Profiles

Tom Mara, who helms the Seattle International Film festival, is making history by transforming the Cinerama into SIFF Cinema Downtown. While at the UW, Mara studied broadcast journalism, which pointed him toward work in public radio.

Three new faculty books from the University of Washington cover wide-ranging topics: life in the Rio Grande Valley, fossils of Washington state and the colonial roots of contemporary intersex medicine. UW News talked with the authors to learn more. Collection highlights life in Rio Grande Valley “Puro Pinche True Fictions” is a collection of short...

"The questions are long-term questions," emeritus professor Marshall Baker says of his theoretical physics, which he is still pursuing at age 91. 

In collaboration with the UW Polish Studies Endowment Committee, award-winning poet and UW assistant professor Piotr Florczyk dedicated an event to the reading and discussion of poetry in Polish and English. Contributing writer Avery Cook dives into the importance of bilingual writing and writers.

"There are going to be many days where it doesn't seem to make sense, and that is an incredibly vulnerable space to maneuver, but just know that you belong here at this incredible university along with every great opportunity you come across in your journey.  It's okay to not have the answers or feel entirely comfortable in new spaces you'll find yourself in. Use curiosity to your advantage and ask questions, read for fun beyond the classroom, listen to new music that makes you want to bop around, or take a walk, and look for chances to join student organizations. Curiosity is a great tool in the classroom, and it will also serve you well beyond the University of Washington. Give it your all because you'll get back what you put in." - Juan Rodriguez, Marketing Production Specialist, College of Arts & Sciences

An interview with Dr. Loma Pendergraft on crow vocalization. Pendergraft — a current psychology lecturer in animal behavior-related classes — found interest in the noises the crows on the south side of the UW campus made as he fed them. This curiosity led to the experiment that comprised his master’s degree. 

Briana Abrahms serves as the Boersma Endowed Chair of Natural History and Conservation at UW, and recently received the prestigious Packard Fellowship. Abrahms’ lab will receive $875,000 to pursue research regarding the impacts of environmental change on animal behavior. Writer Samuel Abraham sits down with the professor and distills her ongoing research.

Some are stubborn optimists. Others struggle with despair. Their faces show the weight they carry as they witness the impact of climate change. Kristin Laidre, associate professor of aquatic and fishery sciences at the UW and principal scientist at the Applied Physics Laboratory, and P. Dee Boersma, professor of biology at the UW, are featured.

Tina Nguyễn has dipped her toes into everything, graduating with a double degree in informatics and global studies and receiving the prestigious Gilman scholarship, all while continuously creating remarkable art. She sits down with writer Alexa Meyer to discuss what's next as one of UW’s best. Jackson School's Center for Global Studies is mentioned. 

"You belong here. This place will change you and you will change it. I belong here, too, and I am forever grateful for the ways I’ve been changed by the students, staff, and faculty in my part of the UW community." - Andrea Woody, Divisional Dean of the Social Sciences

Chandan Reddy, an associate professor of gender, women and sexuality studies and of the comparative history of ideas at the University of Washington, has been named a “Freedom Scholar” by the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

"Stepping out of my comfort zone and embracing the challenges of being a first-generation college student allowed me to leave a strong mark in the Husky community. I am grateful for the experiences and people I encountered along the way. I look forward to continuing my journey in the world of journalism – uncovering and sharing the stories that matter the most." – Reneé Diaz (B.A. Communication: Journalism and Public Interest Communication, 2023)

"I believe that the journey should be as much fun, and as fulfilling, as reaching the goalpost, which may shift and thereby make life more challenging and interesting. Use the philosophy in this famous quote that 'nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm because enthusiasm urges you to do your best.'"- Usha Varanasi (Ph.D., Chemistry, 1968) , UW College of Arts & Sciences Chemistry Professor

Briana Abrahms, a University of Washington assistant professor of biology and researcher with the UW Center for Ecosystem Sentinels, has been named a 2023 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering, according to an Oct. 16 announcement from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation. As one of 20 new fellows across the country, Abrahms, who holds the Boersma Endowed Chair in Natural History and Conservation, will receive $875,000 over five years for her research.

"My first-gen college experience has inspired my approach to my level of research, work, and connection with this campus along with students and faculty by encouraging me to always go above and beyond what is expected and become eager to learn new things at any moment." – Pedro Caballero, College of Arts & Sciences student majoring in both Political Science and Public Health.