UW News
The latest news from the UW
December 8, 2015
Treasured faculty member and theater professional, Sarah Nash Gates, loses battle with cancer
The College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington is saddened to lose one of its most prominent faculty members and a longtime leader in the Seattle theater community, Sarah Nash Gates. Gates passed away on Friday evening, December 4, surrounded by family and close friends.
Tag(s): Sarah Nash Gates • School of Drama
Culture wars, Christianity at heart of UW political scientist Mark Smith’s book ‘Secular Faith’
Mark A. Smith is a University of Washington professor of political science and adjunct professor of comparative religion. He is the author of “Secular Faith: How Culture Has Trumped Religion in American Politics,” published in September by University of Chicago Press. He answered a few questions about his book for UW Today. What’s the concept…
Tag(s): books • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Political Science • Mark A. Smith • Q&ADecember 7, 2015
What makes Tom Hanks look like Tom Hanks?
UW researchers have reconstructed 3-D models of celebrities such as Tom Hanks from large Internet photo collections. The model can deliver speeches that the real actor never performed – one step toward developing fully interactive digital personas of people from family or historic photo collections.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Ira Kemelmacher-Shlizerman • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Steve SeitzDecember 4, 2015
UW Sephardic Studies Program holds third annual Ladino Day festivities Dec. 6
The University of Washington Sephardic Studies Program will host its third annual International Ladino Day, celebrating Sephardic language and culture, in a free event at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in Room 130 of Kane Hall. The event will be followed by a kosher reception. This year’s featured speakers are members of Los Ladineros, a…
UW project focuses on fines and fees that create ‘prisoners of debt’
Criminals are meant to pay their debts to society through sentencing, but a different type of court-imposed debt can tie them to the criminal justice system for life and impact their ability to move forward with their lives. Though debtors’ prisons were eliminated in the United States almost two centuries ago, a modern-day version exists…
Tag(s): Alexes Harris • College of Arts & Sciences • criminal justice • Department of SociologyDecember 3, 2015
Award honors hundreds of citizen scientists who search for Washington’s rarest plants
Each year, hundreds of volunteers spread across Washington’s forests and grasslands to look for the state’s rarest, most sensitive plant species. Many of these endangered populations live in remote valleys or along unseen slopes and haven’t been seen in a decade or more. That’s where the University of Washington’s Rare Plant Care and Conservation program…
Citizen-science climate project adds logs from historic Arctic whaling ships
A citizen science project that asks volunteers to transcribe historic ships’ logbooks to uncover data about past Arctic climate has added logbooks from hundreds of whaling ships. The hunters’ handwritten logs will provide new clues about the history of Arctic climate and sea ice.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies • Kevin Wood • polar scienceDecember 2, 2015
Vessel speed biggest factor in noise affecting killer whales
The speed of vessels operating near endangered killer whales in Washington is the most influential factor – more so than vessel size – in how much noise from the boats reaches the whales, according to a new study published today in the online journal PLOS ONE.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Arts Roundup: Drama, Modern Music – and CarolFest
December is off to a busy start for the arts on campus. The School of Drama has two productions running this week, and UW World Series wraps up the calendar year with a performance by acapella ensemble Anonymous 4. The School of Music is brimming with events, from medieval holiday music and CarolFest to modern…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Drama • School of Music
Book by UW’s Jackson School faculty among New York Times 100 most notable of 2015
The New York Times has named a recent book by two faculty members in the UW’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies to its list of 100 Most Notable Books of 2015. “The Shape of the New: Four Big Ideas and How They Built the Modern World,” by Scott L. Montgomery and Daniel Chirot…
December 1, 2015
Washington state home prices up, sales down in third quarter of 2015
Home sale prices increased but sales themselves were fewer in Washington state in the third quarter of 2015, according to the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies in the UW’s College of Built Environments.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Peter Orser • Runstad Department of Real Estate
UW roboticists learn to teach robots from babies
A collaboration between University of Washington developmental psychologists and computer scientists has demonstrated that robots can “learn” much like babies – by experiencing the world and eventually imitating humans.
