UW News
The latest news from the UW
March 20, 2023
Michael Spencer selected as next dean of the School of Social Work
University of Washington Provost Mark Richards announced that Michael S. Spencer has been appointed the Ballmer Endowed Dean of the School of Social Work beginning July 1, pending approval by the UW Board of Regents.
Tag(s): Edwina S. Uehara • Indigenous Wellness Research Institute • Michael S. Spencer • School of Social WorkMarch 17, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Strings for Peace, Curator Tour: Thick as Mud, University Lecture and more
Start the spring season by listening to Strings for Peace, explore how mud animates relationships at the Henry Art Gallery, attend the anticipated University Faculty Lecture and more. March 24, 8:00 PM | Strings for Peace, Meany Hall A Concert with Amjad Ali Khan, Sharon Isbin, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash. Amjad…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Gender Women and Sexuality Studies • Department of History • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • Simpson Center for the Humanities
UW study investigates how ‘vaccine shopping’ impacts rollout during pandemic
New research from Leela Nageswaran, assistant professor of operations management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, considers whether individuals should be able to select their vaccine type.
Tag(s): Foster School of Business • Leela NageswaranMarch 16, 2023
Rosling Center is LEED Platinum, the highest standard in sustainable building practices
The Hans Rosling Center for Population Health at the University of Washington has achieved LEED Platinum Certification, the highest possible rating, reflecting the university’s commitment to sustainable building practices.
Tag(s): Hans Rosling Center for Population Health • population health • UW Facilities
Q&A: Navajo Nation water rights case an opportunity to reaffirm treaty obligations, UW law professor says
Monte Mills, professor of law at the University of Washington and director of the UW Native American Law Center, discusses the significance of Arizona v. Navajo Nation, a water rights case before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Tag(s): Monte Mills • School of Law
$43 million set of gifts from Ballmer Group to bolster early learning programs in Washington state
The University of Washington today announced that it is part of a multi-pronged grantmaking strategy from Ballmer Group aimed at drawing more people into careers in early childhood education in our state — including by providing more than 1,500 scholarships over the next eight years.
Tag(s): Ballmer Group • College of Education • early childhood education • Mia TuanMarch 15, 2023
Cherry blossoms get new visitors’ website, are on track for early April peak bloom
The cherry blossoms at the University of Washington campus are a seasonal tradition and celebration for the entire region. This year’s colder-than-usual spring is demanding a little more patience. Mark your calendars and plan your visit for a peak bloom expected in early April.
Tag(s): cherry blossoms • College of the Environment • Sara Shores • School of Environmental and Forest SciencesMarch 10, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Health and Houselessness, BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play, Angela Hewitt, and more
This week, listen in to the “Health and Houselessness in Seattle” conversation, head to the Burke Museum for some cherry blossom activities, witness Angela Hewitt’s famous piano talent, and more. March 14, 7:30 PM | “Health and Houselessness in Seattle” with Josephine Ensign and Anna Patrick, The Wyncote NW Forum Home to over 730,000…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Gender Women and Sexuality Studies • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts
Northern and southern resident orcas hunt differently, which may help explain the decline of southern orcas
In the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, southern resident orcas have experienced no net population growth since the 1970s, with just 73 left at the most recent count. But northern resident orcas, which have a similar diet, territory and social structure, have grown steadily, now numbering more than 300. A new study led by scientists at the University of Washington and NOAA Fisheries may help explain why: The two populations differ in how they hunt for salmon, their primary and preferred food source, a key difference that conservationists will have to take into account when designing interventions to help southern residents.
Tag(s): Center for Ecosystem Sentinels • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Department of Biology • Jennifer Tennessen • whalesMarch 7, 2023
UW law professor goes to music school, launches interdisciplinary Music Law & Policy class
Peter Nicolas, professor of law and adjunct professor of music at the University of Washington, recently launched a new class. Music Law & Policy combines Nicolas’ legal training with his growing academic interest in the study of music.
Tag(s): Peter Nicolas • School of Law • School of MusicMarch 6, 2023
UW joins White House to host forum on climate change solutions on campuses and in surrounding communities
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the University of Washington are bringing together climate, sustainability and resilience leaders, and educators representing a cross section of colleges and universities from around the country, with federal agency leaders for a virtual forum on climate change.
