Social science
February 13, 2025
Q&A: How 12 UW researchers fell in love with their research
For Valentine’s Day, UW News asked 12 University of Washington researchers to share their love stories: What made them decide to pursue their career paths?
August 12, 2024
Report describes the barriers Pacific Northwest coastal Tribes face in adapting to climate change
The University of Washington, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and others held collaborative listening sessions with Northwest coastal Tribes to hear their experiences in adapting to climate change. A new report summarizes those experiences, while an upcoming grant program hopes to help address barriers identified in the report.
August 1, 2024
15 UW professors among new class of members to the Washington State Academy of Sciences
Fifteen faculty members at the University of Washington have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences for 2024. They are among 36 scientists and educators from across the state announced Aug. 1 as new members. Selection recognizes the new members’ “outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement, and their willingness to work on behalf of the academy to bring the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.”
February 27, 2024
Q&A: Decline in condom use indicates need for further education, awareness
New research from Steven Goodreau, University of Washington professor of anthropology, shows that condom use has been trending downward among younger gay and bisexual men over the last decade, even when they aren’t taking pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.
January 23, 2024
Report on Washington’s Extended Foster Care program shows successful ways to support more young adults
The state of Washington’s Extended Foster Care program — in which young adults ages 18-21 can continue to receive some support — could help even more people by expanding participation, providing greater flexibility in eligibility criteria, and extending benefits, according to a new report from the University of Washington.
January 5, 2024
Husky football players take their skills from the field to the classroom and beyond
Holly Barker, a University of Washington teaching professor of anthropology, and three current members of the UW football team — Ulumoo Ale, Makell Esteen and Faatui Tuitele — are studying how the skills they develop to maximize their chances of victory on the field have applications outside the stadium. Their work, which is ongoing, is showing that the research methods and analytical abilities of student-athletes are applicable in academic and research settings, as well as jobs in a variety of fields.
November 20, 2023
New research aims to reduce fatal bird collisions on campus
A project in the UW College of Built Environments, led by researcher Judy Bowes, is examining how building architecture contributes to bird collisions, and the ways bird-safe glass and other designs can help address the problem.
October 10, 2023
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 2: Close Reading
“Dover Beach,” a poem by 19th century British writer Matthew Arnold, can be read as both a romantic lament and, as many scholars have concluded, a dark, existential commentary on the loss of religious faith. Through close reading, a way of reading for insight, not information, University of Washington English Professor Charles LaPorte…
May 26, 2023
What’s in a name? Sometimes, the climate
By analyzing records from the U.S. Social Security Administration, two scientists at the University of Washington and Ohio University have discovered that the popularity of certain month and season names for girls varies by geographic region in the continental United States. The name April dominates monthly names in southern states where spring arrives early in the year. June is more popular in northern states where spring blooms later. Autumn is also more prevalent in the northern U.S., a region known for its brilliant fall foliage.
May 11, 2023
Parenting tips can reduce substance use in first-year college students
A handbook for parents of incoming college students, developed by researchers at Washington State University and the University of Washington, finds that use of the book helped improve family connections and moderate substance use.
February 8, 2023
Prosocial CEOs increase company value, stakeholder satisfaction
New research from Weili Ge, professor of accounting at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, found that CEOs who engage in prosocial behavior — activities that primarily help others — are more likely to make decisions that benefit people and increase company value.
February 3, 2023
Q&A: The benefits and hazards of social media for teens
Lucía Magis-Weinberg, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology, explains how social media use can affect youth mental health.
November 21, 2022
Q&A: Managing Washington’s gray wolf population – through fear
Wolf management in Washington has been controversial. Rob Anderson, who obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Washington, explains the dynamic of managing a species through fear.
November 16, 2022
More US adults carrying loaded handguns daily, study finds
New research led by the University of Washington finds that the number of U.S. adult handgun owners carrying a loaded handgun on their person doubled from 2015 to 2019, and that a larger proportion of handgun owners carried handguns in states with less restrictive carrying regulations.
November 2, 2022
Infants less likely to contract COVID, develop severe symptoms than household caregivers
In one of the first studies to explore how COVID-19 specifically affects older infants, researchers from the University of Washington and at institutions at four other locations in the Western and Southern U.S. found that the number of infected people in a household was the factor most closely linked with the infant’s likelihood of being infected.
August 29, 2022
Black-owned restaurants disproportionately impacted during pandemic
A new study led by the University of Washington uses cellphone location data to estimate the number of visits to Black-owned restaurants in 20 U.S. cities during the first year of the pandemic. The study finds that despite the “Black-owned” labelling campaign launched by companies such as Yelp, the number of visits to Black-owned restaurants dropped off after an initial spike and was inconsistent around the country.
July 19, 2022
Suicide prevention training for health care providers a first step in longer-term efficacy
After Washington became the first state to require suicide prevention training for health care providers, the University of Washington worked with experts and organizations to develop the All Patients Safe program. A new study shows how All Patients Safe helped providers of all specialties learn how to identify and respond to patients at risk of suicide.
July 8, 2022
Sweetened beverage taxes produce net economic benefits for lower-income communities
New research led by University of Washington professors James Krieger and Melissa Knox found that sweetened beverage taxes redistributed dollars from higher- to lower-income households.
