College of Arts and Sciences

Looking for gifts that go beyond the typical stocking stuffers? This holiday season, wrap a little UW magic and celebrate learning, culture and connection across the University. From museum and arboretum memberships to books and performances, this curated list highlights meaningful ways you can share the spirit of curiosity and generosity.

Looking for gifts that go beyond the typical stocking stuffers? This holiday season, wrap a little UW magic and celebrate learning, culture and connection across the University. From museum and arboretum memberships to books and performances, this curated list highlights meaningful ways you can share the spirit of curiosity and generosity.

New research says birth rates for gray whales are still low, likely because of climate change affecting their food sources. However, melting sea ice has created new feeding opportunities, and scientists are hopeful the whales can adapt, allowing populations to rebound. Sue Moore, affiliate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

The sharp, elongated bills of green hermit hummingbirds arent just fine-tuned for feeding; they also allow males to joust like knights over mates. Alejandro Rico-Guevara, associate professor of biology at the UW and curator of birds at the UW Burke Museum, is quoted.

Hear from two UW Communication students, Jehan Hashi and Juan Jocom, about their summer experiences abroad. Hashi traveled to Australia and Jocom traveled to Thailand as a part of the Department of Communication Journalism Foreign Intrigue program, established by a communication alum.

Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW, writes, "On November 17, my students at the University of Washington heard from someone at the center of todays most complicated conversations about sexuality, labor, and the digital world. That person was Ari Kytsya, an enormously successful OnlyFans creator whose online presence is very different from what many people imagine when they hear 'OnlyFans model.'"

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

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.

Historian Coll Thrush researches the dark history of Pacific Northwest shipwrecks in "Wrecked." Thrush, who earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in history at the University of Washington, spent six years combing through archives, oral histories and ship logs to unearth tales of sinking and survival, exploitation and tragedy. But in the process, he discovered a deeper narrative—an exploration of how people, place and power collided along the Northwest coast, and how nature always won.

While some dancers only appear weightless, Rachael Lincoln—with the help of climbing technology—literally defies gravity.

Public safety in the Chinatown-International District (CID) takes an important step forward with a targeted educational campaign. More than 100 elderly residents and their family members gathered on Nov. 15 at the International District/Chinatown Community Center for CID Cares, a community safety program for one of Seattles most vulnerable populations. The event is supported in part by the UW American ethnic studies department.

A space-based wildlife tracking system that could revolutionize the study of animal migrations and behavior is set to get back online with SpaceX's recent launch. Briana Abrahms, associate professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

The universe is full of mysteries that scientists have not yet been able to solve. And a big one has to do with what the universe is actually made of. Now physicists from the UW are taking a big swing at answering that question. Alvaro Chavarria, associate professor of physics at the UW, is quoted.

Close to 100 people gathered on Nov. 15 at the Chinatown-International District Community Center for a celebratory launch of a project more than a year in the making: a public safety pamphlet called "With Love for Our Grandparents & Seniors." The comic book-style guide provides safety tips for seniors in both English and Cantonese, including education on common scams and support resources in the event of an emergency or attack. Connie So, teaching professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.

The University of Washington is proud to announce that 56 faculty and researchers who completed their work while at UW have been named on the Highly Cited Researchers 2025 list from Clarivate.