The University of Washington has again earned a prestigious recognition for the impact and importance of the connections faculty, students and staff have with local, regional and global communities.
January 12, 2026
The latest news from the UW
January 9, 2026
Arboretum Foundation and UW Botanic Gardens unite after decades of partnership
The Arboretum Foundation and the University of Washington Botanic Gardens will combine operations under a single nonprofit organization: Seattle Botanic Gardens.
The vast majority of US rivers lack any protections from human activities, new research finds
Rivers cover more than 4 million miles of the U.S., but protections for rivers are piecemeal, accounting for less than 20% of total river length and varying widely by region, shows a new study co-led by the University of Washington.
January 8, 2026
UW researchers analyzed which anthologized writers and books get checked out the most from Seattle Public Library
UW researchers analyzed the checkout data from the last 20 years of the 93 authors included in the post-1945 volume of “The Norton Anthology of American Literature,” which is assigned in U.S. English classes more than any other anthology. Sci-fi was especially popular.
December 23, 2025
Jason Campbell named UW chief financial officer and senior vice president for finance, planning and budgeting
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones and Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Jason Campbell will become the chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance, planning and budgeting effective Jan. 1.
December 22, 2025
ArtSci Roundup: January
Come curious. Leave inspired. For those near and far, we invite you to start the year with us through a range of events, performances, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. In addition, sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time Podcast: Frequencies: The Henry’s Audio Companion (Henry Art Gallery) Frequencies is a creative audio project where a cohort of artists, writers, and community members are invited to contribute sonic responses to the…
December 19, 2025
AGU recognizes five UW researchers in the College of the Environment
The American Geophysical Union honored five University of Washington faculty and researchers from the departments of Earth and space sciences and atmospheric and climate science this week for their valuable researcher contributions.
December 17, 2025
Saturn’s biggest moon might not have a global ocean — but the search for life isn’t over
More than a decade ago, data from the Cassini mission to Saturn suggested that the planet’s largest moon, Titan, had a vast ocean of liquid water below its frozen surface. In a new study, UW researchers teamed up with NASA scientists to show that the interior is likely composed of slushy layers instead.
December 16, 2025
Q&A: From ‘mongoose-like’ to lions, tigers and bears (oh my) — how changes in Earth’s climate shaped carnivorans
New research led by the University of Washington suggests that two different climate transitions millions of years ago fueled the diversification of carnivoran body plans.
Video: Drivers struggle to multitask when using dashboard touch screens, study finds
New research from the UW and the Toyota Research Institute explores how drivers trade off between cognitive tasks, driving and using the vehicle’s touch screen. Researchers placed participants in a driving simulator and had them complete memory tests while interacting with the simulator’s touch screen.
December 15, 2025
Households using more of the most popular WIC food benefits stay in the program longer, UW study finds
The WIC program provides families food in specific categories. New research finds that households who redeem more of their benefits in the most popular food categories are more likely to remain in the program long-term.
December 11, 2025
AI can pick up cultural values by mimicking how kids learn
A new University of Washington study suggests that AI could learn cultural values by observing human behavior, similar to how children learn by watching and interacting with adults. Researchers had AI systems observe two cultural groups playing a video game. The AI systems were able to learn each group’s degree of altruism and apply this to a new situation.
December 10, 2025
Social media highlights: UW News 2025
This year, the UW News social media team shared stories from the University of Washington community with reporters, news outlets and our social media followers. We also promoted special events happening around campus. Here are some of favorite moments from 2025. Welcome President Jones! The Board of Regents named Robert J. Jones the 34th President of the UW. Jones visited campus a few days later and talked about his excitement to join the University. Snow days on campus Students took…
December 9, 2025
AI headphones automatically learn who you’re talking to — and let you hear them better
Researchers at the UW have developed AI-powered headphones that automatically isolate conversation partners in a noisy soundscape. The system employs AI models that listen for the back-and-forth pattern of conversation and mute voices that aren’t following the established rhythm.
December 3, 2025
Video: The UW’s 2025 storytelling highlights
Choosing highlights from 2025 for a video roundup is a tough task. UW video producers meet students, faculty and community members during some of the most exciting moments of their lives — from earning a degree to finding answers that will impact the world.
Social media research tool can reduce polarization — it could also lead to more user control over algorithms
A web-based method was shown to mitigate political polarization on X by nudging antidemocratic and extremely negative partisan posts lower in a user’s feed. The tool, which is independent of the platform, has the potential to give users more say over what they see on social media.
November 26, 2025
Los Angeles wildfires prompted significantly more virtual medical visits, UW-led research finds
Research led by the University of Washington and Kaiser Permanente Southern California sheds new light on how the 2025 Los Angeles fires affected people’s health, and how people navigated the health care system during an emergency.
Counting salmon is a breeze with airborne eDNA
In a new study, University of Washington researchers collected salmon DNA in air filters near a stream, showing that eDNA can move between air and water, a possibility scientists hadn’t accounted for that opens new avenues for monitoring aquatic species.
November 25, 2025
In a new documentary, UW researchers investigate when Greenland was ice-free
“The Memory of Darkness, Light and Ice” — a documentary film featuring Eric Steig, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences — tells the story of a U.S. military and research base established in Greenland during the Cold War, and how the samples collected there are driving modern climate science. The film is now available on YouTube, Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list includes 56 UW faculty and researchers
The University of Washington is proud to announce that 56 faculty and researchers who completed their work while at UW have been named on the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list from Clarivate.
