UW News
The latest news from the UW
August 13, 2025
‘Revolutionary’ seafloor fiber sensing reveals how falling ice drives glacial retreat in Greenland
A UW-led team of researchers used a fiber-optic cable to capture calving dynamics across the fjord of the Eqalorutsit Kangilliit Sermiat glacier in South Greenland. This allowed them to document — without getting too close — one of the key processes that is accelerating the rate of glacial mass loss and in turn, threatening the stability of ice sheets, with consequences for global ocean currents and local ecosystems.
Tag(s): Brad Lipovsky • College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Dominik Gräff • glaciers
People who move to more walkable cities do, in fact, walk significantly more
New research led by the University of Washington provides clear evidence that highly walkable areas lead to significantly more walking. Authors compared the steps per day of 5,424 people who moved one or more times among 1,609 U.S. cities. Across all relocations, when the Walk Score rose or fell more than 48 points, average steps increased or decreased by about 1,100 per day.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Tim AlthoffAugust 11, 2025
UW researchers test common disinfectants’ abilities to fight antibiotic resistance at the genetic level
Antimicrobial resistance is a lurking threat in hospitals around the world. As more strains of bacteria and other microbes evolve defenses against available drugs, more patients run the risk of contracting infections that defy treatment. Now, University of Washington researchers offer new insights into measures currently used to control the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria and other infectious agents in health care facilities.
Tag(s): antibiotic resistance • College of Engineering • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Huan He • Michael Dodd
Fresh fossil finds in Africa shed light on the era before Earth’s largest mass extinction
An international team of paleontologists, led by researchers at the University of Washington and the Field Museum of Natural History, is identifying the animals that thrived in southern Pangea — the planet’s single supercontinent at the time — just before the so-called “Great Dying” wiped out about 70% of terrestrial species, and an even larger fraction of marine ones.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of BiologyAugust 6, 2025
With just a few messages, biased AI chatbots swayed people’s political views
University of Washington researchers recruited self-identifying Democrats and Republicans to make political decisions with help from three versions of ChatGPT: a base model, one with liberal bias and one with conservative bias. Democrats and Republicans were both likelier to lean in the direction of the biased chatbot they were talking with than those participants who interacted with the base model.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of Engineering • Department of Statistics • Jillian Fisher • Katharina Reinecke • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringAugust 4, 2025
Video: USDA freezes UW project that turns Washington shellfish farmers’ seaweed problem into soil solution for land farmers
A UW-led project aimed to test the viability of seaweed as a soil amendment, and, if successful, develop a market for sea-based farmers to sell excess seaweed to their counterparts on land. The USDA froze the project’s funding, and for now, a solution remains just out of reach.
Tag(s): Blue Carbon Green Fields • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Research Makes America • Sarah Collier • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • School of Public Health
Faculty/staff honors: Early career award, advances in theoretical physics, CAREER award
Recent recognition of the University of Washington includes an AIS Early Career award, the Tomassoni-Chisesi prize for contributions to theoretical physics and the National Science Foundation CAREER award. Foster School’s Mingwen Yang receives AIS early career award Mingwen Yang, UW assistant professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in the Foster School of Business,…
Tag(s): David Kaplan • Department of Chemical Engineering • Department of Physics • Foster School of Business • Jorge Marchand • Mingwen Yang
Integrating human and animal health care increases access to services for homeless youth
At the One Health Clinic, a nurse practitioner and veterinarian, often accompanied by veterinary students, provide primary care services while UW students volunteer as patient navigators, helping to coordinate care and address shared health needs such as extreme weather, environmental contaminants and zoonotic disease. The clinic also helps clients document their pets as emotional support animals, which enables them to access a wider range of housing and other services.
