UW News
The latest news from the UW
January 13, 2015
How large are the ocean’s biggest whales, squids and turtles?
How long are the tentacles of the largest jellyfish and how big are the ocean’s famed whales? It turns out it’s difficult to get exact measurements of many of the world’s largest marine megafauna, for the reasons one might expect: many of these animals are few in number, tricky to find and logistically hard to…
Washington state Legislature to celebrate Daniel J. Evans Jan. 14
The Washington state Legislature will pause to honor Daniel J. Evans on Jan. 14, marking 50 years, plus a day, since he was sworn in for the first of three terms as Washington state governor, on Jan. 13, 1965. Evans also will address the Senate. Evans began his office-holding career as a member of the…
January 9, 2015
50th anniversary edition of Native art book released
Half a century ago, UW graduate Bill Holm published what would become a seminal work on the distinctive art of the people who first inhabited the Pacific Northwest. “Northwest Coast Indian Art” was the result of Holm’s 15-year analysis of hundreds of artworks while studying at UW under Erna Gunther, former director of the Burke…
Gould Pavilion: New look, educational space, exhibition gallery
The UW College of Built Environments has rebooted the east end of its Gould Hall home, creating an expanded area for collaboration and a new gallery to exhibit work from national and international sources as well as the college’s student, faculty and alumni.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Department of Architecture • George Suyama • Gould Hall • Gould Pavilion • John Schaufelberger • Myer Wolfe • Norman J. JohnstonJanuary 8, 2015
Study: University of Washington generates $12.5 billion, nearly 80,000 jobs for the state
The University of Washington generates $12.5 billion a year in economic activity and supports 79,331 direct and indirect jobs in the state of Washington, according to a new economic impact report released Thursday by an independent research firm. The UW employs 34,668 people and, following Boeing and Microsoft, is the third-largest nonfederal employer in the…
Epic survey finds regional patterns of soot and dirt on North American snow
University of Washington scientists published the first large-scale survey of impurities in North American snow. An almost 10,000-mile road trip showed that disturbed soil often mattered as much as air pollution for the whiteness of the snow.
Tag(s): black carbon • College of the Environment • Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies • Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science • Sarah DohertyJanuary 7, 2015
Long, strange trip samples the continent’s snow
A survey of pollution and other impurities in North American snow required researchers to find sites with undisturbed snow far from any city or major road – in other words, a recipe for getting stranded by the side of a cold, lonely road. During the campaign that went from late January to late March 2013,…
Arts Roundup: Lectures, ArtBreak – and the Takács Quartet
Welcome back to a new year and new quarter! Henry Art Gallery kicks off the first Arts Roundup of the year with an assortment of events related to the exhibit “Ann Hamilton: the common S E N S E,” including a lecture presented by Seattle Arts and Lectures and an unusual exhibition tour with ArtVenture.
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • College of Built Environments • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts • School of Music
3 UW engineers make Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in energy list
Three University of Washington engineers were selected by Forbes magazine as part of its top 30 people in the world under age 30 in energy. This year’s list largely focuses on people who have produced inventions and founded companies with the goal of saving or conserving energy, instead of creating it. Shyam Gollakota, an assistant professor…
How the ‘Beast Quake’ is helping scientists track real earthquakes
Scientists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network will install instruments this Thursday to provide real-time monitoring of the stadium’s movement during the 2015 NFL playoffs. It’s a valuable test of their newest seismic technology.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Department of Earth and Space Sciences • earthquakes & seismology • John Vidale • Pacific Northwest Seismic NetworkJanuary 6, 2015
New David Shields book a collaboration, an argument — and a movie, too
Two men, four days, one cabin and an epic discussion of life and art, while James Franco makes a movie of it all. That’s the setup for the latest book by UW English Professor David Shields, working this time with former student Caleb Powell.
Tag(s): books • College of Arts & Sciences • David Shields • Department of English
Mark Pagano selected as chancellor of UW Tacoma
University of Washington President Michael K. Young and Provost Ana Mari Cauce announced today the selection of Mark Pagano, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Montana State University Billings, as the next chancellor of the University of Washington Tacoma, effective March 16. The appointment is subject to approval by the UW Board of…
New open-source program aims to help parents of children in foster care
The first time Alise Hegle saw her daughter again after her birth was 11 months later at a court-ordered, supervised visit. Newly out of jail and treatment for drug addiction, Hegle was riddled with anxiety. She had no idea how to parent her only child and worried about the visitation supervisor who sat silently observing,…
Tag(s): Partners for Our Children • School of Social WorkJanuary 5, 2015
What singles should look for in a city
When deciding where to live, single people should choose cities with affordable housing, interesting job opportunities, vibrant neighborhoods and abundant sports activities. That was the advice of Pepper Schwartz, a UW sociology professor who was among experts consulted for personal finance website WalletHub’s recent ranking of 2014’s Best & Worst Cities for Singles. The site…
January 2, 2015
Board of Regents — Jan. 8 meeting
The Board of Regents will hold their Regular Meeting at 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Petersen Room of Allen Library. The full schedule and agendas are available online.
