D iscovery is at the heart of our university

University of | annUal report 2007 Stories of Discovery 6

Increasing access to excellence

8 uncovering the big picture on world health

10 Sharing the dream of a college education

12 leading the way to a greener future

14 Bringing UW Discoveries to the world

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uW students can now earn a four-year degree at 1. uW Bothell and 2. uW tacoma 3. students outside Kane hall on the campus

students at graduation he husky Promise is simple, yet profound. it’s “one is the number of students we reach with this,” north of seattle. it is our way of expanding and a guarantee that Washington state students cauce said. “this doesn’t just apply to a handful reaching out to students. the more options you Tfrom most low and lower middle-income of students — a third of the state falls into this give folks, the more they are going to participate.” families will have every cent of their tuition and category. the other thing about our efforts that is uW Bothell and uW tacoma attract students who fees — just under $6,400 this year — covered by unique is that we aren’t doing them in isolation.” want to attend school close to where they work aid that does not have to be repaid. the uW overhauled its admissions process last year and live. they offer another benefit that some — and now uses a model with a broad-based holistic “it’s not acceptable to me for a student to say, ‘i like Woodinville native andy Jerome — find very approach. “it’s moving away from admissions can’t aspire to go to the uW because i can’t pay for appealing. “at uW Bothell, my largest [freshman] based solely on sats and gPas. We’re looking it,’” said ana Mari cauce, executive vice Provost. class had 13 people,” Jerome said. “every professor more broadly at a whole host of factors, including “We want students to know that if they work hard i’ve had knows my name.” in fact, it was personal overcoming obstacles,” such as a difficult family

and do well that they can come here.” attention and mentoring by a professor that annual report situation, cauce said. the commitment is to review inspired Jerome to change his focus from business the husky Promise, which went into effect this each applicant as an individual. to biology, landed him a job as a tutor in the past fall, specifically targets academically qualified Writing center, and helped him increase his gPa to Washington state high school seniors who don’t “we want students to know that 3.8 by the end of his freshman year.

pursue a college education because of cost concerns. More than 5,000 students at the uW’s if they work hard and do well “going to the Bothell was 7 Bothell, seattle and tacoma campuses — that they can come here.” the smartest decision i’ve made in my life so far — 2007 20 percent of the undergraduate resident student because i started learning about myself,” Jerome ana MarI caUcE population — qualify for the husky Promise. this said. “it’s also been a lot of fun. i wouldn’t trade it program helps fulfill the uW’s long-standing for anything.” commitment to access. in 2007, the uW was another very significant effort to increase access ranked as one of the 10 most affordable was transitioning uW Bothell and uW tacoma For more on the Husky Promise, academically excellent schools in the country to four-year institutions, providing new regional visit www.huskypromise.washington.edu by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. While other options for the first classes of nearly 300 freshmen universities have instituted similar guarantees, the in the fall of 2006 and 350 freshmen this past husky Promise stands out in two significant ways. fall. “We don’t have a lot of room in seattle to grow in dramatic ways,” cauce said. “our real future growth will be in Bothell and tacoma — and possibly in a third satellite campus under discussion

new prograMs are Making a Uw eDUcation available to more students uncovering the Big Picture on worlD health niversity U eart of our eart of our

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the uW recruited dr. christopher Murray to lead the new institute for health Metrics and evaluation.

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1. Adi Dabestani, UW Department of Medicine resident, in Ghana 2. King Holmes, chair of the UW Department of Global Health 3. The UW’s global health efforts touch people around the world very year, a large and increasing percentage organization senior official who was recruited over time. “i see the institute as a single-stop of the world’s wealth is spent on health from harvard university. “this is a unique, new, resource for the public, researchers and decision Ecare, but there is very little hard data on global institution. We’re filling an empty niche, makers to come for the best quality information,” what the money is actually accomplishing. that namely, independent, rigorous, highly relevant Murray explained. lack of objective scientific information is a serious work evaluating what works and what doesn’t,” other projects planned or already underway shortcoming that the uW’s new institute for health Murray said. include sponsorship of a multi-center analysis of Metrics and evaluation was created to address. Murray has been with the uW since July 1, and the “global Burden of disease” and an effort to the institute, funded with a $105 million grant the institute’s current staff is about a quarter of identify 20 things health providers can do that will from the Bill & Melinda gates foundation — the its 2010 target of 130 researchers and support make the biggest difference in people’s health. largest private donation in uW history — and $20 staff. still, important work is already under way, Murray is also working toward developing a

million from the uW, joins the new department much of it a continuation of influential work done master’s track and eventually a Ph.d. program in annual report of global health in underscoring the uW’s by Murray and other top-level researchers before Metrics and evaluation at the uW. commitment to improving the health of people coming to the uW. Whatever the institute undertakes, Murray says around the world. the new department is run the institute’s first major publication, an in-depth, his intention is to raise the bar by providing jointly by the uW school of Medicine and the

worldwide study of child mortality, was published public information that is credible, comparable, school of Public health and community Medicine. in The Lancet in september. the article explains the and comprehensible. “i believe that sort of 9 “i see the institute as a single- first of several installments of one of the institute’s information can transform 2007 ongoing major projects: to track all types of mortality the way we think about stop resource for the public, since 1970 in 170 countries around the world. health care — and researchers and decision having this information will help policy makers ultimately lead to people identify emerging trends in global health and apply being healthier,” Murray said. makers to come for the resources where they will do the most good. “that’s the ultimate goal.” best quality information.” Murray said the institute’s work will require its dr. chrIsTophEr MUrray For more on the Institute for researchers to seek out and analyze all the available Health Metrics and data in the world on any certain topic. in many “health care is becoming the largest single element Evaluation, visit cases, they will have to invent new measurement of the world economy, yet at the community and www.healthmetrics methods to analyze it. and rather than merely national level, we can’t even answer very simple andevaluation.org publishing the results of their work, the institute questions, like who’s getting the best value for will make all the tools, methods and raw data from their resources and who’s making the biggest their studies publicly available — building a vast contribution to people’s health through their “global databank” of worldwide health information health care practices” said dr. christopher Murray, the institute’s director, and a former World health

new institUte takes a novel approach to analyzing health care effectiveness Sharing the dream of a college education niversity U eart of our eart of our H 10

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Alula Asfaw started the Dream Project to encourage more high school students to attend college. D i s c o v e r y i s at t h e

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1. alula asfaw meets with students about the Dream Project 2. Alula Asfaw and friends on the UW Seattle campus

trUMan scholar alUla asfaw DiscovereD fertile groUnD for Making his Mentoring project a reality hen alula asfaw was a senior at seattle’s asfaw will leave his mark on the uW with the already, this novel program is showing positive cleveland high school, attending college dream Project, a program he created after the results. seventy-three percent of the 106 high Wwas not something he took for granted. realization that many of his high school classmates school students the dream Project worked with asfaw, whose parents sent him to the united might have gone to college if they had had the in its first year entered college. thirty-five of them states from war-torn ethiopia at age six to live with type of support he received. this exploration led are attending the uW. six of them received $1,000 his oldest brother, did not have many role models him to create the dream Project. named for dr. dream Project scholarships. to look to for support. Martin luther King, Jr.’s famous speech, the dream from the very beginning, asfaw’s experiences Project is now beginning its second full year. “showing up on this campus in itself wasn’t a creating the dream Project were remarkably given for me. it wasn’t the path that a lot of the this year, 85 uW undergraduates in the 300-level, positive. nearly everyone he asked at the uW — people from my community took,” asfaw said. two-credit dream Project general studies course friends, teachers, administrators, and on-campus

But then something happened. asfaw met lenore will explore why so many high-achieving students organizations — gave him meaningful, active annual report valerio-Buford, the director of uW’s upward do not go on to college, then go to six area high support. “it speaks to something about this place Bound program. “she helped me navigate the schools and act as mentor-advocates for students. that allowed this kid to march into offices of high- process — how to make an application, how to level administrators and present an idea — and write an essay — all of these things that i did not they found it valid, and they supported it, and they have people at home to tell me how to do.” “there’s a palpable feeling on pushed it,” asfaw said. “there’s a palpable feeling 11 on this campus — we actually believe we can today, asfaw is a highly accomplished uW senior, this campus — we actually 2007 achieve this. We can make this place really reflect double majoring in english literature and political believe we can achieve this.” the community that it sits in. that’s empowering, science. he has won numerous scholarships and alUla asfaW and the evidence of that is in the dream Project.” awards, including the truman scholarship, which comes with $30,000 for graduate studies or they’ll help with essay writing and applications, tell For more on the Dream Project, visit leadership training and is awarded to students them about the husky Promise [see related story, http://depts.washington.edu/uwdrmprj based on their potential to make a difference in the page 6] and provide guidance about financial aid world. asfaw, a fifth-year senior, took a year-long and scholarships. “We help them navigate the hiatus from the uW to work for John Kerry’s 2004 process, but in addition, they also get what we like presidential campaign, and hopes to spend a year to call a ‘community in waiting.’ When they arrive after graduation in Washington, d.c., working for here, there’s an instant community to welcome Barack obama’s campaign, with the help of his them,” asfaw said. truman scholarship. leading the Way to a greener fUtUre niversity U

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1. The Benjamin Hall Interdisciplinary Research Building and 2. Merrill Hall received LEED certification for their green design 3. Goats provide a green solution to vegetation control on the Seattle and Bothell campuses

the Uw sets an exaMple in environmental stewardship he university of Washington has long last June, the seattle and King county council’s that’s a goal shared by capital Projects, which promoted environmental stewardship commuter challenge named the uW a diamond is working with departments across campus to Tthrough its research and teaching in areas award winner for its efforts. increase the number of buildings with leadership ranging from the oceans to the trees. it is also in energy and environmental design (leed) responsiveness is also vital to the uW’s green committed to setting an example by practicing certification, a national green building rating system. efforts. “When we noticed last year that the environmental sustainability, saving natural resources sandwich counter distributed only disposable plates, the uW’s Benjamin hall interdisciplinary research and money while improving the quality of life on we were able to communicate the problem to the Building was the first building on the West coast — campuses and in our surrounding communities. right person, and soon reusable plates appeared,” and only the 11th in the united states — to achieve this past year, uW President and the said uW sophomore ariana rose taylor-stanley, leed-cs gold certification. this certification chancellors of uW Bothell and uW tacoma joined director of students expressing environmental means a building is expected to use 30 percent

the leadership circle of the american college dedication (seed). less energy and nearly 40 percent less water. leed annual report & university Presidents climate commitment, standards have resulted in a savings of nearly while the number of students agreeing to adopt policies to minimize global $230,000 in electricity costs for the building in warming emissions. the uW also is a founding and employees has increased its first year of operation, according to capitol partner of the seattle climate Partnership and Projects sustainability Manager clara simon. other

22 percent since 1990 at created the university-wide environmental leed-certified projects include uW tacoma’s 13 stewardship advisory committee to examine its Uw seattle, peak-hour traffic renovation of two historic buildings and the 2007 practices throughout the university. around the campus has declined rebuilding of Merrill hall. the uW currently has 10 leed projects underway. creative thinking is a hallmark of the uW’s efforts during that time. to become a greener university. instead of using “there’s a different kind of thinking housing and food services has worked extensively power tools or herbicides to clear thick vegetation that goes into green building,” with suppliers to find utensils, lids, cups, and at the Bothell and seattle campuses, the university simon said. “green packaging made from materials such as corn recently rented goats to do the job. the uW’s building, like sustainability, and wood that can compost in 60 days, and has transportation department encourages walking, is really about impacting instituted recycling, composting, and energy- biking, ridesharing and vanpools; promotes the people’s lives.” saving programs in all dorms, cafés and dining flexcar car-sharing program; and has lowered halls. housing and food services also worked the cost of participation in u-Pass, which offers with seed and seattle city light to put nearly unlimited rides on King county Metro, community 4,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs in residence transit and sound transit buses. While the number halls. “My goal is to create cultural sustainability of students and employees has increased 22 that permeates everything we do,” housing and percent since 1990 at uW seattle, peak-hour traffic food services’ capital Planning and sustainability around the campus has declined during that time. Manager J.r. fulton said. Bringing uW discoveries to the worlD niversity U

