Where can you surf for free if you want to get off campus? This online map has a useful list, and also serves as a nice rundown of some of the more interesting coffee shops in town. If you've not been there, check out Blackwater, Kickstand, Cutter's Point on Pacific, and Commencement Bay. And Firehouse just off campus is a wonderful addition to our neighborhood.
http://wwwb.thenewstribune.com/gmaps/wifi/
Sunday, July 30, 2006
DIY
A few things today that deal with business:
Thinking about starting your own business? There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal about becoming an entrepreneur when you're under 30; even if you've no such plans, the general advice on how to manage your career and finances is useful. The article here;
What does good commercial design look like? This website has the news and ideas behind what is leading the way in commercial design: http://www.springwise.com/
Do CEO's blog? Should they? The New York Times considers this question here.
Thinking about starting your own business? There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal about becoming an entrepreneur when you're under 30; even if you've no such plans, the general advice on how to manage your career and finances is useful. The article here;
What does good commercial design look like? This website has the news and ideas behind what is leading the way in commercial design: http://www.springwise.com/
Do CEO's blog? Should they? The New York Times considers this question here.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Global Youth Partnership for Africa
I received this picture from student Adam Davis, taken at a camp for internally displaced persons in Northern Uganda. Adam spent two weeks in Uganda this summer as part of the Global Youth Partnership for Africa. Find out more about the particular program Adam participated in and see more pictures here.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Young Professionals International Network
I just received this invite from the folks at The Internationalist magazine up in Seattle, and I'd thought I'd pass it along. Just tell them at the door that you're my close personal friend and they'll let you past the velvet ropes.
...ok, so I don't have that kind of pull, and in fact everyone is welcome. Students and recent grads in the area, this sounds like a great event--go!
Here's more about the Young Professionals International Network.
I think this is the point at which I say something like "Students, I wish when I was your age I had had resources like this, but instead I spent all my time doing homework by lamplight and walking to school uphill both ways."
Host: YPIN Seattle
Location: Porta by the Market
113 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA
When: Thursday, August 17, 5:00pm to 8:00pm
YPIN and Internationalist Magazine invite you to join us on Thursday, August 17th for a fun and engaging Happy Hour/ Networking Night.
This summer’s two YPIN Happy Hours have been outstanding!!! Both have attracted over 50 attendees, and everyone has had a great time sharing travel stories, talking trade or international politics, or just meeting cool people with broad worldviews. This month YPIN is partnering with the Internationalist, a locally-based magazine distributed on colleges nation-wide, whose goal is to encourage discussion of international issues among today’s young thinkers. Sound familiar? They’re really fun and doing great work.
On Thursday, August 17th we have reserved the entire restaurant of Porta by the Market from 5:00-8:00pm. There will be a fantastic Greek buffet, cheap drinks for everyone, and only $3 a person to get in! This is a perfect time to meet new people, learn more about the Council and the Internationalist, and introduce your globally savvy friends to both organizations. Over 100 young professionals who are curious about the world will be there. Come build your network of internationally-minded people and have fun at this enjoyable YPIN/Internationalist event.
Time: 5:00-8:00pm
Location: Porta by the Market (113 Virginia Street—between 1st & 2nd Ave—Seattle 98101). We have the whole restaurant reserved!!!
Cost: $3 for everyone, includes Greek buffet & happy hour priced drinks ($2 beers, $4 wells).
ABOUT YPIN
The Young Professionals International Network (YPIN) is a program of the World Affairs Council that provides people in their 20s and 30s with professional and social opportunities to discuss and learn more about critical world issues. Whether you are a seasoned global citizen or would like to become one, YPIN offers you a community engaged in substantive programs that broaden international awareness in our region and beyond. Please contact us at ypin_seattle@yahoo.com if you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas.
...ok, so I don't have that kind of pull, and in fact everyone is welcome. Students and recent grads in the area, this sounds like a great event--go!
Here's more about the Young Professionals International Network.
I think this is the point at which I say something like "Students, I wish when I was your age I had had resources like this, but instead I spent all my time doing homework by lamplight and walking to school uphill both ways."