December 29, 2014
William P. Gerberding, 27th president of the University of Washington, dies at 85
William P. Gerberding, the 27th and longest-serving president of the University of Washington, died Saturday. He was 85. Gerberding, who assumed the presidency in 1979 and retired in 1995, is credited for boosting the university into national prominence, navigating it through potentially devastating budget crises and significantly increasing private financial support. “We are all deeply…
December 23, 2014
Foreign power demands apology for insulting film — in 1930, that is
Cancel all screenings of that insulting movie you made, then burn all the prints, and formally apologize — and don’t do it again. Demands from North Korea, perhaps, about Sony Pictures’ controversial James Franco-Seth Rogen film “The Interview”? No, that’s off by about 85 years. It was the Chinese Nationalist government’s reaction to a film…
UW prof: Handwriting engages the mind
High-tech companies are seeking to capitalize on the power of handwriting, but there are other reasons to value the practice, says UW educational psychology professor Virginia Berninger. “Writing is the way we learn what we’re thinking,” said Berninger, who studies the effect of handwriting on the human brain. “The handwriting, the sequencing of the strokes,…
December 22, 2014
Silent slapstick: UW Libraries now has streaming video of silent films
For those who love the silent film antics of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin and others, UW Libraries has something new that’s as good as a Christmas present: the Silent Film Online database. It’s a streaming service administered by Alexander Street Press that includes more than 500 silent films, serials and shorts produced from…
December 19, 2014
UW architecture students to design, build public pavilion on Seattle’s waterfront
UW architecture students will design and build a new temporary event pavilion and Internet hub for the Seattle waterfront.
Tag(s): College of Built Environments • Department of Architecture • Kimo Griggs • Peter CohanDecember 18, 2014
Oceanography undergrads blog from Vancouver Island
Twenty-four UW oceanography students are aboard the UW’s large research vessel, the Thomas G. Thompson, taking measurements off Canada’s west coast for their senior-level research projects. They left Thursday, Dec. 11 and will get back Sunday, Dec. 21. The trip takes them to Nootka Sound, a complex inlet off the west coast of Vancouver Island….
Survey shows hope, optimism among homeless Alaska Native elders
Mention homeless people and words like optimistic, hopeful and happy are typically not what spring to mind. More likely, said Jordan Lewis, an assistant professor in the University of Washington’s School of Social Work, the stereotypes are negative — “that they’re chronic alcoholics, depressed, they steal, they’re thieves. They don’t have hope. They’ve just given up.”…
December 17, 2014
Improving forecasts for rain-on-snow flooding
Many of the worst West Coast winter floods involve heavy rains and melting snow, and UW hydrology experts are using the physics of these events to better predict the risks.
Tag(s): College of Engineering • College of the Environment • Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering • flooding • Jessica Lundquist
UW moves to 11th on Kiplinger’s in-state ‘best value’ list
The University of Washington moved up to the 11th spot in the latest ranking of best value for in-state students among public universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The ranking includes measures of economic value and educational quality. The UW placed 13th in the same ranking a year ago and was 17th two years ago. Kiplinger…
Memorial planned for longtime editor of UW Press
A celebration of life for Naomi Brenner Pascal, the longtime editor-in-chief of the University of Washington Press, is being planned for February. She died Dec. 5 at the age of 88. Colleagues at UW Press remember Pascal as a model of grace, good humor and high standards. Her wide-ranging knowledge, integrity and commitment to diplomacy…
December 16, 2014
Advisory council recommends UW medical school expansion in Spokane, increased residencies in rural areas
The University of Washington’s expansion of its medical school in Spokane and an increase in residency positions are among the ways to best meet the economic and health care needs in Spokane and throughout the state, according to an advisory council chairman’s report released Dec. 16.
