UW Tacoma faculty involved in faculty exchange program

Posted on June 1, 2015 by pppauwt

PP&E Professor Katie Baird will be spending fall 2015 in Norway as a part of the University of Washington-University of Bergen Faculty Exchange Program Visiting Professor appointments at the University of Bergen, Norway. Since the program’s inception in 1979, more than 70 UW faculty and 80 University of Bergen faculty have participated in the exchange, including some from UW Tacoma. Visiting scholars represent such diverse fields as Anthropology, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, English, Fisheries, History, Law, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Quaternary Research, Scandinavian Studies, Surgery, Women Studies, Zoology—and like Professor Baird—Economics. She will be working on a project concern with education and employment outcomes with others from The Centre for Economic Studies in Social Insurance and Labour Economics.

We hope to hear more on Baird’s activities while she’s in Norway. Stay tuned next fall for updates.

UW Law/Law societies and justice Rome program

Posted on March 10, 2015 by pppauwt

Study comparative law and politics in Rome – with the UW Law/Law Societies and Justice Rome Program during the early fall start. The Law/LSJ Rome Program is now in its 11^th year.

Ever wonder why Silvio Berlusconi remained in office after being convicted of crimes?

Why Italians are against the death penalty?
Whether Europeans have more privacy rights than Americans?

When: August 20 through September 18 – you can extern or work before studying abroad. Continue reading →

China study abroad- summer 2014

Posted on December 12, 2014 by pppauwt

Beef noodles, Buddhist temples, busy streets, and boats on the Yellow River. Sixteen students experienced all of these things on the UWT summer study abroad in China last summer, led by UWT’s Dr. Mary Hanneman and Tacoma Community College’s Dr. Yi Li. For the past eight years, UWT students have had the opportunity to gain (or hone) Mandarin skills while studying Chinese history and culture in China. The 2014 program took students to the city of Lanzhou, in China’s northwestern region, for three weeks of language study at Lanzhou University and one week of travel to Dunhuang, a site on the ancient Silk Road, finishing up with three days in China’s vibrant capital of Beijing. Continue reading →

More alumni news:

Posted on December 12, 2014 by pppauwt

Passing an Initiative – As a communications staff member of the Washington Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Tallman Trask worked to pass Initiative 594, one of the few progressive success stories of the 2014 election cycle. Primarily responsible for being the eyes and ears of the communications department, as well as various media and press work, Trask played an important role in taking steps to reduce gun violence in Washington through the passage of common-sense background checks for all gun sales. Trask was a member of the class of 2013, graduating with a degree in Politics, Philosophy & Economics.

Applying for a Fulbright Scholarship – Lizeth Garcia recently submitted her application for the 2015-2016 Fulbright ETA program. As an advocate for education, Garcia decided to apply to the Fulbright ETA program to empower students in Mexico with the ability to speak English. As a tutor with a local Hispanic organization, she has gained valuable skills that will prepare her for a Fulbright ETA assignment. She is currently working as a legislative aide for King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer. Garcia believes the skills she is developing through her employment with KCC and community involvement stand to be useful tools as she pursues a graduate program upon her return from a Fulbright assignment.

Garcia states, “I encourage students who are considering applying for Fulbright to start early. The application process can be quite rigorous and demands a lot of time. It’s a daunting task, but is very rewarding. It’s important to develop strong relationships with professors and gain experience in extracurricular activities. These will be vital parts of your application. Additionally, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have an ideal GPA. Fulbright is interested in students who are passionate about making a change. Lastly, have fun. It was neat to see how much I learned about myself through this process.”

We wish her all the best as she awaits the results of her application. (The above photo was taken in Trinidad, Cuba at the Manaca Izuaga Watch Tower.)

Planning ahead – Summer 2015 study abroad to China

Posted on December 12, 2014 by pppauwt

Planning is already underway for the 2015 China Study Abroad, which will include a special focus on the Chinese economy in a course taught by PPPA economics professor Will McGuire. The one-month program will be housed at Renmin University in Beijing, where students will study Mandarin for three weeks in addition to studying Chinese history and economics. The economics study will include field excursions to Chinese businesses and state-run industries. The study abroad will also include a week-long excursion to Tianjin and cultural field trips in the Beijing environs.

