The UW will convene partners across Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon to develop a workplan to establish a future regional Center for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.
October 17, 2023
The latest news from the UW
October 13, 2023
Determination of non-significance: East Campus Dock lmprovements
Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-340 and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of: DETERMINATION OF NON-SIGNIFICANCE Project Name: East Campus Dock lmprovements Proponent/Lead Agency: University of Washington–Seattle Campus Comment Period Closes: October 27, 2023 Description of Proposal: The UW is proposing to repair, replace, and remove several docks located along the shoreline of Union Bay in Lake Washington. The dock improvements result in replacement of five, removal of four, and extension of one dock,…
October 12, 2023
Video: Highlights from UW President’s annual address
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce delivered her annual address to the community on Oct. 12. Highlights of the speech are reflected in this video. The audience was invited to attend the event remotely via livestream.
ArtSci Roundup: Frontiers of Physics Lecture, a conversation with Bridgerton author, Archaeology Day at the Burke, and more
This week, attend the Frontiers of Physics Lecture, listen to a conversation with Julia Quinn the author of the Bridgerton series, head to the Burke Museum to celebrate International Archaeology Day, and more. October 17, 7:30pm | Frontiers of Physics Lecture | More perfect than we imagined: A physicist’s view of life, Kane Hall Among the most striking everyday phenomena is the emergence of life from inanimate matter. William Bialek, professor at Princeton University, will explain how we know this everyday phenomena,…
October 10, 2023
Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Cowles appointed chair of Ruckelshaus Center board
Elizabeth A. “Betsy” Cowles has been named chair of the Advisory Board to the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a public policy-minded collaboration of Washington State University and the University of Washington.
Fostering a more diverse faculty: How the new Vice Provost for Academic Personnel aims to build an office of ‘Faculty Success’
In 1996, two Kenyan scholars were awarded Fulbright Scholarships — honors the U.S. Department of State grants to promising young academics worldwide. Fred Muyia Nafukho, who joined the University of Washington earlier this year as the vice provost for academic personnel, vividly remembers the day he was called to the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.
“Ways of Knowing” Epilogue
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 8: Translation
When you hear a cover of a favorite song, comparisons are inevitable. There are obvious similarities – the lyrics, the melody – but there are also enough differences to make each version unique. Those deviations say more than you might expect. Maya Angela Smith, associate of professor of French at the University of Washington, introduces translation studies through the lens of the song “Ne Me Quitte Pas.” Originally recorded by Jacques Brel — a French-speaking Belgian man —…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 7: Material Culture
Picture a series of uniform mounds of earth, each about 6-feet high. Enclosing 50 acres, the mounds form an octagon that is connected to a circle. This is The Octagon Earthworks, located in central Ohio, and it’s one of thousands of Indigenous mounds across the eastern half of North America. Chadwick Allen is a professor of English and American Indian studies at the University of Washington, and he studies Native American earthworks and cultural erasure. The Octagon Earthworks,…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 6: Visual Literacy
An empty wallet, a hairbrush, a diaper. These are just a few of the items left behind by migrants at the United States-Mexico border, photographed for a 2021 article in the Los Angeles Times. In this episode, Diana Ruíz discusses how the same images can be used on both sides of the same debate. In this case, pro- and anti-immigration. Ruíz, assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Washington, describes how the photos evoked empathy and…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 5: Disability Studies
Who gets to be a superhero? What about a villain? It depends on where you look. In the 1940s, comic book villains were often distinguished from heroes through physical disability. That changed in the 1960s and 70s, when it became more common for heroes – think Daredevil and Professor X – to be built around disability. In this episode, he analyzes the physical depictions of superheroes and villains through the decades. José Alaniz, professor of Slavic languages and literatures at…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 4: Environmental Humanities
Centuries ago, writers depicted the natural world as terrifying and dangerous, no place for humans. But that fear, in the decades to come, gradually turned to appreciation, awe and joy, for poets and artists, sightseers and backpackers. Louisa Mackenzie, associate professor of comparative history of ideas at the University of Washington, describes how the view of nature has evolved. What was once frightening is now enticing – what Mackenzie calls the “wilderness impulse.” In her translation of “La…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 3: Close Reading Redux
