March 12, 2025
ArtSci Roundup: April 2025
From campus to wherever you call home, we welcome you to learn from and connect with the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We hope to see you this April.
Worldwide Conversations
April 4 | University of Washington International Security Colloquium (UWISC): “The Blame Game: Militias, civilians, and the states’ accountability-effectiveness trade-off” (Political Science)
April 4 | Political Economy Forum presents Brian Leung (Political Science)
April 7 | Trump in the World 2.0 Lecture Series: The Indo-Pacific (Jackson School)
April 8 | 2025 Washin Kai Lecture (Department of Asian Languages & Literature)
April 9 | Finnish/Nordic Perspectives on the War in Ukraine by Ilmari Käihkö, University of Helsinki (Political Science)
April 10 – April 11 | Symposium: “Gender, Translation, and the Short Form in the Eurasian Periodical” (Middle Easter Languages and Cultures)
April 10 – April 12 | 31st Annual REECAS Northwest Conference (Jackson School)
April 11 | When is an Italian a Roman? (Classics)
April 14 | Trump in the World 2.0 Lecture Series: Europe (Jackson School)
April 15 | Translation Beyond English: Forugh Farrokhzad Between Persian and Italian (French & Italian)
April 21 | Trump in the World 2.0 Lecture Series: The Middle East (Jackson School)
April 23 | Astrobiology 25th Anniversary Lecture Series: The Climatic Effects of the UWAB Program on the Habitability of My Environment (Astronomy)
April 24 | Walter G. Andrews Memorial Lecture | Occasions for Poetry: Politics, Literature, and Imagination Among the Early Modern Ottomans (Middle Easter Languages and Cultures)
April 28 | Trump in the World 2.0 Lecture Series: Global Information (Jackson School)
Week of March 31
Dr. Victoria Meadows
Wednesday, April 2, 7 pm – 8 pm | Exploring the Frontiers of Life in the Universe: 25 Years of the UW Astrobiology Program (Department of Astronomy)
UWAB is excited to announce that we are hosting a public lecture series to celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary in April 2025! All talks will occur in Kane Hall (Room 120), with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and lectures beginning at 7 p.m. Each event will feature an hour-long lecture and up to 45 minutes of Q&A with our speaker.
This week’s lecturer: Dr. Victoria Meadows, UW Astrobiology Program Director Professor of Astronomy at the University of Washington
RSVPs are required for both in-person and Zoom attendance
Wednesday, April 2, 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm | 8th Annual Lee Scheingold Lecture in Poetry and Poetics (Department of English)
Pádraig Ó Tuama (photo credit: David Pugh)
Poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centers around themes of language, power, conflict, and religion. Working fluently on the page and in public, he is a compelling poet, skilled speaker, teacher, and group worker. He presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios. Following the lecture, there will be a book signing and reception.
Friday, April 4, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm | University of Washington International Security Colloquium (UWISC) (Department of Political Science)
Join the University of Washington Department of Political Science for a UWISC featuring Ian Callison and his lecture “The Blame Game: Militias, civilians, and the States’ accountability-effectiveness Trade-off.”
Friday, April 4, 7:30 pm | Guest Artist Concert: Bennardo Larson Duo (School of Music)
The Bennardo Larson Duo (Photo: Pat_Swoboda)
The violin and piano duo—Maya Bennardo (violin) and Karl Larson (piano)—perform works by recent Rome Prize winner (and School of Music alumnus) Anthony Vine and others.
The Bennardo-Larson Duo is an NYC/Stockholm-based contemporary classical duo committed to the performance and promotion of forward-thinking works for violin and piano. Their programming features the complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano by Charles Ives, Morton Feldman’s monumental ‘For John Cage,’ and ‘a Wind’s Whisper,’ a program featuring works by John Cage, Michael Pisaro, Eva Maria Houben, and two commissions by Adrian Knight and Kristofer Svensson. In April of 2024, the duo will present the world premiere of two substantial new commissions by Anthony Vine and Maya Bennardo on the Bowerbird Series in Philadelphia, PA.
Beyond the concert stage, Bennardo and Larson are passionate educators, offering workshops in contemporary string and piano techniques for performers and composers.
Friday, April 4, 12 pm – 1:30 pm | Political Economy Forum presents Brian Leung (Department of Political Science)
Brian Leung
Brian Leung: Firm Lobbying and the Political Economy of US-China Trade
Additional Events
April 1 | Guest Pianist Lecture Recital: Catherine Kautsky (Music)
April 2 | First Wednesday Concert Series (Music)
April 3 – 5 | Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Deep River (Meany Center)
April 4 | John B. and Mary K. McDiarmid Lecture: Jennifer Ingleheart (Classics)
Week of April 7
Monday, April 7, 5 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: The Indo-Pacific (Jackson School)
Prof. David Bachman
Trump in the World 2.0, is a series of talks and discussions from March 31 to June 2 on the international impact of the second Trump presidency. Faculty and guest speaker presentations will explore how different regions and global issues are affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
This week’s speakers: David Bachman, Radhika Govindrajan, and James Lin.
