UW News

UW News blog


May 26, 2023

What’s in a name? Sometimes, the climate

By analyzing records from the U.S. Social Security Administration, two scientists at the University of Washington and Ohio University have discovered that the popularity of certain month and season names for girls varies by geographic region in the continental United States. The name April dominates monthly names in southern states where spring arrives early in the year. June is more popular in northern states where spring blooms later. Autumn is also more prevalent in the northern U.S., a region known for its brilliant fall foliage.


May 23, 2023

UW a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers; Forbes names UW a ‘Best Employer for New Graduates’

block W

The Peace Corps announced that the University of Washington is No. 3 on a list of top-volunteer producing institutions for the past two decades.


Q&A: Have a favorite food memory? How technology can help take you back

A hand holding a spring roll open in the palm. Inside the spring roll are noodles and finely chopped vegetables. Behind the hand is a plate containing more vegetables.

Danli Luo, a UW doctoral student of human centered design and engineering, developed a toolkit of sensors and controllers that helped her re-create three dishes from growing up in China: rice wine, tofu and spring roll wrappers.


May 16, 2023

School of Dentistry researchers to expand upon study into how and why our gums swell

Researchers collect a sample of oral bacteria from a study subject. Photo credit: Dr. Shatha Bamashmous.

Gingivitis research could also deepen our understanding of inflammation in the rest of the body, which can be difficult to study in real time.  


May 11, 2023

UW, partners celebrate the groundbreaking of new U District Station Building

Artist rendering of the new U District Station Building.

The University of Washington joined Lincoln Property Company, Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation and Sound Transit on May 10 to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new University District Station Building, along with local officials, community leaders and neighbors. The 266,000-square-foot office building resting above the University District light rail station will feature ground-floor retail and amenities, office space and a rooftop terrace.


Parenting tips can reduce substance use in first-year college students

laptop, notebook and backpack on a desk

A handbook for parents of incoming college students, developed by researchers at Washington State University and the University of Washington, finds that use of the book helped improve family connections and moderate substance use.


April 24, 2023

Awakening the canoe: UW Canoe Family prepares for this summer’s Tribal Canoe Journey

The wide end of a wooden paddle is being held by a gloved hand in an indoor workshop setting.

Member of the University of Washington Canoe Family have spent months carving traditional paddles using only hand tools, all in preparation for this summer’s Tribal Canoe Journey.


April 19, 2023

Q&A: Two ways UW researchers are studying marine microplastics

microplastics seen in a water tank

Two University of Washington researchers are using very different methods to investigate the issue of marine microplastics. For Earth Day, UW News asked them to discuss their research.


April 18, 2023

Q&A: County-scale climate mapping tool helps Washington agencies prepare for the future

map of Washington colored red on right portion and around Puget Sound

The UW Climate Impacts Group created an interactive tool that lets state agencies and local governments see what climate scientists project for their county and what they might want to consider when developing their districts’ comprehensive plans through 2100.


April 10, 2023

Beyond Trump — UW political scientists on the legacy of the indictment on the U.S. presidency

The indictment of former President Trump isn’t just about an individual but about the office of the presidency, and what the country is willing to accept from its leaders, say University of Washington political scientists James Long and Victor Menaldo,


April 6, 2023

National and local leaders convene at UW for discussion of CHIPS and Science Act, investing in scientific discovery

We see the back of the director of the National Science Foundation as he shakes hand with one student in a group of students in a lab.

Leaders from Washington higher education institutions met with national policymakers April 4 to discuss opportunities provided by the CHIPS and Science Act. U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene and National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan visited the University of Washington campus to talk about the legislation, which provides more than $100 billion to fund scientific research and…


April 5, 2023

UW’s Phil Levin to direct first-ever US National Nature Assessment

headshot wearing blue checked shirt and glasses

Phil Levin, professor of practice in environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington and lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy in Washington, has been appointed to direct the first-ever U.S. National Nature Assessment. The 3-year assessment will take an interdisciplinary approach to better understand the role of nature in the lives of people across the country, and how those benefits might be altered under climate change.


March 17, 2023

UW study investigates how ‘vaccine shopping’ impacts rollout during pandemic

Syringes on a table next to vaccine bottles.

