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.
May 4, 2017
The latest news from the UW
May 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 Center Twentieth century maverick composer Harry Partch turned Sophocles’s play Oedipus into a visual and aural extravaganza, combining spoken word, instrumentation, theater, and dance into…
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.
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 West Coast Poverty Center to host a panel discussion with local agency representatives at 5 p.m. May 9 at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute,…
May 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.
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.
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 world plunged into a decade of depression, the end of an era,” Janes says in the podcast. “And, a story of infrastructure. And like any…
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.
May 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.
April 28, 2017
New augmented reality app ‘GoHuskies’ gives UW community unique look at current and future campus
The University of Washington community has a new tool — designed as a digital scavenger hunt — to explore and learn about the existing Seattle campus as well as plans for the future.
Class on Black Lives Matter examines ideas behind the slogan
At first, La TaSha Levy was worried her class on Black Lives Matter would be almost out of date. After all, who hasn’t seen the signs, heard the slogans, watched — or perhaps even participated in — marches to protest racism and violence against African Americans? But that was just it, realized Levy, a new assistant professor of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington. What most people know of Black Lives Matter is just a slogan. “Black Lives…
April 27, 2017
Arts Roundup: Orlando, Environmental Writing at the Burke, Photomedia Graduation Exhibitions, and the Brechemin Piano Series
This week in the arts, experience “one of literature’s most beloved fantasies”; attend a one-day environmental writing program in both the field and classroom; celebrate the Photomedia Graduation show at a special reception; and hear the latest installment of the Brechemin Piano Series. ORLANDO April 28-30 and May 3-7| Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater Virginia Woolf’s Orlando is one of literature’s most beloved fantasies—a love letter, a biography, and an epic poem that Woolf called, “too long to be a joke and…
Can early experiences with computers, robots increase STEM interest among young girls?
Girls start believing they aren’t good at math, science and even computers at a young age — but providing fun STEM activities at school and home may spark interest and inspire confidence. A study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) finds that, when exposed to a computer-programming activity, 6-year-old girls expressed greater interest in technology and more positive attitudes about their own skills and abilities than girls who didn’t try the activity. The results…
April 26, 2017
Invasive green crab found at Dungeness Spit
A new population of invasive European green crab has been found at Dungeness Spit, near Sequim, Washington, rekindling concern over the potential for damage to local marine life and shorelines.
Food photos help Instagram users with healthy eating
A new study describes how some people turn to posting photos on Instagram to track food intake or to be held accountable by followers in meeting healthy eating or weight loss goals.
April 25, 2017
With autism diagnoses on the rise, UW establishes clinic for babies
To new parents, a baby’s every gurgle and glance are fascinating, from a smile at mom or dad to a reach for a colorful toy. But when a baby doesn’t look at parents and caregivers, imitate gestures and sounds, or engage in play, parents have questions. And a growing number are bringing their babies to the University of Washington Autism Center for answers. The UW Autism Center hosts its annual open house from 4:30 to 7 p.m. April 27 at…
April 24, 2017
UW Law School hosts ‘How We Police in America: A Case for Reform’ May 4
Officer-involved shootings. Federal investigations. Body cameras. Civilian review boards. Black Lives Matter. Blue Lives Matter. In cities around the country, the relationship between police and community is fraught with tension — sometimes the direct result of violent incidents, sometimes the reverberations of problems elsewhere. And almost always, talk of police reform is in the air. But rather than enact changes after the fact, argues Barry Friedman, the Jacob D. Fuchsberg professor of law and director of the Policing Project at…
Scientific discovery game significantly speeds up neuroscience research process
Mozak, a new scientific discovery game from the UW team that created Foldit, is allowing video gamers and citizen scientists to speed up a fundamental task in brain science: reconstructing the intricate architecture of brain neurons.
Conservation not an effective tool for reducing infectious disease in people, study finds
Conservation projects that protect forests and encourage a diversity of plants and animals can provide many benefits to humans. But improved human health is not among those benefits ― at least when health is measured through the lens of infectious disease. That’s the main finding of a paper published April 24 in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, which analyzed the relationship between infectious diseases and their environmental, demographic and economic drivers in dozens of countries over 20 years….
Military service boosts resilience, well-being among transgender veterans
Transgender people make up a small percentage of active-duty U.S. military personnel, but their experience in the service may yield long-term, positive effects on their mental health and quality of life. A study from the University of Washington finds that among transgender older adults, those who had served in the military reported fewer symptoms of depression and greater mental health-related quality of life. The findings were published in a February special supplement of The Gerontologist. The paper is part…
April 20, 2017
Research team tracks complex web of monetary sanctions in 9 states
UW sociologist Alexes Harris leads a team of researchers at nine universities who are exploring the role of monetary sanctions in the criminal justice system. They recently completed a review of financial punishments in the laws of each of their home states. Based on their preliminary findings, the impact to a person’s pocketbook depends largely on his or her location on a map.
Toward greener construction: UW professor leads group setting benchmarks for carbon across life of buildings
A UW-led research group has taken an important step toward measuring — and ultimately reducing — the global carbon footprint of building construction and long-term maintenance.
UW ranks seventh in Milken Institute’s ranking of universities for technology transfer and commercialization
The University of Washington ranks seventh among national universities in a new Milken Institute report on technology transfer, “Concept to Commercialization: The Best Universities for Technology Transfer.” The report highlights the vital role research universities play in spurring economic growth.
