UW News
The latest news from the UW
November 16, 2023
Q&A: How an assistive-feeding robot went from picking up fruit salads to whole meals
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington developed 11 actions a robotic arm can make to pick up nearly any food attainable by fork. This allows the system to learn to pick up new foods during one meal.
Tag(s): Amal Nanavati • College of Engineering • Ethan K. Gordon • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Taylor Kessler FaulknerNovember 15, 2023
WhaleVis turns more than a century of whaling data into an interactive map
A team at the University of Washington has created an interactive dashboard called WhaleVis, which lets users map data on global whale catches and whaling routes from 1880 to 1986. Scientists can compare this historical data and its trends with current information to better understand whale populations over time.
Tag(s): Ameya Patil • College of Engineering • Leilani Battle • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences • Trevor BranchNovember 14, 2023
5th National Climate Assessment authors include UW climate experts
Three UW experts are among the authors of the newly released Fifth National Climate Assessment, an overview of climate trends, impacts and efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change across the nation.
Tag(s): Climate Impacts Group • College of the Environment • Crystal Raymond • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Department of Global Health • Jeremy Hess • Kristie Ebi • School of Public HealthNovember 13, 2023
UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences maintains No. 1 global ranking; more than two dozen UW subjects in top 50
Six University of Washington subjects ranked in the top 10, and atmospheric sciences maintained its position as No. 1 in the world on the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects list for 2023. The ranking, released at the end of October, was conducted by researchers at the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, a fully independent organization dedicated to research on higher education intelligence and consultation.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce • biology • College of Arts & Sciences • College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Department of Statistics • oceanography • public health • Rankings • School of Public Health • UW Medicine
North Atlantic’s marine productivity may not be declining, according to new study of older ice cores
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of declining phytoplankton in the North Atlantic may have been greatly exaggerated. Analysis of a Greenland ice core going back 800 years shows that atmospheric chemistry, not dwindling phytoplankton populations, explains the recent ice core trends.
Tag(s): Becky Alexander • climate change • College of the Environment • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • marine microbiology • oceanographyNovember 10, 2023
UW honors veterans in ceremony
The University of Washington’s annual Veterans Day ceremony, held on Friday at the Medal of Honor Memorial near Red Square, honored those who have served and featured music by the Husky Marching Band. UW alum Dr. John Hess, ’72, was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award by President Ana Mari Cauce. While serving in…
November 9, 2023
‘Pull Together’ campaign launches ahead of ‘The Boys in the Boat’ theatrical release
Ahead of the Dec. 25 release of “The Boys in the Boat,” the University of Washington — joined by The Seattle Times, Microsoft and additional community partners — is launching a six-week “Pull Together” campaign to support young people and celebrate the civic spirit of our city and region.
New York Climate Exchange, on which UW is a core partner, names first CEO
The New York Climate Exchange, a first-of-its-kind organization working to implement innovative climate solutions in New York City and across the globe, on Nov. 9 announced Stephen Hammer as its founding chief executive officer. The University of Washington is a core member of the exchange.
Tag(s): climate change • College of the Environment • Maya Tolstoy • population health • The New York Climate Exchange
New AI noise-canceling headphone technology lets wearers pick which sounds they hear
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has developed deep-learning algorithms that let users pick which sounds filter through their headphones in real time. Either through voice commands or a smartphone app, headphone wearers can select which sounds they want to include from 20 classes, such as sirens, baby cries, speech, vacuum cleaners and bird chirps.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Shyam GollakotaNovember 8, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Diversity Lecture Series, Jacob Lawrence Gallery Reopening, Sacred Breath, and more.
This week, attend the Diversity Lecture Series “Unveiling Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States”, celebrate the Jacob Lawrence Gallery Reopening, listen to Indigenous storytellers at Sacred Breath, and more. November 13, 3:00 – 4:30pm | Diversity Lecture Series: “Unveiling Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States: Disparities and Challenges in Women’s Health”,…
Tag(s): Banks Center for Educational Justice • Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of American Indian Studies • Department of English • Department of French & Italian Studies • Department of Medicine • Global Literacy Studies • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies • Jacob Lawrence Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Art + Art History + Design • Simpson Center for the Humanities • Stroum Center for Jewish Studies • UW Textual Studies • wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual HouseNovember 7, 2023
UW entrepreneurship programs place in the top 10 in national ranking
The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington Foster School of Business ranked in the top 10 for “Best Entrepreneurship Program,” according to a ranking produced jointly by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine.
