UW News
The latest news from the UW
October 28, 2015
Arts Roundup: Pae White, the Danish String Quartet – and spooky Halloween music
The School of Music sets the mood for Halloween with a concert of spooky organ music. UW World Series presents The Danish String Quartet, and the Henry Art Gallery opens a new exhibition by noted American artist Pae White. Don’t forget to catch the School of Drama’s first production of the year, “The Cradle Will…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Drama • School of Music
Alaskan trout choose early retirement over risky ocean-going career
A new study in Ecology shows that Alaskan Dolly Varden trout, once they reach about 12 inches in length, can retire permanently from going to sea. They rely on digestive organs that can massively expand and contract and a unique relationship with sockeye salmon.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Tom Quinn
UW team to lead research efforts on initiative for incarcerated parents
The University of Washington will play a key role in a new initiative aimed at helping inmates with children transition back into society, be successful parents and partners and remain out of prison. Partners for Our Children, a UW School of Social Work center that works to improve the lives of vulnerable children and families…
October 27, 2015
UW initiative aims to tackle city, region’s most pressing urban issues
When Thaisa Way put a call out last spring to see if University of Washington faculty members working on urban issues wanted to join forces, she wasn’t sure what the response would be. “There were a lot of people who said, ‘You’re not going to get anyone to show up,’” said Way, a UW associate…
Tag(s): Jen Davison • Thaisa Way • Urban@UWOctober 26, 2015
UW affiliate prof writes biography about discoverer of continental drift
Mott Greene, an emeritus professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and an affiliate professor in the UW’s Department of Earth & Space Sciences, has published a biography of Alfred Wegener, the man who laid the foundations for plate tectonics. “Alfred Wegener: Science, Exploration, and the Theory of Continental Drift” was published this…
Nominations open: Distinguished Staff Award and Thorud Leadership Award
Celebrate the remarkable accomplishments of a colleague or team with a nomination for the Distinguished Staff Award, the University of Washington’s highest staff honor, and celebrate outstanding leadership with a nomination for the David B. Thorud Award. Recipients of the Distinguished Staff Award are those who achieve excellence and exude a passionate commitment to the…
October 23, 2015
From cell phones to DNA: Electrical engineering lectures explore information theory
The Science of Information: From Pushing Bits over the Air to Assembling the World’s Largest Jigsaw Puzzle Monday, Nov. 2, 3:30 p.m. Paul G. Allen Center Atrium Information theory is the science behind the engineering of all modern-day communication systems and also has surprising applications far beyond communication. Stanford University professor David Tse will focus…
October 22, 2015
UW Tacoma historian Michael Honey’s film about Rev. James Lawson to screen locally
UW historian Michael Honey and filmmaker Errol Webber have produced a documentary about the life of Methodist minister and civil rights activist Rev. James Lawson that will be screened in Tacoma on Oct. 28, Seattle on Oct. 29
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Political Science • film • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies • Michael Honey • UW Tacoma
New UW model helps zero in on harmful genetic mutations
By more accurately predicting how variations in DNA sequences affect gene splicing, a new UW model and publicly available Web tool can help narrow down which genetic mutations cause disease and which have little effect on a person’s health.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Georg Seelig • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringOctober 21, 2015
Arts Roundup: French opera, percussion – and ‘The Cradle Will Rock’
The School of Drama kicks off its 75th anniversary season with the infamous musical “The Cradle Will Rock.” Catch performances of Gabriel Fauré’s opera “Pénélope,” the Mallethead series, and Ensemble Dal Niente, all presented by the School of Music. In the visual arts, the Henry Art Gallery throws its Fall Open House and a new…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Henry Art Gallery • Jacob Lawrence Gallery • School of Drama • School of Music
Gear, not geoducks, impacts ecosystem if farming increases
The equipment used to farm geoducks, including PVC pipes and nets, might have a greater impact on the Puget Sound food web than the addition of the clams themselves. That’s one of the findings of the first major scientific study to examine the broad, long-term ecosystem effects of geoduck aquaculture in Puget Sound.
Tag(s): Bridget Ferriss • College of the Environment • Environmental Studies • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Sean McDonald • Washington Sea Grant
School of Law’s Roy Prosterman delighted by humanitarian award for agency he started half a century ago
Roy Prosterman, professor emeritus of the University of Washington School of Law, says he knew Landesa, the international land reform agency he founded a half century ago, had been considered before for the prestigious Hilton Humanitarian Prize, with its $2 million cash award. “But I didn’t know that lightning was going to strike in 2015,”…
UW autism expert helped shape new ‘Sesame Street’ initiative
During its almost half-century on television, “Sesame Street” has tackled thorny issues ranging from divorce to death, food insecurity and parental incarceration. The show is now turning its attention to autism, and a University of Washington expert played a pivotal role in the effort. Wendy Stone, director of the UW’s Research in Early Autism Detection and Intervention…
Tag(s): autism • READi lab • Wendy StoneOctober 20, 2015
UW Combined Fund Drive kicks off with Charity Fair & Silent Auction
The UW Combined Fund Drive begins its fall campaign with a Charity Fair & Silent Auction on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the HUB ballroom from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Representatives from more than 80 nonprofits will be on hand ready to describe their community work. The UWCFD, UW’s workplace giving campaign, raised more than $2…
UW study: Will Puget Sound’s population spike under climate change?
