April 15, 2026
The Ecological Society of America named the UW’s Claire Willing a 2026 Early Career Fellow. Willing, an assistant professor of environmental and forest science, studies fungal ecology, looking at how fungi are evolving and supporting plant communities as the climate changes.
In a new study, University of Washington researchers show that an Earth-sized planet likely needs at least 20 to 50% of the water in Earth’s oceans to maintain a critical natural cycle that keeps water on the surface. These new parameters could exclude many exoplanets in the so-called habitable zone.
April 14, 2026
The University of Washington has earned a Gold rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System, or STARS.
University of Washington researchers developed a system called VueBuds that uses tiny cameras in off-the-shelf wireless earbuds to allow users to talk with an AI model about the scene in front of them. For instance, a user might look at a Korean food package and say, “Hey VueBuds, translate this for me.” They’d then hear an AI voice say, “The visible text translates to ‘Cold Noodles’ in English.
April 13, 2026
A new study doubles the evolutionary history of the weasel family. Researchers, including Chris Law, a UW principal research scientist in the biology department, have determined that a fossil that was discovered in Spain belongs to a new species dating back to around 6.5 million years ago. This new species was likely similar in size to the smallest living weasel species today, the least weasel.
At the brand-new Quantum Technologies Training and Testbed lab, researchers from across the UW probe the “spooky” mysteries of quantum phenomena.
As judges across the United States face growing political pressure, public attacks and threats to their personal safety, the University of Washington School of Law will host a national symposium on April 17 and 18 to examine how to protect America’s independent federal judiciary and the rule of law.
April 9, 2026
University of Washington President Robert J. Jones on Wednesday announced that David Lance has been appointed chief of staff to the president, effective May 11. The chief of staff serves as a senior advisor to the president and plays a critical role in advancing the University’s strategic priorities and institutional goals.
Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And as May comes to a close, see what’s happening in June. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Video | Emily M. Bender Katz Lecture…
April 7, 2026
The Peace Corps announced Tuesday that the University of Washington is again No. 3 on the list of top volunteer-producing institutions since the international program launched in 1961.
April 6, 2026
The University of Washington’s graduate and professional degree programs again were recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools released late Monday.
New evidence suggests that a disease-causing tapeworm that has been spreading across the United States and Canada has arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The tapeworm, called Echinococcus multilocularis, was found in one-third of coyotes surveyed from the Puget Sound region.
April 2, 2026
Using preliminary data from the Simonyi Survey Telescope at the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, scientists have discovered over 11,000 new asteroids in our solar system. The findings include hundreds of distant worlds beyond Neptune as well as 33 previously unknown near-Earth objects.
March 31, 2026
Since Ryan Calo joined University of Washington School of Law in 2012, he has become a leading expert on the law and emerging technology.
It all started with a slide rule. In the fall of 1965, during Cheryl Wright’s first week at the University of Washington, she went to Suzzallo Library to complete a chemistry assignment. She needed help with a math problem and saw a boy across the reading room who had a slide rule — an analog calculator. The young pharmacy student who helped her that day was Raymond Wilson. Together the couple, who go by Cherie and Ray, did far more than solve a mathematical equation — they married and formed a bond that’s lasted more than six decades.
March 30, 2026
Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the University of Washington, studies how climate change affects human-wildlife interactions and increases conflict around the world. In January, she gave the keynote speech at the International Parliamentary Roundtable on Human-Wildlife Coexistence held in Botswana.
March 27, 2026
Explore recent research from the University of Washington: the habits and habitats of Nautilus and Allonautilus, how green clay tennis courts remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, why temperature dynamics matter to mussels and what prompts bacteria to attack diatoms.
March 26, 2026
A team of 170 scientists and experts — led by Phil Levin, interim executive director of the UW’s EarthLab — has published a draft of a report detailing the health of U.S. nature. While some of the resulting statistics are grim, the report highlights many areas of opportunity. Researchers welcome public comment through May 30.
Four University of Washington researchers have been named AAAS Fellows, according to an announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among 449 newly elected fellows from around the world, who are recognized for their “scientifically and socially distinguished achievements” in science and engineering.
March 25, 2026
The University of Washington is the best in the U.S. and No. 2 in the world for library and information management, according to the 2026 QS World University Rankings by Subject released Wednesday. Three other UW subject areas placed in the top 10 in the world: geology, geophysics and Earth and marine sciences.
March 23, 2026
New research shows that as winters get warmer, more icy crusts may form within snowpacks in much of the Pacific Northwest, increasing the risk of avalanche in some areas and changing the behavior of wildlife across the region.
