UW News
The latest news from the UW
May 27, 2022
Critical race theory at center of UW study of unequal access to treatment for opioid addiction
Opioid use disorder is an addiction crisis in the United States that has become increasingly lethal during the COVID-19 pandemic. To preserve access to life-saving treatment during the pandemic, federal drug agencies loosened requirements on physicians for treating these patients, including moving patient evaluations away from in-person exams to telemedicine. This federal policy change focused…
Tag(s): Emily Williams • Health Systems and Population Health • Jessica Chen • population health • School of Medicine • School of Public HealthMay 26, 2022
With EcoCAR, UW students experience post-COVID camaraderie under the hood of a hybrid vehicle
With the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, UW students modified a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer to use electrification, advanced propulsion systems and automated vehicle technology. It’s an opportunity for students — across four years — to take a car from design to a consumer-ready product.
Tag(s): College of Engineering
Video: Alexes Harris draws attention to low representation of people of color in bone marrow registry
In 2016, Alexes Harris was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. But a search for a bone marrow donor turned up only five matches, and none ended up being a donor. People of color are underrepresented in the bone marrow registry; according to Be The Match, the nation’s largest bone marrow registry, white people have a 79% chance of finding a match. But a Black person’s potential match is only 29%, and Asian and Latinx people both have about a 47% chance. People of Native American ancestry have a 60% chance of finding a match.
Tag(s): Alexes Harris
ArtSci Roundup: DinoFest, UW Symphony and Concerto Competition Winners, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! DinoFest June 5, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Burke Museum Put on your pith helmets and head to the home of Washington’s only dinosaur discovery for the Burke Museum’s annual festival of fossils. During this museum-wide event, hear about groundbreaking research from…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts
Seattle democracy vouchers increase donations, number of candidates in city elections
A new study from Alan Griffith, assistant professor of economics at the University of Washington, shows that Seattle’s democracy voucher program has increased the number of voters donating to city elections and the number of candidates in those elections.
Tag(s): Alan Griffith • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of EconomicsMay 24, 2022
Video: Experts collaborate to troubleshoot necessary fires and harmful smoke
Forest fire smoke can make you sick, and we’re experiencing more them. In terms of public health, it seems logical to reduce forest fires to limit unhealthy air pollution, but forest managers are increasingly seeing prescribed burning as an essential tool to reduce explosive wildfires. How should we plan to deal with the impacts of these fires?
Tag(s): Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Savannah D'EvelynMay 23, 2022
Social cohesion found to be key risk factor in early COVID infections
A study by the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Washington shows how social connectedness in San Francisco neighborhoods was associated with COVID-19 infection rates.
Tag(s): Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Zack Almquist
‘I don’t even remember what I read’: People enter a ‘dissociative state’ when using social media
Researchers at the University of Washington wondered if people enter a state of dissociation when surfing social media, and if that explains why users might feel out of control after spending so much time on their favorite app.
Tag(s): Alexis Hiniker • Amanda Baughan • College of Engineering • Information School • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringMay 20, 2022
UW Fitness Day aims to strengthen community and bone marrow registry
The annual University of Washington Fitness Day returns as an in-person event on Monday, May 23. This year’s Fitness Day includes a fundraising and registration goal for Be The Match, the nation’s largest marrow-donor registry.
Tag(s): The Whole UMay 19, 2022
Q&A: Why discriminatory bias is a public health problem
Tony Greenwald, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington and creator of the Implicit Association Test, explains how public health strategies can help address unintended discrimination.
Tag(s): Anthony Greenwald • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Psychology
ArtSci Roundup: Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist: Heri Purwanto, School of Art + Art History + Design Graduation Exhibition & More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Gospel Choir May 23, 7:30 PM | Meany Hall Phyllis Byrdwell leads the 100-voice gospel choir in songs of praise, jubilation, and other expressions of the Gospel tradition. $10 | Buy tickets & more info Astronomy on Tap: Technology in Earth Orbit and…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing ArtsMay 17, 2022
UW Foster School of Business faculty to speak May 20 on improving employee well-being
On May 20, faculty experts from the University of Washington Foster School of Business will share their perspectives and research in a series of short talks: “Foster Insights: Creating Better Workplaces and Better Lives.”
