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The latest news from the UW

January 22, 2021

The 7 rocky planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 may be made of similar stuff

A study accepted by the Planetary Science Journal shows that the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system share similar densities. That could mean they all contain roughly the same ratio of materials thought to be common to rocky planets, such as iron, oxygen, magnesium and silicon — though they appear to differ notably from Earth.

January 20, 2021

‘Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems,’ co-edited by UW’s Robert Pekkanen, out in paperback, online

A book co-edited by Robert Pekkanen of the UW’s Jackson School of International Studies brings together top scholars to study the origins and effects of electoral systems in the United States and other democracies.

ArtSci Roundup: Meany On Screen: Kodō, The Wound Makes the Man: Trans Figuring Chicanx Masculinities, and More

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Meany On Screen: Kodō January 22 – 29 | Online Japan’s legendary Kodō drummers return to Meany Center virtually with KODO: Legacy and The Art of Apprenticeship. Drumming troupe Kodō, whose…

January 18, 2021

Researchers use lasers and molecular tethers to create perfectly patterned platforms for tissue engineering

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a technique to modify naturally occurring biological polymers with protein-based biochemical messages that affect cell behavior. Their approach, published the week of Jan. 18 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, uses a near-infrared laser to trigger chemical adhesion of protein messages to a scaffold made from biological polymers such as collagen, a connective tissue found throughout our bodies.

January 14, 2021

Astronomers document the rise and fall of a rarely observed stellar dance

Astronomers have catalogued 126 years of changes to a binary star system called HS Hydrae. Analyzing observations from astro-photographic plates in the late 1800s to TESS observations in 2019, they show that the two stars in HS Hydrae began to eclipse each other starting around a century ago, peaking in the 1960s. The degree of eclipsing then plummeted over the course of just a half century, and will cease around February 2021.

Sexual harassment claims considered more credible if made by ‘prototypical’ women

A new UW study reveals people’s perceptions that sexual harassment primarily affects young, feminine and conventionally attractive women. Women who fall outside that prototype not only are perceived as unharmed by harassment, but also have a harder time convincing others that they have been harassed.

ArtSci Roundup: Events to honor Martin Luther King, Jr; ‘Attack on the Capitol: What Does It Mean for Democracy?’; COVID-19 and racial inequities — and more

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Events to honor Martin Luther King Jr. Join the University of Washington community as we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy; honor the work…

New treatment allows some people with spinal cord injury to regain hand and arm function

Using physical therapy combined with a noninvasive method of stimulating nerve cells in the spinal cord, University of Washington researchers helped six Seattle area participants regain some hand and arm mobility.

January 8, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines are ‘remarkable achievement,’ but soothing mistrust is necessary to end pandemic

“Of course, we didn’t put Democrats in the vial; we didn’t put Republicans in the vial,” University of Washington’s Dr. Larry Corey writes in a recent COVID-19 Vaccine Matters blog jointly produced by Johns Hopkins University and the UW. While development of vaccines now being distributed to combat COVID-19, the deadly disease caused by the novel coronavirus, are a “remarkable achievement” that demonstrate the power of science to save lives, mistrust and fear continue to cause nearly 40% of Americans to say they…

January 6, 2021

ArtSci Roundup: The Converso’s Return, Drop-in Meditation Session, and More

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  The Converso’s Return: Dalia Kandiyoti in Conversation with Devin E. Naar January 14, 5:00 – 6:00 PM | Online In the fifteenth century, thousands of Jews…

January 4, 2021

Faculty/staff honors: Distinguished educator, historic preservation planning award — and a film documentary appearance

Recent honors to and awards for UW faculty and staff members include a documentary film appearance, a distinguished educator award and an honor for historic preservation planning.

December 28, 2020

Beyond COVID-19: A look back at 2020 at the UW

While this year in scientific research will be defined by the novel coronavirus pandemic and the incredible advances in testing, genome sequencing and vaccination that were made as a result, other significant research and work continued on and around the University of Washington’s campuses. Here’s a timeline of the research and work that went beyond COVID-19.

In pandemic milestone, UW brings COVID-19 vaccines to frontline health care workers

The first scheduled to receive vaccinations were frontline personnel working with COVID-19 patients. In addition to patient-care staff in intensive care units, COVID acute care floors and emergency departments, the immediate list also included environmental services staff, as well as emergency medical responders in the community. Next in line are nursing home residents and their caregivers.

