UW News blog
February 6, 2018
University of Washington, other leading research universities form international coalition to speed local climate action
The University of Washington joins 12 other leading North American research universities in the new University Climate Change Coalition, or UC3, a group committed to leveraging its research and resources to help communities accelerate climate action.
UW astronomer Woody Sullivan assists in renovation of Olympia’s Territorial Sundial
After six months of repair and restoration — assisted by UW astronomer and sundial expert Woody Sullivan — Olympia’s iconic Territorial Sundial is back in place.
February 5, 2018
UW atmospheric scientists flying through clouds above Antarctica’s Southern Ocean
UW atmospheric sciences faculty and graduate students are in Tasmania studying how clouds form over Antarctica’s Southern Ocean.
February 1, 2018
UW’s large research vessel, R/V Thomas G. Thompson, gets back to work
After an “extreme makeover” that went from stem to stern on five decks of the ship, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson is ready to get back to work exploring the world’s oceans. The University of Washington’s School of Oceanography, part of the College of the Environment, operates the 274-foot ship, which arrived on campus in…
January 26, 2018
School of Music’s Laila Storch republishes biography of renowned oboist, teacher Marcel Tabuteau
A biography of world-renowned oboe performer and teacher Marcel Tabuteau by the UW School of Music’s Laila Storch has been republished in paperback by Indiana University Press.
January 19, 2018
University Faculty Lecture to highlight screening newborns for genetic diseases
For this year’s University Faculty Lecture, University of Washington chemistry professor Michael Gelb will discuss the science behind screening newborns for treatable — but rare — genetic diseases.
January 18, 2018
Q&A: Forgotten fish illustrator remembered through first publication
More than three centuries ago, a French monk made thousands of drawings of plants and animals, traveling under the authority of King Louis XIV to the French Antilles to collect and document the natural history of the islands. These drawings were often the first ever recorded for each species and were completed in remarkable detail….
Civil War-era U.S. Navy ships’ logs to be explored for climate data, maritime history
A new grant will let a University of Washington-based project add a new fleet to its quest to learn more about past climate from the records of long-gone mariners. The UW is among the winners of the 2017 “Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives” awards, announced Jan. 4 by the Washington, D.C.-based Council on Library…
January 5, 2018
UW ranks No. 5 nationally for social science research funding
The University of Washington is ranked fifth among more than 400 U.S. colleges and universities for social science research funding, according to a new report. The Consortium of Social Science Association’s 2018 College and University Rankings for Federal Social and Behavioral Science R&D was released this week. The UW, with $38.6 million in…
January 3, 2018
Space dust, not aliens: Two UW astronomers assist in new research on ‘mysterious’ star
UW astronomers Brett Morris and James Davenport assisted in new research on “Tabby’s Star,” named for Louisiana State University astronomer Tabetha Boyajian.
Popular exhibit on Latino music debuts as a book: A Q&A with UW faculty authors of ‘American Sabor’
When “American Sabor” opened at what was then the Experience Music Project a decade ago, its University of Washington creators saw it as a chance to celebrate the extensive Latino contribution to popular music. It was a product of years of interviews and research, and an often challenging exercise in collaboration and presentation. But…
Essay by UW historian Laurie Marhoefer named most memorable of 2017 by The Conversation US
An essay by Laurie Marhoefer, UW assistant professor of history, has been named the most memorable of the year 2017 by the editors and readers of The Conversation US.
December 22, 2017
UW ranks No. 7 among public universities on Kiplinger’s 300 ‘Best College Values’ for 2018
The University of Washington is ranked No. 7 on Kiplinger’s 300 Best College Values for 2018 among public universities, released Dec. 22.
December 21, 2017
UW a leader in supporting Washington’s STEM students
Now serving its sixth cohort of students, the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship has helped more than 8,400 students attend the state’s universities and colleges. The UW has the largest number of scholarship recipients — 1,679 across all three campuses — and has seen more than 1,300 scholars graduate.
December 20, 2017
UW’s 2017: A year of innovation, access and impact
In all corners of the University of Washington, staff, faculty and students are working hard to improve the lives of people around the world. This year undoubtedly embodied that passion and drive to serve the public good.
December 19, 2017
UW-authored books and more for the Dawg on your holiday shopping list
Here’s a quick look at some gift-worthy books and music created by UW talents in the last year or so — and a reminder of some perennial favorites.
December 14, 2017
Loose skin and slime protect hagfishes from sharks
Researchers from the University of Washington, Chapman University and University of Guelph have published new research showing how hagfishes survive an initial attack from predators before they release large volumes of slime to defend themselves.
December 13, 2017
UW project seeks sustainable blueprint for hydropower dams
A new NSF-funded project will use findings in the Mekong River basin as an example of how three critical issues — feeding people, generating energy and maintaining functioning ecosystems — can be addressed thoughtfully and progressively in the developing world.
December 11, 2017
Q&A: UW’s Shuyi Chen on hurricane science, forecasting and the 2017 hurricane season
New faculty member Shuyi Chen answers some questions about hurricane science, hurricane forecasting and the 2017 storm season.
Thoughts on macroeconomics by UW’s Fabio Ghironi among Bloomberg columnist’s ‘must-reads’ of 2017
Bloomberg News columnist Noah Smith has listed a paper by UW economist Fabio Ghironi as among “must-read” papers and books on economics in the year 2017.
December 7, 2017
A literary view of the human era: ‘Anthropocene Reading’
The Anthropocene epoch — the proposed name for this time of significant human effect on the planet and its systems — represents a new context in which to study literature. A new book of essays co-edited by Jesse Oak Taylor, UW associate professor of English, argues that literary studies, in turn, also can help us better understand the Anthropocene.