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Maya TolstoyMarch 3, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Modern Music Ensemble, Brazilian Percussion, and more
This week, attend a Modern Music Ensemble performance, learn how creating great urban neighborhoods and environmental justice go hand in hand, witness percussionist Jeff Busch in a concert of Brazilian music, and more. March 7, 7:30 PM | Modern Music Ensemble, Meany Hall Cristina Valdés leads the UW Modern Music Ensemble in performances of works…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Built Environments • Department of Asian Languages & Literature • Ethnomusicology Program • School of Music • Southeast Asia CenterFebruary 27, 2023
Human-wildlife conflicts rising worldwide with climate change
Research led by scientists at the University of Washington’s Center for Ecosystem Sentinels reveals that a warming world is increasing human-wildlife conflicts globally. They show that climate shifts can drive conflicts by altering animal habitats, the timing of events, wildlife behaviors and resource availability. It also showed that people are changing their behaviors and locations in response to climate change in ways that increase conflicts.
Tag(s): Briana Abrahms • Center for Ecosystem Sentinels • climate change • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Department of Biology • ecologyFebruary 21, 2023
Newly discovered form of salty ice could exist on surface of extraterrestrial moons
Scientists suspect that the red streaks crossing the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa is a frozen mixture of water and salts, but its chemical signature matches no known substance on Earth. Now researchers have discovered a new type of solid crystal that forms when water and table salt combine in cold, pressurized conditions. Researchers believe the new substance created in a lab on Earth could form at the surface and bottom of these worlds’ deep oceans.
Tag(s): Baptiste Journaux • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • space scienceFebruary 17, 2023
Video: Lummi Nation School students visit UW to talk to International Space Station astronaut
Students from the Lummi Nation School visited the University of Washington in earlh February for a real-time Q&A with astronaut Josh Cassada aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Cassada helped do space research on a plant science experiment the students sent to the ISS.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics • Department of Astronomy • Emily Levesque • Gregg Colburn • Kristi MorgansenFebruary 16, 2023
ArtSci Roundup | On stage: The Oresteia, DXARTS Winter Concert, Jazz Innovations, and more
Attend lectures, performances, and more! February 22, 7:30 PM | DXARTS Winter Concert, Meany Hall 2023 marks the 75th year of musique concrète with the premiere of Pierre Schaeffer’s Cinq études de bruits (Five Studies of Noises), composed and premiered in 1948. In celebration, the Department of Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) is…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Built Environments • Department of Chemistry • Department of Classics • Department of Political Science • DXARTS • School of Drama • School of Music • Simpson Center for the HumanitiesFebruary 15, 2023
UW computer scientist and mathematician named Sloan Fellows
Two University of Washington faculty members have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 15, are Leilani Battle, an assistant professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and Jonathan J. Zhu, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Mathematics • Jonathan Zhu • Leilani Battle • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringFebruary 14, 2023
New faculty books: Fad diets, how inequality leads to poor health and more
Four new faculty books from the University of Washington cover topics ranging from inequality’s effects on health to fad diets to former German chancellor Angela Merkel’s legacy on gender equality.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Health Systems and Population Health • Jackson School of International Studies • Kima Cargill • Sabine Lang • School of Public Health • Stephen Bezruchka • UW TacomaFebruary 13, 2023
Fulbright ‘Top Producer’ lists name UW and UW Bothell
The University of Washington is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. students and scholars. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar programs.
Tag(s): Fulbright Program • UW BothellFebruary 9, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: History Lecture Series, Brechemin Piano Series, Thick as Mud, and more
Attend lectures, performances, and more! January 18 – February 15, 7:30 PM |History Lecture Series: Medieval Made Modern, Kane Hall The medieval period has always occupied a paradoxical position in our cultural memory. An age of fantasy unimaginably distant from historical reality, it is also an era onto which writers and artists—and now moviemakers and…
UW experts discuss the earthquake in Turkey and Syria
Three University of Washington experts have provided quotes in response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • College of the Environment • Dawn Lehman • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • earthquakes • Harold Tobin • Jackson School of International Studies • Mark WardFebruary 8, 2023
Prosocial CEOs increase company value, stakeholder satisfaction
New research from Weili Ge, professor of accounting at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, found that CEOs who engage in prosocial behavior — activities that primarily help others — are more likely to make decisions that benefit people and increase company value.
