Student Features
Featured is the work of student writers at The Daily, the student-run news outlet at UW, highlighting College of Arts & Sciences alumni, professors, and departments.
Anikka Stanley The Orange Room Sessions: Joint Souls
Recent CHID grad and current UW Ethnomusicology PhD student Markus Teuton and his band, Joint Souls, are featured in a video of their “Orange Room” live session.
Ben Jaudon Seattle judge blocks President Trump’s order regarding birthright citizenship
Seattle Judge John Coughenhour placed a temporary restraining order on President Donald Trump’s executive order, which would effectively end birthright citizenship Jan. 23. Sophia Jordán Wallace, a UW professor of political science, and Scott Lemieux, a UW professor of political science, are quoted.
Vatsala Choudhary Upcoming astronomical events in 2025
Choudhary discusses the upcoming astronomical events and what to look for in the sky this winter. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy, is quoted.
Meera Nambiar History department debuts first lecture in 50th annual series
The UW Department of History presented its 50th anniversary History Lecture Series on Jan. 22, hosted by UW associate professor Joel Walker.
Students, faculty, and staff attended a “cultural burn” at the Burke Museum on Dec. 9, implementing Indigenous practices to support the health of the Burke Meadow.
Chaitna Deshmukh UW alum Sujin Witherspoon debuts ‘Bingsu For Two’
UW alum Sujin Witherspoon’s first novel, “Bingsu for Two,” debuted Jan. 14, with an event and conversation with fellow author and UW alum Zoe Hana Mikuta.
Astronomy and Space Exploration
A Telescope Is Taking 12 Years To Build But Could Find Extraterrestrial Life In Hours IFL Science
The circumstances need to be right, but modeling suggests finding biosignatures in the atmospheres of planets orbiting nearby stars will be well within the Extremely Large Telescope's capacity. The UW's Victoria Meadows, professor of astronomy, and Miles Currie, a doctoral student of astronomy, are mentioned.
Hubble Space Telescope reveals richest view of Andromeda galaxy to date Science.com
Astronomers announced last week that they had completed a decade-long, meticulous effort to assemble a full portrait of our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. The result provides the most detailed image yet of the entire galaxy. The UW's Zhuo Chen, a postdoctoral scholar of astronomy, and Ben Williams, research associate professor of astronomy, are quoted.
Why some astronomers are excited about the search for alien life NPR
At the turn of the century, 3.8 million people banded together in a real-time search for aliens — with screensavers. The hope was that with the power of millions of computers, researchers could comb through radio signals hitting Earth from outer space to find a hint of something unusual. James Davenport, research assistant professor of astronomy at the UW, is interviewed.
Check Out the Hubble Space Telescope’s Stunning New View of the Andromeda Galaxy Smithsonian Magazine
The full image includes some 2.5 billion pixels compiled from observations spanning more than 1,000 orbits around Earth. Ben Williams, research associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.
Politics and Social Justice
UW’s Dr. Megan Ming Francis’ 2024 election autopsy: What did we win? What did we lose? NW Asian Weekly
Scholars at the UW knew that post-election processing would be necessary, regardless of the outcome. So, on Jan. 15, the UW’s Office of Public Lectures held “Autopsy of an Election: What We Lost, What We Won, and How to Fight for the Future,” a talk led by Megan Ming Francis, an associate professor of political science at the UW.
How constitutional guardrails have always contained presidential ambitions The Conversation
The mechanics of upending American democracy would entail surmounting a thick tangle of constitutional, bureaucratic, legal and political obstacles.
UW professor battles a direct, frontal assault on Black history The Seattle Times
When Quintard Taylor, professor emeritus of history at the UW, launched BlackPast in 2007, he didn't realize attacks on history would make the site as necessary as it has proved to be.
WA scientists plan to publish report on nature that Trump canceled The Seattle Times
After President Donald Trump canceled a report on the state of nature in the United States, the scientists working on it — many from the Seattle area — say they’ll continue their work and build on it. Devon Pena, professor of anthropology at the UW is quoted.
