News releases

July 8, 2026

ArtSci Roundup: Summer of 2026

Come curious. Leave inspired. Wherever you are, the University of Washington offers opportunities to learn and connect with the ideas, people, and research shaping our world. This summer, visit campus for the latest exhibitions at the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, or join us from anywhere through recorded lectures, podcasts, virtual experiences, and more. As a public university, we’re proud to share the knowledge, creativity, and discoveries of the UW with communities near and…

June 30, 2026

Rubin Observatory begins landmark 10-year timelapse of night sky

The Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory has officially begun its ten-year survey of the southern sky, the Legacy Survey of Space and Time.

June research highlights: Air quality inequity, ultrafast chemistry, cigar galaxy, more

A high-resolution photo of a galaxy. The galaxy has a flattened disk at the center and a burst of stars around it.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately impacted by air pollution, an unfathomably fast chemical reaction, ups and downs in the methane record, and the cigar galaxy pictured at high resolution.

Some agentic AI browsers come with major cybersecurity risks, UW study finds

Person's hands type on a laptop keyboard.

A UW team studied seven popular agentic AI browsers and found that four create ways for malicious actors to bypass a fundamental cybersecurity protocol called the “same-origin policy,” which makes websites open in a browser unable to interact with each other’s information. Researchers ran a successful proof-of-concept cyberattack on one browser.

June 25, 2026

UW researchers created PaperTok, an AI system that helps users turn research papers into short, engaging videos

A UW team built an AI tool that helps users turn research papers into 45-second videos. A researcher uploads a paper to the tool, which uses Google Gemini to write a short script explaining the paper. The researcher can then iteratively edit the transcript and resulting video clip.

June 24, 2026

Decades-long dataset shows which orcas are most at home in Puget Sound

a killer whale breaches, showing its white belly and black fins, the fin of another whale is visible behind it.

The prevalence of Bigg’s killer whales is increasing in Puget Sound, while the chances of sighting the southern residents remains slim, and pod-specific.

GovScape lets you easily search millions of government documents

A University of Washington-led research team created GovScape, an efficient search system for PDFs from the End of Term Web Archive. Users can look up exact keywords, like “FAFSA,” or use semantic search, which finds documents on a topic even if the exact search terms don’t appear on the page. Because researchers used highly efficient artificial intelligence models, processing the 10 million PDFs hosted online during Donald Trump’s first term costs less than $1,500, or about $1 per 47,000 pages.

June 15, 2026

7 UW students receive Fulbright exchange awards for study, research and teaching positions around the world

seven portraits of Fulbright award recipients

Seven University of Washington students and recent alumni were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for the 2026–27 academic year, joining about 2,000 students and recent graduates from around the country to pursue graduate study, conduct research and teach English abroad.

June 12, 2026

UW researchers built AI agents that quickly estimate electronic devices’ carbon footprints

University of Washington researchers developed an artificial intelligence system that automatically estimates the environmental impacts of making different electronic devices. The system takes only a minute to run and achieves estimates with accuracy similar to human experts’.

June 9, 2026

AI and quantum computing accelerate materials development at UW

A grid of dots and lines creates a hexagonal lattice structure

New computing techniques — including AI and quantum computing — are enabling UW researchers to design unique and complex quantum materials.

June 8, 2026

Black Lives Matter movement changed workplace cooperation between Black and white employees, research shows

A cartoon drawing from above of four people sitting at a table with papers in front of them

New research from Abhinav Gupta, professor of management at the University of Washington, shows the increased public attention on racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd influenced how Black and white employees interacted at work. The study examines how major societal events tied to race and injustice can shape workplace behavior.

UW’s Class of 2026 celebrated with ceremonies in Husky Stadium and ceremonies in the Tacoma Dome and HecEd

crowds awaiting entry to stadium for commencement ceremony

University of Washington President Robert J. Jones will be the featured speaker at the UW’s 151st Commencement ceremony on Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 13.

June 3, 2026

Costly efforts to reopen rivers for fish can produce mixed results — this method can help planners avoid stranded investments

people work on a culvert project that allows fish to swim under a road.

Efforts to restore fish passage are cropping up across the country, but these projects come with hefty price tags. In a new study, University of Washington researchers explore different approaches to improving the benefits from investments in salmon recovery.

