The latest news from the UW

February 1, 2017

Arts Roundup: Japanese drumming, Shakespeare, and a public lecture

This week in the arts, traditional Japanese music, a modern twist on a Shakespearean classic, and a lecture featuring Cameron Rowland discusses contemporary art and its place in society. KODO 8 p.m., February 3 & 4 | Meany Theater An international phenomenon since 1981, the percussion ensemble KODO explores the limitless rhythmic possibilities of the traditional Japanese taiko drum. More info. As You Like It 7:30 p.m., February 7 through February 19 | Glenn Hughes Penthouse Theater Shakespeare’s glorious comedy of love and change…

Engineering | News releases | Research | Technology | UW and the community

New route-finding map lets Seattle pedestrians avoid hills, construction, accessibility barriers

AccessMap – a University of Washington project spearheaded by the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology — launched a new online travel planner offering customizable suggestions for people who need accessible or pedestrian-friendly routes when getting from point A to B in Seattle.

Health and medicine | News releases | Politics and government | Social science | UW and the community

January 31, 2017

UW’s Forefront to recreate memorial, advocate for solutions at Suicide Prevention Education Day in Olympia

The UW-based Forefront will host a memorial for Washington state residents who died by suicide and join firearms dealers, veterans’ organizations, pharmacists, health care providers and suicide attempt and loss survivors to advocate for two legislative bills as part of Suicide Prevention Education Day.

Arts and entertainment | Education | News releases | Politics and government | UW and the community

Poetry, passion and social justice: Activist poets to gather at UW, perform at Seattle Public Library Feb. 3

Poet activists from around the nation will gather for daylong UW conference Feb. 3 on creativity in activism — and then give full voice to that creativity in performances 7 – 10 p.m. at the Seattle Public Library. All are welcome.

Arts and entertainment | Science | UW News blog

January 30, 2017

Artists in the lab: Talk will highlight a creative partnership between art and science

Jennifer Nemhauser leads a research laboratory of scientists, all immersed in the complex world of plant hormones. But last year, the University of Washington professor of biology boosted her lab’s roster with some unexpected talent. Claire Cowie — an artist, UW alumna and lecturer — spent three months in 2016 as a part-time artist-in-residence in Nemhauser’s lab. On Feb. 3, Cowie will deliver a talk to share her experiences and help spread the word about the benefits both she and Nemhauser see…

Administrative affairs | For UW employees | UW and the community | UW News blog

January 27, 2017

UW statement regarding purported Red Square event Monday

A statement from Denzil Suite, vice president for student life at the University of Washington, regarding an event purported to be taking place Monday on Red Square.

Arts and entertainment | Education | Learning | Profiles | UW and the community

Meany Center joins visiting Step Afrika! dance troupe to honor 100th anniversary of artist Jacob Lawrence’s birth

Meany Center for the Performing Arts and the School of Art + Art History + Design celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of artist Jacob Lawrence along with the Seattle Art Museum.

Arts and entertainment

January 25, 2017

Arts Roundup: A trio, a quartet, and a chamber recital

It’s a musical week here at the UW! Attend the faculty-student chamber recital and performances by the Escher String Quartet and the Evergreen Trio. Undergraduate Theater Society: New Works Festival 7:30 p.m., January 27 through January 29 | Hutchinson Hall Cabaret Theater A long standing UTS tradition, the New Works Festival highlights work shopping new scripts, putting new work on its feet, and giving undergrads opportunities they can’t find elsewhere. All three plays featured will have been written by, directed…

Environment | Research | Science | UW News blog

Monsoons to mosquitoes: UW researchers attend national weather conference in Seattle

Researchers from across the UW are presenting their work at the American Meteorological Society’s annual meeting this week in Seattle.

News releases | Research | Science

‘Protective’ DNA strands are shorter in adults who had more infections as infants

New research indicates that people who had more infections as babies harbor a key marker of cellular aging as young adults: the protective stretches of DNA which “cap” the ends of their chromosomes are shorter than in adults who were healthier as infants.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation boosts vital work of the UW’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) announced today the foundation’s commitment to invest $279 million in IHME to expand its work over the next decade.

