College of Arts and Sciences

The University of Washingtons graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Reports 2026 Best Graduate Schools released late Monday.

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.

Archaeologists previously assumed that East Asia did not see considerable tool development during the Middle Paleolithic, but new findings might change that widely held idea. Ben Marwick, professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

Bonobos grunts, peeps and whistles may share an advanced linguistic property with human language. Shane Steinert-Threlkeld, assistant professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Rare survey of AI experts exposes deep divide with public opinion. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

In each episode, the Back to School podcast welcomes a special guest for an intimate conversation with host Liz Copland (BFA 2009, MA 2022) to reflect on their journey from being a student to a practitioner in their respective field. 

"New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals were modern humans neighbors, new technologies meant something quite different: new kinds of stone tools that were smaller but could be used for many tasks and lasted for a long time," Ben Marwick, professor of anthropology at the UW.

The College of Arts & Sciences is home to many distinguished researchers, faculty, and students. Their work and contributions have been featured in media outside of the UW and across the country. Take a look at some ArtSci features from this past Winter Quarter. From new telescopes to UW in high schools, ArtSci in the Media has something for everyone!

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

Ben Marwick, a University of Washington professor of archaeology, was part of a team of researchers that uncovered a complete Quina technological system in the Longtan site in southwest China. The discovery challenges the widely held perception that the Middle Paleolithic period was mostly static in East Asia.

Believe it or not, Republicans love renewable energy. How its packaged matters, though. Just dont mention climate change. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

It was the little pill that could a medical breakthrough that changed the way Americans thought and talked about sex and aging. Thursday marks 27 years since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of Viagra, the nations first oral medication for whats now commonly known as erectile dysfunction. Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

Believe it or not, Republicans love renewable energy. How its packaged matters, though. Just dont mention climate change. Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Five University of Washington researchers have been named AAAS Fellows, according to a March 27 announcement by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. They are among 471 newly elected fellows from around the world, who are recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements in science and engineering.

"Songs are not mere entertainment if we consider the case of Japan. There, they can be the very essence of life itself," writes Davinder Bhowmik, a UW associate professor of Asian languages and literature.