Natural Sciences Division

Liliana Lengua, professor of psychology, is studying the impacts of economic disadvantage and parenting in the development of "effortful control," the ability to regulate one's responses to external stimuli.

UW Professor Emeritus Estella Leopold has been awarded the International Cosmos Prize, which honors those who further the "harmonious coexistence between nature and mankind." The prize carries a cash award of 40 million yen—nearly $500,000—and goes to just one individual or team each year.

Scientists have long dreamed of creating artificial enzymes, with the potential for "greener" approaches in manufacturing, pollution abatement, and other fields, but the challenges have seemed insurmountable. Now a team of UW scientists has created one of the first artificial enzymes from scratch.

No need to leave campus for the farm experience. The student-run UW Farm, tucked into a third of an acre on campus, is a working farm with ties to courses in everything from biology to anthropology to American Ethnic Studies. 

How much can an A&S undergrad accomplish at the UW? If the College’s 2010 Dean’s Medalists are any indication, the possibilities are nearly limitless. Learn how these top students have made the most of their time as Huskies. 

Is anybody else out there? Are there other planets that resemble Earth? Scientists in the Virtual Planetary Laboratory are looking for clues by creating virtual planets through computer modeling. 

The Biology Department has tested teaching methods that keep students engaged and accountable, even in its 700-student classes. As a result, more students are passing the courses—with better grades—than in past years. 

When 1,200 high school students descend on the UW campus for Math Day each year, they discover that math explains many things—including card tricks and a boomerang's flight path. 

Have you ever read a book steeped in science and wished you could discuss it with an expert in the field? That's the idea behind the Biology Book Club, introduced by a professor and a staffer in the Department of Biology. 

Over the past half century, the Brown Treesnake has decimated bird populations in Guam, leading to the extinction of nearly all native birds. Now researchers are studying the impact of bird extinctions on the island's remaining flora and fauna. 

Accurate predictions for the spread of AIDS are hard to come by in countries where health data is limited. An A&S professor's new statistical model has improved accuracy of AIDS projections and is now being adopted by many African countries. 

During the Summer Institute for Mathematics at the UW, high school students spend six weeks exploring math topics with UW faculty and like-minded peers.

At the Speech and Hearing Clinic's Communication Camp, children work on their communication skills with the assistance of graduate students, who gain valuable clinical experience. 

The UW's aging freshman chemistry laboratories have been described as "something out of Dickens." With renovations, they are now ready for the 21st century.