Senate commends departing dean, Nobel Laureate

The ASUW student senate approved two resolutions last night that officially commend George Bridges, dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, and Linda Buck, the UW's Nobel Prize winning affiliate professor.

Bridges, who has been a faculty member at the UW for 23 years, will be leaving in July to become president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash.

Included in the original bill was a clause that provided for a student to be in the search committee for the next dean.

The clause was quickly amended, as the senate did not want to disrespect the revered dean.

Senators speaking for the amendment testified that his legacy was more important than piggybacking something "not relevant to the original theme" of the resolution.

A separate resolution is in the works to include a student in the search committee.

An official commendation was also given to Buck.

An affiliate professor in physiology and biophysics at the University's medical school, Buck will share the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Richard Axel of Columbia University.

Buck and Axel won the prize for their research of genes and smell.

The senate also nominated liaisons to the student commuter task force, the spring fling task force and the homecoming task force.

Senators elected Cammie Croft, last year's senate chair, on the basis of her wanting to create more of a commuter "community."

Mike Wallin, a student who commutes as much as 250 miles a day from Longview, was also elected to the commuter task force.

Alvin Chen, who would like to see classes that educate commuters about activities and opportunities on campus, was also elected.

Aaron White, the Interfraternity Council vice president for public relations, was elected to the spring fling taskforce.

The group will make suggestions and help organize next year's event.

Ryan Matteson, former chair of the academic affairs committee, was elected liaison to the homecoming task force.

Matteson believes that all students need to become more involved with homecoming, especially when choosing homecoming royalty. He would also like to bring back a homecoming parade.