Social science
June 27, 2019
LGBTQ Asian Americans seen as more ‘American’
For Asian Americans who are gay or lesbian, their sexual orientation may make them seem more “American” than those who are presumed straight. A new University of Washington study, the latest in research to examine stereotypes, identity and ideas about who is “American,” focuses on how sexual orientation and race come together to influence others’ perceptions.
June 24, 2019
Creating community, battling loneliness among LGBTQ seniors
Research shows that LGBTQ older adults are at higher risk for social isolation. To that end, UW social work professor Karen Fredriksen Goldsen helped establish an LGBTQ senior center in Seattle.
June 19, 2019
Partnerships for Impact: NSF Awards an additional $4M to the West Big Data Innovation Hub co-led by the UW eScience Institute
The National Science Foundation is awarding a second round of funding for the Regional Big Data Innovation Hubs — organizations launched in 2015 to build and strengthen data science partnerships across industry, academia, nonprofits and government to address scientific and societal challenges. The University of Washington, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Diego, will continue to coordinate the West Big Data Innovation Hub.
June 10, 2019
UW’s Pacific Northwest English Study seeking new group of research participants for summer 2019
The Pacific Northwest English Study, headed by UW linguist Alicia Beckford Wassink, is about to begin a new, three-year research project listening to voices from throughout the region and is looking for participants.
June 4, 2019
How early-life challenges affect how children focus, face the day
Experiences such as poverty, residential instability, or parental divorce or substance abuse, can affect executive function and lead to changes in a child’s brain chemistry, muting the effects of stress hormones, according to a new University of Washington study.
June 3, 2019
Documentary films by UW faculty members Jeff Shulman, David Shields to screen
Two films by UW faculty members — business professor Jeff Shulman and English professor David Shields — will have screenings in Seattle in coming days — both with strong connections to the city.
May 31, 2019
Seattle’s forgotten street community: UW anthropologist talks about the unique circumstances of vehicle residency
Vehicle residents are a significant proportion of Seattle’s unsheltered population. The University of Washington’s Graham Pruss, a doctoral candidate in anthropology, has studied vehicle residency for a decade and speaks about the challenges and solutions facing this community.
May 30, 2019
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things among topics at May 31 xTech + Impact Summit
Academics will gather May 31 at the UW with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and representatives of corporations, foundations and nonprofits for The xTech + Impact 2019 Summit, a daylong seminar exploring the role of exponential technology and its impact on society.
May 29, 2019
Young herring ‘go with the older fish’ a key finding in Ocean Modeling Forum’s efforts
A collaborative group led by the University of Washington has released a set of research papers, fact sheets and modeling tools to help agencies incorporate traditional knowledge and human dimensions into Pacific herring management.
UW, collaborating institutions awarded $9.5 million for detecting autism earlier in childhood
A multicenter research team that includes the University of Washington Autism Center has received a five-year, $9.5 million grant to further evaluate whether brain imaging can help detect very high risk of autism spectrum disorder in early infancy.
May 24, 2019
UW books in brief: Mindful travel in an unequal world, day laborers in Brooklyn, activist educators
Recent notable books by University of Washington faculty explore mindful international travel, men seeking work as day laborers, and activist teachers.
May 23, 2019
Tiny fishes fuel life on coral reefs
In a paper published May 23 in Science, a team of international researchers from Simon Fraser University, University of Washington and other institutions reveals that the iconic abundance of fishes on reefs is fueled by an unlikely source: tiny, bottom-dwelling reef fishes.
May 13, 2019
UW Information School’s Hala Annabi creates new ‘Autism @ Work Playbook’
Hala Annabi, associate professor in the UW Information School, is creator of the new “Autism @ Work Playbook,” a resource to guide organizations toward creating well-supported employment opportunities for individuals on the autism spectrum.
May 10, 2019
UW students face food, housing insecurity, survey shows
Early results from a faculty-led survey on the University of Washington’s three campus estimate the extent of food and housing insecurity among students.
May 6, 2019
Security cameras in nursing homes aim to protect the vulnerable but present ethical dilemmas
With reports of crimes against nursing home residents gaining media attention around the country, seven states have passed laws regulating the use of cameras in care facilities. An assistant professor in the University of Washington School of Social Work outlines the list of legal and moral issues that surveillance raises.
May 1, 2019
US public support for undocumented immigrants seeking citizenship stronger if pathway includes military service, UW research shows
Americans appear more willing to support a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants if that path includes serving in the United States military, according to new research from UW political scientists Sophia Jordán Wallace and Geoffrey Wallace.
April 22, 2019
Brains of blind people adapt to sharpen sense of hearing, study shows
Research from the University of Washington uses functional MRI to identify two differences in the brains of blind individuals — differences that might be responsible for their abilities to make better use of auditory information.
April 8, 2019
How societal attitudes, political rhetoric affect immigrants’ health
For immigrants to the United States, the current political climate, and debates over issues such as a border wall, become part of the environment that influences their health, according to a new University of Washington study.
March 21, 2019
How discrimination, PTSD may lead to high rates of preterm birth among African-American women
African-American women are nearly twice as likely to give birth prematurely as white women. Amelia Gavin, an associate professor in the University of Washington School of Social Work, connects preterm birth to racial discrimination via PTSD.
March 18, 2019
Information School to welcome high school students March 19 for ‘MisInfo Day’ – from ‘Calling BS’ faculty duo
The UW Information School is taking a leading role in helping people better navigate this era of increasing online fakery and falsehood. On March 19, the school will welcome 200-some Seattle-area high school students for “MisInfo Day,” a daylong workshop on how to navigate the misinformation landscape, from Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom, the faculty duo behind “Calling BS in the Age of Big Data.”
