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The latest news from the UW

May 23, 2024

AI headphones let wearer listen to a single person in a crowd, by looking at them just once

A University of Washington team has developed an artificial intelligence system that lets someone wearing headphones look at a person speaking for three to five seconds to “enroll” them. The system then plays just the enrolled speaker’s voice in real time, even as the pair move around in noisy environments.

May 17, 2024

UW atmospheric scientist participating in field campaign to improve Western snowfall, drought forecasts

A UW atmospheric scientist will participate in a campaign to study winter storms and snowfall in northwestern Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Like Seattle, this area depends on winter snow for its summer water supplies, so improving mountain snow forecasts will improve projections for summer drought and wildfire risks.

May 16, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Global Sport Lab, Art Honors Graduation Exhibition, Interconnected Worlds with Henry Yeung and more

This week, join the Global Sport Lab for a conversation about what the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup means for Seattle, check out the BA in Art Honors Graduation Exhibition, attend the lecture on Interconnected Worlds with Henry Yeung and more. May 20 – 26, UW Innovation Month  Innovation Month is a campus-wide celebration of the innovative work that happens everywhere at UW, every day, across disciplines. It highlights students and researchers who are entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists, artists, and…

Scientists want to know how the smells of nature benefit our health

Spending time in nature is good for us. And knowing more about nature’s effects on our bodies could not only help our well-being, but could also improve how we care for land, preserve ecosystems and design cities, homes and parks. Many studies have focused on how seeing nature affects us. A team of scientists from around the world wants to understand what the nose knows. They are calling for more research into how odors and scents from natural settings impact our health and well-being.

May 14, 2024

UW-led project to study ozone, atmospheric layers a finalist for next-generation NASA satellite

A project led by the University of Washington to better understand our atmosphere’s complexity is a finalist for NASA’s next generation of Earth-observing satellites. STRIVE will receive $5 million to conduct a one-year concept study, and then will hear whether it is selected for launch.

May 9, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Katz Distinguished Lecture, DXARTS Spring Concert, MFA Dance Concert and more

This week, attend the Katz Distinguished Lecture Series with Winnie Wong, check out the DXARTS Spring Concert, be wowed away from the MFA Dance Concert, and more. May 13 – 17, UW Innovation Month Innovation Month is a campus-wide celebration of the innovative work that happens everywhere at UW, every day, across disciplines. It highlights students and researchers who are entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists, artists, and other leaders who are constantly imagining new heights in their fields. Join events to…

UW files Unfair Labor Practice Complaint following ASE union’s harassment of Dean and staff

The University of Washington on Tuesday filed an Unfair Labor Practice Complaint with the Washington State Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC) against UAW 4121 after more than 100 union members harassed and engaged in intimidation tactics toward the Dean and staff in the College of Arts & Sciences on May 2.

Navy Growler jet noise over Whidbey Island could impact 74,000 people’s health

As often as four days a week, Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island fly loops overhead as pilots practice touch-and-go landings. The noise is immense. New research from the University of Washington shows that the noise isn’t just disruptive — it presents a substantial risk to public health.

May 2, 2024

Qiang Fu, Raymond Huey elected to National Academy of Sciences

Two University of Washington researchers are among the newly elected members of the National Academy of Sciences. Qiang Fu, professor of atmospheric sciences, and Raymond Huey, professor emeritus of biology, are among those recognized with one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve.

May 1, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Frontiers of Physics Lecture, “Influencers, Platforms and the Rise of the Follower Economy”, Cie Hervé KOUBI Performance and more

This week, head to Kane Hall for the Frontiers of Physics Lecture on the James Webb Space Telescope’s discoveries, enjoy Cie Hervé KOUBI’s performance at Meany Hall, learn about “Influencers, Platforms, and the Rise of the Follower Economy” during the Communications Colloquium, and more. May 6, 5:30 – 8:30 pm | Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture: Melayu Malay — Mystery Miracle, Kane Hall Professor Hendrik Maier (University of California, Riverside) will deliver the Department of Asian Languages & Literature’s 2024 Andrew…

UW’s campaign to restore the ASUW Shell House exceeds goal, showcases community support

Before the oars dip their blades signaling the beginning of the Windemere Cup, before hundreds of flag-draped boats parade from Portage Bay to Lake Washington to open the boating season, the campaign to save the ASUW Shell House at the University of Washington already can be called a winner. 

Virtual reality environment for teens may offer an accessible, affordable way to reduce stress

Working with teens, UW researchers have designed RESeT: a snowy virtual world with six activities intended to improve mood. In a 3-week study of 44 Seattle-area teens, researchers found that most used the technology about twice a week without being prompted and reported lower stress levels after using the environment.

April 30, 2024

Scientists solve chemical mystery at the interface of biology and technology

A University of Washington-led study has solved a mystery about organic electrochemical transistors: Why there is a lag when they are switched on. In the process paved the way to custom-tailored OECTs for a growing list of applications in biosensing, brain-inspired computation and beyond.

April 26, 2024

New circuit boards can be repeatedly recycled

A team led by researchers at the University of Washington developed a new PCB that performs on par with traditional materials and can be recycled repeatedly with negligible material loss. Researchers used a solvent that transforms a type of vitrimer — a cutting-edge class of polymer — into a jelly-like substance without damage, allowing solid components to be plucked out for reuse or recycling. With these “vPCBs” (vitrimer printed circuit boards), researchers recovered 98% of the vitrimer and 100% of the glass fiber.

