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UW News blog


June 23, 2016

UW is top producer of earth and environment research

image of a wooded path

The University of Washington published the most earth and environmental science research last year, outpacing all other universities worldwide, according to a new report from Nature Index.


June 22, 2016

Harry Bridges Labor Center report explores effects of job outsourcing at Portland International Airport

Portland International Airport in 2015. Recent research published by the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies comments on the economic effects of job outsourcing at the airport, called PDX for short.

The outsourcing of workers at Portland International Airport has increased in recent years while those workers serve ever-more passengers and their wages remain low, according to a recent report from the UW’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.


June 21, 2016

Q&A: Essayist Elissa Washuta on being the Fremont Bridge’s first writer-in-residence, another recent award and her upcoming book

Color photo of essayist and UW alumna Elissa Washuta

The year’s not quite yet half over, but it’s already been an auspicious one for Elissa Washuta. The University of Washington graduate and author of two books, “Starvation Mode” and “My Body is a Book of Rules,” is one of two recipients of the Artist Trust 2016 Arts Innovator Awards, which come with $25,000 in…


June 15, 2016

Adam Summers advises Pixar on fish movements in new ‘Finding Dory’ film

dory and hank image

University of Washington fish biomechanist Adam Summers advised Pixar on animal movement for the animation company’s second movie about life under the sea.


June 10, 2016

Jackson School Space Security Initiative capstone event gathers students, area stakeholders

Saadia Pekkanen, Job and Gertrud Tamaki Professor and associate director of the UW's Jackson School of International Studies, chairs a capstone meeting for junior fellows of the school's Space Security Initiative Wednesday, June 8, at the University of Washington Club. From left, others are: Kristian Ulrichsen, affiliate professor of international studies; Alan Boyle, journalist with GeekWire; and John Thornquist, director of the Office of Aerospace for the Washington State Department of Commerce.

What are the policies of global rising powers regarding the use of orbital and outer space, and what are the implications of those policies for international cooperation? A capstone event for junior fellows of the Jackson School’s Space Security Initiative explored such questions in a recently with space industry, media and government representatives also on hand.


June 8, 2016

Harry Partch instruments, now at UW, featured on new Paul Simon album

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon's latest album, released June 3, includes music performed on instruments created by composer/inventor Harry Partch. Those instruments are now in residence at the UW School of Music.

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon recorded with instruments created by composer and inventor for a song on his well-received album, “Stranger to Stranger.” The instruments are now in residence at the UW.


June 3, 2016

Q&A: Peter Kahn on nature interaction, wildness in cities

photo of peter kahn

University of Washington professor Peter Kahn recently co-authored an opinion piece in the journal Science about the importance of interacting with nature in urban areas. UW Today asked Kahn a few more questions about the broader implications of his work.


June 1, 2016

UW researchers attend sea ice conference — above the Arctic Circle

three people in blue coats

University of Washington polar scientists are on Alaska’s North Slope this week for the 2016 Barrow Sea Ice Camp. Supported by the National Science Foundation, the event brings together U.S.-based sea ice observers, satellite experts and modelers at various career stages to collect data and discuss issues related to measuring and modeling sea ice. The…


May 31, 2016

Q&A: CLPP’s Sam Méndez on Washington’s pot industry, why outdoor grows make sense and how marijuana is becoming like wine

The Cannabis Law and Policy Project, based in the University of Washington School of Law, was formed by professor Sean O’Connor in fall 2014 to be a center for researching regulatory issues around the state’s new legal cannabis industry. The group recently published its first report for the Washington state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB),…


May 26, 2016

‘In Utero’ documentary featuring UW maternal-health expert screens May 31

When Amelia Gavin got an email two years ago asking if she’d be willing to be interviewed for a new documentary, she was skeptical — but immediately recognized the name the producer mentioned. “It was Gyllenhaal. I thought, well, could it be?” recalled Gavin, a UW associate professor of social work. Indeed it was. “In…


Ray Hilborn receives international fisheries science prize

photo of ray hilborn

Ray Hilborn, a UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, this week will receive the 2016 International Fisheries Science Prize at the World Fisheries Congress in Busan, South Korea.


May 24, 2016

Chickens on campus and a mood shift at EPA: Relevant projects are nature of environmental studies capstone

moving a new chicken coop at uw farm.

A cohort of UW Environmental Studies majors will present projects and research findings at at symposium from 1:30-5:30 p.m. May 25 at Alder Hall and Wallace Hall.


