Expert quotes
February 8, 2023
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.
January 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.
November 21, 2022
Q&A: Managing Washington’s gray wolf population – through fear
Wolf management in Washington has been controversial. Rob Anderson, who obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Washington, explains the dynamic of managing a species through fear.
November 16, 2022
Q&A: How ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ impacts financial health
Ed deHaan, associate professor of accounting in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, studies the impact of Buy Now Pay Later on financial health. His research finds that BNPL users faced rapid increases in bank overdraft charges and credit card interests and fees.
Q&A: UW researchers find privacy risks with 3D tours on real estate websites
University of Washington researchers examined 44 3D tours in 44 states across the U.S. to look for potential security issues when personal details were included in the tour.
October 17, 2022
Q&A: UnlockedMaps provides real-time accessibility information for urban rail transit in six metro areas
UW researchers developed UnlockedMaps, a web-based map that allows users to see in real time how accessible rail transit stations are in six metro areas. UnlockedMaps shows which stations are accessible and which ones are experiencing elevator outages.
October 3, 2022
UW law professor discusses tech company liability cases before US Supreme Court
UW law professor Eric Schnapper explains two cases that the U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear — cases on tech companies’ liability that he will argue before the court this winter.
September 28, 2022
UW expert on tropical storms discusses Hurricane Ian
Shuyi Chen, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences, was traveling to a conference in Boston as Hurricane Ian approached the Gulf of Mexico. During breaks at the conference, she provided her thoughts on the closely watched catastrophic storm system that made landfall in Florida on Sept. 28. Q: What are your thoughts on Hurricane Ian?…
September 13, 2022
Q&A: UW researchers develop a reactor that can destroy ‘forever chemicals’
UW researchers have created a reactor that can completely break down hard-to-destroy chemicals.
June 24, 2022
‘Folks on the ground have been activated and ready’: UW expert on reproductive justice and the U.S. Supreme Court
Bettina Judd, associate professor of gender, women and sexuality studies at the University of Washington, discusses the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
May 3, 2022
Rolling back abortion rights is ‘democratic backsliding,’ UW political scientist says
Sophia Jordán Wallace, associate professor of political science at the University of Washington, explains the implications the draft Supreme Court ruling that would overturn the constitutional right to an abortion would have on democracy, abortion rights and the midterm elections.
UW nursing, midwife experts address abortion issue in light of leaked SCOTUS opinion
Two University of Washington nursing and midwife experts in maternal health have provided the following quotes on the issue of restricting abortion or making it illegal — seen as increasingly likely due to the Supreme Court draft opinion, leaked to Politico on Monday. Molly Altman is an assistant professor in the UW School of Nursing…
April 28, 2022
Professor Margaret O’Mara on contextualizing Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase and the future of online speech
University of Washington history professor Margaret O’Mara says Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has renewed debate about freedom of online speech, online content moderation and the power of billionaires to shape public conversation.
April 21, 2022
Q&A: Making Earth-friendly electronics
Three researchers in the University of Washington College of Engineering are exploring ways to make electronics more Earth-friendly.
March 21, 2022
UW expert: Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings ‘will hold a mirror up to this nation’
LaTaSha Levy, assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the University of Washington, and Elizabeth Porter, interim dean of the UW School of Law, offer perspectives on the nomination and confirmation process of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
March 4, 2022
Ukrainian American professor shares insights on ‘gut-wrenching’ events in Ukraine
Laada Bilaniuk is a professor of anthropology at the whose expertise is Ukrainian culture and society. The daughter of Ukrainian Americans, she shares insights on the Ukrainian people who are resisting, how the conflict relates to the use of language and the perspective of the local Ukrainian community.
February 28, 2022
UW authors in IPCC report emphasize threats to human health and well-being
Two University of Washington experts in climate change and health are lead authors of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The new report titled Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptations and Vulnerability, published Monday morning, details in over three thousand pages a “dire warning” about the consequences of inaction on reducing…
January 11, 2022
Q&A: Bringing a justice lens to wildlife management
A team of researchers led by the University of Washington drew upon the field of environmental justice — which primarily has focused on harms to people and public health — and applied its concepts to wildlife management, considering forms of injustice that people, communities and animal groups might experience. Lead author and UW assistant professor Alex McInturff talks with UW News about this work and why it’s significant.
October 29, 2021
How public pension funds can help address climate change
Ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference that begins Oct. 31, the University of Washington’s Michael McCann and Riddhi Mehta-Neugebauer talk about the extensive investment of public pension funds — the retirement plan of millions of U.S. workers — in fossil fuels.
October 25, 2021
‘Self-care and resilience’ — UW’s Elaine Walsh discusses burnout among nurses
The pandemic has left nurses around the country feeling burned out. Their top four feelings, according to a recent survey? Exhausted, overwhelmed, irritable and anxious or unable to relax. UW News spoke with Elaine Walsh, a UW School of Nursing associate professor and a Nurse Scientist in Resiliency at Seattle Children’s Hospital, to learn more about the…
September 2, 2021
UW engineer explains how the redesigned levee system in New Orleans helped mitigate the impact of Hurricane Ida
UW News asked Michael Motley, a UW associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, to explain how levees protect cities like New Orleans.