ArtSci Roundup: Protest, Race and Citizenship across African Worlds, TEAL Digital Scholarship for East Asian Studies: The Deep Fake of Place, and More

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Beyond Economic Mobility: Can Higher Education Advance Racial Equity? January 7, 5:30 – 6:30 PM | Online Join the UWAA and UW Impact online for the seventh annual…

Dueling pulpits: Book by Jackson School’s Taso Lagos explores rivalry between two charismatic early-20th century preachers

In a new book, Taso Lagos of the UW Jackson School studies the rivalry between Aimee Semple McPherson and Robert “Fighting Bob” Shuler, two California-based performer-preachers who had the country’s rapt attention in the 1920s.

December 23, 2020

Bait and switch: Mislabeled salmon, shrimp have biggest environmental toll

A study co-authored by UW’s Sunny Jardine finds that farmed Atlantic salmon, often labeled and sold as Pacific salmon or rainbow trout, is the second-most-consumed mislabeled seafood product in the U.S. Although not the most frequently mislabeled seafood, salmon’s popularity means it has one of the biggest environmental impacts.

How to have holidays ‘full of love and connection’ and set goals for 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and social-distancing guidelines have changed how we celebrate the holidays this year. University of Washington psychologist Jonathan Kanter explains that, by being intentional about how we approach and experience the season, we can find joy, and recognize – even embrace – how we’ve weathered this year.

December 14, 2020

Highlights: UW, Johns Hopkins symposium on preserving scientific integrity in COVID-19 vaccine research

Johns Hopkins University and the University of Washington brought together leading experts in October to explore these issues and put forward a concise plan for protecting the scientific integrity of these lifesaving efforts. Here’s a 4-minute highlight reel of the symposium.

ArtSci Roundup: Set in Motion, Drop-in Meditation Session, and More

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Set in Motion: A Public Art Exhibition December 2020 – February 2021 | Throughout Seattle The Henry Art Gallery is pleased to present Set in Motion, the…

Warm oceans helped first human migration from Asia to North America

New research reveals significant changes to the circulation of the North Pacific and its impact on the initial migration of humans from Asia to North America. It provides a new picture of the circulation and climate of the North Pacific at the end of the last ice age, with implications for early human migration.

December 8, 2020

Round 2 of Washington study underway to determine food, economic insecurity during pandemic

Understanding Washington residents’ access to food and their economic well-being – or lack of it – during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for state and community partners to identify those needs and allocate resources effectively. To help accomplish this goal, the University of Washington, Washington State University and Tacoma Community College, along with input from partners in local, county and state governments — such as the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington State Department of Agriculture — are…

Annual notification: Anti-kickback, conflict of interest, whistleblower regulations and hotlines

Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 52.203-7) require the University of Washington to implement procedures designed to prevent and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 (41 USC 51-58). In addition, state regulations (RCW 42.40) require the university to provide annual notification to employees of the procedures and protections under the Whistleblower Act. These articles are published as a reminder of the policies and procedures in place at the University of Washington. 1. Kickback Defined. “Kickback” as defined by the FAR…

NSF-funded deep ice core to be drilled at Hercules Dome, Antarctica

Antarctica’s next deep ice core, a 1.5-mile core reaching back to 130,000-year-old ice, will be carried out by a multi-institutional U.S. team led by UW’s Eric Steig. The site hundreds of miles from today’s coastline could provide clues to the most recent collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Policies around pregnancy, birth during pandemic failing both patients and nurses

As an experienced nurse midwife, whose scientific research focuses on respectful and equitable care during pregnancy and childbirth, the University of Washington’s Molly Altman has been studying pregnancy and childbirth during the pandemic alongside colleagues across the UW and in affected communities. While her work is being distilled into formal studies that will be submitted for peer review, Altman, an assistant professor in the UW School of Nursing, believes it is important to begin discussions for improving this area of…

December 7, 2020

The Smellicopter is an obstacle-avoiding drone that uses a live moth antenna to seek out smells

A team led by the UW has developed Smellicopter: an autonomous drone that uses a live antenna from a moth to navigate toward smells. Smellicopter can also sense and avoid obstacles as it travels through the air.

ArtSci Roundup: Re/frame: All Together Now, This Is Beethoven, and More

During this time of uncertainty and isolation, find solace in digital opportunities to connect, share, and engage. Each week, we will share upcoming events that bring the UW, and the greater community, together online.  Many of these online opportunities are streamed through Zoom. All UW faculty, staff, and students have access to Zoom Pro via UW-IT.  Re/frame: All Together Now December 17, 12:00 – 1:00 PM and 6:30-7:30 PM | Online Join Ann Poulson, the Henry Art Gallery’s Associate Curator of Collections,…