Natural Sciences Division

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.

Come curious. Leave inspired. The UW offers an exciting lineup of in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the UW community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. And you don’t have to wait until November: Take a look at everything still happening in October. Go directly to the week you’d like to view: Week 1: November 2 – 8 Week 2: November 9 – 15...

UW astronomer Emily Levesque will soon add a new role as editor-in-chief of the prestigious American Astronomical Society Journals to her ongoing work studying red supergiants and other stellar oddities.

The Port Townsend Paper Co. stands by its original assessment, said spokesperson Randy Cot, senior vice president at a Seattle-based public relations firm. If its report is insufficient and the companys not saying it is then the blame lies with Tippins and others who responded to the spill. The UW's Marissa Baker, associate professor of occupational health, and Michael Brett, professor of civil and environmental engineering, are quoted. Christopher Bretherton, professor emeritus of applied mathematics and of atmospheric sciences, is referenced.

A new University of Washington study shows that plunge-diving birds such as gannets and boobies have unique morphological adaptations that allow them to survive high speed, headfirst impact.

"Investigations and prosecutions must happen but thats not how we keep todays undergraduates safe. The issue of sexual assault on campus will not be solved by outing and punishing a small set of bad men," writes Nicole McNichols, associate professor of psychology at the UW.

Willapa Bay is the nations most prolific estuary for oyster production, responsible for 10% to 20% of all U.S. oysters. But these landings dont come easy. The UW's Jennifer Ruesink, professor of biology; and Emma Guerrini Romano, doctoral student of biology, are quoted.

"These chilling details (of the assault) are obviously shocking. However, as a sex educator, I worry the underlying group dynamics that made them possible arent receiving nearly enough attention," writes Nicole McNichols, associate teaching professor of psychology at the UW.

The beloved raccoon, Jimothy, won over the hearts of Seattle residents and turned into a local celebrity featured in all aspects of city life, from Mariners games to street art. But what is the condition that captured our attention and hearts? Chris Law, an evolutionary biologist in the University of Washington biology department who studies mammals, previously spoke about Jimothy at the Burke Museum.

A University of Washington-led center for optoelectronics technologies that combine light and electronics brings researchers from 14 universities across the U.S. together with the mission to develop new materials to transform information technology with light. Founded in 2021, NSF IMOD has received a second round of funding from the NSF to continue its work for the next five years.

October offers stargazers a packed calendar plus, a conversation about colliding planets and disappearing stars with Andy Tzanidakis, a doctoral student in astronomy at the UW and student director of the planetarium.

UW Physics professor Matthew Yankowitz was named a Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigator, joining a distinguished group of mid-career researchers pushing the boundaries of experimental physics.

The University of Washington today broke ground on a $231.1-million Chemical Sciences Building. Once completed, the state-of-the-art facility will be a nexus for collaborative research and teaching that will help the UW define the next 100 years of science education and breakthroughs.

Lawrence Goldman, a teaching professor of chemistry at the University of Washington, has also been a member of the Lake Forest Park city council since 2022. While science came naturally to Goldman, his venture into civics was more serendipitous.

Only 70 of 15,000 simulated stellar streams stayed smooth, and the galaxy alone bent the rest with no dark matter in the model. The UW's Nora Shipp, assistant professor; James Davenport, research assistant professor; and Arpit Arora, postdoctoral scholar all in astronomy are quoted.