The latest news from the UW

March 7, 2016

UW increases focus on Indigenous knowledge

A longhouse-style building opened on the University of Washington campus in March 2015, on land where the longhouses and village of the Duwamish tribe once stood. Intellectual House, or wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, is a tangible recognition of the area’s original inhabitants. And it is a catalyst for the university’s recent efforts to ramp up Indigenous learning in departments across campus. Over the past three years, the UW College of Arts & Sciences has added seven faculty members focused on Indigenous studies. Those…

March 4, 2016

UW video on clingfish takes top prize at Ocean 180 competition

A University of Washington team won first place in a science communication video contest that culminated during the recent Ocean Sciences Meeting.

Learning | UW News blog

March 3, 2016

Record percentage of women students in Informatics Program helps iSchool narrow the gender gap

The UW Information School’s 2015-16 undergraduate cohort in informatics is not only the school’s largest yet with 210 students, it also includes more women students than ever before — about 40 percent.

$750,000 Mellon Foundation grant will fund research, collaboration in arts

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the University of Washington a three-year, $750,000 grant to support guest artists in developing new works, and to better integrate arts disciplines into the broader university curriculum.

The grant will support a Creative Fellowships Initiative, under which guest performing artist fellows will be recruited from around the world for one- to three-year residencies in dance, music and theater.

Arts and entertainment

March 2, 2016

Arts Roundup: Strange Coupling, Malpaso Dance Company – and Faculty Chamber Concert

Chamber music takes center stage at the School of Music this week with a Faculty Chamber Concert and Schubertiade, both on March 6. Watch two different dance productions at Meany Hall, see an exhibition of student work at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, or catch a reading of ‘Sons’ as part of UW Drama’s New Play Workshop series. Strange Coupling March 2-4 | Jacob Lawrence Gallery This short exhibition shows works by students who are applying to partner with professional artists…

UW News blog

UW aids city of Seattle on open data initiative

If people find it easier to get data from the city of Seattle going forward, they can in part thank the University of Washington. A team of UW faculty members and doctoral students spent the past six months working with the city on a new open data policy unveiled last week by Mayor Ed Murray. The policy requires all city departments to make their data as accessible as possible to the public while upholding privacy and security considerations. The UW…

Arts and entertainment | UW News blog

March 1, 2016

The Animals to Hendrix: Authors discuss soundtrack of Vietnam War at March 7 event

For soldiers serving in the Vietnam War, music was a salve, a connection to home and a temporary respite from the horrors of combat. In “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” Rolling Stone’s #1 Best Music Book of 2015, Doug Bradley and Craig Werner explore the importance of music to U.S. troops in Vietnam, relaying powerful, intimate stories told by veterans themselves. Bradley, a Vietnam veteran, teaches a course on the war with Werner, a professor of Afro-American studies…

Environment | Science | UW and the community | UW News blog

Ice cores, polar bears and whale sounds at 11th Polar Science Weekend

Investigate a real ice core from Greenland, survey microbes from the coldest parts of the world, explore an Arctic ice camp and meet with polar scientists – many of whom are from the University of Washington. It’s all part of Polar Science Weekend, returning to Seattle’s Pacific Science Center March 4-6. The three-day event features interactive exhibits and opportunities to talk with top polar scientists who work in some of the most remote and challenging places on Earth. New this…

News releases | Research | Science | UW and the community

February 29, 2016

Life or illusion? Avoiding ‘false positives’ in the search for living worlds

New research from the UW-based Virtual Planetary Laboratory will help astronomers better identify — and thus rule out — “false positives” in the search for life beyond Earth.

Doctor, patient expectations differ on fitness and lifestyle tracking

With apps and activity trackers measuring every step people take, morsel they eat, and each symptom or pain, patients commonly arrive at doctor’s offices armed with self-tracked data. Yet health care providers lack the capacity or tools to review five years of Fitbit logs or instantaneously interpret data patients have been collecting about themselves, according to new UW research.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology

NASA data used to track groundwater in Pakistan

Pakistan’s water managers are using NASA satellites to more effectively monitor groundwater supplies, thanks to a partnership with UW civil and environmental engineers. It’s part of a larger effort to use the vast amount of data and observations collected by Earth-orbiting satellites to better quality of life in developing countries.

News releases | Research | UW and the community

Statewide home sales, affordability up in fourth quarter of 2015

Home sale prices were up fractionally in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to the third quarter but up 9.7 percent compared with the previous year, according to the UW’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies.