Tag(s): Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship • Foster School of Business • RankingsNovember 2, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: UW Pandemic Project Radical Listening Session, National First-Generation College Celebration, and more
This week, attend the UW Pandemic Project’s Radical Listening Session to honor each individual’s lived pandemics experiences, head to Meany Hall for Garrick Ohlsson’s piano performance, celebrate Diwali with the Burke Museum, and more. November 7, 4:30 – 6:00pm | Sharon Stein, “The University and Its Responsibility for Repair: Confronting Colonial Foundations and Enabling Different…
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Comparative History of Ideas • Information School • Institutional Climate Action • Jackson School of International Studies • Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program • Law Sustainable International Development Graduate Program • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • Office of Global Affairs • Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity • Office of Student life • Simpson Center for the Humanities • Undergraduate Academic Affairs • University Marketing & Communications • University of Washington • UW Alumni Association • UW Bothell • UW Facilities • UW Medicine • UW Tacoma
Can AI help boost accessibility? These researchers tested it for themselves
Seven researchers at the University of Washington conducted a three-month autoethnographic study — drawing on their own experiences as people with and without disabilities — to test AI tools’ utility for accessibility. Though researchers found cases in which the tools were helpful, they also found significant problems.
Tag(s): Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences • College of Engineering • Jennifer Mankoff • Kate Glazko • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringOctober 31, 2023
University takes action after faculty hiring process inappropriately used race as a factor
Late last academic year, concerns were reported about a faculty hiring process in the University of Washington’s Department of Psychology. A review was requested by Dianne Harris, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, after she learned of these potential issues. The review was completed in September and indicates that race was inappropriately considered and used in a way that is inconsistent with University policy in the hiring process for an assistant professor position in the department.
October 30, 2023
A Google Slides extension can make presentation software more accessible for blind users
A team led by researchers at the University of Washington has created A11yBoard for Google Slides, a browser extension and phone or tablet app that allows blind users to navigate through complex slide layouts, objects, images and text.
Tag(s): Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences • Information School • Jacob Wobbrock • Jerry ZhangOctober 26, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, Labor Studies Annual Awards Celebration, and more
This week, check out Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth’s performance, an ingenious dark comedy written by Jen Silverman, attend the Labor Studies Annual Awards Celebration Banquet, and more. November 2, 7:30pm | Roomful of Teeth with Gabriel Kahane, Meany Hall The Grammy-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth continue to expand the capabilities of the…
Tag(s): ArtsUW • College of Arts & Sciences • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Drama
Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime
There are more than 200 species of noctilionoid bats, mostly in the American tropics. And despite being close relatives, their jaws evolved in wildly divergent shapes and sizes to exploit different food sources. A paper published Aug. 22 in Nature Communications shows those adaptations include dramatic, but also consistent, modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position. For example, bats with short snouts lack certain teeth, presumably due to a lack of space. Species with longer jaws have room for more teeth — and, like humans, their total tooth complement is closer to what the ancestor of placental mammals had.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Biology • evolution • Sharlene SantanaOctober 25, 2023
UW experts offer hot takes on El Niño, weather and ocean temperatures
Five University of Washington experts comment on the current El Niño, its effect on Pacific Northwest winter weather, as well as on regional and global ocean temperature trends.
Tag(s): Aaron Levine • Applied Physics Laboratory • College of the Environment • Cooperative Institute for Climate • Dennis Hartmann • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Jan Newton • Luanne Thompson • Nick Bond • Ocean and Ecosystem Studies • oceanography • Office of the Washington State Climatologist • School of OceanographyOctober 24, 2023
How can social media be better? Four UW researchers compare strategies
The turmoil at large tech platforms has many people reconsidering what they want out of social media. Four researchers at the University of Washington are exploring different approaches to improve people’s experiences.
