UW News

The latest news from the UW


August 16, 2023

Q&A: As AI changes education, important conversations for kids still happen off-screen

Jason Yip, a UW associate professor in the Information School, discusses how parents and schools can adapt to new technologies in ways that support children’s learning.

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August 15, 2023

Ranking: UW among top 20 in the world, No. 3 in US publics

The University of Washington is No. 18 in the world — and No. 3 among U.S. public universities — on the 2023 Academic Ranking of World Universities, released Aug. 15.

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August 14, 2023

These organizational changes can shake up company hierarchy

How people initially react to organizational change depends on their placement within their work groups’ status hierarchy, according to new research from Elijah Wee, assistant professor of management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

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UW bioengineering researchers help create a roadmap to diversify faculty hiring

A team of biomedical researchers has developed a new method for hiring engineering professors. The primary goal is to actively recruit a more diverse group of applicants and improve the rate that doctoral students from historically excluded groups go on to become faculty members.

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August 10, 2023

Muon g-2 doubles down with latest measurement, explores uncharted territory in search of new physics

A particle physics experiment decades in the making — the Muon g-2 experiment — looks increasingly like it might set up a showdown over whether there are fundamental particles or forces in the universe that are unaccounted for in the current Standard Model. On Aug. 10, the international team of scientists behind Muon g-2 — pronounced “g minus 2” — released the world’s most precise measurement yet of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Calculating the muon’s magnetic moment at a high precision will indicate whether it is interacting solely with the particles and forces known today, or if unknown particles or forces are out there.

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August 9, 2023

In the Field: UW team to spend six weeks visiting deep-ocean observatory

Twenty-five undergraduates are among the participants on a 41-day cruise off the Oregon coast aboard the UW’s large research vessel, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson. Principal investigator Deborah Kelley, professor of oceanography, answers questions about the expedition to visit and maintain the cabled ocean observatory.

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August 4, 2023

University of Washington will join the Big Ten Conference in 2024

The University of Washington will join the Big Ten Conference, leaving the Pac-12 Conference, effective in August 2024, UW President Ana Mari Cauce announced Friday.

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July 31, 2023

New algorithm ensnares its first ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid

An asteroid discovery algorithm — designed to uncover near-Earth asteroids for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s upcoming 10-year survey of the night sky — has identified its first “potentially hazardous” asteroid, a term for space rocks in Earth’s vicinity that scientists like to keep an eye on. The roughly 600-foot-long asteroid, designated 2022 SF289, was discovered during a test drive of the algorithm with the ATLAS survey in Hawaii. Finding 2022 SF289, which poses no risk to Earth for the foreseeable future, confirms that the next-generation algorithm, known as HelioLinc3D, can identify near-Earth asteroids with fewer and more dispersed observations than required by today’s methods. That is important because, though scientists know of more than 2,000 near-Earth asteroids, they estimate that another 3,000 await discovery!

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July 27, 2023

Q&A: UW researcher discusses just how much energy ChatGPT uses

Training a large language model, such as ChatGPT, uses on average roughly equivalent to the yearly electricity consumption of over 1,000 U.S. households, according to Sajjad Moazeni, UW assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, who studies networking for AI and machine learning supercomputing.

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July 24, 2023

With a new app, smart devices can have GPS underwater

A team at the University of Washington has developed the first underwater 3D-positioning app for smart devices. When at least three divers are within about 98 feet of each other, the app tracks each user’s location relative to the leader.

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July 19, 2023

Researchers put a new twist on graphite

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington reports that it is possible to imbue graphite — the bulk, 3D material found in No. 2 pencils – with physical properties similar to graphite’s 2D counterpart, graphene. Not only was this breakthrough unexpected, the team also believes its approach could be used to test whether similar types of bulk materials can also take on 2D-like properties. If so, 2D sheets won’t be the only source for scientists to fuel technological revolutions. Bulk, 3D materials could be just as useful.