For UW employees | UW and the community | UW News blog

University Book Store to relocate South Campus Store’s services and products to flagship store

University Book Store announced Thursday that it has opted to close its store in the University’s South Campus building and move its products and services to the flagship store on University Way Northeast. Though the relocation date has yet to be determined, University Book Store is planning for sometime before June. “Our lease was up for renewal, so it was time to evaluate whether we were successfully fulfilling our mission to provide our students with the materials they needed to succeed,” said…

Honors and awards | UW and the community | UW News blog

UW ranks No. 7 on Business First’s top 10 list

The University of Washington was ranked No. 7 by Business First, a Buffalo-based publication, for America’s top 10 best public colleges and universities, the publication released Tuesday, Feb. 23. Business First, owned by American City Business Journals, used a 20-part formula based on academic excellence, prestige, affordability, diversity and economic strength to calculate each of the 477 participating universities’ scores. Out of the six Washington institutions included in the report, the UW ranked first, following by Washington State University (No. 112). UC Berkeley…

Buildings and grounds | Science | UW and the community | UW News blog

February 26, 2016

2016 UW cherry blossom watch: 100 percent in bloom

The cherry trees in the Quad at UW will likely be in full bloom the week of March 14.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Social science | Technology

February 25, 2016

Driverless cars could increase reliance on roads

Driverless vehicles could intensify car use — reducing or even eliminating promised energy savings and environmental benefits, a new study co-authored by a University of Washington researcher finds. If people can work, relax and even hold meetings in their fully automated vehicles, they may drive more.

Education | Politics and government | Research | UW and the community

Documents that Changed the World: The Declaration of Independence’s deleted passage on slavery, 1776

The latest installment of Information School professor Joe Janes’ podcast series Documents that Changed the World discusses 168 powerful words condemning slavery that were excised from the Declaration of Independence at the last minute.

Herring fishery’s strength is in the sum of its parts, study finds

Just like a strong financial portfolio contains shares from different companies, the diverse subpopulations of herring from different bays and beaches around Puget Sound collectively keep the total population more stable, a new study finds.

Arts and entertainment

February 24, 2016

Arts Roundup: Dance Majors Concert, Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ – and Buy Art

It’s a busy week for the arts: the School of Drama collaborates with Seattle Children’s Theatre, Pacific MusicWorks presents Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” and the UW Concert and Campus Bands perform their winter quarter concert. Experience contemporary dance at the UW Dance Majors concert and head over to the School of Art + Art History + Design’s annual sale, Buy Art. “The Walk Across America for Mother Earth” February 24-28 | Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater The School of Drama partners with…

University of Washington, Gonzaga University announce UW medical school partnership, launch initiative to advance medical education and research in Spokane region

The University of Washington and Gonzaga University have signed an agreement to continue, enhance and expand medical education and research in Spokane.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology | UW and the community

Clean, efficient cookstoves from UW-industry partnership to be manufactured in Kenya

A more efficient and clean wood-burning cookstove — developed by Vashon Island’s BURN Design Lab and UW mechanical engineers — will reduce the amount of fuel families need to collect or buy by 55 percent. It will also reduce exposure to the harmful particulate pollution produced by traditional cooking flames.

Administrative affairs | For UW employees | UW and the community | UW News blog

Employee open forum March 2 for UW HR/Payroll Integrated Service Center

UW employees are invited to attend an open forum March 2 to learn more about the university’s plans to create an HR/Payroll Integrated Service Center.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

February 23, 2016

For weather forecasting, precise observations matter more than butterflies

Small disturbances, like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, don’t really matter for weather forecasts. More important is boosting the accuracy of observations at larger scales.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology

UW engineers achieve Wi-Fi at 10,000 times lower power

With “Passive Wi-Fi,” UW computer scientists and electrical engineers have generated Wi-Fi transmissions using 10,000 times less power than conventional methods. The system can transmit Wi-Fi signals at rates up to 11 megabits per second — lower than maximum Wi-Fi speeds but 11 times faster than Bluetooth — that can be decoded on any of the billions of devices with Wi-Fi connectivity.