March 14, 2019
Jackson School’s Devin Naar featured in documentary premiering March 24 at Seattle’s Jewish Film Festival
Devin Naar, UW professor of international studies and history, is featured in “Children of the Inquisition,” a new documentary film about descendants of the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions discovering their Sephardic Jewish heritage. The film will premiere March 24 as part of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.
March 12, 2019
A school that values diversity could have health benefits for students of color
Students of color who attend schools with a culture and mission statements that emphasize the value of diversity show better cardiovascular health than peers whose schools do not express such values, according to a new study.
March 7, 2019
UW anthropologist connects communities to archive of Khmer Rouge-era Cambodia
A new project by Jenna Grant, UW assistant professor of anthropology, uses an archive of photos and documents from the Khmer Rouge era — the donation of a journalist and UW alum — to help facilitate storytelling among Cambodians and Cambodian-Americans.
March 5, 2019
Reading summer camp? Study to examine how soon-to-be kindergartners are wired for literacy
The University of Washington is launching a reading instruction study this summer, a two-week “camp” targeting children entering kindergarten in the fall that aims to teach early literacy skills and measure brain activity before and after instruction.
March 4, 2019
Fake faces: UWs ‘Calling BS’ duo opens new website asking ‘Which face is real?’
A new website from the UW’s Jevin West and Carl Bergstrom, the duo behind the popular “Calling BS” class, asks viewers to choose which of two realistic face photos is real and which is a complete fake.
February 20, 2019
Playground study shows how recess can include all children
Recess, for most children, is synonymous with freedom. A break from class that has nothing to do with learning and everything to do with play. For children with autism, the playground can be an isolating experience. The spontaneous soccer games, roving packs of friends and virtual buffet of activities can be chaotic, frustrating and confusing….
February 6, 2019
Parenting in the age of legal pot: Household rules, conversations help guide teen use
The legalization of marijuana in Washington state in 2012 gave parents the opportunity for a new teachable moment. Many say that as society has become more permissive, they want information and advice.
January 30, 2019
Building equity: A talk with Renée Cheng, new dean of the UW College of Built Environments
UW News talks with Renée Cheng, new dean of the UW College of Built Environments, about her background and plans for the college. Cheng joined the UW on Jan. 1.
January 28, 2019
Even a one-hour ‘planting party’ can lift spirits, build skills among women in prison, study shows
Exposure to nature, even through a brief gardening activity, can improve well-being among women in prison, a UW Tacoma-led study finds.
January 15, 2019
Researchers can predict childhood social transitions
A new University of Washington study suggests that the children most apt to socially transition to the gender “opposite” their sex at birth are those who already demonstrate the strongest “cross-gender” identities, and that the transitions don’t appear to alter a child’s gender identity or preferences.
December 24, 2018
New global migration estimates show rates proportionally steady since 1990, high rate of return migration
Two University of Washington scientists have unveiled a new statistical method for estimating migration flows between countries. They show that rates of migration are higher than previously thought, but also relatively stable, fluctuating between 1.1 and 1.3 percent of global population from 1990 to 2015. In addition, since 1990 approximately 45 percent of migrants have returned to their home countries, a much higher estimate than other methods.
December 17, 2018
How a workshop about getting along became a story stoking division
A small study about a workshop to bring together students of different political persuasions found that workshop participants were able to better understand their fellow students as individuals, but their attitudes about opposing beliefs, in general, did not change.
December 13, 2018
Hark! UW talents — on page and disc — for the good Dawgs on your holiday shopping list
As the year comes to a close and festivities abound, some UW faculty creations can make great gifts for the thinking Dawg on your giving list.
December 12, 2018
Attention, please! Anticipation of touch takes focus, executive skills
A study by the University of Washington and Temple University examines what happens in children’s brains when they anticipate a touch to the hand, and relates this brain activity to the executive functions the child demonstrates on other mental tasks.
December 11, 2018
What social stress in monkeys can tell us about human health
A new University of Washington-led study examines one key stress-inducing circumstance — the effects of social hierarchy — and how cells respond to the hormones that are released in response to that stress.
November 29, 2018
Why culture is key to improving the ‘interpretive power’ of psychology
Three researchers from the University of Washington Department of Psychology say existing practices overlook the importance of culture, and suggest how individuals and institutions can be more inclusive.
November 28, 2018
UW-led philosophy team receives $1.5M grant to study the ethics of neurotechnology research
University of Washington researchers in the Center for Neurotechnology are studying how brain-computer interfaces affect whether patients feel they are in charge of their own actions.
November 26, 2018
Papyrus scrolls to Kindle and beyond: UW professor pens meditation on ‘the book’
What is a “book” in the digital age — and what will it become? Amaranth Borsuk, assistant professor in the UW Bothell School of Interdisciplinary Studies, discusses the idea of “the book,” from clay tablets and papyrus scrolls to the hyperlinked, multimedia format of the digital age. She has her own new book out on the topic, titled “The Book.”
Parents learn, babies talk: How coaching moms and dads leads to better language skills among infants
A new study from the University of Washington’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) shows that parents who learn how and why to speak “parentese” can have a direct impact on their children’s vocabulary.
November 19, 2018
UW political scientist Mark Smith asks: How do we know what’s true?
A timely new University of Washington political science class asks: How do we separate fact from fiction these days? How do we know what is true?
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