June 14, 2022
UW, Seattle Public Library, Seattle Public Utilities collaboration uses VR goggles to visualize sea level rise in Seattle
The Our Future Duwamish project, available to community groups through The Seattle Public Library, uses an Oculus Quest 2 virtual reality headset to help viewers imagine rising seas from a vantage point along the South Seattle waterway.
June 10, 2022
Early investors can forecast future of startup companies
New research from Emily Cox Pahnke, University of Washington associate professor of management and organization, shows that early investors often predict the future of startup companies.
May 26, 2022
Seattle democracy vouchers increase donations, number of candidates in city elections
A new study from Alan Griffith, assistant professor of economics at the University of Washington, shows that Seattle’s democracy voucher program has increased the number of voters donating to city elections and the number of candidates in those elections.
May 23, 2022
Social cohesion found to be key risk factor in early COVID infections
A study by the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Washington shows how social connectedness in San Francisco neighborhoods was associated with COVID-19 infection rates.
May 19, 2022
Q&A: Why discriminatory bias is a public health problem
Tony Greenwald, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Washington and creator of the Implicit Association Test, explains how public health strategies can help address unintended discrimination.
May 13, 2022
‘Resistance Through Resilience’: Conference highlights compassion-based practices to interrupt racism
The seventh annual Center for Communication, Difference and Equity Conference, “Resistance Through Resilience,” will be held in collaboration with the University of Washington Resilience Lab.
May 12, 2022
Smokers who switch to e-cigarettes may adopt other healthy routines
A University of Washington study of adult smokers finds that those who switch to vaping some or all of the time may adopt other healthy behaviors.
April 28, 2022
New meta-analysis examines link between self-harm and stress
A new, University of Washington-led meta-analysis finds that people engage in self-injury and/or think about suicide to alleviate some types of stress; and that there is potential for therapy and other interventions.
April 7, 2022
UW documentary chronicles story of tree poacher accused of starting 2018 fire
A new documentary from University of Washington professors Lynn M. Thomas and Daniel Hoffman tells the story of a man accused of starting a wildfire while illegally removing trees from the Olympic National Forest.
March 30, 2022
Video: New face mask guidance for UW’s 2022 spring quarter
With the start of spring quarter on March 28, face masks became optional — but still recommended — inside most UW facilities. In light of the policy change, UW News spoke with several experts about what to expect on campus, how the current science and transmission rates inform our policy, and emotions and feelings we may experience as a result of removing our face coverings.
March 15, 2022
UW professor’s new book presents opportunity to ‘rethink housing’
A new book by Gregg Colburn, assistant professor of real estate at the UW, explores the factors that drive homelessness, and the cultural and economic shift that can ultimately benefit all — housed and unhoused.
March 7, 2022
How Black Lives Matter protests sparked interest, can lead to change
A new study by the University of Washington and Indiana University finds that the growing use of anti-racist terms shows how Black Lives Matter has shifted the conversation around racism, raising awareness of issues and laying the foundation for social change.
March 2, 2022
Counties that rely on the courts for revenue sentence more women to incarceration
Washington counties that rely more on revenue from court-imposed fines and fees also sentence more women to incarceration, a study by the University of Washington finds.
Multi-state study of monetary sanctions finds widespread inequities, far-reaching consequences
Alexes Harris, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, discusses her team’s five-year, eight-state study of legal financial obligations, and their findings that court-imposed fines and fees perpetuate inequality.
February 3, 2022
For the uninsured, crowdfunding provides little help in paying for health care and deepens inequities
New research from the University of Washington shows that people in states with higher medical debt and lower rates of insurance coverage are more likely to try to raise money but less likely to succeed.
January 11, 2022
Q&A: Bringing a justice lens to wildlife management
A team of researchers led by the University of Washington drew upon the field of environmental justice — which primarily has focused on harms to people and public health — and applied its concepts to wildlife management, considering forms of injustice that people, communities and animal groups might experience. Lead author and UW assistant professor Alex McInturff talks with UW News about this work and why it’s significant.
December 16, 2021
Bias against Native Americans spikes when mascots are removed
New research led by the University of Washington shows how discontinuing a Native American mascot can stoke racism among a team’s surrounding community.
December 14, 2021
Nonprofits show resilience and initiative during second year of pandemic
A new study from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington explores not only how the pandemic economy impacted donations to, and the operations of, charitable organizations, but also how nonprofits responded to the simultaneous call for racial justice.
November 22, 2021
Kids, teens believe girls aren’t interested in computer science, study shows
Children as young as age 6 develop stereotypes that girls aren’t interested in computer science and engineering, according to new research from the University of Washington and the University of Houston.
October 29, 2021
How public pension funds can help address climate change
Ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference that begins Oct. 31, the University of Washington’s Michael McCann and Riddhi Mehta-Neugebauer talk about the extensive investment of public pension funds — the retirement plan of millions of U.S. workers — in fossil fuels.
October 1, 2021
Politics, health data held almost equal sway in states’ COVID-19 restrictions
New research by the University of Washington shows that states eased pandemic restrictions, such as gathering limits and business closures, based on politics as much as COVID-19 death rates or case counts.
September 22, 2021
Feeling anxious about in-person work, school? Here’s how to ease the transition
People may experience a range of emotions as some in-person routines resume during this stage of the pandemic. University of Washington psychology professor Jane Simoni suggests ways to cope.
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