Alumni Update: Saying Goodbye to a Friend

« Washington Engineer - August 2006

Denice Denton remembered as mentor and leader

Leaders at the UW College of Engineering and engineering notables around the country expressed shock and sadness at news of the death of former UW Engineering Dean Denice Dee Denton.

Denton died June 24 in an apparent suicide.

Denton, known among colleagues and friends as “D3,” led the college from 1996 to 2004. She was a nationally recognized educator and in 2004 was named Chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Denton will be remembered as a strong and visionary leader who was a champion for women in science and passionate about creating opportunity for the underrepresented.

“Denice was an inspirational and transformational leader for the College of Engineering, with a strong focus on developing people to achieve their fullest potential,” said Mani Soma, interim dean. “Besides her impact on the national scene, she left an indelible legacy in our college.”

An informal memorial gathering for colleagues in the college was held July 6. A formal service is being planned for Nov. 2. Details will be published on the college Web site as plans are finalized.

Mechanical Engineering prepares for birthday party of the century

: Students test a Murray Corliss steam engine, circa 1949.

Formula race cars, human-powered submarines, a former CEO of Ford Motor Co. and the current CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc. will be on hand Sept. 15 for the UW Department of Mechanical Engineering’s 100th birthday party.

To register for the event, go to the ME Website, call (206) 616-8259 or e-mail MECentennial@engr.washington.edu. The deadline is Aug. 25.

Acting Engineering Dean Mani Soma urged alumni and friends to use the event as a vehicle to a deeper involvement with the department.

“If you are an alum, rekindle your connection with the ME community. Look up a professor. Observe the innovation and energy that infuse the work of students and faculty; volunteer as a mentor,” Soma said.

“We welcome your participation in whatever form it takes,” he added.

The celebration will begin with a panel discussion and video presentation documenting how the field has progressed from steam power to the space race and digital revolution. Department Chair Mark Tuttle will lead faculty in speculating on what lies ahead, for both the field and the department.

Donald E. Petersen, a 1946 alum, will address participants during the centennial luncheon. As chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company in the 1980s, Peterson guided the automobile maker through the most radical transformation in its history, creating a new management paradigm that has been widely embraced.

The day will close with a dinner at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center on Pier 66 and an address by Sally Jewell, a 1978 alum and CEO of REI.

This year’s Engineering Lecture Series features free admission

Admission fees have been waived for the 2006 Engineering Lecture Series, which kicks off in October with topics ranging from thought-controlled robots to an instant chemical analyzer that could help poisoning victims and detect biochemical threats.

All lectures begin at 7 p.m. in Kane Hall, room 110. The sessions include:

Oct. 12: Mind Meets Machine

Computer Science & Engineering assistant professor Rajesh Rao works at the delicate connection point between brain and body, studying ways to allow a healthy brain to compensate for a body immobilized by a stroke or disease. With the right technology, a patient’s thought can now control a computer cursor or a robot. Rao will take the audience on an exploration of how to expand the reach of the human brain.

Oct. 26: Making the Right Choice

Fuel cell or ethanol? Paper or plastic? Cloth diaper or disposable? Mechanical engineering assistant professor Joyce Cooper explores the hidden environmental costs inherent in decisions made every day by manufacturers, marketers, consumers and policy makers. Often, the tradeoffs are not obvious, and the long-term toll on the environment can be surprising.

Nov. 9: Not a Drop to Drink

Is the shellfish safe? Did the patient take poison? Is there a biochemical threat in the air, water or soil? Urgent questions like these no longer have to wait for time-consuming, expensive lab analyses, thanks to the work of electrical engineering emeritus professor Sinclair Yee, whose optical system brings the answers to light.

The series is co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and the UW Alumni Association.

Alums and friends to go behind the scenes at the EMP

: The Experience Music Project

Alums and friends of the UW College of Engineering will go behind the scenes at Paul Allen’s rock ’n’ roll music museum, the Experience Music Project, on Oct. 7 and get the inside story on how the internationally recognized structure was built.

The tour, co-sponsored by the college and the UW Alumni Association, will feature a talk by ’75 civil engineering alum John Magnusson, CEO of Magnusson Klemencic Associates. Magnusson will focus on the unusual challenges his firm faced in constructing the unique facility. Afterward, participants will be taken on a guided walk-through of the museum.

The tour will begin at 9 a.m. and finish at noon. Cost is $40 for alumni association members, $50 for non-members. Online registration begins Sept. 5. To register, visit the UW Alumni Association Web site. Space is limited and seats will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.