Livestream only for the public. In-person for students only.
Tuesday, April 8, 5:30 pm – 8 pm | 2025 Washin Kai Lecture: Ryukyuan Landscapes and Identity in the Omoro Sōshi (1531-1623) (Asian Languages & Literature)
Prof. Davinder Bhowmik
The Omoro Sōshi is an indigenous compilation of 1500 songs, poems, and prayers that extoll the golden age of the Ryukyu Islands. It offers insights absent from official histories that focus on great heroes. The collection sheds light on the Ryukyu’s semitropical flora and fauna, and by extension, the everyday life of the common people.
This presentation will be held by Professor Davinder Bhowmik and will introduce the main features of the Omoro Sōshi and pay particular attention to key aspects of the landscape that shaped traditional communal formations. It aims to consider whether the compilation reflects a history of the region as top-down (Yamato) or bottom-up (Ryukyu).
Wednesday, April 9, 11:30 am – 12 pm | Midday Mindfulness (Henry Art Gallery)
James Turrell Skyspace (photo credit: Lara Swimmer)
Join Ashwini Sadekar, founder of the Conscious Creative Circle, in the James Turrell Skyspace for a guided meditation to cultivate calm and presence through mind-body-breath connection. Immersed within the awe-inspiring interior of Turrell’s artwork, participants will enjoy a 20-minute guided meditation followed by a 10-minute small group reflection. All are welcome, no previous experience is required. Registration is encouraged.
Wednesday, April 9, 7 pm – 8 pm | UW Astrobiology Program’s 25th Anniversary Lecture Series: From the Deep Ocean to Deep Space (Department of Astronomy)
Dr. Giada Arney
UWAB is excited to announce that we are hosting a public lecture series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program in April 2025! ll talks will take place in Kane Hall (Room 120) with doors open at 6:30 pm, and lectures beginning at 7 pm. Each event will feature an hour-long lecture followed by up to 45 min of Q&A with our speaker.
This week’s lecturers: Dr. Giada Arney, UW Astrobiology Program Graduate 2016, NASA Research Scientist & Interim Project Scientist for Habitable Worlds Observatory, and Dr. Rika Anderson, UWAB Graduate 2013, Associate Professor of Biology at Carleton College
RSVPs are required for both in-person and Zoom attendance
Thursday, April 10 – Saturday, April 12 | 31st Annual REECAS Northwest Conference (Jackson School)
2022 Ellison Center Director Scott Radnitz speaking at the REECAS Northwest Conference
REECAS Northwest welcomes students, faculty, independent scholars, and language educators from the United States and abroad. Established in 1994, REECAS Northwest is an annual event for scholars and students in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The interdisciplinary conference is organized by the University of Washington’s Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies.
The conference hosts many panels on a variety of topics from a wide diversity of disciplines including political science, history, literature, linguistics, anthropology, culture, migration studies, gender studies, LGBTQ studies, film studies, and more.
Additional Events
April 8 | Lara Downes – This Land (Meany Center)
April 9 | Finnish/Nordic Perspectives on the War in Ukraine by Ilmari Käihkö, University of Helsinki (Political Science)
April 10 | Faculty Recital: Tekla Cunningham, violin (Music)
April 10 | UW Colloquium in Political Theory: Anna Nguyen UW, Ph.D. Student in Political Science (Political Science)
April 10 | The Love Jones Cohort: Examining the Lifestyle of Those Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class (Sociology)
April 10 – April 11 | Symposium: “Gender, Translation, and the Short Form in the Eurasian Periodical” (Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures) – ONLINE
April 11 | When is an Italian a Roman? (Classics)
April 11 | Roberta Hawkins “Higher Expectations: Practical Actions for a Better Academia” (Geography)
April 11 | THEME Lecture Series: James O. Young (University of Victoria) (Music)
April 12 | Taj Mahal and Leyla McCalla: Black Banjo (Meany Center)
Week of April 14
Prof. Sabine Lang
Monday, April 14, 5 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: Europe (Jackson School)
Trump in the World 2.0, is a series of talks and discussions from March 31 to June 2 on the international impact of the second Trump presidency. Faculty and guest speaker presentations will explore how different regions and global issues are affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
This week’s speakers: Sabine Lang in conversation with U.S. Ambassadors (ret.) Jeff Hovenier and John Koenig
Livestream only for the public. In-person for students only.
