Friday, October 23, 2015

Peace Corps Event at UW

My name is Halima Freudberg, and I am the U.S. Peace Corps Representative here at the University of Washington, based out of the Career Center in Mary Gates Hall. I am writing you today to inquire about the possibility of extending our invitation out to your channels regarding an upcoming event. This coming Thursday we will be hosting a panel discussion of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, who will be sharing their experiences from service. Here are the event details:

Thursday, October 29th
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Gowen Hall, Room 201

This event is an opportunity to hear and learn about the stories of recently returned Peace Corps volunteers. The panel will consist of volunteers from a variety of fields who will be able to answer specific questions regarding programs, cultures, and locations.  This will be a chance to be inspired by the work the Peace Corps has accomplished thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and the support of the communities that we serve.

Micron Presentations

The session from 2-3p on Tuesday is a Tech Talk.  We will have Angela Wang presenting about her area, the Compute & Networking Business Unit (CNBU) at Micron.  She will talk about some exciting new technology in Advanced Computing, like the Hybrid Memory Cube, as well as what it’s like to work in her division.

Our general Info Session is from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. in HUB 106, on Tuesday evening, where we will do the standard Micron presentation, pizza & drinks included.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Sustainability Careers Meet and Greet

Thursday, Oct. 29, is the Sustainability Careers Meet & Greet at Odegaard Library ALC 136, 3:30 p.m. Representatives from commercial, non-profit and government organizations will be on hand to talk about the career path they took and opportunities in the field. The event will be followed by a poster session for Campus Sustainability Fund and Green Seed Fund projects.

Speakers include: Rick Albright, Environmental Protection Agency; Jacqueline Drumheller, Alaska Airlines; Leah Missik, Master Builders Association - BuiltGreen Program; and Tom Watson, King Country EcoConsumer Program

Fellowship Opportunity: Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange

I am pleased to announce that the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a fully-funded scholarship opportunity, is currently accepting applications from students. 

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) is a year-long fellowship that gives your students and recent graduates the opportunity to study and work in Germany. CBYX is open to students in all fields of study and at all levels of study, including graduating students who can participate after receiving their degrees. Students in the fields of agriculture, business, STEM, and vocational fields are especially encouraged to apply!

The program is funded by the US and German governments through a grant provided by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, under the authority of the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961, as amended. More information and the online application can be found at www.CBYX.info.

The CBYX program annually provides up to 75 participants with:

-        2 months intensive German language training
-        1 semester of study at a German university or university of applied sciences
-        5-month internship with a German company in the participant’s career field
-        Homestays with German host families, in shared apartments, and student dorms
-        Transatlantic airfare, health insurance, and monthly living expense stipends
-        Local in-country support throughout the program

Prior German language knowledge is not required, though it is preferred.  Applicants should have clear career goals and some relevant work experience in their career field, which may include summer, part-time, or internship work.  Participants must be between the ages of 18-24, possess a high school diploma or equivalent, and be US citizens or permanent residents.

Please inform your students of this unique opportunity. Should you require promotional materials, or would like a CBYX alumnus or alumna to visit your college and give a presentation on the program to your students, please feel free to contact me! I also encourage you to share about the program on social media, using our CBYX Social Media Toolkit for guidance.

Interested applicants can apply online at CBYX.info. The application deadline for the 2016-2017 program is December 1, 2015. We look forward to receiving applications from your students!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Scholarship Fair next Thursday, Oct. 29!

Join us for the Undergraduate Scholarship & Fellowship Fair on Oct. 29, 10am-2pm in Mary Gates Hall! This event is an opportunity for UW undergraduates and alumni to learn about and explore the variety of scholarships, fellowships, and other funded programs to consider for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate years. Program representatives from over 30 UW, local, national and international organizations, agencies, departments, etc. will be tabling, as well as offering information sessions throughout the day.

The list of participating scholarship programs is available at http://expd.washington.edu/scholarshipfair.             

Information sessions offered during the Fair include (all held in MGH 171):          
    Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship - 10:30am             
    Summer Medical Dental Education Program (SMDEP)  - 11:30am          
    Marshall Scholarship Program - 12:30pm          
    Phillip Yin & Friends American Dream Foundation – 1:30pm
               
Please see http://expd.washington.edu/scholarshipfair/forstudents for complete information session details and to RSVP for sessions.      
               
