UW News
The latest news from the UW
August 29, 2016
New discovery Proxima b is in host star’s habitable zone — but could it really be habitable?
The world’s attention is now on Proxima Centauri b, a possibly Earth-like planet about 4.22 light-years away. It’s in its star’s habitable zone — but could it in fact be habitable? If so, the planet evolved very different than Earth, say researchers at the University of Washington-based Virtual Planetary Laboratory.
Tag(s): astronomy & astrophysics • Department of Astronomy • Rory Barnes • Victoria Meadows • Virtual Planetary LaboratoryAugust 26, 2016
Interactive map shows where animals will move under climate change
The University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy have created an animated map showing where mammals, birds and amphibians are projected to move in the Western Hemisphere in response to climate change.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Joshua Lawler • Julian Olden • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • School of Environmental and Forest SciencesAugust 25, 2016
Report explores factors that might attract children to marijuana edibles
A new report from the UW School of Law’s Cannabis Law and Policy Project identifies factors that make food attractive to children. Commissioned by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board, the report studied research on what makes food appeal to children and the role that marketing and branding play.
Tag(s): Cannabis Law and Policy Project • Sam Mendez • School of LawAugust 24, 2016
Statewide housing market strong in second quarter of 2016
Washington state’s housing market remained strong in the second quarter of 2016. Home sale prices and the number of sales were up, although new building permits were down compared with a year ago, according to the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the UW.
Tag(s): Peter Orser • Runstad Department of Real EstateAugust 21, 2016
Is divorce seasonal? UW research shows biannual spike in divorce filings
To everything there is a season — even divorce, new research from University of Washington sociologists concludes. Associate sociology professor Julie Brines and doctoral candidate Brian Serafini found what is believed to be the first quantitative evidence of a seasonal, biannual pattern of filings for divorce. The researchers analyzed filings in Washington state between 2001…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Julie BrinesAugust 20, 2016
‘I miss you so much’: How Twitter is broadening the conversation on death and mourning
Death and mourning were largely considered private matters in the 20th century, with the public remembrances common in previous eras replaced by intimate gatherings behind closed doors in funeral parlors and family homes. But social media is redefining how people grieve, and Twitter in particular — with its ephemeral mix of rapid-fire broadcast and personal…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Sociology • Jennifer Branstad • Nina Cesare • social mediaAugust 19, 2016
UW will host 2017 summer institute on teaching urban environmental issues
Faculty members from the UW College of Built Environments, Jackson School of International Studies and departments of French and Italian studies and history will team up in 2017 to give a new, three-week course for university and college instructors on urban environmental humanities.
Tag(s): Anne C. Hubbert • College of Arts & Sciences • College of Built Environments • Comparative History of Ideas Program • Jackson School of International Studies • Ken Yocom • Linda Nash • María Elena García • Sarah Stroup • Simpson Center for the Humanities • Thaisa WayAugust 18, 2016
From White House to Tacoma, WA, urban agriculture is growing
UW professor Sally Brown and collaborators have published the most extensive compilation to date explaining how to grow urban agriculture, and how doing so could save American cities.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Sally Brown • School of Environmental and Forest Sciences
Twins, especially male identical twins, live longer
Analysis of almost 3,000 pairs of Danish twins shows that they live longer than the general population, especially if they are identical.
Tag(s): Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology • College of the Environment • James Anderson • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Follow your nose: UW’s young corpse flower relocates to Volunteer Park Conservatory for fetid first bloom
Visitors to Seattle’s Volunteer Park Conservatory are in for a stinking treat, courtesy of the Department of Biology at the University of Washington. The conservatory has taken in a young corpse lily, affectionately known as Dougsley, which is set to blossom this week or next.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • plant science
Paleontologists with the UW’s Burke Museum discover major T. rex fossil
Paleontologists with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the UW have discovered a Tyrannosaurus rex, including a very complete skull. The find, which paleontologists estimate to be about 20 percent of the animal, includes vertebrae, ribs, hips and lower jaw bones.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Christian Sidor • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • evolution • Gregory Wilson Mantilla • paleontologyAugust 17, 2016
UW again maintains No. 15 in world university ranking
The University of Washington remained No. 15 on the 2016 Academic Ranking of World Universities, conducted by researchers at the Center for World-Class Universities of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
Tag(s): Rankings
Notice of possible rule making preproposal statement of inquiry
Reasons why rules on this subject may be needed and what they might accomplish: To update WAC 478-160-163, Waivers of tuition and fees, with waivers recently enacted through state legislation, and to make other amendments that update obsolete information sources or otherwise streamline administrative procedures.