Host: YPIN Seattle
Location: Porta by the Market
113 Virginia Street, Seattle, WA
When: Thursday, August 17, 5:00pm to 8:00pm
YPIN and Internationalist Magazine invite you to join us on Thursday, August 17th for a fun and engaging Happy Hour/ Networking Night.
This summer’s two YPIN Happy Hours have been outstanding!!! Both have attracted over 50 attendees, and everyone has had a great time sharing travel stories, talking trade or international politics, or just meeting cool people with broad worldviews. This month YPIN is partnering with the Internationalist, a locally-based magazine distributed on colleges nation-wide, whose goal is to encourage discussion of international issues among today’s young thinkers. Sound familiar? They’re really fun and doing great work.
On Thursday, August 17th we have reserved the entire restaurant of Porta by the Market from 5:00-8:00pm. There will be a fantastic Greek buffet, cheap drinks for everyone, and only $3 a person to get in! This is a perfect time to meet new people, learn more about the Council and the Internationalist, and introduce your globally savvy friends to both organizations. Over 100 young professionals who are curious about the world will be there. Come build your network of internationally-minded people and have fun at this enjoyable YPIN/Internationalist event.
Time: 5:00-8:00pm
Location: Porta by the Market (113 Virginia Street—between 1st & 2nd Ave—Seattle 98101). We have the whole restaurant reserved!!!
Cost: $3 for everyone, includes Greek buffet & happy hour priced drinks ($2 beers, $4 wells).
ABOUT YPIN
The Young Professionals International Network (YPIN) is a program of the World Affairs Council that provides people in their 20s and 30s with professional and social opportunities to discuss and learn more about critical world issues. Whether you are a seasoned global citizen or would like to become one, YPIN offers you a community engaged in substantive programs that broaden international awareness in our region and beyond. Please contact us at ypin_seattle@yahoo.com if you have any comments, suggestions, or ideas.
Where in the World?
You'll notice at the bottom of the right hand column there's now a "cluster map" which lists where all of our blog traffic comes from. It is updated once a day, and doesn't record past traffic, but even with one day of visits you can see the range of locations our readers come from. This information is otherwise pretty general--though I might know that someone read the blog from Romania, I have no idea who that person might be. It's fascinating to know where our alums or students might be, but also frustrating in that I want to know more about who they are and what they are up to. So check out the map from time to time and you, too, can visualize our Puget Sound diaspora.
In terms of sheer numbers, we've had over 3,000 visits since starting, averaging about 1300-1400 a month. Once school starts I suspect those numbers will go up.
In terms of sheer numbers, we've had over 3,000 visits since starting, averaging about 1300-1400 a month. Once school starts I suspect those numbers will go up.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Wiki Woes
In keeping with our earlier post on the limitations of Wikipedia, a great piece in The New Yorker on how it came about, those (often compulsive) people who add to it, and its limitations in knowledge and readability. The article is here.
Update: Seth Doherty sends along this appropriate addition to the discussion--a somewhat different stylistic take on the issue compared to the article above. Thanks, Seth.
Update: Seth Doherty sends along this appropriate addition to the discussion--a somewhat different stylistic take on the issue compared to the article above. Thanks, Seth.
In Memoriam: Chris Pate '99
Chris Pate '99, a graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a degree in Business, was killed in Anbar, Iraq, where he had been serving with the Marines. He is, to the best of my knowledge, the first UPS grad killed in that conflict. Our thoughts go out to his family.
An article about Chris in The Oregonian.
Son wore many hats, but 'hero' may fit best
Killed in Iraq - Capt. Christopher Pate grew up in Oregon; loved ones recall him as a man of the world
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
DAVID R. ANDERSON
The Oregonian
Student of Eastern religions. Mountain climber. Triathlete. Polyglot. Marine. Renaissance man.
Those are among the words family and friends use to describe U.S. Marine Capt. Christopher T. Pate, who died Friday in the Anbar province of Iraq after an improvised explosive device ripped through his patrol.
Now they add "hero."
Marine officers are telling Pate's parents, Jerry and Kathy Pate, that their 29-year-old son used his dying words to radio for help. Two sergeants training Iraqi soldiers with Pate lost legs in the attack. Pate's call might have saved their lives, Jerry Pate said.
