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UW News blog

September 29, 2025

UW announces Katherine and John Simpson deanship in the College of Arts & Sciences

The University of Washington announced a transformative gift that solidifies the importance and vitality of the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.  It recognizes the legacy of former Dean John Simpson, his late wife Katherine, and the Simpson family by creating a namesake deanship for the College of Arts & Sciences. The Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Deanship in the College of Arts & Sciences provides flexible funding to promote interdisciplinary teaching and research across the College. These critical…

Environment | Expert quotes | News releases | Research | Science

September 25, 2025

Q&A: Insect pollinators need more higher-quality habitats to help farmers, new research says

In a new study, a team of scientists determined the minimum natural habitat on agricultural land that will allow insect pollinators — including bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies and butterflies — to thrive. UW News reached out to co-author Berry Brosi, UW professor of biology, to learn more about these results and how habitat is important to two types of bees native to Washington.

Environment | Learning | Research | Science | UW News blog

September 23, 2025

More bees please: 8 new-to-Washington species identified 

Bee experts wouldn’t have previously expected to find the likes of Osmia cyaneonitens, Dufourea dilatipes and Stelis heronae in Washington. But this year, while collecting pollinators in Chelan County to study how climate and wildfires affect native bee populations, Autumn Maust, a University of Washington research scientist of biology, discovered eight bee species never recorded in Washington.

News releases | Soundbites | Video

September 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 year with a convocation ceremony. #newhuskies2025 #uwdawgdazeMedia assets: drive.google.com/drive/folder… — UW News (@uwnews.uw.edu) 2025-09-21T23:11:03.035Z For journalists Download ‘W’ timelapse, soundbites and B-roll from 2025 Convocation…

News releases

September 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 about 7,175 students, with around 4,550 from Washington.  An additional 1,650 transfer students are expected to arrive this fall, including 1,375 of whom will be…

News releases | UW News blog | Video

September 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 move into campus housing this week, beginning on Tuesday, September 16.  Move-in occurs at various locations on the University of Washington campus during the following…

Expert quotes | Research | Science | UW News blog

September 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.

Arts and entertainment | UW Notebook

September 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 in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving (Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture) Journey through the seasonal cycle of weaving, from gathering materials and…

Global | News releases | Science

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.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

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.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

September 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.

Global | News releases | Research | Science

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.

News releases

August 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 new spot focuses on how the University of Washington and other Big Ten universities make America healthier, safer and more prosperous in a variety of…

Environment | News releases

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.

UW News blog

August 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 and to follow up on an anonymous concern submitted to USDA alleging unfair treatment of a researcher by the UW Institutional Animal Care and Use…

Population Health | Research | UW News blog

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.

Arts and entertainment | UW Notebook

August 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.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

‘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.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology

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.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Science

August 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.

Global | News releases | Research | Science

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.

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology

August 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.