October 22, 2015
By more accurately predicting how variations in DNA sequences affect gene splicing, a new UW model and publicly available Web tool can help narrow down which genetic mutations cause disease and which have little effect on a person’s health.
October 21, 2015
The School of Drama kicks off its 75th anniversary season with the infamous musical “The Cradle Will Rock.” Catch performances of Gabriel Fauré’s opera “Pénélope,” the Mallethead series, and Ensemble Dal Niente, all presented by the School of Music. In the visual arts, the Henry Art Gallery throws its Fall Open House and a new exhibit opens in the Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Gabriel Fauré’s “Pénélope” October 22, 24 & 25 | Meany Studio Theater The UW School of Music…
The equipment used to farm geoducks, including PVC pipes and nets, might have a greater impact on the Puget Sound food web than the addition of the clams themselves. That’s one of the findings of the first major scientific study to examine the broad, long-term ecosystem effects of geoduck aquaculture in Puget Sound.
Roy Prosterman, professor emeritus of the University of Washington School of Law, says he knew Landesa, the international land reform agency he founded a half century ago, had been considered before for the prestigious Hilton Humanitarian Prize, with its $2 million cash award. “But I didn’t know that lightning was going to strike in 2015,” he said, clearly delighted. This month the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation announced its choice of Landesa as the recipient of its 20th annual prize. The…
During its almost half-century on television, “Sesame Street” has tackled thorny issues ranging from divorce to death, food insecurity and parental incarceration. The show is now turning its attention to autism, and a University of Washington expert played a pivotal role in the effort. Wendy Stone, director of the UW’s Research in Early Autism Detection and Intervention Lab, helped “Sesame Street” develop content for its See Amazing in All Children initiative, which launches today (Oct. 21). Stone thinks the project will promote…
October 20, 2015
The UW Combined Fund Drive begins its fall campaign with a Charity Fair & Silent Auction on Thursday, Oct. 22, in the HUB ballroom from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Representatives from more than 80 nonprofits will be on hand ready to describe their community work. The UWCFD, UW’s workplace giving campaign, raised more than $2 million last year for 1,800 nonprofits and for many UW scholarships and programs. This year’s campaign runs through Dec. 4. A coin drive, sock drive, and…
A UW graduate student’s research paper is the first serious study of whether climate change is likely to cause human migration to the Puget Sound region.
October 19, 2015
Margaret O’Mara, UW associate professor of history, discusses her new book, “Pivotal Tuesdays: Four Elections that Shaped the Twentieth Century.”
A Nov. 7 concert in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall promises to offer the audience a decidedly stellar musical experience. The event, “Origins: Life and the Universe,” will pair live performances of new compositions with video and slideshow scenes depicting cosmic events like the Big Bang, as well as scenes from distant worlds and Earth’s own life-filled history. The Northwest Sinfonia, under the direction of Grammy Award-winning conductor David Sabee, will perform the eight works by Pacific Northwest composers while the projected…
October 16, 2015
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has named the University of Washington’s Brandi Cossairt, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, as one of 18 Packard Fellows for 2015.
If we discover life beyond Earth — even just microbes — should we protect it at all costs? This is the topic of the NASA Astrobiology Debates, where elite college teams from across the country grapple with ethical, political and scientific questions stemming from the topic chosen for the year. Specifically, this year’s debate topic is: “Resolved: An overriding ethical obligation to protect and preserve extraterrestrial microbial life and ecosystems should be incorporated into international law.” The debates are overseen…
The Career Center @ Engineering — a new career center focused on the needs of University of Washington engineering students and employers looking to hire them — has opened its doors in the basement of Loew Hall. The new center offers a full range of career services for engineering students: honing resume-writing and interviewing skills that are put to the test during career fairs and recruiting events, connecting students with internship or job opportunities to help them narrow down fields…
October 15, 2015
A team of industrial, academic and nonprofit institutions that was among the top finishers of the recent ocean acidification XPrize is donating its winnings to a University of Washington lab that helps track ocean conditions worldwide. Scientists from the UW’s Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean checked the accuracy of chemical measurements during the 22-month contest. Argo floats built at the UW were recently deployed to monitor the ocean surrounding Antarctica Read the history of the…
Peering into a grocery store bin, it’s hard to tell if a peach or tomato or avocado is starting to go bad underneath its skin. A new affordable hyperspectral camera technology developed by UW and Microsoft Research uses both visible and invisible near-infrared light to “see” beneath surfaces and capture hidden details.
