Welcome to a new year of AU!

Greetings artists, readers, writers and poets! It's us, AU: UW's Speculative Fiction Journal!

Firstly, welcome to the newcomers! It was great to meet so many of you at the RSO fair last week, we’re excited to see what creative accomplishments you will bring to AU this year!

Secondly, the fall quarter is well underway and so it’s time announce the theme for this quarter's journal!

Homeland!

Many of you will have left your homelands for pastures new recently, or perhaps you think of Seattle as your homeland. Either way it’s our hope that your experiences will engender your imagination and let your minds run wild. Homeland is a great and enduring sci-fi and fantasy theme, from a Hobbit venturing from his to go on an extraordinary journey, to a Battlestar leaving everything behind in search of a new beginning, a girl on fire retaking a nation for it's people, or a Time Lord forced to lay waste to his home in order save the universe. The potential is endless and we look forward to seeing what fantasies and fictions you bring to your prose and poetry for this issue.

The deadline for submissions is October 29th, 11:59p.m. The word limit is 3,000 words. We gladly accept submissions from UW students, staff, faculty, alumni, squirrels, seagulls and displaced souls but we do ask for a former or current affilication with the University.

Calling Artists

If you’re an artist and have a great idea for some Homeland art then get in touch, we’re looking for not only cover art submissions but also smaller pieces to compliment the prose and poetry in this edition!

Budding Editor?

As we transition into a new year of AU we’ve been handed the reins from last year’s editorial staff, but AU is a mighty beast indeed and we need some help!

If you would be interested in joining us as an editor this year then please send an email to strayingfromreality@gmail.com with the subject line EDITOR and tell us a little about why you want to work for AU, what prior experience you have and what you think you can bring to the job

Deadline for applications for the editorial position is October 12th, 11:59p.m.

For more info, check out our website: strayingfromreality.webs.com, find us on Facebook or email us at strayingfromreality@gmail.com.

Merry Fall to you all,

Dave & Wanda

Terra Blight film screening on e-waste, October 10, 5:30pm

Did you know that e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world? More than 200,000 computers are discarded every day in America!

Join us on Wednesday October 10^th in the HUB room 145 at 5:30pm for a film screening of the new documentary Terra Blight.

Terra Blight traces the life cycle of computers from creation to disposal, and juxtaposes the disparate worlds with computers as their centers. From a 13-year-old Ghanaian who smashes obsolete monitors to salvage copper, to a 3,000-person video game party in Texas, Terra Blight examines the unseen realities of one of the most ubiquitous toxic wastes on our planet.

The producers of the film will be in attendance at the screening, and the hour long film will be followed by a Q&A where you will have an opportunity to chat with the producers about the making of the film and their experiences with electronic waste. Additional information on the film can be found on the attached flyer or on our website at: http://green.washington.edu/events.

The Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability office will also be showing the film on October 22^nd as part of our third annual Sustainability Summit at UW Seattle, and we will be hosting a free electronics recycling event on October 24^th during our Summit exhibitor fair on Red Square. UW faculty, staff and students will be able to recycle their personal electronic items for free thanks to our e-waste recycler Total Reclaim. More information on the Summit events can be found on our website: http://green.washington.edu/uw-sustainability-summit-2012

Seniors, alums & grad students - Webinar info session on NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Open to both undergrads & grads, the Graduate School Office of Fellowships & Awards is offering a webinar for students interested in the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) on Monday, Oct. 8, 4:30pm. Registration and basic program information is below.

Graduating seniors and alumni who plan to apply to and begin graduate student by next fall, as well as graduate students in their first year of graduate study or at the beginning of their second year of graduate study (with some limitations) may be eligible to apply.

The NSF GRFP is open to students in a wide variety of fields, including many social science fields as well as STEM. Eligible fields include:
Chemistry
Computer and Information Science and Engineering
Engineering
Geosciences
Life Sciences
Materials Research
Mathematical Sciences
Physics & Astronomy
Psycholoby
Social Sciences (many fields, including but not limited to Archaeology, Anthropology, Communications, Economics, Geography, International Relations, Linguistics, Political Science, Sociology, Urban Planning, etc.)
STEM Education & Learning Research

Thanks,

Robin Chang
Assistant Director
Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards
Center for Experiential Learning and Diversity
University of Washington
171 Mary Gates Hall, Box 352803
Seattle, WA 98195-2803
206-543-2603   FAX:  206-616-4389
http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/scholar/ 

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, UW webinar:   Monday, Oct. 8, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

TO REGISTER:

Join us for a Webinar on October 8 Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/500104526
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements PC-based attendees Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Mac®-based attendees Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Mobile attendees Required: iPhone®, iPad®, Android™ phone or Android tablet

NSF’s GRFP is one of the premier opportunities to fund your graduate study.  It provides 3 years of funding that you can use in a 5 year time frame.  This includes a $30,000 annual stipend and full cost of tuition/fees covered.  For UW graduate students, GAIP health insurance is also covered.

The information session will cover the application process, strategies for successful applications and more details regarding how the fellowship operates.  Application deadlines range from November 13-19, 2012.  Students should start their applications now.

Full information on the NSF GRFP, including a link to the official program solicitation, is here:  http://www.nsfgrfp.org/

Basic eligibility criteria:

*research in an eligible NSF research area (includes several of the social sciences)

*US citizens or permanent residents by the application deadline

*students in their first year of graduate study or at the beginning of their second year of graduate study (with some limitations)

*students who have not earned a previous graduate degree

*graduating senior undergraduates who plan to apply to and begin graduate student by next fall

Full eligibility information is detailed in the program solicitation:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12599/nsf12599.htm 

If you can’t attend a session but are interested in applying and want further information, do not hesitate to contact us. (Undergraduate students can get application support from Robin Chang, robinc@uw.edu, in the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards in 171 Mary Gates Hall.)

eScience Seminar, Wednesday, October 10 in EE303

Please join us October 10th, 4-5pm in EE303. Refreshments (drinks and pizza) will be provided.

*Francois Ribalet** (UW, Oceanography)*

Francois Ribalet received his Ph.D. from the Open University of London, UK, and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples, IT, where he first began to study the microbial ecology of marine ecosystems. He conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, where he examined how physical and chemical gradients influence the distribution, abundance and activity of microbial communities. He uses advanced technology for the automated measurement of microbial populations and their activity at the single cell level, and develops tools to facilitate the analysis of the high volume of flow cytometry data. His current research focuses on determining the selective forces that shapes the patterns of microbial communities across ocean basins.

*Unveiling the Dynamics of Microscopic Algae Populations Across Ocean Basins at Sub-kilometer-resolution.*

Microscopic algae anchor the oceanic food web and are responsible for the majority of our planet’s oxygen. About 50% of organic carbon production on Earth occurs within the ocean and the vast majority of this organic carbon is generated and recycled by these small microorganisms. Being able to readily detect and track these microorganisms is critical for understanding their impact in the oceans and global biogeochemical cycles. I will present SeaFlow, a new flow cytometer developed at the UW, that measures continuously the size and pigment composition of individual microorganisms present in a sample of seawater at the rate of thousands of cells per second. To date, SeaFlow has covered 60,000 km and characterized over 200 billions of cells collected in different parts of the oceans. I will explain how this high-resolution data set is allowing us to discover unexpected gradients of microbial cell diversity and to better understand the dynamics of microbial populations across ocean basins. I will also describe some of the tools we developed to automate the analysis of flow cytometry data and visualize the data in real-time. Finally, I will present how we are incorporating our existing cyberinfrastructure into eScience’s collaborative database system, known as SQLshare, to meet our long-term goal of managing, integrating, and sharing increasing oceanographic data.

*Upcoming Seminar:*

* November 14, 4 PM (EE303)

*Ian Gorton * (PNNL)

Velo: A Knowledge Management Framework for Modeling and Simulation

Dr Maria Klawe - The Harvey Mudd Story: From 10% to 40% female in CS in three years

CSE Distinguished Lecture Series
Tuesday, October 16, 2012, 3:30pm
Atrium, Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering

Abstract:
In 2006, much like at many other institutions, about 10% of HMC's CS majors were female. At that time only a third of HMC's students were female, but CS was an aberration. About 20% of the Physics majors and close to 30% of the engineering majors were female. Four years later 40% of HMC's CS majors were female, exactly the same percentage as the whole HMC student body. This talk describes how the CS department accomplished this change.

Bio:
Maria Klawe, a renowned computer scientist, became president of Harvey Mudd College in 2006. Before joining HMC she served as dean of engineering and professor of computer science at Princeton, held several positions at the University of British Columbia, and worked at IBM Research. Maria's current research interests include discrete mathematics, serious games, and assistive technologies. One of her lifelong passions is to increase the participation of women and other under-represented groups in science and engineering, especially in areas such as computer science. Maria is a past president of the Association of Computing Machinery, a trustee of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute at Berkeley, and a member of the board of Math for America. She serves on the boards of directors of Microsoft Corporation and Broadcom corporation.

http://www.cs.washington.edu/events/colloquia/details?id=1211

Domestic Violence Awareness Month events

It's time for a wake-up call about rape and sexual assault on campus. It is only a myth in our society that women incite men to rape or that men are not sexually assaulted. It's a myth that if the assailant, victim, or both are drunk, the assailant cannot be charged with rape. And it's a myth that sexual assaults are rare and only by strangers.

Learn the truth. Join the UW campus community for two impactful presentations about rape and sexual assault, and learn about your role in stopping these silent crimes.

·         She Asked for It! Why We Like to Judge Rape Victims

Monday, October 15

5:30-7:30 p.m.

Kane Hall, room 120

Rape is a crime that is no stranger to college campuses. Anne Munch will discuss commonly held beliefs about victims, offenders, and the meaning of consent, and the important roles these beliefs play in how rape cases are perceived and handled. 

·         Sexual Assault: Victim Rights & Support

Wednesday, October 17

7 p.m.

Kane Hall, room 140

Jennifer Storm will speak about the complexities of victimization, developing coping mechanisms, and how to heal as a survivor. She also will discuss the need for victim-centered practices and the cultural shift toward victim support.

Save the dates for both presentations, and bring your friends and fellow leaders. Be empowered to change perceptions about campus rape and sexual assault, and help make the UW campus safe for everyone.

Undergraduate Research Information Sessions

URP Information Sessions address how the Undergraduate Research Program can help the student pursue her/his research interests.

Primarily for undergraduates who have yet to begin research, the sessions provide research resources, information on funding, and suggestions for approaching faculty. Additionally, the sessions are highly student-driven, with an emphasis on student questions and concerns. Students interested in attending the UW, including community college transfer students, are welcome to the sessions.

Monday, October 8 - 2:00-3:00pm
Monday, October 15 - 3:30-4:30pm
Tuesday, October 16 - 1:30-2:30pm
Tuesday, October 23 - 2:00-3:00pm
Tuesday, November 13 - 2:30-3:30pm

All sessions will be held in Mary Gates Hall 171

Register now! (https://expo.uw.edu/expo/rsvp/event/308)