He cried Tuesday as he said his only child might win the Bronze Star for heroism.
Chris Pate, who was raised in Beaverton and graduated from Oregon Episcopal School in Raleigh Hills, was a man of the world. He paddled the Amazon River while learning Spanish. He studied for a year in Germany, not knowing the language before attending the University of Freiberg. And he was studying Arabic in Iraq.
As a student at Oregon Episcopal, he spent Winterim, the extracurricular week before spring break, at a Buddhist monastery in Washington. And then he went fishing in Alaska with his dad.
"He liked to think of himself as a renaissance man," Jerry Pate said from his home in central Florida.
Alex Sutton and Jon Reali on Tuesday remembered their boyhood friend as someone who loved to beat competitors in triathlons. He still had the Isuzu Rodeo he bought as a high school junior. And if he said he would be at your house at 5 a.m. to go fishing, he was there at 5 a.m. -- with coffee.
Pate wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle, not because he had one, but because he might need to know someday. Going to Powell's Books with Pate turned into an esoteric journey through Eastern religions, Norse mythology and other surprises.
"Things you wouldn't expect from the average Marine," Sutton said.
"He didn't fit any mold," Reali said. "He chose his own path."
Sutton's favorite memory of his friend was from when they were 14. Sutton was going on a rare camping trip without his friend. Pate hid two bricks in Sutton's backpack, along with a note.
"Hey, Alex, I just wanted to let you know how important physical fitness is and you're looking a little flabby." The note ended with a caution that the bricks belonged to Sutton's mom and she wanted them back.
But the mischievous boy became a man. Reali will always remember Pate, the stoic bald-headed Marine, getting emotional while offering a toast at Sutton's wedding in September. Pate didn't like public speaking, but he brought down the house.
"It broke him up to say those things," Reali said. "But that was the one point I can say I was most proud."
Pate was born in Orlando, Fla. His family moved to Beaverton in 1984, and Pate attended Elmonica Elementary, Five Oaks Middle and Aloha High schools before transferring to Oregon Episcopal as a junior.
Pate had been in talented-and-gifted programs, but went to the private school for an added academic challenge, Jerry Pate said.
His son was a rock climber, scuba diver, skier and white-water kayaker. In school, he played football, lacrosse and soccer.
"He was a natural Northwest boy," his father said.
Pate graduated from Oregon Episcopal in 1995. He received an academic scholarship to the University of Puget Sound and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a specialty in international business. During college, he rowed in crew and spent a year in Germany. After graduation, he went to South America to learn Spanish.
Pate joined the Marines in December 1999.
"It was an organization he saw as being a special group that was committed to American values," Jerry Pate said.
Chris Pate reached the rank of captain in July 2004. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.
His service took him to Okinawa, Korea, Thailand, South America and Yemen. Then Pate volunteered for two tours in Iraq, his father said. His parents wouldn't have chosen a war zone.
"As parents, of course, we just want some safe harbor for our child," Jerry Pate said.
At one point, he could have stayed home.
"He said, 'Dad, I trained those people, and I have the obligation to look after them,' " Jerry Pate said.
His tour in Iraq was scheduled to end in November.
The family is planning a private memorial ceremony. Pate will be interred in the Portland area, his father said.
Pate was engaged to marry Margaret A. Stearns, whom he met as a classmate at Oregon Episcopal. They had bought the rings and were making arrangements.
The couple were thinking about moving to Washington, D.C., Jerry Pate said. Chris wasn't sure what to do after the Marines, but with his background -- business degree, military accolades and foreign languages -- the sky was the limit. Maybe medical school. His friends wouldn't have been surprised if his future was in intelligence.
"Nothing I'm sure he could ever tell us about," Reali said.
Four days before he died, Pate sent his parents an e-mail. He had just sold some investment property and was looking forward to his wedding.
"It was the happiest he'd ever been in his life," his father said.
An article about Chris in The Oregonian.
Son wore many hats, but 'hero' may fit best
Killed in Iraq - Capt. Christopher Pate grew up in Oregon; loved ones recall him as a man of the world
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
DAVID R. ANDERSON
The Oregonian
Student of Eastern religions. Mountain climber. Triathlete. Polyglot. Marine. Renaissance man.
