Updated: Sept. 30, 2022
University of Washington faculty, staff and students have been sharing their COVID-19 expertise through online lectures and seminars, in addition to providing expert insight in the news.
You can watch recordings of past events below, as well as find additional events on the calendars for the Bothell, Seattle and Tacoma campuses.
Series archives
Wednesdays: School of Public Health biweekly webinar
School of Public Health Dean Hilary Godwin hosts a series of biweekly webinars designed to share the latest updates on the School’s and the UW’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The webinars are open to all UW faculty, staff and students, while guidance provided is for students, staff and faculty with primary affiliations in the School of Public Health.
The Whole U: COVID-19 virtual seminars
The Whole U has hosted a number of virtual seminars to help you stay informed and healthy during COVID-19. Watch videos from these events, which cover topics ranging from children’s well-being and mindful parenting to self-care and how to stay grounded during turbulent times.
2020: The Course
From a pandemic to economic fallout to a reckoning over race and policing in the United States, 2020 is sure to be remembered as a year of historic upheaval and change. The UW’s world-renowned scholars in the areas of history, sociology, education, law, environmental science — to name a few — can help place this tumultuous and chaotic time into a larger context and bring greater understanding. Students engaged in a series of talks, lectures and dialogues with over 20 faculty from across the University, and many of these presentations are now available for public viewing.
2021 events
Preparing for a Post-COVID Future — Implications for Protecting the Health of Seniors
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on everyone’s lives, and seniors were profoundly affected. What have we learned so far? How have we adjusted, and how can we best prepare to protect our health and safety as winter approaches?
Dr. Robin Fleming, assistant teaching professor at the University of Washington Bothell and board member of Northwest Neighbors Network, had a conversation with Dr. Vin Gupta, affiliate assistant professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, about how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of health care and public health communications — and the implications this has for seniors.
Mariner Mental Health Outcomes and Needs During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have significant impacts on mariners and the global shipping industry. In addition to the direct health risks posed by COVID-19 infection, maritime personnel face additional physical and mental-health stressors from restrictions on crew changes, shore leave and repatriation of seafarers.
Dr. Marissa Baker is an assistant professor in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and program director of the industrial hygiene training program at the Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety. She is an affiliate faculty in the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at UW. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been working closely with a variety of worker organizations, government and industry partners to characterize physical and mental health outcomes experienced by workers due to the pandemic, characterize their risk perceptions and needs and propose and evaluate interventions for safe work.
Coexisting with COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be more than just a threat to our health: it’s become a disruption of our way of life, affecting everything from supply chains, to the way we love, to what is considered essential work. How are we to think about and live amidst this “new normal”?
To answer this, the Graduate School’s Office of Public Lectures, in partnership with the Population Health Initiative, the Communication Leadership program within the Department of Communication, and many others, created “Coexisting with COVID-19.” Hosted by Hanson Hosein, the 30-minute livestream talks featured faculty members from across the UW.
COVID-19 and Kids: Impacts, Uncertainties and the Role of Vaccines
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected every segment of society, including unique and widespread harms to children such as the closure of schools and the loss of nearly all group activities. Johns Hopkins University and the UW are convening clinical, scientific, regulatory and private sector leaders to discuss the effect of COVID-19 on youth and the role pediatric vaccines may play in the COVID-19 response.
This virtual symposium will focus on several key areas:
- COVID-19’s broad effect on youths in the 5- to 12-year-old age range and their families
- The current state of play in youth vaccine development
- Ethical aspects of global vaccine scarcity and youth immunization
The first symposium in this series, Preserving the Scientific Integrity of Getting to COVID-19 Vaccines: From Clinical Trials to Public Allocation, is available to watch now.
Law for the People — Introduction to Landlord/Tenant Law and the Washington Eviction Moratorium
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained global economic slowdown, the Washington State Legislature passed several new laws concerning landlord-tenant relations, including SB 5160 and HB 1236. Yet Washington’s residential housing situation was fraying well before the COVID pandemic. This presentation provides a broad survey of Washington evictions in the years before COVID-19, then provides an overview of SB 5160 and HB 1236’s increased tenant protections to get a sense of how residential tenancies will emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 12: COVID vaccines & variants — What you need to know to help end the pandemic
Over the past year, Vin Gupta, M.D., has become a familiar face as a COVID-19 medical contributor for MSNBC and NBC News, and he will be the featured speaker at the upcoming Next Generation Medicine webinar, presented by the UW School of Medicine – Gonzaga University Health Partnership. Dr. Gupta is an affiliate assistant professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the UW and a critical care pulmonologist who has been at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic since day one. In this webinar, he shared the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccines and their effectiveness against the virus variants first found in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil, and what we can do to help bring an end to the pandemic in our own communities. Dr. Gupta will help dispel myths, provide facts and address your concerns in a Q&A session.
