Social Sciences Division

As Congress considers expanding voting rights legislation and some Republican-led states restrict access to voting, faculty from institutions around the country are calling for national election standards. In an open letter on the New America website, a growing list of signatories — more than 175 as of June 8 — warns of the dire threat to democracy posed by efforts to curb voter access and alter election oversight. Jake Grumbach, an assistant professor of political science at the UW, explains the situation, which he says has reached "a crisis level."

“When U.S. President Joe Biden meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in June 2021, cybersecurity is certain to be a key topic of discussion ... He says he told Putin in a phone call ‘we could have gone further’ with the sanctions, ‘but I chose not to do so.’ This leaves open the question of what ‘further’ might mean — and could it be any more effective than past sanctions at changing Putin’s behavior?” writes Scott Montgomery, lecturer of international studies at the UW.

Ginny Burton, who is graduating with a degree in political science and was the 2020 Truman Scholar for the state of Washington, shares her story about recovering from addiction.

A recent paper by Jacob Grumbach, assistant professor of political science, is referenced.

UW Professors discuss their innovative adaptations to the challenges that remote learning has presented this past year.

This week, attend a conversation with a UW political science professor and author, a gallery exhibition, and more.

Three years after Walid Salem was plucked off a Cairo street by plainclothes police officers, blindfolded and then imprisoned, the University of Washington doctoral student remains stuck in Egypt, unable to visit his young daughter or finish his dissertation in Seattle. Michael McCann, professor of political science at the UW, and UW President Ana Mari Cauce are quoted.

David McGrath of the College of the DuPage writes about criticism of his earlier op-ed suggesting that the name of the Chicago Blackhawks be changed: "This story ... about the corpses of more than 200 children found at a Canadian Indigenous boarding school may open the eyes of those same fans to the fact that the name change is not about them or their sports pleasures and preferences, but about Native American youth, victims of ethnic cleansing and atrocities on this continent for centuries — people who continue to suffer today because of dehumanizing stereotypes such as the Blackhawks logo." Stephanie Fryberg, professor of American Indian studies at the UW, is referenced.

“BIPOC has become a trendy acronym among people interested in diversity issues, but this is not good. The ‘B’ stands for Black people, the ‘I’ is for Indigenous persons and the ‘POC’ stands for people of color. This effectively shunts Hispanics or Latinos aside,” writes Carlos Gil, professor emeritus of history at the UW.

Ginny Burton, who is graduating with a degree in political science, shares her inspiring story about overcoming addiction.

How the Department of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies continues to address the most critical issues of our time.

Robert Stacey, who served on the faculty of the Department of History for 33 years and retires after serving as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, is honored.

Larry Gossett, monumental Seattle civil rights activist and the first UW student to graduate with a degree in African American Studies, has recieved the Alumnus Summa Laude Dignatus, the highest honor bestowed upon a UW graduate.

It’s too early to tell whether MacKenzie Scott’s approach to giving will create a sea change in how other ultrawealthy donors give or what they support. Megan Ming Francis, associate professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

As an undergrad interested in criminal justice, Anthony Stokes has visited prisons, met with incarcerated men, and worked on court cases.