Building on the UW quad

Impact Stories

Fueling Innovation Through Philanthropy

Since the founding of the University of Washington more than 150 years ago, we’ve trained the scientists and the artists, the performers and the reformers, the musicians and the statisticians, the writers and the researchers, the thinkers and the doers—the who and the what our region and world need to thrive.

From ground-breaking research leading to patents and vaccines to award-winning artists, our faculty, students, and graduates are changing the world in which we live.  Read on to learn more about how their work is fueled by philanthropy.

An bright orange sky behind trees during a wildfire in Eastern Washington

10 Arts & Sciences Stories from 2025

As 2025 comes to a close, we're sharing some of the year's top Arts & Sciences stories.

Vi Hilbert in a woven cape, with her hands raised.

A Healing Heart Returns

In February, the UW Symphony will perform a symphony that Coast Salish elder Vi Hilbert commissioned years ago to heal the world after the heartbreak of 9/11. The symphony was first performed by the Seattle Symphony in 2006.

computer keyboard

A recap of Webb telescope discoveries

Emily Levesque, an associate professor of astronomy at the UW who specializes in massive stars and supernovas, joined host Leah Pezzetti on The Sky Above to discuss the biggest and best discoveries to come from the James Webb Space Telescope this past year.