Tag(s): Center for One Health Research • Department of Epidemiology • Department of Global Health • Julianne Meisner • Natalie Rejto • Peter Rabinowitz • School of Public Health
‘The discovery of the decade’: Researchers have found the culprit behind sea star wasting disease
An international research effort, including scientists from the University of Washington, has finally revealed the cause of sea star wasting disease: a strain of the bacterium Vibrio pectenicida.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Drew Harvell • Friday Harbor Laboratories • Grace Crandall • Jason Hodin • Research Makes America • School of Aquatic and Fishery SciencesJuly 30, 2025
Video: UW aeronautics professor goes for ride-along with the Blue Angels
UW professor of aeronautics and astronautics Jim Hermanson took a ride Wednesday morning aboard a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet — better known as one of the Blue Angels.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics • Jim HermansonJuly 24, 2025
Seismologists tapped into the fiber optic cable network to study offshore faults
University of Washington researchers showed that they can monitor seismic activity at the ocean floor using fiber optic cables without disrupting telecommunications. They developed this technique in Alaska and then tested it off the coast of Oregon.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • earthquakes • Marine Denolle • Qibin ShiJuly 21, 2025
In the field: UW researchers bound for Alaska’s earthquake-impacted marshlands
Kendall Valentine, an assistant professor of oceanography at University of Washington, along with collaborators from the University of Rhode Island and the Desert Research Institute are traveling to Anchorage and the Copper River Delta to study marshes that formed in the years following the 1964 earthquake.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • earthquakes • In the Field • Kendall Fontenot • Kendall Valentine • oceanography
12 UW professors elected to Washington State Academy of Sciences
Election recognizes the new member’s “outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and willingness to assist the Academy in providing the best available scientific information and technical understanding to inform complex policy decisions in Washington.”
Tag(s): Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics • College of Arts & Sciences • Cynthia Chen • David Hertzog • Department of Bioengineering • Department of Biology • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering • Department of Pharmaceutics • Department of Physics • Donald Chi • Eric Steig • Health Systems and Population Health • Horacio de la Iglesia • Jashvant Unadkat • Julie Kientz • Kai-Mei Fu • Magdalena Balazinska • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Rona Levy • School of Dentistry • School of Medicine • School of Pharmacy • School of Social Work • Scott Ramsey • Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert • Washington State Academy of SciencesJuly 17, 2025
Seaweed-infused cement could cut concrete’s carbon footprint
Researchers at the University of Washington and Microsoft developed a new type of low-carbon concrete by mixing dried, powdered seaweed with cement. The seaweed-fortified cement has a 21% lower global warming potential while retaining its strength.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Department of Materials Science & Engineering • Eleftheria RoumeliJuly 14, 2025
President Cauce names Jason Campbell interim senior vice president for Finance, Planning and Budgeting and chief financial officer
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce has announced that Jason Campbell will serve as interim senior vice president for Finance, Planning and Budgeting and chief financial officer, effective Aug. 2. Currently the vice president for Finance and Budget Strategy and deputy senior finance officer, Campbell will step in to the interim position following the…
Tag(s): Office of Planning & Budgeting
New UW course connects the climate crisis to communications and design
“Communications & Design for the Environment,” a Communication Leadership course held for the first time this spring, University of Washington professors Adrienne Russell and Dominic Muren teach students how to examine the climate crisis and environmental problems from a perspective beyond the hard sciences.
Tag(s): Adrienne Russell • College of Arts & Sciences • Communication Leadership • Department of Communication • Dominic Muren • School of Art + Art History + DesignJuly 11, 2025
Pat Tillman Foundation names Stephanie Mitchell and Brian Riley in class of 2025 scholars
The Pat Tillman Foundation this week announced the 2025 Class of Tillman Scholars, which included two University of Washington students who exemplify the values Pat Tillman stood for: leadership, service, scholarship and impact. Stephanie Mitchell is a third-year doctoral student in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) and a military spouse….
Tag(s): Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • School of MedicineJuly 10, 2025
Danny Barrow named vice provost for Enrollment Management
University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced the appointment of Danny Barrow to serve as the vice provost for Enrollment Management beginning July 28.
Tag(s): Danny Barrow • Enrollment Management • Tricia SerioJuly 2, 2025
UW selects Studio Tsien as the architects for Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center
The University of Washington today announced the selection of Studio Tsien to design the Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center. The UW Architectural Commission made the recommendation in June.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce Welcome Center • Office of the University ArchitectJuly 1, 2025
This puzzle game shows kids how they’re smarter than AI
University of Washington researchers developed the game AI Puzzlers to show kids an area where AI systems still typically and blatantly fail: solving certain reasoning puzzles. In the game, users get a chance to solve puzzles by completing patterns of colored blocks. They can then ask various AI chatbots to solve and have the systems explain their solutions — which they nearly always fail to do accurately.