LabMed Grand Rounds — COVID-19 vaccine trials: A year of progress
Lisa Jackson, MD, MPH, senior investigator with Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute will discuss: the progress of candidate COVID-19 vaccines from Phase 1 trials to Emergency Use Authorization; as-yet-unanswered questions about the vaccines now in routine use; next steps in vaccine development and implementation.
How to support your immune health and mental health during COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the importance of mental health and raised questions about how immune systems work. At How to Support Your Immune Health and Mental Health During COVID-19, Dr. Thuan Ong, a geriatric medicine specialist at UW Medicine, had a conversation with UW Medicine’s Dr. Mark Wener and Anne Browning, Ph.D., about how to care for your immune and mental health.
Mission possible — The vital role nurses play in the race to vaccinate
The University of Washington School of Nursing and Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing are proud to present a virtual symposium where leading experts will share their in-depth knowledge of the logistical, medical, and other details of the COVID-19 vaccination program. This is an opportunity for the community and nursing professionals to coordinate information and inquiries, advocate for vaccination, and influence how we implement the vaccination program.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of systemic racism
COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on how racism impacts the health and well-being of Black, Indigenous and People of Color across our county and country. While Public Health’s mission is to improve the health all members of our community, institutional racism has meant that BIPOC communities are significantly and disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 despite public health efforts. Patty Hayes, Director of Public Health — Seattle & King County, discusses the impact of the pandemic on BIPOC communities and what systemic changes need to be made now to avoid long-lasting impact.
Social injustice and COVID-19 vaccines
What makes structural injustice structural? Building on her recent book, Structural Injustice with Madison Powers, Dr. Ruth Faden explores this question by examining the kinds of impacts, the kinds of social structures and the kinds of groups that matter on their theory of structural injustice. She then discusses how questions of equity and structural injustice are making their way (or not) in global and national plans for the allocation and prioritization of COVID-19 vaccines in the pandemic.
2020 events
Next Generation Medicine presents – Making sense of the COVID-19 vaccine
The development of a vaccine to fight against SARS-CoV-2 is exciting news, but few of us understand what this means, beyond understanding it’s a possible barrier against COVID-19. How are vaccines developed and how do they work? Will all of the COVID vaccines be the same? How will we know if the vaccine is safe and effective? How often will we need to be vaccinated? Will there be enough vaccine for everyone? Dr. Deborah Fuller, vaccinologist and professor of microbiology at the University of Washington, discusses the answers to these questions and more. Dr. Fuller’s lab has been the site of development of a vaccine candidate since January 2020.
Contact tracing – Fighting COVID-19 while respecting privacy
Contact tracing is a critical tool in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling health officials to track and slow the disease’s spread. Mobile phones offer opportunities to improve the accuracy of contact tracing but come with risk of creating a new surveillance infrastructure. Join the College of Engineering for a talk about the benefits and drawbacks of contact tracing, its widespread use, and digital contact tracing methods being developed at the UW and Microsoft Research to protect the privacy of individuals.
Protests for the soul of a nation – COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and election 2020
2020 is a year like we have never witnessed. A pandemic that exposed structural health inequalities was followed by the largest civil rights uprisings in American history against police violence and systemic racism. The sustained demonstrations and radical imagination of protesters have challenged and remade the relationship between government and citizens. Associate Professor of Political Science Megan Ming Francis discussed how we got to this urgent moment, the role organized protest can play in the upcoming election, and the future of a fair and robust democracy.
Creating a better normal – Improving population health for everyone
The pandemic has highlighted the racial, social and economic inequities that shape the health and well-being of all people in the United States and throughout the world. As we look forward to a post-COVID-19 world, how can we create a future in which we are all healthier — as individuals and as entire populations? How do we enhance the resilience of the environment we rely on? And how do we address the factors perpetuating the inequities that harm so many?
COVID-19 – Is there an end in sight?
