Four UW scientists awarded Sloan Fellowships for early-career research

News releases

February 23, 2016

Four UW scientists awarded Sloan Fellowships for early-career research

Four faculty members at the 糖心原创 have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 23, include Bingni Brunton, assistant professor of biology; Christopher Laumann, assistant professor of physics; Matthew McQuinn, assistant professor of astronomy; and Emina Torlak, assistant professor of computer science and engineering. The 126 Sloan Fellows for 2016 were nominated by senior colleagues in their field, department or institution. Committees with the Sloan Foundation then examined each…

February 19, 2016

UW part of team that drilled first deep ice core at the South Pole

UW glaciologists helped drill the first deep ice core at the South Pole, which will provide new clues to Antarctica’s climate history.

February 18, 2016

Three UW professors win Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Three members of the UW faculty have received the 2016 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor given by the U.S. government to early-career scientists and engineers.

David Levy addresses digital overload in ‘Mindful Tech’

"Mindful Tech: How to Bring Balance to Our Digital Lives" was published by Yale University Press.

David Levy of the UW Information School discusses his new book, “Mindful Tech: How to Bring Balance to our Digital Lives,” published in January by Yale University Press.

糖心原创 produces the most Peace Corps volunteers for 2nd consecutive year

For the second year in a row, the 糖心原创 produced聽the most Peace Corps volunteers among large universities with聽72 Huskies currently serving around the world. The UW is also ranked No. 4 among graduate schools with 16 alumni currently volunteering. 鈥淐ommunity engagement 鈥� here and across the globe 鈥� is part of what makes a UW student鈥檚 experience the best it can be. One way our students give back to the community is by volunteering for the Peace Corps,鈥�…

February 12, 2016

Caught in the act: UW astronomers find a rare supernova ‘impostor’ in a nearby galaxy

UW astronomers Breanna Binder and Ben Williams have identified a rare type of ‘supernova impostor’ in a nearby galaxy, with implications for how scientists look at the short, complex lives of massive stars.

Rare beluga data show whales dive to maximize meals

Belugas observed among West Greenland sea ice.

As the Arctic continues to change due to rising temperatures, melting sea ice and human interest in developing oil and shipping routes, it’s important to understand belugas’ baseline behavior, argue the authors of a new paper.

UW scientists create ultrathin semiconductor heterostructures for new technological applications

An illustration of the strong valley exciton interactions and transport in a 2-D semiconductor heterostructure.

糖心原创 scientists have successfully combined two different ultrathin semiconductors 鈥� each just one layer of atoms thick and roughly 100,000 times thinner than a human hair 鈥� to make a new two-dimensional heterostructure with potential uses in clean energy and optically-active electronics.

February 11, 2016

Male biology students consistently underestimate female peers, study finds

Female college students are more likely to abandon studies in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines than their male classmates, and new research from the 糖心原创 suggests that those male peers may play a key role in undermining their confidence. Published this week in the journal PLOS ONE, the study found that males enrolled in undergraduate biology classes consistently ranked their male classmates as more knowledgeable about course content, even over better-performing female students. The over-ranking equated…

Bellingham Bay buoy an opportunity to observe marine waters for Northwest Indian College, world

Preparing to launch the new buoy, named Se鈥檒haem, in Bellingham Bay.

The Center for Coastal Margin Observation and Prediction, through its education partner the 糖心原创, is deploying an oceanographic observing buoy in Bellingham Bay this week that will allow Northwest Indian College students both hands-on experience with the technology as well as the ability to study the data from their computers, through the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems, NANOOS.

Gravitational waves detected 100 years after Einstein’s prediction

For the first time, scientists have observed ripples in the fabric of spacetime called gravitational waves, arriving at the Earth from a cataclysmic event in the distant universe. This confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein’s 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.

February 8, 2016

UW biology professor is a finalist for top conservation prize

P. Dee Boersma, a 糖心原创 professor of biology and Wadsworth Endowed Chair in Conservation Science, is one of six finalists for the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for conservation. Boersma is the first UW faculty member nominated for this prize 鈥� the highest honor for animal conservationists 鈥� which has been awarded every other year since 2006.