Tag(s): Abhinav Gupta • Andrew Hafenbrack • Ann Schlosser • Foster School of Business • Ryan Fehr • Stacia Jones
25th-annual Undergraduate Research Symposium celebrates undergraduate discovery
The 25th annual University of Washington Undergraduate Research Symposium returns this year on May 20 with a hybrid format including both online and in-person presentations, following two years of online only events due to the COVID pandemic.
Tag(s): Undergraduate Academic Affairs • Undergraduate Research ProgramMay 13, 2022
‘Resistance Through Resilience’: Conference highlights compassion-based practices to interrupt racism
The seventh annual Center for Communication, Difference and Equity Conference, “Resistance Through Resilience,” will be held in collaboration with the University of Washington Resilience Lab.
Tag(s): Center for Communication Difference and Equity • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Communication • jas moultrie • Megan Kennedy • Ralina Joseph • Resilience LabMay 12, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: MFA Dance Concert, Passage, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Christina Fiig: Gender Policies in a Context of (Quasi) Permanent Crisis May 17, 12:00 PM | Online Join the Center for West European Studies and the Jean Monnet EU Center to continue the Talking Gender in the EU Lecture Series, with Christina Fiig…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Dance • DXARTS • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Drama • Select Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies • UW Women's Center
Simulation offers UW students practical experience in crisis negotiation
Robert Pekkanen, University of Washington professor in the Jackson School of International Studies, teaches Crisis Negotiation. The centerpiece of the course is the International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise (ISCNE), a negotiation simulation where students act as diplomatic teams facing a real-world crisis scenario.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Jackson School of International Studies • Robert Pekkanen
Changes in cholesterol production lead to tragic octopus death spiral
After a mother octopus lays a clutch of eggs, she quits eating and wastes away; by the time the eggs hatch, she is dead. Some females in captivity even seem to speed up this process intentionally, mutilating themselves and twisting their arms into a tangled mess. The source of this bizarre maternal behavior seems to be the optic gland, an organ similar to the pituitary gland in mammals. For years, just how this gland triggered the gruesome death spiral was unclear. But in a new study published May 12 in Current Biology, researchers from the University of Washington, the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago show that the optic gland in maternal octopuses undergoes a massive shift in cholesterol metabolism, resulting in dramatic changes in the steroid hormones produced. Alterations in cholesterol metabolism in other animals, including humans, can have serious consequences on longevity and behavior, and the team believes this reveals important similarities in the functions of these steroids across the animal kingdom — in soft-bodied cephalopods and vertebrates alike.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • Department of Psychology • Z Yan Wang
Smokers who switch to e-cigarettes may adopt other healthy routines
A University of Washington study of adult smokers finds that those who switch to vaping some or all of the time may adopt other healthy behaviors.
Tag(s): Marina Epstein • Rick Kosterman • School of Social Work • Social Development Research GroupMay 11, 2022
Faculty/staff honors in STEM mentoring, applied mathematics and Inuit languages
Recent recognition of the includes the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring for Joyce Yen, the election of J. Nathan Kutz as a Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics fellow and the recognition of Alexina Kublu with the 2022 Inuit Language Recognition Award.
