UW News

May 1, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Frontiers of Physics Lecture, “Influencers, Platforms and the Rise of the Follower Economy”, Cie Hervé KOUBI Performance and more

This week, head to Kane Hall for the Frontiers of Physics Lecture on the James Webb Space Telescope’s discoveries, enjoy Cie Hervé KOUBI’s performance at Meany Hall, learn about “Influencers, Platforms, and the Rise of the Follower Economy” during the Communications Colloquium, and more.


May 6, 5:30 – 8:30 pm | Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture: Melayu Malay — Mystery Miracle, Kane Hall

Professor Hendrik Maier (University of California, Riverside) will deliver the Department of Asian Languages & Literature’s 2024 Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture.

Language speaks and flows, humans write and comprehend: the ambiguous tensions between Melayu, the flowand Malay, the comprehension, are a good example of this thesis, which is examined in a philological discussion around the power of poetry.

Free | More info & Registration


May 7 & 9, 7:00 – 8:30 pm | STROUM LECTURES 2024 | Friendship and Fear: Life in Imperial Germany and Escape from Nazi Germany, Kane Hall

The Stroum Center for Jewish Studies 2024 Samuel and Althea Stroum Lecture series will feature acclaimed Holocaust historian Marion Kaplan. Kaplan’s lectures will focus on the complicated feelings of Jews “at home” in Germany and then on the hope and anxiety expressed during their odyssey fleeing Nazi persecution.

Lecture 1: The Complexities of Jewish Friendships: Jews and Non-Jews in Imperial Germany
Lecture 2: Hitler’s Jewish Refugees: Hope and Anxiety in Portugal

Free | More info & Registration


May 7 – 17 | Bachelors of Arts In Art Graduation Exhibition – GROUP 2, Art Building

The Jacob Lawrence Gallery and the School of Art + Art History + Design present Departing Figures: Bachelors of Art A in Art Graduation Exhibitions, featuring the work of the 2024 graduating class in the Bachelor of Arts in Art programs: 3D4M: ceramics + glass + sculpture, Interdisciplinary Visual Arts, Painting + Drawing, and Photo/Media. Students work closely with the gallery’s curatorial team to present their senior capstones in one of three group shows that run for two weeks each.

Free | More info


May 8, 3:30 – 5:00 pm | Communications Colloquium | “Follow Me: Influencers, Platforms, and the Rise of the Follower Economy”, Online via Zoom

Angèle Christin (Stanford University) will present an ethnographic study of content creators on social media platforms, which draws on cases ranging from vegan YouTubers to “dad” influencers and influencer marketers.

Christin will show how structural forces reproduce precarity as well as gender and racial inequality in social media careers, while also nudging influencers toward interpersonal “drama” and sometimes the production of problematic content. Moving beyond the case of influencers, Christin will develop the concept of the “follower economy” to explain these transformations in how we communicate and present ourselves offline.

Free | More info


May 8, 7:30 pm | Frontiers of Physics | Opening the Infrared Treasure Chest with the James Webb Space Telescope, Kane Hall

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched in December 2021, and commissioning was completed in July 2022. Webb is already producing magnificent images and surprises about galaxies, active galactic nuclei, star-forming regions, and planets.

Dr. John C. Mather will show how we built the Webb, why we study infrared, and the most exciting current discoveries. Webb is a joint project of NASA with the European and Canadian space agencies.


May 9, 12:00 – 1:00 pm | Alternative Grading: Equitable Grading and Ecosystems for More Caring Communities, Online via Zoom

Kevin Lin, Assistant Teaching Professor at UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, will discuss how instructors can use alternative grading approaches to develop more equitable, effective learning environments. Participants will leave this session with an understanding of how alternative grading methods can help meet students’ immediate needs and long-term goals.

At UW, Lin leads instructional innovation in data structures and algorithms with a focus on restorying computing education toward more critical and just social futures. At UC Berkeley, Lin coordinated large undergraduate CS courses that served over 1,000 students per term.