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July 18, 2023

Q&A: UW pharmacy professor Donald Downing on the over-the-counter birth control pill

On July 13, the Food and Drug Administration approved for the first time an over-the-counter birth control pill, expected to hit shelves in early 2024. The approval of the oral contraceptive Opill could drastically expand access to birth control, which for decades has been available only through a prescription. It’s a rare victory for reproductive…

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Eight UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences

The Academy said members are elected “in recognition of their outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the Academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.” 

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Learning from superheroes and AI: UW researchers study how a chatbot can teach kids supportive self-talk

Researchers at the University of Washington created a new audio chatbot, Self-Talk with Superhero Zip, aimed to help children speak positively to themselves. This chatbot is “a ‘Sesame Street’ experience for a smart speaker.”

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July 10, 2023

New biodegradable plastics are compostable in your backyard

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed new bioplastics that degrade on the same timescale as a banana peel in a backyard compost bin.

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UW-developed dental lozenge could provide permanent treatment for tooth sensitivity 

The solution builds new mineral microlayers that penetrate deep into the tooth to create effective, long-lasting natural protection. It could provide easily accessible relief for the millions of adults worldwide who suffer from tooth sensitivity. 

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July 6, 2023

Marine heat waves caused mass seabird die-offs, beach surveys show

New research led by the University of Washington uses data collected by coastal residents along beaches from central California to Alaska to understand how seabirds have fared in recent decades. The paper, published July 6 in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, shows that persistent marine heat waves lead to massive seabird die-offs months later.

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July 5, 2023

Research led by UW undergrad shows ultrafine air pollution reflects Seattle’s redlining history

The most comprehensive study yet of long-term ultrafine particle exposure found that concentrations of this tiny pollutant reflect the city’s decades-old racial and economic divides.  

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June 29, 2023

Statement from UW President Ana Mari Cauce on the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions

A statement from University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce on the United States Supreme Court decisions Thursday striking down the consideration of race in college admissions.

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June 28, 2023

New faculty books: Story of oysters, Cherokee oral history, moral contradictions of religion

Three new faculty books from the University of Washington cover wide-ranging topics: oysters, the moral contradictions of religion, and Cherokee creature names and environmental relationships.

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June 27, 2023

Researchers make a quantum computing leap with a magnetic twist

A team led by scientists and engineers at the University of Washington has announced a significant advancement in developing fault-tolerant qubits for quantum computing. In a pair of papers published June 14 in Nature and June 22 in Science, they report that, in experiments with flakes of semiconductor materials — each only a single layer of atoms thick — they detected signatures of “fractional quantum anomalous Hall” (FQAH) states. The team’s discoveries mark a first and promising step in constructing a type of fault-tolerant qubit because FQAH states can host anyons — strange “quasiparticles” that have only a fraction of an electron’s charge. Some types of anyons can be used to make what are called “topologically protected” qubits, which are stable against any small, local disturbances.

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June 26, 2023

New report, tool suggest how Washington can better protect against extreme heat

Two years after the Pacific Northwest heat dome — the deadliest weather-related disaster in state history — a collaborative effort has drawn up recommendations for how people and groups across the state could prevent future heat-related illness and save lives. The effort involves a report led by the UW Climate Impacts Group and an interactive risk-mapping tool led by the UW Center for Health and the Global Environment,

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June 21, 2023

An app can transform smartphones into thermometers that accurately detect fevers

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has created an app called FeverPhone, which transforms smartphones into thermometers without adding new hardware.

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June 14, 2023

Phosphate, a key building block of life, found on Saturn’s moon Enceladus

An international team including a UW scientist found that the water on one of Saturn’s moons harbors phosphates, a key building block of life. The team used data from NASA’s Cassini space mission to detect evidence of phosphates in particles ejected from the ice-covered global ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus.

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June 13, 2023

Allison Webel named interim dean of the School of Nursing

University of Washington Provost Mark  Richards announced that Allison Webel has agreed to serve as interim executive dean of the School of Nursing, effective Aug. 1, until a new permanent dean is selected.

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Employee approval can make or break CEOs, UW research shows

New research from Bruce Avolio, professor of management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, finds that employee approval greatly influences whether a board of directors will retain or dismiss a chief executive officer.

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UW welcomes PepsiCo as official partner beginning July 1

The University of Washington today announced that PepsiCo will become its official beverage partner beginning July 1.