A UW graduate student’s research paper is the first serious study of whether climate change is likely to cause human migration to the Puget Sound region.
Tag(s): climate change • Climate Impacts Group • College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Evans School of Public Policy & GovernanceOctober 19, 2015
‘Pivotal Tuesdays’: New book by historian Margaret O’Mara studies four key elections of 20th century
Margaret O’Mara, UW associate professor of history, discusses her new book, “Pivotal Tuesdays: Four Elections that Shaped the Twentieth Century.”
Tag(s): books • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • elections & government • Margaret O'Mara
In astronomy-themed concert, Benaroya Hall launches audience to the cosmos
A Nov. 7 concert in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall promises to offer the audience a decidedly stellar musical experience. The event, “Origins: Life and the Universe,” will pair live performances of new compositions with video and slideshow scenes depicting cosmic events like the Big Bang, as well as scenes from distant worlds and Earth’s own life-filled…
Tag(s): Astrobiology Program • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • music • Woody SullivanOctober 16, 2015
Chemistry’s Brandi Cossairt named a 2015 Packard Fellow
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has named the University of Washington’s Brandi Cossairt, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, as one of 18 Packard Fellows for 2015.
Tag(s): awards • Brandi Cossairt • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Chemistry
NASA Astrobiology Debates Western Championship to be live-streamed Oct. 18
If we discover life beyond Earth — even just microbes — should we protect it at all costs? This is the topic of the NASA Astrobiology Debates, where elite college teams from across the country grapple with ethical, political and scientific questions stemming from the topic chosen for the year. Specifically, this year’s debate topic…
Engineering career center opens to connect students, employers
The Career Center @ Engineering — a new career center focused on the needs of University of Washington engineering students and employers looking to hire them — has opened its doors in the basement of Loew Hall. The new center offers a full range of career services for engineering students: honing resume-writing and interviewing skills…
October 15, 2015
Oceanography consortium donates XPrize winnings to UW sensor lab
A team of industrial, academic and nonprofit institutions that was among the top finishers of the recent ocean acidification XPrize is donating its winnings to a University of Washington lab that helps track ocean conditions worldwide. Scientists from the UW’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean checked the accuracy of chemical…
Affordable camera reveals hidden details invisible to the naked eye
Peering into a grocery store bin, it’s hard to tell if a peach or tomato or avocado is starting to go bad underneath its skin. A new affordable hyperspectral camera technology developed by UW and Microsoft Research uses both visible and invisible near-infrared light to “see” beneath surfaces and capture hidden details.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Shwetak Patel • Ubicomp LabOctober 14, 2015
Arts Roundup: Pianist Jonathan Biss, Internet Meditation – and Chamber Dance Company
This week is packed with events and exhibits across campus. Get your modern dance fix with Chamber Dance Company in Meany Hall. Face your fear of snakes at the Burke and take an art break with internet meditation at the Henry Art Gallery. For classical music lovers, there’s a World Series performance by pianist Jonathan…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Music
UW polar scientist part of new book, museum exhibit on Northwest Passage
A University of Washington expert on sea ice is part of a new book and museum exhibit focused on an idea that has captured many imaginations: a Northwest Passage that would allow ship traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The book, “Arctic Ambitions: Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage” was published in March by…
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • books • exhibits & exhibitions • Harry Stern
Venture capital investors with competing interests can inhibit innovation
For entrepreneurs, connections are as good as gold. Especially connections with the right investors. But connections with the wrong investors can inhibit a firm’s ability to innovate, according to new research from the Foster School of Business.
Tag(s): Benjamin Hallen • Emily Cox Pahnke • Foster School of Business
New study uses high-speed search methods to better estimate climate threats to biodiversity
In a study published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers have used new high-performance computing methods and comprehensive data on the distribution of thousands of species to map the threat that climate change poses to birds, mammals and amphibians across the Western Hemisphere. They found that although Arctic areas have experienced the most rapid warming to date, climate-related threats to the Amazon basin’s biodiversity will eclipse those in other regions by the year 2100.