New research from Leela Nageswaran, assistant professor of operations management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, considers whether individuals should be able to select their vaccine type.


March 16, 2023

Rosling Center is LEED Platinum, the highest standard in sustainable building practices

building exterior

The Hans Rosling Center for Population Health at the University of Washington has achieved LEED Platinum Certification, the highest possible rating, reflecting the university’s commitment to sustainable building practices.


March 6, 2023

UW joins White House to host forum on climate change solutions on campuses and in surrounding communities

Maya Tolstoy

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the University of Washington are bringing together climate, sustainability and resilience leaders, and educators representing a cross section of colleges and universities from around the country, with federal agency leaders for a virtual forum on climate change.


February 13, 2023

Fulbright ‘Top Producer’ lists name UW and UW Bothell

campus shot of block W

The University of Washington is proud to be included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2022-2023 Fulbright U.S. students and scholars. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar programs.


February 9, 2023

UW experts discuss the earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Three University of Washington experts have provided quotes in response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday morning.


February 8, 2023

Prosocial CEOs increase company value, stakeholder satisfaction

Empty black chairs around a table that has an open laptop on it.

New research from Weili Ge, professor of accounting at the University of Washington Foster School of Business, found that CEOs who engage in prosocial behavior — activities that primarily help others — are more likely to make decisions that benefit people and increase company value.


Q&A: UW researcher discusses future of quantum research

Kai-Mei Fu headshot

Scientists at the University of Washington are pursuing multiple quantum research projects spanning from creating materials with never-before-seen physical properties to studying the “quantum bits” — or qubits (pronounced “kyu-bits”) — that make quantum computing possible. UW News sat down with Professor Kai-Mei Fu, one of the leaders in quantum research on campus, to talk about the potential of quantum R&D, and why it’s so important.


February 6, 2023

UW project has uncovered thousands of racially discriminatory housing covenants in Washington state – and it’s not done yet

Artwork featuring newspaper articles about racial covenants in the background and a white family in the foreground. Family is walking by a sign that reads "Welcome: A restricted residential community."

More than 40,000 property deeds containing racially discriminatory language have been uncovered in Western Washington by the Racial Restrictive Covenants Project. Director James Gregory, professor of history at the University of Washington, and his team aren’t finished yet.


February 3, 2023

Q&A: The benefits and hazards of social media for teens

cell phone screen showing social media icons like Twitter and Facebook

Lucía Magis-Weinberg, a University of Washington assistant professor of psychology, explains how social media use can affect youth mental health.


Ice cores show even dormant volcanoes leak abundant sulfur into the atmosphere

barren landscape with patches of snow and white smoky plumes

Non-erupting volcanoes leak a surprisingly high amount of sulfur-containing gases. A Greenland ice core shows that volcanoes quietly release at least three times as much sulfur into the Arctic atmosphere than estimated by current climate models. Aerosols are the most uncertain aspect of current climate models, so better estimates could improve the accuracy of long-term projections.


January 18, 2023

The importance of the atmosphere and ocean in determining the fate of Antarctica

map of Antarctica with highlighted sections

New research finds that ice-sheet-wide collapse in West Antarctica isn’t necessarily inevitable. The pace of ice loss varies according to regional differences in atmosphere and ocean circulation.


January 10, 2023

Plastic pollution in the oceans is an equity issue, says UW-led report

illustration of water with plastic bits

A recent report and upcoming virtual event looks at the unequal effect of marine plastics on different communities. The international report led by UW’s Yoshitaka Ota covers topics ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on plastic pollution to a critique of Coca-Cola’s waste initiative.


December 15, 2022

UW welcomes Tent City 3 for winter quarter

Man hammers nail into plywood platform

The University of Washington will welcome back Tent City 3 — an organized tent-city community — to its Seattle campus for 90 days during winter quarter 2023. Move-in is scheduled to begin December 17, 2022.


December 14, 2022

Video highlights: UW News in 2022

Couple taking selfie in front of cherry trees

The year 2022 saw the UW community coming together again with in-person classes, events and fascinating research that make videographers excited to hit “record” and share these scenes with you.


