News releases

Cougars could save lives by lowering vehicle collisions with deer

A research team including University of Washington’s Laura Prugh has found that within 30 years of cougars recolonizing the Eastern U.S., large cats could thin deer populations and reduce vehicle collisions by 22 percent — each year preventing five human fatalities, 680 injuries and avoiding costs of $50 million.

Opinion: Closing parts of the ocean to fishing not enough to protect marine ecosystems

In a three-page commentary in the journal Nature, fisheries professor Ray Hilborn argues that establishing marine protected areas is not as effective at protecting marine biodiversity as properly managing recreational and commercial fisheries.

July 11, 2016

UW researchers improve microscopy method to ‘swell’ cellular structures, bringing fine details into view

Scientists from the University of Washington recently reported a relatively simple method swell the tiny, complex structures within cells, bringing them within range of a common microscope’s resolving range.

July 8, 2016

‘Excitations’: Summer Institute in the Arts to explore energy

Student participants in the 2104 Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities study and share together on a sunny day.

“Excitation” is not just a scientific term or perfect Beach Boys lyric, it’s also the topic of this year’s cross-disciplinary Summer Institute in the Arts and Humanities, an intensive summer research program for undergraduate students.

June 28, 2016

Statements from UW and KUOW leadership on the sale of KPLU to Friends of 88.5

UW President Ana Mari Cauce: “Congratulations to the Friends of 88.5 on their agreement with Pacific Lutheran University to purchase KPLU, and on the unprecedented fundraising effort that made it possible. We are delighted they were able to make it happen.” KUOW General Manager Caryn Mathes: “The generosity of KPLU’s listeners is a testament both to the excellence of the station’s programming and to the deep affection that Puget Sound listeners hold for public radio. “Through the Northwest News Network,…

June 23, 2016

How well do facial recognition algorithms cope with a million strangers?

University of Washington computer scientists have launched the “MegaFace Challenge,” the world’s first competition aimed at evaluating and improving the performance of face recognition algorithms at the million person scale.

June 22, 2016

Ocean forecast offers seasonal outlook for Pacific Northwest waters

A new study evaluates the performance of a seasonal forecast, developed by researchers at the UW and NOAA, that predicts conditions over the coming months in the Pacific Northwest marine environment.

Harry Bridges Labor Center report explores effects of job outsourcing at Portland International Airport

Portland International Airport in 2015. Recent research published by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies comments on the economic effects of job outsourcing at the airport, called PDX for short.

The outsourcing of workers at Portland International Airport has increased in recent years while those workers serve ever-more passengers and their wages remain low, according to a recent report from the UW’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.

June 21, 2016

UW-led team awarded $1M bioelectronics innovation prize

An international team led by researchers at the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering (CSNE) based at the University of Washington is one of three finalists in a race to produce an implantable wireless device that can assess, stimulate and block the activity of nerves that control organs.

June 16, 2016

UW’s large research vessel, R/V Thomas G. Thompson, gets a midlife overhaul

The R/V Thomas G. Thompson, the 274-foot-long research vessel operated by the University of Washington, has spent 25 years carrying researchers, students and teachers out to sea. The ship has collected material from the bottom of the deepest ocean trenches and braved storms near Antarctica. This week, the ship will begin a yearlong stay in protected waters and dry dock near Seattle’s Harbor Island for a complete overhaul of its propulsion system, navigation and many core engineering systems. The $34.5…

June 15, 2016

Evans School’s Justin Marlowe addresses public-private partnerships in third financial guide

Volume three of Justin Marlowe's Guide to Financial Literacy has been published by Governing magazine.

Public-private partnerships can be important financing tools, but public officials overseeing them must understand the risks well, says the Evans School’s Justin Marlowe, author of a multivolume Guide to Financial Literacy.

Falling fish catches could mean malnutrition in the developing world

The world won’t be able to fish its way to feeding 10 billion people by midcentury, but a shift in management practices could save hundreds of millions of fish-dependent poor from malnutrition, according to a new analysis by researchers at Harvard, the University of Washington and other universities.

