UW News
The latest news from the UW
June 2, 2017
UW, UW Bothell scientists explain new discovery in gravitational wave astronomy
The announcement that a third collision of black holes has been detected three billion light years away validates the work of hundreds of scientists, including teams at the University of Washington and UW Bothell.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Joey Key • Krishna Venkateswara • UW Bothell
Flexible Career Accelerator Program offers a professional boost
University of Washington Continuum College is re-engineering education for working adults through a new program called Career Accelerator. The program boosts critical career knowledge for professionals, helping them achieve gains in data analytics, data science, machine learning, programming and project management.
Tag(s): Continuum College • Rovy Branon
Catching the IMSI-catchers: SeaGlass brings transparency to cell phone surveillance
University of Washington security researchers have developed a new system called SeaGlass to detect anomalies in the cellular landscape that can indicate where and when cell phone surveillance devices are being used.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tadayoshi KohnoJune 1, 2017
Scientists launch global agenda to curb social and human rights abuses in the seafood sector
As the United Nations Oceans Conference convenes in New York, a new paper calls on marine scientists to focus on social issues such as human rights violations in the seafood industry
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Edward Allison • Nathan Bennett • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
Why pot-smoking declines — but doesn’t end — with parenthood
Adults who smoke marijuana often cut back after becoming parents — but they don’t necessarily quit. The influence of a significant other and positive attitudes toward the drug overall, in addition to the onset of parenthood, also are factors in whether someone uses marijuana. It’s a changing landscape for marijuana use, as laws ease…
Tag(s): Marina Epstein • School of Social Work • Social Development Research Group
Video shows invasive lionfish feasting on new Caribbean fish species
Researchers from the University of Washington and Smithsonian Institution have reported the first observed case of lionfish preying upon a fish species that had not yet been named. Their results, published May 25 in PLOS ONE, may indicate an uncertain future for other fish found in the largely unexplored deep-ocean coral reefs.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of the Environment • Luke Tornabene • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesMay 31, 2017
Arts Roundup: Harry Partch Ensemble, Defiant Requiem, Trans History in 99 Objects, Sueño, and School of Art graduation exhibitions
This week in the arts, hear the Harry Partch Ensemble perform with students and faculty; experience a concert-drama combining the music of Verdi with video testimony from survivors of the Terezí concentration camp; get a final look at the Henry’s exhibit from the Museum of Transgender Hirstory & Art; see an Obie Award-winning adaptation of Calderon de…
Support for tidal energy is high among Washington residents
A new University of Washington study finds that people who believe climate change is a problem and see economic, environmental and/or social benefits to using tidal energy are more likely to support such projects. Also, connecting pilot projects to the electricity grid is an important factor in garnering public support.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs • Stacia DreyerMay 30, 2017
Drone vs. truck deliveries: Which create less carbon pollution?
A new study finds that drone deliveries emit less climate-warming carbon dioxide pollution than truck deliveries in some — but not all — scenarios.
Tag(s): Anne Goodchild • College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Supply Chain Transportation & Logistics CenterMay 25, 2017
UW engineers borrow from electronics to build largest circuits to date in living eukaryotic cells
UW synthetic biology researchers have demonstrated a new method for digital information processing in living cells, analogous to the logic gates used in electric circuits. The team built the largest circuits published to date in eukaryotic cells, using DNA instead of silicon and solder.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Eric Klavins
UW anthropologist: Why researchers should share computer code
For years, scientists have discussed whether and how to share data from painstaking research and costly experiments. Some are further along in their efforts toward “open science” than others: Fields such as astronomy and oceanography, for example, involve such expensive and large-scale equipment and logistical challenges to data collection that collaboration among institutions has become…
Tag(s): Ben Marwick • Bill Howe • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • eScience InstituteMay 23, 2017
Arts Roundup: UW Sings, Sueño, School of Art IVA Honors + Juried Show, I Dig Dinos, and Manimou Camara
This week in the arts, hear The University Singers, Women’s Choir, and Men’s Glee Club on one stage; see award-winning playwright José Rivera’s adaptation of the classic Life is a Dream, dig dinos at the Burke; check out the latest installment of the School of Art Graduation Exhibitions; and listen to a master drummer performs with his students….
Wolves need space to roam to control expanding coyote populations
Wolves and other top predators need large ranges to be able to control smaller predators whose populations have expanded to the detriment of a balanced ecosystem, a new study in Nature Communications finds.
Tag(s): Aaron Wirsing • College of the Environment • School of Environmental and Forest SciencesMay 22, 2017
Weathering of rocks a poor regulator of global temperatures
Evidence from the age of the dinosaurs to today shows that chemical weathering of rocks is less sensitive to global temperature, and may depend on the steepness of the surface. The results call into question the role of rocks in setting our planet’s temperature over millions of years.