The autobiography of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845, was a standard bearer of the abolitionist movement. Having escaped slavery as a young man, Douglass became a famous activist, orator, statesman and businessman. But it is another aspect of his story that is just as intriguing to Habiba Ibrahim, professor of English at the University of Washington: Douglass never knew, nor is there an official record of, his exact age. Then, with the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 2: Close Reading
“Dover Beach,” a poem by 19th century British writer Matthew Arnold, can be read as both a romantic lament and, as many scholars have concluded, a dark, existential commentary on the loss of religious faith. Through close reading, a way of reading for insight, not information, University of Washington English Professor Charles LaPorte dissects “Dover Beach.” Focusing on the inconsistencies of rhythm and rhyme of the poem, LaPorte demonstrates how we can use close reading to study any…
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 1: Reading
What marks the start of the Anthropocene – the geological epoch marked by human impact on the planet? The debate hinges, in part, on how we define “signature events,” the important information left behind as clues. But finding signature events transcends the study of the Anthropocene; it’s how we read to make meaning of a text, a collection of data, even a piece of art. Jesse Oak Taylor, associate professor of English at the University of Washington, uses a…
October 9, 2023
Prescription opioid companies increased marketing after Purdue Pharma lawsuit, UW study shows
Public scrutiny of Purdue Pharma’s role in the opioid crisis increased sharply in the years after the state of Kentucky filed a lawsuit against the company. New research from David Tan, University of Washington associate professor of management, examines the ensuing behavior of competing prescription opioid companies.
Three UW faculty members elected to National Academy of Medicine
Among the most prestigious scientific organizations in the country, the Academy recognizes excellence in the fields of health and medicine, along with a commitment to volunteer service.
October 7, 2023
University of Washington appoints Troy Dannen as Director of Athletics
The University of Washington has appointed Troy Dannen to serve as its 16th Director of Athletics, UW President Ana Mari Cauce announced today. Dannen most recently served as the Director of Athletics at Tulane University, where during his eight-year tenure the Green Wave had 49 All-Americans and 21 conference champions, and made 41 postseason appearances, including a Cotton Bowl victory over USC earlier this year. Dannen will begin his duties at the UW on Monday, Oct. 9, and will be…
October 5, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: A Conversation with Emily M. Bender, Dubal Memorial Lecture, and more
This week, learn why Emily Bender believes “AI” is a bad term, take part in the Dubal Memorial Lecture on ‘Race, Science, and Pregnancy Trials in the Postgenomic Era’, view the film screening of Tortoise Under the Earth, and more. October 12, 7:00 – 8:30pm | Jewish History and Jewish Memory Revisited: ‘Zakhor’ at 40, Husky Union Building Rachel B. Gross, an expert on Judaism and American Jewish history, will open the conversation by addressing Yerushalmi’s influence on the field…
October 4, 2023
New UW-themed plane takes to the skies
Alaska Airlines has launched its third iteration of University of Washington-themed designs on its aircraft, with a purple and gold “Go Dawgs” Embraer E175 Horizon Air jet on a flight from Seattle to Portland on Oct. 3
October 3, 2023
Group seeks to understand how a new type of satellite will impact Earth-based astronomy
Astronomers with the International Astronomical Union are trying to understand how the brightness and transmissions of the BlueWalker3 satellite will interfere with Earth-based observations of the universe — and what can be done to minimize these effects as more of these satellites are launched.
September 28, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Faculty Concert, The Secret Language of Art Radicals, and more
This week, explore “how to use art for resistance” with Elisheba Johnson, head to Meany Hall for an engaging performance by the Turtle Island Quartet, and more. October 2, 7:30pm | Faculty Concert: UW Faculty Brass, Meany Hall UW faculty brass instructors and Seattle Symphony members David Gordon (trumpet), John DiCesare (tuba), John Turman (French horn), and Eden Garza (trombone) are joined by colleague Alexander White (trumpet) in this concert of works by several composers. $10 – $20 Tickets |…
September 27, 2023
MilliMobile is a tiny, self-driving robot powered only by light and radio waves
The robot, equipped with a solar panel–like energy harvester and four wheels, is about the size of a penny, weighs as much as a raisin and can move about the length of a bus in an hour on a cloudy day.
September 25, 2023
Q&A: Can AI in school actually help students be more creative and self-directed?
Katie Davis, a University of Washington associate professor in the Information School, discusses how generative AI might support learning, instead of detracting from it, if kids can keep their agency.