March 20, 2026
Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And as April comes to a close, see what’s happening in May. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time or From Your Own Home Video |…
The U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, which triggered hundreds of retaliatory missiles from Iran. The war is now entering its third week, with Iran reporting more than 1,200 civilians have been killed. Aria Fani, a professor of Persian and Iranian studies at the UW, researches modern Iranian and Afghan histories. He spoke with UW News about the U.S.-Israeli strikes, the impact on Iranians and more.
March 19, 2026
In a new study, University of Washington researchers examine the impact of tilling on soil moisture and water retention using methods designed for monitoring earthquakes. They show that tilling disrupts important soil microstructures and highlight the potential utility of this method for precision agriculture and more.
March 17, 2026
Plants, like people, have a circadian clock and they sense seasonal changes to light and temperature. Plants that bloom in the spring use the longer days and warmer temperatures as seasonal cues that it’s time to bloom.
Indigenous people in the United States are at higher risk of fatal police violence in and around American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) reservations, according to the first comprehensive national study on the subject from researchers at the University of Washington and Drexel University. The researchers found that roughly 73% AIAN people killed by police violence were on or within 10 miles of a reservation.
March 16, 2026
Recent books from University of Washington faculty and staff include those from legal studies at UW Tacoma, international studies, political science, history and Asian languages and literature.
Mosquitoes are increasingly becoming resistant to current insecticides, leading to a pressing need for new methods to prevent mosquito bites — and the potential transmission of disease. New research by an international team, including researchers at the UW, reveals that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes use a specific sensory receptor to detect and avoid borneol (pronounced “bor-nee-ohl”), an organic compound found in several aromatic plants, including camphor trees, rosemary and other aromatic herbs.
March 12, 2026
Researchers tracked ravens and wolves in Yellowstone National Park for two and half years to show that ravens do not follow wolves to scavenge their prey but instead remember where wolves often kill and monitor these sites for fresh meat.
March 11, 2026
An oddly-behaving star led two UW astronomers to capture rare evidence of a collision between two planets in a distant solar system. The discovery could aid scientists in their search for worlds similar to our own.
March 9, 2026
Affiliate professor of biology receives 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award Sue Moore, a research scientist and affiliate professor in the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels in the Department of Biology at the University of Washington, was honored with the 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Marine Mammalogy. The award recognizes exemplary lifetime contributions to science and society through research, teaching, and service in marine mammalogy. Over a 40-year career, Moore’s research has focused on cetacean ecology,…
March 6, 2026
Spring is here, which in Seattle, means cherry blossoms. The UW’s iconic display — featuring 29 Yoshino cherry trees — is set to peak around March 20 this year. Check out the cherry blossom visitors’ website to learn more.
Researchers at UW and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are simulating something in the lab that they hope will rarely happen in the wild: a collision between underwater turbines and marine animals.
March 5, 2026
Description of Proposal: The proposed University of Washington Chemical Sciences Building is intended to create a new academic building in Central Campus for student and faculty laboratories, collaboration spaces, and classrooms. Location of proposal: 3919 West Stevens Way NE. The site is generally bounded by Okanogan Ln to the north and east, Benson Hall to the south, and West Stevens Way NE to the west. Title and description of document being adopted: University of Washington 2018 Seattle Campus Master Plan…
March 4, 2026
New research led in part by the University of Washington found that state-level abortion restrictions enacted after the Dobbs ruling are not only affecting the current medical workforce — they may be shaping the next generation of physicians.
March 3, 2026
A statement from the University of Washington regarding gross misdemeanor trespassing charges being filed Tuesday against the 33 individuals who were arrested in connection with occupation of the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building in May 2025.
Forest managers in the eastern Cascades selectively thin forests to promote wildfire resilience. New research from the UW shows that the same process can also increase seasonal snowpack, providing some relief to drought-prone areas throughout central Washington.
February 27, 2026
A new study examining 13 years of ground motion data from sites near the Cascadia Subduction Zone shows that the entirety of the fault may not be as tightly locked as researchers thought, which could change our understanding of how a big earthquake might hit the Pacific Northwest.
Tohoku University and the University of Washington, two leading academic research institutions of the Pacific Rim, announced “Q-DREAM,” a significant expansion of their decades-long collaboration.
February 26, 2026
Jennifer Ruesink, University of Washington professor of biology, studies the relationship between the environment and marine organisms, including eelgrass, the primary species of seagrass that resides in the oceans surrounding Washington. In honor of World Seagrass Day, UW News asked Ruesink to explain what seagrass is and what makes the seagrasses in Washington unique.