November 24, 2025
Traumatic events in communities can make organizations more risk-averse
A new study from Abhinav Gupta, professor of management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, reveals that traumatic events can significantly dampen organizational risk-taking.T he findings challenge the long-standing view that decision-makers are largely rational, emotionless actors. The research instead shows that emotional experiences in the broader community can spill over into the workplace.
November 21, 2025
Sharper, straighter, stiffer, stronger: Male green hermit hummingbirds have bills evolved for fighting
The green hermit hummingbird, which lives primarily in mountain forests of Central and South America, fights to win a mate. New research found that these fights have shaped the species’ evolution, yielding significant differences in bill shape for male and female green hermits.
November 18, 2025
$10M gift from Charles and Lisa Simonyi establishes AI@UW to advance artificial intelligence and emerging technologies
The University of Washington today announced a foundational $10 million gift from philanthropists Charles and Lisa Simonyi to support groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
November 17, 2025
Hasoni Pratts named chief of staff to the president
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones today appointed Hasoni Pratts to the position of Chief of Staff to the President. In this pivotal leadership role, Pratts will serve as a senior advisor to the President and play a critical role in advancing the university’s strategic priorities and institutional goals.
November 14, 2025
ArtSci Roundup: December
Come curious. Leave inspired. For those near and far, we invite you to end the year with us through a range of events, performances, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. As you begin to shape your December plans, don’t miss the inspiring events still to come this November. In addition, sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time Henry Art Gallery Exhibitions Closing in January: Christine Sun Kim: Ghost(ed) Notes Influenced by…
University of Washington announces outside review of student conduct policies and procedures
The University of Washington will engage an outside firm to review its student conduct policies and procedures and make recommendations for improvements, President Robert J. Jones announced today.
November 13, 2025
Carbon-rich waters are becoming even more acidic as atmospheric CO2 levels rise
The Northeastern Pacific Ocean is becoming more acidic faster than other oceans as the water absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and natural processes feed carbon dioxide up from the deep. The rate of CO2 accumulation is outpacing atmospheric rises and driving acidity to new extremes.
November 10, 2025
People mirror AI systems’ hiring biases, study finds
In a new UW study, 528 participants worked with simulated AI systems to select job candidates. The researchers simulated different levels of racial biases for resumes from white, Black, Hispanic and Asian men. Without suggestions, participants’ choices exhibited little bias. But when provided with recommendations, participants mirrored the AI’s biases.
November 6, 2025
Space dust reveals Arctic ice conditions before satellite imaging
A new University of Washington-led study shows that space dust sandwiched between layers of sediment tells scientists where and when ice covered the Arctic, and what happened to marine life when it disappeared.
November 5, 2025
The chilling effect of air pollution
New University of Washington-led research attributes accelerated warming to reduced cloud reflectivity. As efforts to improve air quality have reduced pollution, clouds became less mirror-like, letting more solar radiation reach Earth and revealing the true impact of greenhouse gases.
November 3, 2025
UW-led study links wildfire smoke to increased odds of preterm birth
In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.
October 30, 2025
Washington residents make up nearly three-fourths of incoming class as enrollment increases across all three UW campuses
Total enrollment is up across all three University of Washington campuses for the 2025-26 academic year, according to the annual census count released this month. Each year, the UW conducts an official enrollment count after the start of the fall quarter. The total number of students across all three campuses is 63,727. Enrollment increased 1.1% to 52,316 at the UW’s Seattle campus, up from 51,719 in 2024. Total enrollment at UW Bothell jumped to 6,361 students, up 4.7% from 2024….
Video: Halloween concert highlights spooky organ classics
Stephen Price, artist in residence and head of organ studies at the University of Washington, will be joined by students and colleagues on Friday, Oct. 31, to perform a concert of spooky organ classics and Halloween fun.
$7.1 million commitment from Hawaii businessman and philanthropist expands Tech and IP programs in the UW School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law has received a $7.1 million commitment from Honolulu-based real estate investor Jay H. Shidler to augment the technology and intellectual property programs at the UW School of Law. The gift, which will be realized over the next 10 years, cements the School of Law’s global reputation in the fields of technology and intellectual property (IP) law. “Our students and faculty are enriched by the generosity of Jay Shidler and his commitment to supporting innovations…
October 29, 2025
Statewide effort to put more whole grains on shelves and plates gets $19 million boost
The public-private partnership led by Washington State University with support from the UW targets a global health problem: the lack of whole grains in people’s diets, which contributes to widespread health problems.
Annual symposium pushes the UW, and Seattle, to forefront of space diplomacy
The 2025 Space Diplomacy Symposium at the University of Washington will be held on Nov. 7. The annual symposium, which brings together experts from across the world, aims to center diplomacy in civilian, commercial and military space activities.
October 28, 2025
All aboard: UW researchers bring expertise to inaugural ocean week events
In the wake of One Ocean Week Seattle, participating University of Washington researchers share highlights, connecting the week’s events to ongoing efforts to understand and protect marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
October 22, 2025
New ‘liquid metal’ composite material enables recyclable, flexible and reconfigurable electronics
Researchers at the UW have created a recyclable, flexible and self-healing composite material that could replace traditional circuit boards in future generations of wearable electronics.
October 21, 2025
Amazon launches AI PhD Fellowship program with UW
The University of Washington is one of nine universities to receive two years of funding from Amazon’s new AI PhD Fellowship program, which was announced on Tuesday. The UW will receive $2.2 million over two years, with total funding across all universities reaching nearly $10 million annually.
October 20, 2025
Canopy Foundation makes $15M grant to establish Neurodiversity and Employment Institute at the UW
The Canopy Neurodiversity Foundation awarded a $15 million grant to the University of Washington Information School to support the launch of the UW Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment.