UW News
The latest news from the UW
July 2, 2020
Commencement, UW’s biggest celebration, reimagined as an online event
Sara Griggs describes how the UW Office of Ceremonies moved its biggest event online for the unique circumstances of the quarantine restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tag(s): Commencement • COVID-19 • Office of Student lifeJuly 1, 2020
University of Washington releases finalized Sustainability Action Plan
The Sustainability Action Plan includes five guiding principles and 10 measurable targets along with annual actions to reach those targets. Each year, the UW will evaluate the immediate actions needed over the next fiscal year to respond to changing realities and needs across our campuses.
Tag(s): UW SustainabilityJune 30, 2020
UW EarthLab and The Nippon Foundation launch Ocean Nexus Center
The University of Washington and The Nippon Foundation today announced the launch of the Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Center, an interdisciplinary research group at the UW that studies changes, responses and solutions to societal issues that emerge in relationship with the oceans. The Center will bring uncompromised, critical voices to policy and public conversations to enable research and studies equaling $32.5 million spread over 10 years.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • EarthLab • Ocean Nexus Center • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs • Yoshitaka Ota
UW, Public Health – Seattle & King County responding to coronavirus cases in Greek system
Several dozen students living in fraternity houses north of the University of Washington’s campus have tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
Tag(s): COVID-19June 29, 2020
ArtSci Roundup: Drop-in meditation session, Jacob Lawrence Vimeo channel, and more
During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Drop-in…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Center for Child and Family Well-Being • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Department of Political Science • Henry Art Gallery • Jacob Lawrence Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • Simpson Center for the Humanities
Trouble paying medical bills can lead to longer episodes of homelessness, new study shows
A new University of Washington study of people experiencing homelessness in King County finds that unpaid medical bills were their primary source of debt, and that debt extended their period of homelessness by an average of two years.
Tag(s): Amy Hagopian • population health • School of Public Health
UW Tacoma’s Eric Madfis explores curbing school violence in new book
A talk with Eric Madfis of UW Tacoma about his new book “How to Stop School Rampage Killing: Lessons from Averted Mass Shootings and Bombings,” published this spring by Palgrave MacMillan.
Tag(s): Eric Madfis • UW TacomaJune 25, 2020
Sleep improving for university students under stay-at-home orders
In a study published June 10 in Current Biology, a team from the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Washington reports that a group of students at CU Boulder generally got more sleep after widespread stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines were put into place in mid-March.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • COVID-19 • COVID-19 studies • Department of Biology • Horacio de la Iglesia • population health
Soundbites: UW public health experts on benefits of face coverings
Beginning June 26, face coverings will be required statewide in Washington. Hilary Godwin, dean of the UW School of Public Health, offers some practical information about using masks to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • Hilary Godwin • School of Public HealthJune 24, 2020
ArtSci Roundup: Drop-in Meditation Session, Meany Center Virtual Programming, and more
During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Drop-in…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Center for Child and Family Well-Being • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Jacob Lawrence Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Music • South Asia Center • UW Alumni Association
Puget Sound eelgrass beds create a ‘halo’ with fewer harmful algae, new method shows
Genetic clues show that eelgrass growing underwater along Puget Sound shorelines is associated with fewer of the single-celled algae that produce harmful toxins in shellfish. The evidence shows this effect extends 45 feet beyond the edge of the eelgrass bed.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Ryan Kelly • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
Study asks Washington state residents to describe food security and access during pandemic, economic downturn
A new online survey for Washington state residents has launched to gather data on how the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn have affected food access and economic security. The Washington State Food Security Survey, which went live June 18 and runs through July 31, is open to all Washington state residents aged 18 or over.
Tag(s): Adam Drewnowski • COVID-19 • COVID-19 studies • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Department of Epidemiology • Jennifer Otten • population health • School of Public Health
Videos: If you fish the Duwamish in Seattle, better eat the salmon — Comer el salmón, Ăn cá hồi, បរិភោគត្រីសាម៉ុង — and here’s how
It could take another generation before resident fish in the heavily polluted Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle will be safe to eat. Yet many fishers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds continue to fish the 5-mile stretch of river for fun, cultural connections and food even as cleanup of this designated Superfund site continues….
Tag(s): Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • population health • School of Public Health • Superfund Research Program • Thomas Burbacher
UW podcasts: EarthLab, Canadian Studies, Nancy Bell Evans Center, UW Bothell — and a book featured in Times Literary Supplement
A quick look at several UW-produced podcasts, from benevolent marketing to Arctic geopolitics — and a classics professor’s work being featured in a podcast produced by the Times Literary Supplement.