Engineering | Honors and awards | News releases | Research | Science

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. 23, include Bingni Brunton, assistant professor of biology; Christopher Laumann, assistant professor of physics; Matthew McQuinn, assistant professor of astronomy; and Emina Torlak, assistant professor of computer science and engineering. The 126 Sloan Fellows for 2016 were nominated by senior colleagues in their field, department or institution. Committees with the Sloan Foundation then examined each…

Learning | Politics and government | UW and the community

February 19, 2016

Safari tourism: Costs, benefits studied in Benjamin Gardner’s book ‘Selling the Serengeti’

Benjamin Gardner, associate professor in UW Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and chair of the Jackson School of International Studies’ African Studies Program, discusses his new book “Selling the Serengeti: The Cultural Politics of Safari Tourism.”

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

UW part of team that drilled first deep ice core at the South Pole

UW glaciologists helped drill the first deep ice core at the South Pole, which will provide new clues to Antarctica’s climate history.

Environment | Research | Science | UW News blog

Dangerous fishing may be endangered, new study finds

A new study of fishing practices found that the “risky” behavior that makes fishing one of the most dangerous lines of work dropped sharply following the adoption of catch shares management in the West Coast fixed gear sablefish fishery.

Engineering | Honors and awards | News releases | Research | Science

February 18, 2016

Three UW professors win Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Three members of the UW faculty have received the 2016 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers.

David Levy addresses digital overload in ‘Mindful Tech’

David Levy of the UW Information School discusses his new book, “Mindful Tech: How to Bring Balance to our Digital Lives,” published in January by Yale University Press.

Education | Honors and awards | News releases | UW and the community

University of Washington produces the most Peace Corps volunteers for 2nd consecutive year

For the second year in a row, the University of Washington produced the most Peace Corps volunteers among large universities with 72 Huskies currently serving around the world. The UW is also ranked No. 4 among graduate schools with 16 alumni currently volunteering. “Community engagement – here and across the globe – is part of what makes a UW student’s experience the best it can be. One way our students give back to the community is by volunteering for the Peace Corps,”…

Arts and entertainment

February 17, 2016

Arts Roundup: Pianist Robin McCabe, Percussion Ensemble – and ‘The Walk Across America for Mother Earth’

The School of Drama’s new production, “The Walk Across America for Mother Earth,” opens this week. The School of Music presents piano, viola and percussion performances, and the School of Art + Art History + Design offers the latest Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice lecture at the Henry Art Gallery. Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice Lecture Series: Josh Faught 7:00 p.m., February 18 | Henry Art Gallery The Critical Issues in Contemporary Art Practice lecture series brings together artists and…

Education | Environment | Science | UW and the community

NASA-funded consortium to support science education in Washington, Oregon and Montana

A new program based at the University of Washington will bring together educational institutions, K-12 teachers and informal education organizations to inspire, teach and recruit the next generation of students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The new Northwest Earth and Space Sciences Pipeline, or NESSP, has begun a $10 million, five-year cooperative agreement with NASA that broadens existing programs and launches new efforts throughout Washington, Oregon and Montana, with a particular focus on underserved and underrepresented communities. “The goal is…

News releases | Research | Science

February 12, 2016

Caught in the act: UW astronomers find a rare supernova ‘impostor’ in a nearby galaxy

UW astronomers Breanna Binder and Ben Williams have identified a rare type of ‘supernova impostor’ in a nearby galaxy, with implications for how scientists look at the short, complex lives of massive stars.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science | Technology

Rare beluga data show whales dive to maximize meals

As the Arctic continues to change due to rising temperatures, melting sea ice and human interest in developing oil and shipping routes, it’s important to understand belugas’ baseline behavior, argue the authors of a new paper.

News releases | Research | Science | Technology

UW scientists create ultrathin semiconductor heterostructures for new technological applications

University of Washington scientists have successfully combined two different ultrathin semiconductors — each just one layer of atoms thick and roughly 100,000 times thinner than a human hair — to make a new two-dimensional heterostructure with potential uses in clean energy and optically-active electronics.

News releases | Research | Social science

February 11, 2016

Male biology students consistently underestimate female peers, study finds

Female college students are more likely to abandon studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines than their male classmates, and new research from the University of Washington suggests that those male peers may play a key role in undermining their confidence. Published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, the study found that males enrolled in undergraduate biology classes consistently ranked their male classmates as more knowledgeable about course content, even over better-performing female students. The over-ranking equated…

Environment | News releases | Research | Science | UW and the community

Bellingham Bay buoy an opportunity to observe marine waters for Northwest Indian College, world

The Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction, through its education partner the University of Washington, is deploying an oceanographic observing buoy in Bellingham Bay this week that will allow Northwest Indian College students both hands-on experience with the technology as well as the ability to study the data from their computers, through the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, NANOOS.