UW News
The latest news from the UW
October 7, 2015
Public notice: Availability of a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DEIS) — CSE II Project
Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-455 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of the availability of a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DEIS)
Student collaboration leads to first results describing sick sea star immune response
A group of young marine-disease researchers from around the country has contributed key information about sea stars’ immune response when infected with a virus that is thought to cause a deadly wasting disease. It’s the first time researchers have tracked how genes behave when encountering this naturally occurring pathogen, which could help explain how sea stars attempt to fight the virus and why they develop lesions and appear to melt.
Tag(s): Carolyn Friedman • College of the Environment • Friday Harbor Laboratories • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Steven Roberts
New UW report paints sobering picture of urban education in the US
A groundbreaking new report provides a sobering picture of the state of urban education in America, especially when it comes to educational opportunities for poor students and students of color, who now make up the majority of America’s public school students nationwide. The report provides the first citywide assessment of the changing and complex public…
Tag(s): Center on Reinventing Public Education • Michael DeArmond • Robin Lake
‘Human Right to Family Planning Conference’ Oct. 9-11 at School of Law
The UW School of Law will be the location for the three-day Human Right to Family Planning Conference, Oct. 9-11. Lawmakers, researchers, academics and health care professionals will gather for this first-of-its-kind event to explore the relationship between the right to health and family planning, including abortion, and improving access to that care, locally and…
October 6, 2015
UW climbs to No. 11 in U.S. News Global University Rankings
The University of Washington moved up three spots to No. 11 overall in the second edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Global University Rankings.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Rankings
Documents that Changed the World: Alfred Nobel’s will, 1895
Alfred Nobel is remembered for the annual prizes given in his name. But were it not for his confused but effective will, we might remember him as the inventor of dynamite, who grew rich inventing and developing lethal explosives.
Tag(s): Documents that Changed the World • Information School • Joe Janes
UW holds public meetings on Seattle Campus Master Plan update
Meeting schedule 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the University Temple Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. Noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Husky Union Building, Room 340, on the UW campus. For more information, check the Campus Master Plan FAQ The University of Washington is inviting students, staff, faculty and…
UW study finds LGBTQ older adults in Seattle/King County face higher health risks
The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) older adults in Seattle and King County is expected to double by 2030, and they face higher risks of disability, poor health, mental distress and isolation — along with a social service sector unequipped to deal with their needs. That’s the conclusion of a study…
Tag(s): aging • Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen • LGBTQ • School of Social WorkOctober 5, 2015
UW workshop basis of national climate-science training for tribes
A workshop on climate science, developed at the University of Washington and delivered for five years to scientists in this region, will become the framework for a new national workshop for early-career tribal members from across the country. The program, announced in September by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Idaho, will be…
Where to look for life? UW astronomers devise ‘habitability index’ to guide future search
Astronomers with the University of Washington’s Virtual Planetary Laboratory have created the “habitility index for transiting planets” to rank exoplanets to help prioritize which warrant close inspection in the search for life beyond Earth.
Tag(s): Department of Astronomy • Rory Barnes • Victoria Meadows • Virtual Planetary LaboratoryOctober 2, 2015
UW Dept. of Construction Management, Skanska launch new certificate program in ‘building information modeling’
The University of Washington’s Department of Construction Management and Skanska, one of the world’s leading construction and development firms, have partnered to offer a new certificate for Building Information Modeling. The new program was created to fill a current gap in the field of people trained to use data-rich virtual-reality modeling tools in building design….
October 1, 2015
Simulating path of ‘magma mush’ inside an active volcano
The first simulation of the individual crystals in volcanic mush, a mix of liquid magma and solid crystals, shows the mixing to help understand pressure buildup deep inside a volcano.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • George Bergantz • volcanoes
UW professor emeritus Cheryl Richey shows abstract art in solo exhibit
As an academic, Cheryl Richey was empirical and analytical, dogged in her insistence on backing up practice with evidence. So it’s perhaps not surprising that as an artist, the University of Washington professor emeritus of social work lets her spontaneous, experimental side loose. “I think that absence of control is what I needed, because my…
Freshman application period for Fall 2016 opens today
While the rest of campus celebrates the beginning of autumn quarter and welcomes a record freshman class, the Office of Admissions is already focused on recruiting and admitting the class of 2016. The freshman application for Fall 2016 opens today, and the deadline is Dec. 1. Applicants will be notified March 15 through 31, 2016….