Tag(s): Andrew Meltzoff • College of Engineering • I-LABS • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Rajesh RaoNovember 30, 2015
UW researchers estimate poverty and wealth from cell phone metadata
In developing or war-ravaged countries where government censuses are few and far between, gathering data for public services or policymaking can be difficult, dangerous or near-impossible. Big data is, after all, mainly a First World opportunity. But cell towers are easier to install than telephone land lines, even in such challenged areas, and mobile or…
Tag(s): data science • Information School • Joshua Blumenstock
UW sociology professors part of White House, DOJ events on criminal justice reform
President Obama has been leading the charge for criminal justice reform in recent months, calling for sweeping changes to reduce mass incarceration and commuting sentences for non-violent offenders. This week, the White House and Department of Justice are bringing together researchers, legal system practitioners and advocacy organizations at events focused on criminal justice system reform…
November 25, 2015
UW law student researches industry gender inequity, calls for reforms
Women routinely outperform men in university classrooms across the United States and are invited more often than men to join student honors societies — yet women continue to be paid far less than similarly qualified male colleagues. Adding to that inequity, women also fare poorly when suing to recover damages for workplace sex and gender…
University of Washington receives gold sustainability rating from STARS
The University of Washington is among the most sustainable schools in North America, according to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS).
Tag(s): sustainability
Documents that Changed the World: FDR’s Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1939
The U.S. Senate voted to set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November on Dec. 9, 1941, two days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. You’d think they would have had more important things to talk about. Not Nov. 26, as George Washington had it or the last Thursday in the month as Lincoln…
Tag(s): Documents that Changed the World • Information School • Joe Janes
The spillover effect: Good teaching doesn’t stop at the classroom door
Effective teachers don’t just impact their own students’ achievement, they can significantly improve the performance of their fellow teachers’ students, new research shows.
November 23, 2015
Public talk Nov. 24 urges solidarity with Syrian refugees
Interested in the Syrian refugee crisis? A public discussion at the University of Washington Tuesday, Nov. 24 aims to provide information about how local residents and communities can help advocate for Syrian refugees. Sponsored by UW Law’s Immigrant Families Advocacy Project, the “Social Justice Tuesday” event will be held from 12:30 to 1:20 p.m. in…
AAAS names four UW researchers as fellows
Four University of Washington researchers are among 347 new fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for 2015.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Department of Anthropology • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology • Department of Pharmacology • Kathleen O'Connor • Ning Zheng • Peter Rabinovitch • Qiang Fu • School of MedicineNovember 20, 2015
Last chance to donate: UW Combined Fund Drive ends Dec. 4
Faculty and staff have until Dec. 4 to contribute to this year’s UW Combined Fund Drive, the UW’s workplace giving campaign. Donors can pledge a one-time donation or give all year through payroll deduction to support local programs and global nonprofits. There are more than 5,000 vetted organizations to choose from, and donations are tax…
November 19, 2015
After Nobel win, neutrino endeavors snag Breakthrough Prize in Physics
Neutrinos may be small, but when it comes to prizes, they pack quite a punch. In October, it was announced that two scientists who headed international projects to study these miniscule, seemingly ephemeral subatomic particles will share the Nobel Prize in Physics. On Nov. 8, these same scientists joined five of their colleagues from other…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Hamish Robertson • Jeffrey Wilkes • Kenneth Young
Sequencing algae’s genome may aid biofuel production
University of Washington scientists have sequenced the complete genetic makeup of a species of ecologically important algae, which may aid in biofuel production.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • genomics • harmful algal blooms • marine microbiology • microbes and viruses • Rose Ann CattolicoNovember 18, 2015
University of Washington signing White House climate pledge
The University of Washington has joined schools across the country in signing on to a White House climate pledge. The pledge is part of the Nov. 19 White House and Higher Education Climate Day of Action. The White House and the State Department will bring together leaders from higher education institutions to call for action…
Arts Roundup: DXARTS, improv – and pianist Yulianna Avdeeva
Don’t miss DXARTS’ fall concert – a chance to immerse yourself in groundbreaking electroacoustic music. The School of Drama opens two new productions: dark farce “Loot” and improv show “Beginnings: First Breath.” At Meany Hall, enjoy performances by pianist Yulianna Avdeeva and the University Chorale & Chamber Singers, or head over to Brechemin Auditorium to…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • DXARTS • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Drama • School of Music
Popular Science names ‘Power Over Wi-Fi’ one of the year’s game-changing technologies
The Power Over Wi-Fi (PoWiFi) system developed by UW engineers is one of the most innovative and game-changing technologies of the year, according to Popular Science, which included it in the magazine’s annual “Best of What’s New” awards announced this week.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Shyam Gollakota
Cousteau’s ‘Acid Apocalypse’ to feature Washington youth in ocean acidification project
Ocean acidification is top of mind for many Pacific Northwest scientists, shellfish farmers and even seafood chefs, but a new initiative seeks to know how an unsuspecting audience — kids and teenagers in the Northwest’s urban and rural areas — is impacted by this issue. EarthEcho International, Philippe Cousteau, Jr.’s environmental education and youth leadership…
November 17, 2015
Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement: North Campus Student Housing Project
Project Name: North Campus Student Housing Project Proponent: University of Washington Description of Proposal: The proposed North Campus Student Housing Project represents Phase IV of development identified in the Comprehensive Housing Master Program and would include the replacement of McCarty and Haggett Halls with four new student residence halls, as well as the development of…
Charles Johnson’s story ‘The Weave’ chosen for 2016 Pushcart anthology
Ieesha, the young African-American woman at the center of Charles Johnson’s short story “The Weave,” takes an unusual action in response to her abrupt, sneeze-caused dismissal from Sassy Hair Salon and Beauty Supplies in Seattle’s Central District — where hair is straightened as well as styled and cut. “The Weave” has been selected for the…
New report outlines Puget Sound region’s future under climate change
A new report by the University of Washington synthesizes all the relevant research about the future of the Puget Sound region to paint a picture of what to expect in the coming decades, and how to prepare.
