Natural Sciences Division

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.

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.

New faculty books from the University of Washington include those from the Information School, bioengineering, mathematics, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and Earth and space sciences.

Explore recent research from the University of Washington: ancient capybara and palm fossils found in the desert, a window into the bottom of the food web, waves that go a different way, environmental advocacy in Colombia, the mechanics of blood clotting and a superconducting surprise.

The American Astronomical Society named Emily Levesque, professor of astronomy at the UW, the next editor in chief of its journals, including The Astrophysical Journal. She takes charge in August 2027.

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. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. Go directly to the week you’d like to view: Week 1: September 28 – October 4 Week 2: October 5 – 11 Week 3:...

Small moments of neglect, missed bids for attention, and everyday acts of kindness can add up to major changes in a relationship. John Gottman, professor emeritus of psychology at the UW, and his research, is mentioned.

Coral reefs provide protection for fish, and researchers are interested in how the health of the reef affects the ability of fish to communicate with each other. This fall, Jj Milan, a UW doctoral student in the biology department, and UW research scientist Bob Oxborrow are traveling to the Maldives to study how humbug damselfish communicate with each other.

Connect, explore, get involved! Dawg Daze will take place from September 23 to October 2, 2026. It is a great way to discover resources, familiarize yourself with important campus landmarks, and connect with staff and other students at the University of Washington.

A UW-led research team has discovered the best-preserved fossil feathers from the Mesozoic era in fossilized dinosaur poop. Some of these feathers have features that look like modern birds feathers. This finding can help researchers better understand why and how some birds survived the catastrophic event 66 million years ago that killed 75% of life on the planet.

University of Washington researchers are leading and collaborating on four research projects as part of Phase 1 in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Genesis Mission, a national initiative to build an AI-for-science ecosystem which accelerates breakthroughs in energy, discovery science and national security.

Professor Emerita Merrill Hille (Dept of Biology) played an instrumental role in establishing the Burke-Gilman Trail, which connects so many of us to the UW community. It’s remarkable that this resource began as a grassroots effort led in part by a UW professor.

On Oct. 8, David Baker was already an accomplished biochemistry professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine: a computational biologist with more than 640 peer-reviewed research papers, 100 secured patents, and 21 biotech start-ups. But none of that prepared him for the 2 a.m. phone call from Sweden, when Baker learned he’d joined the upper echelon of prestigious international honorees as a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Baker is now the eighth UW faculty Nobel laureate.

At the UW's Friday Harbor Labs, scientists learn great lessons from armored and obscure life under the sea.