All Stories

Comparing Silicon Valley and Seattle has become something of a regional pastime in the Pacific Northwest. But the comparison might be more accurate if directed a few miles east, across the shores of Lake Washington to where Bellevue skyrises are multiplying. Because historically speaking, the rise of the Eastside closely mirrors the trajectory of Silicon Valley’s San Jose. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

With a gift to Speech & Hearing Sciences, Lacey Berns is creating community for those caring for children facing communication challenges — and honoring her daughter.

“In recent years, the relationship between motherhood and work, including creative work, has clearly become a topic of interest — even more so since the pandemic has shined a light on the difficulties mothers face shouldering domestic tasks and child-rearing as they attempt to hold on to careers or simply earn enough to support their families — but much less attention has been paid to the essential creativity of mothering itself,” writes Maya Sonenberg, professor of English at the UW.

The cosmos has reserved for you a moment, in the early hours between May 4 and 5, to just let go and immerse yourself in the Eta Aquarids meteor shower. Jessica Werk, associate professor of astronomy at the UW, is quoted.

It's time to think about autumn quarter course registration! Check out these cool Arts & Sciences courses to be offered this fall.

When Sam Wasser, professor of biology at the UW, was a young biologist studying baboons in Tanzania, he never imagined he would one day lead an international force cracking down on the smuggling of illegal goods, from elephant ivory to pangolins and timber. Yet fighting transnational criminal organizations is exactly what he’s doing today, all because of his passion for animals.

Astronomers have issued an Earth Day call for environmentalism to be extended more fully to the final frontier, and for companies such as SpaceX and Amazon to dial back their plans for mega-constellations. Meredith Rawls, a research scientist in the UW Department of Astronomy, is quoted.

Thurston County Inclusion is a startup program founded in 2019 by UW Disability Studies Alum Natalie Stagnone, to provide children and young adults with and without intellectual disabilities year-round opportunities to engage with each other. Read writer Jackson Holtz's feature story about the program. 

Patricia Kuhl, co-director of I-LABS and a UW professor of speech and hearing sciences and Yael Weiss-Zruya, a research scientist at I-LABS, explain how their virtual "Research Camp" program has been effective in teaching kids to read in an online setting.

Anyone keeping an eye on the U.S. Congress senses that free community college across the country looks increasingly unlikely. However, one emerging model may provide a road map for other institutions. It’s the Path to UW — a transfer partnership between the Seattle Colleges Seattle Promise program and the University of Washington Seattle campus. The UW's Joslin Boroughs, associate director of undergraduate advising; Cynthia Caci, director of advising at the UW College of Arts and Sciences; and Michaelann Jundt, associate dean of undergraduate academic affairs, are quoted.