A new study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows that parents who learn how and why to speak “parentese” can have a direct impact on their children’s vocabulary.
November 26, 2018
The latest news from the UW
November 20, 2018
Mobile health has power to transform HIV/AIDS nursing
The abundance of personal smartphones in southern African countries got University of Washington professor Sarah Gimbel thinking: What if these phones were used by front-line health workers — namely nurses — to collect and analyze data on patients living with HIV or AIDS to improve their care?
Study brings new climate models of small star TRAPPIST 1’s seven intriguing worlds
Not all stars are like the sun, so not all planetary systems can be studied with the same expectations. New research from a University of Washington-led team of astronomers gives updated climate models for the seven planets around the star TRAPPIST-1.
November 19, 2018
UW political scientist Mark Smith asks: How do we know what’s true?
A timely new University of Washington political science class asks: How do we separate fact from fiction these days? How do we know what is true?
UW’s Marina Alberti to lead new NSF-funded research network to study impact of cities on Earth’s evolutionary dynamics
Here in what is called the Anthropocene era, humans and our urban environments appear to be driving accelerated evolutionary change in plants, animals, fungi, viruses and more — changes that could affect key ecosystem functions and thus human well-being. These interactions between evolution and ecology are called “eco-evolutionary feedback.” The National Science Foundation has awarded a five-year, $500,000 grant to a multi-institution research network team headed by Marina Alberti, University of Washington professor of urban design and planning, to advance…
The ‘Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools’ found in Asia, independent of ancient African or European influence
A study by an international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, determines that carved stone tools, also known as Levallois cores, were used in Asia 80,000 to 170,000 years ago. With the find — and absent human fossils linking the tools to migrating populations — researchers believe people in Asia developed the technology independently, evidence of similar sets of skills evolving throughout different parts of the ancient world.
November 18, 2018
UW joins with WSU to promote affordability of public higher education
Public higher education is not just possible, it is easily within reach for Washington residents. That’s the message behind a new joint public-awareness campaign of the University of Washington and Washington State University to promote the affordability of higher education in the state of Washington.
November 14, 2018
ArtsUW Roundup: A Library of Black Lies, Power and Pleasure in Indian Painting, and more!
This week in the arts, shop for hand-printed gifts, attend a sonic-theatrical performance, dive into lectures about Indian Painting in Mewar and Marwar, and more! Print Sale November 14 to 15, 8:00 AM–7:00 PM | Art Building Hand-printed artwork, cards, soft goods, and more! UW student members of the UW Printmaking Association and UW printmaking alums invite the community and public to their Print Sale. More Info Kurbasy November 16, 8:00 PM | Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater From the Carpathian mountains,…
First tally of U.S.-Russia polar bears finds a healthy population
The first assessment of polar bears that live in the biologically rich Chukchi Sea region that spans the U.S. and Russia, finds that the population is healthy and not yet suffering from declining sea ice.
Gold standard: UW wins recognition as bike friendly campus
The University of Washington has won a Gold Bicycle Friendly University award from the League of American Bicyclists in recognition of its achievements in promoting safe, accessible bicycling on campus.
New resources support tribes in preparing for climate change
The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and regional tribal partners have developed a collection of resources that may be useful to tribes at any stage in the process of evaluating their vulnerability to climate change. The project is a partnership among tribes, tribal associations, universities and the federal government.
November 13, 2018
Scientists engineer a functional optical lens out of 2D materials
In a paper published Oct. 8 in the journal Nano Letters, a team from the University of Washington and the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan announced that it has constructed functional metalenses that are one-tenth to one-half the thickness of the wavelengths of light that they focus. Their metalenses, which were constructed out of layered 2D materials, were as thin as 190 nanometers — less than 1/100,000ths of an inch thick.
UW communication professor Ralina Joseph’s new book navigates minefield of ‘postracial racialism’
Ralina Joseph, associate professor of communication, discusses here new book “Postracial Resistance: Black Women, Media, and the Uses of Strategic Ambiguity,” published this October by New York University Press.