October 14, 2015
This week is packed with events and exhibits across campus. Get your modern dance fix with Chamber Dance Company in Meany Hall. Face your fear of snakes at the Burke and take an art break with internet meditation at the Henry Art Gallery. For classical music lovers, there’s a World Series performance by pianist Jonathan Biss and the chance to hear Fauré’s opera, “Pénélope.” Chamber Dance Company October 15-18 | Meany Theater Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Chamber Dance Company…
A University of Washington expert on sea ice is part of a new book and museum exhibit focused on an idea that has captured many imaginations: a Northwest Passage that would allow ship traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The book, “Arctic Ambitions: Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage” was published in March by the University of Washington Press. The accompanying museum exhibit opens Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Book contributor Harry Stern,…
For entrepreneurs, connections are as good as gold. Especially connections with the right investors. But connections with the wrong investors can inhibit a firm’s ability to innovate, according to new research from the Foster School of Business.
In a study published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, researchers have used new high-performance computing methods and comprehensive data on the distribution of thousands of species to map the threat that climate change poses to birds, mammals and amphibians across the Western Hemisphere. They found that although Arctic areas have experienced the most rapid warming to date, climate-related threats to the Amazon basin’s biodiversity will eclipse those in other regions by the year 2100.
An international team of experts in fisheries management, spearheaded by UW professor Ray Hilborn, is trying to lead the conversation about sustainable fisheries using a less traditional approach — reaching the general public directly through a new website and social media outreach. The initiative is called the Collaborative for Food from Our Oceans Data, or “CFOOD” for short, and offers data and commentary on the sustainability of global fisheries. Many scientific reports and resulting media coverage about fish stocks collapsing…
The location of bubble plumes off the Pacific Northwest coast supports the idea that gradual ocean warming at about a third of a mile depth may be releasing frozen methane in the seafloor, causing it to bubble up as a gas.
October 13, 2015
The University of Washington Board of Regents selected Interim President Ana Mari Cauce to be the 33rd president of the University at a special meeting of the board Tuesday. She is the first woman to be named to the position and the first Latina. The selection will become effective upon successful completion of contract terms.
What does it mean to have a right to asylum? Does religion matter in deciding to help refugees? What kind of public health is owed to migrants and refugees? What is “climate justice” and how is it relevant to refugees and immigration policy? According to a June 2015 report from the United Nations, worldwide displacement — the total number of people forcibly displaced from their homes — had risen to 59.5 million, the highest level ever recorded, by the end…
October 12, 2015
Continuing a recent string of noteworthy accolades, the University of Washington held its place at No. 5 in the world on the National Taiwan University Ranking of Scientific Papers, which was released Friday. The ranking is based on performance of scientific papers in three major categories — research productivity, research impact and research excellence. “One of the major ways we contribute to the health and prosperity of our world is through research and scholarship. Given the excellence of our faculty,…
A new group at the UW School of Law will spend the academic year studying existing and emerging markets for marijuana, to assist and inform the state as it prepares to blend current medical and recreational markets for cannabis.
October 11, 2015
At 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 6, bleary-eyed Nobel Prize enthusiasts on the West Coast were treated to an unexpected lesson about fundamental particles and forces in our universe. Across the globe in Stockholm, a panel of scientists announced that the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics would honor two scientists who led international collaborations to understand mysterious particles called neutrinos. The prize recipients, Takaaki Kajita and Arthur McDonald, respectively led the Super-Kamiokande Collaboration in Japan and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Collaboration…
October 9, 2015
How long would it take to walk the entire shoreline of Puget Sound? Which species are at risk here, and to what depths can the most adept bird and mammal divers reach? How much population growth can we expect in the next decade? A new resource published this week explores these questions and many more in the 2015 Puget Sound Fact Book, published by the Puget Sound Institute at UW Tacoma. The online publication brings together stray “who knew?” tidbits,…
Academics and policymakers will gather at the UW’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies Oct. 16 for a conference to address cybersecurity and geopolitical concerns from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic and even outer space.
