UW and the Community

Theres a quantum paradox in Washington. The state has strong ingredients for a quantum technology hub: powerful giants like Microsoft and Amazon, a hardware leader in IonQ, and world-class research at UW and PNNL. Yet it may be falling behind states like Illinois, Montana and Colorado that are pushing forward on quantum. Charles Marcus, professor of materials science and engineering and of physics, is quoted.

Several major hospital systems across the Puget Sound region are cutting hundreds of jobs, a wave of reductions that experts warn could soon lead to longer waits, fewer available services, and growing pressure on families seeking medical care.Anirban Basu, professor of health economics at the UW, is quoted.

Several English classes at Sedro-Woolley High School are implementing lesson plans designed by Linsey Kitchens to help students understand the limitations of artificial intelligence programs such as ChatGPT. The UW's Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology, and Jevin West, professor in the Information School, are mentioned.

Despite the Makah Tribes success in getting a waiver to carry out their exclusive treaty right for whaling, the permitting process that had dragged on for over 20 years has now been effectively delayedanother year and a half because of bogged-down federal bureaucracy. Joshua Reid, associate professor of history and of American Indian studies at the UW, is quoted.

Opportunities on campus and in the community that are free or discounted for UW students. 

UW Professor Connie So and interns in the Department of American Ethnic Studies take part in launching an educational campaign to support elderly Asian Americans in protecting themselves from crime and scams.

Come curious. Leave inspired. For those near and far, we invite you to end the year with us through a range of events, performances, exhibitions, podcasts, and more. As you begin to shape your December plans, dont miss the inspiring events still to come this November. In addition,sign up to receive a monthly notice when...

UW Libraries and the UW School of Music collaborate to bring the free First Wednesday Concert Series to the public each month. The series features School of Music students in approximately hour-long sets, strategically occurring during lunchtime in hopes of audience members attending during a break in their day. 

Among a slew of noteworthy firsts, the 2025 election nationwide and in Seattle featured a turn to youth young voters backing youthful candidates. Mark Alan Smith, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Over the course of two months, Bloomberg Businessweek conducted interviews with 18 people who either have experienced delusions after interactions with chatbots or are coping with a loved one who has, and analyzed hundreds of pages of chat logs from conversations that chronicle these spirals. Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW, is quoted.

Looking for a fresh perspective? Check out these podcasts and radio shows from UW alumni and faculty, including Markus Dekanogisdi Teuton (Cherokee), (BM, Jazz Studies // BA, CHID, 2024) and Kara Bazzi (BA, Psychology, 2021). 

"When we tell students they can get 'answers' from a chatbot, we are failing to model or encourage the kind of sophisticated information-seeking behavior that underlies critical thinking," writes Emily M. Bender, professor of linguistics at the UW.

Eight students graduated in June 2025 with their Master of Fine Arts degrees and concluded their programs by presenting their culminating work in the MFA + MDes Thesis Exhibition at the Henry Art Gallery. Just a few months later, these graduates are already making impressive moves in their artistic careers.

A Burke Museum exhibit, co-curated by Coast Salish weavers and Burke curators, highlights the importance of weaving to Coast Salish communities.

In the College of Arts & Sciences, we are proud to celebrate our first-generation community through a collection of stories! We honor our faculty and staff, and their many contributions to our university community and beyond.