June 1, 2026

Q&A: Most biology education guidelines lack any connection to society — UW researchers explain why that’s a problem

UW researchers examined almost 3,000 science guidelines and assessment questions for any connections to society. Of the approximately 200 elements that had real-world implications, many discussed ethics and public health issues.

May 28, 2026

May research highlights: Rapid river migration, bean plant defense, tiny tensegrities, more

Two wasps attacking a caterpillar on a large leaf

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: how climate change is redirecting rivers, what bean plants use to protect themselves from pests, where the water in an atmospheric river comes from and how researchers are making tensegrities tiny.

Daryl Maeda selected as dean of the UW College of Arts & Sciences

man wearing a white dress shirt and blue jacket

University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Daryl Maeda will serve as the next Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. His appointment is effective July 13, pending approval from the UW Board of Regents.

May 21, 2026

ArtSci Roundup: June 2026

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And you don’t have to wait until June: Take a look at everything still happening in May. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Through July…

May 20, 2026

UW selects Justin Michalka as Vice President for University Development

Justin Michalka has been named Vice President for University Development at the University of Washington, Senior Vice President for University Advancement Mary Gresch announced today. Michalka’s appointment begins July 1, 2026.

May 14, 2026

A new method could help Washington shellfish farmers control a pesky shrimp

Burrowing shrimp, native to Washington, create problems for shellfish farmers. As their name suggests, these creatures burrow in marine sediments, and the excavated material piles up on the surface, which can smother oysters and clams growing there. State-funded research led by the University of Washington offers a new, non-chemical approach to controlling shrimp populations in shellfish-growing areas.

May 13, 2026

UW researchers decipher beluga calls to bolster conservation efforts

Light colored whales at the surface of Cook Inlet water with mountains visible in the distance.

In a new study, University of Washington scientists eavesdropped on Cook Inlet belugas to better understand the context of their calls and how human noise is impacting their ability to communicate with each other.

May 12, 2026

Nobel Prize winner and Husky alumna Mary E. Brunkow to address graduates at UW’s 151st Commencement

image of a woman wearing a blue jacket standing in front of a college building

Graduates at the University of Washington’s 151st Commencement, scheduled for Saturday, June 13, at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium, will hear from Mary E. Brunkow, Class of ’83, who shared the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

May 8, 2026

Joel Thornton selected as dean of the College of the Environment

University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Joel Thornton will serve as the next Maggie Walker Dean of the College of the Environment. His appointment is effective June 1, pending approval from the UW Board of Regents.

May 6, 2026

Near-miss tsunami in Alaska during tourist season last year highlights increasing environmental instability

A bare chunk of rock on the hillside adjacent to the water shows where the land slid into the fjord to generate the tsunami.

A new analysis of a 481-meter tsunami generated by a landslide in Alaska’s popular Tracy Arm Fjord last summer describes how glacial retreat, due to global warming, primed the fjord for the colossal wave and what, if any, warning signs preceded it.

Fewer insects, fewer nutritious crops: Pollinator decline puts our health at risk

A bumblebee covered in small white fluffs of pollen rests on a thistle.

When pollinators decline, families risk poorer nutrition leading to higher vulnerability to illness and infections, and deeper cycles of poverty and poor health. One quarter of the global population currently suffer from this “hidden hunger.”

May 5, 2026

Q&A: How are teachers reckoning with AI in schools?

Students in a classroom work on various devices.

Katie Davis, a UW professor in the Information School, discusses a study in which she and a team of researchers interviewed 22 teachers about AI use.

April 28, 2026

April research highlights: Sunbird tongues, Seattle fault, inbound asteroids, more

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: how sunbirds sip nectar through straw-like tongues, why the Seattle Fault might not pose as great a risk as previously thought, how to gauge landslide dam risk in the PNW, what marine microbes use for making meals and when the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will spot small inbound asteroids.

BikeButler map creates personalized routes for riders based on preferences like speed limits and road conditions

University of Washington researchers created BikeButler, a demo web app that lets users find personalized bike routes in Seattle. Cyclists plug in their destination and origin — just like in other mapping apps — and can then toggle sliders for eight attributes to create personalized route options.

April 23, 2026

Researchers discover the fossil of a new hamster-sized mammal that lived alongside dinosaurs on the Pacific Coast

An illustration of the ancient mammal standing on a tree with a fruit in its mouth. There are duckbilled dinosaurs and the Pacific Ocean in the background.