Those are among the words family and friends use to describe U.S. Marine Capt. Christopher T. Pate, who died Friday in the Anbar province of Iraq after an improvised explosive device ripped through his patrol.
Now they add "hero."
Marine officers are telling Pate's parents, Jerry and Kathy Pate, that their 29-year-old son used his dying words to radio for help. Two sergeants training Iraqi soldiers with Pate lost legs in the attack. Pate's call might have saved their lives, Jerry Pate said.
He cried Tuesday as he said his only child might win the Bronze Star for heroism.
Chris Pate, who was raised in Beaverton and graduated from Oregon Episcopal School in Raleigh Hills, was a man of the world. He paddled the Amazon River while learning Spanish. He studied for a year in Germany, not knowing the language before attending the University of Freiberg. And he was studying Arabic in Iraq.
As a student at Oregon Episcopal, he spent Winterim, the extracurricular week before spring break, at a Buddhist monastery in Washington. And then he went fishing in Alaska with his dad.
"He liked to think of himself as a renaissance man," Jerry Pate said from his home in central Florida.
Alex Sutton and Jon Reali on Tuesday remembered their boyhood friend as someone who loved to beat competitors in triathlons. He still had the Isuzu Rodeo he bought as a high school junior. And if he said he would be at your house at 5 a.m. to go fishing, he was there at 5 a.m. -- with coffee.
Pate wanted to learn to ride a motorcycle, not because he had one, but because he might need to know someday. Going to Powell's Books with Pate turned into an esoteric journey through Eastern religions, Norse mythology and other surprises.
"Things you wouldn't expect from the average Marine," Sutton said.
"He didn't fit any mold," Reali said. "He chose his own path."
Sutton's favorite memory of his friend was from when they were 14. Sutton was going on a rare camping trip without his friend. Pate hid two bricks in Sutton's backpack, along with a note.
"Hey, Alex, I just wanted to let you know how important physical fitness is and you're looking a little flabby." The note ended with a caution that the bricks belonged to Sutton's mom and she wanted them back.
But the mischievous boy became a man. Reali will always remember Pate, the stoic bald-headed Marine, getting emotional while offering a toast at Sutton's wedding in September. Pate didn't like public speaking, but he brought down the house.
"It broke him up to say those things," Reali said. "But that was the one point I can say I was most proud."
Pate was born in Orlando, Fla. His family moved to Beaverton in 1984, and Pate attended Elmonica Elementary, Five Oaks Middle and Aloha High schools before transferring to Oregon Episcopal as a junior.
Pate had been in talented-and-gifted programs, but went to the private school for an added academic challenge, Jerry Pate said.
His son was a rock climber, scuba diver, skier and white-water kayaker. In school, he played football, lacrosse and soccer.
"He was a natural Northwest boy," his father said.
Pate graduated from Oregon Episcopal in 1995. He received an academic scholarship to the University of Puget Sound and graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a specialty in international business. During college, he rowed in crew and spent a year in Germany. After graduation, he went to South America to learn Spanish.
Pate joined the Marines in December 1999.
"It was an organization he saw as being a special group that was committed to American values," Jerry Pate said.
Chris Pate reached the rank of captain in July 2004. He was stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.
His service took him to Okinawa, Korea, Thailand, South America and Yemen. Then Pate volunteered for two tours in Iraq, his father said. His parents wouldn't have chosen a war zone.
"As parents, of course, we just want some safe harbor for our child," Jerry Pate said.
At one point, he could have stayed home.
"He said, 'Dad, I trained those people, and I have the obligation to look after them,' " Jerry Pate said.
His tour in Iraq was scheduled to end in November.
The family is planning a private memorial ceremony. Pate will be interred in the Portland area, his father said.
Pate was engaged to marry Margaret A. Stearns, whom he met as a classmate at Oregon Episcopal. They had bought the rings and were making arrangements.
The couple were thinking about moving to Washington, D.C., Jerry Pate said. Chris wasn't sure what to do after the Marines, but with his background -- business degree, military accolades and foreign languages -- the sky was the limit. Maybe medical school. His friends wouldn't have been surprised if his future was in intelligence.