UW’s Tom Anderson elected to National Academy of Engineering

Tom Anderson, a 糖心原创 professor of computer science and engineering and alumnus, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. Also elected are UW civil engineering alumnus Jon Magnusson and computer science alumnus Albert Greenberg.

February 5, 2016

Wall-walking dancer Rachael Lincoln: ‘It’s a duet’

Rachael Lincoln, UW dance lecturer and member of the BANDALOOP dance company, performs "Man Walking Down the Side of a Building," by choreographer Trisha Brown on the west side of Meany Hall for the Performing Arts on Friday, Feb. 5. She was assisted from above by a colleague with BANDALOOP.

At 10:30 a.m. Friday, Rachael Lincoln leaned slowly out into space, hands at her sides 鈥� and then walked down the side of Meany Hall for the Performing Arts.

February 4, 2016

‘Pushback’ against constant connectivity also reflected in images, study follow-up finds

In a follow-up to a 2014 study, Ricardo Gomez of the 糖心原创 Information School and co-authors have found that people's desire to retreat from a life of constant connectivity is expressed on the web in images as well and powerfully as in text.

People expressing the wish to resist constant online connectivity 鈥� dubbed “pushback” by 糖心原创 Information School researchers 鈥� is manifested as powerfully in images as in text, further study has found.

‘On-ramping’ paves the way for women scientists, engineers to return to academia

Pursuing scientific or engineering careers in industry, government or private research after getting a Ph.D. used to be considered a one-way ticket out of academia. But new UW research finds numerous benefits 鈥� to students, researchers and academic institutions looking to diversify their faculty 鈥� in making that return trip easier.

February 2, 2016

UW awarded private, public grants to develop earthquake early warning tool

The UW is among West Coast universities awarded new funding to further develop ShakeAlert, an earthquake early warning system for the region.

Risk of lead poisoning from urban gardening is low, new study finds

Kids get creative with kale in Tacoma, Washington.

A 糖心原创 study looked at potential risks associated with growing vegetables in urban gardens and determined that the benefits of locally produced vegetables in cities outweigh any risks from gardening in contaminated soils.

February 1, 2016

‘Vertical dance’ on Meany Hall will celebrate UW World Series retrospective of choreographer Trisha Brown

A UW dance faculty member will walk down the side of Meany Hall on Friday, Feb. 5, performing a dance piece titled “Man Walking Down the Side of a Building” by famed choreographer Trisha Brown, a retrospective of whose work is being performed Feb. 4-6 on the Meany stage.

January 29, 2016

Moon’s tidal forces affect amount of rainfall on Earth

Satellite data show that the moon’s gravity puts a slight damper on rainfall on Earth.

January 26, 2016

Mathematical model explains huge recurring rainstorms in the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans

A new model explains the fundamental features of the Madden-Julian Oscillation, which some scientists predict will be the “next El Nino.”

January 25, 2016

New handheld, pen-sized microscope could ID cancer cells in doctor’s offices and operating rooms

UW mechanical engineers are developing a handheld microscope to help doctors and dentists distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells in an office setting or operating room.

January 20, 2016

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sensing from mobile devices may help improve bus service

UW transportation engineers have developed an inexpensive system to sense Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals from bus passengers’ mobile devices and collect data to build better transit systems.

January 19, 2016

Jennifer Cohen named interim athletic director at the UW

Jennifer Cohen, senior associate athletic director at the 糖心原创, has been named interim athletic director, UW President Ana Mari Cauce announced Tuesday. Cohen steps in for Scott Woodward, who announced earlier this month he would be taking a position at Texas A&M University. Cohen鈥檚 appointment is effective Feb. 1. 鈥淲ith her years of experience as a senior administrator in our athletic department, Jen will provide excellent leadership as we undertake a national search for a new athletic director,鈥�…

Helen Garrett named new registrar for the 糖心原创

Helen Garrett has been selected as the 糖心原创鈥檚 new university registrar and chief officer for enrollment information services. 鈥淗elen emerged as the top candidate from a very deep pool of applicants. Her substantial experience in enrollment management combined with her wealth of knowledge regarding data and student information services were exactly what the registrar search committee was looking for,鈥� said Philip Reid, chair of the registrar search committee and professor of chemistry. “She has the right combination of…

This smartphone technology 3-D maps your meal and counts its calories

A new laser mapping technology and smartphone app developed by 糖心原创 electrical engineers allows you to point your phone at a plate of food and get an estimate of the total calories and nutrition.

