UW News

The latest news from the UW


August 8, 2019

UW, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley receive $5M NSF award to simplify researcher access to public clouds

The National Science Foundation has awarded a five-year, $5 million grant to the University of California, San Diego, the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley to develop CloudBank, a suite of managed services to simplify public cloud access for computer science research and education.

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Study shows gun shops can aid in preventing suicides

Firearm retailers throughout Washington are willing to learn about suicide prevention but are reluctant to talk to customers about mental health issues, according to a new study by Forefront Suicide Prevention at the University of Washington.

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More than 100 years of Arctic sea ice volume reconstructed with help from historic ships’ logbooks

A new study provides a 110-year record of the total volume of Arctic sea ice, using early U.S. ships’ voyages to verify the earlier part of the record. The longer record puts the recent loss into perspective.

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August 6, 2019

How the Pacific Ocean influences long-term drought in the Southwestern U.S.

Analyzing the full life cycle of long-term droughts and how they relate to El Niño and La Niña conditions in the Pacific Ocean could eventually lead to better prediction of damaging, multiyear droughts in the Southwestern U.S.

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August 2, 2019

B-roll: UW Population Health Building topping out

The University of Washington today announced the topping out of the new $230 million Population Health Building. The UW also has selected two artists whose work will help tell the story of the education and research that will take place within the new facility. Construction of the eight-story building at the corner of 15th Avenue Northeast and…

UW selects artists and tops out Population Health Building

The University of Washington today announced the topping out of the new $230 million Population Health Building. The UW also has selected two artists whose work will help tell the story of the education and research that will take place within the new facility.

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August 1, 2019

UW Division of Design faculty, Seattle Children’s physicians collaborate on more effective anesthesia cart organization

In recent years, physicians at Seattle Children’s Hospital have worked with UW faculty members in design to come up with a better, safer, more reliable way to order and use drugs on an operating room’s anesthesia cart.

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ArtsUW Roundup: The American Superhero, 500 Years of Prints, and more

In the arts, visit an exhibition of portraits and stories that celebrates differences, highlights our commonalities, and embraces what makes us each uniquely American, explore a collection of prints that date back to the 1490s, and more! Exhibition | The American Superhero July 25 – October 4 | UW Tower Mezzanine Lounge There is a…

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July 30, 2019

UW study: House move during early pregnancy linked to heightened premature birth risk

Moving to a new residence during the first three months of pregnancy is linked to a heightened risk of premature birth and low birthweight, as well as a slightly higher risk of a smaller-than-expected-size baby, according to new research from the University of Washington published online today in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

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Soundbites: UW hosts student robotics ‘moon landing’ challenge

A robotics challenge July 20th at the UW featured twenty-eight teams of middle and high schoolers from Forks to Walla Walla and from Bellingham to Olympia. The event marked a half-century since the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon and two U.S. astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked its surface.

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Video: UW hosts student robotics ‘moon landing’ challenge

A robotics challenge July 20th at the UW featured twenty-eight teams of middle and high schoolers from Forks to Walla Walla and from Bellingham to Olympia. The event marked a half-century since the Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon and two U.S. astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, walked its surface.

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July 29, 2019

Medicaid expansion may prevent child neglect, UW study shows

More than 4 million reports of child maltreatment involving about 7.5 million children were made in 2017 to Child Protective Services. While much work has been done to reduce these high rates of child abuse and neglect in the United States, few programs have been consistently effective.

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Stressed at school? Art therapy reduces teenage girls’ headaches

In a pilot study led by the UW, researchers explored art-based mindfulness activities that schools could use to reduce headaches, a common side effect of stress in adolescent girls. After three weeks of twice-weekly mindfulness and art therapy sessions, eight teenage girls reported experiencing significantly fewer headaches.

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July 26, 2019

UW moves up to No. 5 on Kiplinger’s list of ‘best value’ public universities

The University of Washington is now fifth on Kiplinger’s list of best values among U.S. public universities, according to a new ranking published this week. Last year, the UW placed No. 7.

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July 25, 2019

Decades after a grade-school program to promote social development, adults report healthier, more successful lives

University of Washington researchers have found that that “good life” in adulthood can start in grade school, by teaching parents and teachers to build stronger bonds with their children, and to help children form greater attachments to family and school.

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July 24, 2019

How to consider nature’s impact on mental health in city plans

An international team led by the UW and Stanford has created a framework for how city planners and municipalities around the world can start to measure the mental health benefits of nature and incorporate those into plans and policies for cities and their residents.

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July 23, 2019

What motivates people to join — and stick with — citizen science projects?

After more than 20 years, the UW’s Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, or COASST, is itself the subject of scientific study. Social scientists are studying the program’s success to extract lessons for all citizen science efforts.

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July 22, 2019

University of Washington to create UW Center for an Informed Public with $5 million investment from Knight Foundation

The University of Washington today announced a $5 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to create the UW Center for an Informed Public, led by an interdisciplinary group whose mission is to resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse. The Center is also funded by a $600,000 award from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

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July 19, 2019

Offspring of pregnant women exposed to high level of pollutants may have lower IQs

A new study found that pregnant women exposed to higher levels of air pollutants had children with lower IQs, compared to the children of women exposed to lower levels. 