Free | More info & Registration


May 9, 5:00 – 6:30 pm | FILM SCREENING | “Ukrainians in Exile” with Director and Producer Janek Ambros, Allen Library

Join the Jackson School of International Studies for a film screening and Q&A with Janek Ambros, the director and producer of the documentary “Ukrayintsi u Vyhnanni” (Ukrainians in Exile).

The documentary showcases an anonymous Ukrainian citizen telling her story about the Russian invasion. It was executive produced by two-time Oscar winner Janusz Kamiński and filmed along the border of Poland and Ukraine. “Ukrainians in Exile” won best documentary at the 76th Salerno Film Festival.

Free | More info


May 9, 6:00 pm | Kollar Lecture in American Art: Jennifer Greenhill, Henry Art Gallery

This lecture considers two commercial artists whose work revolved around light and the manipulation of matter to achieve emotional, persuasive ends: the photographic advertising illustrator, Lejaren à Hiller (1880-1969) and the electrical sign designer Douglas Leigh (1907-1999).

Free | RSVP & More info


May 9 – 11, 8:00 pm | Cie Hervé KOUBI | The Barbarian Nights, Meany Hall

Drawing creative strength from his Algerian roots and Mediterranean culture, choreographer Hervé Koubi makes a much-anticipated return to Seattle with his exceptional all-male dance troupe. Combining contemporary and urban dance movements with capoeira and martial arts, this powerful company is known for its arresting imagery and gravity-defying choreography. In the critically acclaimed Les Nuits Barbares (The Barbarian Nights), Koubi takes a deep look into the history of the Mediterranean to extract the truth behind the stereotypes of those who were once considered “barbarians.”

Tickets | More info & Buy Tickets


May 9 – 12, 2:00 or 7:30 pm | AIRNESS, Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theatre

The Producing Artists Lab is an opportunity for student artists to share exploratory or developmental projects with the public. Airness is a comedy about competition, completion, and finding the airness inside yourself, directed by M.F.A. Directing student Kate Drummond.

When Nina enters her first air guitar competition, she thinks winning will be easy. She discovers it’s about finding yourself in your favorite songs, and performing with raw joy. Following her mission to shred or be shredded, Airness is an exuberant reminder that everything we need to rock is already inside us.

Tickets | More info & Buy Tickets


May 10, 12:00 – 1:30 pm | Center for Environmental Politics, The Duck Family Colloquium Series | “Economic and Environmental Impacts of Mining in Ecuador”, Gowen Hall

Mahelet G. Fikru, associate professor at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, is invited to The Duck Family Colloquium Series to talk about “Economic and Environmental of Mining in Ecuador.”

Free | More info


May 10, 3:30 pm | Teaching Rome, the [In]Visible City (The inaugural Daniel P. Harmon Visiting Lecture), Denny Hall or Zoom

For the inaugural lecture of a series in honor of Dan Harmon, Professor Farrell (University of Pennsylvania) will offer some reflections on teaching Rome, an important element of Dan’s career and of the UW Classics program. The sum of these reflections will be less a guided tour of the physical city than a passeggiata through the imaginary city and an eclectic few of the most fascinating reactions to it in various media.

Free | More info


May 10, 1:00 – 5:00 pm | India Research Symposium & Reception, Gates Hall

University of Washington faculty are engaged in a broad array of research and collaboration relating to India. The UW South Asia Center and the UW Office of Global Affairs are gathering to showcase their work. Listen to lightning talks on Indian painting, Bollywood films, Unicorn ventures, global health, and more.

Free | More info & Registration


May 12, 7:00 pm | Chamber Master Class: Cameron Daly, violin, Brechemin Auditorium

Guest violinist Cameron Daly of the Callisto Quartet (quartet-in-residence at Yale University) conducts a chamber masterclass with UW music students. This event includes a question-and-answer session with Daly, who will share his experiences working as both a professional chamber musician and full-time software engineer at Qualtrics.

Free | More info

Have an event that you would like to see featured in the ArtSci Roundup? Connect with Kathrine Braseth (kbraseth@uw.edu).

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