Opinion and analysis

Recent opinion and analysis pieces written by UW-affiliated experts. See The Conversation for only the analysis pieces.

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Full archive of opinion and analysis stories

• Opinion: We need a new model of global health aid | The Seattle Times1 week ago
  "The Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and other aid funding for global health are cruel and catastrophic. One estimate just published in the journal Nature suggests that up to 25 million people could die over 15 years because of the cuts to TB, HIV/AIDS, family planning, and maternal and child health programs. Cancellations of National Institutes of Health funding for global health research contribute to the devastation," writes James Pfeiffer, professor of global health and of anthropology at the UW.
• Opinion: Crime: ‘Climate of fear’ | The Seattle Times1 week ago
  "As a University of Washington student studying Law, Societies, and Justice, I’ve learned how media and law enforcement narratives shape public perceptions of crime, often more than facts. Danny Westneat’s “Call me a nut — and they did — but we should be glad crime is falling” (May 3, Local News) gets it right. Data shows crime in Seattle is down, yet many continue to deny it due to the climate of fear," writes Molly Charrier in a letter to the editor.
• Analysis: As US doubles down on fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences — yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block | The Conversation1 week ago
  "It’s no secret that warming temperatures, wildfires and flash floods are increasingly affecting lives across the United States. With the U.S. government now planning to ramp up fossil fuel use, the risks of these events are likely to become even more pronounced," co-writes Meade Krosby, senior scientist at the UW Climate Impacts Group.
• Analysis: Trump targets NPR and PBS as public and nonprofit media account for a growing share of local news coverage | The Conversation2 weeks ago
  "Republicans in Washington have their sights — once again — on defunding public media," writes Matthew Powers, associate professor of communications at the UW.
• Opinion: Navigating unhealthy food culture on college campuses | The Seattle Times3 weeks ago
  "For a lot of college students, living alone is a brand-new experience. Amid pushing through classwork and maintaining a social life, staying healthy can be a cumbersome task. For many students, me included, work often takes priority over necessities like food and sleep. It’s not uncommon to resort to ultraprocessed, cheap, ready-to-eat meals," writes Shruti Badrish, a student at the UW. Michelle Averill, a teaching professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, is quoted.
• Opinion: The erosion of DEI threatens rights of people with disabilities, too | The Seattle Times4 weeks ago
  "A national campaign that is underway against Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility could undo decades of progress. Should they be implemented, these changes will curtail the rights of people with disabilities — your friends, colleagues, family and perhaps your current or future self — to community and civic participation. I know what is at stake because I have used accommodations that are under threat," writes Jennifer Mankoff, professor of computer science and engineering at the UW.
• Opinion: We found a workaround to Trump defunding science | The New York Times4 weeks ago
  "For over two years, nearly 200 other scientists and I had been working on the first full accounting of nature in America: an extensive report on its role in our health, economy and well-being. Now, with the revoking of a Biden executive order that called for the assessment, it was seemingly over," writes Phil Levin, professor of practice in environmental and forest sciences at the UW.
• Analysis: Claims of ‘anti-Christian bias’ sound to some voters like a message about race, not just religion | The Conversation1 month ago
  "President Donald Trump and members of his administration have long used allegations of anti-Christian discrimination as a rallying cry for supporters, arguing that policies and laws on issues like school prayer and LGBTQ+ rights threaten Christians’ right to express their beliefs," co-write the UW's Clara Wilkins, associate professor of psychology, and Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire, a postdoctoral researcher of psychology.
• Opinion: Trump's NEH killed funding for my Holocaust translation project | The Forward1 month ago
  "For all that my project with co-translator Harriet Murav seems to align with the president’s supposed interest in fighting antisemitism, there it was: Our grant was being terminated, in accordance with 'an urgent priority for the administration,' as the NEH was 'repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the President’s agenda,'" writes Sasha Senderovich, associate professor of Slavic languages and literatures at the UW.