Tag(s): Foster School of Business • Weili Ge
Q&A: UW researcher discusses future of quantum research
Scientists at the University of Washington are pursuing multiple quantum research projects spanning from creating materials with never-before-seen physical properties to studying the “quantum bits” — or qubits (pronounced “kyu-bits”) — that make quantum computing possible. UW News sat down with Professor Kai-Mei Fu, one of the leaders in quantum research on campus, to talk about the potential of quantum R&D, and why it’s so important.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Department of Physics • Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems • Kai-Mei Fu • Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute • Q&A • UW Quantum XFebruary 6, 2023
UW project has uncovered thousands of racially discriminatory housing covenants in Washington state – and it’s not done yet
More than 40,000 property deeds containing racially discriminatory language have been uncovered in Western Washington by the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project. Director James Gregory, professor of history at the University of Washington, and his team aren’t finished yet.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • James Gregory • Racial Restrictive Covenants ProjectFebruary 3, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: LIVE from Space, History Lecture Series, Going Public Podcast Launch, and more!
Attend lectures, performances, and more! January 18 – February 15, 7:30 PM |History Lecture Series: Medieval Made Modern, Kane Hall The medieval period has always occupied a paradoxical position in our cultural memory. An age of fantasy unimaginably distant from historical reality, it is also an era onto which writers and artists—and now moviemakers and…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Built Environments • Department of Astronomy • Department of History • Department of Scandinavian Studies • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Simpson Center for the Humanities
Q&A: The benefits and hazards of social media for teens
Lucía Magis-Weinberg, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology, explains how social media use can affect youth mental health.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Psychology • Lucia Magis-Weinberg
Ice cores show even dormant volcanoes leak abundant sulfur into the atmosphere
Non-erupting volcanoes leak a surprisingly high amount of sulfur-containing gases. A Greenland ice core shows that volcanoes quietly release at least three times as much sulfur into the Arctic atmosphere than estimated by current climate models. Aerosols are the most uncertain aspect of current climate models, so better estimates could improve the accuracy of long-term projections.
Tag(s): Becky Alexander • climate • College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric Sciences • earthquakes & seismologyFebruary 2, 2023
Hitting the snow with a new course on accessibility and disability justice
It’s ski season and cold sunny days fill outdoor enthusiasts with delight, but ski areas usually come with stairs, crowds and an infrastructure generally built for skiers and snowboarders who ride solo and on two legs.
Observing this winter activity through a lens of accessibility and disability justice is the point of a new class developed by UW Bothell associate teaching professor Jason Naranjo. His course, “Disability & Society — A Focus on Community and the Outdoors,” pairs UW students with skiers from Outdoors for All, an organization that provides adaptive outdoor activities for people who, for cognitive or physical reasons, can’t simply pop on skis and hit the slopes.
February 1, 2023
Q&A: UW historian explores how a Husky alum influenced postcolonial Sudan
Christopher Tounsel, associate professor of history at the University of Washington, found multiple connections between Sudan and Seattle while researching his upcoming book. The most prominent was the late Andrew Brimmer, a UW alum who in 1966 became the first Black member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
Tag(s): Christopher Tounsel • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of HistoryJanuary 31, 2023
Four UW researchers named AAAS Fellows in 2022
Four University of Washington researchers have been named AAAS Fellows, according to a Jan. 31 announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among 506 new fellows from around the world elected in 2022, who are recognized for their “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements” in science and engineering.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Deborah Illman • Department of Linguistics • Emily M. Bender • Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center • John Marzluff • School of Environmental and Forest Sciences • School of Pharmacy • Sean D. Sullivan • UW MedicineJanuary 27, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Doce Sones para Doce Poetas / Twelve Songs for Twelve Poets, Thick as Mud exhibition opening, and more
Attend lectures, performances, and more! January 18 – February 15, 7:30 PM |History Lecture Series: Medieval Made Modern, Kane Hall The medieval period has always occupied a paradoxical position in our cultural memory. An age of fantasy unimaginably distant from historical reality, it is also an era onto which writers and artists—and now moviemakers and…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of American Ethnic Studies • Department of History • Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Music • Simpson Center for the HumanitiesJanuary 23, 2023
Q&A: How AI can help people be more empathetic about mental health
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington studied how artificial intelligence could help people on the platform TalkLife, where people give each other mental health support. The researchers developed an AI system that suggested changes to participants’ responses to make them more empathetic. The best responses resulted from a collaboration between AI and people.