A lecture series presented by the UW College of the Environment will focus on “Surviving Disaster: Natural Hazards & Resilient Communities.” The five evening lectures will explore the latest developments in social and natural sciences that are helping people prepare for and respond to environmental disasters. Q&A with David Montgomery, who presents the first lecture Tuesday, Oct. 13 All presentations are at 7:30 p.m. in Kane Hall. The lectures are free, but registration is required at uwalum.com/hazards or by phone…
Poverty rates in Washington dropped between 2013 and 2014 for the first time in six years, but many people are increasingly struggling to get by, particularly in Seattle. Poverty in King County and around the state was the focus of the West Coast Poverty Center’s first annual summit Sept. 29. The University of Washington-based group brought together academics, social service providers and policymakers for half-day conference about poverty in the region. The discussion highlighted the fact that while King County…
October 8, 2015
The University of Washington is shifting $3 million to expand child care facilities on campus as part of a major initiative to enhance the culture of service in UW’s central administration, interim Provost Jerry Baldasty announced this week. The need for child care was one of several needs brought to light over the summer in a survey across all three UW campuses about what the administration does well and what it could do better. The UW will convert 12,000 square…
October 7, 2015
There’s something for everyone this week: catch a world premiere at the UW World Series, explore the Burke’s world-renowned collection of birds, or enjoy the sounds of 1962 jazz with the School of Music. The Chamber Dance Company celebrates 25 years with four performances at Meany Hall and the Jacob Lawrence Gallery hosts an exhibition exploring contemporary gun culture and human trafficking. ETHEL with Special Guest Robert Mirabal Presents: The River 8 p.m., October 8 | Meany Theater Critically acclaimed…
Project Name: University of Washington Seattle Campus Master Plan Update Proponent: University of Washington Description of Proposal: The University of Washington Seattle Campus Master Plan Update will guide development on the Seattle Campus, building on and updating the 2003 Campus Master Plan and extending the continuity of planning developed over the last century. The Campus Master Plan will include guidelines and policies for new development on the campus. It will be formulated to maintain and enhance the fundamental mission of the…
Pursuant to the provisions of WAC 197-11-455 Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement and WAC 478-324-140, the University of Washington hereby provides public notice of the availability of a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DEIS)
A group of young marine-disease researchers from around the country has contributed key information about sea stars’ immune response when infected with a virus that is thought to cause a deadly wasting disease. It’s the first time researchers have tracked how genes behave when encountering this naturally occurring pathogen, which could help explain how sea stars attempt to fight the virus and why they develop lesions and appear to melt.
A groundbreaking new report provides a sobering picture of the state of urban education in America, especially when it comes to educational opportunities for poor students and students of color, who now make up the majority of America’s public school students nationwide. The report provides the first citywide assessment of the changing and complex public school landscape in the U.S., enabling city leaders to assess the overall health of all of their cities’ schools, regardless of whether they are district-…
The UW School of Law will be the location for the three-day Human Right to Family Planning Conference, Oct. 9-11. Lawmakers, researchers, academics and health care professionals will gather for this first-of-its-kind event to explore the relationship between the right to health and family planning, including abortion, and improving access to that care, locally and around the world. “It is not only for the privileged. It is not only for the wealthy. When women and adolescents do not get the…
October 6, 2015
The University of Washington moved up three spots to No. 11 overall in the second edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Global University Rankings.
Alfred Nobel is remembered for the annual prizes given in his name. But were it not for his confused but effective will, we might remember him as the inventor of dynamite, who grew rich inventing and developing lethal explosives.
Meeting schedule 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 at the University Temple Church, 1415 NE 43rd St. Noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 at the Husky Union Building, Room 340, on the UW campus. For more information, check the Campus Master Plan FAQ The University of Washington is inviting students, staff, faculty and members of the community to participate in public meetings on Oct. 14 and 15 to kick off a two-year effort to develop the next master…
The number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) older adults in Seattle and King County is expected to double by 2030, and they face higher risks of disability, poor health, mental distress and isolation — along with a social service sector unequipped to deal with their needs. That’s the conclusion of a study released Oct. 6 and led by professor Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen and colleagues at the University of Washington School of Social Work. The study identifies widespread social…