UW News

UW and the community


July 29, 2020

UW Libraries publishes new online research guides on racial justice, African American experience in Pacific Northwest

UW Libraries has published timely new online guides to help researchers studying the Black experience in the Pacific Northwest and the broader topic of racial justice.


July 28, 2020

Faculty/staff honors: Women in engineering network nod, winning magazine article on geologic hazards and refugees — and two national genetics society 2020 awards

Recent honors to University of Washington faculty and staff members have come from the Women in Engineering ProActive Network, Association Media & Publishing and The American Society of Human Genetics.


July 20, 2020

‘A world of my own’: José Alaniz publishes a life of cartooning — so far — in collection ‘The Phantom Zone’

José Alaniz says that comics — especially superhero tales — hooked him and “rewired” his brain at an early age. They also got him drawing his own comics, chronicling his life and the things he observes. Now Alaniz, a UW professor of Slavic languages and literatures, has published a collection of his own drawings and essays. “The Phantom Zone.”


July 16, 2020

Faculty/staff honors: ‘Architect’ magazine award, national society president-elect, library research honor — and runner-up for a national award for young scientists

A photo from the video installation "The Age of the Kampuchea Picture" at UW Libraries. 2017.

Recent honors to University of Washington faculty and staff have come from Architect magazine, the Center for Research Libraries, member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the American Society of Human Genetics.


July 13, 2020

UW books in brief: Mutiny at sea, an anthropologist’s memoir, ‘unsettling’ Native American art histories, global social media design — and an award for UW Press

Notable new books by UW faculty and staff include a study of rebellion at sea, an emeritus faculty member’s Buddhist-focused memoir, a reconsideration of Northwest Coast Native American art with Indigenous perspectives in mind, thoughts on bridging cultural gaps through design — and an award for the editor-in-chief of UW Press.


July 2, 2020

Commencement, UW’s biggest celebration, reimagined as an online event

photos in caps and gowns on green lawn

Sara Griggs describes how the UW Office of Ceremonies moved its biggest event online for the unique circumstances of the quarantine restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.


July 1, 2020

University of Washington releases finalized Sustainability Action Plan

person riding bike through quad

The Sustainability Action Plan includes five guiding principles and 10 measurable targets along with annual actions to reach those targets. Each year, the UW will evaluate the immediate actions needed over the next fiscal year to respond to changing realities and needs across our campuses.


June 30, 2020

UW, Public Health – Seattle & King County responding to coronavirus cases in Greek system

Aerial view of University of Washington campus in Seattle

The University of Washington and Public Health – Seattle & King County continue to respond to a cluster of cases among residents of Greek houses north of the Seattle campus, and their close contacts.


June 24, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Drop-in Meditation Session, Meany Center Virtual Programming, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Drop-in…


UW podcasts: EarthLab, Canadian Studies, Nancy Bell Evans Center, UW Bothell — and a book featured in Times Literary Supplement

A quick look at several UW-produced podcasts, from benevolent marketing to Arctic geopolitics — and a classics professor’s work being featured in a podcast produced by the Times Literary Supplement.


June 23, 2020

UW’s K-8 reading program saw record numbers during COVID-19

two girls with UW sweatshirts on

When schools closed because of the coronavirus, Real Dawgs Read, a UW program that asks kids to read 30 minutes a day over 30 separate days, was there to fill the gap. During a special session between March 25 and June 5, it experienced its highest level of participation — with 3,240 readers taking part.


June 22, 2020

Amid pandemic, UW School of Social Work’s Project Connect provides opportunities for students to learn, serve community

Two boys lying on floor, looking at tablet screen

The UW School of Social Work’s Project Connect supports 15 different research and outreach endeavors, all oriented specifically around community needs during COVID-19.


June 18, 2020

University of Washington issues COVID-19 face covering policy

person wearing facemask

The University of Washington has issued a face covering policy for all university personnel, students, staff, contractors and visitors who are on campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reminder, only employees designated as critical can be working in-person and only at the direction of their supervisor.


ArtSci Roundup: Meany Center sets the stage, Henry Art Gallery’s Viewpoints closes soon, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Drop-in…


June 17, 2020

Video: Virtual classes offer fitness and mindfulness at home

Fitness, dance and mindfulness instructors are teaching virtual classes in light of COVID-19 closures, part of UW Recreation’s effort to make its activities accessible while people are physically distancing during the pandemic.


June 16, 2020

UW reinvents summer research, internships during COVID-19

Woman standing against outside of law school building

The COVID-19 Clearinghouse at UW Law is just one of the ways that faculty and staff across the university have revamped summer research internships and worked with outside partners and employers to involve students in a remote working environment, even for jobs that would normally be out in the field.


Mathematics professor Tatiana Toro honored by Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute

The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute has named UW mathematics professor Tatiana Toro the recipient of its 2020 Blackwell-Tapia Prize.

The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute has named UW mathematics professor Tatiana Toro the recipient of its 2020 Blackwell-Tapia Prize.


June 11, 2020

UW’s 145th commencement to be held virtually on Saturday

For the first time in the University of Washington’s 159-year history, two commencement ceremonies are planned for this year’s graduates. The first ceremony, broadcast worldwide on the internet, is scheduled for Saturday at noon. The second ceremony is planned for spring 2021 at Husky Stadium.


ArtSci Roundup: Re/Frame with Henry Art Gallery, Mindfulness practices, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Re/frame:…


UW removes standardized testing requirement for incoming students beyond fall 2021

A sculpture of the University of Washington W logo

The University of Washington has removed the requirement of standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, for incoming students beyond the fall of 2021. The requirement had already been temporarily removed for the fall 2021 incoming class due to the lack of available testing sites in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.


June 5, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: School of Art + Art History + Design graduation exhibitions, [Here/Now] interview series, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. 


