UW News
The latest news from the UW
April 11, 2022
Even in a virtual classroom, preschoolers can gain reading skills
A new study by the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences finds that children can develop key reading skills in a virtual classroom with other students.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences • I-LABS • Patricia Kuhl • Yael WeissApril 8, 2022
UW professors show that Japanese democracy is ‘flourishing’ as co-editors of first Oxford Handbook of Japanese Politics
Robert and Saadia Pekkanen, both professors in the UW Jackson School of International Studies, are co-editors of the first Oxford Handbook of Japanese Politics, published online in September 2020 and in print in January 2022. They worked with dozens of collaborators around the world to add the topic to the respected collection of Oxford Handbooks that presents surveys of original research.
Tag(s): Jackson School of International Studies • Robert Pekkanen • Saadia PekkanenApril 7, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: Beauty That Saved Their World: Ukrainian Women’s Arts and Crafts in the Soviet Gulag, Jeremy Denk, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Many of these opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Faculty Recital: Melia Watras: Song: An Endless Flight April 11, 7:30 PM | Meany Hall Violist/composer Melia Watras is joined onstage by narrator Shelia Daniels, violinist…
Tag(s): Department of History • Department of Philosophy • Department of Slavic Languages and Literature • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Music • Simpson Center for the Humanities
UW documentary chronicles story of tree poacher accused of starting 2018 fire
A new documentary from University of Washington professors Lynn M. Thomas and Daniel Hoffman tells the story of a man accused of starting a wildfire while illegally removing trees from the Olympic National Forest.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Danny Hoffman • Department of Anthropology • Department of History • Jackson School of International Studies • Lynn ThomasApril 6, 2022
UW recognized as leader in sustainability by STARS
The University of Washington once again has been recognized as a sustainability leader by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS).
Tag(s): UW Sustainability
UW-housed RAPID Facility receives $6M renewal grant
The first-of-its-kind center has received a $6 million renewal grant from the National Science Foundation.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Joseph Wartman • RAPID FacilityApril 4, 2022
Q&A: From the Philippines to the US, analyzing a global political shift to the right
In his book “The Sovereign Trickster,” University of Washington history professor Vicente L. Rafael examines the authoritarian rule of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and tries to make sense of a global shift to the political right.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of History • Vicente Rafael
Researchers find patterns of handgun carrying among youth in rural areas, building foundation for injury prevention
The first results of research led by the University of Washington into handgun carrying by young people growing up in rural areas has found six distinct patterns for when and how often these individuals carry a handgun. The patterns, or “longitudinal trajectories,” suggest that youths in rural areas differ in some ways from their urban…
Tag(s): Ali Rowhani-Rahbar • Alice Ellyson • Communities That Care • Community Youth Development Study • Department of Epidemiology • Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program • Seattle Children's HospitalApril 1, 2022
Video: Rubbish is reborn as ‘Trash Art’ in unique contest
Bottle tops, face masks and dog hair — these are all items usually destined for the dumpster. But UW Recycling came up with a unique art contest that takes waste from garbage to gallery.
Tag(s): Madeline Schroeder • UW RecyclingMarch 31, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: Perspectives on Cosmopolitan Istanbul in the Hit Netflix Series, “The Club”, School of Art + Art History + Design Graduation Exhibitions, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Many of these opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. School of Art + Art History + Design Graduation Exhibitions Ongoing| Jacob Lawrence Art Gallery Join the School of Art + Art History +…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Political Science • Henry Art Gallery • Jackson School of International Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • Simpson Center for the Humanities • Stroum Center for Jewish StudiesMarch 30, 2022
Faculty/staff honors: Student union association’s highest honor, supplier diversity award and more
Recent recognition of the includes the Butts-Whiting Award for L. Lincoln Johnson, INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine’s Jesse L. Moore 2022 Supplier Diversity Award, Ben Brunjes’ fellowship with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Policy Planning and Liaison, and the recognition of Yong Wei as a NOAA Ambassador of Tsunami Risk Assessment.
Tag(s): Ben Brunjes • Cooperative Institute for Climate • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Facilities • Lincoln Johnson • Ocean and Ecosystem Studies • Yong Wei
Video: New face mask guidance for UW’s 2022 spring quarter
With the start of spring quarter on March 28, face masks became optional — but still recommended — inside most UW facilities. In light of the policy change, UW News spoke with several experts about what to expect on campus, how the current science and transmission rates inform our policy, and emotions and feelings we may experience as a result of removing our face coverings.
Tag(s): Ali Mokdad • COVID-19 • Jonathan Kanter • Katia HarbMarch 29, 2022
Scientists identify overgrowth of key brain structure in babies who later develop autism
New research from the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) Network, which includes the University of Washington, finds that the amygdala, an area of the brain critical for interpreting emotions, grows too rapidly in infants who go on to develop autism.
