UW News

Education


March 8, 2018

UW political scientist Megan Ming Francis named fellow with NAACP’s Thurgood Marshall Institute

UW political science associate professor Megan Ming Francis. Story is that she has been named a fellow of the NAACP's Thurgood Marshall Institute.

Megan Ming Francis, UW associate professor of political science, has been named a fellow with the Thurgood Marshall Institute. The institute is a multidisciplinary research and advocacy policy center within the NAACP’s Legal Defense and Educational Fund.


March 5, 2018

Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies to hold ‘Re-imagining Solidarity’ conference March 10

Immigrant rights, environmental concerns and racial, class, gender and sexual justice will be the focus of a daylong conference hosted by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies March 10 at the UW.


March 2, 2018

Celebrated poet Charles Simic to give UW’s 54th Theodore Roethke Poetry Reading April 12

Charles Simic

Charles Simic, one of America’s most celebrated poets, will give the 2018 Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading on April 12. Simic will be the 54th poet to appear in the series since its inception in 1964.


February 22, 2018

New curriculum prioritizes tribal sovereignty, cultural respect in scientific research of American Indian, Alaska Native communities

School shot

    When scientists have conducted research in Native American communities, the process and the results have sometimes been controversial. There have been a few well-known cases, such as the 1979 Barrow Alcohol Study, in which researchers examined substance use in the tiny Arctic Circle town and issued findings to the press, before briefing the…


February 21, 2018

A talk with UW historian Quintard Taylor: Taking ‘the long view’ in troubled times

Quintard Taylor, UW professor emeritus of history and recipient of a lifetime achievement honor from Washington State Historical Society, discusses his work and this unusual moment in American history.


January 25, 2018

Dan Berger discusses excesses of incarceration in new book ‘Rethinking the American Prison Movement’

Dan Berger, associate professor in the UW Bothell School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, discusses his new book, “Rethinking the American Prison Movement.”


December 21, 2017

Promoting self-esteem among African-American girls through racial, cultural connections

    For African-American students, data, alongside societal attitudes and stereotypes, often present a negative picture: a wide academic achievement gap separating them from their white peers. Higher rates of discipline and absenteeism. Discrimination by other students, teachers and the larger community. And just last summer, a study indicated that black girls, from an early…


December 7, 2017

UW announces ambitious public commitment to educate more high-achieving low-income students

bronze W

UW is among the first schools to announce public commitments through the American Talent Initiative. The UW aims to graduate an additional 125 low- to low-middle-income students per cohort by 2025.


A literary view of the human era: ‘Anthropocene Reading’

"Anthropocene Reading: Literary History in Geologic Times" was published in October by Penn State Press. It was co-edited by Jesse Oak Taylor, UW associate professor of English.

The Anthropocene epoch — the proposed name for this time of significant human effect on the planet and its systems — represents a new context in which to study literature. A new book of essays co-edited by Jesse Oak Taylor, UW associate professor of English, argues that literary studies, in turn, also can help us better understand the Anthropocene.


December 1, 2017

UW astrobiologists to discuss work, introduce IMAX film ‘The Search for Life in Space’ Dec. 6 at Pacific Science Center

"The Search for Life in Space" is now playing at the IMAX theater at the Pacific Science Center.

Three University of Washington astrobiologists will discuss their research and introduce the new 3-D IMAX movie “The Search for Life in Space” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the PACCAR Theater of the Pacific Science Center.


November 30, 2017

New textbook teaches Spanish language, culture through talk of food

"Comida y cultura en el mundo hispánico" — "Food and Culture in the Hispanic World" -- by Ana Gómez-Bravo, UW professor of Spanish, was published by Equinox books in October. The book uses food as a doorway to understanding Spanish language and culture.

Ana Gómez-Bravo created a class about Spanish food and culture a few years ago as a way to teach the language, but found no appropriate textbook for the material — so she wrote one herself. Her book “Comida y cultura en el mundo hispánico” — “Food and Culture in the Hispanic World” — was published in October by Equinox Publishing.


October 25, 2017

UW among top 10 in US News Best Global Universities ranking; No. 2 among US public institutions

The University of Washington climbed to the No. 10 spot on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, tied with Johns Hopkins University and Yale University. The UW is now second among American public institutions — an improvement from last year’s No. 3 slot. “I am proud to see the University of…


October 16, 2017

UW jumps 2 spots to No. 25 on Center for World University Rankings 2017 list

The University of Washington is No. 25 in the world — No. XX among U.S. public institutions — according to a new list released Monday by the Center for World University Rankings.


October 9, 2017

Dance meets social justice in Chamber Dance Company’s ‘The Body Politic’ Oct. 12 – 15

Eight dance pieces on the themes of inequity and injustice comprise the UW Chamber Dance Company’s concert “The Body Politic,” Oct. 12-15 at Meany Theater.


October 2, 2017

UW Center for Human Rights studies law enforcement collaboration with federal agencies on immigration

Cities and counties concerned about immigrant rights should closely examine law enforcement’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities — and the role a for-profit company has in drafting language used in many law enforcement policy manuals — according to a new report from the UW’s Center for Human Rights.


September 27, 2017

Modern American photos, centuries-old European prints donated to Henry Art Gallery

The University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery has received two large and prestigious donations — one a collection of centuries-old European prints from Seattle art collector Albert Feldmann, the other scores of images by well-known photographers from the recently-disbanded Washington Art Consortium. Sylvia Wolf, Henry Art Gallery director, expressed deep appreciation for both donations and…


September 25, 2017

Group project? Taking turns, working with friends may improve grades

A University of Washington study has found that social dynamics affect student performance on group projects. The more comfortable students are in the group, the better they perform.

  It has become an almost essential element of academic life, from college lecture halls to elementary classrooms: the group assignment. Dreaded by some, loved by others, group projects typically aim to build teamwork and accountability while students learn about a topic. But depending on the assignment and the structure of the groups, a project…


September 12, 2017

Work broadening high-quality early learning bolstered by grant

Children work with a teacher at an early learning facility that partners with Cultivate Learning (formerly the UW Childcare Quality & Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development).

    The University of Washington College of Education’s work to expand access to high-quality early learning opportunities across the country is being strengthened with a $10 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the next four years, the grant will support the College in generating tools and methods needed to launch…


September 5, 2017

How governments can maintain strong public-private partnerships: Guide from Evans School’s Justin Marlowe

Justin Marlowe's fourth -- and likely final -- guide to financial literacy was published in August by Governing magazine.

The biggest risk to public-private partnerships in governing is not financial or technical, but political, says UW Evans School professor Justin Marlowe in his fourth guide to financial literacy, published by Governing magazine.


August 28, 2017

How reading and writing with your child boost more than just literacy

Reading with your child can boost not only literacy but also study skills later in school.

  Children who read and write at home — whether for assignments or just for fun — are building long-term study and executive function skills, according to a paper from the University of Washington. And while home literacy activities have already been associated with higher test scores, the new study shows these activities also provide…


August 24, 2017

A dean looks back: Harry Bruce reflects on UW ‘iSchool’ past, future

UW Information School Dean Harry Bruce

Information School Dean Harry Bruce talks about his job and life as he prepares to step down.


August 18, 2017

‘Be sure to look around you’: Tips on Seattle eclipse viewing

A fingernail-like edge of the sun will be visible in Seattle during the solar eclipse.

With many in Seattle are wondering what the Aug. 21 solar eclipse will be like in our city, Bruce Balick, UW professor emeritus of astronomy, shared a few thoughts.


July 31, 2017

University of Washington recognized for access, affordability and value in three separate rankings

The University of Washington W

The University of Washington has been recognized by three separate publications in rankings focused on access for low-income students, affordability and value.
The New York Times’ College Access Index ranked the UW 18th in the nation – ninth among public institutions – in its assessment of “which top universities are doing the most to promote the American Dream.”


July 27, 2017

Run-up to revolution: Early American history seen through the stage in Odai Johnson’s book ‘London in a Box’

"London in a Box: Englishness and Theatre in Revolutionary America" by UW drama professor Odai Johnson was published in late spring 2017 by University of Iowa Press. The cover shows actress Nancy Hallam as the character Imogen in Shakespeare's "Cymbeline," in a painting by Charles Willson Peale, 1771.

The true cultural tipping point in the run-up to the American Revolution might have been the First Continental Congress’s decision in late October of 1774 to close the theaters in British America, says University of Washington drama professor Odai Johnson in his new book, “London in a Box: Englishness and Theatre in Revolutionary America.”


July 24, 2017

From volunteer to decision-maker: how parents can play a greater role in schools

A new study by the University of Washington suggests schools need to partner with parents, rather than offer them limited volunteer roles. In this photo, parent volunteers read to a class of students.

  Most schools offer parents specific ways to help out: Join the PTA, chaperone a field trip, grade papers for a teacher or assist on a classroom art project. Those volunteer opportunities, however, not only reinforce the top-down power structure of schools, but also cater to mostly white, privileged families, maintaining the institutionalized racism that…


July 17, 2017

Bilingual babies: Study shows how exposure to a foreign language ignites infants’ learning

UW student Jinnie Yi works with a toddler at one of the participating infant education centers in Madrid. A study by the UW Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences shows that infants and young children can develop bilingual skills through interactive learning.

  For years, scientists and parents alike have touted the benefits of introducing babies to two languages: Bilingual experience has been shown to improve cognitive abilities, especially problem-solving. And for infants raised in households where two languages are spoken, that bilingual learning happens almost effortlessly. But how can babies in monolingual households develop such skills?…


July 6, 2017

Policy and progress in the Arctic: Essays by students in the Jackson School’s International Policy Institute

Graduate student fellows with the International Policy Institute in the UW Jackson School of International Studies have begun publishing a 13-part series of blogs exploring aspects of the intergovernmental Arctic Council as a 21st-century institution.


