Celebrate Innovation at UW

This May will be the second annual UW Innovation Month, featuring a full slate of programs and events that celebrate the spirit of innovation at UW.

Imagine new heights

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 gain insights into the latest trends in academia and industry and build your network with others who share your passion and drive for impact.

About the UW Innovation Month logo

The logo is a representation of the classic Rainier Vista view from the Seattle campus. The mountain signifies the challenges that inspire innovation and the perseverance and determination required to overcome them, reach goals, and imagine new heights.

UW Innovation Month events

Below is a list of 60+ innovation-related events for May 2025, including competitions, research symposia, lectures, exhibitions, concerts, and capstone showcases across disciplines.

Events by date

Browse UW Innovation Month events happening throughout the month of May.

Week 1

April 29-May 9: School of Art + Art History + Design BA Exhibitions – Group 1
April 30-May 14: Out/In/Front: Small-Scale Interventions (Department of Landscape Architecture)
May 1-2: Engineering Discovery Days (College of Engineering)
May 1: John Jennings: The AfroFuture Now (School of Art + Art History + Design)
May 1: Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, “Radiance” (School of Music)
May 2: UW Symphony Orchestra with Donna Shin, flute (School of Music)
May 2: CoMotion Labs Fundamentals for Startups (CoMotion)
May 3: Third Coast Percussion and Jessie Montgomery ‘Strum, Strike, Bend’ (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)

Week 2

May 4: A.K. Burns: What is Perverse is Liquid (Henry Art Gallery)
May 5: Faculty Recital: Melia Watras, “Broken Bell” (School of Music)
May 6: An Evening with Christine Sun Kim (School of Art + Art History + Design)
May 6: Fostering a Growth Mindset and a Sense of Belonging (Teaching@UW – UW Tacoma, via Zoom)
May 6: Students & Startups: Team Tuesday Meetup (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
May 6: Endowed Lecture in Physical Chemistry: Prof. David Hu (Department of Chemistry)
May 7: Spring CELEbration 2025 (Community Engagement & Leadership Education (CELE) Center)
May 8-10: Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
May 9: CoMotion Labs Fundamentals for Startups (CoMotion)
May 9: School of Engineering & Technology Research Showcase 2025 (UW Tacoma)
May 9: 3rd Annual Greater Seattle Area Philosophy Symposium (Department of Philosophy)

Week 3

May 12-22: Urban@UW presents the Research to Action Collaboratory
May 13-23: School of Art + Art History + Design BA Exhibitions – Group 2
May 13-14: Nordic Innovation Summit 2025 – external event (National Nordic Museum)
May 13: Students & Startups: Team Tuesday Meetup (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
May 13: Student Academic Showcase (UW Bothell)
May 13: Fluid or Solid? The Physics of Shape-Shifting Materials (Department of Physics)
May 13: Kenya Research and Training Center Monthly Seminar (Global Health)
May 13: Jonathan Biss ‘Transfiguration’ (pianist) (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
May 14-18: MFA Dance Concert (Department of Dance)
May 14: Jazz Innovations I (School of Music)
May 15: Jazz Innovations II (School of Music)
May 15: Husky PitchFest (CoMotion and Buerk Center with College of Engineering, Allen School, and iSchool)
May 15: Science in Medicine Lecture Series: David Ginty, Phd (UW Medicine)
May 15: CEI Interdisciplinary Seminar: Jonothan Phillips – Duke University (Clean Energy Institute)
May 16: 28^th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (Office of Undergraduate Research)
May 17: Forest Bathing (in-person) (UW Botanic Gardens and Cascadia Forest Therapy)
May 17: Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)

Week 4

May 19-20: Book Talk: The AI Con – How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want (Department of Linguistics)
May 20 – June 6: College of Engineering Industry Capstone Showcases
- May 20 – Aeronautics & Astronautics
- May 30 – Electrical & Computer Engineering
- June 2 – Bioengineering
- June 2 – Human Centered Design & Engineering
- June 3 – Mechanical Engineering
- June 3 – Engineering Innovation in Health
- June 6 – Industrial & Systems Engineering
- June 6 – Materials Science & Engineering
- Date tbd – Chemical Engineering
May 20: Students & Startups: Team Tuesday Meetup (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
May 20: AI and the Future of Holocaust Research & Memory: A Public Symposium (iSchool)
May 21: 2025 Global Engagement Conference: Innovations Across Borders (UW Tacoma, Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement)
May 21: Socio-Ecological Thriving Book Club – David Abram “Becoming Animal” (Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement, UW Bothell)
May 21: Kenyan Judge Joel Ngugi (Office of Public Lectures and others)
May 21: Northwest Nature and Health Symposium (UW Center for Nature & Health)
May 21: DXARTS Spring Concert: Celebrating John Chowning (Digital Arts & Experimental Media)
May 21: Endowed Lecture in Inorganic Chemistry: Shannon Stahl (Department of Chemistry)
May 22: Dempsey Startup Competition Final Round (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
May 22: UW Three Minute Thesis (3MT) (The Graduate School)
May 22: School of Public Health Undergraduate Symposium (School of Public Health)
May 22: Urban@UW Research to Action Symposium (College of Built Environments)
May 22: Psychology Honors Poster Session (Department of Psychology)
May 23: Modern Music Ensemble (School of Music)

Week 5

May 27-June 6: School of Art + Art History + Design BA Exhibitions – Honors
May 27: Students & Startups: Team Tuesday Meetup (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship)
May 27: Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band (School of Music)
May 28-30: Space Ethics Conference (Department of Philosophy)
May 29: Clean Energy Institute End of the Year Seminar (CEI)
May 30: Pathobiology First Year PhD Student Talks (Global Health)

June

June 6: UW Symphony Orchestra with Concerto Competition Winners (School of Music)

Brand Toolkit

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Vertical logo
Horizontal logo with “Part of ” added (to be used when you want to show you are “part of” Innovation Month)
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Makerspaces

UW offers multiple makerspaces with tools and resources for students and faculty to build and prototype their next great ideas. Make the most of a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment that connects users with UW’s creative community.

THE MILL

THE MILL
AREA 01

AREA 01
THE 8

THE 8
COLLABORATORY UW BOTHELL

COLLABORATORY UW BOTHELL

COLLABORATORY UW BOTHELL

The UW Bothell Makerspace is a creative environment with the equipment needed for curricular and co-curricular maker endeavors. Located on the first floor of Discovery Hall, the Makerspace is a free resource for students, faculty, and staff.
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