June 2, 2020

Faculty/staff honors: East Asia Resource Center grant; career awards in robotics, information processing

Students study in the East Asia Resource Center in the Jackson School of International Studies.

Recent honors to UW faculty and staff have come from the British Computer Society Information Retrieval Specialist Group, the Freeman Foundation and the IEEE.


May 28, 2020

Charles Johnson muses on ‘the art of living’ in new book ‘GRAND: A Grandparent’s Wisdom for a Happy Life’

GRAND by the UW's Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson has written novels and short stories, screenplays and philosophical meditations, but his latest book is something different, and very personal. “GRAND: A Grandparent’s Wisdom for a Happy Life” was published May 5.


May 27, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Pandemic Then (and Now), UW Bothell 2020 MFA Spring Festival, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.   …


May 22, 2020

Book notes: Harborview administrator Amy Mower publishes volume of stories, poems about ultramarathon running

Amy Mower, senior director of surgical business operations at Harborview Medical Center, has edited and independently published "Run To Save Your Life: A collection of poems and short stories by runners."

It’s one thing to run a marathon for 26.2 miles. But what possesses some people to run 100 miles or more, and do it again and again? “Salvation,” answers Amy Mower in a new book about ultramarathon running, “or at least a very good time.”


May 19, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Former Prime Minister of Italy Talk, Pandemic Urbanism Symposium, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Former…


Campus colleagues: Curtis Takahashi — academic adviser, live radio ‘sound effects dude’

Curtis Takahashi reminds the audience to applaud in a Seattle Radio Theater production of "The Bishop's Wife" at Town Hall Seattle, broadcast by KIRO TV.

How do you make the sound of birds flying for a radio broadcast? Flapping leather gloves will do. Curtis Takahashi of UW Bothell’s Career Development Program talks about his side gig of providing sound effects for local live radio broadcasts.


May 15, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Faculty recital: Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir, ‘Developing Capacity Through Collaborative Action,’ and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Faculty…


Staff feature: What it’s like to photograph the stories of a quiet university campus and bustling medical center amid a pandemic

Fountain with light streaming in through the water

One of the essential roles that is often not seen is the work of our campus photographers. They continue to capture the visual stories and people on campus in a time when many of us aren’t there to see them ourselves. UW News asked one of our campus photographers to share some of his favorite photos he’s taken this spring, and to describe what it’s like working on campus now.


May 12, 2020

Seismologists to host virtual event on 40th anniversary of Mount St. Helens eruption

snow-covered mountain with smoke

The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, based at the University of Washington, will host an online event on the 40th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, featuring seismologists from the UW and other institutions who can explain the events before, during and after the historic blast. The virtual event will take place from 6:30…


May 11, 2020

EarthLab announces Innovation Grant recipients for 2020

Research projects funded for 2020 by EarthLab’s Innovation Grants Program will study how vegetation might reduce pollution, help an Alaskan village achieve safety and resilience amid climate change, organize a California river’s restoration with tribal involvement, compare practices in self-managed indigenous immigrant communities and more.


May 6, 2020

Should you help a sick person? UW psychology, computer science faculty study ‘moral dilemmas’ of COVID-19

Elderly man opening front door to find a bag of food on his doorstep

A new international study led by the University of Washington aims to gauge the perception of ethical situations as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves around the world.


Faculty/staff honors: Distinguished contributions to Asian studies, social equity award, Swedish physical geography honor, new Cascade Public Media director

Recent honors to University of Washington faculty and staff have come from the Association of Asian Studies, the American Society of Public Administration, the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography and Cascade Public Media.


May 5, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Best Seat In the House with Department of Dance, In Plain Sight Film Series with the Henry, and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Best…


May 4, 2020

John Marzluff explores how farming, food production and wildlife can coexist in new book ‘In Search of Meadowlarks’

bird on a post

Farming and food production can be made more compatible with bird and wildlife conservation, says UW ornithologist John Marzluff in his latest book, “In Search of Meadowlarks: Birds, Farms, and Food in Harmony with the Land”


May 1, 2020

ArtSci Roundup: Storytelling with Indigenous Writers, Meany Center Curtain Talks, Stroum Center Quick Talk, and more

Michelle Witt, executive/artistic director for the Meany Center for the Performing Arts. Story is about visiting Step Afrika! dance troup and the celebration of 100 years since UW-related artist Jacob Lawrence was born.

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Sacred Breath:…


April 29, 2020

UW books in brief: Chinese funerary biographies, skin lighteners through history, NYC neighborhood gentrification study, Arthurian verse-novel in translation

Recent notable books by UW faculty members look at gentrification and inequity in a New York neighborhood, skin lighteners though history, female agency in Arthurian legend and biographical epitaphs in China across many centuries.


April 28, 2020

Food pantry, emergency grants help students in need during all-remote spring quarter

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Washington community – students, staff, donors and alumni – is rethinking traditional programs and services to try to meet the needs that arise. Emergency aid grants and a newly-online food pantry are coming to the rescue.


April 27, 2020

UW epidemiology graduate students participating in state’s surge response to COVID-19 pandemic

A little after 10 p.m. on March 19, University of Washington graduate students Anne Massey and David Coomes happened to be online when they received an email that would give them an unexpected role in Washington’s rapidly evolving response to the outbreak of a novel coronavirus. As context, the World Health Organization had just declared the…


Asian Languages & Literature Department awarded Chinese Flagship Grant to expand language education

Chan Lü, assistant professor of Asian languages and literature, has secured a grant for the UW to have a Chinese Flagship Program

The UW Asian Languages & Literature Department has been awarded a four-year $1.3 million “flagship” grant from the the Institute for International Education that will support the expanded study of Chinese language and culture across the UW.



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