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June 10, 2023

Thousands cheer on UW graduates as more than 7,000 degrees conferred at Husky Stadium

More than 7,000 degrees were conferred to University of Washington graduates Saturday at the 148th Commencement at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium.

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June 9, 2023

UW ‘Brainworks’ video wins Northwest Emmy Award

A University of Washington Video production, “Brainworks: Vision and the Brain,” won a 2023 Northwest Emmy Award this month in the Children/Youth/Teens category. “Brainworks” is a series that educates children about neuroscience. The episode was executive produced by Eric H. Chudler, research associate professor of bioengineering and executive director of the UW Center for Neurotechnology, and Cara Podenski, managing executive…

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June 8, 2023

Video: UW School of Drama lead costumer retires after 15 years

Inside Hutchinson Hall, home of the University of Washington School of Drama, students work at tables as they learn to assemble patterns based on costume designs. They’re surrounded by dress forms, bolts of cloth, sewing machines and costumes in progress. This is the Costume Shop, the domain of Val Mayse, master dressmaker for the School of Drama.

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June 7, 2023

Video: UW Architecture’s bench project turns an idea into an experience

In UW Architecture’s Making and Meaning class, students built benches to learn about design and construction, and to create community.

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UW statement regarding ongoing contract negotiations with postdocs, research scientists — June 7, 2023

We are very disappointed at the postdoctoral researchers and research scientists’ decisions to strike after some significant progress was made in both negotiations recently. The UW has continued to bargain in good faith and has offers on the table in both negotiations that are fair and represent significant wage increases. Our postdocs and research scientists…

June 6, 2023

UW research shows real-world value of strategy courses for MBA students

A new study from Mana Heshmati, assistant professor of strategy and entrepreneurship in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, found that strategy courses in MBA programs improve decision-making abilities, boost the amount of attention paid to broader industry concerns and expand the depth of mental representations.

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UW celebrates Class of 2023 as thousands expected to march in events in Husky Stadium, the Tacoma Dome and T-Mobile Park

Months after the Class of 2023 began their college careers, the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, upending their lives. Now, on the eve of their graduation, they emerge into a world much changed by the global health crisis. 

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June 5, 2023

Faculty/staff honors: Psychology professor elected to esteemed educational science association, Dean of Social Work receives lifetime achievement award and more

Recent recognition of the University of Washington includes the election of Andrew Meltzoff to the National Academy of Education, a lifetime achievement award for Dean of the School of Social Work Edwina Uehara and Ed Kolodziej selected as a Frontiers Planet Prize finalist.

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June 1, 2023

ArtSci Roundup: 2023 Awards of Excellence, Graduation, Dino Lecture, Summer Reads and more

This week and summer, honor the 2023 Awards of Excellence recipients, visit the newly renovated Jacob Lawrence Gallery to see the works of design students, add one of College of Arts & Sciences Dean Dianne Harris’ favorite books to your summer reading list, learn about the largest animals to ever roam the earth at the…

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May 31, 2023

UW researcher discusses the buzz behind ‘Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’

UW News sat down with Michele Newman, a University of Washington doctoral student in the Information School, to learn more about fans’ dedication to “Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.”

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New funding supports growth of Canadian Studies Program, Foreign Language and Area Studies

Two grants from the U.S. Department of Education International and Foreign Language Education office will allow the Canadian Studies Center at the University of Washington to award eight to 10 fellowships each year to students studying French or an Indigenous language spoken in Canada.

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May 26, 2023

From Botswana to Taiwan, a dozen UW students receive Fulbright exchange awards

Twelve UW students and recent alumni were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships this year, joining about 2,000 students and recent graduates from around the country to study and teach abroad.

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What’s in a name? Sometimes, the climate

By analyzing records from the U.S. Social Security Administration, two scientists at the University of Washington and Ohio University have discovered that the popularity of certain month and season names for girls varies by geographic region in the continental United States. The name April dominates monthly names in southern states where spring arrives early in the year. June is more popular in northern states where spring blooms later. Autumn is also more prevalent in the northern U.S., a region known for its brilliant fall foliage.

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