Wednesday, April 16 | The Farhat J. Ziadeh Distinguished Lecture in Arab and Islamic Studies (Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures)
Farhat J. Ziadeh
This annual lectureship was established in honor of Farhat J. Ziadeh, whose contributions to the fields of Islamic law, Arabic language, and Islamic Studies are truly unparalleled.
The Ziadeh fund was formally endowed in 2001 and since that time, it has allowed MELC to strengthen its educational reach and showcase the most outstanding scholarship in Arab and Islamic Studies.
Wednesday, April 16, 7 pm – 8 pm | UW Astrobiology Program’s 25th Anniversary Lecture Series: Exploring Mars with the Perseverance Rover (Department of Astronomy)
Dr. Ken Williford
UWAB is excited to announce that we are hosting a public lecture series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program in April 2025! ll talks will take place in Kane Hall (Room 120) with doors open at 6:30 pm, and lectures beginning at 7 pm. Each event will feature an hour-long lecture followed by up to 45 min of Q&A with our speaker.
This week’s lecturer: Dr. Ken Williford, UW Astrobiology Program Graduate 2007, Deputy Project Scientist for the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover
RSVPs are required for both in-person and Zoom attendance
Friday, April 18, 12 pm – 1:30 pm | Center for Environmental Politics: Emily M. Broad Leib, Harvard Law School, “Harnessing Law and Policy to Reduce Food Waste” (Department of Political Science)
Emily Broad Leib
Emily Broad Leib is a Clinical Professor of Law, Director of the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation, and Founding Director of the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, the nation’s first law school clinic devoted to providing legal and policy solutions to the health, economic, and environmental challenges facing our food system. Working directly with clients and communities, Broad Leib champions community-led food system change, reduction in food waste, food access, food is medicine interventions and equity and sustainability in food production.
Saturday, April 19 | CLOSING EXHIBIT: artists & poets (School of Art + Art History + Design)
Don’t miss your last chance to experience artists & poets at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery!
Working to emulate the interdisciplinary artistic environment Jacob Lawrence experienced in his formative years, this exhibition explores a legacy of collaboration between artists and poets. artists & poets is a part of the re-grounding of the Jacob Lawrence Gallery in its mission of education, experimentation, and social justice.
Additional Events
April 15 | WISIR Speaker Series presents Emily Zackin, Johns Hopkins University (Political Science)
April 15 | Prof. David Schlosberg Environmental Justice Talk (Philosophy)
April 15 | Translation Beyond English: Forugh Farrokhzad Between Persian and Italian (French & Italian)
April 16 | Guest Artist Concert: Eroica Trio (Music)
April 17 | Letterpress Poetry Workshop (Art + Art History + Design)
April 18 | Severyns Ravenholt Seminar in Comparative Politics: Iza Ding, Northwestern University (Political Science)
April 18 | Faculty Concert: John-Carlos Perea, “Improvising Home” (Music)
April 18 | Translation Studies Hub Colloquium (Simpson Center)
April 18 | Linguistics Colloquium Series (Linguistics)
Week of April 21
Monday, April 21, 5 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: The Middle East (Jackson School)
Prof. Liora R. Halperin and Prof. Reşat Kasaba
Trump in the World 2.0, is a series of talks and discussions from March 31 to June 2 on the international impact of the second Trump presidency. Faculty and guest speaker presentations will explore how different regions and global issues are affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
This week’s speakers: Liora R. Halperin and Reşat Kasaba
Livestream only for the public. In-person for students only.
Wednesday, April 23, 7 pm – 8 pm | UW Astrobiology Program’s 25th Anniversary Lecture Series: The Climatic Effects of the UWAB Program on the Habitability of My Environment (Department of Astronomy)
Dr. Aomawa Shields
UWAB is excited to announce that we are hosting a public lecture series to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the program in April 2025! ll talks will take place in Kane Hall (Room 120) with doors open at 6:30 pm, and lectures beginning at 7 pm. Each event will feature an hour-long lecture followed by up to 45 min of Q&A with our speaker.
This week’s lecturer: Dr. Aomawa Shields, UW Astrobiology Program Graduate 2014, Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California Irvine
RSVPs are required for both in-person and Zoom attendance
Wednesday, April 23, 7 pm – 9 pm | 17th Annual Allen L. Edwards Psychology Lecture: The Science of Altruism (Department of Psychology)
Allen L. Edwards
The 17th Annual Allen L. Edwards Psychology Lectures presents The Science of Altruism. This interdisciplinary panel brings together leading experts from psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, and animal behavior to explore the biological, cognitive, and social foundations of altruistic behaviors.
