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The latest news from the UW

February 27, 2020

Thinning, prescribed burns protected forests during the massive Carlton Complex wildfire

In the first major study following the devastating Carlton Complex fire in north central Washington, researchers from the University of Washington and U.S. Forest Service found that previous tree thinning and prescribed burns helped forests survive the fire.

February 20, 2020

ArtsUW Roundup: 3D4M Open House, Niyaz The Fourth Light Project, Katz Distinguished Lecture with Anna Tsing, and more

This week there are many opportunities to get involved with the arts including the opening of CabLab’s Frozen: A Play, a free whirling meditation workshop, Critical Issues lecture series, recitals with School of Music faculty, and more! To learn about more events taking place, visit ArtsUW. 3D4M Open House February 25, 6:00 PM | Ceramic And Metal Arts Building (CMA) Join the School of Art + Art History + Design to explore the facilities of our 3D4M: ceramics + glass + sculpture…

New, UW-developed data tool tracks state legislative process, from first draft to final law

A new, University of Washington-developed data visualization tool draws on bill information made available by the Washington State Legislature to enable students, journalists and voters to visually explore the lawmaking process.

February 18, 2020

ArtsUW Roundup: Brazil’s Grupo Corpo, Scheidel Lecture with Regina G. Lawrence — and more

This week in the arts, attend Critical Issues lecture series with Sadie Barnette, Grupo Corpo performs at the Meany Center, and more! To learn about more events taking place, visit ArtsUW. 2020 UW Department of Communication Scheidel Lecture February 19, Reception: 3:45 pm, Lecture: 5 pm | Walker Ames Room, Kane 225 Join the Department of Communication and Dr. Regina G. Lawrence for a presentation on how journalists may be able to reframe their institutional and information authority through bold experiments…

Campus podcasts: UW Tacoma, architecture, science papers explained

It’s the year 2020, and where two or more are gathered, it seems, there is a podcast. Given the level of creativity among University of Washington faculty and staff, it’s no surprise that many high-quality podcasts are now being produced on campus. Here’s a look at three podcasts being created by UW departments or people, including a couple that have been underway for quite a while. UW Notebook will occasionally report on campus podcasts and ask a few questions of…

February 14, 2020

Earth’s cousins: Upcoming missions to look for ‘biosignatures’ in the atmospheres of nearby worlds

Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy at the University of Washington and director of the UW’s Virtual Planetary Laboratory, talks about how upcoming missions like the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to characterize the atmospheres of potentially Earth-like exoplanets and may even detect signs of life. Meadows is delivering a talk on this subject on Feb. 15, 2020 at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Seattle.

Effectiveness of travel bans – readily used during infectious disease outbreaks – mostly unknown, study finds

While travel bans are frequently used to stop the spread of an emerging infectious disease, a new University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University study of published research found that the effectiveness of travel bans is mostly unknown.

Immune cells consult with neighbors to make decisions

Scientists and physicians have long known that immune cells migrate to the site of an infection, which individuals experience as inflammation — swelling, redness and pain. Now, researchers at the University of Washington and Northwestern University have uncovered evidence that this gathering is not just a consequence of immune activation. Immune cells count their neighbors before deciding whether or not the immune system should kick into high gear.

February 12, 2020

Four UW scientists awarded Sloan Fellowships for early-career research

Four faculty members at the University of Washington have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 12, are Kyle Armour and Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño, both assistant professors in the College of the Environment; and Hanna Hajishirzi and Yin Tat Lee, both assistant professors in the College of Engineering.

February 11, 2020

Design program at UW ranked best in Washington, among the top nationally

The ’s design program in the School of Art + Art History + Design earned top honors on the 2020 list of “Best Graphic Design Programs” by the online site Animation Career Review. UW was the top ranked school in Washington, among the top 10 on the West Coast and ranked 7th out of 40 public institutions.

Faculty/staff honors: Awards in architecture education, biomaterials research; nursing, cloud computing fellowships; and drama leader named among most Seattle’s most influential

Recent honors to UW faculty and staff members include awards for architectural education and biomaterials research, fellowships in nursing and cloud computing, a professor named among Seattle’s most influential people and a big news year for “a burgeoning band of embodied carbon busters.”

Increases in minimum wage may not have anticipated positive health effects, study shows

  In the decade-long absence of federal action, many states, counties and cities have increased minimum wages to help improve the lives of workers. While political debate over these efforts has long been contentious, scientific research on the health effects of raising the minimum wage is relatively new. Some studies have found higher minimum wages associated with positive health outcomes, with little evidence that minimum wages harm health. However, a new study by researchers at the University of Washington found…

February 9, 2020

UPDATE: Negative coronavirus test results for fourth UW student; no confirmed cases and no more tests pending

The UW Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) announced Sunday that it received negative test results for the fourth of four students who have been tested for coronavirus. Three students had previously also tested negative, and there are no remaining tests pending among any members of the UW community. There continue to be no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus among UW community members.