"Nothing I'm sure he could ever tell us about," Reali said.
Four days before he died, Pate sent his parents an e-mail. He had just sold some investment property and was looking forward to his wedding.
"It was the happiest he'd ever been in his life," his father said.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Korby Parnell '94
by way of email:
"I graduated in '94. Direct application of my major (P&G) was a bit slow in coming. I volunteered on John Kerry's Senate campaign in '96 and Howard Dean's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004. Closer to home, I regularly contribute to congressional and local campaigns and I have been a Planning Commissioner in the City of Redmond for a little over 2 years; my labor of love. I now live in Redmond (obviously) and work at Microsoft as a Product Manager on the Microsoft.com Communities and Collaboration team, a role in which I collect customer feedback for, design, and market sites for customer communities of practice.
I look forward to helping out in any way you see fit (just ask). For more information about me, you can read my blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/korbyp. Oh yeah, blogs.msdn.com is one of my babies. ;-)"
I enjoyed looking at Korby's blog, though I understood almost nothing of what he was talking about...
"I graduated in '94. Direct application of my major (P&G) was a bit slow in coming. I volunteered on John Kerry's Senate campaign in '96 and Howard Dean's unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2004. Closer to home, I regularly contribute to congressional and local campaigns and I have been a Planning Commissioner in the City of Redmond for a little over 2 years; my labor of love. I now live in Redmond (obviously) and work at Microsoft as a Product Manager on the Microsoft.com Communities and Collaboration team, a role in which I collect customer feedback for, design, and market sites for customer communities of practice.
I look forward to helping out in any way you see fit (just ask). For more information about me, you can read my blog at http://blogs.msdn.com/korbyp. Oh yeah, blogs.msdn.com is one of my babies. ;-)"
I enjoyed looking at Korby's blog, though I understood almost nothing of what he was talking about...
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Business Coursework
Here's an open question to alums. Several of you have mentioned that in retrospect you wish you had taken a few more (or any) business courses while an undergrad. If you had to recommend two, what would they be? I'd appreciate any comments as a way to guide majors who might ask.
Blogs and Jobs
I've posted in past about the potential dangers of information "overshare," where personal information or opinions put online are subject to scrutiny. In the Chronicle of Higher Education there's a series of short pieces on academic bloggers and what impact, if any, it might have on their job and job security. Worth reading; you can find it here.
Pickin and Grinnin
You may not be aware of it, but Professor Share is a well-known bluegrass musician, which provides the department with endless opportunities to tease him. And here's your chance to sample his talents:
Summer greetings from the DownTown Mountain Boys!
We hope you will join us at the Adventure Bluegrass Festival this weekend (July 28-30). This wonderful festival takes place in a spectacular setting: the Skamania County Fairgrounds at Stevenson, WA, in the heart of the Columbia Gorge, and on the banks of the Columbia River. We'll give a free concert at the nearby Skamania Lodge at 3 p.m. (Saturday, July 29), and will perform again at the festival at 8 p.m. that evening, right before the weekend headliners and bluegrass legends, The Seldom Scene. For more information (including ticket prices and directions) see: http://www.acousticsound.org/!ab_home.htm
We'd also like to encourage you to attend the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshops in Sorrento, British Columbia. We'll be teaching and performing there during the first week of that camp. For more information, see http://www.musicworkshops.ca/Bluegrasshomepage/Bluegrass_home.htm
For more information on the band (including some new sound clips) visit
http://www.downtownmountainboys.com
We wish all of you a summer of warm weather and hot picking!
The Boys:
Paul Elliott
Terry Enyeart
Dave Keenan
Tom Moran
Don Share
Summer greetings from the DownTown Mountain Boys!
We hope you will join us at the Adventure Bluegrass Festival this weekend (July 28-30). This wonderful festival takes place in a spectacular setting: the Skamania County Fairgrounds at Stevenson, WA, in the heart of the Columbia Gorge, and on the banks of the Columbia River. We'll give a free concert at the nearby Skamania Lodge at 3 p.m. (Saturday, July 29), and will perform again at the festival at 8 p.m. that evening, right before the weekend headliners and bluegrass legends, The Seldom Scene. For more information (including ticket prices and directions) see: http://www.acousticsound.org/!ab_home.htm
We'd also like to encourage you to attend the British Columbia Bluegrass Workshops in Sorrento, British Columbia. We'll be teaching and performing there during the first week of that camp. For more information, see http://www.musicworkshops.ca/Bluegrasshomepage/Bluegrass_home.htm
For more information on the band (including some new sound clips) visit
http://www.downtownmountainboys.com
We wish all of you a summer of warm weather and hot picking!