Study finds bias, disgust toward mixed-race couples
Interracial marriage has grown in the United States over the past few decades, and polls show that most Americans are accepting of mixed-race relationships. A 2012 study by the Pew Research Center found that interracial marriages in the U.S. had doubled between 1980 and 2010 to about 15 percent, and just 11 percent of respondents…
Tag(s): Allison Skinner • bias & discrimination • I-LABS
Interscatter communication enables first-ever implanted devices, smart contact lenses, credit cards that ‘talk’ Wi-Fi
“Interscatter” communication developed by UW engineers allows power-limited devices such as brain implants, contact lenses, credit cards and smaller wearable electronics to talk to everyday devices such as smartphones and watches.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Joshua Smith • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Shyam Gollakota • Vikram IyerAugust 16, 2016
Big fish — and their pee — are key parts of coral reef ecosystems
Large, carnivorous fish excrete almost half of the key nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, that are essential for the survival of coral reefs.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Jacob Allgeier • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesAugust 15, 2016
Luna moth’s long tail could confuse bat sonar through its twist
A detailed look at how sound waves bounce off a flying moth’s body offers new clues for how its long, twisted tail might help it evade predatory bats.
Tag(s): Applied Physics Laboratory • biology • Wu-Jung Lee
UW research backs up ongoing efforts to protect the enigmatic Nautilus
University of Washington biologist Peter Ward’s body of research has helped policymakers recognize the impact nautiluses have on ocean ecosystems, as well as how they can — and cannot — replenish their numbers in the face of unrestricted, unregulated fishing. At a CITES meeting in September, Ward and his team hope nautiluses will get much-needed protections from trade and harvesting.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • conservation • Department of Biology • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Peter Ward
Unearthing trackers of the past: UW computer scientists reveal the history of third-party web tracking
At the USENIX Security Conference in Austin, Texas, a team of University of Washington researchers on Aug. 12 presented the first-ever comprehensive analysis of third-party web tracking across three decades and a new tool, TrackingExcavator, which they developed to extract and analyze tracking behaviors on a given web page. They saw a four-fold increase in third-party tracking on top sites from 1996 to 2016, and mapped the growing complexity of trackers stretching back decades.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Franziska Roesner • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tadayoshi KohnoAugust 12, 2016
‘Hilloccio’ vs the ‘gas giant’: Suzzallo Library exhibit features powerful editorial cartoons from campaign 2016
The editorial cartoons filling a ground floor exhibit in Suzzallo Library through November are hard-hitting, but they fairly depict the wild campaign of 2016, and the serious issues the year has brought as well.
Tag(s): Barbara Miles • Jessica Albano • Suzzallo Library • UW Libraries
Q&A: Phil Levin joins UW, The Nature Conservancy in new role
Phil Levin, a former senior scientist at NOAA Fisheries, recently began a joint role at the University of Washington and The Nature Conservancy. UW Today sat down with Levin to find out why he took this job and what he hopes to accomplish.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Phil Levin • Q&A • School of Environmental and Forest SciencesAugust 9, 2016
Three UW Earth scientists elected as AGU fellows
Charles Eriksen, Deborah Kelley and Stephen Warren are among 60 newly elected fellows from U.S. and international institutions.
Tag(s): Charles Eriksen • College of the Environment • Deborah Kelley • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • School of Oceanography • Stephen Warren
New book ‘Cities that Think Like Planets’ imagines urban regions resilient to change
What does it mean for a city to “think like a planet”? Marina Alberti of the UW College of Built Environments discusses her new book, “Cities that Think Like Planets,” published by UW Press.
Tag(s): books • College of Built Environments • Department of Urban Design and Planning • Marina Alberti • University of Washington Press • Urban Ecology Research LaboratoryAugust 8, 2016
Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies names new permanent director
Simon Stevenson of the United Kingdom’s University of Reading will be the next director of the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies, in the College of Built Environments.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Peter Orser • Runstad Department of Real Estate • Simon StevensonAugust 5, 2016
Employee open forums Aug. 15, 17 to report on UW HR/Payroll Integrated Service Center
University of Washington employees are invited to attend an open forum either Monday, Aug. 15, 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Odegaard 220 or Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the HUB, Room 250, to learn more about the design of the HR/Payroll Integrated Service Center. The goal of the center is to provide a single point of contact to effectively…
August 4, 2016
UW geologist: Ancient Chinese flood is latest to match oral, geologic histories
A Science commentary written by UW professor of Earth and space sciences David Montgomery discusses how recent geological findings support the historical basis for traditional tales about China’s Great Flood.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • David Montgomery • Department of Earth and Space Sciences
Local media moments recalled in Seattle Television History project
A wild-eyed television preacher, uncensored public access nuttiness, even a young Ellen DeGeneres featured on a local comedy show segment — when Stephen Groening had students explore the history of local television for a class, they sure found a lot of good stuff.
