UW News
The latest news from the UW
August 6, 2018
Alexa, be my friend: Children talk to technology, but how does it respond?
When young children talk to voice-activated technologies, the devices don’t always respond in a helpful way. A new University of Washington study suggests that these interfaces could be designed to be more responsive – repeating or prompting the user, for example – and be more useful to more people.
Tag(s): Alexis Hiniker • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Department of Sociology • Information School • Kate Yen • Sijin Chen • Yeqi Chen • Yi ChengAugust 3, 2018
UW, PNNL to host energy research center focusing on bio-inspired design and assembly
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded an expected $10.75 million, four-year grant to the University of Washington, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and other partner institutions for a new interdisciplinary research center to define the enigmatic rules that govern how molecular-scale building blocks assemble into ordered structures and give rise to complex hierarchical materials.
Tag(s): Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • David Baker • Department of Chemical Engineering • Department of Chemistry • Department of Materials Science & Engineering • Francois Baneyx • Institute for Protein Design • James De Yoreo • NW IMPACT • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • School of MedicineAugust 2, 2018
UW books in brief: Urban diaries, battling Jim Crow on campus and more
Recent notable books by University of Washington authors tell of the struggle to break free of racism in higher education, taking an “urban diary” approach to documenting city life and more.
Tag(s): Chuck Wolfe • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Built Environments • College of Education • College of the Environment • Deborah Lynn Porter • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Department of Political Science • Jackson School of International Studies • Joy Williamson-Lott • Karen Litfin • Lauren Berliner • Stephen Warren • UW BothellAugust 1, 2018
Harmful dyes in lakes, rivers can become colorless with new, sponge-like material
A team led by the University of Washington has created an environmentally friendly way to remove color from dyes in water in a matter of seconds.
Tag(s): Anthony Dichiara • College of the Environment • School of Environmental and Forest SciencesJuly 31, 2018
Lou Cariello named vice president for UW Facilities
Lou Cariello has been named vice president of UW Facilities, University of Washington Executive Vice President Jeff Scott announced earlier this month. Cariello is scheduled to start in mid-August.
Tag(s): University of WashingtonJuly 30, 2018
Sea-level rise report contains best projections yet for Washington’s coasts
A University of Washington report provides the best projections yet for sea-level rise due to climate change at 171 sites along Washington’s coasts.
Tag(s): climate change • Climate Impacts Group • College of the Environment • Guillaume Mauger • Harriet Morgan • Ian Miller • oceanography • Washington Sea GrantJuly 25, 2018
And then there was (more) light: Researchers boost performance quality of perovskites
In a paper published online this spring in the journal Nature Photonics, scientists at the University of Washington report that a prototype semiconductor thin-film has performed even better than today’s best solar cell materials at emitting light.
Tag(s): Clean Energy Institute • clean or renewable energy • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • David Ginger • Department of Chemical Engineering • Department of Chemistry • Hugh Hillhouse • Molecular Engineering & Sciences InstituteJuly 23, 2018
Study shows why eastern U.S. air pollution levels are more stagnant in winter
Observations over the eastern U.S. show why emissions reductions haven’t achieved the same results in winter as they have in summer.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Joel Thornton • Lyatt Jaegle • pollutionJuly 19, 2018
UW Oceanography ranks No. 1 in global ranking; more than two dozen areas in top 40
The University of Washington’s School of Oceanography is ranked No. 1 in the world on the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2018. The ranking, released this week, was conducted by researchers at the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Tag(s): Rankings
UW Nurse Camp provides high school students with exposure to the promise of a nursing degree
As a middle school student, Srinya Sukrachan spent a lot of time in hospitals. She had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and her father was battling colon cancer.
When she was 17, her personal health care experience led her to participate in the University of Washington School of Nursing’s first Nurse Camp. Now, a decade later, Sukrachan is one of the student leaders for the camp’s 10-year anniversary session and she’s become an advocate with a passion for teaching, equity and inclusion. The recent School of Nursing graduate already also has a job lined up at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
Tag(s): School of NursingJuly 18, 2018
Atlantic Ocean circulation is not collapsing – but as it shifts gears, global warming will reaccelerate
New research suggests the Atlantic Ocean is transitioning back to its slower phase, which means average global air temperatures will go back to rising more quickly.
Tag(s): climate change • College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Department of Applied Mathematics • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Ka-Kit Tung • oceanographyJuly 17, 2018
14 UW professors elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2018
Fourteen scientists, physicians and engineers from the University of Washington have been elected this year to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
Tag(s): Washington State Academy of SciencesJuly 16, 2018
Dr. Gary Chiodo named interim dean at UW School of Dentistry
Dr. Gary Chiodo of Oregon Health & Science University has been appointed interim dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry, effective Aug. 1, UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards announced Monday.
