UW News
The latest news from the UW
September 22, 2025
Inconsistent charging stations hinder EV adoption
New research from the UW tested how much a car owner’s perception of public charger reliability influences their willingness to buy their first EV. The results were dramatic: Participants with a negative view of public charging were far less likely to choose an EV than those with a moderate view.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Don MacKenzie • Research Makes America • Rubina SinghSeptember 21, 2025
UW’s incoming classes welcomed by President Robert J. Jones at New Student Convocation
The University of Washington’s incoming classes were welcomed Sunday at the University’s 42nd annual New Student Convocation inside Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The ceremony was attended by thousands of students, family and friends. Welcome, Huskies! Thousands of incoming @uofwa.bsky.social students gathered for an annual 'W' formation today after kicking off the school…
Tag(s): Robert J. Jones • UW convocationSeptember 20, 2025
President Jones to welcome incoming class at New Student Convocation on Sunday
The University of Washington’s incoming classes will be welcomed on Sunday by President Robert J. Jones at the University’s 42nd annual New Student Convocation inside Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The ceremony is expected to be attended by thousands of students, family and friends. Preliminary figures show the incoming freshman class will be…
Tag(s): Robert J. Jones • UW convocationSeptember 19, 2025
Q&A: UW professor’s book explores how ‘technology is never culturally neutral’
In her new book, Katharina Reinecke explores how “digital culture shock” manifests in the world, in ways innocuous and sometimes harmful.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Katharina Reinecke • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringSeptember 18, 2025
Community Notes help reduce the virality of false information on X, study finds
A University of Washington-led study of X found that posts with Community Notes attached were less prone to going viral and got less engagement. After getting a Community Note, on average, reposts dropped 46% and likes dropped 44%.
Tag(s): Information School • Isaac Slaughter • Martin SaveskiSeptember 17, 2025
VIDEO: UW welcomes incoming students to on-campus housing
This week the University of Washington campus is once again buzzing with energy as students begin to move into the residence halls and participate in annual fall activities for incoming undergraduates. A majority of the UW freshman class has signed up to live on campus for Autumn 2025, and thousands of students are expected to…
Tag(s): Move-in day
University of Washington breaks ground on ASUW Shell House renovation
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones, author Daniel James Brown, and other members of the ASUW Shell House community gathered Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the historic building, which is undergoing final stages of adaptive reuse.
Tag(s): ASUW Shell House • Boys in the Boat • Robert J. JonesSeptember 16, 2025
Q&A: From TVs to the future of computing, UW professor explains what makes quantum dots shine
Quantum dots, which are 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, are unique materials that generate very specific colors of light. Researchers, including Brandi Cossairt, UW professor of chemistry, hope that quantum dots can one day be useful for more than just illuminating TV screens. UW News asked her to compare the quantum dots in QLED TVs with the ones her lab makes.
Tag(s): Brandi Cossairt • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Chemistry • Research Makes America
Story pole celebrating Coast Salish peoples installed on UW campus
Sven Haakanson, a University of Washington professor of anthropology, worked with three Coast Salish carvers to install a story pole on campus. Story poles were specifically created to share and teach Coast Salish legends, histories and stories.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • Sven HaakansonSeptember 15, 2025
ArtSci Roundup: September and October
Come curious. Leave inspired. We welcome you to connect with us this autumn quarter through an incredible lineup of more than 30 events, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. From thought-provoking talks on monsters to boundary-pushing performances by Grammy-nominated Mariachi ensembles, it’s a celebration of bold ideas and creative energy. ArtSci On Your Own Time Exhibition: Woven…
Tag(s): Annual President's Address • ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Comparative History of Ideas Program • David Baker • Department of American Ethnic Studies • Department of American Indian Studies • Department of Astronomy • Department of Chemistry • Department of Cinema & Media Studies • Department of Classics • Department of Economics • Department of English • Department of French & Italian Studies • Department of Linguistics • Department of Physics • Department of Political Science • Department of Slavic Languages and Literature • Department of Sociology • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Music • UW Graduate School • UW Public Lectures
Webb telescope finds clues to Earth’s creation in a cosmic butterfly
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details in the core of the Butterfly Nebula, known to astronomers as NGC 6302. From the dense ring of dust that surrounds the nebula’s core to the tiny but bright star hidden within, the Webb observations paint a never-before-seen portrait of the nebula’s inner workings. Researchers at the UW and around the world are studying the imagery to learn more about the origins of cosmic dust and its role in the formation of planets like ours.