Tag(s): Aayushi Dangol • College of Engineering • Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering • Information School • Jason Yip • Julie KientzJune 30, 2025
Joel Thornton named interim dean of the College of the Environment
University of Washington Provost Tricia R. Serio announced that Joel Thornton has agreed to serve as interim dean of the College of the Environment, effective July 1, until a new permanent dean is selected.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Joel Thornton • Tricia Serio
UW computational neuroscientist and physicist among newly elected National Academy of Sciences members
Adrienne Fairhall and David Hertzog are among 120 new members and 30 international members elected “in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research.”
Tag(s): Adrienne Fairhall • College of Arts & Sciences • David Hertzog • Department of Applied Mathematics • Department of Neurobiology & Biophysics • Department of Physics • UW Medicine
Four UW researchers named Fulbright Scholars
Four University of Washington researchers have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2025-2026 and will pursue studies in Spain, Taiwan, Poland and Japan.
Tag(s): Ahmad Ezzeddine • College of the Environment • Fulbright Program • Jamie Donatuto • Michael Kula • Office of Global Affairs • School of Pharmacy • School of Public Health • Shelly Gray • UW Tacoma • Yen-Chu WengJune 26, 2025
Seven UW students receive Fulbright exchange awards for study, research and teaching positions around the world
Seven UW students and recent alumni were awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for the 2025–2026 academic year, joining about 2,000 students and recent graduates from around the country to pursue graduate study, conduct research and teach English abroad.
Tag(s): Ahmad Ezzeddine • Fulbright Program • Office of Global Affairs • Undergraduate Academic Affairs • UW Bothell • UW Graduate School • UW TacomaJune 25, 2025
Strategic transactions of Colorado River rights could help conserve water and restore fish habitat
New research found that a market-based approach to managing water could provide more reliable supplies for farmers, communities and industry. The right market design and a little extra investment could also help threatened fish species.
Tag(s): Evans School of Public Policy & Governance • Nature • Philip Womble • water managementJune 23, 2025
Video: UW helps protect Washington’s workers through occupational health and safety research, training
The University of Washington has for years been instrumental in the state’s efforts to keep workers safe. But those efforts are now under threat.
Tag(s): Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Elena Austin • Harborview Medical Center • June Spector • Marissa Baker • Northwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety • Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center • School of Medicine • School of Public Health • UW Medicine
UW helps bring the cosmos into focus as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory unveils a new glimpse into the solar system
A new era of astronomy and astrophysics began Monday when the first images captured by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory were released, demonstrating the extraordinary capabilities of the new telescope and the world’s largest digital camera.
Tag(s): Andrew Connolly • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • DIRAC Institute • Eric Bellm • eScience Institute • Mario Juric • Stetzler.Steven • Tricia Serio • Zeljko IvezicJune 18, 2025
UW is the No. 8 university in the world, according to new US News & World Report rankings
The University of Washington is No. 8 on the 2025-26 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Global Universities rankings, released on Tuesday. The UW maintained its No. 2 ranking among U.S. public institutions.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • biology • College of the Environment • Department of Microbiology • genetics & DNA • infectious disease • Rankings • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs • School of Public Health • UW MedicineJune 17, 2025
‘Ways of Knowing’ Episode 8: Ethics of Technology
Brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs, can help people with severe injuries or impairments regain the ability to communicate or move their arms and legs through robotic substitutes. The devices, which are about the size of a dime and are implanted on the surface of a person’s brain, serve as a communication link between the brain’s neural…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Philosophy • Sara Goering • ways of knowingJune 12, 2025
‘Ways of Knowing’ Episode 7: Glitches
Imagine sitting in a movie theater watching a film you’ve been anticipating for months. Suddenly, the screen goes blank. It only lasts a second, but that’s long enough to disrupt the experience. It’s also long enough, says Mal Ahern, to remind you of the physical infrastructure behind what we so often see as an immaterial…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Cinema & Media Studies • Mal Ahern • ways of knowingJune 11, 2025
Faculty/staff honors: Innovation grant, best paper, outstanding research award