The Boys:
Paul Elliott
Terry Enyeart
Dave Keenan
Tom Moran
Don Share
Monday, July 24, 2006
Gaming
For many years faculty have used a variety of games (loosely speaking) as a way to teach their subject. In political science simulations have been common, for example.
Sunday's New York Times discussed the development of several recent video games with a political edge:
Peacemaker, which focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (check out the video overview here)
And A Force More Powerful, which deals with non-violent political protest.
Whatever the limitations of these games (in technology, design or content), they are intriguing.
Sunday's New York Times discussed the development of several recent video games with a political edge:
Peacemaker, which focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (check out the video overview here)
And A Force More Powerful, which deals with non-violent political protest.
Whatever the limitations of these games (in technology, design or content), they are intriguing.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Intern Experiences
There's a piece in the Wall Street Journal that recounts a law student's internship for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office. Read it here.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Tacoma's Public Spaces
In a few recent posts (here, here and here) I've noted some ongoing discussions inside and outside of Tacoma regarding urban development and public spaces. Two interesting developments have been Tacoma and Bremerton's waterfront development as a model for Seattle, and the unveiling of the Project for Public Spaces report on making our downtown more public-friendly. PPS is a New York based organization that recently did a workshop in town to provide guidance on how to get more people back into the urban core.
My main source of information on all of this is Katie Rose '05. Originally from Portland, since graduation Katie has stayed in town as a political consultant, and has become tightly connected to what's going on. One of the things I mention to students interested in local politics and civic affairs is that if you want to stay in Tacoma, it's small enough that you can become very connected very quickly. Anyway, here are some notes from Katie:
"The Executive Council took an afternoon trip to look at Bremerton's accomplishments in their waterfront revitalization. I did wind up going to the Town Hall meeting in Seattle, so I knew (sort of) what was coming. In short, the Tacoma people were blown away. We had 16 people go, nine of which were Executive Council members. The Bremerton people kept saying what a great job Tacoma has done and how they were basing their five year plan off of us...the concept of a "mayoral exchange" program was discussed.
We had about an hour of presentations, from Mayor Bozeman, their Redevelopment Agency executive, the Director of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and one of the commissioners from the Port of Bremerton. After that, the city's Economic Development Director took us on a walking tour of the waterfront development currently under construction...There was a lot of talk about what Tacoma should do now (including from the City Manager), so now it's a matter of keeping that going..."
It's been a few years since I've been to Bremerton. Some of you may have been there to see the USS Turner Joy, remembered in part for its role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Looks like it's worth taking a trip up there to see what's going on.
And from the Business Improvement Area blog, here's the PPS report and summary of its main points for improving downtown.
My main source of information on all of this is Katie Rose '05. Originally from Portland, since graduation Katie has stayed in town as a political consultant, and has become tightly connected to what's going on. One of the things I mention to students interested in local politics and civic affairs is that if you want to stay in Tacoma, it's small enough that you can become very connected very quickly. Anyway, here are some notes from Katie:
"The Executive Council took an afternoon trip to look at Bremerton's accomplishments in their waterfront revitalization. I did wind up going to the Town Hall meeting in Seattle, so I knew (sort of) what was coming. In short, the Tacoma people were blown away. We had 16 people go, nine of which were Executive Council members. The Bremerton people kept saying what a great job Tacoma has done and how they were basing their five year plan off of us...the concept of a "mayoral exchange" program was discussed.
We had about an hour of presentations, from Mayor Bozeman, their Redevelopment Agency executive, the Director of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and one of the commissioners from the Port of Bremerton. After that, the city's Economic Development Director took us on a walking tour of the waterfront development currently under construction...There was a lot of talk about what Tacoma should do now (including from the City Manager), so now it's a matter of keeping that going..."