April 19, 2017
Official notice: Housekeeping amendments to various Title 478 WAC rules
Notice of Expedited Rule Making (Per RCW 34.05.353) Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Housekeeping amendments to various Title 478 WAC rules. Statutory Authority for Adoption and Statute Being Implemented: RCW 28B.20.130. Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: Housekeeping changes to Title 478 WAC rules are intended to keep the University’s rules accurate and up to date; these include: Amendments that “clarify Language of a rule without changing its effect” are…
Two UW faculty named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Two University of Washington faculty members are among the leaders from academia, business, philanthropy, humanities and the arts elected as 2017 fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.
More than recess: How playing on the swings helps kids learn to cooperate
A favorite childhood pastime — swinging on the playground swing set — also may be teaching kids how to get along. The measured, synchronous movement of children on the swings can encourage preschoolers to cooperate on subsequent activities, University of Washington researchers have found. A study by the UW’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows the potential of synchronized movement in helping young children develop collaborative skills. The study is published online in the Journal of Experimental Child…
Proxima b discoverer to join UW astrobiologists for May 3 lecture, discussion
The lead investigator of the research team that discovered Proxima Centauri b, the closest exoplanet, will join UW astrobiologists May 3 to discuss the planet’s potential for life and even the possibility of sending spacecraft to the world.
April 17, 2017
Remembering Ernest Henley, physicist and UW College of Arts & Sciences dean emeritus
Ernest Mark Henley, a celebrated nuclear physicist and University of Washington administrator, died on March 27, 2017, at age 92.
New many-toothed clingfish discovered with help of digital scans
Scientists at the University of Washington, Texas A&M University and the Western Australian Museum have discovered and named a new genus and species of clingfish after stumbling upon a specimen preserved in a jar dating back to the 1970s. High-resolution scans and 3-D printing helped the researchers make their discovery.
Models, observations not so far apart on planet’s response to greenhouse gas emissions
New analysis debunks reports that recent observations are showing that Earth’s temperature responds less to greenhouse gases than predicted by climate models.
Retreating Yukon glacier caused a river to disappear
A new study provides a postmortem on the Yukon’s Slims River, whose flow was diverted in early 2016. It is the only documented case of “river piracy” in modern times.
April 14, 2017
UW tax program takes law students to remote corners of Alaska
Tax Day can mean different things to different people: stacks of paperwork; evenings at the kitchen table; appointments with the accountant; the rush to the post office to meet the deadline. For about 20 University of Washington law students, it means a February trip to the frozen tundra. Each year, in advance of the April income tax filing deadline, UW law students fly to Alaska, hop on bush planes and snowmobiles and travel to remote villages, where they spend a…
UW, Tohoku University establish Academic Open Space partnership for innovations in aerospace, clean energy, disaster preparedness
The University of Washington and Japan’s Tohoku University have agreed to create an Academic Open Space to foster collaborations and academic exchanges between these two leading research institutions of the Pacific Rim. The agreement, signed April 14 by leaders of both institutions at the UW campus in Seattle, is expected to build upon current collaborations in aerospace design and materials, as well as launch new science and engineering partnerships.
April 13, 2017
Married LGBT older adults are healthier, happier than singles, study finds
Same-sex marriage has been the law of the land for nearly two years — and in some states for even longer — but researchers can already detect positive health outcomes among couples who have tied the knot, a University of Washington study finds. For years, studies have linked marriage with happiness among heterosexual couples. But a study from the UW School of Social Work is among the first to explore the potential benefits of marriage among LGBT couples. It…
UW College of Engineering announces Direct to College admission for 2018 incoming freshman class
The University of Washington’s College of Engineering will offer Direct to College admission beginning with the entering freshman class of 2018, assuring students who are admitted into the college and their families that they will be able to pursue an engineering degree at the UW.
April 12, 2017
Arts Roundup: Amazing Animals, Marc Seales — and Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band
This week in the arts, wrap up spring break at the Burke; hear a noted Northwest jazz pianist; see classically-inspired textural print works in Edmonds; experience the School of Art’s Painting + Drawing Graduate Exhibition; and hear the UW Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band present their spring quarter concert. AMAZING ANIMALS: WATER & SKY EDITION SPRING BREAK CAMP Through April 14 | Burke Museum Spend spring break with the Burke as we look high and low to discover glowing creatures of the…
Undergraduate Theater Society unleashes ‘Wolves’ April 13-23
The story of Little Red Riding Hood takes on a new dimension in the UW Undergraduate Theater Society’s new production, “Wolves,” by Steve Yockey, running April 13 to 23 in the Cabaret Theater in Hutchinson Hall.
Why treating animals may be important in fighting resurgent tropical disease
As the World Health Organization steps up its efforts to eradicate a once-rampant tropical disease, a University of Washington study suggests that monitoring, and potentially treating, the monkeys that co-exist with humans in affected parts of the world may be part of the global strategy. Yaws, an infectious disease that causes disfiguring skin lesions and bone destruction — stems from a bacterium, Treponema pallidum, that also has been found in certain primates in Africa and Asia. The disease, treatable…
April 11, 2017
New cloud-based payroll system coming to UW in June
In June, the UW’s antiquated, 35-year-old payroll software system will be replaced by Workday, a modern, easy-to-use, cloud-based software system. Workday has the potential to transform the way we work at the University, making us more streamlined and employee friendly.
University of Washington and Starbucks to create unique coffeehouse destination at Suzzallo Library
The University of Washington and Starbucks Coffee Company are coming together to create a world-class coffeehouse destination in the historic and iconic Suzzallo Library. The design of the new café, set to open this fall, will honor the library’s rich history and legacy.