Tag(s): climate change • Climate Impacts Group • College of the Environment • Guillaume Mauger • Puget SoundNovember 16, 2015
UW team refrigerates liquids with a laser for the first time
Since the first laser was invented in 1960, they’ve always given off heat. University of Washington researchers are the first to solve a decades-old puzzle — figuring out how to make a laser refrigerate water and other liquids.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Materials Science & Engineering • Peter Pauzauskie
Microbes that are key indicators of Puget Sound’s health in decline
Paleontologists with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture find that tiny organisms called foraminifera have a big story to tell about the health of Puget Sound. Two recent studies about the health of Bellingham Bay and inlets in the Bremerton area found the diversity and number of foraminifera — single-celled marine organisms that live on the sea floor — deteriorated significantly. The decline of these microscopic organisms is consistent with the deterioration of snails and other larger marine animals, even though analysis showed a reduction of chemical pollutants in Bellingham Bay and Bremerton over the same period of time.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Liz NesbittNovember 13, 2015
Industry leaders gather at first ever University of Washington Innovation Summit in Shanghai
The University of Washington held its first ever Innovation Summit today in Shanghai, China. The event brought together industry leaders from China and the United States, who discussed how they are turning ideas into impact, connecting academia to industry and helping solve the world’s most pressing problems.
November 12, 2015
David Shields addresses New York Times coverage in new book ‘War is Beautiful’
War photography in The New York Times entranced David Shields for years as a daily reader, but that attraction in time evolved into “a mixture of rapture, bafflement and repulsion,” he writes in the introduction to his latest book, “War is Beautiful: The New York Times Pictorial Guide to the Glamour of Armed Conflict.” “Over…
UW Regents approve contract for President Ana Mari Cauce
At its regular meeting today, the University of Washington Board of Regents approved a five-year contract for president Ana Mari Cauce.
Pacific Lutheran University signals intent to sell KPLU 88.5 FM to UW’s KUOW
Pacific Lutheran University and the University of Washington announced today PLU’s intent to sell its broadcasting rights and facilities associated with KPLU to KUOW.
Oceans — and ocean activism — deserve broader role in climate change discussions
When President Barack Obama visited the shrinking Exit Glacier in September, he pointed to a very obvious sign of our warming planet literally at his feet. Less visible, but perhaps more indelible, signs of changing climate lie in the oceans. A University of Washington researcher argues in the journal Science that people — including world…
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Edward Allison • oceanography • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
From garden to gut: New book from UW’s David Montgomery explores an unfolding scientific revolution
A new book by University of Washington geologist David Montgomery weaves history, science and personal challenges into an exploration of humanity’s tangled relationship with microbes, perhaps the least loved and most misunderstood creatures on Earth — and in you. “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health” comes out Nov. 16…
Tag(s): books • College of the Environment • David Montgomery • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • geology • microbes and viruses
‘Pale orange dot’: Early Earth’s haze may give clue to habitability elsewhere in space
An atmospheric haze around a faraway planet — like the one which probably shrouded and cooled the young Earth — could show that the world is potentially habitable, or even be a sign of life itself.
Tag(s): Benjamin Charnay • Edward Schwieterman • Giara Arney • Victoria Meadows • Virtual Planetary LaboratoryNovember 11, 2015
UW, NASA measure rain and snowfall to gauge new precipitation satellite
With high-tech weather radars, weather balloons, ground instruments and NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory, scientists will be watching rain and snow storms on Washington’s famously wet Olympic Peninsula.
Tag(s): climate • College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Lynn McMurdie • Robert Houze • weather« Previous Page Next Page »