Tag(s): Amanda Baughan • Amy X. Zhang • College of Engineering • Information School • Katherine Cross • Martin Saveski • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & EngineeringOctober 23, 2023
Video: Familiar ingredients make Afghan Food Guide easy to swallow
Unfamiliar foods can get in the way of following a recommended diet. For the Afghan community seeking health care in the U.S., a nutrition handbook created by UW School of Public Health graduate student Priyasha Maharjan works to solve this problem, using Afghan food examples to educate patients and care providers on the nutritional content of their meals.
Tag(s): Priyasha Maharjan • School of Public HealthOctober 19, 2023
ArtSci Roundup: Fall Concert with DXARTS, Dance Graduate Research Symposium and more
This week, check out the Fall Concert hosted by DXARTS (Department of Digital Arts and Experimental Media), attend the Dance Graduate Research Symposium, listen to guest composer concerts, and more. October 25, 7:30pm | DXARTS FALL CONCERT: Ritual-Entropy-Storm, Meany Hall Join the Department of Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS) as they host a Fall…
Tag(s): China Studies Program • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Anthropology • Department of Classics • Department of Dance • DXARTS • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Hall for the Performing Arts • School of Music • Simpson Center for the Humanities • University of Washington
Q&A: UW expert on rise of younger, less experienced bosses in the workplace
Supervisors are traditionally associated with higher status markers such as age, education and tenure than their subordinates. But it’s increasingly common to see those dynamics reversed, which is the focus of a new study from Jessica Huisi Li, University of Washington assistant professor of management and organization.
Tag(s): Foster School of Business • Jessica Huisi Li
‘Boys in the Boat’ trailer released; first look at movie featuring 1936 UW men’s rowing team
Directed by George Clooney, the “Boys in the Boat” movie was inspired by the University of Washington men’s rowing team that won Olympic Gold in 1936. It’s based on the 2013 book by Daniel James Brown.
Tag(s): Boys in the Boat
UW’s 2023 historic incoming class: one of the most diverse and at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, the largest
The University of Washington’s newest freshman class is one of the most diverse in the school’s 162-year history, and UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are welcoming their largest incoming classes.
Tag(s): UW Bothell • UW TacomaOctober 18, 2023
DNA shows where Washington culvert replacements helped spawning salmon
A project led by the UW used genetic sleuthing to study how salmon were affected by two major culvert replacements near the city of Bellingham. One project, a major upgrade under Interstate-5, had a big impact, while the other old culvert may have been less of a barrier to fish. Authors from the UW and NOAA are studying the use of eDNA in future environmental impact reporting.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • eDNA Collaborative • Ryan Kelly • salmon • School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
UW’s Chandan Reddy named one of six ‘Freedom Scholars’ for work on race, gender and sexuality
Chandan Reddy, an associate professor of gender, women and sexuality studies and of the comparative history of ideas at the University of Washington, has been named a “Freedom Scholar” by the Marguerite Casey Foundation.
Tag(s): Chandan Reddy • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Comparative History of Ideas • Select Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality StudiesOctober 17, 2023
UW announces four non-compliant items in recent USDA inspection of animal facilities in Seattle
The University of Washington’s animal facilities on the Seattle campus underwent a routine, unannounced inspection by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) between Sept. 12 and 14. The inspection identified four non-compliant items, all of which had previously been self-reported by the UW and rectified before the inspection took place.
Closing in on the elusive neutrino
In a paper published Sept. 6 in Physical Review Letters, an international team of researchers in the United States, Germany and France reported that a distinctive strategy they have used shows real promise to be the first approach to measure the mass of the neutrino. Once fully scaled up, their collaboration — Project 8 — could also reveal how neutrinos influenced the early evolution of the universe as we know it.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Physics • Elise Novitski • Gray Rybka • physics
UW’s Briana Abrahms chosen as a Packard Fellow for 2023
Briana Abrahms, a University of Washington assistant professor of biology and researcher with the UW Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, has been named a 2023 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering, according to an Oct. 16 announcement from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. As one of 20 new fellows across the country, Abrahms, who holds the Boersma Endowed Chair in Natural History and Conservation, will receive $875,000 over five years for her research.
