A crowd of dignitaries gathered Wednesday for the official groundbreaking of the university’s new 290,000-square-foot Population Health Building, a facility that will house the Population Health Initiative launched by the UW in 2016.
April 25, 2018
The latest news from the UW
UW faculty selected as authors, editors of international report on climate change
About twice each decade, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, looks at what is known about the science of climate change, the extent to which human activities are changing the Earth’s climate, and what risks these changes pose to human and natural systems. Organized into three working groups, each assessment is a years-long international effort that lays out the current understanding, projections for change over this century and options to manage the challenges ahead. The most…
Breaking bottlenecks to the electronic-photonic information technology revolution
Researchers at the University of Washington, working with researchers from the ETH-Zurich, Purdue University and Virginia Commonwealth University, have achieved an optical communications breakthrough that could revolutionize information technology. They created a tiny device, smaller than a human hair, that translates electrical bits (0s and 1s of the digital language) into light, or photonic bits, at speeds 10s of times faster than current technologies.
World’s deepest fish named to 10 ‘remarkable new species’ list for 2017
The World Register of Marine Species has named the Mariana snailfish one of its 10 “remarkable new species” discovered in 2017. The team that discovered and named the small fish includes Mackenzie Gerringer, a postdoctoral researcher at the UW’s Friday Harbor Laboratories.
April 24, 2018
Washington Research Foundation awards fellowships to UW researchers
Seven University of Washington researchers have been selected as Washington Research Foundation fellows. This fellowship funds 10 researchers who work in STEM fields to perform mentored research projects over the next three years.
April 19, 2018
Vikram Prakash’s ‘ArchitectureTalk’ podcast explores topics ‘at the edge of the known’
Vikram Prakash says his weekly “ArchitectureTalk” podcast got its start, as many things do, from a student’s idea.
Researchers achieve HD video streaming at 10,000 times lower power
Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a new HD video streaming method that doesn’t need to be plugged in. Their prototype skips the power-hungry components and has something else, like a smartphone, process the video instead.
April 18, 2018
Arts Roundup: Barry Liberman and Friends Master Class, Scholarship Chamber Group: Discovery Trio, Ethnomusicology Visiting Artist: Spanish Flamenco Artist Ricardo Garcia, and more
This week in the arts, attend a master class taught by Seattle Symphony artist, see Tony Kushner’s epic tale of AIDS in the 1980s, explore music throughout the past four centuries, hear 13-year-old violinist perform in UW Keyboard Program’s quarterly series, and listen to a special blend of Flamenco music with a guest artist.
Screen reader plus keyboard helps blind, low-vision users browse modern webpages
By using a keyboard to provide tactile feedback along with with a screen reader, blind and low-vision users were three times more successful at navigating complex modern webpages, similar to a typical Airbnb booking site.
April 17, 2018
Daniel Bessner’s ‘Democracy in Exile’ explores brain drain from Germany in 1930s, effect on U.S. foreign policy
Daniel Bessner, assistant professor in the Jackson School, has a new book from Cornell University Press: “Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier and the Rise of the Defense Intellectual.”
April 16, 2018
Statement on UW School of Dentistry financial deficit
A statement from Victor Balta, UW spokesperson, on the financial deficit in the University of Washington School of Dentistry.
UW Jackson School researcher: Alternative energy is key to long-term health
Halting the spread of disease involves a combination of health care and societal practices — from access to doctors and vaccines to clean water and adequate resources. Many of those solutions rely on electricity and transport fuels, whether for refrigeration, diagnosis and treatment, or distribution. But with two of the major energy sources the world relies on now — coal and oil in the form of diesel fuel — global health stands little chance of major improvement, says a…
April 12, 2018
Peptide-based biogenic dental product may cure cavities
Researchers at the University of Washington have designed a convenient and natural product that uses proteins to rebuild tooth enamel and treat dental cavities.
