UW News

The latest news from the UW


December 6, 2018

Two-dimensional materials skip the energy barrier by growing one row at a time

A new collaborative study led by a research team at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Washington could provide engineers new design rules for creating microelectronics, membranes and tissues, and open up better production methods for new materials.

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Biggest extinction in Earth’s history caused by global warming leaving ocean animals gasping for breath

New research from the University of Washington and Stanford University combines models of ocean conditions and animal metabolism with published lab data and paleoceanographic records to show that the Permian mass extinction in the oceans was caused by global warming that left animals unable to breathe. As temperatures rose and the metabolism of marine animals sped up, the warmer waters could not hold enough oxygen for them to survive.

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December 3, 2018

‘Carbon accountability’: UW architecture professor Kate Simonen sees progress in work to reduce embodied carbon in construction materials

Kate Simonen, architect, engineer and UW associate professor of architecture, discusses recent work by her and the Carbon Leadership Forum toward reducing embodied carbon in construction materials.

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ARTSUW Roundup: Arts and Engagement in Early Postwar Japan, UW Symphony with Robin McCabe, and More

This week in the arts, learn about the history of art and its politics in Japan post-1945, see the final performances of Fefu and Her Friends, take a workshop at the Henry Art Gallery, and more! Art and Engagement in Early Postwar Japan December 7, 3:30 PM| Thomson Hall Justin Jesty, associate professor at the…

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UW’s Havana McElvaine selected as prestigious Marshall scholar

University of Washington alumna Havana McElvaine, Class of 2017, has been selected as a Marshall scholar, one of the highest honors available to college graduates in the U.S. She plans to attend the London School of Economics and Oxford University.

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November 30, 2018

UW professors Terrance Kavanagh, Jay Shendure elected as fellows of the AAAS

Two University of Washington researchers, Terrance Kavanagh and Jay Shendure, are among the 416 new fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, announced in November.

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November 29, 2018

Forests, human health, Northwest outlook: UW researchers involved in Fourth National Climate Assessment

University of Washington researchers contributed to the Fourth National Climate Assessment that considers impacts, risks and adaptation across the United States.

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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.

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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.

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November 27, 2018

Threatened tropical coral reefs form complex, ancient associations with bacteria, researchers say

In a comprehensive study of healthy corals published Nov. 22 in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists from the University of Washington Bothell, Pennsylvania State University and Oregon State University report that coral bacteria are a surprisingly diverse bunch — and that different sections of the coral body can host unique communities of bacteria.

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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.”

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ArtsUW Roundup: Opening Night of Fefu and Her Friends, Music of Displaced Peoples, Donna Haraway Film Screening, and more!

This week in the arts, attend María Irene Fornés’ most celebrated, realistic and feminist works, go to opening night of Clotilde Jiménez’s “Apple of My Eye”,  learn about the restoration of the miraculous image of the Madonna del Baraccano, listen to a 100-voice gospel choir, and more. Fefu and Her Friends November 28 to December…

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UW, Tableau create interactive tool to explore more than a century of Pacific Northwest weather observations

A new, free tool with temperature and precipitation records across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana as far back as 1881 lets users play around to discover significant trends. It also includes historical snow records for Washington state.

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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.

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November 20, 2018

Mobile health has power to transform HIV/AIDS nursing

The abundance of personal smartphones in southern African countries got University of Washington professor Sarah Gimbel thinking: What if these phones were used by front-line health workers — namely nurses — to collect and analyze data on patients living with HIV or AIDS to improve their care?

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Study brings new climate models of small star TRAPPIST 1’s seven intriguing worlds

Not all stars are like the sun, so not all planetary systems can be studied with the same expectations. New research from a University of Washington-led team of astronomers gives updated climate models for the seven planets around the star TRAPPIST-1.

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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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UW’s Marina Alberti to lead new NSF-funded research network to study impact of cities on Earth’s evolutionary dynamics

Here in what is called the Anthropocene era, humans and our urban environments appear to be driving accelerated evolutionary change in plants, animals, fungi, viruses and more — changes that could affect key ecosystem functions and thus human well-being. These interactions between evolution and ecology are called “eco-evolutionary feedback.” The National Science Foundation has awarded…

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The ‘Swiss Army knife of prehistoric tools’ found in Asia, independent of ancient African or European influence

A study by an international team of researchers, including from the University of Washington, determines that carved stone tools, also known as Levallois cores, were used in Asia 80,000 to 170,000 years ago. With the find — and absent human fossils linking the tools to migrating populations — researchers believe people in Asia developed the technology independently, evidence of similar sets of skills evolving throughout different parts of the ancient world.

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November 18, 2018

UW joins with WSU to promote affordability of public higher education

Public higher education is not just possible, it is easily within reach for Washington residents. That’s the message behind a new joint public-awareness campaign of the University of Washington and Washington State University to promote the affordability of higher education in the state of Washington.

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November 14, 2018

ArtsUW Roundup: A Library of Black Lies, Power and Pleasure in Indian Painting, and more!