Tag(s): Bruce Balick • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • James Webb Space Telescope
UW School of Dentistry shows its commitment to service through free clinics across Washington state
UW dental students, faculty members and community volunteers provide free care to communities across Washington, serving hundreds of patients each academic quarter.
Tag(s): Amy Kim • Andre Ritter • Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) • School of DentistrySeptember 12, 2025
Warming climate drives surge in dengue fever cases
Dengue fever incidence could rise as much as 76% by 2050 due to climate warming across a large swath of Asia and the Americas, according to a new study.
Tag(s): climate change • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • infectious disease • Marissa Childs • School of Public HealthSeptember 10, 2025
Q&A: Transparency in medical AI systems is vital, UW researchers say
In a recent paper, University of Washington researchers argue that a key standard for deploying medical AI is transparency — that is, using various methods to clarify how a medical AI system arrives at its diagnoses and outputs.
Tag(s): Chanwoo Kim • College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Soham Gadgil • Su-In Lee
Researchers find key to Antarctic ice loss blowing in the north wind
Antarctic ice is melting at a startling pace, and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the greatest sources of uncertainty in climate projections. Researchers thought westerly winds were accelerating ice loss, but a new study from UW flips the narrative by 90 degrees, pointing instead to winds from the north.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Eric Steig • Gemma O'Connor • Kyle Armour • Research Makes America • School of OceanographySeptember 8, 2025
Ocean warming puts vital marine microbe at risk
Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthesizing organism in the ocean, might be more vulnerable to climate change than researchers thought. Population decline could weaken the foundation of subtropical and tropical ecosystems as ocean temperatures continue to rise.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • François Ribalet • microbiology • Research Makes America • School of OceanographySeptember 4, 2025
This common fish has an uncommon feature: Forehead teeth, used for mating
New findings call into question one of the core assumptions about teeth. Adult male spotted ratfish, a shark-like species native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, have rows of teeth on top of their heads, lining a cartilaginous appendage called the tenaculum, in addition to those in their jaws. They used their tenaculum teeth to grip females while mating in water.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Friday Harbor Laboratories • Karly Cohen
Deep beneath the French Alps, dark matter hunters narrow their search
Physicists have floated numerous theories to explain what dark matter might be, but to date, no experiment has turned up compelling evidence to support any of them. An international team of physicists, including researchers from the UW, is now working on a new kind of dark matter detector with the goal of capturing the first direct observation of the puzzling material. Results from the detector’s prototype have already ruled out one of the leading theories of how dark matter originated.
Tag(s): Alvaro Chavarria • College of Arts & Sciences • dark matter • Department of PhysicsAugust 27, 2025
New ad highlights national impact of Big Ten universities
The positive impact of Big Ten universities across the Pacific Northwest and around the nation will be highlighted in a new 30-second ad that will air during sporting events featuring conference members, starting with this week’s season-opening football games. The ad – entitled “We Are Here” – will air alongside the fan-favorite “Maps” spot. The…
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Clean Energy Institute • College of the Environment • Research Makes America • Robert J. Jones • University Marketing & Communications
Fund for Science and Technology invests in the UW College of the Environment to further innovation and research related to climate solutions
The University of Washington’s College of the Environment will expand its work related to climate solutions thanks to a grant announced today from Fund for Science and Technology, FFST, a new foundation within the Paul G. Allen philanthropic ecosystem.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Ginger Armbrust • Joel Thornton • Research Makes America • Robert J. JonesAugust 26, 2025
Princeton Review: UW in top 10 of ‘Best Value Colleges’
The University of Washington is one of the top 10 U.S. public universities as ranked by return on investment, according to The Princeton Review.