Tag(s): School of Dentistry • University of Washington
Chronicle of Higher Ed: UW a ‘Great College to Work For’
The University of Washington has been recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education for the fifth consecutive year. The UW received accolades in five categories.
Tag(s): University of WashingtonJuly 13, 2018
Battling STEM stereotypes, UW’s Sapna Cheryan helps Barbie evolve
Sapna Cheryan, a University of Washington associate professor of psychology, has spent her career researching the stereotypes surrounding STEM. Now she’s serving on Mattel’s Barbie Global Advisory Council, lending her expertise as the company looks ahead to the toy’s future.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Psychology • Sapna CheryanJuly 9, 2018
Oxygen levels on early Earth rose and fell several times before the successful Great Oxidation Event
Earth’s oxygen levels rose and fell more than once hundreds of millions of years before the planetwide success of the Great Oxidation Event about 2.4 billion years ago, new research from the University of Washington shows.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • Great Oxidation Event • Matt Koehler • Michael Kipp • Roger Buick • Virtual Planetary Laboratory
Pucker up, baby! Lips take center stage in infants’ brains, study says
A typically developing 2-month-old baby can make cooing sounds, suck on her hand to calm down and smile at people. At that age, the mouth is the primary focus: Such young infants aren’t yet reaching for objects with their hands or using their feet to get around, so the lips – for eating, pacifying…
Tag(s): Andrew Meltzoff • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Psychology • I-LABSJuly 2, 2018
Study identifies which marine mammals are most at risk from increased Arctic ship traffic
Regions of Arctic water are becoming ice-free in late summer and early fall. A new study is the first to consider potential impacts on the marine mammals that use this region and identify which populations will be the most vulnerable to ships.
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • College of the Environment • Harry Stern • Kristin Laidre • polar science • Polar Science Center • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Q&A: What can we learn from the hidden history of technology design?
University of Washington assistant professor of human centered design and engineering Daniela Rosner explores some hidden histories in technology design in her new book “Critical Fabulations.” The book highlights the idea that design stories from the past can show today’s designers how to create more inclusive technology.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Daniela Rosner • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Q&AJune 28, 2018
UW professor and Clean Energy Institute director Daniel Schwartz wins highest U.S. award for STEM mentors
Daniel Schwartz, a University of Washington professor of chemical engineering and director of the Clean Energy Institute, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation this week.
Tag(s): awards • Clean Energy Institute • College of Engineering • Daniel Schwartz • Department of Chemical Engineering
UW President Ana Mari Cauce named ‘Great Immigrant’ on 2018 Carnegie list
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce has been named one of 38 great immigrants by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • University of WashingtonJune 27, 2018
To tell the sex of a Galápagos penguin, measure its beak, researchers say
In a paper published April 5 in the journal Endangered Species Research, scientists at the University of Washington announced that, for a Galápagos penguin, beak size is nearly a perfect indicator of whether a bird is male or female.
Tag(s): Center for Ecosystem Sentinels • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Dee Boersma • Department of Biology
Vintage editorial cartoons by Oregon’s Howard Fisher in UW Libraries exhibit ‘Captured in Ink’
UW Libraries Special Collections has a new exhibit called “Captured in Ink: Historical Cartoons and Caricatures.” The exhibit features the editorial cartoons of Howard Fisher, who worked and drew for decades for the Oregon Journal, a Portland newspaper that folded in 1982. Many other historical caricatures are included as well in the display, which stays up until October 19.
Tag(s): Lisa Oberg • Nicolette Bromberg • UW LibrariesJune 25, 2018
UW part of NASA network coordinating search for life on exoplanets
Researchers with the UW-led Virtual Planetary Laboratory are central to a group of papers published by NASA researchers today in the journal Astrobiology outlining the history — and suggesting the future — of the search for life on exoplanets, or those orbiting stars other than the sun.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • David Catling • Department of Astronomy • Edward Schwieterman • Joshua Krissansen-Totton • Russell Deitrick • Victoria MeadowsJune 21, 2018
Q Center’s Jen Self a grand marshal at 2018 Seattle Pride Parade
The University of Washington’s Jen Self will be one of three grand marshals of Sunday’s 2018 Seattle Pride Parade.
Tag(s): Jen Self • Q Center • University of Washington
NASA, NSF expedition to study ocean carbon embarks in August from Seattle
More than 100 scientists and crew from more than 20 U.S. research institutions, including the UW, will depart in August for a month-long expedition to study how the ocean absorbs carbon from the atmosphere.