‘Bright spots’ shine light on the future of coral reefs

Researchers have discovered a handful of “bright spots” among the world’s embattled coral reefs, offering the promise of a radical new approach to conservation.

June 13, 2016

Arc volcano releases mix of material from Earth’s mantle and crust

Rock from a common type of volcano shows surprising evidence of the descending tectonic plate. Analyses show that magnesium atoms are somehow drawn out of the crust, deep below the surface.

Eastern U.S. needs ‘connectivity’ to help species escape climate change

map showing different migration scenarios across US

A new study has found that only 2 percent of the eastern U.S. provides the kind of climate connectivity required by species that will likely need to migrate, compared to 51 percent of the western U.S.

June 9, 2016

2016 Awards of Excellence recognize campus, community contributions

Golden medal for awards of excellence on purple ribbon

The University of Washington recognized and honored faculty, staff, students and alumni for their passion and dedication to the UW, the local community, the state and the world. The 46th-annual Awards of Excellence ceremony took place at Meany Hall on Thursday, June 9, 2016.

Jerry Franklin named 2016’s ‘Eminent Ecologist’ by leading ecological group

Jerry Franklin, far right, teaches a class in the forest.

The Ecological Society of America has named University of Washington professor Jerry Franklin its “Eminent Ecologist” of 2016. The award, considered the organization’s most prestigious accolade, honors a senior ecologist who has made significant, long-standing contributions to the field of ecology.

June 8, 2016

US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to speak at UW’s 141st Commencement Saturday

More than 5,600 graduates, along with 40,000-plus family members, friends, faculty and other observers, are expected to attend the 141st University of Washington commencement ceremonies June 11 at Husky Stadium. UW President Ana Mari Cauce will preside as more than 12,500 degrees are conferred, including more than 7,700 bachelor’s degrees, more than 3,500 master’s degrees, more than 500 professional degrees, 11 educational specialist degrees and more than 740 doctoral degrees. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, a 1978 graduate of the UW…

June 6, 2016

See, hear and study the deep sea: Ocean Observatories Initiative data now live

Data is now streaming from the deep sea, thanks to an observatory installed in this region by the University of Washington as part of a larger National Science Foundation initiative to usher in a new age of oceanographic research.

June 3, 2016

Finding connections to nature in cities is key to healthy urban living

The authors of a Science perspective piece discuss the growing tension between an arguably necessary role urban areas play in society and the numbing, even debilitating, aspects of cities that disconnect humans from the natural world.

June 1, 2016

UW to host June 14 conference on marijuana policy

City and state officials, entrepreneurs, attorneys and others will come together June 14 for a daylong conference at the University of Washington on the future of marijuana policy in the state. The event, co-hosted by the Cannabis Law and Policy Project and UW Professional & Continuing Education, will be held at the UW School of Law and feature 30-plus speakers. The day aims to provide a comprehensive look at current and future regulations governing the retail and medical marijuana industries…

May 31, 2016

Gov. Inslee appoints UW undergrad Austin Wright-Pettibone as new student regent

New student regent Austin-Wright-Pettibone

Gov. Jay Inslee named Austin Wright-Pettibone as the next student member of the University of Washington Board of Regents for the 2016-17 school year. Wright-Pettibone, a Kirkland native, is an undergraduate studying chemical engineering and becomes the first undergraduate since 2008 to be selected as the UW’s student regent. He graduated from Inglemoor High School in 2012. In 2015, through his role as director of ASUW’s office of government relations, he lobbied state lawmakers in Olympia to lower Washington’s four-year college tuition. “Austin has…

Tiny probe could produce big improvements in batteries and fuel cells

image of nanoscale details seen by probe

A team led by University of Washington engineers has developed a new tool that could aid in the quest for better batteries and fuel cells. Although battery technology has come a long way since Alessandro Volta first stacked metal discs in a “voltaic pile” to generate electricity, major improvements are still needed to meet the energy challenges of the future, such as powering electric cars and storing renewable energy cheaply and efficiently. The key likely lies in the nanoscale, said…

May 30, 2016

Deep, old water explains why Antarctic Ocean hasn’t warmed

The waters surrounding Antarctica may be one of the last places on Earth to experience human-driven climate change, because of its unique ocean currents.

