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The UW welcomed the most diverse class of new students across all three campuses, and the largest number of Washington residents in UW history.

For decades, scientists have understood that plants can release volatile organic compoundsessentially airborne chemical signalsto attract the natural enemies of the things that eat them, like caterpillars. What we didnt know was exactly how a plant translates the physical act of being eaten into a specific, predator-summoning distress signal. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

A hummingbird darts up to a flower, slips in its long, thin beak and drinks. The whole visit lasts a fraction of a second, and for years scientists assumed the bird simply sucked the sweet liquid up and swallowed. Alejandro Rico-Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is mentioned.

“I feel like my experience at the UW has been incredibly well-rounded," says Eddie McClary, who graduates in June 2026 with bachelor's degrees in dance and biochemistry. 

Through summer excavations at a former plantation and an anthropology honors thesis, Raquel Matthews is advancing our understanding of the lives of enslaved people who lived there. 

Graduating with bachelor's degrees in neuroscience and French, Hunter Jung is heading to France for a cognitive neuroscience program that reflects both interests.

UW researchers examined almost 3,000 science guidelines and assessment questions for any connections to society. Of the approximately 200 elements that had real-world implications, many discussed ethics and public health issues.

Included in this science round up is a story about how plants call wasps to their defense. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is interviewed.

Bean plants have been recruiting wasps to fight their battles for them since long before anyone noticed. A caterpillar bites down, the plant releases a chemical signal, and predatory wasps come flying in to finish it off. That part biologists already knew. What they couldnt explain was how the plant told the difference between a caterpillar and a rainstorm. Adam Steinbrenner, an associate professor of biology at the UW, is mentioned.

For his UW master's in Scandinavian Studies, Estonian student Greg Rahuoja addressed political and practical challenges for Khanty, an Indigenous language spoken in parts of Siberia.