhibit Inspires Ancient Egypt Workshop
For one week in August, 150 schoolteachers from across Washington state were transported to ancient Egypt--at least in spirit. The teachers were participants in an intensive workshop offered by the UW's Middle East Center--part of the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS)-- and the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). The workshop was developed in conjunction with the museum's exhibit, "Eygpt: Gift of the Nile," which runs through January 10. All of the participants will bring their classes to the exhibit.

"Ancient Egypt is usually part of the curriculum, especially in middle schools," explains Mimi Heggelund, outreach coordinator for the Middle East Center, who coordinated the workshop with SAM's Beverly Harding. "Our goal was to provide enough information and curriculum ideas to help teachers in the classroom. In some cases, the teachers will use it as a springboard to develop their own curriculum." Heggelund credits Ellis Goldberg, director of the Middle East Center, with providing the vision for the project.

Teachers attempt to write in hieroglyphics during an afternoon session of the "Egypt: Gift of the Nile" workshop on campus. Photo by Mary Levin.

The exhibit includes personal and domestic artifacts as well as royal art. The workshop, reflecting this breadth, covered everything from hieroglyphics to religion to daily life. "When people think of ancient Egypt, they usually think of the pyramids and the royal class," says Heggelund. "But there is so much more to it--the mythology, the religions, the writing. Many Egyptians were ordinary people doing ordinary jobs."

Lectures were presented each morning by UW faculty and visiting speakers, including SAM Curator Pam McClusky, JSIS Director Jere Bacharach, and Emily Teeter of the Oriental Institute in Chicago. Afternoon sessions were hands-on, with most led by K-8 teachers. Each teacher selected one artifact from the exhibit and used it to develop a lesson plan about daily life in ancient Egypt. A total of eight lesson plans were presented. "We handpicked the teachers who did the presentations," says Heggelund. "We chose teachers whom we knew were knowledgeable about Egypt and were good at inspiring students and teachers."

Now that the workshop is over, Heggelund is eager to learn how teachers share their new knowledge with their classes and how their students respond. "We had approximately 150 teachers participating, each with a class of about 30 students," she says. "If you multiply that, you can see the impact this can have on students. It's very exciting."

Also satisfying, says Heggelund, was the opportunity to collaborate with the Seattle Art Museum. "There are so many benefits to pooling our resources," she explains. "It allowed us to expand our audience and create a much more extensive program. Everyone benefited from this collaboration."

Awards Lead to Innovative Courses
Each year, the College encourages faculty to develop innovative courses through its Curriculum Development Awards. Nine projects have been selected for 1998, based on submitted proposals. Some are being funded through the College Fund; others are being supported through a University-wide program, Tools for Transformation.

• The Department of Linguistics is developing a course on the linguistic structure of American Sign Language. Few universities around the world offer such a course, and this is the department's first course focusing on a language that is not spoken.
  
  
• The English Department is designing a pilot seminar course that will provide instruction in critical reading and writing to students newly admitted to the English major.
  
  
• The Department of Philosophy, which recently added two philosophers of science to its faculty, is preparing a new curriculum in the philosophy of science.
  
  
• An introductory course sequence in Biology will be substantially revised, with new interactive laboratory exercises on biological diversity that will be designed and tested.
  
  
• The Department of Asian Languages and Literature is developing an enhanced version of "Nihongo Partner," an interactive multimedia program used to improve oral skills in Japanese.
  
  
• A new Honors Program course by a professor of physics and astronomy will examine the radical changes in thinking about the natural world that began in 16th and 17th century Europe.
  
  
• The Department of Geography is developing a new course to introduce students to computer applications of economic-geographic principles.
  
  
• Introductory literature core courses for the German language and literature major and minor are being revised by the Department of Germanics, with emphasis on developing and using Web sites as teaching tools for each core course. The goal is to better prepare majors for the challenging 400-level courses that will follow.
  
  
• A new interdisciplinary curriculum in political communication is being spearheaded by the Department of Political Science. The curriculum will explore how media and messages affect public opinion, civic culture, and citizen engagement in the political process.