April 25, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: “AI, Art and Copyright” Roundtable, “How to Center Intersex” Community Gathering, Indigenous Foods Symposium and more

This week, listen to the roundtable on “AI, Art, and Copyright,” attend the second annual Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Spring Community Gathering, check out the Living Breath of wəłəbʔaltxʷ Indigenous Foods Symposium, and more. April 30, 4:30 – 6:30 pm | Anton Hur, “Translator Jetlag: Voice and the World We Build” | Translator’s Lecture, Husky Union Building In this talk, Anton Hur will examine the idea of voice in literary translation. He will focus on the practice of “triangulation,”…

Video: UW professor on ‘The Boys in the Boat,’ Nazi Germany and the 1936 Olympics

The film version of “The Boys in the Boat,” released on Dec. 25, was inspired by the University of Washington men’s rowing team that won a gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. It’s based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown. But there is more to the story than the improbable victory by UW student-athletes from small towns and working-class backgrounds. The 1936 Olympics were held in Berlin, following a failed movement in the United States and Europe to boycott the…

Author Daniel James Brown and MIT atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon to receive honorary degrees at UW’s 2024 Commencement

The University of Washington 149th Commencement is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. This year, the UW will recognize best-selling author Daniel James Brown and Susan Solomon, a professor of environmental science and chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both will receive honorary degrees for their contributions to the humanities and sciences.

Q&A: UW research shows neural connection between learning a second language and learning to code

New research from the University of Washington shows the brain’s response to viewing errors in both the syntax (form) and semantics (meaning) of code appeared identical to those that occur when fluent readers process sentences on a word-by-word basis, supporting a resemblance between how people learn computer and natural languages.

April 18, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Improvised Music Project Festival, Modern Abortion Around the World Panel, Taiwan’s Pop Music and more

This week, join the Jackson School for International Studies for a panel on Modern Abortion Around the World, head to Meany Hall for the Improvised Music Project Festival, celebrate Taiwan’s pop music, and much more. April 22, 3:30 – 5:00 pm | ‘Genbaku Otome: Reconsidering the “Hiroshima Maidens”’ with Kim Brandt (Columbia University), Thomson Hall The Jackson School of International Studies invites Research Scholar Kim Brandt, Columbia University, to discuss the significance of the Hiroshima Maidens. “Hiroshima Maidens” loosely translates…

April 17, 2024

Ice age climate analysis reduces worst-case warming expected from rising CO2

A detailed reconstruction of climate during the most recent ice age, when a large swath of North America was covered in ice, provides information on the relationship between CO2 and global temperature. Results show that while most future warming estimates remain unchanged, the absolute worst-case scenario is unlikely.

April 15, 2024

Q&A: How claims of anti-Christian bias can serve as racial dog whistles

A new University of Washington study showed that white and Black Christians perceived a politician concerned about anti-Christian bias as caring more about anti-white bias, being more willing to fight for white people and as less offensive than one concerned about anti-white bias.

April 11, 2024

ArtSci Roundup: Center for Environmental Politics talk, ‘What Makes a Good Art Critic?’, Yefim Bronfman at Meany Hall and more

This week, head to Meany Hall for multiple Grammy Awards recipient Yefim Bronfman’s performance, learn from panelists during “What Makes a Good Art Critic?”, explore “The Imperative Challenges of Sustainability for the Forgotten” during the Center for Environmental Politics’ talk, and more. April 15, 3:30 – 5:00 pm | TALK | ‘Silver Democracy: Youth Representation in an Aging Japan’ with Charles T. McClean, Yale University, Thomson Hall The UW Japan Studies Program invites Dr. Charles T. McClean to explore why…

New report ‘braids’ Indigenous and Western knowledge for forest adaptation strategies against climate change

Forests could also be potential bulwarks against climate change. But, increasingly severe droughts and wildfires, invasive species, and large insect outbreaks — all intensified by climate change — are straining many national forests and surrounding lands. A report by a team of 40 experts outlines a new approach to forest stewardship that “braids together” Indigenous knowledge and Western science to conserve and restore more resilient forestlands. Published March 25, the report provides foundational material to inform future work on climate-smart adaptive management practices for USDA Forest Service land managers.

April 9, 2024

UW joins $110M cross-Pacific effort to advance artificial intelligence

The University of Washington and the University of Tsukuba have entered an innovation partnership with NVIDIA and Amazon aimed at furthering research, entrepreneurship, workforce development and social implementation in the field of artificial intelligence. This U.S.-Japan academic partnership is part of a broad, $110 million effort to build upon the strong ties between the U.S. and Japan and to continue to lead innovation and technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence.

Everyday social interactions predict language development in infants

In a study published April 8 in Current Biology, University of Washington researchers found that when the adult talked and played socially with a 5-month-old baby, the baby’s brain activity particularly increased in regions responsible for attention — and the level of this type of activity predicted enhanced language development at later ages.

April 5, 2024

Q&A: The growing trend of environmental, social and governance assurances in corporate America

Voluntary reports that discuss environmental, social and governance issues — or ESG issues — have become a major trend in corporate America over the past decade. Shawn Shi, University of Washington assistant professor of accounting in the Foster School of Business, is conducting ongoing research on the topic.