September 30, 2015
Arts Roundup: Photography, a world premiere – and the acoustics of books
This week, UW World Series begins its 2015-2016 season at Meany Hall with Japanese butoh ensemble Sankai Juku, and continues with a collaboration between string quartet ETHEL and Native American flutist Robert Mirabal. Just across Red Square, acoustical engineer Zackery Belanger explores the acoustics of books in a Henry Art Gallery talk, where visitors will…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts
UW scientists talk earthquakes, landslides in NSF series on natural hazards
Two University of Washington scientists are featured in a new series — created by the National Science Foundation, NBC Learn and The Weather Channel — that focuses on natural hazards. Each of the short videos features an NSF-supported scientist who studies one of ten types of natural disasters. Two of them are from the UW’s…
Engineering lecture series focuses on privacy in the age of smart technology
In the age of “smart” technology, the devices we use — from phones that enable banking and shopping to personal robots and driverless cars — will leave a trail sharing who we are, where we go and what we consume. Over the next month, the University of Washington College of Engineering’s fall lecture series will…
Ballmers’ support for UW School of Social Work reaches $32 million
The University of Washington will help more social work graduate students pay for their studies and start their careers without staggering debt loads, thanks to significant support from Connie and Steve Ballmer. The Ballmers’ contributions include a new gift of $20 million, bringing the couple’s support for the UW School of Social Work to $32…
Tag(s): School of Social Work
3-D printing techniques help surgeons carve new ears
A UW otolaryngology resident and bioengineering student have used 3-D printing techniques to create lifelike models to help aspiring surgeons – who currently practice on soap, apples, and vegetables – learn to perform ear reconstruction surgeries.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Bioengineering • School of Medicine
Known fish species living in the Salish Sea increases in new report
A new report published Tuesday documents all of the fishes that live in the Salish Sea. In total, 253 fish species have been recorded, and that’s about 14 percent more than in the last count.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of the Environment • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Ted Pietsch
Math and me: Children who identify with math get higher scores
How strongly children identify with math (their math “self-concept”) can be used to predict how high they will score on a standardized test of math achievement, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Washington.
Tag(s): Andrew Meltzoff • Dario Cvencek • I-LABSSeptember 29, 2015
UW computer science alumnus wins a MacArthur Foundation ‘genius grant’
Computer scientist and University of Washington alumnus Christopher Ré is one of 24 recipients of “genius” grants this year from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the organization announced Sept. 28. Ré, an assistant professor of computer science at Stanford University, pursues new approaches to help computers analyze large, complex datasets. The diverse…
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Dan Suciu • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering
Arsenic found in many U.S. red wines, but health risks depend on total diet
A new UW study that tested 65 wines from America’s top four wine-producing states — California, Washington, New York and Oregon — found all but one have arsenic levels that exceed what’s allowed in drinking water. But health risks from that toxic element depend on what else a person is eating.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Denise Wilson • Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringSeptember 28, 2015
Diverse group of universities form coalition to improve college admission process
A diverse coalition of public and private colleges and universities including the University of Washington is coming together with the goal of improving the college admission application process for all students. The Coalition is developing a free platform of online tools to streamline the experience of planning for and applying to college. The initial iteration…
Four UW-related books finalists for 2015 Washington Book Awards
Four University of Washington-related books are finalists for 2015 Washington Book Awards. The awards are chosen by the Washington Center for the Book, at the Seattle Public Library. “Mary Randlett Portraits,” a book of photos of Northwest artists, writers and arts advocates taken by a photographer nearly as well-known as her subjects, was published in…
Tag(s): books
UW to raise minimum wage for workers to $15 an hour
The University of Washington announced today that, consistent with its earlier commitment to Seattle’s minimum wage law, it intends to raise the minimum wage of its workers — including student workers in Seattle — to $15 an hour. Subject to the successful conclusion of on-going negotiations with its unions, the increase will take effect in…
Earth-like planets around small stars likely have protective magnetic fields, aiding chance for life
Earth-like planets orbiting close to small stars probably have magnetic fields that protect them from stellar radiation and help maintain surface conditions that could be conducive to life, according to research by UW astronomers.
