July 21, 2025
12 UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences
Pictured in order, starting from the top left: Rona Levy, Horacio de la Iglesia, Jashvant Unadkat, Eric Steig, Kai-Mei Fu, Julie Kientz, Magdalena Balazinska, David Hertzog, Cynthia Chen, Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert, Scott Ramsey, Donald Chi. Photo collage credit: Alex Bartick
Twelve faculty members at the University of Washington have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. They are among 36 scientists and educators from across the state announced July 17 as new members. Election recognizes the new member’s “outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and willingness to assist the Academy in providing the best available scientific information and technical understanding to inform complex policy decisions in Washington.”
The UW faculty members were selected by current WSAS members or by their election to national science academies. Eleven were voted on by current WSAS members:
Magdalena Bałazińska, professor, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair, and director of the Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science & Engineering, for “contributions in data management for data science, big data systems, cloud computing and image/video analytics and leadership in data science education.”
Cynthia Chen, professor of civil & environmental engineering and of industrial & systems engineering, for “pioneering work in human mobility analysis and infrastructure resilience, which have transformed transportation systems in terms of both demand and supply, and shaped the future directions of transportation systems research on community-based solutions and disaster resilience.”
Donald Chi, Lloyd and Kay Chapman Endowed Chair for Oral Health and associate dean for research in the UW School of Dentistry, and professor in the Department of Health Systems & Population Health, for “leadership in understanding and addressing children’s oral health inequities through community-based socio-behavioral interventions and evidence-based policies.”
Horacio de la Iglesia, professor of biology, for “internationally recognized leadership in the biology of sleep, including groundbreaking research on molecular and genetic aspects of the brain, human behavioral studies on learning under varied sleep schedules, and contributions that have shaped policy on school schedules and standard time.”
Kai-Mei Fu, the Virginia and Prentice Bloedel professor of physics and of electrical & computer engineering, for “foundational contributions to fundamental and applied research on the optical and spin properties of quantum point defects in crystals and for service and leadership in the quantum community.”
Julie Kientz, professor and chair of human centered design and engineering, for “award-winning leadership in HCI computing, whose research has advanced health and education technology, influenced policy, and shaped the HCI field of through impactful scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive, real-world technology design.”
Rona Levy, professor and associate dean for research in the UW School of Social Work, for “contributions to understanding psychosocial and physiological factors that moderate the effectiveness of their interventions and ultimately improve the health of children with abdominal pain disorders.”
Dr. Scott Ramsey, professor of medicine in the UW School of Medicine and of pharmacy, “for leadership in health economics and cancer research, including work on financial toxicity, cost- effectiveness, and healthcare policy that has influenced national discussions, improved cancer care access, and shaped policies for equitable and sustainable healthcare.” Ramsey is also Director of the Cancer Outcomes Research Program at Fred Hutch.
Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert, professor of bioengineering and Vice Dean of Research and Graduate Education in the UW School of Medicine, for “national leadership in biomedical research, research policy, and graduate education, including pioneering novel drug delivery approaches for regenerative medicine applications in the nervous system and other tissues such as bone, cartilage, tendon and skin.”
Eric Steig, Rabinowitz Endowed Professor of Earth and space sciences, for “revolutionizing our understanding of climate change in Antarctica through pioneering ice core extractions under hazardous Antarctic conditions and their subsequent analyses over two decades, and for applying that expertise to advance climate research in Washington State.”
Jashvant Unadkat, professor of pharmaceutics, for “pioneering contributions to pharmaceutical and translational sciences, including groundbreaking research on drug transporters, PBPK modeling and maternal-fetal pharmacology that have helped shaped drug safety policies.”
The Academy also welcomed new members who were selected by virtue of their election to the National Academies of Science, Engineering or Medicine. Among them is David Hertzog, the Arthur B. McDonald professor of physics and director of the Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics. Hertzog was elected to the National Academy of Sciences last year.
Tag(s): Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Cynthia Chen • David Hertzog • Department of Bioengineering • Department of Biology • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering • Department of Pharmaceutics • Department of Physics • Donald Chi • Eric Steig • Health Systems and Population Health • Horacio de la Iglesia • Jashvant Unadkat • Julie Kientz • Kai-Mei Fu • Magdalena Balazinska • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Rona Levy • School of Dentistry • School of Medicine • School of Pharmacy • School of Social Work • Scott Ramsey • Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert • Washington State Academy of Sciences