Tag(s): artificial intelligence • College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tim AlthoffJanuary 19, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Behzod Abduraimov, “Manzanar, Diverted” Screening and Director talk, and more
Start the new year with lectures, performances, and more! January 24, 7:30 PM |Behzod Abduraimov, Meany Hall Since winning the London International Piano Competition in 2009, Behzod Abduraimov’s passionate and virtuosic performances have dazzled audiences around the world. His “prodigious technique and rhapsodic flair” (The New York Times) have defined his career as a recording…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Banks Center for Educational Justice • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Education • Comparative History of Ideas Program • Department of American Ethnic Studies • Department of American Indian Studies • Department of English • Department of History • Henry Art Gallery • History Lecture Series • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Music • Simpson Center for the HumanitiesJanuary 18, 2023
The importance of the atmosphere and ocean in determining the fate of Antarctica
New research finds that ice-sheet-wide collapse in West Antarctica isn’t necessarily inevitable. The pace of ice loss varies according to regional differences in atmosphere and ocean circulation.
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Eric Steig • glaciers • polar scienceJanuary 13, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Democracy and the 2022 Midterm Elections, UW Dance Presents, Physics Slam, and more
Start the new year with lectures, performances, and more! January 18, 6:30 PM | Democracy and the 2022 Midterm Elections, Part II, Kane Hall Join UW Professor Jacob Grumbach for the second and final lecture on the 2022 midterm elections. In this talk, he will address the election results as well as ways we can…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Dance • Department of History • Department of Physics • Department of Political Science • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Music • UW Graduate SchoolJanuary 12, 2023
How did the Butterfly Nebula get its wings? It’s complicated
Something is amiss in the Butterfly Nebula. When a team led by astronomers at the University of Washington compared two exposures of this planetary nebula that had been taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009 and 2020, they saw dramatic changes in the material within its “wings.” As the team will report on Jan. 12 at the 241st meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, powerful winds are apparently driving complex alterations of material within the Butterfly Nebula, behavior not seen in planetary nebulae to date. The researchers want to understand how such activity is possible from what should be a “sputtering, largely moribund star with no remaining fuel.”
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • Bruce Balick • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of AstronomyJanuary 11, 2023
Old and new stars paint very different pictures of the Triangulum galaxy
On Jan. 11 at the 241st meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Seattle, a team led by scientists at the University of Washington and the Center for Computational Astrophysics reported something unexpected about the distinct populations of stars that make up the Triangulum galaxy: In this satellite galaxy, a close companion of the much larger Andromeda galaxy, old and new stars occur in separate parts of the galaxy’s structure, something not seen in galaxies like our own and so far not reporter for other satellite galaxies.
Tag(s): Adam Smercina • astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of AstronomyJanuary 10, 2023
The seven-year photobomb: Distant star’s dimming was likely a ‘dusty’ companion getting in the way, astronomers say
University of Washington astronomers were on the lookout for “stars behaving strangely” when an automated alert from pointed them to Gaia17bpp, a star that had gradually brightened over a 2 1/2-year period. But follow-up analyses indicated that Gaia17bpp wasn’t changing. Instead, the star is likely part of a rare type of binary system. Its apparent brightening was the end of a years-long eclipse by an unusual, “dusty” stellar companion.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • DIRAC Institute • James Davenport
Plastic pollution in the oceans is an equity issue, says UW-led report
A recent report and upcoming virtual event looks at the unequal effect of marine plastics on different communities. The international report led by UW’s Yoshitaka Ota covers topics ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on plastic pollution to a critique of Coca-Cola’s waste initiative.
Tag(s): EarthLab • Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Center • Ocean Nexus Center • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs • University of Washington • Yoshitaka OtaJanuary 9, 2023
Climate ‘presses’ and ‘pulses’ impact Magellanic penguins — a marine predator — with guidance for conservationists
Climate change will reshape ecosystems through two types of events: short-term, extreme events — or “pulses” — and long-term changes, or “presses.” Understanding the effects of presses and pulses is essential as conservationists and policymakers try to preserve ecosystems and safeguard biodiversity. Researchers at the University of Washington have discovered how different presses and pulses impacted Magellanic penguins — a migratory marine predator — over nearly four decades and found that, though individual presses and pulses impacted penguins in a variety of ways, both were equally important for the future survival of the penguin population. They also found that these types of climate changes, taken together, are leading to an overall population decline at their historically largest breeding site.
Tag(s): Briana Abrahms • Center for Ecosystem Sentinels • climate change • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Dee Boersma • Department of Biology • ecology • T.J. Clark-Wolf« Previous Page Next Page »