November 9, 2018
Public notice: Availability of a final Environmental Impact Statement
Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-455, 197-11-510 and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of the availability of a final Environmental Impact Statement. Project name: Husky Stadium Transportation Management Plan Proponent/lead agency: University of Washington – Seattle Campus Description of proposal: The university is updating the Husky Stadium Transportation Management Plan. The university’s goal is to prepare a TMP that accommodates a maximum crowd of 70,000 people; modifies mode goals and operational logistics for hosting…
November 8, 2018
Common allergen, ragweed, will shift northward under climate change
The first study of common ragweed’s future U.S. distribution finds the top allergen will expand its range northward as the climate warms, reaching new parts of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while retreating from current hot spots.
November 7, 2018
UW recognized for 27-year partnership with Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council
When it comes to supporting and promoting the growth of minority businesses, the University of Washington has a long track record – 27 years to be exact. This milestone represents the UW’s long-standing relationship with the Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC).
University of Washington’s Fall 2018 entering class is largest ever
The University of Washington welcomed the largest class of new students across all three campuses, and the largest number of Washington residents in UW history, according to the finalized Fall 2018 census of enrolled students released by all three campuses.
ArtsUW Roundup: Caravaggio Lecture, Campagnie Käfig, Print Sale, and More!
This week in the arts, attend “Unbelievable: Reflections on Caravaggio’s Religious Art” lecture, go to a Print Sale, see Brooklyn Rider perform, and more! Faculty Lecture: Estelle Lingo on Caravaggio November 8, 5:30–6:30 PM | Art Building Estelle Lingo, Associate Professor of Art History and Donald E. Peterson Professor in the Arts, will give the lecture “Unbelievable: Reflections on Caravaggio’s Religious Art.” Lingo was recently in residence at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National…
UW Evans School, Harvard, Northeastern study: State governments’ internet footprints reveal what they do — and how and why they differ
To better understand how state governments across the United States execute their diverse responsibilities, look at their internet footprint, says a new study by researchers at the University of Washington, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.
After a bad winter in the ocean, female Magellanic penguins suffer most, study shows
Researchers from the University of Washington have shown how Magellanic penguins fare during the winter months when they spend months at sea feeding. They have discovered that oceanographic features are more likely to negatively impact the body conditions of Magellanic penguin females, but not males, when the penguins return to their nesting grounds in spring.
November 6, 2018
Updated book compiles 45 years of changes in Pacific Northwest flora
Botanists at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture have created a much-needed second edition of the “Flora of the Pacific Northwest.”
November 5, 2018
Violence in childhood leads to accelerated aging, study finds
A new study of nearly 250 children and teens led by the University of Washington found that participants who had suffered abuse were developing faster than those who had not.
November 2, 2018
UW Today email is getting a new look
The University of Washington has distributed news to the campus community — in one form or another — since 1975. Such communication began as a way to streamline how faculty, staff and students received important administrative news and was initially published as a pamphlet of memos. In 1983, it evolved into University Week, a weekly printed newspaper with research news and feature stories. The newspaper became an online-only publication in 2008, and the first UW Today email newsletter was sent…
‘Ocean memory’ the focus of cross-disciplinary effort by UW’s Jody Deming
UW oceanographer Jody Deming is a leader of a new, interdisciplinary effort that addresses the theme of “ocean memory.”
Racial, ethnic minorities face greater vulnerability to wildfires
Massive wildfires, which may be getting more intense due to climate change and a long history of fire-suppression policies, have strikingly unequal effects on minority communities, a new study shows.
November 1, 2018
University of Washington public hearing notice for Nov. 7
Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held at 10 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at the University of Washington Police Department Conference Room located at 3939 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.
UW opens permanent food pantry on campus
Studies suggest that as many as 25 percent of college students nationwide do not get enough food. That’s one of the reasons why the University of Washington on Thursday opened a new, permanent food pantry.
