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The latest news from the UW

New funding supports growth of Canadian Studies Program, Foreign Language and Area Studies

Two grants from the U.S. Department of Education International and Foreign Language Education office will allow the Canadian Studies Center at the University of Washington to award eight to 10 fellowships each year to students studying French or an Indigenous language spoken in Canada.

What’s in a name? Sometimes, the climate

By analyzing records from the U.S. Social Security Administration, two scientists at the University of Washington and Ohio University have discovered that the popularity of certain month and season names for girls varies by geographic region in the continental United States. The name April dominates monthly names in southern states where spring arrives early in the year. June is more popular in northern states where spring blooms later. Autumn is also more prevalent in the northern U.S., a region known for its brilliant fall foliage.

May 25, 2023

ArtSci Roundup: Jazz Performance, Art Thesis Exhibition, Book Club Readings and more

This week, head to Meany Hall for music performances, get inspired by the fine arts and design student’s work at the Henry Art Gallery, hear Dean Dianne Harris’ favorite summer reads and more. May 27 – June 25 | 2023 University of Washington MFA + MDes Thesis Exhibition, Henry Art Gallery North Galleries The Henry Art Gallery will present the UW’s School of Art + Art History + Design Master of Fine Arts and Master of Design thesis exhibition. Throughout their…

Q&A: UW polar bear expert appears in BBC-produced film about the Arctic

Polar scientist Eric Regehr studies polar bears on Wrangel Island, an island off Russia that is home to the highest concentration of polar bears in the world. Regehr and UW glaciologist Ian Joughin will field audience questions after screenings of “Arctic: Our Frozen Planet,” which focuses on the changing Arctic environment.

May 19, 2023

ArtSci Roundup: The Wolves play, Indigenous Writing and Storytelling Series, International Security Colloquium, Chamber Music Performances and more

This week, head to Meany Hall for UW Sings presented by University Singers, Treble Choir and UW Glee Club, explore the CHID Thesis Symposium created by current undergraduates, enjoy Chamber Music performances and more.

May 18, 2023

Out of the frying pan: Coyotes, bobcats move into human-inhabited areas to avoid apex predators — only to be killed by people

New research shows that in Washington state, the presence of two apex predators — wolves and cougars — does indeed help keep populations of two smaller predators in check. But by and large the apex predators were not killing and eating the smaller predators, known as mesopredators. Instead, they drove the two mesopredator species — bobcats and coyotes — into areas with higher levels of human activity. And people were finishing the job.

May 17, 2023

DO-IT Center celebrates 30 years of championing students with disabilities, building community

A decade ago, Dustine Bowker went to a pizza party at the Husky Union Building.

Then a junior at Roosevelt High School in Seattle, Bowker, who identifies as being on the autism spectrum, came to the University of Washington to learn about a program designed to help people like him. He had to learn to recognize social cues, he said, and adapt to fit into many situations.

May 11, 2023

UW, partners celebrate the groundbreaking of new U District Station Building

The University of Washington joined Lincoln Property Company, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation and Sound Transit on May 10 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new University District Station Building, along with local officials, community leaders and neighbors. The 266,000-square-foot office building resting above the University District light rail station will feature ground-floor retail and amenities, office space and a rooftop terrace.

May 5, 2023

UW immunologist, mathematician among newly elected National Academy of Sciences members

Two University of Washington faculty members have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2023: Philip Greenberg, professor of medicine and of immunology at the UW, as well as the Rona Jaffe Foundation Endowed Chair at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and head of the Program in Immunology in its Clinical Research Division; and Gunther Uhlmann, the Robert R. and Elaine F. Phelps Endowed Professor in Mathematics at the UW.

ArtSci Roundup: Censorship and Modern Chinese Literature, Faculty Recital, Writing from the War in Ukraine and more

This week, attend the lecture on censorship and modern Chinese literature, learn ways to assist community building in the face of long-haul trans survival, join in on the Indigenous writing and storytelling series and more.

April 27, 2023

Video: Tiny, fierce hummingbirds are also an evolutionary delight for UW, Burke researcher

Many of us are familiar with the hummingbirds that visit feeders, plants and gardens around us. But these small creatures are unusual in the ways they push the limits of biology, says Alejandro Rico-Guevara, UW assistant professor biology and curator of ornithology at the Burke Museum. He and his students study hummingbirds and other birds that drink nectar.  “I think what really caught my attention is their personality – how they can be so fierce and so bold despite being…

April 21, 2023

ArtSci Roundup: Public Lectures, Art Exhibitions, Music Project Festival and more

This week, attend the annual Schiedel Lecture, learn about the transactional relationship between mental health research and care, enjoy the Improvised Music Project Festival held by UW students and faculty and more. April 25, 6:00 – 7:30 PM | 2023 Scheidel Lecture: How We Create Time Through Communication with Dr. Dawna Ballard, Kane Hall A long-standing tradition since 1998, this event honors Professor Thomas Scheidel’s lifetime of scholarship, teaching, and academic leadership by bringing distinguished scholars to the UW Department of…

April 18, 2023

Q&A: County-scale climate mapping tool helps Washington agencies prepare for the future

The UW Climate Impacts Group created an interactive tool that lets state agencies and local governments see what climate scientists project for their county and what they might want to consider when developing their districts’ comprehensive plans through 2100.

April 14, 2023

ArtSci RoundUp: Learn Korean through K-Pop, Discussions on Public University Prospects, Poetry Lecture and more

This week, explore the idea of reconstructed public universities with Christopher Newfield, engage with leaders from the Makah Nation in Washington State on exercising sovereignty, discover the singer in you by learning Korean through K-Pop, and more. April 18, 5:30 PM | HU Tai-Li Memorial Lecture and Film Screening with Scott Simon, Burke Museum The UW Taiwan Studies Arts & Culture Program is honored to host a memorial film screening and lecture honoring Dr. HU Tai-Li. In memory of Dr….

April 13, 2023

Africa’s grassy habitats emerged 10+ million years earlier than previously thought

A pair of studies published April 14 in the journal Science paint a new picture about apes, ancient Africa and the origins of humans. Many scientists had once hypothesized that the first apes to evolve in Africa more than 20 million years ago ate primarily fruit and lived within the thick, closed canopy of a nearly continent-wide forest ecosystem. Instead, the new research indicates that early apes ate a leafy diet in a more arid ecosystem of varyingly open woodlands with abundant grasses.

April 10, 2023

Warm liquid spewing from Oregon seafloor comes from Cascadia fault, could offer clues to earthquake hazards

UW oceanographers discovered warm, chemically distinct liquid shooting up from the seafloor about 50 miles off Newport. They named the unique underwater spring “Pythia’s Oasis.” Observations suggest the spring is sourced from water 2.5 miles beneath the seafloor at the plate boundary, regulating stress on the offshore subduction zone fault.

Beyond Trump — UW political scientists on the legacy of the indictment on the U.S. presidency

The indictment of former President Trump isn’t just about an individual but about the office of the presidency, and what the country is willing to accept from its leaders, say University of Washington political scientists James Long and Victor Menaldo,

April 6, 2023

National and local leaders convene at UW for discussion of CHIPS and Science Act, investing in scientific discovery

Leaders from Washington higher education institutions met with national policymakers April 4 to discuss opportunities provided by the CHIPS and Science Act. U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene and National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited the University of Washington campus to talk about the legislation, which provides more than $100 billion to fund scientific research and workforce training. The UW and other Washington colleges and universities are poised to receive funds from the CHIPS and Science Act to invest in chip…