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3. uW researchers Pierre Mourad, left, and frank 1. The UW’s Dr. Teri Brentnall and her team discovered a roberts worked together to pancreatic cancer early-detection method, now licensed invent the ultreo toothbrush. through TechTransfer 2. Former UW professor, Chuck Henry, developed a composting toilet technology, which is now being marketed through start-up companies that TechTransfer helped create 3. Vikram Jandhyala, associate professor of electrical engineering, started the software company Physware with the support of TechTransfer hether it’s an idea for window glass technology transfer Jim severson. “the way we technologies from the university,” gallagher said. that can change from clear to opaque think and the way we work would be very different “they’ve been very supportive and cooperative with Wat the touch of a button, research for if we were focused solely on revenue,” severson our efforts.” a hepatitis vaccine, a prototype of a more secure said. rather, techtransfer puts an emphasis on techtransfer has developed a number of new shipping container or an ultrasound-powered being responsive and allowing for flexibility, since initiatives to help excel the innovation process. toothbrush, the many seminal discoveries made at the creative process doesn’t always follow a its launchPad program helps uW researchers the university of Washington can make the most straight path. “With invention there’s always a commercialize inventions by teaming them with difference when they emerge from the labs and certain amount of serendipity,” he said. techtransfer staff, local business experts and offices of researchers into the world. techtransfer has brought students. its technology gap innovation funds that’s where uW techtransfer comes in. techtransfer program, a partnership between techtransfer

is the uW’s bridge between researchers and the more than 1,000 wide-ranging and the Washington research foundation, annual report business community, protecting intellectual property Uw innovations to light at provides $50,000 grants to researchers to develop and helping turn good ideas into valuable business promising ideas into commercial products or assets. in the past five years alone, techtransfer an accelerating pace — services. techtransfer has created a new Web has brought more than 1,000 wide-ranging uW and generated more than portal, opendoor, to make useful innovations

innovations to light at an accelerating pace — and $100 million in revenues. that do not have a direct commercial application generated more than $100 million in revenues. available for free. 15 2007

in fiscal year 2007, techtransfer staff helped nearly take ultreo, a promising startup company that finally, techtransfer has created a new external 500 uW researchers from over 60 departments recently made its debut. in 2003, uW ultrasound advisory board with 20 members representing move toward bringing their inventions to market. researcher dr. Pierre Mourad was meeting with innovative northwest companies, including and with techtransfer’s help, uW innovations have entrepreneur Jack gallagher about an unrelated Microsoft, Zymogenetics and vulcan capital. the generated thousands of patents, licenses and other topic when conversation turned to a new type board provides a direct link to the northwest commercialization agreements with businesses of toothbrush. four years later, after extensive business community, and helps techtransfer large and small, and fostered nearly 200 startup research, prototyping, licensing, clinical and discover even more innovative ways to turn the companies, many of which are creating new jobs field testing — all under the watchful eye of discoveries of uW researchers into products that and opportunities here in Washington. techtransfer — the ultreo ultrasound toothbrush will help create the future of Washington state. has sold more than 30,000 test units to dental Much of techtransfer’s success can be attributed For more on TechTransfer, visit professionals, generated glowing reviews, and to shifting its emphasis from merely protecting http://depts.washington.edu/techtran innovations through patents to a broad-based entered the retail market in time for the 2007 effort to help researchers get their ideas into the holidays. “We found techtransfer to be very world by whatever means works best, according businesslike, very objective, very fair — and very to vice Provost for intellectual Property and excited about the opportunity of commercializing

“Smart” sunglasses can be adjusted so the lenses block from 55 percent to 95 percent of incoming rays. techtransfer actively briDges the gap between research anD business