Tag(s): Department of Comparative Literature • film • Seattle Television History Project • Stephen GroeningAugust 2, 2016
Justin Camputaro named director of the Husky Union Building at UW
Justin Camputaro, with more than 15 years of experience in higher education administration, joined the University of Washington as the new director of the Husky Union Building, effective July 18.
August 1, 2016
Twelve UW faculty elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences
A dozen scientists and engineers from the University of Washington have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences. According to a statement released by the organization, the new members were selected for “their outstanding record of scientific achievement and willingness to work on behalf of the academy in bringing the best available science…
Tag(s): awards • Bonnie Ramsey • Cecilia Giachelli • Cynthia Dougherty • Daniel Schwartz • Dennis Hartmann • Elizabeth Buffalo • Francois Baneyx • Jerry Franklin • John Delaney • Katherine Beckett • Rachel Klevit • Thomas Anderson • Washington State Academy of Sciences
Bernard Dean named UW director of state relations
Bernard Dean, who brings two decades of state and local government experience, has been appointed director of state relations at the University of Washington, effective Sept. 1.
Tag(s): Bernard DeanJuly 31, 2016
President’s statement on shootings in Mukilteo
The following is a statement from University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce on the shooting of four individuals in Mukilteo this weekend, three of whom – Anna Bui, Jordan Ebner, and Jake Long – were killed, and one of whom – Will Kramer – was wounded and is at Harborview Medical Center. Bui was…
Tag(s): Ana Mari CauceJuly 28, 2016
Runstad Center report: Addressing condo construction defect liability may help promote affordable housing in Seattle
A new study from the UW’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies suggests that Seattle and Washington state could invite development of more affordable housing by easing the legal risk — or the appearance of risk — in condominium development, construction, liability and insurance.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • David Leon • Peter Orser • Runstad Department of Real EstateJuly 27, 2016
Carbon-financed cookstove fails to deliver hoped-for benefits in the field
A study of the the first clean cookstove intervention in India financed through the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism found expected benefits from newer, more “efficient” stoves — based on their performance in lab tests — did not materialize in the field.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Julian Marshall
Middle schoolers build underwater robot in science summer camp
Middle school students tried their hands at designing and building underwater robots this week during a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration science summer camp in Seattle. The ROV workshop was a joint project by UW-based Washington Sea Grant, NOAA and Atlantis STEAM.
July 25, 2016
Minimum Wage Study: Effects of Seattle wage hike modest, may be overshadowed by strong economy
The lot of Seattle’s lowest-paid workers improved following the city’s minimum wage increase to $11 in 2015, but that was more due to the robust regional economy than the wage hike itself, according to a research team headed by the UW Evans School.
Tag(s): Center for Demography and Ecology • Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Heather Hill • Jacob Vigdor • Jennifer Otten • Jennifer Romich • Mark Long • Robert Plotnick • School of Public Health • School of Social Work • Scott Allard • Seattle Minimum Wage Study
Marine carbon sinking rates confirm importance of polar oceans
Polar oceans pump organic carbon down to the deep sea about five times as efficiently as subtropical waters, because they can support larger, heavier organisms. The finding helps explain how the oceans may function under climate change.
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Curtis Deutsch • oceanography • School of OceanographyJuly 21, 2016
University of Washington sets new record with $542.4 million in private support and contributions in FY 2016
The University of Washington received a record $542.4 million in the 2016 fiscal year, ending June 30, breaking the previous record of $482.5 million set in 2013-14. The funds came in the form of private gifts and grants earmarked by individuals, corporations and foundations for specific areas of research, labs, faculty, and student scholarships and programs.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • UW Foundation
An engineered protein can disrupt tumor-promoting ‘messages’ in human cells
A team of researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Trento in Italy unveiled an engineered protein that they designed to repress a specific cancer-promoting message within cells.
Tag(s): cancer • cell biology • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Chemistry • Gabriele Varani
From crop-raiding monkeys to political unrest: UW’s Randy Kyes embarks on 100th field course
A chance meeting with a fellow scientist 27 years ago forever changed Randy Kyes’ life — catapulting him from North Carolina to Indonesia and beyond. As the founding director of the University of Washington’s Center for Global Field Study and head of the Division of Global Programs at the Washington National Primate Research Center, Kyes…
Tag(s): Center for Global Field Study • Randy Kyes
Imaging software predicts how you look with different hair styles, colors, appearances
A personalized image search engine developed by a University of Washington researcher lets a person imagine how they would look a with different a hairstyle, if they lived in a different time period or any other appearance change that can be synthesized with internet photos.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering« Previous Page Next Page »
