UW News


January 28, 2015

Child maltreatment not a clear path to adult crime

Research has found a significant link between childhood abuse and neglect and crime in adulthood. But a recent University of Washington study finds that link all but disappears when accounting for other life factors. “We find that children who were involved in child welfare services are at high risk of adult crimes, but once we…


July 15, 2014

Brain responses to emotional images predict PTSD symptoms after Boston Marathon bombing

brain scan showing activation of the amygdala in the left hemisphere

By using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans from before the attack and survey data from after, the researchers found that heightened amygdala reaction to negative emotional stimuli was a risk factor for later developing symptoms of PTSD.


July 1, 2014

Engaging parents, community to map student success in South King County

Girls at a school desk.

The Road Map Project highlights how students are most successful when schools and communities find creative and culturally responsive ways of engaging parents.


June 20, 2014

UW students’ electric-hybrid car takes 2nd in international competition

Members of the UW team test their car during the competition.

The University of Washington’s Advanced Vehicle Works team won second place in the international EcoCAR 2 competition this month for turning a Chevrolet Malibu into a highly efficient hybrid vehicle running on electric grid energy and biodiesel.


May 22, 2014

Sociologist Robert Crutchfield examines the relationship between work and crime in ‘Get a Job’

Front cover of Robert Crutchfield's book "Get a Job" shows the reflection of a man in puddle on the street.

In his new book, “Get a Job: Labor Markets, Economic Opportunity, and Crime,” University of Washington sociologist Robert Crutchfield explains the nuanced links between work, unemployment and crime.


May 20, 2014

Shrub growth decreases as winter temps warm up

Campbell Island, New Zealand, hillside covered with the shrub Dracophyllum.

Many have assumed that warmer winters as a result of climate change would increase the growth of trees and shrubs because the growing season would be longer. But shrubs achieve less yearly growth when cold winter temperatures are interrupted by temperatures warm enough to trigger growth.


May 19, 2014

Favoritism, not hostility, causes most discrimination, says UW psychology professor

Most discrimination in the U.S. is not caused by intention to harm people different from us, but by ordinary favoritism directed at helping people similar to us, according to a theoretical review published online in American Psychologist.


May 8, 2014

Army drug users twice as likely to use synthetic marijuana as regular marijuana

Package of "Spice," which is synthetic marijuana.

Social work researchers from the University of Washington have found that among a group of active-duty Army personnel who use illicit drugs, the most abused substance is synthetic marijuana, nicknamed “Spice,” which is harder to detect than other drugs through standard drug tests.


May 6, 2014

Social workers can help patients recover from mild traumatic brain injuries

Two women talking.

More than a million people are treated for mild traumatic brain injuries in U.S. hospitals and emergency rooms each year. A University of Washington researcher has found that a 20-minute conversation with a social worker has the potential to significantly reduce the functional decline of those diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury.


April 24, 2014

Roger Roffman chronicles society’s long struggle with pot in ‘Marijuana Nation’

Roger Roffman, UW professor emeritus of social work who has studied marijuana dependence interventions for 30 years, talks about his new book, “Marijuana Nation: One Man’s Chronicle of America Getting High: From Vietnam to Legalization.”


April 18, 2014

UW moving to online course evaluations to save paper, money

A large 'W' is at the north entrance to the UW campus.

The University of Washington is expanding online course evaluations to reduce its use of paper. The online evaluations are expected to save the university tens of thousands of dollars every year in paper costs while giving faculty and administrators more direct access to evaluation results.


April 2, 2014

Science-themed music videos boost scientific literacy, study shows

As the United States puts ever-greater emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics education to keep competitive in the global economy, schools are trying to figure out how to improve student learning in science. University of Washington researchers think music may be the answer for some students.


March 20, 2014

No sandy beaches: UW students head to rural Washington for Alternative Spring Break

Many University of Washington students will greet spring break next week from a warm sandy beach, but 69 of them will instead spend their week off helping young students in rural communities learn about art, literacy and the environment. In turn, these UW students will learn about life, culture and education in rural Washington.


March 13, 2014

Negative effects of joining a gang last long after gang membership ends

Bloods gang sign.

Joining a gang in adolescence has significant consequences in adulthood beyond criminal behavior, even after a person leaves the gang. Former gang members are more likely to be in poor health, receiving government assistance and struggling with drug abuse than someone who never joined a gang.