September 24, 2023
‘From this day forward, you are a Husky’: Incoming class welcomed at New Student Convocation
The University of Washington welcomed its incoming class and families on Sunday at the University’s 40th annual New Student Convocation.
September 22, 2023
Q&A: How new software is changing our understanding of human brain development
A team including researchers at the University of Washington recently used new software to compare MRIs from 300 babies and discovered that myelin, a part of the brain’s so-called white matter, develops much slower after birth.
September 21, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Kicking the school year off with the Henry Art Gallery, Dawg Daze, and more
Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week. This week, attend gallery exhibitions, Dawg Daze events, and more. As the UW community returns to campus, consider taking advantage of campus perks available to UW employees and students: Free admission to the Henry Art Gallery and Burke Museum Discounted tickets to performances by Meany Center, School of Drama, Department of Dance, School of Music, and more September 20 – 29 | Dawg Daze, UW Campus Enjoy one of…
NSF funds internet-connected ocean observatory through 2028
The National Science Foundation has awarded the University of Washington $52.4 million over five years to continue operating the Regional Cabled Array, a cabled deep-ocean observatory about 300 miles offshore from Newport, Oregon. The grant is part of a $220 million total investment that will fund the internet-connected ocean observatory, known as the Ocean Observatories Initiative, through 2028.
UW’s incoming class to be welcomed at New Student Convocation
The University of Washington will welcome its incoming classes and their families on Sunday, Sept. 24 at the University’s 40th annual New Student Convocation, which will be held in Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
UW team’s shape-changing smart speaker lets users mute different areas of a room
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed system of robotic self-deploying microphones, which lets users control sound in a room, muting certain areas and creating “active zones” in others.
September 20, 2023
Video: UW welcomes students to campus as thousands move into residence halls
About 8,500 students, including 78% of this year’s freshman class, are expected to move into UW residence halls and apartments this week.
September 19, 2023
Five UW faculty members elected as AGU Fellows, plus more honors
The American Geophysical Union announced Sept. 13 that five University of Washington faculty members have been elected as new fellows, representing the departments of astronomy, Earth and space sciences, oceanography, global health, and environmental and occupational health sciences.
September 15, 2023
Polar experiments reveal seasonal cycle in Antarctic sea ice algae
The frigid ocean surrounding Antarctica is home to much of the region’s photosynthetic life. A new University of Washington study provides the first measurements of how sea-ice algae and other single-celled life handle dramatic seasonal swings, offering clues to how this ecosystem might adapt to climate change.
September 14, 2023
Faculty/staff honors: Two professors on TIME100 AI list, UW President Ana Mari Cauce honored for contributions to León, and more
Recent recognition for the University of Washington includes Emily M. Bender and Yejin Choi on the TIME100 AI list, President Ana Mari Cauce receiving a Decrees Award and Jeff Hou’s election to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows.
September 13, 2023
Battery-free robots use origami to change shape in mid-air
UW researchers developed small robotic devices that can change how they move through the air by “snapping” into a folded position during their descent.
September 12, 2023
Fall snow levels can predict a season’s total snowpack in some western states
Research led by the UW found that, in some western states, the amount of snow already on the ground by the end of December is a good predictor of how much total snow that area will get.
September 11, 2023
Q&A: New book examines intersection between climate and information crises
Adrienne Russell, professor of communication at the University of Washington, examines in her new book how journalism, activism, corporations and Big Tech battle to influence the public about climate change.
September 8, 2023
UW a lead partner on new NSF-funded earthquake research center
The University of Washington is a lead partner on a new multi-institution earthquake research center that will study the Cascadia subduction zone and bolster earthquake preparedness in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
September 7, 2023
Video: New hives at UW Farm welcome us to ‘bee curious’
The UW Farm welcomed an addition this spring: two bee hives in an apiary on the south side of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The hives will serve as a teaching tool for students who want to know more about agriculture and the function of pollinators in the ecosystem.
UW claims top 3 spots on ‘Best Value’ list for Washington state; UW also ranks high on national list for educational and public impact
The University of Washington has been recognized on two lists that measure impact on students and communities. The UW placed third in the nation among public universities on the Washington Monthly 2023 National University Rankings, which ranks the school’s impact on its graduates and the nation. In a separate ranking, all three UW campuses topped the state for best value, according to SmartAsset, a financial services portal.