Paw'd Defiance

UW Tacoma Associate Professor Natalie Jolly and Assistant Professor Sarah Hampson join us to talk about their research. Both Jolly and Hampson have looked into life in the military for mothers. We'll discuss their work and we'll also get into a conversation about motherism, the wage gap, the new Paid Family & Medical Leave act in Washington State and the possibility of having the Equal Rights Amendment added to the United States Constitution. 

A common book is used by colleges and universities to get students on the same page - literally. The idea is to have students in different classes read the same book. UW Tacoma used to employ common books but shelved the idea a few years ago. The project has been revised with a particular emphasis on creating community. Indeed, the renewed effort is referred to as the "community book." In this episode we'll talk with UW Tacoma Lecturer Annie Nguyen about this year's community book "Washington Black" by Esi Edugyan. We'll discuss why this book was chosen and plans to host the book's author on campus.

The importance of the U.S. Census, how cities are built and life growing up in Iran are just some of the topics covered during this episode with UW Assistant Chancellor for Community Engagement Ali Modarres. Modarres is well-known in the Sound Sound. Besides being an assistant chancellor, Modarres serves as Director of the School of Urban Studies at UW Tacoma. Modarres is an expert on cities, specifically how they're built and who they're built for. He has focused a significant portion of his public scholarship on economic development through an equity lens. Modarres is also on the board of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation and has been active in helping that organization spread the word about how the census impacts Pierce County.

A Thanksgiving dinner gone awry, a homemade game of Jeopardy devoted to better understanding one's family and an ornament collection that's been growing steadily for nearly 30 years. These are just some of the stories told to us by UW Tacoma students, faculty and staff. Everyone now and then we're going to hand over the microphone and ask you to tell us a story around a certain theme.  We're calling this series Dawg Tales. For this first episode in the series we decided to focus on stories about tradition. 

In this episode we talk about parking in and around UW Tacoma with Associate Director of Maintenance & Operations Tessa Coleman, Program Operations Manager James Sinding and ASUWT President Vincent Da. UW Tacoma's urban setting presents different challenges and limitations when it comes to parking. We'll talk about those. We'll also discuss a new parking lot that is scheduled to open in the spring along with other possible solutions that could help open up spots on campus. Finally, we'll chat about a new transportation survey that students, faculty and staff are encouraged to complete. 

UW Tacoma Associate Professor Natalie Jolly and UW Tacoma Lecturer Annie Nguyen talk about the role of motherhood in the United States. Jolly and Nguyen are both mothers. They'll talk about their experiences as working mothers. They'll also discuss how motherhood is viewed in the Amish community and in other parts of the world. Finally, Jolly and Nguyen will address what changes need to be made to better support mothers and parents in general who are either working or going to school.

The Asarco smelter shutdown more than 30 years ago but the plant's legacy is still being felt. Lead and arsenic emitted from the smelter's smokestack contaminated the soil and found its way into local lakes. UW Tacoma Associate Professor Jim Gawel joins us to discuss his work. Gawel and a team of researchers is examining arsenic in local lakes including Lake Killarney in Federal Way. Gawel will also talk about the importance of getting students into the field and the chair in his office that's so nice no one will sit in it.

UW Tacoma's pie day started back in 1997 as a way for faculty to thank staff. Each year since then faculty make pies and bring them to campus for staff to enjoy. Over time this event has turned into a friendly competition whereby people vote on their favorite pies. UW Tacoma Associate Professor Jim Gawel has been participating in pie day for more than 20 years but has one only once, hence his nickname-the "Susan Lucci of Pies" During this episode we go to Gawel's kitchen as he prepares a pumpkin mousse pie for this year's event. This is a field recording so you'll hear sounds from the kitchen.

UW Tacoma Senior Lecturer Ellen Moore studies how the environment is discussed in the news and the larger world of pop culture. Moore is active on campus with the sustainability committee and is involved with environmental issues in the South Sound. 

Warmer temperatures and rising sea levels are only part of the story when it comes to climate change in the Pacific Northwest. Decreased mountain snow pack could lead to drought and more wildfires. On the flip side, heavy rains may lead to more frequent and intense flooding. We'll talk about the local impact of climate change and climate resiliency
with the University of Washington's Amy Snover. Snover serves as both director of the Climate Impacts Group and university director of the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center. She is also an affiliate associate professor. Joining us in the conversation is UW Tacoma Senior Lecturer Ellen Moore.