Tag(s): Alexina Kublu • Bernard Deconinck • Canadian Studies Center • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Applied Mathematics • Eve Riskin • J. Nathan Kutz • Jackson School of International Studies • Joyce Yen • Nadine FabbiMay 9, 2022
Q&A: Exposing the anti-radical origins of anti-Asian racism
In his new book, University of Washington history professor Moon-Ho Jung traces how Asian radicals organized and confronted the U.S. empire and were labeled criminally seditious as a result.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies • Moon-Ho Jung • Simpson Center for the HumanitiesMay 7, 2022
Consensus approach proposed to protect human health from intentional and wild forest fires
All forest fire smoke is bad for people, but not all fires in forests are bad. This is the conundrum faced by experts in forest management and public health: Climate change and decades of fire suppression that have increased fuels are contributing to larger and more intense wildfires and, in order to improve forest health…
Tag(s): Claire Schollaert • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Edward Kasner • Ernesto Alvarado • Jennifer Krenz • Jihoon Jung • Joseph Wilkins • June Spector • Leah Wood • Paul Hessburg • R. Keala Hagmann • Savannah D'Evelyn • School of Environmental and Forest Sciences • School of Public Health • Susan PrichardMay 6, 2022
Model finds COVID-19 deaths among elderly may be due to genetic limit on cell division
Your immune system’s ability to combat COVID-19, like any infection, largely depends on its ability to replicate the immune cells effective at destroying the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease. These cloned immune cells cannot be infinitely created, and a key hypothesis of a new University of Washington study is that the body’s ability to…
Tag(s): COVID-19 • COVID-19 studies • James Anderson • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Four UW researchers elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2022
Four faculty members at the University of Washington have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2022: Elizabeth Buffalo, professor and chair of physiology and biophysics; Joseph Mougous, professor of microbiology; Dr. Jay Shendure, professor of genome sciences; and James Truman, professor emeritus of biology.
Tag(s): awards • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • Department of Genome Sciences • Department of Microbiology • Department of Neurobiology & Biophysics • Elizabeth Buffalo • Friday Harbor Laboratories • James Truman • Jay Shendure • Joseph Mougous • School of MedicineMay 5, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: Sacred Breath: Indigenous Writing and Storytelling Series, Stroum Lectures In Jewish Studies 2022: America’s Jewish Question, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture: Japanese Propaganda and the Power of Love: Mobilizing the Wartime Empire May 9, 6:30 PM | Kane Hall 225 Historians and cultural critics often identify “exploiting hate” as the primary affective mode of propaganda. Particularly in the context…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts
UW professors to participate in panel on recently removed Volunteer Park plaque
University of Washington professors Christoph Giebel, Vicente Rafael and Ileana M. Rodríguez-Silva will participate in a discussion on about a memorial plaque that was recently removed from Volunteer Park due to concerns about its accuracy.
Tag(s): Christoph Giebel • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Ileana Rodriguez-Silva • Jackson School of International Studies • Southeast Asia Center • Vicente RafaelMay 4, 2022
Astronomers discover a rare ’black widow’ binary, with the shortest orbit yet
The flashing of a nearby star drew the attention of a team of astronomers, who discovered that it is part of a rare and mysterious system. As they report in a paper published May 4 in Nature, the stellar oddity appears to be a “black widow binary” — a type of system consisting of a rapidly spinning neutron star, or pulsar, that is circling and slowly consuming a smaller companion star, as its arachnid namesake does to its mate.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • DIRAC Institute • Eric BellmMay 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.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Political Science • Sophia Jordán Wallace
Experiments measure freezing point of extraterrestrial oceans to aid search for life
A planetary scientist worked with engineers to measure the physical limits of a liquid for salty water under high pressure. Results suggest where robotic missions should look for extraterrestrial life on the ice-covered oceans of Jupiter’s moon Europa and Saturn’s moon Titan.
