College of Arts and Sciences

Seattle sees thousands mobilize on May Day each year to advocate for immigrant and worker rights, echoing traditions starting from labor protests decades ago. James Gregory, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Researchers in natural language processing tried to tame human language. Then came the transformer. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Seemingly no international issue provokes as much heartbreak, consternation and demand for moral action for many right now as the fate of Palestinians and Israelis. And few academics have as much insight into the challenges and benefits of honest discussion and scholarship about that region as Liora Halperin, professor of history and international studies at the UW.

Chatbots learned from human writing. Now its their turn to influence us. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

As researchers at American universities face an uncertain future, other countries are doing their best to lure scientists away.Is the US set to face a brain drain as top talent moves overseas or into other fields? Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW, is quoted.

These birds have evolved to withstand the equatorial sun and shelter in volcanic rocks along a subtropical coastline. After 50 years, biologist Dee Boersma, professor of biology at the UW, continues to learn new things about the species.

"President Donald Trump and members of his administration have long used allegations of anti-Christian discrimination as a rallying cry for supporters, arguing that policies and laws on issues like school prayer and LGBTQ+ rights threaten Christians right to express their beliefs," co-write the UW's Clara Wilkins, associate professor of psychology, and Rosemary (Marah) Al-Kire, a postdoctoral researcher of psychology.

Autism rates are rising, but RFK Jr. is wrong about the reasons. Heres what the science says. Annette Estes, director of the UW Autism Center and a research professor of speech and hearing sciences, is quoted.

From campus to wherever you call home, we welcome you to learn from and connect with the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We hope to see you this May. Innovation Month April 30 | An Evening with Christine Sun Kim (Public Lecture)...

"For all that my project with co-translator Harriet Murav seems to align with the presidents supposed interest in fighting antisemitism, there it was: Our grant was being terminated, in accordance with 'an urgent priority for the administration,' as the NEH was 'repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the Presidents agenda,'" writes Sasha Senderovich, associate professor of Slavic languages and literatures at the UW.

In Seattle, two local radio shows, Indigenous Jazz on Daybreak Star Radio and Sounds of Survivance on KEXP, are joining the efforts to illuminate and celebrate the Indigenous jazz genius. John-Carlos Perea, associate professor of ethnomusicology and an adjunct associate professor of American Indian Studies, is quoted.

Biologists Benneth Obitte and Inoro Tanshi are exploring Nigerias bat diversity and trying to save it. Tanshi, postdoctoral researcher in the UW Department of Biology, is quoted.

Salma Rashwan, ’26, is majoring in psychology and education. Through the Community Engagement and Leadership Education (CELE) Center's work in tribal and rural partnerships, she’s combining her academic work with her commitment to communities and kids and is a student leader in the Alternative Spring Break program.

The large language models that power todays chatbots have gotten so astoundingly capable, AI researchers are hard pressed to assess those capabilities it seems that no sooner is there a new test than the AI systems ace it. But what does that performance really mean? Do these models genuinely understand our world? Or are they merely a triumph of data and calculations that simulates true understanding? Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

A new show at Sebastian Gladstone places work by the influential teacher and artist Denzil Hurley alongside his former student Brian Sharp (MFA 2001). Sharp talks with his former classmate Jonas Wood (MFA 2002) about their shared education.