August 6, 2021
UW expert discusses protecting workers from wildfire smoke
With wildfire smoke forecast for next week in Seattle and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Oregon posting rules for keeping workers safe during increasingly smoky conditions and heat in that state, we caught up with a University of Washington expert on worker safety for advice. Check out Professor Baker’s advice on worker safety…
August 3, 2021
What the Olympic Games can teach us about the workplace
Bruce Avolio, executive director of the UW Center for Leadership & Strategic Thinking and a professor of management in the UW Foster School of Business, talks about what we can learn about leadership, competition and collaboration — factors that are important in the workplace as well as the Olympics.
July 9, 2021
‘We need to be patient’ — UW’s Dawn Lehman on the collapse of the Champlain Towers South
While there is currently no explanation for why the Champlain Towers South building collapsed, Dawn Lehman, a University of Washington professor of civil and environmental engineering, has been studying photographs, videos, drawings, reports and permits to investigate this tragedy to understand what happened. UW News asked her to help us understand why buildings fail.
June 9, 2021
‘Our democracy is fundamentally at stake’ — UW’s Jake Grumbach on limits to voter access
As Congress considers expanding voting rights legislation and some Republican-led states restrict access to voting, the University of Washington’s Jake Grumbach is among a group of faculty from institutions around the country calling for national election standards.
May 17, 2021
UW’s Dr. Catherine Karr: ‘Major chronic health problems facing children today’ linked to air pollution
With evidence of the health hazards facing children from air pollution growing, The American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday published a policy statement meant to bring those hazards to light and to encourage and direct policy to improve children’s health. Policy co-author Dr. Catherine Karr, a professor in the University of Washington’s School of Public…
April 21, 2021
Q&A: It’s not just social media — misinformation can spread in scientific communication too
When people think of misinformation, they often focus on popular and social media. But in a paper published April 12 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, University of Washington faculty members Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom write that scientific communication — both scientific papers and news articles written about papers — also has the potential to spread misinformation.
April 6, 2021
Back to school in springtime: UW experts offer tips for adjusting pandemic-era routines
University of Washington experts in education and psychology offer tips for families on the return to in-person school after a year of remote learning.
March 29, 2021
New course examines Jacob Lawrence’s impact on American art, Seattle and the UW
Juliet Sperling, an assistant professor of art history, talks about Jacob Lawrence and her new course “Art and Seattle: Jacob Lawrence,” the first UW course to examine his legacy at the UW and beyond.
March 24, 2021
‘Reservoir of disease’ within young population shows challenge for Washington’s reopening plans
An analysis of Washington state Department of Health data — published after peer review March 24 — has found that people under 40 years old have continued to become infected by the coronavirus at increasing rates even as the incidence of infection among older populations declines. The publication was available previously in preprint form on…
March 19, 2021
How white supremacy, racist myths fuel anti-Asian violence
Linh Thủy Nguyễn, an assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the University of Washington, discusses the recent wave of violence against Asians and Asian Americans, and the history behind it.
March 16, 2021
Relearning normalcy, focusing on the positive: UW psychologist on the vaccine phase of the pandemic
University of Washington psychology professor Jane Simoni discusses how COVID-19 vaccines are gradually spurring the return to normal life, and the role of positive public health messaging.
January 19, 2021
UW health law expert: COVID-19 vaccine rollout presents ethical, logistical questions
University of Washington law professor Pat Kuszler provides perspectives on the ethical issues of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
December 15, 2020
How to have holidays ‘full of love and connection’ and set goals for 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic and social-distancing guidelines have changed how we celebrate the holidays this year. University of Washington psychologist Jonathan Kanter explains that, by being intentional about how we approach and experience the season, we can find joy, and recognize – even embrace – how we’ve weathered this year.
December 8, 2020
Policies around pregnancy, birth during pandemic failing both patients and nurses
As an experienced nurse midwife, whose scientific research focuses on respectful and equitable care during pregnancy and childbirth, the University of Washington’s Molly Altman has been studying pregnancy and childbirth during the pandemic alongside colleagues across the UW and in affected communities. While her work is being distilled into formal studies that will be submitted…
November 24, 2020
UW public health expert calls on state officials, citizens to defend and rebuild public health agencies
Even before the pandemic and disagreements over social restrictions recommended by public health officials across the state, public health agencies in Washington were struggling due to a lack of resources. In recent weeks, firings, resignations and death threats targeting local health officials has led to a staffing crisis in the agencies most responsible for local…
Q&A: Animal Crossing to K-pop: Gaming, music fandom groups provide human connection during the pandemic
In this Q&A, UW Information School associate professor Jin Ha Lee discusses how video game and music fandom communities can be “places of light” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 19, 2020
The 2020 census: deadlines, politics and what may come next
The 2020 census has been subject to court fights, shifting deadlines and pandemic-related process adjustments. Sara Curran, director of the UW Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, explains the developments with this year’s count.
November 9, 2020
Professor Margaret O’Mara on history around election concessions nationally and in Washington
Concessions from U.S. presidents usually happen quickly, without drama, says UW history professor Margaret O’Mara.
September 28, 2020
Q&A: UW researchers clicked ads on 200 news sites to track misinformation
A study by UW researchers found that both mainstream and misinformation news sites displayed similar levels of problematic ads. UW News had a conversation with the team about this research, where ads on news sites come from, and how things might change leading up to the election.
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