Tag(s): climate • College of the Environment • David Catling • Department of Earth and Space Sciences
Kepler telescope spies details of TRAPPIST-1 system’s outermost planet
A University of Washington-led international team of astronomers has used data gathered by the Kepler Space Telescope to observe and confirm details of the outermost of seven exoplanets orbiting the star TRAPPIST-1.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • Department of Astronomy • Eric Agol • NASA Astrobiology Institute • Rodrigo Luger • Virtual Planetary LaboratoryMay 18, 2017
Washington state house prices up 12.1 percent compared to the first quarter of last year
Washington state’s housing market showed the continuing effects of high demand in the first quarter of 2017, according to the UW’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • James Young • Runstad Department of Real Estate • Washington Center for Real Estate Research
Seattle seawall’s novel fish features are a potential model for the world
As tourists and residents visit Seattle’s downtown waterfront, it may not be immediately apparent they are walking on arguably the largest, most ambitious urban seawall project in the world that prioritizes habitat for young fish and the invertebrates they feed on.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Jason Toft • Jeff Cordell • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesMay 17, 2017
Earth’s atmosphere more chemically reactive in cold climates
A study of a Greenland ice core shows that during large climate swings, chemically reactive oxidants shift in a different direction than expected, which means we need to rethink what controls these molecules in our air.
Tag(s): Becky Alexander • climate • College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science
Visiting astronomer at UW part of ‘Styrofoam’ planet discovery
David James, a visiting scientist with the UW Department of Astronomy, assisted in the just-announced Lehigh University-led discovery of an exoplanet 320 light-years away with a density so light it is being called a “Styrofoam planet.”
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • David James • Department of AstronomyMay 16, 2017
Public hearing notice: Student Conduct Code for the University of Washington
The purpose of the hearing is to allow all interested persons an opportunity to present their views, either orally or in writing, on the proposed new Chapter 478-121 WAC, “Student Conduct Code for the University of Washington,” and the repeal of the current Chapter 478-120 WAC, as well as amendments to various cross-references to the chapter and its sections in Title 478 WAC.
Undergraduate Theater Society mounts big production of ‘Spring Awakening’ May 18-28
For its final and biggest show of the year the UW Undergraduate Theater Society presents “Spring Awakening,” a musical exploration of youth and blooming sexuality that’s surprisingly timely for a story set in 19th century Germany.
Tag(s): School of Drama • Undergraduate Theater SocietyMay 15, 2017
Code of conduct needed for ocean conservation, study says
A diverse group of the world’s leading experts in marine conservation is calling for a Hippocratic Oath for ocean conservation ― not unlike the pledge physicians take to uphold specific ethical standards when practicing medicine.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • conservation • Jackson School of International Studies • Nathan Bennett • Patrick Christie • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
Where you live may impact how much you drink
Neighborhoods with greater poverty and disorganization may play a greater role in problem drinking than the availability of bars and stores that sell hard liquor, a University of Washington-led study has found. While there is evidence for the link between neighborhood poverty and alcohol use, the new twist — that socioeconomics are more…
Tag(s): Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences • Isaac Rhew • Rick Kosterman • School of Medicine • School of Social Work • Social Development Research GroupMay 11, 2017
UW Regents approve central campus site for Population Health building to house collaborative research and teaching
The University of Washington Board of Regents on Thursday approved the location for construction of a new building to house the UW’s Population Health Initiative.
Tag(s): Population Health Initiative
Suicide prevention messages are top priority for UW’s Forefront
University of Washington advocates for suicide prevention were busy pushing for legislation in Olympia, working on programs with more than a dozen local high schools and organizing the fourth annual Husky Help & Hope walk when an online TV show about suicide suddenly captivated a teenage audience. To the staff of UW-based Forefront: Innovations in…
Tag(s): Forefront • Huskies for Suicide Prevention and Awareness • Jennifer Stuber • School of Social Work • Shira RosenMay 10, 2017
Arts Roundup: UW Sings, Native Art Market, Emel Mathlouthi, Photomedia Grad Exhibition, and Cherdonna Shinatra
This week in the arts, hear alumni composers play Music of Today; celebrate Native art with the Burke Museum; hear “The Voice of the Tunisian Revolution”; check out capstone Photomedia work at the Jake; and get a first look at the month-long Henry residency of Cheradonna Shinatra. MUSIC OF TODAY: UW ALUMNI COMPOSERS Friday, May 12,…
Seattle Art Museum to exhibit work by UW art professor Denzil Hurley
The Seattle Art Museum will feature work by abstract artist and UW art professor Denzil Hurley. The exhibit, titled “Disclosures,” will be on display from May 20 through November. It’s a fitting tribute, as Hurley will retire from the UW at the end of the school year.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Denzil Hurley • Henry Art Gallery • Jacob Lawrence • School of Art + Art History + Design
Kids, parents alike worried about privacy with internet-connected toys
University of Washington researchers have conducted a new study that explores the attitudes and concerns of both parents and children who play with internet-connected toys. Through a series of in-depth interviews and observations, the researchers found that kids didn’t know their toys were recording their conversations, and parents generally worried about their children’s privacy when they played with the toys.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Emily McReynolds • Franziska Roesner • Maya Cakmak • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tech Policy LabMay 9, 2017
Shrubs, grasses planted through federal program crucial for sage grouse survival in Eastern Washington
A federal program that pays farmers to plant agricultural land with environmentally beneficial vegetation is probably the reason that sage grouse still live in portions of Washington’s Columbia Basin, according to a new study by UW, state and federal researchers.