Tag(s): RankingsAugust 25, 2025
How oxygen made the deep ocean home to animals, spurring rapid evolution
New research shows that deep-ocean oxygenation occurred 100 million years later than previously thought, aligning with the growth and spread of land plants. Once oxygenated, the ocean hosted rapid animal evolution, leading to the rise of modern vertebrates.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • evolution • Kunmanee Bubphamanee
This AI model simulates 1000 years of the current climate in just one day
University of Washington researchers use AI to simulate the Earth’s current climate and interannual variability for up to 1,000 years. The model runs on a single processor and takes just 12 hours to generate a forecast.
Tag(s): artificial intelligence • College of the Environment • Dale Durran • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Jonathan Weyn • Nathaniel Cresswell-Clay • Research Makes America • weatherAugust 21, 2025
Statement affirming University’s commitment to animal welfare following USDA inspection
The University of Washington is committed to upholding the highest standards of animal welfare and regulatory compliance in all of its research programs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) conducted an unannounced inspection of UW’s animal research program in July 2025 as part of its routine annual process…
August 19, 2025
Q&A: What can AI developers learn from climate activists
The goals of those developing AI systems for the climate and those working on the front lines of climate advocacy don’t necessarily align. To compare the two groups, UW researchers interviewed nine people who are developing AI for sustainability and 10 climate advocates.
Tag(s): Amelia Lee Dogǎn • Information School • Lindah Kotut
UW research shows Fresh Bucks program improves fruit and vegetable intake, food security
A new study from the University of Washington shows that households enrolled in the City of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program experience a 31% higher rate of food security and consume at least three daily servings of fruits and vegetables 37% more often than those assigned to a program waitlist. Fresh Bucks, a $40 a month benefit, works with local partners to help residents access fresh food.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Economics • Department of Epidemiology • Health Systems and Population Health • Jessica Jones-Smith • Melissa Knox • Research Makes America • School of Public HealthAugust 18, 2025
Q&A: How marginalized artists invented the Broadway musical
A new book from David Armstrong, University of Washington affiliate instructor of drama, is an historical and cultural account of how the Broadway musical was predominantly created by people marginalized from mainstream society. The book, “Broadway Nation: How Immigrant, Jewish, Queer, and Black Artists Invented the Broadway Musical,” traces this history through four major eras.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • David Armstrong • School of DramaAugust 14, 2025
New faculty books: Language instruction, the yoga of power, and more
New faculty books from the University of Washington include those from Asian languages and literature, applied mathematics and the Jackson School of International Studies.
Tag(s): Amy Snyder Ohta • Christian Lee Novetzke • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Applied Mathematics • Department of Asian Languages and Literature • EunYoung Won • Jackson School of International Studies • Rie Tsujihara • Sunila Kale • Tim Leung • Zev HandelAugust 13, 2025
Heather Horn named vice president for Human Resources
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones announced the appointment of Heather Horn to serve as the next vice president for Human Resources beginning Oct. 1.
Tag(s): Heather Horn • Human Resources
‘Revolutionary’ seafloor fiber sensing reveals how falling ice drives glacial retreat in Greenland
A UW-led team of researchers used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. This allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems.
