UW News blog
October 25, 2018
Creating curious robots: UW researchers get Honda grant to build a mathematical model of curiosity
The University of Washington will lead one of three teams that will partner with the Honda Research Institute to explore the mechanisms behind curiosity and seek advances in artificial cognition. The UW-led team will receive $2.7 million over the next three years to generate a mathematical model of curiosity.
October 24, 2018
UW physicist Jiun-Haw Chu named Packard Fellow for research on quantum materials
Jiun-Haw Chu, a University of Washington assistant professor of physics and faculty member at the UW’s Clean Energy Institute, has been named a 2018 fellow by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation for his research on quantum materials — substances that exhibit novel combinations of quantum-mechanical properties that could one day transform information technology.
A dose of nature: New UW initiative to spearhead research on health benefits of time outside
A new University of Washington initiative seeks to advance research on the health benefits of time spent in nature, connecting academic researchers with pediatricians, childcare providers, mental health practitioners and others who work with various populations on critical health issues.
October 17, 2018
UW atmospheric scientists to study most extreme storms on Earth, up close
UW atmospheric scientists leave next week for a six-week field campaign in South America to study the most intense storms on the planet.
October 12, 2018
New UW-authored children’s book offers a robot’s-eye view of the deep ocean
In a new UW-authored book, a cartoon robot takes young readers on a School of Oceanography voyage to explore the deep ocean.
UW ranked among top 5 most innovative universities in the world by Reuters
The University of Washington is listed at No. 5 on the Reuters Top 100: The World’s Most Innovative Universities, released Thursday. Now in its fourth year, the list ranks the educational institutions doing the most to advance science, invent new technologies and help drive the global economy.
Could parcel lockers in transit stations reduce traffic congestion in Seattle?
The University of Washington’s Urban Freight Lab at the Supply Chain Transportation and Logistics Center has been looking for solutions to Seattle’s traffic congestion: Parcel lockers that aren’t owned by a specific company could alleviate the strain. Now the researchers have identified five viable locker locations at three different Seattle Link light rail stations for a future pilot test.
October 11, 2018
UW professor of global health a lead author on new climate report
Kristie Ebi, a UW professor of global health, was a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s “Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 C” that compares the effects of 1.5 versus 2 degrees Celsius of global warming.
October 10, 2018
How a community reclaimed its Southeast Seattle high school
When Rainier Beach High School was proposed to close in 2008, community members rallied around a new vision for the school, which has since nearly doubled its enrollment and introduced a more rigorous curriculum.
October 8, 2018
Awards to UW affiliate professor recognize career of conservation and research on penguins
Pablo García Borboroglu, president of the Global Penguin Society and a UW affiliate associate professor of biology, has won the Whitley Gold Award and the National Geographic/Buffett Award for Leadership in Conservation, as well as accolades from the Argentine National Congress, for his research and advocacy for penguin conservation.
Race, empire, agency explored in UW history professor’s book ‘Risky Shores: Savagery and Colonialism in the Western Pacific’
A new book by University of Washington history professor George Behlmer seeks to improve understanding of the British colonial era by “reconsidering the conduct of islanders and the English-speaking strangers who encountered them.”
October 4, 2018
Q&A with Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network
Harold Tobin, who joins the UW this fall as a faculty member in Earth and space sciences and director of the regional seismic sensing network, discusses earthquake early warning, seismic risks and the Pacific Northwest’s “big one.”
October 1, 2018
Engineering lecture series focuses on engineering for social good
This fall, the University of Washington’s annual engineering lecture series will feature three College of Engineering faculty whose research is accelerating positive impact here and around the world.
September 27, 2018
Lunar library to include photos, books stored in DNA
People who have submitted photos to the #MemoriesInDNA project have selected images of family members, favorite places and tasty food that will be preserved for years in the form of synthetic DNA. Now this collection will be headed to the final frontier: space.
September 26, 2018
UW at No. 28 in the world, fourth among U.S. public institutions, on Times Higher Education ranking list
The University of Washington has been ranked No. 28 on the Times Higher Education world rankings for 2019, released Wednesday.
September 25, 2018
Practicing mindfulness benefits parents and children, UW study says
A UW study found that mindfulness lessons, offered to parents at two early childhood centers, helped adults learn how to manage their emotions and behaviors while supporting their child’s development.
September 24, 2018
David Shields deconstructs the mind of President Donald Trump in latest book
David Shields, UW professor of English, discusses his latest book, “Nobody Hates Trump More than Trump: An Intervention.”
September 20, 2018
UW Convocation welcomes largest-ever class of new students
The University of Washington in Seattle is welcoming its largest-ever incoming class — about 7,050 freshmen —in ceremonies this Sunday. The university’s 35th annual New Student Convocation, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, in the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
September 19, 2018
UW offers new concurrent graduate degree program for nurses with focus on population, global health
Nurses and nurse-scientists interested in advanced multi-disciplinary training for population and global health practice can now apply for a new University of Washington degree program.
September 18, 2018
UW historian Margaret O’Mara discusses famous 1968 computer mouse ‘demo’ — and the start of Silicon Valley — for new podcast by The Conversation
Margaret O’Mara, UW professor of history, explores the impact of a December 1968 computer presentation that came to be called “the mother of all demos” in an essay and podcast from the news website The Conversation.
