Leadership

• Charles W.H. Matthaei Professor of Chemical Engineering
• Director of the Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales, University of Washington

For centuries, humankind has made a living from the oceans and seas that cover 72% of our planet and house 95% of living organisms. We have relied on these waters for food, trade, travel, recreation, and, more ominously, for war and conquest. We have also taken for granted their role in food production, carbon sequestration, temperature regulation, and oxygen generation, instead polluting and overexploiting them. Now, we are facing the real sea change, and the challenge of mitigating the harm that we have brought on the waters of the world.

On June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, a massive investment in mobility that drove commerce, tourism, and prosperity across the entire continental United States. The interstate system also contributed to the decline of unconnected cities, divided once vibrant neighborhoods, and often unfairly displaced people of color. Today, our roadways are decaying, cars and trucks produce 22.4% of the greenhouse emissions that contribute to climate change, and traffic pollution has been correlated to childhood asthma and cardiovascular diseases.

There has been a lot of talk of late about how some companies are embracing remote work while others are gobbling up real estate, doubling down on an in-person post-pandemic future.  Most academic researchers do not have a choice. Aside from responsibilities such as planning, coding, data analysis, and writing, which can all be done remotely, continued progress means gathering in physical labs where knowledge is shared and experiments can be performed safely and effectively.

I came to the U.S. from France in 1986 to begin my Ph.D. studies at the University of Texas at Austin. That same year, IBM introduced the first laptop computer, the FDA approved the first monoclonal antibody treatment, and the Soviet Union launched the first module of the Mir space station.

While the pandemic quieted the buzz of tens of thousands of students on our campuses, the UW research engine continued to roar. Our talented faculty won over $1.23 billion in federal awards during the previous fiscal year – more than any other public university in the nation. These awards are being used to explore uncharted territory, create new knowledge, and translate discoveries into innovations that feed our economy and make a difference in the state of Washington and beyond.

In 1854, Arthur Denny, a representative of the Washington Territorial Legislature, proposed that a pending voting bill be amended to allow “all white females over the age of 18 years” to vote. A single nay defeated his proposal, and it took 56 years for the State Constitution to be amended to grant all women the right to vote. It would take another decade for every woman in the United States to be granted this right.

As I look outside at the turning leaves, it is hard to come to the realization that we have now been working from home for more than six months and that a very different autumn quarter has started on a sparsely populated UW campus. The pandemic has imposed profound changes upon all of us. Like most crises, it has accelerated some trends and culled others.

When I last took proverbial pen to paper, the COVID-19 pandemic was taking hold in the U.S. Many of us were adapting to a new telework reality, and we were learning to jump from one Zoom meeting to another. In the background, a renewed focus on racial injustice and inequities was gaining momentum. I was keen to understand what effect these events would have on innovation. Would we see a decline in requests for our services? Would researchers’ interest in CoMotion’s innovation programs dwindle?

The expression “we live through unprecedented times” felt somewhat corny a few weeks ago. It now seems eerily adept at capturing the disruption we are all experiencing. As of this writing, 9 in 10 Americans are staying at home to help rein in the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff is no exception. Like you, we have risen to the challenge, harnessing technology to telework and to remain productive while also juggling roles as teachers, coaches, counselors, and caregivers, when needed.