December 12, 2022

Signals from the ionosphere could improve tsunami forecasts

black and white GIF of exploding cloud

An underwater volcanic eruption in January 2022 created ripple effects throughout the world’s atmosphere and oceans. University of Washington scientists analyzed that event to show how GPS signals could help monitor future volcanoes and tsunamis.


December 8, 2022

UW brings field geology to students with ‘Virtual Field Geology’

cartoon island, trees, and geology field tools

UW’s Virtual Field Geology project has many goals: to make geology field experiences accessible to more people; to document geological field sites that may be at risk from erosion or development; to offer virtual “dry run” experiences; and to allow scientific collaborators to do virtual visits to a field site together. While the pandemic brought new urgency to the project, its developers believe it’s part of a “new normal” for geology research and education.


December 2, 2022

‘Good manners are good economics’: UW’s Anthony Gill on the value of giving

Holiday sweater with a cat's frowning face on it and the words Merry Whatever.

University of Washington political science professor Anthony Gill explains the social and economic value of gift-giving — and how even unwanted gifts help promote trust and build relationships.


November 28, 2022

‘Everything that you need is already in you’: Supporting young women of color through the Sisterhood Initiative

Faces of young brown skinned woman and a friend smiling with purple paw prints on their faces

The University of Washington’s new Sisterhood Initiative aims to support young women of color through a cohort-based program, building on the success of the UW’s Brotherhood Initiative, which focuses on young men of color.


November 21, 2022

Q&A: Managing Washington’s gray wolf population – through fear

gray wolf looking at the camera

Wolf management in Washington has been controversial. Rob Anderson, who obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Washington, explains the dynamic of managing a species through fear.


November 16, 2022

Q&A: How ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ impacts financial health

Two cartoon hands reaching out of separate laptop screens with one holding a credit card and the other holding a shopping bag

Ed deHaan, associate professor of accounting in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, studies the impact of Buy Now Pay Later on financial health. His research finds that BNPL users faced rapid increases in bank overdraft charges and credit card interests and fees.


UW a ‘Most Engaged’ campus for student voting and among top universities worldwide, ranked by reputation

campus shot

The University of Washington was No. 24 on the Times Higher Education annual reputation ranking, released Wednesday. The UW moved up from No. 28 on last year’s list and remains No. 4 among U.S. public institutions.


November 15, 2022

UW celebrates researchers on Highly Cited Researchers 2022 List

fountain

The University of Washington is proud to announce that more than 44 faculty and researchers who completed their work while at UW have been named on the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2022 list from Clarivate.


November 2, 2022

Infants less likely to contract COVID, develop severe symptoms than household caregivers

baby feet

In one of the first studies to explore how COVID-19 specifically affects older infants, researchers from the University of Washington and at institutions at four other locations in the Western and Southern U.S. found that the number of infected people in a household was the factor most closely linked with the infant’s likelihood of being infected.


October 26, 2022

New study shows how voting methods affect group decision-making

Cartoon hand placing voting ballot in ballot box

Michael Johnson, professor of management in the University of Washington Foster School of Business, found in a new study that groups that used “multivoting” in unofficial votes were 50% more likely to identify the correct option than those that used plurality or ranked-choice voting.


October 24, 2022

Sociology Professor Alexes Harris appointed UW’s first Faculty Regent

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Alexes Harris, professor of sociology, to the Board of Regents, effective Oct. 21, 2022. Harris becomes the first to hold the new Faculty Regent position on the Board.


October 19, 2022

These factors have the biggest impact on influencer marketing effectiveness

Phone screen with social media apps

New research from the University of Washington professor Robert Palmatier examines how factors related to social media influencers, their posts and their followers impact marketing success. The study concluded that reallocating spending based on the study’s insights could result in a 16.6% increase in engagement.


October 13, 2022

Video: Finding — and keeping — the perfect fit for a prosthetic leg

University of Washington Professor Joan Sanders and her team are creating a new type of prosthetic leg: one that automatically adjusts its fit throughout the day. Their latest prototype detects in real time how well the prosthesis socket and amputation site are fitting and responds by automatically changing the size of the socket, without the need for adjustments to padding or user action.


October 11, 2022

Ranking: UW among best universities in the world

block W

The University of Washington is among the best universities in the world, according to the  2023 World University Rankings published by Times Higher Education.



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