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July 18, 2019

François Baneyx named director of UW’s CoMotion and Interim Vice Provost for Innovation

François Baneyx has been named the new director of CoMotion and Interim Vice Provost of Innovation at the University of Washington, Provost Mark Richards announced today. Baneyx fills a position formerly held by Vikram Jandhyala, who died in March. “François is a respected researcher, teacher and innovator with connections throughout academia and industry, as well…

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Scientists discover how the mosquito brain integrates diverse sensory cues to locate a host to bite

A team, led by researchers at the University of Washington, has discovered how the female mosquito brain integrates visual and olfactory signals to identify, track and hone in on a potential host for her next blood meal: After the mosquito’s olfactory system detects certain chemical cues, the mosquito uses her visual system to scan her surroundings for certain shapes and fly toward them, presumably associating those shapes with potential hosts.

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July 17, 2019

Video: ‘Pickled’ sharks from the UW Burke Museum fish collection

The Burke Museum at the University of Washington has North America’s largest fish collection that includes a number of sharks, including many species that live in Pacific Northwest waters.

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UW steady at No. 28 in the world, fourth among U.S. public institutions; No. 1 on CNBC US public colleges that pay off the most

The University of Washington was recognized this week for its global impact in teaching and research, as well as for its value to graduates compared to cost of attendance.

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UW hosts student robotics challenge Friday to mark 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 moon landing

This Friday, teams of 5th- through 12th-grade students from across Washington state will complete a challenge in Kane Hall to mimic the 1969 Apollo moon landing, using drones and Lego robots.

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First-ever visualizations of electrical gating effects on electronic structure could lead to longer-lasting devices

Scientists have visualized the electronic structure in a microelectronic device for the first time, opening up opportunities for finely tuned, high-performance electronic devices. Physicists from the University of Washington and the University of Warwick developed a technique to measure the energy and momentum of electrons in operating microelectronic devices made of atomically thin — so-called 2D — materials.

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Magdalena Balazinska named director of UW’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering

Magdalena Balazinska has been named the new director of the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2020, and is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents.

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July 16, 2019

8 UW professors elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2019

Eight scientists and engineers from the University of Washington have been elected this year to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.

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ArtsUW Roundup: writing workshop, exhibition opening, festival:festival, and more

In the arts, stop by the Allen Library North Lobby for a free lunchtime concert with UW Voice students, take a writing workshop hosted by the Henry Art Gallery and Hugo House, stop by James Coupe’s exhibition at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, partake in a free two-day arts festival – festival:festival – that presents and…

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July 12, 2019

Video: Friend or foe? Fun facts about sharks

In honor of Shark Awareness Day on July 14, UW News sat down with Katherine Maslenikov, manager of the UW Fish Collection, to learn about sharks in the Pacific Northwest and other fun facts about sharks.

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UW School of Law receives $3.75 million gift to support environmental law

The University of Washington today announced a $3.75 million gift to the School of Law that will support UW Law graduates pursuing public interest environmental law, enhancing their opportunities to gain the experience and knowledge necessary to tackle some of Washington’s and the world’s most pressing environmental issues.

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July 11, 2019

B-roll: Middle school students study mechanics, gravity at UW engineering camp

Sixty middle school students from all over Washington state came for a week-long camp on the UW campus in late June. The camp, which is part of the Early Learning Institute, culminated in a chance to improve the basic design of a toy-sized “gravity car.”

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Super salty, subzero Arctic water provides peek at possible life on other planets

A UW team has discovered thriving communities of bacteria in Alaskan “cryopegs,” trapped layers of sediment with water so salty that it remains liquid at below-freezing temperatures. The setting may be similar to environments on Mars, Saturn’s moon Titan, or other bodies farther from the sun.

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National attention, praise for new Silicon Valley history ‘The Code’ by UW historian Margaret O’Mara

Her sweeping new book about the history of Silicon Valley has UW history professor Margaret O’Mara on a busy national book tour this summer. The book, “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” was published this month by Penguin Press and is receiving many positive reviews.

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UW recognized as Commute Trip Reduction Champion

The University of Washington was recognized with platinum-level distinction, the highest, at the City of Seattle’s 2019 Commute Trip Reduction Champion Awards on June 5, 2019.

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July 9, 2019

UW professors to receive 2019 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Six University of Washington professors are to receive a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, according to an announcement July 2 from the White House. The award, also known as the PECASE, is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers “who show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology.”

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Alison Cullen named interim dean of UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance

Alison Cullen has been named interim dean of the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, Provost Mark A. Richards announced earlier this month. Her appointment, set to begin Sept. 1, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents.

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Coral reefs shifting away from equator, new study finds

Coral reefs are retreating from equatorial waters and establishing new reefs in more temperate regions, according to new research by the University of Washington and other institutions.

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July 5, 2019

UW books in brief: US credit markets in history, ‘value sensitive’ design, the lasting effects of reproductive slavery, and more

Recent notable books by UW faculty members explore how the U.S. government has historically used credit to create opportunity, how “reproductive slavery” has left lasting ramifications and how technology design benefits from human values.

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July 3, 2019

Joy Williamson-Lott named dean of UW Graduate School

Joy Williamson-Lott has been named the next dean of the University of Washington’s Graduate School, Provost Mark A. Richards announced today. Her appointment, set to begin July 16, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents.

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UW School of Oceanography ranks No. 1 in global ranking; more than two dozen areas in top 50

The University of Washington’s School of Oceanography again is ranked No. 1 in the world on the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2019. The ranking, released in June, was conducted by researchers at the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

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