UW English Professor David Shields’ views debated in The New Yorker
David Shields, UW professor and New York Times best-selling author, was at the center of a Dec. 2 article by Adelle Waldman in The New Yorker titled “An Answer to the Novel’s Detractors.” Waldman places Shields among those detractors, but does not entirely disagree with him. “It’s no coincidence that many of the most exciting…
December 12, 2014
Fearn-Banks’ African-American TV dictionary gets second edition
Kathleen Fearn-Banks, UW associate professor of communication, drew upon her 21 years of experience as a publicist in network television to write her 2005 “Historical Dictionary of African American Television.” This fall, an expanded second edition of the book was published. Banks was NBC’s first African-American publicist and second-ever female publicist when hired there in…
Online tool lets Washington residents calculate carbon tax impacts
University of Washington computer scientists have partnered with members of the Carbon Washington grassroots campaign to create an online tool that lets residents calculate how a state carbon tax swap proposed by the organization would impact them financially. The calculator offers information users can’t find elsewhere and is meant to be a neutral, unbiased tool….
December 10, 2014
Arts Roundup: Exhibitions, drama — and ‘An Appalachian Christmas’
As autumn quarter comes to a close, Arts Roundup begins a holiday hiatus. But first we offer some final suggestions of campus art activities, including Mark O’Connor and his band performing ”An Appalachian Christmas.”
Tag(s): Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture • Henry Art Gallery • Meany Center for the Performing Arts
Art exhibit on polar field research opens Friday
Marine mammal expert Kristin Laidre, a polar scientist at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory and in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, studies Arctic mammals in their native habitat. She focuses on polar bears and narwhals, an Arctic whale with a distinctive spiral tusk. In spring 2013 she invited Seattle watercolor artist Maria Coryell-Martin…
I-LABS co-director part of White House Summit on Early Learning
The co-director of the UW’s Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences is among officials from around the country participating in today’s White House Summit on Early Education. Patricia Kuhl, a world-renowned scientist in early language and brain development, joins state and local policymakers, school district superintendents, community leaders and others for the summit. Participants are…
December 9, 2014
New book by José Alaniz studies superheroes through the lens of disability studies
Superheroes are generally assumed to be healthy and virtually immortal, tending their superpowers as they save the planet time and again. But a new book by José Alaniz, UW associate professor of Slavic languages and literatures, seeks to redefine the contemporary image of the superhero. “Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond,”…
Warmer Pacific Ocean could release millions of tons of seafloor methane
Water off Washington’s coast is warming a third of a mile down, where seafloor methane shifts from a frozen solid to a gas. Calculations suggest ocean warming is already releasing significant methane offshore of Alaska to California.
Tag(s): College of the Environment • Evan Solomon • School of Oceanography • Susan HautalaDecember 5, 2014
‘Music from the War to End All Wars’: A student performer’s view
Jane Heinrichs is a doctoral student in piano performance at the UW School of Music and will perform in two of the three concerts that comprise the three-part series “Music from the War to End All Wars.” The series begins Sunday, Dec. 7, in Brechemin Auditorium, and continues on March 3 and May 8, 2015….
UW chemistry faculty member snags NSF early career award
Andrew J. Boydston, a UW associate professor of chemistry, has received a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation. The award is intended to support junior faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research,” according to the NSF. Boydston received the…
December 3, 2014
Join a Google+ hangout on Southern Ocean climate
Join some of the world’s leading experts on the Southern Ocean for a webinar on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 11 a.m. to noon Seattle time. Viewers can log on here with a Google account, or watch on YouTube. “UW-built sensors to probe Antarctica’s Southern Ocean” UW Today | Sept. 11, 2014 The Southern Ocean Carbon…
Music meets history in three-concert series on World War I
The creative spirit “does not hunker down or hide” in difficult times, Robin McCabe, UW professor of piano, was reminded as she researched the three-concert series she organized, “Music from the War to End All Wars.” The School of Music presents this series starting Dec. 7 and continuing March 8 and May 3, 2015.
Tag(s): College of Arts & Sciences • Robert Stacey • Robin McCabe • Ronald Moore • School of Music • Steven Morrison
Competitive award to fund new approaches to artificial intelligence work
Four University of Washington researchers have received the Allen Distinguished Investigator award for their work in artificial intelligence research. The awards, totaling about $2.7 million to the UW from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, will fund early stage research in several areas of artificial intelligence. The recipients from the UW are Jeffrey Heer, an…
Arts Roundup: Lectures, music — and UW Symphony and Opera Theater
This week there are lots of events to keep students, staff and faculty busy before finals. Don’t miss “Idleness,” the second Factory Showroom exhibit at the Jacob Lawrence Gallery, or the UW Symphony and UW Opera Theater performing a version of Puccini’s opera “Gianni Schicci.”
Tag(s): Henry Art Gallery • School of Art + Art History + Design • School of Music • Undergraduate Theater Society« Previous Page Next Page »