Tag(s): Canadian Studies Center • Christopher Schell • Department of Classics • EarthLab • Ellen Ahlness • Erica Mills Barnhart • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Jackson School of International Studies • Jennifer Atkinson • Julie Masura • Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy • Robin Evans-Agnew • Sarah Levin-Richardson • UW Bothell • UW TacomaJune 23, 2020
UW’s K-8 reading program saw record numbers during COVID-19
When schools closed because of the coronavirus, Real Dawgs Read, a UW program that asks kids to read 30 minutes a day over 30 separate days, was there to fill the gap. During a special session between March 25 and June 5, it experienced its highest level of participation — with 3,240 readers taking part.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • Trademarks and Licensing
Students create videos, capping new UW class on music as a form of protest
With the nation debating its response to COVID-19 and witnessing protests against racial injustice and police violence, undergraduate students enrolled in “Visual Anthropology of Protest Music” examined how communities use music to share their lived experiences and confront oppression.
Tag(s): Department of Anthropology • Graham Pruss
Laser allows solid-state refrigeration of a semiconductor material
A team from the University of Washington used an infrared laser to cool a solid semiconductor by at least 20 degrees C, or 36 F, below room temperature, as they report in a paper published June 23 in Nature Communications.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Materials Science & Engineering • Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems • Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute • Peter Pauzauskie
75% of US workers can’t work exclusively from home, face greater risks during pandemic
About three-quarters of U.S. workers, or 108 million people, are in jobs that cannot be done from home during a pandemic, putting these workers at increased risk of exposure to disease. This majority of workers are also at higher risk for other job disruptions such as layoffs, furloughs or hours reductions, a University of Washington…
Tag(s): COVID-19 studies • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Marissa Baker • population health • School of Public HealthJune 22, 2020
Amid pandemic, UW School of Social Work’s Project Connect provides opportunities for students to learn, serve community
The UW School of Social Work’s Project Connect supports 15 different research and outreach endeavors, all oriented specifically around community needs during COVID-19.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • Eddie Uehara • Emiko Tajima • Indigenous Wellness Research Institute • Karina Walters • Margaret Spearmon • population health • Rachel Wrenn • School of Social WorkJune 18, 2020
University of Washington issues COVID-19 face covering policy
The University of Washington has issued a face covering policy for all university personnel, students, staff, contractors and visitors who are on campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reminder, only employees designated as critical can be working in-person and only at the direction of their supervisor.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • UW Medicine
ArtSci Roundup: Meany Center sets the stage, Henry Art Gallery’s Viewpoints closes soon, and more
During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Drop-in…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Baltic Studies Program • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Comparative History of Ideas Program • Department of Anthropology • Department of Dance • Department of Gender Women and Sexuality Studies • Department of History • Department of Political Science • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • paleontology • School of Drama • UW Alumni AssociationJune 17, 2020
UW book notes: Physician Morhaf Al Achkar publishes memoir ‘Being Authentic’; Lambda Literary award for UW Tacoma’s Emily Thuma
UW family physician Morhaf Al Achkar publishes memoir “Being Authentic,” and a Lambda Literary award goes to UW Tacoma’s Emily Thuma.
Tag(s): Emily Thuma • Morhaf Al Achkar • UW Medicine • UW Tacoma
Virtual classes offer fitness and mindfulness at home
Fitness, dance and mindfulness instructors are teaching virtual classes in light of COVID-19 closures, part of UW Recreation’s effort to make its activities accessible while people are physically distancing during the pandemic.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • Danny Arguetty • Jeff Palmer • Karen Cornelio • The Whole U • UW Recreation
Is the air getting cleaner during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Using air quality data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors across the U.S., a UW-led team looked for changes in two common pollutants over the course of 2020.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • COVID-19 • COVID-19 studies • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Julian Marshall • population healthJune 16, 2020
UW reinvents summer research, internships during COVID-19
The COVID-19 Clearinghouse at UW Law is just one of the ways that faculty and staff across the university have revamped summer research internships and worked with outside partners and employers to involve students in a remote working environment, even for jobs that would normally be out in the field.
Tag(s): Anne Lund • Christine Cimini • College of the Environment • COVID-19 • Elana Matt • Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean • Julie Keister • P. Sean McDonald • Randie Bundy • School of Law • School of Oceanography • School of Public Health • Washington Sea Grant
Mathematics professor Tatiana Toro honored by Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute
The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute has named UW mathematics professor Tatiana Toro the recipient of its 2020 Blackwell-Tapia Prize.