Tag(s): Annette Estes • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Bioengineering • Department of Radiology • Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences • Stephen Dager • UW Autism Center • UW Medicine
UW announces John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Deanship in the College of Built Environments
The University of Washington today announced the establishment of the John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Deanship in the College of Built Environments, strengthening the school’s vision of a more just and beautiful world for all.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Renee ChengMarch 28, 2022
UW graduate and professional disciplines again place high in US News’ best graduate school rankings
The University of Washington’s graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Graduate School rankings released Tuesday.
Tag(s): College of Education • College of Engineering • Department of Biostatistics • Department of Chemistry • Department of Physics • Department of Psychology • Department of Statistics • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Foster School of Business • Health Management Program • Information School • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Rankings • School of Medicine • School of Nursing • School of Pharmacy • School of Public Health • School of Social Work
Sherri Berdine named UW’s Director of Tribal Relations
Sherri Berdine has been named Director of Tribal Relations at the University of Washington, UW Vice President for External Affairs Randy Hodgins announced Monday. Berdine’s appointment is effective March 28.
Tag(s): Office of Tribal Relations • Sherri Berdine
Solar energy explains fast yearly retreat of Antarctica’s sea ice
Sea ice around Antarctica retreats more quickly than it advances, an asymmetry that has been a puzzle. New analysis shows that the Southern Hemisphere is following simple rules of physics, as peak midsummer sun causes rapid changes. In this respect, it seems, it’s Arctic sea ice that is more mysterious.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • oceanography • polar science • sea iceMarch 21, 2022
UW expert: Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmation hearings ‘will hold a mirror up to this nation’
LaTaSha Levy, assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the University of Washington, and Elizabeth Porter, interim dean of the UW School of Law, offer perspectives on the nomination and confirmation process of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of American Ethnic Studies • Elizabeth Porter • LaTaSha Levy • School of LawMarch 18, 2022
Urbanization is driving evolution of plants globally, study finds
A study led by evolutionary biologists at multiple institutions, including the University of Washington, focuses on a specific plant in examining whether parallel evolution is occurring in cities all over the world.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Department of Urban Design and Planning • Marina AlbertiMarch 17, 2022
New volume on gender-neutral language sheds light on political controversy in France
In France, a political controversy arose when a gender-neutral pronoun was added to a respected dictionary. This controversy made a new volume co-edited by the UW’s Louisa Mackenzie especially relevant. It describes how nonbinary French speakers are changing their language to reflect their identity.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of French & Italian Studies • Louisa Mackenzie
ArtSci Roundup: Donna Huanca: MAGMA SLIT, Life in One Cubic Foot, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Many of these opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Donna Huanca: MAGMA SLIT Opens April 2 | Henry Art Gallery Bolivian-American artist Donna Huanca creates work that destabilizes the male gaze while exploring…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Dance • Department of English • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of MusicMarch 16, 2022
Tiny battery-free devices float in the wind like dandelion seeds
Inspired by how dandelions use the wind to distribute their seeds, a University of Washington team has developed a tiny sensor-carrying device that can be blown by the wind as it tumbles toward the ground.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Biology • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Shyam Gollakota • Tom Daniel • Vikram IyerMarch 15, 2022
UW professor’s new book presents opportunity to ‘rethink housing’
A new book by Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate at the UW, explores the factors that drive homelessness, and the cultural and economic shift that can ultimately benefit all — housed and unhoused.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Gregg Colburn • Runstad Department of Real EstateMarch 14, 2022
UW Regents approve milestone development in new Portage Bay Crossing area on Seattle campus
The University of Washington Board of Regents last week approved the development plan for the first major project in the UW’s newly named Portage Bay Crossing area on the west side of the Seattle campus. The Regents approved a ground lease of the property at Site W27 to Wexford Science + Technology and a lease of building space by the University.
Tag(s): Brotman Baty Institute • Clean Energy Institute • Institute for Protein Design • UW Facilities • UW Medicine
Q&A: Preserving context and user intent in the future of web search
In a new perspective paper, University of Washington professors Emily M. Bender and Chirag Shah respond to proposals that reimagine web search as an application for large language model-driven conversation agents.
Tag(s): Chirag Shah • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Linguistics • Emily M. Bender • Information SchoolMarch 11, 2022
Statement from UW President on tragic deaths of two UW community members
The following is a statement from University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce following the news that a UW professor and a UW staff member were killed while diving off the coast of Mexico over the weekend.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • School of Social WorkMarch 10, 2022
Newest satellite data shows remarkable decline in Arctic sea ice over just three years
In the past 20 years, the Arctic has lost about one-third of its winter sea ice volume, and winter sea ice in the Arctic has lost about a foot and a half of thickness over just the past three years. This thinning is largely due to loss of older, multiyear sea ice that is more resistant to melting.