June 29, 2017

Anind K. Dey named dean of the UW’s Information School

Anind K. Dey

Anind K. Dey has been named dean of the Information School at the University of Washington, President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Jerry Baldasty announced this week. Dey comes to the UW from Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, where he is the Charles M. Geschke professor and director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute….


June 13, 2017

Abstraction, family memories — even a touch of voodoo — highlight annual graduate show at Henry Art Gallery

Artist Arely Morales with her three paintings depicting immigrant workers at the 2017 MFA + Mdes Thesis Exhibition, at the Henry Art Gallery though June 25.

Absurdity and abstraction, artistic dualisms, long-held family memories — and even some gentle voodoo — mingle together in the annual exhibition by UW art and design graduate students, on display through June 25 at the Henry Art Gallery.


June 7, 2017

‘Scales of Struggle’: Historians of labor, working class to convene at UW

Issues of social justice, incarceration and the politics of race and gender — past and present — will be the focus as hundreds of scholars, teachers, labor activists and artists gather at the UW June 22-25 for the annual conference of the Labor and Working-Class History Association.


June 5, 2017

‘Documents that Changed the Way We Live’: Podcast by UW’s Joe Janes now a book

"Documents that Changed the Way we Live" by UW Information School associate professor Joe Janes, was published this month by Rowman & Littlefield.

A popular podcast by Joe Janes of the UW Information School is now a book. “Documents that Changed the Way We Live” is being published this month by Rowman & Littlefield.


May 22, 2017

Kepler telescope spies details of TRAPPIST-1 system’s outermost planet

The ultra-cool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its seven planets. A UW-led team has learned details of TRAPPIST-1h, the system's outermost planet.

A University of Washington-led international team of astronomers has used data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope to observe and confirm details of the outermost of seven exoplanets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1.


May 16, 2017

Undergraduate Theater Society mounts big production of ‘Spring Awakening’ May 18-28

The cast of the UW Undergraduate Theater Society's production of "Spring Awakening." From left, top row: Shiv Chitre, Jordan King, Michael Monicatti, Patrick McDermott, Sage Suzzeris, Jackson Ross. Second row: Ricky Spaulding, Caralee Howe, Charlene Kwon, Christine Munson, Saige Hawthorne, Alex Sturtevant, Olga Laskin and Spencer Stromberg. Not shown is cast member Candice Lundy.

For its final and biggest show of the year the UW Undergraduate Theater Society presents “Spring Awakening,” a musical exploration of youth and blooming sexuality that’s surprisingly timely for a story set in 19th century Germany.


May 11, 2017

UW Regents approve central campus site for Population Health building to house collaborative research and teaching

Rainier horizon

The University of Washington Board of Regents on Thursday approved the location for construction of a new building to house the UW’s Population Health Initiative.


Suicide prevention messages are top priority for UW’s Forefront

University of Washington advocates for suicide prevention were busy pushing for legislation in Olympia, working on programs with more than a dozen local high schools and organizing the fourth annual Husky Help & Hope walk when an online TV show about suicide suddenly captivated a teenage audience. To the staff of UW-based Forefront: Innovations in…


May 10, 2017

Seattle Art Museum to exhibit work by UW art professor Denzil Hurley

Denzil Hurley

The Seattle Art Museum will feature work by abstract artist and UW art professor Denzil Hurley. The exhibit, titled “Disclosures,” will be on display from May 20 through November. It’s a fitting tribute, as Hurley will retire from the UW at the end of the school year.


May 2, 2017

UW Continuum College launches first-ever scholarship program for certificate students

photograph of certificate graduate

University of Washington Continuum College has launched the first UWPCE Certificate Scholarship program to help Washington residents eager to advance their careers through education.


April 27, 2017

Can early experiences with computers, robots increase STEM interest among young girls?

A young girl takes notice of a robot project at a college event promoting science to children.

Girls start believing they aren’t good at math, science and even computers at a young age — but providing fun STEM activities at school and home may spark interest and inspire confidence. A study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) finds that, when exposed to a computer-programming activity, 6-year-old…


April 19, 2017

More than recess: How playing on the swings helps kids learn to cooperate

A favorite childhood pastime — swinging on the playground swing set — also may be teaching kids how to get along. The measured, synchronous movement of children on the swings can encourage preschoolers to cooperate on subsequent activities, University of Washington researchers have found. A study by the UW’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences…


March 28, 2017

After much media attention, UW Information School’s ‘Calling BS’ class begins

The very name of the class, when proposed, seemed to fire imaginations nationwide and beyond. Now with the beginning of spring quarter, the UW Information School’s new course “Calling Bullshit in the Age of Big Data” is getting started.



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