News releases | Research | Science

January 24, 2017

Prized fossil find — the oldest, most complete iguanian in the Americas — illuminates the lives of lizards in the Age of Dinosaurs

Paleontologists picking through a bounty of fossils from Montana have discovered something unexpected — a new species of lizard from the late dinosaur era, whose closest relatives roamed in faraway Asia.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Predator or not? Invasive snails hide even when they don’t know

The specific cues that trigger an animal’s natural defense vary depending on the species and its history in the ecosystem, a new University of Washington study finds.

Administrative affairs | For UW employees | News releases | UW and the community

January 20, 2017

Statement from UW President Ana Mari Cauce on shooting incident during protest in Red Square

A statement from University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce following an incident in which a man suffered a gunshot wound in the abdomen during a large protest in Red Square

Arts and entertainment

January 18, 2017

Arts Roundup: Maple and Vine, a dance faculty concert, and Russian music of the 1960s

This week in the arts, take a trip in time with Maple and Vine, view choreography by nationally and internationally recognized faculty, and hear collaborative musical works at Meany Hall. Maple and Vine January 17 through January 22 | Jones Playhouse Written by Jordan Harrison and directed by Sean Ryan, this darkly funny and provocative investigation of the modern condition asks us to consider how much mobility we’d sacrifice for the chance to just stand still next to someone we love. More info….

Environment | Research | Science | UW News blog

Listen to the Earth smash another global temperature record

The year 2016 was officially the hottest in recent history, beating previous records in 2014 and 2015. UW scientists let you hear the data speak for itself.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Climate change prompts Alaska fish to change breeding behavior

A new University of Washington study finds that one of Alaska’s most abundant freshwater fish species is altering its breeding patterns in response to climate change, which could impact the ecology of northern lakes that already acutely feel the effects of a changing climate.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Vitamin B-12, and a knockoff version, create complex market for marine vitamins

Vitamin B-12 exists in two different, incompatible forms in the oceans. An organism thought to supply the essential vitamin B-12 in the marine environment is actually churning out a knockoff version.

News releases | Research | Science | Technology

January 17, 2017

Conditions right for complex life may have come and gone in Earth’s distant past

Conditions suitable to support complex life may have developed in Earth’s oceans — and then faded — more than a billion years before life truly took hold, a new University of Washington-led study has found.

Arts and entertainment | Research | UW and the community | UW News blog

Three unique pieces comprise 2017 Dance Faculty Concert Jan. 20-22

The UW Dance Program will team with the “vertical dance company” BANDALOOP for part of its annual Dance Faculty Concert, to be held Jan. 20 – 22 in Meany Hall.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Diversification key to resilient fishing communities

Fishing communities can survive ― and even thrive ― as fish abundance and market prices shift if they can catch a variety of species and nimbly move from one fishery to the next, a new University of Washington study finds.

News releases | Research | Science

When it comes to mating, fruit flies can make rational choices

In a paper published Jan. 17 in the journal Nature Communications, researchers report that fruit flies — perhaps the most widely studied insect in history — show signs of rational decision-making when choosing a mate.

Administrative affairs | News releases | UW and the community | UW News blog

January 12, 2017

UW law professor leads group defending ‘aural tradition’ of creativity in famous ‘Blurred Lines’ copyright case

UW School of Law professor Sean O’Connor has filed a brief in the famous “Blurred Lines” music copyright case, arguing for full composition credit for those who worked in the “aural tradition” and did not use traditional musical notation.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Ocean acidification to hit West Coast Dungeness crab fishery, new assessment shows

The acidification of the ocean expected as seawater absorbs increasing amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will reverberate through the West Coast’s marine food web, but not necessarily in the ways you might expect, new research shows.

LATTICE connects women engineers in early academic careers with peers, support

A new national program at the UW — LATTICE — aims to diversify the national engineering faculty population by building supportive communities during the critical transition from graduate studies to permanent tenure-track positions.

Arts and entertainment

January 11, 2017

Arts Roundup: UW Tower exhibits, a lecture-recital, and a Littlefield Organ performance

This week, two new exhibits featuring local artists are on display in the UW Tower through March, a lecture-recital at Brechemin Auditorium, and a UW vocal performance highlighting scenes from Mozart’s operas. UW Tower Exhibit: Don Silverstein January through March 2017 | UW Tower The illustrative work and abstract paintings of prolific artist Donald Silverstein will be on display on the Mezzanine Level of the UW Tower this quarter. More info. Lecture-Recital: Dainius Vaicekonis, Piano 7:30 p.m., January 12 | Brechemin Auditorium UW alumnus and…

Environment | Research | Science | UW News blog

UW oceanographer dropping robotic floats on voyage to Antarctica

Autonomous floating sensors built at the UW are being deployed to track conditions in the waters surrounding Antarctica.

