University of Washington

Understanding People-Power Monday, April 16, 2012 7pm UW CLUB LECTURE ROOM Steven Pfaff From Leipzig to Tunis: in the C on t emp ora r y Worl d Steven Pfaff (PhD Sociology, NYU) is Associate Professor of Sociology and former Director of the Center for West European Studies at the University of Washington. He studies social movements and collective action, politics and religion, and historical social science, with particular attention to Central and Eastern European societies. He has detailed the forces leading to the breakdown of the former East Germany, and is currently working on a study on the historical causes of shipboard mutinies on British warships. In recent decades, spontaneous, peaceful popular rebellions have startled us with their ability to topple authoritarian regimes that seemed well- entrenched. What propels these "people power" movements, and why do hardline governments sometimes buckle when faced with massive popular opposition? Extending insights from the East German revolution of 1989, Pfaff will discuss the rebellion that began in Leipzig in 1989 and rapidly brought down the communist government. He then considers the case of Tunisia and the December 2010 popular uprising that overthrew the Ben Ali regime in the space of a few weeks and helped trigger the regional "Arab Spring". This lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is requested at: www.soc.washington.edu/RSVP using the word "April 2012" FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: socpr@u.washington.edu • 206-543-5882 • www.soc.washington.edu THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTORS This lecture series is made possible by gifts to the Friends of Sociology fund resea rch t h at m at t ers 23 U n i v e r s i t y o f Wa s h i n g t o n C o l l e g e o f e d U C at i o n Children from diverse backgrounds may have little or no exposure to either science or scientists. They sometimes don't think science is something they can do. "If you have never heard of an engineer, you don't know you can be one," says Andrew Shouse, associate director of the UW's Institute for Science + Math Education. This disconnect can continue throughout their education if science subjects don't seem interesting or personally meaningful to them, say Institute researchers. To better expose students from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to the joys and relevancies of science learning and open them to the possibilities of scientific careers, the Institute has partnered with a number of schools, research institutions, and organizations in the Seattle area to create after-school programs for middle-school students representing populations historically underrepresented in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields. "We are funded by the National Science Foundation to help work to diversify the geosciences, which are traditionally a very white middle-class field," says Institute Director Philip Bell. "With our partners, we have all sorts of programs to get students in middle school to engage in that work and make an informed decision about whether or not they want to enter that pipeline." One of those programs, Project COOL (Chemical Oceanography Outside the Lab), apprentices middle-schoolers from South Seattle, mostly girls, in the hands-on work of chemical oceanography. The program — a collaboration of the Institute and the UW's School of Oceanography — brings UW ocean and learning scientists and graduate/undergraduate mentors together with young apprentices to investigate the chemistry of Puget Sound and the impact that human decisions have on its water systems. Incorporating insights and methods from cutting-edge work in UW research labs, COOL teams identify researchable questions, collect and process samples, and interpret and THE APPRENTICES: MINORITY MIDDLE- SCHOOLERS F I N D S C I E N C E ' C O O L ' O U T OF S C H O OL report the results, generating new knowledge of the natural world through authentic problem- based learning. They become what Institute researchers describe as "developing experts." Project COOL grew out of a collaboration with SoundCitizen, a citizen science effort started by Professor Rick Keil and colleagues in UW Oceanography that fosters public involvement in geosciences research to create better stewards of the marine and aquatic environment. In Project COOL, the middle-schoolers now work together to design projects in their home communities related to water quality: one team examined the effect of endocrine disruptors in personal care products like shampoo and toothpaste on natural and built sources of water. It is real-world science that is personally relevant and meaningful to them. "Students from South Seattle may say science is not really for me, then they start apprenticing into the geosciences and they say, 'Yeah, I can analyze the chemistry of water.' Science gets demystified in the process and some students begin to reconsider their ability and interest in doing science," says Bell. Project COOL began in 2009, when organizers brought students aged 13-17 from urban areas around Seattle to the UW campus to take part in geosciences research and mentorship experiences. UW learning scientists, who incorporate data gleaned from the after-school programs into innovative classroom curricula, are now working to expand the project in the region. "We need more detailed studies of different cultural communities to see how the science learning and apprenticeship process can work for them," says Bell. "We want to expand our learning research about how youth come to see themselves being connected to science." resea rch t h at m at t ers 23 L AT I N O CENTER FOR HE ALTH ENGAGING LATINO COMMUNITIES RESEARCH • PRACTICE • POLICY Established in partnership with the School of Scocial Work and the Graduate School Getting ink onto paper takes planning and preparation and teamwork. From personalized direct mail pieces to high-end printing, your Account Manager at C2 can help you. With production and budget options, C2 will ensure your communications project is an on-time, high-quality, cost- effective product that you can be proud of. Leaders for the Global Common Good f a l l 2 0 1 1 v o l u m e 64 uwlaw

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