It's been a few years since I've been to Bremerton. Some of you may have been there to see the USS Turner Joy, remembered in part for its role in the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Looks like it's worth taking a trip up there to see what's going on.
And from the Business Improvement Area blog, here's the PPS report and summary of its main points for improving downtown.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Show us the sights
We're still on the prowl for visual sightings of alums and students in action. Send along a photo--it can be of you or some place you are or have been, and provide a caption. I'll put them up on the Flickr site and post them to the blog. Now's your chance for fame, if not fortune.
And here's another local picture:
Old City Hall downtown, which is slated for conversion into pricey condos. One will actually go part way up the belltower (and cost over a half-million dollars).
And here's another local picture:
Old City Hall downtown, which is slated for conversion into pricey condos. One will actually go part way up the belltower (and cost over a half-million dollars).
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Typing is so last century
There's an article in today's New York Times on the latest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, voice recognition software for your PC. Microsoft also promises similar features in their next version of Windows, whenever that happens. Last summer I took a tumble and had my wrist and hand in a cast for some time, which made it nearly impossible to type. I used the voice recognition software in Windows XP and, while not perfect, it worked well enough for me. I know that Professor Sousa has also dabbled with this stuff in the past as well. Sounds like something I might give a spin this fall--sans injury, I hope.
People, Prosperity, and the Planet Student Design Competition
Michael Brown '86 also passed along word about this competition through the EPA. Students, are you interested in putting together a team of PG and science majors to develop a project? Let me know and we'll help. Check out some of the past projects here.
People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability
EPA and its partners launched the P3 Award in 2003 to promote innovative thinking for moving the world toward sustainability. Through this national student design competition, college students gain new skills and knowledge as they research, develop, design, and implement scientific and technical solutions to environmental challenges.
WHAT IS P3? P3 is the next step beyond P2 -- pollution prevention -- and focuses on the three components of sustainability: People, Prosperity and the Planet.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD COMPETITION? The competition has two phases. Initially, student teams compete for $10,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year. Then, in the following spring, all P3 grant recipients are invited to Washington, D.C. to compete for the P3 Award. The National Academies, advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners. The final award decisions are made by EPA.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD? The P3 Award is given to the highest-rated student designs. The award includes additional funding up to $75,000 that gives the students an opportunity to further develop their designs for sustainability, implement their projects in the field, and move them to the marketplace.
WHAT CATEGORIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE P3 AWARD? EPA considers challenges from a wide range of categories, including agriculture, built environment, ecosystems, materials and chemicals, energy, information resources, and water. Challenges related to population growth and medical care, while important, are not included in this competition, other than the delivery or distribution systems of knowledge, goods, and supplies.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Institutions of higher education located in the U.S. are eligible to apply as the recipients of grants to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Collaboration and partnerships with colleges and universities outside the United States are permitted, but only U.S. institutions are eligible to apply.
HOW TO APPLY: Application procedures and materials can be found at: www.epa.gov/P3. Information about awards can also be found at this Web site.
APPLICATION REVIEW: A peer review panel evaluates all P3 applications based on problem definition; innovation and technical merit; connections to sustainability in terms of P3; measurable results, evaluation method, implementation strategy; and integration of the P3 Award competition as an educational tool. Final funding decisions are made by EPA.
People, Prosperity and the Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability
EPA and its partners launched the P3 Award in 2003 to promote innovative thinking for moving the world toward sustainability. Through this national student design competition, college students gain new skills and knowledge as they research, develop, design, and implement scientific and technical solutions to environmental challenges.
WHAT IS P3? P3 is the next step beyond P2 -- pollution prevention -- and focuses on the three components of sustainability: People, Prosperity and the Planet.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD COMPETITION? The competition has two phases. Initially, student teams compete for $10,000 grants. Recipients use the money to research and develop their design projects during the academic year. Then, in the following spring, all P3 grant recipients are invited to Washington, D.C. to compete for the P3 Award. The National Academies, advisors to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine, convene a panel to evaluate and recommend the award winners. The final award decisions are made by EPA.