Plan to stop by the Fair on Oct. 29! And please contact us if you have questions.               

Global Photo Contest for Students, Staff, Faculty & Alums

Global Campus Photo Contest - deadline November 2. You're invited to participate!

The Office of Global Affairs and UW Study Abroad are excited to announce the first global photo contest open to the whole UW community—UW students, faculty, staff and alumni are all invited to participate! 

Photos taken on study abroad programs, research or personal travel outside of the United States are eligible. The UW community will be invited to vote online among top submissions to pick the winning photos. Winners will be displayed as art at the Study Abroad Fair, and a special selection will be framed and displayed in the Office of Global Affairs in Gerberding Hall.

Submit your photos at our website by November 2!  For more information visit www.washington.edu/studyabroad/students/when-you-return/photo-contest/.

Palantir Puzzlehunt October 24th.

Puzzlehunt is an all-day event that consists of 9-10 puzzles; each puzzle takes about 20-60 minutes. The puzzles are solved in teams of 4-6 people. Anything can be used, including phones/laptops, but the puzzles are designed so that these outside items aren’t helpful or necessary – all materials needed for the puzzle are provided. The puzzles require thinking about things in an abstract way, or outside the box. It’s a fun activity and is definitely something you get better at with practice. We also have employees at each puzzle to provide support, answer questions, and walk students through to the answer if they’d like that.

Our event is scheduled to begin at 12pm sharp, and we’re asking teams to arrive at 11:30am for lunch & registration. We are capping the team count at 40 teams. The hunt should run through the early evening (around 7pm), at which point prizes will be distributed to the winners, and t-shirts to all participants (though this is surprise). The hunt is run using an app called Cluekeeper, which is standard for puzzlehunts, so students will have access to their times/scores after the hunt is completed.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Intel Info Sessions & Breakfast

Intel will be here next Wednesday, 10/28 for an info session & tech talk with breakfast in EEB 303 from 9-10:30a.  They will also be hosting a breakfast and info table on Thursday, 10/29 from 9-11a in the EEB Atrium.  This second breakfast will be more of a meet and greet, come say hi then a formal info session.

SustainableUW Festival is coming up next week!

Some of the event highlights include:


Festival Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/531609810337685/
Sustainability Careers Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1023247794386751/

Call for Nominations: 2015-16 Husky Experience Student Advisory Council

Apply now to join the Husky Experience Student Advisory Council

Help create a seed-funding program to award funds to students who propose new projects to improve our campus community.  Gain valuable experience developing and managing a new program. 

What types of student-led efforts would improve the overall Husky Experience? What would inspire students to create such a project and apply for funding?  You be the judge!

Deadline:   5:00 p.m., October 25, 2015

 

Councilmember Duties

  • From examples provided, create a model for Husky Experience student-led projects award program.
  • Develop guidelines, application materials and criteria.
  • Create a communication plan for advertising the program and encouraging students to apply.
  • Review applications and select projects to receive funding.
  • Reflect on the process and identify lessons learned to improve the program in coming years.


Meeting Schedule:
  • Twice a quarter, except summer quarter (~6/year)
  • Standing meeting time set annually: Tuesdays from 3-5pm
    • Autumn Quarter:  November 10, December 1
    • Winter Quarter:  January 26, February 23
    • Spring Quarter: April 12, May 10

Student Advisory Councilmember Terms of Service:
  • Councilmembers will serve 1-year terms, with a possible 1-year reappointment.
  • Council members will review and award seed funding to peers.  They will not be eligible to apply for seed funding in the year in which they serve.
Questions? Contact Katy DeRosier at katyd2@uw.edu

Distinguished Teaching Awards 2016: Call for Nominations

Dear Members of the University Community,   
   
The Center for Teaching and Learning and Undergraduate Academic Affairs invites nominations for the 2016 Distinguished Teaching Awards, Distinguished Teaching Award for Innovation with Technology, and the Excellence in Teaching Awards.   
   
The Distinguished Teaching Award honors 5 instructors who have demonstrated extensive knowledge and mastery of the subject matter; displayed the ability to inspire, guide and mentor students through independent thinking; and serves as mentors, collaborators and consultants to other faculty members and teaching assistants by helping to enrich the scholarship of teaching and learning.   
   
The Distinguished Teaching Award for Innovation with Technology recognizes a faculty member or team from any of the three University of Washington campuses who demonstrates a significant impact on student learning; displays originality of a project with the ability to apply said project on a larger scale; and the potential for adaptability to different courses, student demographics, or instructional settings.  As with other awards, this honor is given one time only to a faculty member or team.  Those have already received a Distinguished Teaching Award are not eligible.   
   
The Excellence in Teaching Awards is given to two graduate student teaching assistants for their demonstration of extraordinary ability in the teaching and learning process.   
   
Nominations are accepted via web only.  To begin the nomination process, we ask that you submit your online form at www.uw.edu/teaching/awards.  The deadline for all submissions is Monday, November 23, 2015, 5:00 p.m.  All eligible nominees will be posted online by Friday, December 4th.  Nominees will also be contacted via email regarding their nomination and instructions for how to submit a complete file should they choose to proceed.   
   
Thank you for your support during the awards process.  For questions, please email dta@uw.edu.   

Monday, October 19, 2015

Applications open for the 2015-2016 Husky Leadership Certificate cohort!

Applications are now open for the 2015-16 Husky Leadership Certificate cohort. Through the  Husky Leadership Certificate (HLC), students identify, articulate, and demonstrate their leadership growth and accomplishments. Students create a leadership e-portfolio, and are matched with a mentor who helps the student reflect upon and give voice to their leadership development. Students must be a junior or senior to be considered.
Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. Applicants will be notified by mid-November if they have been selected for the cohort, and will then be matched with a mentor. All HLC students are required to take a 1-credit winter quarter course (available in an in-person environment or online) to support their portfolio development process. 
Please consider this unique opportunity for yourself and spread the word to other students who may be interested.

Apply now to be a part of the 2015-16 Husky Leadership Certificate cohort!

For more information about the Husky Leadership Certificate, please visit the Husky Leadership Initiative website.

VIP Forum with Illumina

The WBBA is hosting a plenary session with Illumina on* Thursday, October
22nd at 8:00 am at the Agora Conference Center (1551 Eastlake Avenue)*.
Students are welcome and encouraged to attend! In addition to this session,
there will be an opportunity for 10-15 students to have lunch with Talent
Recruiters and Business Development representatives from Illumina from
12-1pm at Cooley, LLP.

Information about the plenary:
http://www.washbio.org/events/event_details.asp?id=686419

If you are interested in attending this event and/or lunch, please e-mail
president@uwseba.org. *Registration for the lunch is first come first
serve! *Deadline is Tuesday, October 20th!

HCDE Seminar Series: "Design Machines! Rapid Prototyping of Rapid Prototyping, " a talk by Nadya Peek

Design Machines! Rapid Prototyping of Rapid Prototyping
NADYA PEEK, MIT CENTER FOR BITS AND ATOMS
OCTOBER 21, 2015
4:30—5:20 P.M.
241 MARY GATES HALL
Digital fabrication has made it easy to rapidly prototype anything on demand in quantities of one. But what about producing a small run, with quantities of 100 or 1000? What if we don't want prototypes, but want a few high-tech products? Not yet at a scale where mass production makes sense, low volume production remains limited to markets where cost is less of a factor (e.g. military) or complexity is limited (e.g. handiwork and crafts). How can we make low-volume advanced manufacturing more accessible?
Rapid-prototyping of rapid-prototyping machines enables the precision and complexity of automation in production without the overhead of automation in mass-production. Nadya Peek builds many custom machines, but more importantly, machine building blocks and infrastructure to help anyone go forth and design machines.
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About Nadya Peek
Nadya Peek is a PhD student at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, a group at the intersection of the physical and the digital. She works on unconventional digital fabrication tools, small scale automation, networked control systems, and advanced manufacturing, and is currently teaching the MIT class "How to make something that makes (almost) anything." Nadya is an active member of the global fablab community, working on making digital fabrication more accessible with better CAD/CAM tools and developing open source (hardware) machines and control systems. Previously, she was an editor at Mediamatic in Amsterdam.
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Lecture: From Polynomials to Humanoid Robots