A research team led by the UW has identified a new species of an ancient rodent-like creature. The new species, named Cimolodon desosai, was about the size of a golden hamster, the researchers said. It likely scampered on the ground and in the trees and ate fruits and insects.

April 22, 2026

Q&A: UW scientists decode the logic behind cells’ mysterious protein stockpiles

small black blobs outlined in red grow and divide and then begin to disappear

UW News spoke with Paul Wiggins, a University of Washington associate professor of both physics and bioengineering, to learn about a surprisingly relatable behavior prompting bacteria to stockpile huge reserves of essential proteins.

April 21, 2026

UW physicists win 2026 Breakthrough Prize for study of enigmatic particle

Four people pose for the camera wearing medals

David Hertzog, a University of Washington professor of physics, is a recipient of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize for Fundamental Physics. The award is shared among roughly 400 scientists and celebrates decades of work to better understand the muon — a subatomic particle with anomalous properties.

April 20, 2026

Washington’s hepatitis C elimination initiative expanded access to testing and treatment while reducing per-patient costs, UW-led study finds

A spherical virus covered in red-and-blue bulbs.

A directive signed by former Gov. Jay Inslee in 2018 aimed to eliminate hepatitis C from Washington state by 2030. A new study led by the University of Washington found that the plan not only expanded access to tests and treatment, but may save money in the long run.

April 15, 2026

UW’s Claire Willing named fellow of Ecological Society of America

A woman in a hat holds up a small seedling in a recently burned forest

The Ecological Society of America named the UW’s Claire Willing a 2026 Early Career Fellow. Willing, an assistant professor of environmental and forest science, studies fungal ecology, looking at how fungi are evolving and supporting plant communities as the climate changes.

Planets need more water to support life than scientists previously thought

An image of the planet Venus beside three similar sized planets representing different possible atmospheres.

In a new study, University of Washington researchers show that an Earth-sized planet likely needs at least 20 to 50% of the water in Earth’s oceans to maintain a critical natural cycle that keeps water on the surface. These new parameters could exclude many exoplanets in the so-called habitable zone.

April 14, 2026

Tiny cameras in earbuds let users talk with AI about what they see

Two black earbuds: one with the casing removed exposing a computer chip and tiny camera.

University of Washington researchers developed a system called VueBuds that uses tiny cameras in off-the-shelf wireless earbuds to allow users to talk with an AI model about the scene in front of them. For instance, a user might look at a Korean food package and say, “Hey VueBuds, translate this for me.” They’d then hear an AI voice say, “The visible text translates to ‘Cold Noodles’ in English.

April 13, 2026

A fossil of a new carnivoran species effectively doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family

A new study doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family. Researchers, including Chris Law, a UW principal research scientist in the biology department, have determined that a fossil that was discovered in Spain belongs to a new species dating back to around 6.5 million years ago. This new species was likely similar in size to the smallest living weasel species today, the least weasel.

UW School of Law to convene ‘Neither Sword Nor Purse,’ a national rule of law symposium on defending America’s independent judiciary

two images with a man with glasses on the left and a woman wearing a purple dress on the right

As judges across the United States face growing political pressure, public attacks and threats to their personal safety, the University of Washington School of Law will host a national symposium on April 17 and 18 to examine how to protect America’s independent federal judiciary and the rule of law.

April 9, 2026

David Lance appointed the UW’s chief of staff to the president

A portrait of David Lance on the UW campus.

University of Washington President Robert J. Jones on Wednesday announced that David Lance has been appointed chief of staff to the president, effective May 11. The chief of staff serves as a senior advisor to the president and plays a critical role in advancing the University’s strategic priorities and institutional goals.

ArtSci Roundup: May 2026

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And as May comes to a close, see what’s happening in June. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Video | Emily M. Bender Katz Lecture…

April 6, 2026

UW’s graduate and professional programs highly ranked by US News & World Report

The University of Washington’s graduate and professional degree programs again were recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools released late Monday.

Parasitic tapeworm — a risk to domestic dogs and humans — found in Washington coyotes

a coyote in the sunlight in an urban park.

New evidence suggests that a disease-causing tapeworm that has been spreading across the United States and Canada has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The tapeworm, called Echinococcus multilocularis, was found in one-third of coyotes surveyed from the Puget Sound region.