The 15 credit academic program for the study abroad includes: TCHIN (Mandarin Chinese) 101-203, depending on entrance and exit exams (the exact course number is determined by where a student tests in and out) TINTL 480, Chinese History and Culture; TECON 461, Current Issues in Chinese Economy.

Course descriptions:

TECON 461- This course will provide a brief introduction to the creation and reform of China’s socialist economic system, and then focus on the biggest economic challenges facing the country today. The topics covered will include, among others, economic inequality, macroeconomic stability, and environmental sustainability. We will combine academic study with firsthand knowledge by combining lectures with site visits and interactions with local business leaders and/or policymakers.

TIAS 480 – This course will examine the history, culture, language, and politics of China. Classes will be held at a cooperating university in People’s Republic of China.

Dates for the study abroad are June 21- July 18, 2015. The cost for the program is $4900, (which includes the 15 credits, three weeks’ lodging in Beijing, coursework, one week travel to QIngdao and Jinan, and all food, lodging and travel during the one week travel portion). For more information about the 2015 trip, please consult the International Programs website http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/international-programs/china-west-east or http://www.tacoma.uw.edu/international-programs/china-past-present. You can also contact Dr. Mary Hanneman (hanneman@uw.edu), Dr. Will McGuire (mcguire@uw.edu) or Dr. Yi Li (yli@tacomacc.edu).

Faculty profile–Mary Hanneman

Posted on May 24, 2014 by pppauwt

Students often think of professors as people with no life outside of the classroom, living only to teach—or possibly to compose scores of journal articles. However, for Mary Hanneman, Associate Professor in PPPA and Acting Director of the Asia Pacific Center, there are other scores that hold her interest.

Hanneman’s interest in East Asia began during her childhood experiences as the daughter of a Lutheran missionary in Tokyo where she lived for 3 ½ years, attending grades K-2. Even after returning to the States, she continued to pursue her interest in Asia; during her high school, she studied Japanese — an unusual language to study in those days. She continued to study Japanese while earning her BA in East Asian Studies at WWU. After receiving her MA (also in East Asian Studies) from Yale, she returned home to Washington to pursue her PhD in Japanese History at UW Seattle, before finally settling here at UW Tacoma where she taught Asian History.

It was while living in Tokyo, though, that she discovered her second passion in life: music. Hanneman began playing the violin at age six before moving to the viola a few years later. While at WWU, she minored in music; while working on her Masters degree she joined the orchestra at Yale, and during Ph.D. work at the UW, she played in a string quartet. After that, she gave up music until about 10 years ago; when both of her parents died, she found that music gave her a way to deal with grief. “Playing got me into a different mental and emotional space,” she remembered. Hanneman currently is a member of the Olympia Symphony. The last concert of the 2013-14 season included a presentation of Brahms Symphony #2—a piece that she played years ago. Remarking on the idea of music and muscle memory, she commented, “It’s amazing how much of it was just under my fingers.”

This summer Hanneman will be taking a group of 16 students on a study abroad trip to China. Hanneman can’t wait – but she’ll miss her viola while she’s away.

Prof. Kayaoglu advises United Nations

Posted on March 11, 2014 by pppauwt

This fall the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) invited Professor Turan Kayaoğlu to advise its officials during the United Nations Security Council meeting, held in New York City. In addition to playing the role of advisor, Turan met with high-ranking diplomats and UN bureaucrats. Prof. Kayaoğlu is currently writing a book about the OIC; after the session, he also wrote an opinion piece for the Turkish daily Today’s Zaman.

Study abroad in China this summer

Posted on March 2, 2014 by pppauwt

This summer, UW Tacoma students will be joining Professor Mary Hanneman (PPPA) and Professor Yi Li (Tacoma Community College) on a four-week study abroad program to Lanzhou, China. Students will study Mandarin Chinese along with Chinese history and culture for three weeks at Lanzhou University. The study abroad program will conclude with a one-week trip to the ancient Silk Road city of Dunhuang, site of some of early Chinese Buddhism’s most important grotto murals, followed by a two-day stay in the vibrant Chinese capital of Beijing. If you are interested in signing up, contact Mary Hanneman (hanneman@uw.edu).