Washington Engineer - August 2008

Message from Dean O'Donnell
Research News - Competitive protein folding, Robofish, and more
Campus News- Japan opens a new materials-science center
Coming Events- Spacewalk talk, Space symposium, Lecture series
In the Media

Message from Dean Matt O'Donnell

Dear Friends of Engineering,

Engineering appears to be a bright spot defying the gloomy economic reports on the national scene—at least here in the Northwest. Companies are vying to hire our talented students, who often secure jobs before they graduate.

This good news made it exciting to watch our newest crop of engineering graduates accept their diplomas in June. We awarded more than 1,100 degrees in the last academic year and will continue to increase the number of graduate degrees granted. The university recognizes the vital need to train more students in high-demand disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and has set ambitious targets for undergraduate programs.

We are grateful for the support from the university, governor, and legislature that will allow the college to grow strategically, particularly in computer science and into the cross-disciplinary field of molecular engineering. Also in the planning stage is a potential new professional master's degree in pharmaceutical bioengineering, a great fit for the expanding biotechnology sector in the Puget Sound region. Electrical Engineering’s professional master's program, launched last winter, is drawing capacity enrollment. These are just a few of the initiatives that will feed a statewide and national need for engineers.

Applications for our fall 2008 freshman class were up, and I'm particularly pleased to see increasing percentages of underrepresented minorities and women. This is testament to the UW's many outreach programs, and the changing culture of engineering.

Learn more about our latest research stories, what’s in store for the fall, and enjoy a new look for Washington Engineer.

O'Donnell signature

Matt O'Donnell
Frank and Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering

Research News

	Computer game’s high score could earn the Nobel Prize in medicine Foldit is a competitive video game that tackles protein-folding problems usually run on supercomputers. The program’s creators hope this will be the first in a series of projects that tap into video games for solving scientific problems. More »

	School of Robofish provides basis for teams of underwater robots A group of Robofish use sonar to communicate, allowing them to work cooperatively to explore underwater environments. More »

	Gene silencer and quantum dots reduce protein production to a whisper Fluorescent nanoparticles called quantum dots are making an entry into the phamaceutical world, helping deliver a gene-silencing therapy into the cell. More »

Campus News

Japanese National Institute of Materials Science opens in Seattle
In June, Japan's National Institute of Materials Science opened an Overseas Operation Office at the UW—the first time a national laboratory such as NIMS has established an office outside of Japan.

Coming Events

From Seattle to Space: A UW Alumnus' Flight in Earth Orbit
NASA Astronaut Stanley G. Love (PhD, '93) performed two spacewalks in February as a mission specialist on the twenty-fourth Shuttle visit to the International Space Station. The free event is co-hosted by the Dept. of Astronomy and the Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Monday, Aug. 4, 2008
7 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Kane Hall 120
Limited space; guests admitted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Association of Space Explorers XXI International Planetary Congress
September 15-19, 2008
Seattle, WA

The public is invited to the UW on Tuesday, Sept. 16 for two presentations in Meany Hall.

Space Program Review
9 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Astronauts and cosmonauts from Russia, Europe, Canada, and the United States discuss their space programs.

Human Health for Exploration
1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Panel presentation focusing on health concerns for flyers.

For more information, check the calendar on the College of Engineering home page.

2008 Engineering Lecture Series
Save the dates for the 2008 Engineering Lecture Series to be held on the UW's Seattle campus in Kane Hall. The evening lectures are free and open to the public, but audience members are asked to register in advance. Registration will open in September.

Where Humans and Robots Connect
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Yoky Matsuoka, Associate Professor, Computer Science & Engineering, Director, University of Washington Neurobotics Lab

Beyond Oil: Powering the Future
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Miles P. Drake, Senior Vice President Research and Development, Chief Technology Officer, Weyerhaeuser
Daniel Schwartz, Boeing-Sutter Professor, Chemical Engineering and Associate Dean of New Initiatives, College of Engineering

Back to Nature for the Next Technology Revolution
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Babak Parviz, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering

In the Media

	Web-based program gives the blind Internet access The Associated Press, July 16. A PhD student in computer science and engineering developed WebAnywhere, a free program that lets blind people surf the Web on public PCs at libraries or Internet cafes. More »

	Bionic woman: Yoky Matsuoka PBS-NOVA, July 15. Roboticist and MacArthur Fellowship winner Yoky Matsuoka talks about bionic hands, a transition from athletics to engineering, and dropping the "airhead" act. More »

	Bill Gates steps down, but not out of public eye MSNBC, June 23. As Bill Gates transitions to focus on philanthropic ventures, Ed Lazowska, the Bill and Melinda Gates chair in Computer Science & Engineering, credits Gates with helping inspire many students to pursue computer science. More »