• Opinion: 'The Pitt' on Max captures doctors' reality — can AI help? | USA Today1 month ago
  "In 'The Pitt,' we see physicians navigating high-stakes decisions under intense pressure – a reality that mirrors my own. As physicians, we encounter many traumatic moments in a compressed time frame," writes Dr. Samuel Browd, professor of neurological surgery and the director of The Sports Institute in the UW School of Medicine.
• Analysis: White House plans for Alaskan oil and gas face some hurdles — including from Trump and the petroleum industry | The Conversation1 month ago
  "The second Trump administration has launched the next stage in the half-century-long battle between commerce and conservation over Alaskan oil and gas development. But its moves are delivering a mixed message to the petroleum industry," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.
• Opinion: GOP reparations bill is a bad sign for CA's Black Caucus | CalMatters2 months ago
  "At a time when the political climate calls for strong and steady leadership, many Black Californians are losing faith in the lawmakers they sent to Sacramento to deliver on a justice agenda anchored by reparations," Denise Amos writes. James Gregory, professor of history at the UW, is mentioned.
• Analysis: Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East | The Conversation2 months ago
  "New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals were modern humans’ neighbors, new technologies meant something quite different: new kinds of stone tools that were smaller but could be used for many tasks and lasted for a long time," Ben Marwick, professor of anthropology at the UW.
• Analysis: Cuts to science research funding cut American lives short — federal support is essential for medical breakthroughs | The Conversation2 months ago
  "Nearly every modern medical treatment can be traced to research funded by the National Institutes of Health: from over-the-counter and prescription medications that treat high cholesterol and pain to protection from infectious diseases such as polio and smallpox," write Deborah Fuller, professor of microbiology in the UW School of Medicine, and Patrick Mitchell, assistant professor of microbiology in the UW School of Medicine.
• Analysis: Sudan’s civil war: What military advances mean, and where the country could be heading next | The Conversation2 months ago
  The Conversation turned to Christopher Tounsel, associate professor of history at the UW, to explain what the war has cost and where it could turn now.
• Analysis: The enduring power of the Omoro Sōshi | Northwest Asian Weekly2 months ago
  "Songs are not mere entertainment if we consider the case of Japan. There, they can be the very essence of life itself," writes Davinder Bhowmik, a UW associate professor of Asian languages and literature.
• Opinion: Don't take scientific progress for granted | Baltimore Sun2 months ago
  "Pauses in funding, communication freezes, reductions in funds to research institutions and the dismissal of scientists at federal agencies threaten American science. While some may support such actions in the quest for efficiency, understanding what is at stake requires a historical perspective," co-writes Dr. Ferric Fang, professor of laboratory medicine and pathology in the UW School of Medicine.
• Analysis: What are AI hallucinations? Why AIs sometimes make things up | The Conversation2 months ago
  "When someone sees something that isn’t there, people often refer to the experience as a hallucination. Hallucinations occur when your sensory perception does not correspond to external stimuli," co-writes Katelyn X. Mei, a doctoral student in the UW Information School.
• Opinion: Why insect farming is no silver bullet in drive to wean the world off meat | Reuters2 months ago
  "In some regions of the world, wild-caught insects have been a valuable source of protein for centuries. However, the mass farming of insects for food and feed is a modern practice. Over the last decade, the insect farming industry has been hailed as a silver bullet for many of our food system’s problems," writes Dustin Crummett, affiliate instructor of interdisciplinary arts and sciences at UW Tacoma.
• Opinion: Schumer and the shutdown about-face | The New York Times2 months ago
  "The executive order punishing law firms for representing presidentially disapproved clients threatens a core value of our legal system: assuring the availability of professional service to all," writes William Andersen, professor emeritus of law at the UW, in a letter to the editor.
• Analysis: US-Ukraine deal highlights Ukraine’s wealth of critical minerals, but extracting them isn’t so simple | The Conversation2 months ago
  "Ukraine’s mineral wealth has been a key factor in its negotiations with the U.S. as the two countries work out details for a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine’s war with Russia," writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.