This week in the arts, shop for hand-printed gifts, attend a sonic-theatrical performance, dive into lectures about Indian Painting in Mewar and Marwar, and more! Print Sale November 14 to 15, 8:00 AM–7:00 PM | Art Building Hand-printed artwork, cards, soft goods, and more! UW student members of the UW Printmaking Association and UW printmaking alums…

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First tally of U.S.-Russia polar bears finds a healthy population

The first assessment of polar bears that live in the biologically rich Chukchi Sea region that spans the U.S. and Russia, finds that the population is healthy and not yet suffering from declining sea ice.

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Gold standard: UW wins recognition as bike friendly campus

The University of Washington has won a Gold Bicycle Friendly University award from the League of American Bicyclists in recognition of its achievements in promoting safe, accessible bicycling on campus.

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New resources support tribes in preparing for climate change

The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group and regional tribal partners have developed a collection of resources that may be useful to tribes at any stage in the process of evaluating their vulnerability to climate change. The project is a partnership among tribes, tribal associations, universities and the federal government.

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November 13, 2018

Scientists engineer a functional optical lens out of 2D materials

In a paper published Oct. 8 in the journal Nano Letters, a team from the University of Washington and the National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan announced that it has constructed functional metalenses that are one-tenth to one-half the thickness of the wavelengths of light that they focus. Their metalenses, which were constructed out of layered 2D materials, were as thin as 190 nanometers — less than 1/100,000ths of an inch thick.

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UW communication professor Ralina Joseph’s new book navigates minefield of ‘postracial racialism’

Ralina Joseph, associate professor of communication, discusses here new book “Postracial Resistance: Black Women, Media, and the Uses of Strategic Ambiguity,” published this October by New York University Press.

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November 9, 2018

Public notice: Availability of a final Environmental Impact Statement

Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-455, 197-11-510 and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of the availability of a final Environmental Impact Statement. Project name: Husky Stadium Transportation Management Plan Proponent/lead agency: University of Washington – Seattle Campus Description of proposal: The university is updating the Husky Stadium Transportation Management…

November 8, 2018

Common allergen, ragweed, will shift northward under climate change

The first study of common ragweed’s future U.S. distribution finds the top allergen will expand its range northward as the climate warms, reaching new parts of upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, while retreating from current hot spots.

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November 7, 2018

UW recognized for 27-year partnership with Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council

When it comes to supporting and promoting the growth of minority businesses, the University of Washington has a long track record – 27 years to be exact. This milestone represents the UW’s long-standing relationship with the Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC).

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University of Washington’s Fall 2018 entering class is largest ever

The University of Washington welcomed the largest class of new students across all three campuses, and the largest number of Washington residents in UW history, according to the finalized Fall 2018 census of enrolled students released by all three campuses.

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ArtsUW Roundup: Caravaggio Lecture, Campagnie Käfig, Print Sale, and More!

This week in the arts, attend “Unbelievable: Reflections on Caravaggio’s Religious Art” lecture, go to a Print Sale, see Brooklyn Rider perform, and more! Faculty Lecture: Estelle Lingo on Caravaggio November 8, 5:30–6:30 PM | Art Building Estelle Lingo, Associate Professor of Art History and Donald E. Peterson Professor in the Arts,  will give the…

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UW Evans School, Harvard, Northeastern study: State governments’ internet footprints reveal what they do — and how and why they differ

To better understand how state governments across the United States execute their diverse responsibilities, look at their internet footprint, says a new study by researchers at the University of Washington, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

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After a bad winter in the ocean, female Magellanic penguins suffer most, study shows

Researchers from the University of Washington have shown how Magellanic penguins fare during the winter months when they spend months at sea feeding. They have discovered that oceanographic features are more likely to negatively impact the body conditions of Magellanic penguin females, but not males, when the penguins return to their nesting grounds in spring.

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November 6, 2018

Updated book compiles 45 years of changes in Pacific Northwest flora

Botanists at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture have created a much-needed second edition of the “Flora of the Pacific Northwest.”

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November 5, 2018

Violence in childhood leads to accelerated aging, study finds

A new study of nearly 250 children and teens led by the University of Washington found that participants who had suffered abuse were developing faster than those who had not.

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November 2, 2018

UW Today email is getting a new look

The University of Washington has distributed news to the campus community — in one form or another — since 1975. Such communication began as a way to streamline how faculty, staff and students received important administrative news and was initially published as a pamphlet of memos. In 1983, it evolved into University Week, a weekly…

‘Ocean memory’ the focus of cross-disciplinary effort by UW’s Jody Deming

UW oceanographer Jody Deming is a leader of a new, interdisciplinary effort that addresses the theme of “ocean memory.”

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Racial, ethnic minorities face greater vulnerability to wildfires

Massive wildfires, which may be getting more intense due to climate change and a long history of fire-suppression policies, have strikingly unequal effects on minority communities, a new study shows.

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November 1, 2018

University of Washington public hearing notice for Nov. 7

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held at 10 am on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at the University of Washington Police Department Conference Room located at 3939 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.

UW opens permanent food pantry on campus

Studies suggest that as many as 25 percent of college students nationwide do not get enough food. That’s one of the reasons why the University of Washington on Thursday opened a new, permanent food pantry.

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