Recent recognition of the University of Washington includes an EarthLab Innovation Grant, the Best Paper Award from American Political Science Association and honorable recognition mention from the American Society for Theatre Research. UW professor Richard Watts and team awarded EarthLab Innovation Grant Richard Watts, UW associate professor of French, is part of an interdisciplinary team…
Tag(s): Asli Cansunar • College of Arts & Sciences • Danny Hoffman • Department of French & Italian Studies • Department of Political Science • EarthLab • Jackson School of International Studies • Megan Halabisky • Richard Watts • School of Drama • Stefka Mihaylova
ArtSci Roundup: Summer 2025
From campus to wherever you call home, we welcome you to learn from and connect with the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We hope to see you this Summer. ArtSci on the Go Looking for more ways to get more out of…
Tag(s): Astrobiology Program • Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Center for Child and Family Well-Being • Department of Asian Languages & Literature • Department of Chemistry • Department of Communication • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies • Henry Art Gallery • School of Music • Taiwan Studies Program • UW Alumni Association
New faculty books: Artificial intelligence, 1990s Russia, song interpretation, and more
Recent faculty books from the University of Washington include those from linguistics, Slavic languages and literature and French. UW News spoke with the authors of four publications to learn more about their work. Scrutinizing and confronting AI hype Emily M. Bender, UW professor of linguistics, co-authored “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of French & Italian Studies • Department of Linguistics • Department of Slavic Languages and Literature • Emily M. Bender • Jose Alaniz • Maya Angela SmithJune 10, 2025
Ken Yocom appointed dean of UW College of Built Environments
Ken Yocom has been named the next John and Rosalind Jacobi Family Endowed Dean of the University of Washington College of Built Environments, Provost Tricia Serio announced today. His appointment, effective July 1, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents. Yocom has served as interim dean since October 2024 and is a…
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Ken Yocom • Provost Office
‘Ways of Knowing’ Episode 6: Sound Studies
Virtual assistants, such as Apple’s Siri, can perform a range of tasks or services for users — and a majority of them sound like white women. Golden Marie Owens, assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of Washington, says there is much to learn about a person from how they sound. The…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Cinema & Media Studies • Golden Marine Owens • ways of knowingJune 9, 2025
UW celebrates Class of 2025 with 150th Commencement in Husky Stadium and ceremonies in the Tacoma Dome and Hec Ed
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce is the featured speaker at the UW’s 150th Commencement ceremony on Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium scheduled for 1:30 p.m., Saturday, June 14.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • Commencement • UW Bothell • UW TacomaJune 5, 2025
‘Ways of Knowing’ Episode 5: Abstract Pattern Recognition, or Math
Imagine an art class where you only did paint by numbers, or a music class where you weren’t allowed to play a song until you practiced scales for 20 years. This is often what it’s like to take a math class, where students spend most of their time learning to solve problems that have already…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Mathematics • Jayadev S. Athreya • ways of knowingJune 3, 2025
Millions of new solar system objects to be found and ‘filmed in technicolor’ – studies predict
A group of astronomers from across the globe, including a team from the University of Washington and led by Queen’s University Belfast, have revealed new research showing that millions of new solar system objects will be detected by a brand-new facility, which is expected to come online later this year.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Astronomy • DIRAC Institute • Kurlander.Jake • Mario Juric
Study projects that increasing wildfires in Canada and Siberia will actually slow global warming
A new University of Washington–led study projects that in the next 35 years increasing boreal fires will actually slow global warming by 12% globally and 38% in the Arctic. Because the aerosols in smoke reflect more sunlight and make clouds brighter, summer temperatures during fire season drop, leading to reduced sea ice loss and cooler winter temperatures.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Dargan Frierson • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Edward Blanchard-Wrigglesworth
‘Ways of Knowing’ Episode 4: Global Disability Studies
Since 2014, The European Union has been crafting policy on the rights of disabled people with “independent living” as a key element. Officials noticed the law wasn’t being followed in countries like Malta, so they moved these young people into their own apartments. But these were pretty much the only people in their 20s who…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Jackson School of International Studies • Law Societies & Justice Department • Stephen Meyers« Previous Page Next Page »