Tag(s): Department of Astronomy • Rory Barnes • Virtual Planetary Laboratory
A new single-molecule tool to observe enzymes at work
A team of scientists at the University of Washington and the biotechnology company Illumina have created an innovative tool to directly detect the delicate, single-molecule interactions between DNA and enzymatic proteins. Their approach provides a new platform to view and record these nanoscale interactions in real time. As they report Sept. 28 in Nature Biotechnology, this tool should provide fast and reliable characterization of the different mechanisms cellular proteins use to bind to DNA strands — information that could shed new light on the atomic-scale interactions within our cells and help design new drug therapies against pathogens by targeting enzymes that interact with DNA.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Jens GundlachSeptember 25, 2015
Forefront hosts state’s first higher education suicide prevention conference
Each year, around 1,100 undergraduate students around the United States die by suicide; in the last six years alone, 18 University of Washington students have taken their own lives. “That number sounds horrific, and it is, but it’s also squarely in line with the national average,” said Lauren Davis, director of school and campus programs…
September 24, 2015
Cooled down and charged up, a giant magnet is ready for its new mission
The Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory — or Fermilab — announced that a 680-ton superconducting magnet is secure in its new home and nearly ready for a new era of discovery in particle physics. This achievement follows the delicate, 3,200-mile transport of the magnet’s 17-ton, 50-foot-wide housing ring to the U.S. Department of Energy facility outside Chicago two years ago. The fully assembled magnet will drive high-energy particle experiments as part of an international partnership among 34 institutions, of which the University of Washington is a leading contributor.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • David Hertzog • Department of PhysicsSeptember 23, 2015
Chinese president presents gift to Global Innovation Exchange
Chinese President Xi Jinping presented the gift of a dawn redwood tree to the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX), a new partnership between the University of Washington and Tsinghua University, during a ceremony at Microsoft headquarters Wednesday.
Arts Roundup: birthdays, butoh – and 37,000 balloons
Arts Roundup is back! The leaves are turning yellow, the days are getting shorter and students are arriving on campus – it’s time to kick off a new season of arts events at the UW. This weekend marks the end of the popular Martin Creed exhibit at the Henry Art Gallery and with it, your…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design
UW and Shanghai Jiao Tong University forge international collaboration on smart cities
Leaders from the University of Washington and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), one of China’s most prestigious public research universities, signed an agreement Wednesday to work together on “smart cities” research, teaching and collaborations in their respective electrical engineering departments.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Radha Poovendran
Washington, Sichuan promise low-carbon cities in new agreement
A memorandum of understanding, called the “2+2 MOU,” was signed Tuesday between the state of Washington and the Chinese province of Sichuan, as well as the University of Washington and Tsinghua University, to catalyze the science, technology and investment needed to grow innovations that will underpin adaptable and resilient urbanization.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Clean Energy Institute • clean or renewable energy • Daniel Schwartz
UW team links two human brains for question-and-answer experiment
Imagine a question-and-answer game played by two people who are not in the same place and not talking to each other. Round after round, one player asks a series of questions and accurately guesses the object the other is thinking about. Sci-fi? Mind-reading superpowers? Not quite. University of Washington researchers recently used a direct brain-to-brain…
Tag(s): Andrea Stocco • Chantel Prat • I-LABS • neuroscience & brain scienceSeptember 22, 2015
Jackson School gathers experts to discuss Syrian humanitarian crisis Oct. 6
Syria’s drawn-out civil war has displaced more than 10 million people since 2011 and the flood of refugees from the area has drawn the concerned attention of the world. The University of Washington Jackson School of International Studies will hold a free, public forum at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6, in Room 101 of Thomson…
September 21, 2015
Summer 2015 tally of Arctic Ocean ice volume confirms long-term decline
A University of Washington tool that monitors the amount of ice in Arctic waters calculated that we remain on track for a gradual disappearance of the Arctic ice cap in summer. “Last year, when the ice had bounced back by some percentage both in extent and in volume, there was a bit of talk about…
AI system solves SAT geometry questions as well as average human test taker
The Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence and UW computer scientists have created an artificial intelligence (AI) system that can solve SAT geometry questions as well as the average American 11th-grade student, a breakthrough in AI research.
Tag(s): Ali Farhadi • College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringSeptember 18, 2015
Former U.S. Senators Lott, Daschle to discuss plan for ‘civility and democracy’ at Sept. 24 Ruckelshaus Center event
In a sense, early returns from the 2016 election are already in: Civility is losing to vitriol in a landslide. But two former U.S. senators who each served as Senate majority leaders — Republican Trent Lott of Mississippi and Democrat Tom Daschle of South Dakota — have been promoting a plan to restore civility to…
‘Access to Information as a Human Right’ public conference Oct. 5
The University of Washington Center for Human Rights will hold a daylong conference Oct. 5 at the UW School of Law, underscoring a crucial international theme even with its title: “Access to Information as a Human Right.” The conference springs from the center’s partnerships with communities and organizations struggling for truth and accountability in postwar…
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