RIGHT MOVE FOR BUSH?: UW political science professor David Olson speculated in The New York Times, that George W. Bush’s victory in the Republican primary may have come at too high a cost. “What the Washington primary (told) me is that Bush has done what he needed to firm up his base, but the cost may be the election in November.”

TOO SHY?: The Los Angeles Times recently asked UW psychology professor John Gottman how the “painfully shy” can shape and sharpen their social skills. “You don’t have to be interesting. You have to be interested,” Gottman said. “That’s how you have conversations.”

A HARD SELL: Michael Verchot, director of the UW’s business and economic development program, recently told The Wall Street Journal that rural Washington is a tough sell to high-tech firms looking to expand their business. “It’s simply too difficult for tech firms to act as the lone beacon in a rural community,” Verchot said. ¶

Newsmakers is a periodic column reporting on coverage of the University of Washington by the national press and broadcasting services.