Tag(s): Baptiste Journaux • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • space science
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…
Tag(s): Meghan Eagen-Torkko • Molly Altman • School of Nursing • UW Bothell
Many pathologists agree overdiagnosis of skin cancer happens, but don’t change diagnosis behavior
As the most serious type of skin cancer, a melanoma diagnosis carries emotional, financial and medical consequences. That’s why recent studies finding that there is an overdiagnosis of melanoma are a significant cause for concern. “Overdiagnosis is the diagnosis of disease that will not harm a person in their lifetime. If melanoma is being overdiagnosed,…
Tag(s): Department of Biostatistics • Kathleen Kerr • School of Public HealthApril 29, 2022
ArtSci Roundup
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Carving out a brave space: Courage in art May 3, 7:00 PM | HUB Lyceum & Online “Have something to say. Be brave enough to say it. Use your art to change the world.” UW Drama Professor and Head of Directing & Playwriting…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Department of Psychology • Department of Urban Design and Planning • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of DramaApril 28, 2022
Unchecked global emissions on track to initiate mass extinction of marine life
If emissions from greenhouse gases continue, species losses from warming and oxygen depletion of ocean waters could eclipse all other human stressors on marine species by around 2100. Tropical waters would experience the greatest loss of biodiversity, while polar species are at the highest risk of extinction
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Curtis Deutsch • oceanography • School of Oceanography
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.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Margaret O'Mara
New meta-analysis examines link between self-harm and stress
A new, University of Washington-led meta-analysis finds that people engage in self-injury and/or think about suicide to alleviate some types of stress; and that there is potential for therapy and other interventions.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences • Department of Psychology • Kevin Kuehn • UW MedicineApril 26, 2022
Scientists find elusive gas from post-starburst galaxies hiding in plain sight
Scientists once thought that post-starburst galaxies scattered all of their gas and dust — the fuel required for creating new stars — in violent bursts of energy, and with extraordinary speed. Now, a team led by University of Washington postdoctoral researcher Adam Smercina reports that these galaxies don’t scatter all of their star-forming fuel after all. Instead, after their supposed end, these dormant galaxies hold onto and compress large amounts of highly concentrated, turbulent gas. But contrary to expectation, they’re not using it to form stars.
Tag(s): Adam Smercina • astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of AstronomyApril 25, 2022
La primera: Communication major Paula Thiele breaks in new ‘¡Spain Works!’ internship
Paula Thiele, a communication major who will graduate this spring, became the inaugural scholar to participate in the UW’s new Scholarship for Immersive Internships in León, dubbed “¡Spain Works!” — a partnership between the UW León Center, UW Study Abroad and the UW Career & Internship Center.
Tag(s): Department of Communication
Ranking: UW is No. 25 in world
The University of Washington ranks No. 25 in the world, or fifth among U.S. public institutions for student experience, faculty prestige and quality of research, according to a list published April 25 by the Center for World University Rankings.
Tag(s): RankingsApril 22, 2022
Former UW Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Robert Stacey to deliver address for classes of 2020 and 2021 on June 12
Former UW Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Robert Stacey will speak to the graduates of the classes of 2020 and 2021 when they return to Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium for an in-person celebration on Sunday, June 12.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Commencement • Robert Stacey
Heavens need environmental protection just like Earth, experts say
Space urgently needs special legal protection similar to that given to land, sea and atmosphere to protect its fragile environment, argues a team of scientists. The scientific, economic and cultural benefits of space should be considered against the damaging environmental impacts posed by an influx of space debris — roughly 60 miles above Earth’s surface — fueled by the rapid growth of so-called satellite mega-constellations. In a paper published April 22 in Nature Astronomy, the authors assert that space is an important environment to preserve on behalf of professional astronomers, amateur stargazers and Indigenous peoples.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Department of Astronomy • DIRAC Institute • Meredith RawlsApril 21, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: A Conversation with Brad Smith, UW Public Lectures: An Evening with Masha Gessen, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Katz Distinguished Lecture: Abderrahmane Sissako April 26, 7:00 PM | Kane Hall 210 What is the place of West Africa in the world and of the world in West Africa? These are the questions that the Oscar- and Palme d’Or-nominated filmmaker Adberrahmane Sissako…
Tag(s): African Studies Program • Center for an Informed Public • Department of History • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Department of Political Science • Department of Psychology • Henry Art Gallery • Information School • Simpson Center for the Humanities • UW Alumni Association« Previous Page Next Page »
