The land the Seattle campus now occupies has been 
celebrated for nearly 150 years as a special place to live and 
learn… to educate the next generation of leaders… and to 
conduct cutting-edge research.

The August 1894 edition of our student newspaper, the Pacific 
Wave proudly proclaimed:
 
 “It is confidently asserted that the new site of the University of 
Washington has not an equal in the world.”
 
We believe that still holds true today… and I’m going to take a 
few minutes now to talk about some of the ways we Celebrate 
Place at the University of Washington.

Today, I find myself on the deck of the UW research vessel, the 
Thomas G. Thompson.  And being in this environment really 
reminds us of how unique the UW campus is.  This vibrant 
urban campus is surrounded by beautiful trees, mountains, 
water and the climate we enjoy.   

We are passionate about preserving this environment for future 
generations.  The programs that we have - the research 
programs and the teaching programs – allow our faculty, staff 
and students to
probe the most difficult questions in the environment.   With our 
overarching goal of preserving the environment, so that the 
society and the environment can interact in optimal ways. 
 
As a research community, we take on the most difficult 
challenges in forestry… pollution… declining fisheries… urban 
planning… and transportation.
 
And as a consumer of energy, we buy green power… build to 
the highest environmental standards… recycle and compost 
extensively… and use hybrid vehicles for employee 
transportation.

As a working community, we recycle… conserve energy… use 
public transportation… and volunteer to clean up our streams 
and shorelines. 

The University of Washington is home to a myriad of 
interdisciplinary
programs in the environment.  These courses and ways of 
learning provide our students with unique opportunities to learn 
about critical 
environmental issues in a research university.

First, the Program on the Environment, which grants degrees 
and certificates in Environmental Studies. The program is a 
collaboration across many departments and focuses on four 
key areas:  Natural 
sciences…Social sciences…Law, policy and 
management…and
Ethics, values and culture.

Secondly, there’s the Olympic Natural Resources Center.  
Located in Forks on the Olympic Peninsula… the center takes 
on projects that are designed to integrate environmental and 
economic interests into the management of forest and ocean 
resources.

And third, Friday Harbor Laboratories.  Since 1910… UW 
students have been studying the marine environment at the 
spectacular UW field station in the San Juan Islands.  Today, 
Friday Harbor Labs is equal in stature to Scripps Institute in 
California and Woods Hole in Massachusetts. 
 
We all have a role to play in enhancing our environment for 
today and  for future generations.  Together we are making a 
difference.

Now I’d like to hear from you. Please take a minute to post your 
thoughts on celebrating this wonderful place we live in. The link 
to our Message Board can be found at 
www.washington.edu/discovery. 
 
Finally, I would like to thank our world class College of Ocean 
and Fisheries Sciences for allowing us access to the Thomas 
G. Thompson. 

This is a hard working research vessel that allows our faculty 
and students to do groundbreaking research from the Puget 
Sound to the Pacific Ocean, including the work that being done 
on thermal vents. In just a couple of days, it will take off with a 
group of undergraduates who will be studying the Puget Sound 
environment. 

I look forward to seeing you next month.