January 10, 2017

Two UW professors win Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Two University of Washington professors have received the 2017 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early career scientists and engineers.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Rapid Arctic warming has in the past shifted Southern Ocean winds

Ice core records from the two poles show that during the last ice age, sharp spikes in Arctic temperatures triggered shifts in the winds around Antarctica.

Buildings and grounds | Engineering | News releases | Technology | UW and the community

Zillow Group pledges $5 million for new UW Computer Science & Engineering building

Zillow Group, the Seattle-based company that houses real estate and home-related brands on mobile and web, has committed $5 million toward the development of a second Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) building on the UW Seattle campus.

Administrative affairs | UW and the community | UW News blog

January 5, 2017

UW President Ana Mari Cauce on board first West Coast commercial flight to Havana

UW President Ana Mari Cauce, the first Cuban-born president of a major American university, was on board the first West Coast commercial flight to Havana on Thursday. Cauce left Cuba with her family when she was 3 years old. “I’m thrilled at this new spirit of openness and the opportunity for us to build greater ties with the people of Cuba,” said Cauce. “We have much to share and learn about the Cuban people’s work in health care and education. This…

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Arctic sea ice loss impacts beluga whale migration

A new study led by the University of Washington finds the annual migration of some beluga whales in Alaska is altered by sea ice changes in the Arctic, while other belugas do not appear to be affected.

Arts and entertainment

January 4, 2017

Arts Roundup: ArtVenture, JACK Quartet, and Louis Lortie

This week, bring the whole family for an ArtVenture at Henry Art Gallery to discover how Paul McCarthy transformed small objects into giant sculptures, or catch performances from JACK Quartet and pianist Louis Lortie. ArtVenture: Toy Transformation! With Michelle Hagewood 1 p.m., January 8 | Henry Art Gallery How do toys reflect who we are? Bring a toy or dig through a collection of oddities to build a new doll, vehicle, or inventive plaything. We will explore how artist Paul McCarthy transformed…

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

Eelgrass in Puget Sound is stable overall, but some local beaches suffering

Eelgrass, a marine plant crucial to the success of migrating juvenile salmon and spawning Pacific herring, is stable and flourishing in Puget Sound, despite a doubling of the region’s human population and significant shoreline development over the past several decades.

Environment | News releases | Research | Science

January 3, 2017

Songbirds divorce, flee, fail to reproduce due to suburban sprawl

New research finds that for some songbirds, urban sprawl is kicking them out of their territory, forcing divorce and stunting their ability to find new mates and reproduce successfully, even after relocating.

News releases | Research | Science | UW and the community

University of Washington-led study shows new global evidence of the role of humans, urbanization in rapid evolution

A new multi-institution study led by the UW shows more clearly than ever that urbanization is affecting the genetic makeup of species that are crucial to ecosystem health and success.

News roundups | UW and the community | UW News blog

December 27, 2016

Year in review: 2016 news from the University of Washington

The research happening here at the University of Washington — across all three campuses — is exceptional and selecting only a handful of stories to feature from the hundreds, if not thousands, that came out this year is a monumental task. Using UW Today’s page view data, social media reach and news coverage, we have narrowed it down to these highlights showcasing the impact and ambition of the UW’s work regionally and around the world — listed here in chronological order.

Education | Politics and government

December 22, 2016

New UW law course focuses on presidential power in the Trump era

Donald Trump’s promises on the campaign trail have generated confusion and consternation around the country, as many wonder not only what the president-elect actually intends to do, but what is within his power to accomplish. Will Trump follow through on his threat to deport millions of undocumented immigrants? Could he pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement? And what of Trump’s promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act? Such questions will be the focus of new…

Education | Research | UW and the community | UW News blog

December 21, 2016

Documents that Changed the World: Sir Ronald Fisher defines ‘statistical significance,’ 1925

Joe Janes’ latest Documents that Changed the World podcast is about Sir Ronald Fisher, the man who set the mark of “statistical significance” for ages afterward at 5 percent, no more no less.