September 15, 2018
Video: Dry and warm — summer 2018 conditions in Washington state
The assistant state climatologist, Karin Bumbaco, looks back on an unusually hot and dry summer — the third-hottest summer that Washington state has experienced since 1895.
September 12, 2018
Three UW teams receive TRIPODS+X grants for research in data science
The National Science Foundation announced on Sept. 11 that it is awarding grants totaling $8.5 million to 19 collaborative projects at 23 universities for the study of complex and entrenched problems in data science. Three of these projects will be based at the University of Washington and led by researchers in the College of Engineering and the College of Arts & Sciences.
September 10, 2018
Evans School professor Justin Marlowe appointed to Washington Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors
Justin Marlowe, a professor in the UW’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, has been named a member of Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Council of Economic Advisors. He will be among those advising the governor on local and state economic conditions and national developments that affect state policies.
September 6, 2018
WSJ: UW No. 3 in the country for best value
The University of Washington is among the top schools on The Wall Street Journal’s newest college ranking: value for the money. The UW was ranked third in the nation by the newspaper.
September 4, 2018
UW-based center updates name to highlight role of ‘neurotechnologies’ in healing the brain and spinal cord
The Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering is updating its name to the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) to highlight the key role that neurotechnologies play in its mission.
August 27, 2018
Rankings: UW is No. 14 in the world, third among U.S. public universities, plus on Money and Washington Monthly best-of lists
The University of Washington is ranked No. 14 in the world — No. 3 among public universities — on the 2018 Academic Ranking of World Universities, released this month.
August 21, 2018
Bus battle: Do private shuttles affect the reliability of public transit?
Last year, King County Metro and the Seattle Department of Transportation started a pilot program that allowed Microsoft’s and Seattle Children’s Hospital’s private shuttles to pick up employees at a few public bus stops throughout Seattle. Now a recent study from researchers at the University of Washington suggests that public buses are unaffected by private shuttles most of the time.
Do persistent babies make for successful adults?
University of Washington researchers argue that further study of why infants persist, and to what end, may shed new light on how they learn and what the future yields.
August 20, 2018
Student volunteers help expand UW’s outreach to homeless youth
The University of Washington’s Doorway Project has offered a cafe for homeless young adults each quarter, while students have helped add services, from preventive health care, to establishing a fundraising organization to designing a permanent café home. Its summer pop-up cafe event is Aug. 24.
August 15, 2018
Flying blind: How a drone can soar without using GPS
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a new method that gives aircraft a backup system in case GPS fails: An antenna on the ground that can tell a drone where it is. The team successfully tested their system in June.
August 13, 2018
Information School’s Hans Scholl on promises, cautions of ‘digital government’
Hans Scholl, professor in the UW Information School, discusses the challenges and opportunities of digital government. The website Apolitical has named him among the “Top 100 Most Influential People in digital government.”
August 10, 2018
Labor leader Frank Jenkins honored with UW fellowship
Now, a new $250,000 fellowship at the UW Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies has been established in his name. The Jenkins Fellowship in Labor Studies will honor and preserve Jenkins’ lifelong commitment to the causes of social and economic justice through financial support for students at the UW.
Rankings put UW at No. 4 among US universities
The University of Washington placed fourth among U.S. higher education institutions, according to the NTU Rankings released Thursday.
August 7, 2018
Evans School to study effects of Seattle’s sick leave ordinance
Hilary Wething, a doctoral student in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, has received a grant to study the effects of Seattle’s law requiring paid sick leave.
August 2, 2018
UW books in brief: Urban diaries, battling Jim Crow on campus and more
Recent notable books by University of Washington authors tell of the struggle to break free of racism in higher education, taking an “urban diary” approach to documenting city life and more.
July 31, 2018
Lou Cariello named vice president for UW Facilities
Lou Cariello has been named vice president of UW Facilities, University of Washington Executive Vice President Jeff Scott announced earlier this month. Cariello is scheduled to start in mid-August.
July 19, 2018
UW Nurse Camp provides high school students with exposure to the promise of a nursing degree
As a middle school student, Srinya Sukrachan spent a lot of time in hospitals. She had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and her father was battling colon cancer.
When she was 17, her personal health care experience led her to participate in the University of Washington School of Nursing’s first Nurse Camp. Now, a decade later, Sukrachan is one of the student leaders for the camp’s 10-year anniversary session and she’s become an advocate with a passion for teaching, equity and inclusion. The recent School of Nursing graduate already also has a job lined up at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
July 17, 2018
14 UW professors elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2018
Fourteen scientists, physicians and engineers from the University of Washington have been elected this year to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
July 16, 2018
Dr. Gary Chiodo named interim dean at UW School of Dentistry
Dr. Gary Chiodo of Oregon Health & Science University has been appointed interim dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry, effective Aug. 1, UW President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Mark Richards announced Monday.
July 13, 2018
Battling STEM stereotypes, UW’s Sapna Cheryan helps Barbie evolve
Sapna Cheryan, a University of Washington associate professor of psychology, has spent her career researching the stereotypes surrounding STEM. Now she’s serving on Mattel’s Barbie Global Advisory Council, lending her expertise as the company looks ahead to the toy’s future.
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