March 11, 2014

No one likes a copycat, no matter where you live

Two girls hold up similar drawings of flowers

Very young children often don’t view an artistic copycat negatively, but that changes by the age of 5 or 6, even in countries that place less value on intellectual property rights than the U.S.


February 12, 2014

Jake Rosenfeld explores the sharp decline of union membership, influence

Book cover of "What Unions No Longer Do"

Jake Rosenfeld, a University of Washington associate professor of sociology, examines the far-reaching economic and social consequences of the decline of organized labor in his new book, “What Unions No Longer Do.”


February 11, 2014

UW tied for second in number of Peace Corps volunteers

Peace Corps 2014 Top College rankings logo

The University of Washington this year tied for second among large universities in the number of Peace Corps volunteers.


February 5, 2014

Public lecture series will explore the science of decision making

The ninth annual Allen L. Edwards Psychology Lecture Series will delve into “The Science of Decision Making,” to explain how the brain and an individual’s expectations influence decisions made in uncertain conditions.


January 27, 2014

Debra Friedman, UW Tacoma Chancellor, dies

University of Washington Tacoma Chancellor Debra Friedman died on Jan. 26 at the age of 58, following a short battle with lung cancer.


January 24, 2014

How strong of a football fan are you? There’s a test for that

UW psychologist Anthony Greenwald has developed a scientific test to measure the strength of one’s support for a football team.


December 16, 2013

5 effective parenting programs to reduce problem behaviors in children

father holding daughter's hand

UW researchers evaluated about 20 parenting programs and found five that are especially effective at helping parents and children at all risk levels avoid adolescent behavior problems that affect not only individuals, but entire communities.


September 17, 2013

Emotional attachment to robots could affect outcome on battlefield

A United States Army explosive ordnance disposal robot pulls the wire of a suspected improvised explosive device in Iraq.

As the military designs field robots to be more human or animal-like, it’s important to study whether soldiers could become emotionally attached to the mechanical tools and less willing to send them into harm’s way.


In spite of economic recovery, U.S. poverty rate remains high

Man on bench, from West Coast Poverty Center web site.

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau today show that, for the second year in a row, the poverty rate for the U.S. remained stable at 15 percent in 2012. Although the median annual income did not fall in 2012, it remains 8.3 percent below median income in 2007.


September 5, 2013

Redesigned feminine hygiene product tackles problem of human trafficking

A group of University of Washington graduate students wanted to help save victims of human trafficking. Along the way they won two prestigious national design awards for their efforts and hope to raise money to help even more people.


August 27, 2013

Researcher controls colleague’s motions in 1st human brain-to-brain interface

A photo showing both sides of the demonstration.

University of Washington researchers have performed what they believe is the first noninvasive human-to-human brain interface, with one researcher able to send a brain signal via the Internet to control the hand motions of a fellow researcher.


August 14, 2013

UW geographer devises a way for China to resolve its ‘immigration’ dilemma

University of Washington geographer Kam Wing Chan is in China this week, explaining how that country can dismantle its 55-year-old system that limits rural laborers from moving to and settling in cities and qualifying for basic social benefits.


August 5, 2013

Abused children found to smoke more as teens and adults

Researchers have long suspected some kind of link between childhood abuse and smoking. But in an interesting twist, UW researchers found a connection not between whether or not an abused child will ever begin smoking, but to how much they smoke once they do start.


July 9, 2013

School policies reduce student drinking – if they’re perceived to be enforced

Wine and hard liquor bottles photographed through a multiprism filter.

Every middle and high school has a policy against drinking alcohol on campus, but not all students follow the rules. New research suggests students are less likely to drink if they believe their school will strictly enforce its policy.


July 1, 2013

Calming your dog’s anxiety during noisy Fourth of July

Dog owners everywhere feel a pang of anxiety as the Fourth of July approaches. Will their pooch simply hide under the bed when fireworks go off or run for the hills? If you’re the owner of a dog with noise phobias, what can you do?


June 25, 2013

More women pick computer science if media nix outdated ‘nerd’ stereotype

A young woman working with a computer.

The media often portray computer scientists as nerdy males with poor social skills. But a UW psychologist found women will want to study computer science if they don’t buy into the stereotypes.


June 17, 2013

Fiber-optic pen helps see inside brains of children with learning disabilities

Person holding pen and pad.

For less than $100, University of Washington researchers have designed a computer-interfaced drawing pad that helps scientists see inside the brains of children with learning disabilities while they read and write.