News and features

In the Galapagos, UW researchers partner to map historic climate patterns

Together with colleagues from Australian National University, 糖心原创 oceanographers used clues from the Galapagos Islands 鈥� a dot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean 鈥� to trace El Ni帽o patterns and seasonal tropical rains over the past 2,000 years. Evidence shows shifts that last for centuries, suggesting these tropical climate patterns have varied more radically and for longer durations than previously believed.听The is published the week of March 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Center for Global Health Nursing promotes ‘health that transcends borders’

Sarah听Gimbel and听Pam Kohler co-direct the UW听School of Nursing Center for Global Health Nursing. The center pushes for the voices of nurses to be included in global health conversations.听The center will support nursing students who want to learn and serve overseas, as well as international students who want to study at the UW. Likewise, a global health perspective allows nurses from the U.S. and abroad to learn from one another. 鈥淲hen we say 鈥榞lobal,鈥欌€� Gimbel said, 鈥渨e鈥檙e talking about health that transcends borders.鈥�

supports projects sponsored by the听Center for Global Health Nursing.

Solving the global problem of mental health illness

Professor Deepa Rao and her colleagues say stigma, poor mental health, and substance abuse drive many global health problems, including diabetes, preterm birth, trauma injuries, self-harm and motor vehicle deaths. More than one billion people suffer from a mental health illness or substance abuse problem. “Mental health has been a neglected disease in global health,” says Rao, co-director of the UW Global Mental Health Program.

The next step is improving treatment. The Global Mental Health Program seeks philanthropic support for faculty, pilot research projects, and student scholarships and fellowships. Rao and her听colleagues are conducting research and training to address gaps in global mental health interventions.听One successful example is Professor Debra Kaysen’s听therapy work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where women are traumatized from domestic violence and rape.

UW’s interdisciplinary innovation centers ‘can serve as a model for research institutions’

“Higher education is developing an efficient and effective new model for 21st Century innovation” write 糖心原创 professors听听听听and听听in a recent opinion piece.

“Research institutes such as [those at the UW]听eliminate sclerotic silos and bureaucratic boundaries by deftly blending teams of super-smart students, faculty, and research scientists from interconnected subject areas. As a result, these institutions stand the best chance of identifying and solving the toughest scientific and technological challenges of our age 鈥� they are confronting tomorrow today. The 糖心原创, where we work, has a system of centers that has seen success and can serve as a model for research institutions across the country.”

UW trains Pakistan’s water managers to harness NASA data

NASA satellites are helping Pakistan鈥檚 water managers to听more effectively monitor and manage scarce groundwater resources, thanks to a partnership with engineers and hydrologists at the 糖心原创, supported in part by the . After training at the UW, the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources听began using satellite data from NASA鈥檚 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or , mission to create monthly updates on groundwater storage changes in the Indus River basin. This will allow them to see where groundwater supplies are being depleted and where they are being adequately recharged, better supporting Pakistan’s agriculture-base economy.

Husky Presidential Ambassadors Leadership Institute facilitates inclusive engagement

Universities across the nation are working to further听connect international students and create a globally听engaged campus environment for all students.听Increasing globalization also raises the demand for听graduates with increased competencies in cross-cultural communication and practice. Engaging together in听cross-cultural leadership studies, undergraduates learn听to think and connect across boundaries, enhancing all听students鈥� Husky Experience.

UW-industry partnership manufactures clean, efficient cookstoves in Kenya

For much of the world鈥檚 population, gathering fuel to cook food is a dangerous proposition, and smoke from cookstoves poses a serious health threat. A more efficient and clean wood-burning cookstove 鈥� developed by the Vashon Island-based non-profit in close collaboration with 糖心原创 mechanical engineers 鈥� will reduce the amount of fuel families need to collect or buy by 55 percent. It will also reduce the exposure of these women and children to the harmful particulate pollution produced by traditional cooking flames.

The new wood-burning cookstove will be manufactured in factory in Nairobi, Kenya beginning this summer 鈥� thanks to a recent $800,000 investment from Unilever and 鈥� and sold across East Africa.

Student research named in El Salvador family’s reunification story

Jackson School students in the 2015 capstone course 鈥淧romoting Human Rights and Healing in the Wake of Civil War鈥� made two documentary films aimed to reunite San Salvadoran parents of 鈥渄isappeared children.鈥澨齌he videos went public in March听2015, and in April,听King 5 news covered the story.听By early 2016, at least one听mother and child from the documentary had been reunited, as documented in听听The article听references the UW student-produced documentaries.

Consul General of India, industry leaders engage together on campus

With support from the , The South Asia Center and the Global Business Center are partnering to host a symposium, “US-India Economic Relations and the Contemporary Indian Economy” on campus.听Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok, Consul General of India of San Francisco, as well as prominent members of the local community and UW faculty experts will address the group and engage in the symposium.

Event details

Friday, February 26, 2016
2:00-5:00 PM
Bank of America Executive Education Center, Douglas Forum

New device shows great promise for in HIV prevention in Africa

Recent studies in Africa led by 糖心原创 researchers and others showed听that a vaginal ring infused with a microbicide helped prevent HIV infection in more than half听of women who used the device correctly.