December 6, 2017
Martin Luther, Steve Jobs and aspirational faith: Q & A with UW sociologist Steve Pfaff on ‘The Spiritual Virtuoso’
Alongside the political polarization that has permeated seemingly every issue in American life, there is a similar dichotomy in religion.On one side are those who suggest religion is dying, that’s it’s irrelevant, a force for ill and oppression, explains University of Washington sociology professor Steve Pfaff. On the other are those who say religion is…
December 3, 2017
Kim Nasmyth — a UW postdoctoral alumnus — wins Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for discoveries in cell biology, genetics
Kim Nasmyth, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Oxford and former postdoctoral researcher at the University of Washington, is one of five recipients of the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Nasmyth and other prize recipients were honored by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation at a ceremony December 3 at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.
December 1, 2017
UW astrobiologists to discuss work, introduce IMAX film ‘The Search for Life in Space’ Dec. 6 at Pacific Science Center
Three University of Washington astrobiologists will discuss their research and introduce the new 3-D IMAX movie “The Search for Life in Space” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, in the PACCAR Theater of the Pacific Science Center.
November 30, 2017
New textbook teaches Spanish language, culture through talk of food
Ana Gómez-Bravo created a class about Spanish food and culture a few years ago as a way to teach the language, but found no appropriate textbook for the material — so she wrote one herself. Her book “Comida y cultura en el mundo hispánico” — “Food and Culture in the Hispanic World” — was published in October by Equinox Publishing.
Explore India’s ‘informal economies’ at symposium Dec. 1-2
The labor of India’s lower castes — in areas such as agriculture, transportation, construction and the sex trade — occupies about 90 percent of the country’s workforce. Many of these urban jobs draw workers from rural villages, people who struggle to make a living not only for themselves, but also for the relatives they’ve left…
November 28, 2017
UW students win Amazon’s inaugural Alexa Prize for most engaging socialbot
A team of University of Washington students and faculty has won Amazon’s inaugural Alexa Prize, a university competition designed to produce an artificial intelligence agent capable of coherent and sustained conversation with humans.
Two UW professors elevated to IEEE Fellows
Two faculty members in the University of Washington College of Engineering have been elected as 2018 fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Tom Furness, professor of industrial and systems engineering, was honored for “leadership in virtual and augmented reality” and Siddhartha “Sidd” Srinivasa, professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, was recognized for “contributions to robotic manipulation and human-robot interaction.”
November 22, 2017
Two UW professors named to the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
Edwina Uehara, dean of the University of Washington School of Social Work, and social work professor Karen Fredriksen Goldsen have been named fellows of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. The two are among 14 new fellows to be inducted by the organization, which honors scholarship, leadership and high-impact work in the…
November 21, 2017
Pitch imperfect? How the brain decodes pitch may improve cochlear implants
Picture yourself with a friend in a crowded restaurant. The din of other diners, the clattering of dishes, the muffled notes of background music, the voice of your friend, not to mention your own – all compete for your brain’s attention. For many people, the brain can automatically distinguish the noises, identifying the…
November 16, 2017
UW receives top honors from CleanTech Alliance for research and support in energy innovation, industry partnerships
The CleanTech Alliance has presented the University of Washington with the organization’s 2017 CleanTech Achievement Award. The honor recognizes the UW’s dedication to research and development of transformative clean energy technologies, facilities, pipelines for startups and industry partnerships. The award was announced on Nov. 8 at the annual meeting and 10th anniversary of the CleanTech…
November 14, 2017
2 UW engineering students make Forbes ’30 under 30 in Energy’ list
Two University of Washington engineering students were selected by Forbes magazine for its list of the top 30 people in the world under age 30 working in energy.
November 2, 2017
Washington Sea Grant receives $1.1 million in federal funding for aquaculture research
Three federal grants announced this week will provide total funding of $1.1 million to Washington Sea Grant, based at the University of Washington’s College of the Environment, for research that will sustainably further shellfish and finfish aquaculture in the state
Frances McCue meditates on changing city in new poem collection ‘Timber Curtain’
Frances McCue, a senior lecturer in the UW Department of English, has a new book of poetry out, “Timber Curtain,” published by Seattle’s Chin Music Press.
October 24, 2017
Vintage maps, books and more in UW Libraries Special Collections exhibit ‘All Over the Map’
UW Libraries Special Collections’ new exhibit, “All Over the Map: From Cartographs to (C)artifacts” — organized by UW Book Arts and Rare Book Curator Sandra Kroupa — is on display in Allen Library until Jan. 31, 2018.
October 16, 2017
UW jumps 2 spots to No. 25 on Center for World University Rankings 2017 list
The University of Washington is No. 25 in the world — No. XX among U.S. public institutions — according to a new list released Monday by the Center for World University Rankings.
Tweeting rage: How immigration policies can polarize public discourse
Before a border wall became a budget bargaining chip, before the presidential pardon of a controversial sheriff and before federal policies were announced on social media, there was Arizona Senate Bill 1070, the “show me your papers” law. And of course, there was Twitter. To René D. Flores, an assistant professor of sociology at…
UW researchers mark first detection of gravitational waves from collision of two neutron stars
For the first time, scientists have detected gravitational waves from the merger of two neutron stars.
October 9, 2017
Paul Bodin named interim director of Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
Paul Bodin, a UW seismologist and manager of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, has been named interim director of the network that monitors earthquakes and volcanoes in Washington and Oregon.
October 6, 2017
3 UW researchers chosen for NIH High-Risk, High-Rewards program
Three University of Washington faculty members are among those honored with an NIH High-Risk, High-Reward Research grant, which fund exceptionally creative scientists proposing to use highly innovative approaches to tackle major challenges in biomedical research.
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