Arts, Culture, and Heritage
New podcast from the Burke Museum and KUOW launches January 21! KUOW
A podcast for curious kids (and adults) about a collection of spectacular specimens and the stories they can tell us about life on Earth. The first three episodes are available January 21. Hosted by Paige Browning and Brandi Fullwood.
Poet Lena Khalaf Tuffaha wins the National Book Award in poetry for “Something About Living” University of Washington Magazine
Lena Khalaf Tuffaha writes with balance: violence and liberation, bias and truth, destruction and possibilities.
The Jacob Lawrence Legacy University of Washington Magazine
The article includes quotes from Jamie Walker, Juliet Sperling, Jordan Jones, and alum Preston Wadley.
Wes Weddell composes his life around the Seattle music scene University of Washington Magazine
Wes Weddell, who works with the Bushwick Book Club, has a creative way of writing music that doesn't center on himself or his feelings.
For the planet and the people, Margo Okazawa-Rey asks, “How deep is your love?” NW Asian Weekly
Things were a little bit different at Town Hall on March 4. Things were a little bit warmer. Activist and educator Margo Okazawa-Rey was in the house. Linh Thy Nguyn, assistant professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.
What to know about Lunar New Year traditions The Seattle Times
The Year of the Snake begins Jan. 29. It’s the first time the Lunar New Year is a legislatively recognized (though unpaid) holiday in Washington state, thanks to a bill signed into law last March. Chan Lü, associate professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW and coordinator of the UW's Chinese program, is quoted.
Technology, AI, and Education
College in the High School soars in popularity across WA The Seattle Times
A growing number of students are participating in Washington’s high school dual-credit programs. University of Washington courses are being taught at the high school level. From Math 120 to Astronomy 150.
Opinion: What China's DeepSeek breakthrough means for the future of AI Los Angeles Times
"At first glance, reducing model-training expenses in this way might seem to undermine the trillion-dollar 'AI arms race' involving data centers, semiconductors and cloud infrastructure. But as history shows, cheaper technology often fuels greater usage," writes Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW.
ChatGPT: Will you be my Valentine? More users are falling for AI companions Yahoo! Life
People are increasingly falling for their favorite chatbots, spending hours each day building relationships with their artificial lovers. Chatbot site Janitor AI told Semafor that users have started 2.1 million conversations with its Valentine’s Day bots since they went live on Tuesday. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.
Identity, Legacy, and Community Impact
The West Seattle Bridge was named in councilmember Jeanette Williams’ honor—and what a legacy she has University of Washington Magazine
Though we know it by its colloquial name, the West Seattle Bridge is steeped in Jeanette Williams' legacy.
The Life Eclectic University of Washington Magazine
Mathematics alum Janet Galore and computer science alum Demi Raven have been making the news for turning a century-old Beacon Hill grocery store into a home and arts space. Along with being an exploration of an eclectic community space, “The Life Eclectic” is an exploration of the collector’s impulse and “Deep Nerdery.” UW professor Delancy Wu adds her insights about the psychological underpinnings of collecting and the importance of following your passions.
Watch Where You Step The Stranger
Rachel Kessler explores Cauleen Smith's immersive installation, The Wanda Coleman Songbook, at the University of Washington's Jacob Lawrence Gallery. Through evocative projections and soundscapes inspired by poet Wanda Coleman, the exhibit transports visitors into the layered realities of Los Angeles, inviting deep reflection on memory, identity, and place.
More Stories
Finding Focus Behind the Camera
When UW junior Audrey Spurgeon is at Husky athletic events, she's usually part of the broadcast team, thanks to an internship through the Big Ten Network's StudentU program.
How Drama Students Help Train Doctors
With School of Drama students performing the roles of patients and their loved ones, simulations of clinical scenarios help UW Medicine neurology residents hone their skills,
The Challenge of Peer-Produced Websites
Communication professor Benjamin Mako Hill studies why successful peer-produced websites (like Wikipedia) eventually struggle to maintain their openness to new contributors.