February 7, 2020

Soundbites & B-roll: UW expert answers questions about the novel coronavirus pandemic

Dr. Judith Wasserheit, chair of the UW Department of Global Health in the School of Public Health and part of the UW MetaCenter for Pandemic Preparedness and Global Health Security, answers questions about the novel coronavirus outbreak, its spread, the level of concern and how to best protect yourself. For journalists Download soundbites and b-roll Forum: Coronavirus and Pandemic Disease Preparedness Join Dr. Judith Wasserheit and more than a dozen other UW School of Public Health, School of Medicine and…

February 6, 2020

ArtsUW Roundup: a Valentine’s Day concert with Mark and Maggie O’Connor, Money can’t buy you HYGGE Presented by Kristian Næsby, and more

This week in the arts, attend a student jazz ensemble concert, hear from Department of Communications faculty about creative ways to tackle challenges within your community, join Rahel Aima for another Critical Issues lecture, and more! To learn about more events taking place, visit ArtsUW. Lecture-Recital: Bach Cello Suites: Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir February 11,  1:30 pm | Brechemin Auditorium Faculty cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir presents six Tuesday afternoon lecture-recitals in 2019-20—one for each of the six cello suites of J.S. Bach. She performs the…

February 5, 2020

Fourth UW student screened for novel coronavirus; still no cases confirmed

The University of Washington was notified by Public Health – Seattle & King County that a UW student from the Seattle campus is being tested for the novel coronavirus. The student traveled from China in January and lives off campus. There continue to be no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus among UW community members.

Soundbites & B-roll: Altruistic babies

For journalists Download soundbites and b-roll   New research by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, or I-LABS, finds that altruism may begin in infancy. In a study of nearly 100 19-month-olds, researchers found that children, even when hungry, gave a tasty snack to a stranger in need. The findings not only show that infants engage in altruistic behavior, but also suggest that early social experiences can shape altruism. Read the full story here. For more…

February 4, 2020

UW’s East Asia Library to be renamed the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi East Asia Library

There’s more to celebrate this Lunar New Year at University of Washington’s East Asia Library. The UW today announced a $6 million gift from the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation to the East Asia Library. In recognition of this gift, the library will be renamed the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi East Asia Library.

First-of-its-kind hydrogel platform enables on-demand production of medicines and chemicals

A team of chemical engineers has developed a new way to produce medicines and chemicals and preserve them using portable “biofactories” embedded in water-based gels known as hydrogels. The approach could help people in remote villages or on military missions, where the absence of pharmacies, doctor’s offices or even basic refrigeration makes it hard to access critical medicines and other small-molecule compounds. The team — led by Hal Alper, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Texas, and…

February 3, 2020

UW Books in brief: Poetry of India’s Bani-Thani, equitable parent-school collaboration, building military cultural competence — and a 2019 National Jewish Book Award

Notable new books by UW faculty members include studies of military cultural education programs and equitable collaboration between schools and families. Also, National Endowment for the Humanities support for a coming book on an 18th century India poet, an honor for a work about postwar Japan — and a National Jewish Book Award.

Not just ‘baby talk’: Parentese helps parents, babies make ‘conversation’ and boosts language development

A study by the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington finds the value of using “parentese,” an exaggerated speaking style that conveys total engagement with a child.

January 31, 2020

University of Washington selected for 2020 Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification

The University of Washington today announced that its three campuses in Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma have received the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation that indicates institutional commitment to community engagement. 

ArtsUW Roundup: the Orlando Consort performs at Meany Hall, The Best of Everything kicks-off, and more

This week in the arts, attend Jacob Lawrence Legacy Resident Marisa Williamson’s artist talk, join the Henry Art Gallery for a trumpet and American Sign Language performance, listen as David Alexander Rahbee leads the UW Symphony, and more! To learn about more events taking place, visit ArtsUW. Open Rehearsal with the UW Symphony February 3,  3:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Meany Hall Get a special behind-the-scenes look at the rehearsal process of the UW Symphony Orchestra on Monday, February 3. Under the…

January 30, 2020

UPDATE: Negative coronavirus test results for third UW student; no confirmed cases and no more tests pending

The UW Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases (ACCD) announced Thursday that it received negative test results for the third of three students who have been tested for coronavirus. Two students had previously also tested negative, and there are no remaining tests pending among any members of the UW community. There continue to be no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus among UW community members.

UW’s new WE-REACH center to accelerate development of the ‘most exciting’ biomedical discoveries

With $4 million in matching funds from the National Institutes of Health, the University of Washington has created a new integrated center to match biomedical discoveries with the resources needed to bring innovative products to the public and improve health. “The University of Washington and regional partner institutions produce some of the most exciting biomedical discoveries and technologies in the world, but we always find it challenging to support their product development as they move into the early commercialization phases,”…