The UW School of Medicine – Gonzaga University Regional Partnership’s Next Generation Lecture series featured Dr. John Lynch, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the UW School of Medicine, and head of the UW Medicine COVID-19 Response Team. Dr. Lynch shared the latest information on the COVID-19 pandemic, including when we may see the first vaccines, improvements in testing and how long it could take to get the SARS-CoV-2 virus under control.
Healthy people, healthy planet: That’s population health
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how interconnected our health is with the health of those around us, as well as highlighting systemic inequities that affect the well-being of entire communities. Join Dr. Ali Mokdad, the UW’s chief strategy officer for population health, for an introduction to the UW’s work to advance population health and learn about the University’s quest for answers to some of today’s biggest health challenges.
Preserving the scientific integrity of getting to COVID-19 vaccines
Efforts to develop COVID-19 vaccines are well underway, and protecting the scientific integrity of the process is paramount. The trials must be – and must be seen to be – free of political interference, carried out with the highest scientific and ethical rigor, and allowed to proceed until the safety and efficacy of each candidate vaccine has been thoroughly assessed. The ultimate goal is global distribution of and equitable access to effective vaccines that can help slow, and eventually end, the pandemic.
October 6, the University of Washington and Johns Hopkins University brought together leading experts to explore these issues and put forward a concise plan for protecting the scientific integrity of these lifesaving efforts. This symposium featured insights from global leaders in vaccine science, health metrics, policy, regulation, and communications.
Finding your voice during the times of COVID
As part of the UW School of Nursing’s Nightingale Leadership Series, this event with Sue Birch, director of the Washington Health Care Authority, helps participants be an advocate and leader when responding to inquiries in times of crisis and find empowerment in speaking up.
Stand with The Facts – Community solutions to combat misinformation
With so much information being shared online and on social media during the pandemic and protests, how do we weed out the misinformation from the facts in our newsfeeds? Is it possible to improve access to reliable sources? What ways can we rethink information distribution to stop the spread of misinformation? And what kinds of local programs and services are communities creating to respond to today’s information overload? Join KUOW and the Center for an Informed Public for this online event, part of their Stand with the Facts series.
Stand with The Facts – How bots and trolls leverage a crisis
Many of us turn to social media to find real-time information, share resources and organize. But how do we know if there’s a real person behind the accounts on our feed? How have bots and trolls used global Black Lives Matter protests and a pandemic to create more division and uncertainty? Join KUOW and the Center for an Informed Public for this online event, part of their Stand with the Facts series.
Stand with the facts – Finding facts during a crisis
Since the start of the global pandemic and nationwide protests against racial injustices, there has been a flood of information online. As new information hits our news feeds daily, there’s still a lot of uncertainty around the virus and response to the protests. How does the unpredictable nature of the situation make us susceptible to consuming and potentially sharing misinformation? Join KUOW and the Center for an Informed Public for this online event, part of their Stand with the Facts series.
Stand with the facts – Big Tech and the fight against misinformation
There is more information shared on social media than any other time in history, and the information is not always factual. What can big tech companies like Facebook and Twitter do to regulate misinformation without infringing on users’ right to free speech? Will the government regulate these companies, and what would that look like? How will this help or hurt the coming elections? Join KUOW and the Center for an Informed Public for this online event, part of their Stand with the Facts series.
What the COVID-19 pandemic tells us about science in society – A conversation with Ed Yong and Liz Neeley
The COVID-19 pandemic has touched every part of our global society, putting science and scientists in the front seat as we navigate this crisis. The UW College of the Environment and School of Public Health hosted this live discussion with deans Lisa Graumlich and Hilary Godwin and special guests Liz Neeley, executive director of the Story Collider, and Ed Yong, staff writer covering science and the coronavirus for The Atlantic. This event was a special edition of Amplify, hosted by the College of the Environment, a series of conversations among faculty, staff, postdocs and graduate students from across the UW that explores the intersection of science and society, the role of science journalism and science communication and how to make sense of all the information and turn it in to action.
Husky alumni panel – Launching and navigating your career in uncertain times
UW Tacoma alumni from various class years, who graduated during economic downturns, life challenges or extreme circumstances, shared how they navigated their job search, networked, launched their careers and secured employment during uncertain times. They also shared how their work life has changed due to the current impact of COVID-19.
Leading an institution through an unprecedented crisis
By June, college leaders had worked quickly for more than three months to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis. They had to make countless short-term judgment calls while attempting to weigh longer-term ramifications. Despite looming uncertainty, colleges had to move forward and plan for the future. UW President Ana Mari Cauce, Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar, president of Oberlin College and California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White took part in a virtual roundtable hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education focusing on fundamental changes to the role of the president and on leaders’ emerging insights into crisis management and campus communication.