• Analysis: The world regulated sulfur in ship fuels — and the lightning stopped | The Conversation2 months ago
  "If you look at a map of lightning near the Port of Singapore, you’ll notice an odd streak of intense lightning activity right over the busiest shipping lane in the world. As it turns out, the lightning really is responding to the ships, or rather the tiny particles they emit," writes Chris Wright, a doctoral student of atmospheric sciences at the UW.
• Opinion: Denied mental health care? HB 1432 could change that | Wenatchee World3 months ago
  "More than half of commercially insured individuals with a mental health condition went without needed care last year. The barriers aren’t new, but they remain devastating: restrictive prior authorizations, denial of needed services, ghost networks of unavailable providers and reimbursement rates so low that many clinicians stop accepting insurance altogether," writes London Breedlove, associate clinical health professor of family medicine in the UW School of Medicine.
• Opinion: The Department of Education's history shows it is essential | TIME3 months ago
  "Why has support for federal education become such a political target? The Department of Education was created primarily to distribute funding — particularly for disadvantaged students — and enforce civil rights laws in schools," writes Mallory Hutchings-Tryon, instructor of education at the UW.
• Analysis: A guide to taking better breaks at work | Harvard Business Review3 months ago
  "Sabbaticals can be life-changing opportunities. They offer the chance to explore the world, reconnect with family, or tackle that long-dreamed-of project. However, for many people, such extended departures aren’t possible due to employers’ policies or economic circumstances," Kira Schabram, assistant professor of management at the UW and Chris Barnes, associate professor of management at the UW, write.
• Analysis: Enzymes are the engines of life − machine learning tools could help scientists design new ones to tackle disease and climate change | The Conversation3 months ago
  "Enzymes are molecular machines that carry out the chemical reactions that sustain all life, an ability that has captured the attention of scientists like me," writes Sam Pellock, postdoctoral researcher in the Institute for Protein Design.
• Opinion: Washington lawmakers can address revenue shortfall without cutting important services | The Spokesman-Review3 months ago
  "I’ve written extensively about how taxes pay for the services that improve our neighborhoods – from parks to public transportation to roads and bridges. State tax dollars are also critical to help address the kinds of challenges that communities in eastern Washington and across the state are facing, like lack of affordable housing and underfunded schools." The University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public is mentioned.
• Editorial: Grant hearing for bill to make hiring of university presidents transparent | The Seattle Times3 months ago
  "When the boards of regents at Washington State University and the University of Washington unveiled their new presidents earlier this month, it went just as planned by the boards. Both hired new leaders and managed to shield the candidates from any public scrutiny and vetting till after the deals were done," writes the Seattle Times editorial board.
• Analysis: A boycott campaign fuels tension between Black shoppers and Black-owned brands – evoking the long struggle for ‘consumer citizenship’ | The Conversation3 months ago
  "In my research on marketing campaigns aimed at Black women, I’ve examined how the struggle for consumer citizenship complicated the dynamic between Black entrepreneurs and consumers. On the one hand, businesses have long leveraged Black ownership as a unique selling proposition in and of itself, urging shoppers to view Black brand loyalty as a path to collective racial progress," writes Timeka Tounsel, assistant professor of Black studies in communication at the UW.
• Opinion: The effects of bragging about sleep deprivation on status | Psychology Today3 months ago
  "A few years ago, I came across a puzzle. I had published a paper showing evidence that when leaders brag about their sleep deprivation, it not only undermines the sleep of their subordinates, but it also ultimately leads to unethical behavior in their subordinates. As someone who researches the relationship between sleep and work, this was not the surprise. The puzzling part is that despite these harmful effects, bragging about sleep deprivation is still very prevalent," writes Christopher Barnes, professor of management at the UW. Elijah Wee, assistant professor of management at the UW, is mentioned.

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