UW’s Kristina Olson wins NSF Waterman Award for studies of ‘how children see themselves and the world’
The National Science Foundation today named Kristina Olson, University of Washington associate professor of psychology, winner of this year’s Alan T. Waterman Award. The Waterman Award is the U.S. government’s highest honor for an early career scientist or engineer, recognizing an outstanding scientist under the age of 40 or within 10 years of receiving a Ph.D. As part of the honor, Olson receives a five-year, $1 million research grant. Olson, who runs the Social Cognitive Development Lab at the…
Circumbinary castaways: Short-period binary systems can eject orbiting worlds
Planets orbiting “short-period” binary stars, or stars locked in close orbital embrace, can be ejected off into space as a consequence of their host stars’ evolution, according to new research from the University of Washington.
April 10, 2018
UW’s Samuel Wasser receives prestigious Albert Schweitzer Medal
A University of Washington professor has been awarded the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Medal for his work for developing noninvasive tools for monitoring human impacts on wildlife. Samuel K. Wasser was honored in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Tuesday evening. The award was presented by Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell.
April 9, 2018
After 30 years of R&D, breakthrough announced in dark matter detection technology, definitive search to begin for axion particles
This week, the Axion Dark Matter Experiment (ADMX) announced that it has achieved the necessary sensitivity to “hear” the telltale signs of dark matter axions. This technological breakthrough is the result of more than 30 years of research and development, with the latest piece of the puzzle coming in the form of a quantum-enabled device that allows ADMX to listen for axions more closely than any experiment ever built.
April 6, 2018
University of Washington professor recognized by Guggenheim Foundation
A University of Washington professor is among the 173 scholars, artists and scientists from the U.S. and Canada recognized this year by the Guggenheim Foundation. Christian Lee Novetzke, associate director, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies, and director, Center for Global Studies, was among the winners chosen from more than 3,000 applicants.
April 4, 2018
Arts Roundup: Angels in America Part II, The Brink: Demian DinéYazhi’, Kollar American Art Lecture, Calidore String Quartet, and more
In the arts, see the School of Drama’s Mainstage performance of Angels in America, “a story about locating hope in the midst of chaos,” attend a guest artist recital titled “Colors and Characters,” hear School of Music faculty perform in Ballard, see the Henry’s new exhibition that explores the entangled relationships between the land, Native cultures, and colonial, capitalist economic and political systems, and celebrate art at the Henry’s annual gala and dance party!
‘Differences can be a part of their skills’: Pilot program at UW offers on-the-job training for young adults with autism
A national program to boost the employment prospects of young adults with autism is piloting its approach at the UW this year. At 10 locations on campus over the course of the year, interns with the program have built databases, organized libraries and maintained facilities.
UW’s newest icon — a carillon of bells atop Kane Hall — to be dedicated Thursday
A new carillon — the only such instrument in Western Washington — will ring in full concert at the University of Washington for the first time Thursday.
April 3, 2018
Bowhead whales, the ‘jazz musicians’ of the Arctic, sing many different songs
Bowhead whales are constantly changing their tune, unlike the only other whale species that sings, the humpback.
New arboretum trail daylights creek, gives greater access to wetlands
A new trail that winds through Washington Park Arboretum is bringing to focus plants previously hidden and a stream that used to be underground in pipes and culverts. The UW together with Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Foundation on Sunday, April 8 will celebrate the trail opening with festivities along the path.
Four UW students honored by Goldwater Foundation
Three University of Washington undergraduates are among 211 students nationwide named as 2018 Goldwater Scholars. One UW student received honorable mention.
Real estate department named in honor of Jon and Judy Runstad
The College of Built Environments Department of Real Estate, formerly the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies, has been named in honor of Jon and Judy Runstad.
April 2, 2018
Earth’s stable temperature past suggests other planets could also sustain life
Earth has had moderate temperatures throughout its early history, and neutral seawater acidity. This means other rocky planets could likely also maintain this equilibrium and allow life to evolve.