May 19, 2016

Burke Museum breaks ground on new building for Washington state museum

The New Burke

More than 500 people gathered May 18 on the University of Washington campus to celebrate the start of construction on the New Burke Museum. The Burke is Washington’s oldest museum and since 1899 has been the State Museum of Natural History and Culture; soon it will be Washington’s newest museum. Opening in 2019, the New…


Historical role of translation studied in new book ‘Translation’s Forgotten History’

Book cover to "Translation's Forgotten History: Russian Literature, Japanese Mediation, and the Formation of Modern Korean Literature," by Heekyoung Cho, UW assistant professor of Asian languages and literature, published in March by Harvard University Press.

“Translation’s Forgotten History: Russian Literature, Japanese Mediation, and the Formation of Modern Korean Literature” by Heekyoung Cho, UW assistant professor of Asian languages and literature, explores the role of translation in the making of modern literature, and how its understanding changes when viewed through the lens of translation.


UW to host first of four White House public workshops on artificial intelligence

Self-driving Google car

From self-driving vehicles to social robots, artificial intelligence is evolving at a rapid pace, creating vast opportunities as well as complex challenges. Recognizing that, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is co-hosting four public workshops on artificial intelligence — the first of them May 24 at the University of Washington. Subsequent events…


Poet Alice Fulton to give 53rd annual Roethke Reading May 27

Poet Alice Fulton is shown -- she will give the University of Washington's 53rd Roethke Reading on May 27 in Room 130 of Kane Hall.

Poet and author Alice Fulton will give the 53rd annual Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading at 8 p.m. Friday, May 27, in Room 130 of Kane Hall, also known as the Roethke Auditorium. The event is free and the public is invited.


May 16, 2016

Aliens, architecture, Beatles and beyond: MFA Dance Concert 2016

The UW Dance Program's MFA Dance Concert 2016 will be performed May 18-22 in the Meany Studio Theatre.

Six new works of choreography by graduate students in the University of Washington Dance Program will comprise the MFA Dance Concert 2016. Performances will be May 18-22 in the Meany Studio Theatre.


US-India collaboration finds molecular signatures of severe malaria

Malaria parasites infecting a red blood cell.

The malaria parasite can cause unusually severe cases of the eponymous disease in patients, leading to higher mortality and poorer health outcomes among survivors. But scientists have long struggled to understand why some patients develop severe malaria. The University of Washington’s International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research in South Asia — along with partners…


May 12, 2016

Tour UW Libraries’ new Conservation Center May 25

Visitors learn about UW Libraries' new Conservation Center, in Suzzallo Library, during an April Friends of the Library tour.

UW Libraries invites the public to tour its new state-of-the-art Conservation Center on the fifth floor of Suzzallo Library, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 26.


May 11, 2016

New project to shine light on dark places around UW campus

Lighting along Rainier Vista on the UW campus.

An interdisciplinary team of students, faculty and staff together with lighting design experts is asking the UW community those questions as part of a new plan to improve the efficiency and sustainability of outdoor lighting around the Seattle campus.


UW researchers secure prestigious MURI grants for self-cooling lasers and fluid mechanics

University of Washington professors Peter Pauzauskie and Alberto Aliseda are part of two U.S. Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grants to develop innovative approaches to cutting-edge fields of engineering.


May 10, 2016

UW part of NOAA-led cruise to study West Coast ocean acidification

colored map shwoing the 16 stops

University of Washington students, faculty and staff are part of the fifth West Coast Ocean Acidification Cruise that will investigate changes to ocean chemistry from Baja to British Columbia. The ship left Thursday from San Diego to begin sampling on Mexico’s northern coast. It will stop May 21 at San Francisco’s Exploratorium Pier, then travel…


May 9, 2016

Vicente Rafael explores link between translation, historical imagination in book ‘Motherless Tongues’

"Motherless Tongues: The Insurgency of Language Amid Wars of Translation," by UW history professor Vicente Rafael, was published by Duke University Press.

UW history professor Vicente Rafael says his new book, “Motherless Tongues: The Insurgency of Language amid Wars of Translation,” asks longstanding questions about the relationship between history and language.


May 4, 2016

Urban planning symposium May 5 addresses ‘The Future City’

What possible future scenarios lie ahead for urban design, and how will big data and new technologies affect science and decision-making? The UW Graduate School’s Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Urban Design and Planning will tackle such questions in a daylong symposium May 5.


May 3, 2016

Dennis L. Hartmann elected to National Academy of Sciences

Dennis Hartmann, a UW professor of atmospheric sciences, was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.


May 2, 2016

UW-led team wins $10M EPA grant for air pollution research

To help address the nation’s pressing need for better air quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a research team co-led by a University of Washington civil engineer a $10 million Air, Climate and Energy (ACE) grant.


April 29, 2016

Architecture professor Jeffrey Ochsner featured in young filmmaker’s Gum Wall documentary screening May 1

A still from Celia Jensen's film "The Secret Life of a Gum Wall," in which Jeffrey Ochsner, UW professor of architecture, appears.