Tag(s): Joshua Lawler • School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
New fact-check on fisheries reporting takes to Web, social media
An international team of experts in fisheries management, spearheaded by UW professor Ray Hilborn, is trying to lead the conversation about sustainable fisheries using a less traditional approach — reaching the general public directly through a new website and social media outreach. The initiative is called the Collaborative for Food from Our Oceans Data, or…
Bubble plumes off Washington, Oregon suggest warmer ocean may be releasing frozen methane
The location of bubble plumes off the Pacific Northwest coast supports the idea that gradual ocean warming at about a third of a mile depth may be releasing frozen methane in the seafloor, causing it to bubble up as a gas.
October 13, 2015
UW Regents name Ana Mari Cauce president
The University of Washington Board of Regents selected Interim President Ana Mari Cauce to be the 33rd president of the University at a special meeting of the board Tuesday. She is the first woman to be named to the position and the first Latina. The selection will become effective upon successful completion of contract terms.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • UW Board of Regents
UW philosophy department to hold six public discussions of migration crisis
What does it mean to have a right to asylum? Does religion matter in deciding to help refugees? What kind of public health is owed to migrants and refugees? What is “climate justice” and how is it relevant to refugees and immigration policy? According to a June 2015 report from the United Nations, worldwide displacement…
October 12, 2015
UW remains fifth in global ranking of university achievements in scientific research
Continuing a recent string of noteworthy accolades, the University of Washington held its place at No. 5 in the world on the National Taiwan University Ranking of Scientific Papers, which was released Friday. The ranking is based on performance of scientific papers in three major categories — research productivity, research impact and research excellence. “One…
Tag(s): Rankings
New UW School of Law group to study marijuana regulation for state of Washington
A new group at the UW School of Law will spend the academic year studying existing and emerging markets for marijuana, to assist and inform the state as it prepares to blend current medical and recreational markets for cannabis.
Tag(s): Cannabis Law and Policy Project • School of Law • Sean O'ConnorOctober 11, 2015
UW physicists celebrate contribution to Nobel-winning neutrino discoveries
At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 6, bleary-eyed Nobel Prize enthusiasts on the West Coast were treated to an unexpected lesson about fundamental particles and forces in our universe. Across the globe in Stockholm, a panel of scientists announced that the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics would honor two scientists who led international collaborations to understand…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Hamish Robertson • Jason Detwiler • Jeffrey WilkesOctober 9, 2015
Puget Sound Fact Book offers fun factoids, major research results for lay readers
How long would it take to walk the entire shoreline of Puget Sound? Which species are at risk here, and to what depths can the most adept bird and mammal divers reach? How much population growth can we expect in the next decade? A new resource published this week explores these questions and many more…
Tag(s): books • Puget Sound
Arctic, cybersecurity — even outer space — covered in Oct. 16 Jackson School conference
Academics and policymakers will gather at the UW’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies Oct. 16 for a conference to address cybersecurity and geopolitical concerns from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic and even outer space.
Tag(s): Canadian Studies Center • College of Arts & Sciences • Donald Hellmann • International Policy Institute • Jackson School of International Studies • Jennifer Butte-Dahl • Nadine Fabbi • Resat Kasaba • Saadia Pekkanen • Sara Curran
College of Environment lectures focus on natural hazards
A lecture series presented by the UW College of the Environment will focus on “Surviving Disaster: Natural Hazards & Resilient Communities.” The five evening lectures will explore the latest developments in social and natural sciences that are helping people prepare for and respond to environmental disasters. Q&A with David Montgomery, who presents the first lecture…
UW summit highlights poverty, eroding middle class in state
Poverty rates in Washington dropped between 2013 and 2014 for the first time in six years, but many people are increasingly struggling to get by, particularly in Seattle. Poverty in King County and around the state was the focus of the West Coast Poverty Center’s first annual summit Sept. 29. The University of Washington-based group…
October 8, 2015
UW announces plan for expanded campus child-care services
The University of Washington is shifting $3 million to expand child care facilities on campus as part of a major initiative to enhance the culture of service in UW’s central administration, interim Provost Jerry Baldasty announced this week. The need for child care was one of several needs brought to light over the summer in…
October 7, 2015
Arts Roundup: Jazz, modern dance – and birds at the Burke
There’s something for everyone this week: catch a world premiere at the UW World Series, explore the Burke’s world-renowned collection of birds, or enjoy the sounds of 1962 jazz with the School of Music. The Chamber Dance Company celebrates 25 years with four performances at Meany Hall and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery hosts an exhibition…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Henry Art Gallery • Jacob Lawrence Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Music
Public notice: Determination of significance and request for comments on scope of Environmental Impact Statement (Campus Master Plan update)
Project Name: University of Washington Seattle Campus Master Plan Update Proponent: University of Washington Description of Proposal: The University of Washington Seattle Campus Master Plan Update will guide development on the Seattle Campus, building on and updating the 2003 Campus Master Plan and extending the continuity of planning developed over the last century. The Campus…
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