Ambiguous loss – Grieving in the time of COVID-19
Life as we knew it just a few weeks ago has been completely turned upside down. That feeling you are feeling but can’t seem to describe may be grief. How do we recognize the signs and symptoms of grief and how do we cope? This webinar from the Forefront Suicide Prevention Center and the Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center will give you an overview of what grief looks like at any time but especially during a time of ambiguous loss. We will talk about how to care for yourself and others in a time of uncertainty.
Next Generation Medicine Lecture – Wellness & resilience during COVID-19
During this challenging time of COVID-19, you may be experiencing stress, fear, grief and other complex emotions. Dr. Anne Browning, assistant dean for well-being with the UW School of Medicine and founding director of the UW Resilience Lab, will share ways to stay healthy and manage anxiety, and how to cope with the uncertainty of what’s to come. This free webinar is sponsored by the UW School of Medicine-Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership.
COVID-19 and the mission of the U.S. public university
How have public universities responded to the COVID-19 pandemic? As university presidents look toward resuming in-person classes in the fall, what have they learned from the crisis, how will their institutions evolve as a result, and what might that mean for the future of higher education in America? President Ana Mari Cauce, Arizona State University President Michael Crow and Purdue University President Mitch Daniels will take part in a discussion hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
The impact of COVID-19 on school mental health in Washington
The University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, & Training (SMART) Center – a collaboration between the UW School of Medicine and College of Education – presents the 2020 Virtual SMART Speaker Series. This third session features Washington state Superintendent Chris Reykdal to discuss how the pandemic is affecting young learners. Open to the public; advance registration required.
State policymaking in times of crisis
The UW Department of Political Science is offering this first virtual faculty panel examining the roles that state governments are and will be playing in addressing the numerous effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. Topics to be covered include state public health responses, safety-net policy variations and 2020 election administration.
Business recovery and reconstruction workshops
As owners of small- and medium-sized business are adjusting to economic changes wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty from the University of Washington Foster School of Business are offering a series of workshops to help companies pivot to new opportunities and position themselves for sustainable growth over the next two years. Each workshop will include both lectures from Foster School faculty and peer-to-peer discussions that will provide mutual support among business owners.
Bioethics and Humanities Grand Rounds – COVID-19 series
The UW Department of Bioethics and Humanities is holding a special Bioethics Grand Rounds series about COVID-19, offered via Zoom. The four-part series aims to provide practicing health care workers from across disciplines the opportunity to reflect on difficult ethical questions that have arisen during the pandemic. The interactive sessions are intended for professionals across the greater Seattle area and WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region, regardless of association with University of Washington.
COVID-19 town hall
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have upended lives and disrupted operations across the University of Washington. President Ana Mari Cauce hosted a virtual town hall on May 1 with a panel of UW leadership to address questions about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our community and what the future holds.
COVID-19 global conversations
Sharing knowledge in times of global crisis is part of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies’ mission. Take a virtual journey around the world in an occasional series of global conversations between Jackson School faculty in Seattle and experts in other countries to help make sense of the world in the time of COVID-19.
Exploring and understanding the COVID-19 pandemic
This six-seminar series provides a general overview of the COVID-19 pandemic. These weekly sessions are facilitated by UW faculty members who are coronavirus and pandemic preparedness experts, including from the Department of Global Health, School of Medicine and School of Public Health.
Negotiating startup life through a crisis
CoMotion’s Ken Meyer moderated a discussion with entrepreneur Xiao Wang and investor Dan Rosen on leading a startup through the COVID-19 crisis as part of CoMotion’s Fundamentals for Startups series.
Law in the time of COVID-19
This series examines legal issues at play in managing or reacting to the global public health crisis. The course features public panels on various political, constitutional and legal principles involved in short- and long-term crisis response efforts, with an ultimate focus on students’ opportunities to learn about and help Seattle’s most vulnerable communities.
Surviving the coronavirus infodemic
COVID-19 is more than just a physical illness — inaccurate and incomplete information spreads just as rapidly around the globe, complicating efforts to contain the virus and keep communities safe and healthy. Experts from the University of Washington and Washington State University addressed coronavirus misinformation. Panelists shared tools and tips for concerned citizens to cut through the confusion and build healthier information practices.