Tag(s): Brad Lipovsky • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Dominik Gräff • glaciers
People who move to more walkable cities do, in fact, walk significantly more
New research led by the University of Washington provides clear evidence that highly walkable areas lead to significantly more walking. Authors compared the steps per day of 5,424 people who moved one or more times among 1,609 U.S. cities. Across all relocations, when the Walk Score rose or fell more than 48 points, average steps increased or decreased by about 1,100 per day.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tim AlthoffAugust 11, 2025
UW researchers test common disinfectants’ abilities to fight antibiotic resistance at the genetic level
Antimicrobial resistance is a lurking threat in hospitals around the world. As more strains of bacteria and other microbes evolve defenses against available drugs, more patients run the risk of contracting infections that defy treatment. Now, University of Washington researchers offer new insights into measures currently used to control the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and other infectious agents in health care facilities.
Tag(s): antibiotic resistance • College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Huan He • Michael Dodd
Fresh fossil finds in Africa shed light on the era before Earth’s largest mass extinction
An international team of paleontologists, led by researchers at the University of Washington and the Field Museum of Natural History, is identifying the animals that thrived in southern Pangea — the planet’s single supercontinent at the time — just before the so-called “Great Dying” wiped out about 70% of terrestrial species, and an even larger fraction of marine ones.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of BiologyAugust 6, 2025
With just a few messages, biased AI chatbots swayed people’s political views
University of Washington researchers recruited self-identifying Democrats and Republicans to make political decisions with help from three versions of ChatGPT: a base model, one with liberal bias and one with conservative bias. Democrats and Republicans were both likelier to lean in the direction of the biased chatbot they were talking with than those participants who interacted with the base model.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Statistics • Jillian Fisher • Katharina Reinecke • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringAugust 4, 2025
Video: USDA freezes UW project that turns Washington shellfish farmers’ seaweed problem into soil solution for land farmers
A UW-led project aimed to test the viability of seaweed as a soil amendment, and, if successful, develop a market for sea-based farmers to sell excess seaweed to their counterparts on land. The USDA froze the project’s funding, and for now, a solution remains just out of reach.
Tag(s): Blue Carbon Green Fields • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Research Makes America • Sarah Collier • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • School of Public Health
Faculty/staff honors: Early career award, advances in theoretical physics, CAREER award
Recent recognition of the University of Washington includes an AIS Early Career award, the Tomassoni-Chisesi prize for contributions to theoretical physics and the National Science Foundation CAREER award. Foster School’s Mingwen Yang receives AIS early career award Mingwen Yang, UW assistant professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in the Foster School of Business,…
Tag(s): David Kaplan • Department of Chemical Engineering • Department of Physics • Foster School of Business • Jorge Marchand • Mingwen Yang
Integrating human and animal health care increases access to services for homeless youth
At the One Health Clinic, a nurse practitioner and veterinarian, often accompanied by veterinary students, provide primary care services while UW students volunteer as patient navigators, helping to coordinate care and address shared health needs such as extreme weather, environmental contaminants and zoonotic disease. The clinic also helps clients document their pets as emotional support animals, which enables them to access a wider range of housing and other services.
Tag(s): Center for One Health Research • Department of Epidemiology • Department of Global Health • Julianne Meisner • Natalie Rejto • Peter Rabinowitz • School of Public Health
‘The discovery of the decade’: Researchers have found the culprit behind sea star wasting disease
An international research effort, including scientists from the University of Washington, has finally revealed the cause of sea star wasting disease: a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Drew Harvell • Friday Harbor Laboratories • Grace Crandall • Jason Hodin • Research Makes America • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesJuly 30, 2025
Video: UW aeronautics professor goes for ride-along with the Blue Angels
UW professor of aeronautics and astronautics Jim Hermanson took a ride Wednesday morning aboard a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet — better known as one of the Blue Angels.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics • Jim HermansonJuly 24, 2025
Seismologists tapped into the fiber optic cable network to study offshore faults
University of Washington researchers showed that they can monitor seismic activity at the ocean floor using fiber optic cables without disrupting telecommunications. They developed this technique in Alaska and then tested it off the coast of Oregon.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • earthquakes • Marine Denolle • Qibin Shi« Previous Page Next Page »