March 29, 2018
Stellar break-up likely behind ‘runaway’ star’s fast pace, researcher says
During a recent survey of supermassive stars, an international team of astronomers discovered a star that is in quite a hurry. As they report in a new paper, the team tracked one yellow supergiant star cruising along at about 300,000 miles per hour, a velocity that would get you from the Earth to the Moon in about 48 minutes.
Arts Roundup: Opera star Kathleen Battle, UW faculty perform Beethoven — and a ballet by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago
In the arts, see legendary opera star Kathleen Battle take the Meany stage, hear UW’s own faculty perform Beethoven and other iconic works, experience a breathtaking contemporary ballet where “unparalleled versatility and virtuosity” are on full display, and attend a UW Symphony performance.
Mario L. Barnes named dean of the School of Law
Mario L. Barnes has been named the next Toni Rembe dean of the University of Washington’s School of Law, President Ana Mari Cauce and Provost Jerry Baldasty announced today. His appointment, set to begin July 5, 2018, is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents.
March 28, 2018
UW historian Michael Honey recalls Martin Luther King’s message of economic justice in new book, ‘To the Promised Land’
As the 50th anniversary approaches of the murder of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, UW historian Michael Honey reminds us in a new book that economic justice and labor rights were always part of King’s progressive message.
Decade of fossil collecting in Africa gives new perspective on Triassic period, emergence of dinosaurs
A University of Washington-led project spanning countries, years and institutions has attempted to reconstruct what the southern end of the world looked like during the Triassic period, 252 to 199 million years ago.
March 27, 2018
Distinguished pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Danielson to be UW’s 2018 commencement speaker
Dr. Benjamin Danielson, a 1992 graduate of the UW School of Medicine, a Children’s Hospital pediatrician and director of the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, will be the featured speaker at the University of Washington’s Commencement exercises Saturday, June 9.
March 26, 2018
Underground neutrino experiment sets the stage for deep discovery about matter
In a study published March 26 in Physical Review Letters, collaborators of the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR have shown they can shield a sensitive, scalable 44-kilogram germanium detector array from background radioactivity. This accomplishment is critical to developing a much larger future experiment to study the nature of neutrinos.
March 22, 2018
A blind date in the deep sea: First-ever observations of a living anglerfish, a female with her tiny mate, coupled for life
A pair of anglerfish, a species never before seen alive by humans, was recorded recently on camera by researchers aboard the LULA1000, a submersible operated by the marine science-focused Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation.
March 21, 2018
Partnering with indigenous communities to anticipate and adapt to ocean change
With a new $700,000 grant awarded from the NOAA Ocean Acidification Program, scientists from the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory, Washington Sea Grant and the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean have teamed with federal and tribal partners to study the social and ecological vulnerabilities of Olympic Coast ocean acidification.
March 19, 2018
University of Washington graduate and professional disciplines rank highly in US News’ Best Graduate School lists
Nearly 50 different graduate and professional programs and specialties at the University of Washington are among the top 10 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 Best Graduate School rankings released March 20.
March 15, 2018
New minor recognizes, celebrates Pacific Islander community
The University of Washington’s new minor in Oceania and Pacific Islander Studies debuts spring quarter. The 25-credit, interdisciplinary program is the result of a longtime effort to elevate the history and culture of an underrepresented, and often misrepresented, community.
With new ‘shuffling’ trick, researchers can measure gene activity in single cells
Researchers at the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for Brain Science have developed a new method to classify and track the multitude of cells in a tissue sample. In a paper published March 15 in the journal Science, the team reports that this new approach — known as SPLiT-seq — reliably tracks gene activity in a tissue down to the level of single cells.
Democratizing science: Researchers make neuroscience experiments easier to share, reproduce
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a set of tools to make MRI studies of our central nervous system easier to share.
March 14, 2018
Could anti-Trump sentiment mobilize African-American voters in 2018?
African-American voters who dislike and feel threatened by Donald Trump and his presidency are more likely to vote and to engage with politics, according to new research from the UW and California State University, Sacramento.