When 8-year-old filmmaker Celia Jensen and her dad decided to make a film about Seattle’s Gum Wall, Jeffrey Ochsner, professor of architecture and associate dean for academic affairs in the UW College of Built Environments, was happy to help.


April 28, 2016

Sir? Caballero? Anthony Geist awarded knighthood by Spain

Anthony Geist, professor of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, has been awarded one of Spain’s highest civil honors — a knighthood.


April 21, 2016

UW’s Jerry Franklin honored for lifetime of forest research, policy

Jerry Franklin displaying his Pinchot Medallion award.

Jerry Franklin, a professor of environmental and forest sciences, was honored by the Pinchot Institute for Conservation for his lifelong work in forest ecology, conservation and policy.


April 20, 2016

Cash in the trash: Interactive composting, recycling station shows savings in real time

A new installation at PACCAR Hall by design professors Karen Cheng and Kristine Matthews tells users how much money has been saved by correctly sorting items for composting, recycling or sending to the landfill.

An interactive recycling and composting station installed this spring at PACCAR Hall is showing the University of Washington community exactly how much money can be saved by composting and recycling correctly. And it seems to be doing its job well.


April 19, 2016

‘Shakespeare, Music, and Memory’ April 29 is colloquium, concert

Performers in UW Collegium Musicum rehearse for their concert April 29 concluding the colloquium "Shakespeare, Music, and Memory." From left are Linda Tsatsanis and Emerald Lessley, sopranos; John Lenti on baroque guitar and lute and Nathan Whittaker on baroque cello.

A daylong colloquium, “Shakespeare, Music and Memory” will bring scholars and musicians to the University of Washington campus April 29 for lectures ending with a concert of Shakespeare-themed songs by the School of Music’s Collegium Musicum ensemble. The free events were organized by JoAnn Taricani, associate professor and chair of the School of Music‘s Division…


April 14, 2016

Author, reporter Lynda V. Mapes discusses year with 100-year-old ‘Witness Tree’ in April 21 talk

Local author and Seattle Times reporter Lynda V. Mapes is the featured speaker in this year’s School of Environmental and Forest Sciences annual Sustaining Our World Lecture, 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 21.


April 12, 2016

UW undergrads to present at national science festivals in D.C.

people around silver tank

Two national celebrations of science are happening this week in D.C., and University of Washington undergraduates will be in the spotlight at both events. Clara Orndorff, a pre-engineering undergraduate in the UW Honors Program, will travel with two fellow underwater roboticists to compete in Wednesday’s White House Science Fair. She will be among more than 100…


UW undergraduate team wins $10,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for gloves that translate sign language

Two University of Washington undergraduates have won a $10,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for their “SignAloud” invention — gloves that can translate American Sign Language into text or speech.


April 8, 2016

UW law students lay groundwork for new state privacy office

University of Washington law students played a key role in a law passed last week that aims to better protect privacy and monitor data collection by agencies in the state. House Bill 2875, signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee April 1, establishes the state Office of Privacy and Data Protection. The office will examine…


UW-led research team wins $7.5M MURI grant to defend against advanced cyberattacks

photo of Radha Poovendran

A University of Washington-led research team has won a $7.5 million, five-year Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) grant from the Department of Defense to better model and mount defenses against stealthy, continuous computer hacking attacks known as “advanced persistent threats.”


April 6, 2016

UW-led field project watching clouds from a remote island off Antarctica

penguins in front of research station

From a tiny island halfway between New Zealand and Antarctica, scientists hope to learn more about the physics of clouds above the stormy, inhospitable Southern Ocean.


April 5, 2016

UW joins public-private partnership for flexible electronics

An example of flexible hybrid electronics.

The University of Washington has joined NextFlex, a consortium of 30 academic institutions and industrial partners to develop the next generation of flexible electronic devices. As a founding member of this alliance, the UW will seek local and regional partners in the electronics and manufacturing industries to develop and produce flexible electronics for applications from…


April 1, 2016

UW ranked among top 25 ‘Best Value Colleges’ by Forbes

The University of Washington is ranked No. 23 in the nation for best value by Forbes, according to a list released this week. The rankings are based on several factors including quality (based on the 2015 Forbes Top Colleges ranking), drop-out risk, average time to graduate, tuition and post-graduation salaries and skills. The magazine said the top colleges are “mostly…


Interdisciplinary conference April 8 to study sights, sounds of ‘difference’

What do scholars and academics mean when they talk about “difference”? The University of Washington Simpson Center for the Humanities and Center for Communication, Difference & Equity will hold an interdisciplinary daylong conference April 8 to study such questions, focusing in particular on how difference looks and sounds.



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