May 27, 2016

UW researchers illuminate ways to heal defects in solar cells

Electrical energy fuels our modern lives, from the computer screen that keeps us up after sunset to the coffee maker that greets us at sunrise. But the electricity underlying our 21st century world, by and large, is generated at a cost — through the unsustainable expenditure of fossil fuels. For decades this demand for cheap, fast and non-renewable electricity has promoted pollution and global warming. The key to reversing this downward spiral is deleting the “non” in “non-renewable electricity.” In…

May 24, 2016

Jennifer Cohen appointed athletic director at the UW

UW President Ana Mari Cauce announced Tuesday that after a four-month national search, Jennifer Cohen, senior associate athletic director at the University of Washington, who has been serving as the interim athletic director since January, has been named the UW’s new athletic director, effective June 1. “I am very pleased to announce Jen’s appointment,” said Cauce. “She has all the skills and energy to provide exceptional leadership for Husky athletics. Her years of experience leading its fundraising program, along with…

May 23, 2016

Study shows disparities in treatment for children with traumatic brain injuries

Children who suffer traumatic brain injuries can face a difficult road to recovery, requiring services such as physical therapy and mental health treatment for months or years to get their young lives back on track. When those children come from low-income households with limited English proficiency, there can be significant barriers in getting them the care they need. A recent University of Washington study found that less than 20 percent of rehabilitation providers in the state accepted Medicaid and also…

May 20, 2016

Lingcod meet rockfish: Catching one improves chances for the other

In a new study, scientists found that selectively fishing for lingcod in protected areas actually avoided hampering the recovery of other fish, including rockfish species listed as overfished.

Jerry Baldasty named provost at UW, following 14 months as interim provost

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce today named Jerry Baldasty provost and executive vice president, following a 14-month term as interim provost. The appointment is to a three-year term, effective June 1, 2016, subject to approval by the Board of Regents. “Jerry’s excellence as a scholar and teacher, as well as a seasoned administrative leader, makes him the ideal person to serve as UW’s chief academic and budgetary officer,” said Cauce. “The Provost oversees the challenging and crucial work…

Bacteria in branches naturally fertilize trees

Young poplar and willow trees along the Snoqualmie River.

A University of Washington team has demonstrated that poplar trees growing in rocky, inhospitable terrain harbor bacteria within them that could provide valuable nutrients to help the plant grow.

May 19, 2016

Rickey L. Hall named vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and chief diversity officer at the UW

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce and Interim Provost Jerry Baldasty announced today the selection of Rickey L. Hall as the new vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and Chief Diversity Officer, effective Aug. 1, 2016.

Appeal of ‘genetic puzzles’ leads to National Medal of Science for UW’s Mary-Claire King

In a White House ceremony May 19, President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Science to Mary-Claire King, University of Washington professor of genome sciences and medicine. The award, the nation’s highest recognition for scientific achievement, honors King’s more than 40 years dedicated to research in evolution and the genetics of human disease, as well as to teaching and outreach endeavors that have supported human rights efforts on six continents and reunited families.

UW to host first of four White House public workshops on artificial intelligence

From self-driving vehicles to social robots, artificial intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace, creating vast opportunities as well as complex challenges. Recognizing that, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is co-hosting four public workshops on artificial intelligence — the first of them May 24 at the University of Washington. Subsequent events will take place in Washington, D.C.; in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and in New York City. Put on by the UW School of Law and the UW…

Poet Alice Fulton to give 53rd annual Roethke Reading May 27

Poet Alice Fulton is shown -- she will give the University of Washington's 53rd Roethke Reading on May 27 in Room 130 of Kane Hall.

Poet and author Alice Fulton will give the 53rd annual Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading at 8 p.m. Friday, May 27, in Room 130 of Kane Hall, also known as the Roethke Auditorium. The event is free and the public is invited.

Using static electricity, insect-sized flying robots can land and stick to surfaces

A new study co-authored by a University of Washington mechanical engineer demonstrates how flying insect-sized robots can land and stick to surfaces, which conserves energy and extends flight times.