Tag(s): Department of Mathematics • Tatiana ToroJune 13, 2020
Video: UW’s 145th commencement is held virtually
More than 18,000 new University of Washington graduates were recognized in a first-ever online ceremony Saturday, June 13. All three UW campuses held a joint event that was broadcast around the globe and watched by thousands of graduates and their families in more than 40 countries.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Commencement
Soundbites & B-roll: UW’s 2020 virtual commencement
More than 18,000 new University of Washington graduates were recognized in a first-ever online ceremony Saturday. All three UW campuses held a joint event that was broadcast around the globe and watched by thousands of graduates and their families in more than 40 countries.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • CommencementJune 11, 2020
UW Regents approve 2020-21 budget as University faces financial challenges from COVID-19
The University of Washington Board of Regents on Thursday approved the University’s 2020-21 budget, which seeks to continue prioritizing its academic mission while also responding to the financial pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UW’s 145th commencement to be held virtually on Saturday
For the first time in the University of Washington’s 159-year history, two commencement ceremonies are planned for this year’s graduates. The first ceremony, broadcast worldwide on the internet, is scheduled for Saturday at noon. The second ceremony is planned for spring 2021 at Husky Stadium.
Tag(s): Commencement
ArtSci Roundup: Re/Frame with Henry Art Gallery, Mindfulness practices, and more
During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online. Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Re/frame:…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Scandinavian Studies • Henry Art Gallery • School of Art + Art History + Design • UW Alumni Association • UW Daily
UW removes standardized testing requirement for incoming students beyond fall 2021
The University of Washington has removed the requirement of standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT, for incoming students beyond the fall of 2021. The requirement had already been temporarily removed for the fall 2021 incoming class due to the lack of available testing sites in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Scientists close in on 12 billion-year-old signal from the end of the universe’s ‘dark age’
When the universe was in its infancy, it contained no stars at all. And an international team of scientists is closer than ever to detecting, measuring and studying a signal from this era that has been traveling through the cosmos ever since that starless era ended some 13 billion years ago.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Miguel MoralesJune 10, 2020
Passing crucial, challenging introductory chemistry course gives biggest boost to underrepresented students
Researchers examined 15 years of records of student performance, education and demographics for chemistry courses at the University of Washington. They found that underrepresented students received lower grades in the general chemistry series compared to their peers and, if the grade was sufficiently low, were less likely to continue in the series and more likely to leave STEM. But if underrepresented students completed the first general chemistry course with at least the minimum grade needed to continue in the series, they were more likely than their peers to continue the general chemistry series and complete this major step toward a STEM degree.
Tag(s): Biology Education Research Group • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • Department of Chemistry • education • Scott FreemanJune 9, 2020
Health care workers march to protest racism as a public health risk
Thousands of doctors, nurses, health care workers and public health experts from the University of Washington and other medical institutions turned out in downtown Seattle on June 6 to demand an end to systemic racism and calling for police reform.
Tag(s): COVID-19
Volcanic activity and changes in Earth’s mantle were key to rise of atmospheric oxygen
Evidence from rocks billions of years old suggest that volcanoes played a key role in the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere of the early Earth.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • David Catling • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • geologyJune 8, 2020
Early childhood intervention programs may reap benefits across generations
New research from a decades-long study by the University of Washington and the University of Colorado shows long-term benefits from a program to prevent problem behaviors in children.
Tag(s): College of Education • David Hawkins • Marina Epstein • population health • Richard Catalano • Rick Kosterman • Robert Abbott • School of Social Work • Social Development Research GroupJune 5, 2020
ArtSci Roundup: School of Art + Art History + Design graduation exhibitions, [Here/Now] interview series, and more
During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Center for Child and Family Well-Being • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Dance • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Drama • School of MusicJune 4, 2020
UW guidelines helping to ramp up research safely during COVID-19
Mary Lidstrom, vice provost for research at the University of Washington, talks about the evolving picture of research at the UW in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tag(s): COVID-19 • Mary Lidstrom • Office of Research • population health • workplace safety
22 UW students receive Fulbright awards
Twenty-two UW students and alumni were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for the 2020-21 academic year, joining about 1,900 students and recent graduates from around the country to study and teach abroad, once and if international travel resumes.
Tag(s): Fulbright ProgramNext Page »
