Grateful

Today I am grateful for the University of Washington.  The influence of higher education touches our lives in more ways than I think we realize.

In addition to creating the app “one bus away,” the UW has impacted the world in significant ways.

Here are a few:

Stamping Out Smallpox
As a medical missionary in Africa in 1966, William Foege, UW class of 1961, developed a new technique for vaccinating populations against smallpox. By 1979, his strategy worked to perfection-smallpox vanished from the planet.

They Saved Lake Washington
The cleanup of desperately polluted Lake Washington (once known as “Lake Stinko”) was a boon to the environment and a model for scientific and political communities to work together. After the alarm was sounded by Zoology Professor W. Thomas Edmondson, a political movement led by James Ellis, UW class of 1948, and others prompted the creation of Metro, a government entity that funded new sewage treatment plants, helped curtail of algae and phosphate concentrations and restored the water quality.

Flying to the Moon
As an astronaut on Apollo 12, the second manned mission to land on the moon, Richard F. Gordon Jr., UW call of1951, circled the moon while astronauts Alan Bean and Pete Conrad walked on the lunar surface in November 1969.

Saved Pike Place Market
Architecture Professor Victor Steinbrueck, UW class of 1935, saved Pike Place Market from the wrecking ball when the city of Seattle wanted to tear it down to provide a high-rise complex with residential, commercial and hotel facilities. His successful ballot initiative in 1971 created a historic district around the market; today it is a must-see site for any visitor.

Medic One Emergency Services
UW Cardiology Professor Leonard Cobb and other researchers believed lives could be saved with major intervention outside of the hospital and that non-physicians could provide high-quality care under the remote guidance of physicians. The result was the model for emergency care services throughout the world and CPR training for millions.

Sonicare Toothbrush
UW researchers David Engel, Joseph Miller and Roy Martin helped entrepreneur David Giuliani make the first sonic toothbrush, whose bristle tips move 100 times faster than you can brush manually. The cleaning action also directs fluids deep between teeth and below the gumline to remove plaque and prevent gum disease.
There are many, many more….curious?  You can learn 101 here.