Interdisciplinary

Kasaba served as director of the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS) for 10 years. Kasaba also served as Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Near and Middle East Studies (NMES) intermittently between 2004 and 2024. He’s now retiring from his position after 41 years at UW.

The University of Washington has produced its share of poet laureates, but Mateo Quispe, a queer and trans Peruvian American poet and senior in the Comparative History of Ideas program, may be the only student ever to hold a laureateship while at the UW. University of Washington Magazine shares this profile of Quispe, who is studying the comparative history of ideas at the UW while completing his tenure as Auburn Poet Laureate.

Graduating with bachelor's degrees in neuroscience and French, Hunter Jung is heading to France for a cognitive neuroscience program that reflects both interests.

For his UW master's in Scandinavian Studies, Estonian student Greg Rahuoja addressed political and practical challenges for Khanty, an Indigenous language spoken in parts of Siberia. 

Following several meetings between Arts & Sciences and School of Medicine leadership, a faculty working group was convened to develop recommendations focused on expanding and supporting pre-health pathways for Arts & Sciences undergraduates. The resulting report outlines several potential initiatives that aim to elevate the visibility of the College’s rich, multi-disciplinary strengths in health and society more visible, accessible, and connected for students pursuing a broad range of healthcare and health-related careers. 

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 June: Take a look at everything still happening in May. Sign up to receive a monthly notice when the ArtSci Roundup has been published. ArtSci On Your Own Time: Through July...

Humanities 103, part of the Humanities First program for first-year students, emphasizes place-based learning through thoughtfully designed field trips. 

"On Dec. 30, 2024, my mother, Brenda Louise Baker, died. I have known grief most of my life. I was 9 when my uncle died. By high school, death no longer felt shocking. It felt familiar. I decided I wanted to become a pathologist, as if understanding the science of death might quiet the ache it caused," writes KD Hall, affiliate instructor of communication leadership at the UW.

Thanks to a School of Drama connection, an 19th-century illustrated Shakespeare edition with an interesting backstory is now part of UW Libraries Special Collections. 

Nowadays, musicians finding the most success are not only refining their musical skills, but also business, publicity, and technical skills like studio recording and production. With the latter in mind, the University of Washington School of Music is stepping up their offerings. The UW's Ted Poor, associate professor of music; and Andrew Munsey, assistant professor of music and technology, are quoted. Jol-Franois Durand, director of the UW School of Music and professor of composition, is mentioned.

A recent documentary about the breeding habits of antelopes in India includes the story of how engaging with artists and local communities can help researchers share the importance of their work. UW News asked Vivek Hari Sridhar, a UW assistant professor of biology and one of the leaders of the project, for details about the project and the documentary.

Kyle Haddad-Fonda, a part-time lecturer of history at the University of Washington, is teaching "Modern Olympic Games" this quarter. The course covers subjects ranging from ideology and national identity to race and the position of women in society.

In February, the UW Symphony will perform a symphony that Coast Salish elder Vi Hilbert commissioned years ago to heal the world after the heartbreak of 9/11. The symphony was first performed by the Seattle Symphony in 2006.

Historian Coll Thrush researches the dark history of Pacific Northwest shipwrecks in "Wrecked." Thrush, who earned his master’s degree and Ph.D. in history at the University of Washington, spent six years combing through archives, oral histories and ship logs to unearth tales of sinking and survival, exploitation and tragedy. But in the process, he discovered a deeper narrative—an exploration of how people, place and power collided along the Northwest coast, and how nature always won.

To honor his wife and support the college that has meant so much to both of them, former Arts & Sciences dean John Simpson created the Katherine and John Simpson Endowed Deanship.