Perspectives Newsletter

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  Sweet Read: An Alum's Romance Novel

  Sujin Witherspoon (BA, English, 2022) is the author of “Bingsu for Two,” a coming-of-age romance novel with parallels to her own life.

  UW Magazine

Opportunities to Explore

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  Songs in Sanctuary: A Performance by the UW Chorale

  May 17, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
  Henry Art Gallery
  Join the UW Chorale for a performance in conjunction with the Henry Art Gallery exhibition “Josh Faught: Sanctuary.” The performance will take place within the exhibition and feature musical expressions of texture and weaving as explored in Faught’s textile works. (Attendees are encouraged to sit directly on the floor. Floor cushions will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; some stools available upon request.)

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  Recipes for the Life Politics of Domesticity in Global Korea

  May 19, 5:00 pm
  Kane Hall, Walker-Ames Room (room 225)
  In this 2025 Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture, Hyaeweol Choi (University of Iowa) explores food as an entry for understanding gender history and culture, and the politics of domesticity in particular, by focusing on the gendered history of street food in South Korea and its evolution through the forces of war, poverty, industrialization, and nation-branding in the age of globalization. Free, but registration required. Presented by the UW Department of Asian Languages & Literature.

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  DXARTS Spring Concert: Celebrating John Chowning

  May 21, 7:30 pm
  Meany Hall – Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater
  John Chowning, a pioneer of computer music and inventor of FM Digital Synthesis, will be celebrated in this concert presented by the Department of Digital Arts & Experimental Media (DXARTS), with Chowning’s compositions played over a state-of-the-art ambisonic sound system.

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  Sacred Breath: Indigenous Writing and Storytelling Series

  May 22, 7:30 pm
  Town Hall Seattle
  This literary and storytelling series features Indigenous writers and storytellers sharing their craft. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature. Hosted by the Department of American Indian Studies.

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  Thrive, Or What You Will

  May 22 – June 1, times vary
  Floyd and Delores Jones Playhouse (4045 University Way NE, Seattle)
  This School of Drama production tells the story of a gender-nonconforming 18th-century herb woman’s 11-year voyage around the world, disguised as a (male) botanist's assistant. With a style that merges past and present, this epic tale is funny, gripping, poignant, and wild, as it combines elements of a love story, Latin taxonomy, feminist historiography, and the universal need to thrive.

In The News

• The Importance of Indigenous Curators

  Any institution with a depository of Indigenous items that receives federal funds must notify a tribe if it has the tribe’s property and obtain informed consent. But a staggering number of institutions have ignored the law, and a lack of Native American curators exacerbates the problem. Sven Haakanson, UW professor of anthropology and Burke Museum curator, is quoted.

  High Country News

• UW report: Tacoma police disregard ICE detainee 911 calls about abuse

  The Tacoma Police Department repeatedly failed to respond to reports of sexual abuse and assault experienced by people held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center, according to a new report by the UW Center for Human Rights (UWCHR). UWCHR director Angelina Godoy, professor of law, societies, and justice and of international studies, is quoted.

  The Seattle Times

• As Trump cuts funding, researchers look for opportunities outside the U.S.

  In this audio interview, Carl Bergstrom, UW professor of biology, and Neel Patel, opinion editor at The New York Times, discuss the impact of President Trump’s dramatic proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health budget.

  KUOW

• Philly group remembers gun violence victims through music

  William Dougherty, assistant professor of composition in the UW School of Music, is raising awareness about gun violence through “Hearing Philadelphia,” a community music project aimed at honoring the voices of those affected by gun violence and providing healing. Dougherty, who joined the UW faculty in January 2025, started the Healing Philadelphia project two years ago to help his community through music.

  WHYY/NPR

• Discovery of Quina technology challenges view of ancient human development in East Asia

  Ben Marwick, UW professor of archaeology, was part of a research team that uncovered a complete Quina technological system – a method for making a set of tools -- at a southwest China archaeological site dating to about 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The discovery challenges the widely held perception that the Middle Paleolithic period was mostly static in East Asia.

  UW News