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • College of the Environment • Craig Lee • Eric D'Asaro • oceanography • School of OceanographyJune 20, 2018
Why 9 to 5 isn’t the only shift that can work for busy families
For the millions of Americans who work “nonstandard” shifts – evenings, nights or with rotating days off – the schedule can be especially challenging with children at home. But a new study from the University of Washington finds that consistent hours, at whatever time of day, can give families flexibility and in some…
Tag(s): Christine Leibbrand • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology
Ali Mokdad named chief strategy officer for Population Health
Ali Mokdad has been named the chief strategy officer for Population Health at the University of Washington, President Ana Mari Cauce announced today. In this new role he will be responsible for collaboratively setting and executing the UW’s vision and strategy for the Population Health Initiative, a 25-year effort to create a world where all people can live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
Tag(s): Ali Mokdad • Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation • Population Health Initiative • University of WashingtonJune 18, 2018
Evans School faculty to study Fauntleroy ferry concerns for Washington State Ferries
The Washington State Legislature has commissioned faculty members with the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance to study ticketing and loading procedures at the West Seattle ferry dock and suggest ways to improve terminal operations. Evans School professor Alison Cullen and associate professor Stephen Page will lead the study, which begins…
Tag(s): Alison Cullen • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Stephen Page
Great white sharks dive deep into warm-water whirlpools in the Atlantic
Tracking of two great white sharks reveals for the first time that in the open ocean they spend more time deep inside warm-water eddies.
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • biology • oceanography • Peter GaubeJune 15, 2018
Study: Undergrad research experiences make a noticeable difference
A new analysis suggests the value of structured research programs for undergraduates extends to society as a whole by encouraging participants to seek advanced degrees in scientific and technological fields.
Tag(s): Adam Summers • College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Daniel Grunbaum • Department of Biology • Friday Harbor Laboratories • George Hunt • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesJune 14, 2018
‘Teachers are brain engineers’: UW study shows how intensive instruction changes brain circuitry in struggling readers
The early years are when the brain develops the most, forming neural connections that pave the way for how a child — and the eventual adult — will express feelings, embark on a task, and learn new skills and concepts. Scientists have even theorized that the anatomical structure of neural connections forms the…
Tag(s): Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences • Elizabeth Huber • I-LABS • Jason Yeatman
Key ocean fish can prevail with changes to farmed fish, livestock diets
Anchovies, herring, sardines and other forage fish play an essential role in the food web as prey for seabirds, marine mammals and larger fish like salmon. When ground into fishmeal and oil, they are also a key food source for farmed seafood and land-based livestock such as pigs and poultry. As seafood consumption outpaces the…
Tag(s): College of the Environment • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Tim EssingtonJune 12, 2018
Anthropology professor focuses book on the bonds between humans, animals
Radhika Govindrajan’s book “Animal Intimacies” started attracting attention before it was even available to readers. A University of Washington assistant professor of anthropology since 2015, Govindrajan specializes in animal studies, and in the politics and culture of the Central Himalayas, where much of the research for this book was conducted. “Animal Intimacies,” published in May…
Tag(s): books • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • Radhika GovindrajanJune 11, 2018
Warmer climate will dramatically increase the volatility of global corn crops
A study of global maize production in 2100 shows dramatic increases in the variability of corn yields from one year to the next under climate change, making simultaneous low yields across multiple high-producing regions more likely, which could lead to price hikes and global shortages.
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • David Battisti • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • food production
Choice matters: The environmental costs of producing meat, seafood
A new study led by the University of Washington considers which food type is more environmentally costly to produce: livestock, farmed seafood or wild-caught fish.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Ray Hilborn • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesJune 6, 2018
GIX team competes for $1 million XPRIZE for women’s safety
A team from the University of Washington’s GIX program are competing to win the $1 million Anu & Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE.
Tag(s): GIX • University of Washington
Distinguished pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Danielson to speak at UW’s 143rd commencement Saturday
About 5,900 graduates, along with 50,000-plus family members, friends, faculty and other observers, are expected to attend the 143rd University of Washington commencement ceremonies at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at Husky Stadium.
Tag(s): University of Washington
Washington state Supreme Court takes up court-fee reform, considers UW data at sold-out Wednesday symposium
African-Americans in Washington state are 2.3 times more likely than whites to be sentenced to fines and fees, and carry about three times the debt in unpaid monetary sanctions. In all, said University of Washington sociology professor Alexes Harris, legal financial obligations represented nearly $2.5 billion in debt in Washington in 2014, the most…
Tag(s): Alexes Harris • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of SociologyJune 5, 2018
UW’s Allen School to expand direct freshmen admissions in computer science
In an effort to improve the student experience and provide certainty for prospective computer science majors, the University of Washington’s Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering is expanding its direct to major admissions program for incoming freshmen. Beginning with the class of fall 2019, direct admission from high school will be the primary pathway into computer science for the majority of UW undergraduates.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • University of Washington« Previous Page Next Page »