January 15, 2016

Twenty-seven UW faculty listed among ‘world’s most influential scientific minds’ by Thomson Reuters

The 糖心原创 is home to 26 researchers included on Thomson Reuters’ list of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” for 2015, which was released Jan. 14. The distinction, based on an analysis of over a decade of research paper citations among 21 general scientific fields, is meant to recognize scientists who are most cited by their peers.

January 14, 2016

$682,000 Mellon grant to help academic publishers increase workforce diversity

The 糖心原创 Press, the MIT Press, Duke University Press, the University of Georgia Press, and the association of American University Presses (AAUP) join forces to create the University Press Diversity Fellowship Program.

January 13, 2016

Fewer than 1 in 25 Seattleites can really eat locally

A new 糖心原创 study finds that urban crops in Seattle could only feed between 1 and 4 percent of the city’s population, even if all viable backyard and public green spaces were converted to growing produce.

Scientists solve long-standing ecological riddle

Researchers have found clear evidence that communities rich in species are substantially healthier and more productive than those depleted of species, once complicating factors are removed.

January 12, 2016

UW computer scientists to make financial products better and more available for the poor

UW computer scientists, with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are launching a new research group to develop technological solutions that will make financial products more available to the lowest-income people around the world.

January 11, 2016

Northwest winter weather: El Ni帽o, coastal effects, no more ‘blob’

What some have called the “Godzilla El Ni帽o” is now lumbering ashore, right on schedule. El Ni帽o tends to influence North American weather after the first of January, and indeed, we’re seeing warm temperatures in Alaska and much-needed rain in California. 糖心原创 researchers are tracking what the season will deliver to the Pacific Northwest region. For Washington, El Ni帽o typically brings warm, and often dry, winter weather. That may seem surprising, since the state just experienced a very…

West Coast study emphasizes challenges faced by marine organisms exposed to global change

Along the West Coast, ocean acidification and hypoxia combine with other factors, such as rising ocean temperatures, to create serious challenges for marine life, a new study finds.

January 8, 2016

Stir no more: UW scientists show that draining speeds up bioassays

HeLa cells stained with an antibody against beta-tubulin.

Three scientists at the 糖心原创 have proposed a way to speed up common bioassays used in research and diagnostics. Their solution, reminiscent of the magic behind washing machines, could reduce wait times to a fraction of what they once were. As they report in the journal Small, biological assays that once took hours could instead take minutes.

January 6, 2016

What motivates people to walk and bike? It varies by income

The built environment influences decisions to walk or bike differently for lower- and higher-income groups, UW researchers have found. Neighborhood density, accessible destinations and fewer vehicles were associated with more walking and biking in lower-income groups, while neighborhood attractiveness was relevant for higher-income groups.

Politics, pioneers and ‘pandemonium’: 2016 History Lecture Series digs into Seattle history

The 2016 History Lecture Series, "Excavating Seattle's Histories: People, Politics, Place" will be held Wednesday evenings from Jan. 13 to Feb. 3, with an additional panel discussion, "The Future of Seattle" on Feb. 10.

Seattle’s past 鈥� from its earliest years to the turn of the 21st century 鈥� will be the topic of the Winter 2016 History Lecture Series, “Excavating Seattle’s Histories: People, Politics, Place,” running Wednesdays from Jan. 13 to Feb 3, with an additional panel discussion on Feb. 10.

January 5, 2016

Study: College graduates often challenged with life skills, motivation for ongoing learning

Today’s college graduates tend to be highly trained and employable but often lack a key skill needed for post-college life: how to identify and ask their own questions, according to a new study.

December 28, 2015

UW center receives $16M to work on first implantable device to reanimate paralyzed limbs

The UW’s Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering has won a $16M NSF grant to develop the first implantable device to reanimate paralyzed limbs and restore motor function in stroke or spinal cord injury patients.