October 31, 2018
ArtsUW Roundup: 20 Years of Pacific Voices, closing weekend of Incident at Vichy, and more
This week in the arts, celebrate the vibrancy, resiliency, and legacies of community members from across the Pacific, see Incident at Vichy before it closes, attend a performance by the Taiwan Philharmonic, and more! 20 Years of Pacific Voices: A Community Celebration November 1, 4–7:30 PM | Pacific Voices Exhibit Gallery at the Burke Museum Celebrate 20 years of community members from across the Pacific who have shared the vibrancy, resiliency, and legacies of their cultures through Pacific Voices at…
October 30, 2018
UW is No. 10 in US News Best Global Universities ranking; No. 2 among US public institutions
The University of Washington maintained its No. 10 spot on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, released Tuesday. The UW is second among American public institutions.
Study reconstructs Neandertal ribcage, offers new clues to ancient human anatomy
An international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, has completed a 3D virtual reconstruction of a Neandertal thorax a model that indicates an upright individual with greater lung capacity and a straighter spine than today’s modern human.
Suicide more prevalent than homicide in US, but most Americans don’t know it
First-of-its kind research, led by the University of Washington, Northeastern University and Harvard University, delves into public perceptions of gun violence and the leading causes of death in the U.S.
October 29, 2018
UW books in brief: Postwar Japan, American Indian businesses, dictatorship to democracy — and more
Recent notable books by UW faculty members study politics and culture in post-World War II Japan, explore regime change, nonprofit management, documents from the ancient world and more.
October 25, 2018
Q&A: Provost Mark Richards’ welcome lecture asks: ‘What really killed the dinosaurs?’
Provost Mark Richards answers questions surrounding the topic of his welcome lecture, Tuesday afternoon in the HUB Lyceum.
Urban Freight Lab will help UPS evaluate its new e-bike delivery service in Seattle
UPS announced today that it will be pilot-testing deliveries with cargo e-bikes in downtown Seattle. This test is expected to last a year, and the University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab at the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center will help UPS evaluate the study’s outcomes.
Valuing older buildings: Architecture professor’s book argues for reuse rather than wrecking ball
In her new book, Kathryn Rogers Merlino, UW associate professor of architecture, argues for the environmental benefit of reusing buildings rather than tearing them down and building anew.
Creating curious robots: UW researchers get Honda grant to build a mathematical model of curiosity
The University of Washington will lead one of three teams that will partner with the Honda Research Institute to explore the mechanisms behind curiosity and seek advances in artificial cognition. The UW-led team will receive $2.7 million over the next three years to generate a mathematical model of curiosity.
October 24, 2018
UW physicist Jiun-Haw Chu named Packard Fellow for research on quantum materials
Jiun-Haw Chu, a University of Washington assistant professor of physics and faculty member at the UW’s Clean Energy Institute, has been named a 2018 fellow by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for his research on quantum materials — substances that exhibit novel combinations of quantum-mechanical properties that could one day transform information technology.
A dose of nature: New UW initiative to spearhead research on health benefits of time outside
A new University of Washington initiative seeks to advance research on the health benefits of time spent in nature, connecting academic researchers with pediatricians, childcare providers, mental health practitioners and others who work with various populations on critical health issues.
New center to recognize American Indian and Indigenous Studies
As the discipline of American Indian Studies approaches its 50th year at the University of Washington, a new research center is in the works: the Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, which is supported by multiple colleges and schools.
October 23, 2018
ArtsUW Roundup: Opening weekend of Between Bodies, Incident at Vichy, and more!
This week in the arts, attend UW School of Drama’s season opener, see several musical performances, and attend a exhibition opening. Incident at Vichy October 24 to November 4 | Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse UW School of Drama’s season opener is a production that the New York Times considered “one of the most important plays of our time” in 1964. The questions at the heart of this story—about evil, complicity, self-preservation, and the death of human decency—are perhaps more…