Moderated by KUOW Host Bill Radke, the event features the following panelists:
- Abigail Marsh, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychology & Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University
- Kristen Hawkes, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in Anthropology, University of Utah
- John M. Marzluff, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Science, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington
- Andrew Meltzoff, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington.
Thursday, April 24, 6 pm – 7:30 pm | Webinar: Parents and Teens on Screens (Center for Child & Family Well-Being)
Lucía Magis-Weinberg, M.D., Ph.D.
This webinar will include a panel of experts discussing parents’, teens’, and preteens’ digital technology and social media use and its relation to mental health. Panel members will be asked to discuss current patterns of social media use by parents and youth, and share about the potential for both positive and detrimental effects of social media, including the role of technology and social media in supporting social connectedness and awareness, while also contributing to mental health challenges. Panelists will suggest approaches to social media use that incorporate mindfulness and support well-being.
Thursday, April 24, 7 pm – 8:30 pm | Walter G. Andrews Memorial Lecture | Occasions for Poetry: Politics, Literature, and Imagination Among the Early Modern Ottomans (Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures)
After the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Ottoman elites at the imperial court turned to poetry to craft distinctive modes of expression to articulate their place within the Ottoman sultanate.
In this talk, Oscar Aguirre-Mandujano will discuss his new book, Occasions for Poetry: Politics, Literature, and Imagination Among the Early Modern Ottomans (Penn Press, 2025), where he explores how scholars and bureaucrats interacted with each other through poetic imagery, revealing how literary language affected bureaucratic practice.
Friday, April 25, 7:30 pm | Improvised Music Project Festival (IMPFEST) (School of Music)
Guitarist Bill Frisell (Photo: Monica Jane Frisell).
The School of Music and the student-run Improvised Music Project present IMPFest, featuring UW Jazz Studies students and faculty performing with special guests: renowned guitarist Bill Frisell; saxophonist Josh Johnson; and bassist (and School of Music alumnus) Luke Bergman.
Seating is limited; please order tickets in advance.
Additional Events
April 21 | UW Colloquium in Political Theory: Dr. George Shulman, NYU Gallatin School of Individual Study, “Creative Paranoia & Radical Democracy: The Politics of SNNC and SDS” (Political Science)
April 22 | Faculty Recital: Stephanie Richards and Friends (Music)
April 22 | Griffith and Patricia Way Lecture with Professor Kenneth Mori McElwain, University of Tokyo (East Asia Center)
April 22 – April 26 | Producing Artist Laboratory (Drama)
April 24 | Faculty Recital: Robin McCabe, Around Robin (Music)
April 25 | Film Screening – Displacement and Resistance: The Story of Masafer Yatta (History)
Week of April 28
Monday, April 28, 5 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: Global Information (Jackson School)
Prof. Jessica L. Beyer and Prof. Scott Radnitz
Trump in the World 2.0, is a series of talks and discussions from March 31 to June 2 on the international impact of the second Trump presidency. Faculty and guest speaker presentations will explore how different regions and global issues are affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
This week’s speakers: Jessica L. Beyer and Scott Radnitz
Livestream only for the public. In-person for students only.
Tuesday, April 29 – Friday, May 9 | 2025 BA Exhibitions – Group 1 (School of Art + Art History + Design)
Join the School of Art + Art History + Design in celebrating the work of this year’s students. There will be four student exhibits throughout the spring quarter!
Wednesday, April 30, 4 pm – 5:30 pm | Letters from the Ancestors: Family History and our Capitalist Future – Nathan Connolly, Vanderbilt (Department of History)
Prof. Nathan Connolly
In “Letters from the Ancestors,” Prof. Connolly follows the experiences of four generations of his Caribbean family, offering an intimate view of the history of late capitalism in the Atlantic World. Under twentieth-century colonialism, he argues, working people developed uniquely gendered coping strategies for managing the precarities of racism and reputation. Even in post-colonial times, these strategies continue to govern how we relate to institutions, set our aspirations, and even narrate our own personal and political histories. More than just a tour through a single family’s experience, “Letter from the Ancestors” seeks to retain and advance our fluency in the history of colonized families. This history, Connolly suggests, seems all the more relevant today, in a nation and world of dwindling government protections for women and people of color.
Additional Events
April 30 | Closing Exhibit: Love, Taipei: Pop-up Exhibit @ TEAL & Online Film Festival @ TaiwanPlus (China Studies Program)
Have an event that you would like to see featured in the ArtSci Roundup? Connect with Kathrine Braseth (kbraseth@uw.edu).