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • climate change • polar science • Polar Science Center • Ron Kwok • sea ice • University of Washington
ArtSci Roundup: Re/frame: Orange, Sharon Isbin, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Many of these opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Re/frame: Orange March 17, 12:00 PM | Online Orange can symbolize power, danger, excitement, and enlightenment. In different contexts, orange evokes images ranging…
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 • School of Drama • School of Music
Gordon Stuart Peek, UW alumnus who donated Gerberding and Kane bells, dies at 96
Gordon Stuart Peek, a University of Washington alumnus who donated the bells that sit on two sides of Red Square, died peacefully at his home on March 2, 2022. He was 96.
Tag(s): Kane Hall
UW welcomes community to view cherry blossoms; peak bloom expected mid-March
The 29 cherry trees in the Quad usually reach peak bloom the third week of March, and this year is on track to meet that timing.
Tag(s): cherry blossoms • Sara ShoresMarch 9, 2022
More air pollution present in areas with historical redlining
A team of researchers at the UW and UC Berkeley has found that housing discrimination practices dating from the 1930s still drive air pollution disparities in hundreds of American cities today.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Julian Marshall • population healthMarch 8, 2022
O-pH, a new UW dental tool prototype, can spot the acidic conditions that lead to cavities
You and your dentist have a lot of tools and techniques for stopping cavities, but detecting the specific chemical conditions that can lead to cavities and then preventing them from ever getting started is much harder. Now, in a new study, University of Washington researchers have shown that a dental tool they created can measure…
Tag(s): Center for Pediatric Dentistry • College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Department of Mechanical Engineering • Department of Microbiology • Eric Seibel • Human Photonics Laboratory • Manuja Sharma • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • School of Dentistry • Ubiquitous Computing LabMarch 7, 2022
How Black Lives Matter protests sparked interest, can lead to change
A new study by the University of Washington and Indiana University finds that the growing use of anti-racist terms shows how Black Lives Matter has shifted the conversation around racism, raising awareness of issues and laying the foundation for social change.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Jelani InceMarch 4, 2022
Ukrainian American professor shares insights on ‘gut-wrenching’ events in Ukraine
Laada Bilaniuk is a professor of anthropology at the whose expertise is Ukrainian culture and society. The daughter of Ukrainian Americans, she shares insights on the Ukrainian people who are resisting, how the conflict relates to the use of language and the perspective of the local Ukrainian community.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • Laada BilaniukMarch 3, 2022
Mindfulness meditation can reduce guilt, leading to unintended negative social consequences
Mindfulness meditation is a stress-management practice with ancient lineage that cultivates nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, often by directing attention to the physical sensations of breathing. Initially inspired by centuries-old Buddhist practices consisting of philosophies and meditations together, today a secular version of mindfulness — consisting of meditations alone — is becoming increasingly popular.
Tag(s): Andrew Hafenbrack • Foster School of Business
Moon jellies appear to be gobbling up zooplankton in Puget Sound
University of Washington-led research suggests moon jellies are feasting on zooplankton, the various tiny animals that drift with the currents, in the bays they inhabit. This could affect other hungry marine life, like juvenile salmon or herring — especially if predictions are correct and climate change will favor fast-growing jellyfish.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Julie Keister • Puget Sound • School of OceanographyMarch 2, 2022
ArtSci Roundup: Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, Space Between: Photographs from the Collection, and More
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Many of these opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT. Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band March 8, 7:30 PM | Meany Hall The UW Wind Ensemble (Timothy Salzman, director) performs music by Joseph…
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’s campuses in Seattle, Tacoma and Bothell announce the return of in-person commencement ceremonies
University of Washington’s 147th commencement ceremonies are scheduled to return this June to in-person celebrations in Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium for the first time since 2019. Similar in-person commencement ceremonies are being planned for UW Bothell and UW Tacoma.
Tag(s): Commencement • Denzil Suite • UW Bothell • UW Tacoma
Counties that rely on the courts for revenue sentence more women to incarceration
Washington counties that rely more on revenue from court-imposed fines and fees also sentence more women to incarceration, a study by the University of Washington finds.
Tag(s): Alexes Harris • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Ian Kennedy • Kate O'Neill
Multi-state study of monetary sanctions finds widespread inequities, far-reaching consequences
Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, discusses her team’s five-year, eight-state study of legal financial obligations, and their findings that court-imposed fines and fees perpetuate inequality.
Tag(s): Alexes Harris • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Karin Martin« Previous Page Next Page »