MathAcrossCampus Lecture:  
​October 23​
, 2:30-3:30pm
                                                           Kane Hall 110

                                                        Reception to follow


Title:          From Polynomials to Humanoid Robots

Speaker:   Russ Tedrake, MIT

Abstract:

The last few years have seen absolutely incredible advances in the field of robotics, with massive new investments from major companies including Google, Apple, and Uber. At the heart of these advances are algorithms, often using mathematical optimization, which allow our machines to better interpret massive streams of incoming data, to decide how and where to move, and even to balance and not fall down while they are executing those plans. In this talk, I'll describe some of those advances in the context of a controlling a 400lb humanoid robot in a disaster response scenario and an airplane that can dart through a forest at 30 mph. And I'd like to send a clear message -- there is still a lot of work to be done! Even small improvements in our mathematical foundations, such as the algorithms which check if a polynomial equation is uniformly greater than zero, can make our robots more capable of moving through the world.


Short Bio of speaker:

Russ Tedrake is the X Consortium Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Mechanical Engineering at MIT, the Director of the Center for Robotics at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and the leader of Team MIT's entry in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the MIT Jerome Saltzer Award for undergraduate teaching, the DARPA Young Faculty Award in Mathematics, the 2012 Ruth and Joel Spira Teaching Award, and was named a Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellow.

Russ received his B.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1999, and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT in 2004, working with Sebastian Seung. After graduation, he joined the MIT Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department as a Postdoctoral Associate. During his education, he has also spent time at Microsoft, Microsoft Research, and the Santa Fe Institute.

Graduate School Prep Opportunities

The UW chapter of Golden Key International Honour Society is teaming up with The Princeton Review to host a variety of free practice tests and workshops throughout fall quarter to help students prepare for graduate school. Please send this email out to the members of your listserv if you think it will interest them. Thank you!

GK-TPR Fall Events Calendar:
  • Sunday, Oct. 25th - free MCAT practice test. 1 PM in the Suzzallo Computer Instruction Lab.
  • Thursday, Oct. 29th - free Graduate School Admissions Workshop. 5:30-7 PM in SMI 309.
  • Sunday, Nov. 8th - free GRE & GMAT practice test. 1:30 PM in the Suzzallo Computer Instruction Lab.
  • Sunday, Nov. 15th - free LSAT practice test. 10 AM at The Princeton Review location on Roosevelt
  • Sunday, Nov. 22nd - free GRE & GMAT practice test. 1:30 PM in the Suzzallo Computer Instruction Lab.
    • note: each practice test also has a follow up review session within a week to discuss areas of improvement and strategies
Registration is open for the MCAT and LSAT practice tests. Registration for the other tests will open as we approach those dates. To register, go to The Princeton Review website (www.PrincetonReview.com), click on "Take a Test Near You," enter you zip code, and find the test you want to register for.

If you have any questions, please email Cassie Gawron (cassie.gawron@review.com) for more information.

INTERNATIONAL PAPER INFO SESSION

Date:  Thursday, October 29th
Where: 207 Anderson Hall (Forest Club Room)
Time:  6:00 pm
Why:  Recruiting for summer interns (REACH program – see attached overview) and full-time engineers
Who: BSE, ChemE, ME & EE students

Even if you don’t plan to apply, feel free to come and learn about opportunities at IP. RSVP to Juliet (wppf@uw.edu) no later than 5PM SUNDAY, Oct 25th. Your RSVP is very important.

HOW TO APPLY – SUBMIT YOUR RESUME BY 5PM on SUNDAY, OCT 25th
a.       Send Juliet Louie your resume – wppf@uw.edu.
b.      Send your resume in PDF (use this file naming convention:  “John Smith_Resume_IP.pdf”). 
c.       Indicate in your email for which position you are applying: internship or FTE
d.      IP reps will be interviewing on campus on October 30th.  Selected candidates will be contacted to schedule an interview.