Tag(s): Climate Impacts Group • College of the Environment • conservation
Early human fossils found in South African cave system
An international team of scientists, including one from the University of Washington, has announced the discovery of additional remains of a new human species, Homo naledi, in a series of caves northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa. The find includes the remains of two adults and a child in the Lesedi Chamber of the Rising…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • Elen FeuerriegelMay 8, 2017
Pumping up a new record: 10 million gallons of sewage diverted from Washington waters in 2016
In 2016, a record 10 million gallons of raw sewage was diverted from Puget Sound, Lake Washington and other state waterways that previously would have been dumped into vulnerable water.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Washington Sea GrantMay 4, 2017
UW seismologist John Vidale elected to National Academy of Sciences
John E. Vidale, a UW professor of seismology and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • John VidaleMay 3, 2017
Arts Roundup: Harry Partch’s Oedipus, the Intersections series, Waterlines Class Series, and the Evergreen Trio
This week in the arts, see century maverick composer Harry Partch turn Sophocles’s play Oedipus into a visual and aural extravaganza; hear music inspired by great works of literature; and listen to the co-winners of the School of Music’s 2016 Strings and Piano Chamber Competition. HARRY PARTCH’S OEDIPUS: A MUSIC DANCE DRAMA May 5 – 7| Meany…
University of Washington, City of Tacoma announce Livable City Year partnership for 2017-2018
The UW’s Livable City Year program has selected the City of Tacoma as the program’s community partner for the 2017-2018 academic year.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Livable City Year • School of Public Health • Urban@UW • UW Sustainability • UW Tacoma
UW School of Social Work to host May 9 event ‘How Shifting Federal Priorities Impact the Poor’
For social service agencies, pinning down funding is par for the course. But there is heightened interest in the new administration’s priorities, and whether services to the poor will be among them. That lack of certainty — and a need to share information — prompted the University of Washington School of Social Work and the…
Tag(s): Bill Vesneski • Gunnar Almgren • Jennifer Romich • School of Social Work • West Coast Poverty CenterMay 2, 2017
New book by UW’s David R. Montgomery addresses how to rebuild Earth’s soils
“Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life,” is a good-news environment story about how shifts in farming practices can restore health and fertility to soils.
Tag(s): books • College of the Environment • David Montgomery • Department of Earth and Space Sciences
UW Continuum College launches first-ever scholarship program for certificate students
University of Washington Continuum College has launched the first UWPCE Certificate Scholarship program to help Washington residents eager to advance their careers through education.
Tag(s): Continuum College
Documents that Changed the World: Delayed stock market ticker tape, October 1929
Timing is everything, they say. In the latest episode of his Documents that Changed the World podcast series, Joe Janes of the UW Information School explores how an overload of critical information helped trigger the stock market crash of 1929, and thus the Great Depression. “This is a story about fortunes lost, lives ruined, a…
Tag(s): Documents that Changed the World • Information School • Joe Janes
Period tracking apps failing users in basic ways, study finds
A new study finds that smartphone apps to track menstrual cycles often disappoint users with a lack of accuracy, assumptions about sexual identity or partners, and an emphasis on pink and flowery form over function and customization.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Information School • Julie Kientz • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringMay 1, 2017
Researchers find more efficient way to make oil from dead trees
A University of Washington team has made new headway on a solution to remove beetle-killed trees from the forest and use them to make renewable transportation fuels or high-value chemicals. The researchers have refined this technique to process larger pieces of wood than ever before ― saving time and money in future commercial applications.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Fernando Resende • School of Environmental and Forest Sciences« Previous Page Next Page »