WHAT IS THE P3 AWARD? The P3 Award is given to the highest-rated student designs. The award includes additional funding up to $75,000 that gives the students an opportunity to further develop their designs for sustainability, implement their projects in the field, and move them to the marketplace.
WHAT CATEGORIES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE P3 AWARD? EPA considers challenges from a wide range of categories, including agriculture, built environment, ecosystems, materials and chemicals, energy, information resources, and water. Challenges related to population growth and medical care, while important, are not included in this competition, other than the delivery or distribution systems of knowledge, goods, and supplies.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE? Institutions of higher education located in the U.S. are eligible to apply as the recipients of grants to support teams of undergraduate and/or graduate students. Collaboration and partnerships with colleges and universities outside the United States are permitted, but only U.S. institutions are eligible to apply.
HOW TO APPLY: Application procedures and materials can be found at: www.epa.gov/P3. Information about awards can also be found at this Web site.
APPLICATION REVIEW: A peer review panel evaluates all P3 applications based on problem definition; innovation and technical merit; connections to sustainability in terms of P3; measurable results, evaluation method, implementation strategy; and integration of the P3 Award competition as an educational tool. Final funding decisions are made by EPA.
Michael Brown '86
This morning I had a long talk with Michael Brown '86. He is EPA’s Associate Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, and has a long history in DC politics, starting from the time he graduated from UPS and took an internship in the White House during the Reagan Administration. From there he worked on the George Bush Sr. campaign and joined his press office when Bush was elected. During the Clinton Administration he took a position with Fleishman-Hillard, and helped set up their Seattle office. He returned to DC to take his current position in the EPA. You can find more about him on the EPA's website here.
Michael described his current position as one which is focused on helping to translate scientific knowledge to relevant audiences, such as Congress or the public. He describes his current job as one of the most "fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging" jobs he's ever held.
What advice did Michael have for our majors? If you are interested in politics, come out to DC and do an internship--see what it is like and if it is for you. He commented that the internal culture of the beltway is far different from what outsiders might discern from the media. His own career began not in science, but in student politics on campus, so you never know where your interests and energy can take you.
To that end, we talked about paid internships at the EPA in DC. Interested in going out to DC, getting some hands-on experience, working with an alum, and getting paid in the process? Let me know.
We hope to have Michael out to speak to our students, perhaps as soon as this fall. I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much to him for taking the time to talk to me and offer to share his experiences with our department.
Finally, I'd like to put together a gathering of DC-area department alums and students sometime this fall. So if you are or will be in the DC area and we haven't already talked, do drop me an email.
Michael described his current position as one which is focused on helping to translate scientific knowledge to relevant audiences, such as Congress or the public. He describes his current job as one of the most "fulfilling, rewarding, and challenging" jobs he's ever held.
What advice did Michael have for our majors? If you are interested in politics, come out to DC and do an internship--see what it is like and if it is for you. He commented that the internal culture of the beltway is far different from what outsiders might discern from the media. His own career began not in science, but in student politics on campus, so you never know where your interests and energy can take you.
To that end, we talked about paid internships at the EPA in DC. Interested in going out to DC, getting some hands-on experience, working with an alum, and getting paid in the process? Let me know.
We hope to have Michael out to speak to our students, perhaps as soon as this fall. I'll keep you posted. Thanks so much to him for taking the time to talk to me and offer to share his experiences with our department.
Finally, I'd like to put together a gathering of DC-area department alums and students sometime this fall. So if you are or will be in the DC area and we haven't already talked, do drop me an email.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Challenge
A couple of posts back we noted that Kathleen Perez '08 is the leader for the UPS team in this year's AIDS walk in Tacoma. Kathleen is looking for donations, and we've put out the call, but let us faculty put our money where our mouth is, no?
The Politics and Government Department will match each and every donation up to a total of $100.00. So if you all can gather up a hundred bucks, we'll put in that amount as well, once I finish shaking down all the department members.
Make a donation; send us an email or leave a post below and let us know you how much you chipped in, and we'll do our part.
The Politics and Government Department will match each and every donation up to a total of $100.00. So if you all can gather up a hundred bucks, we'll put in that amount as well, once I finish shaking down all the department members.
Make a donation; send us an email or leave a post below and let us know you how much you chipped in, and we'll do our part.
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