March 1, 2006

Global health mission

The UW Board of Regents approved the creation of a new Department of Global Health that has the potential to change the lives of millions around the world.

Mating dance

Scientists have been able to link skillful dancing to established measures of human desirability and attractiveness.

Charges in arson

Four years after a blaze destroyed Merrill Hall, U.S. Attorney Karin Immergut has charged three members of "the Family," reputedly a secret eco-terrorist group, with conspiracy to commit arson.

Gift honors Gates

The UW School of Law received a record $33.3 million gift from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for scholarships that will allow hundreds of talented students to pursue careers in public service law.

Winning chord

Grant Alden, '82, knew there was a market for the kind of country music Nashville wasn't producing. To appeal to that audience, he co-­founded the magazine No Depression.

2.88 billion-mile journey

After traveling 2.88 billion miles over nearly seven years, NASA's Stardust capsule landed in the Utah desert on Jan. 15, bringing back comet samples that could help explain the origins of the solar system.

Long memory

"I don't think the majority of Americans are aware of the internment camps," Ruth Purkaple says. "Some have learned about it in school, but it's still pretty unknown."

Historic Hec Ed

Basketball players, U.S. presidents, billionaire computer moguls and Boy Scouts: what do these people have in common? All are part of the rich history surrounding one of the UW's most iconic buildings: Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

W. Hunter Simpson, 1926-2006

W. Hunter Simpson was a philanthropist, business visionary and former UW regent

Peabody winner

On May 17, 2004, Mathew Shaw and his wife, Juleen, were wide-awake at 5 a.m., and they were nervous. The Peabody Awards would be announced that morning.

Lasting gift

With a planned gift to forestry, Morten Lauridsen, 95, hopes to make the path toward graduation easier for future students. Proceeds from a trust he established will provide scholarships to students of forest management.

Waiting on budget help

Even though the state government is sitting on a $1.5 billion surplus as it nears the end of the 2006 legislative session, alumni should not expect significant new dollars for higher education this year.