Tag(s): Briana Abrahms • Center for Ecosystem Sentinels • climate change • College of Arts & Sciences • conservation • Department of Biology
Q&A: Researchers aim to improve accessibility with augmented reality
This month, University of Washington researchers will introduce multiple projects that deploy augmented reality — through headsets and phone apps — with the aim of making the world more accessible for people with disabilities.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • Jae (Jaewook) Lee • Jon Froehlich • Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering • Xia Su
CDC funds UW to take first steps toward regional public health emergency preparedness center
The UW will convene partners across Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Oregon to develop a workplan to establish a future regional Center for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Tag(s): Center for Disaster Resilient Communities • Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences • Nicole Errett • Population Health Initiative • School of Public HealthOctober 13, 2023
Determination of non-significance: East Campus Dock lmprovements
Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-340 and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of: DETERMINATION OF NON-SIGNIFICANCE Project Name: East Campus Dock lmprovements Proponent/Lead Agency: University of Washington–Seattle Campus Comment Period Closes: October 27, 2023 Description of Proposal: The UW is proposing to repair, replace, and remove several docks located…
October 12, 2023
Video: Highlights from UW President’s annual address
University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce delivered her annual address to the community on Oct. 12. Highlights of the speech are reflected in this video. The audience was invited to attend the event remotely via livestream.
Tag(s): Ana Mari Cauce
ArtSci Roundup: Frontiers of Physics Lecture, a conversation with Bridgerton author, Archaeology Day at the Burke, and more
This week, attend the Frontiers of Physics Lecture, listen to a conversation with Julia Quinn the author of the Bridgerton series, head to the Burke Museum to celebrate International Archaeology Day, and more. October 17, 7:30pm | Frontiers of Physics Lecture | More perfect than we imagined: A physicist’s view of life, Kane Hall Among the most…
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Department of Global Health • Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures • Department of Physics • Jackson School of International Studies • Middle East Center • School of Music • School of Public Health • Simpson Center for the Humanities • South Asia Center • UW Libraries • UW Quantum XOctober 10, 2023
Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Cowles appointed chair of Ruckelshaus Center board
Elizabeth A. “Betsy” Cowles has been named chair of the Advisory Board to the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a public policy-minded collaboration of Washington State University and the University of Washington.
Tag(s): William R. Ruckelshaus Center
Fostering a more diverse faculty: How the new Vice Provost for Academic Personnel aims to build an office of ‘Faculty Success’
In 1996, two Kenyan scholars were awarded Fulbright Scholarships — honors the U.S. Department of State grants to promising young academics worldwide. Fred Muyia Nafukho, who joined the University of Washington earlier this year as the vice provost for academic personnel, vividly remembers the day he was called to the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.
Tag(s): ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change • Chadwick Allen • Fredrick Nafukho • Joyce Yen • Paula Houston • UW Medicine
“Ways of Knowing” Epilogue
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 8: Translation
When you hear a cover of a favorite song, comparisons are inevitable. There are obvious similarities – the lyrics, the melody – but there are also enough differences to make each version unique. Those deviations say more than you might expect. Maya Angela Smith, associate of professor of French at the University of…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of French & Italian Studies • Maya Angela Smith • ways of knowing
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 7: Material Culture
Picture a series of uniform mounds of earth, each about 6-feet high. Enclosing 50 acres, the mounds form an octagon that is connected to a circle. This is The Octagon Earthworks, located in central Ohio, and it’s one of thousands of Indigenous mounds across the eastern half of North America. Chadwick Allen is…
Tag(s): Chadwick Allen • College of Arts & Sciences • Department of American Indian Studies • ways of knowing
“Ways of Knowing” Episode 6: Visual Literacy
An empty wallet, a hairbrush, a diaper. These are just a few of the items left behind by migrants at the United States-Mexico border, photographed for a 2021 article in the Los Angeles Times. In this episode, Diana Ruíz discusses how the same images can be used on both sides of the same debate. In…
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Department of Cinema & Media Studies • Diana Ruíz« Previous Page Next Page »