Major Gift Increases Castor Professorship
In 1988, Cecil and Jane Castor endowed the Castor Professorship in Economics to help support the recruitment and retention of distinguished faculty. Although it was Cecil Castor's interest in economics that sparked the generous gift, his wife has continued to build the endowment since Cecil's death in 1992. This year she contributed more than $477,600 in stocks and cash to the endowed fund, enabling the department to support a second Castor Professor.

"It was my husband's brains and know-how that made the money," explains Jane Castor. "After he died, I thought I should continue to follow his wishes for the funds. He loved the University, the campus, the Avenue, the Husky teams, and of course, his professors."

The Castors' strong affinity for the University of Washington should come as no surprise. They met at the University and both earned UW degrees--Cecil's in business administration, Jane's in sociology. Cecil chose a career in the petroleum industry, while Jane became a psychiatric social worker.

But the Castors' history with the UW extends back even further: Jane's grandparents were among the earliest recipients of baccalaureate degrees from the territorial university in 1880.

Now, through endowed giving, the couple will be supporting the University--and more specifically the Economics Department--well into the next century.

Jane Castor downplays the generosity of the gift but not its impact. "When you sell houses or stocks that you have held for a long time, there can be a great deal of profit," she explains. "If you can use that to make a dent in the world--well, that's kind of exciting."

It's All Greek to the Hellenes
A dedicated group of Greek-Americans, the Hellenes of the Northwest, has raised $80,000 to create the Hellenic Studies Endowed Fund in the Jackson School of International Studies. The fund will establish Hellenic studies--the study of modern Greece--as an interdisciplinary area of emphasis.

From left, UW Regent Shelly Yapp, John T. John, and A&S Acting Dean David Hodge sign the Hellenic Studies Endowed Fund Agreement. Photo by Karen Orders.

"At the UW, although there are extensive offerings on ancient Greece, there have been no courses or other programs concerning modern Greece," says Ted Kaltsounis, professor of education and a board member of the Hellenes of the Northwest. "We feel that adding modern Greek studies to the curriculum will complete the study of that region and create a more balanced approach." The Hellenic Studies Endowed Fund may be used to support courses, lectures, and research.

The group's gift is particularly impressive given that the organization was created just months ago. "In the past, the Greek community looked to its churches as a center for religion and culture," explains John T. John, president of the Hellenes of the Northwest. "Our intent in creating this organization is to supplement, enrich, and expand the opportunities to emphasize Greek culture so as to reach more people."

John and Kaltsounis say that the group's recent gift to the UW is just a first step. They hope to raise $1 million in the next three to five years to support Hellenic studies.

Tapping the Northwest Drizzle

Photo by Louise St. Pierre.

Since June, rain falling in Seattle's Cascade neighborhood has been doing double duty, thanks to a rain harvester designed by students in the School of Art. The rainwater--which normally would evaporate or drain into Lake Union--is now collected in a cistern on the roof of an industrial building, piped into a glass studio where it is used in the grinding of glass, then recollected and directed to planters along the street. Welcoming benches are an integral part of the design.

The rain harvester was designed by 15 freshmen in Professor Louise St. Pierre's industrial design class, with senior Randy Mercado heading the effort as his senior project. Located on the 1300 block of Republican Street, the project was funded by the Cascade Neighborhood Council through a grant from Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods.

On the Web: What's Shakin' in the Northwest
The next time you feel a tremor and wonder whether it's an earthquake, check out Pacific Northwest Earthquake Information, a Web site developed by the Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network (PNSN), which is based in the UW's Geophysics Program. The site provides automated Web pages for significant earthquakes--within minutes of their occurrence, including details such as size, location, comparison to historic earthquakes in the region, and near real-time tracking of aftershocks.

Frequently asked questions--everything from "Why does the Pacific Northwest have earthquakes?" to "Should I buy earthquake insurance for my house?"--are answered, with explanations a non-scientist can understand.

The site also tracks current activity on Cascade volcanos and provides links to related volcano Web sites, including the U.S.G.S. Cascade Volcano Observatory.

And if you're really worried about "the big one," you can find an answer to the question, "Is any place safe from earthquakes?" Sorry, no clues here. You'll have to visit the site.

[Autumn 1998 - Table of Contents]