Letters

February 23, 2024

Collage of images featuring David Plunkert smiling, a green grassy field, a seascape, and a grid of animals and plants, including a bear, a goose, a bee and a tree.

The nature of nature

It’s no surprise that the federal government turned to the UW to head up an assessment of America's lands, waters and wildlife.


An illustration of a Trojan horse reading a giant book

Beware the hollow horse

Words of caution from 2,000 years ago are relevant today as our country experiences an alarming escalation in efforts to censor books.


November 24, 2023

Rousing research

UW leaders thought having students do research would prepare them to take on the future. It became a national model.


October 24, 2023

Elavie Ndura and UW Tacoma “walk the talk” when pursuing equity and inclusion

Elavie Ndura, Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion at UW Tacoma, explains her connection to the University and her passion for equity and inclusion.


September 2, 2023

Better building blocks

Founders Hall is the only University building fully constructed of mass timber, which has the promise of reducing the costs of construction while increasing a building’s sustainability.


August 28, 2023

Welcome to campus

UW President Ana Mari Cauce provides an update on the University and its surrounding community.


May 28, 2023

A gleaming partnership

The UW School of Dentistry partnered with Shoreline Community College to increase the number of dental hygienists.


February 25, 2023

Reaching rural communities

The School of Dentistry gets amazing results from a program bringing health care to rural areas.


February 13, 2023

Hall of famer

It took 36 years, but Don Coryell, the former Husky defensive back-turned-offensive genius in the NFL, gets the glory he long deserved.


January 27, 2023

Fond farewell to Fennema

Former New York Giants player Carl Fennema attended Husky football games for decades; his love for his alma mater never flagged despite age and injury.


Captain Fantastic

The late Jerry Thornton was a great ballplayer and a real family man.


November 27, 2022

Unleash the power

We need collective action to realize the potential for higher education to be a force for good.


Driving innovation

The UW team earned the EcoCAR Collaboration Award at last spring's Mobility Challenge.


September 11, 2022

Huskies in our hearts

On a tragic anniversary in UW history, editor Jon Marmor pays tribute to the 17 Huskies who lost their lives on 9/11 and 9/12.


September 8, 2022

Farewell, Queen Elizabeth

Nearly 40 years ago, when Jon Marmor was a newspaper editor, he met the queen during an assignment in the Bahamas. No kidding.


September 3, 2022

Equity in education

For the past 2½ years, nothing was turned more upside down by the pandemic than education.


September 2, 2022

Reunited at the UW

UW President Ana Mari Cauce writes that we can work to rebuild trust, grace and shared ambition for a more equitable, vibrant and thriving world.


August 31, 2022

A Husky family legacy

Kris Lambright, '86, is the UW Alumni Association's newest board president. She shares her Husky story.


May 29, 2022

Commencement countdown

The UW’s newest class of alumni will have their day. And so will those from the two years prior.


Global realities

As we emerge from a global pandemic that profoundly unsettled University life, we now turn to face multiple, often intersecting, global challenges.


March 5, 2022

Power of innovation

A new UW facility will bring together scientists, engineers and students to develop clean-energy solutions for a healthy planet and a sustainable future.


March 2, 2022

Where our voices are heard

Mustapha Samateh, president of the ASUW, reflects on his journey from Gambia to the UW.


December 4, 2021

Illustration of a person's head with the top removed, exposing a metal foundation like that of a large building.

All in alignment

The impact of the University of Washington was never more clearly on display than when the Legislature turned to it to tackle the state’s mental health crisis.


Illustration depicting a student in a cap and gown climbing a ladder

Why grad school works

Graduate education is more than a ticket to a better future; it’s an engine for the public good.


September 11, 2021

The you district

When the University of Washington community makes its jubilant return, we are returning to a U District that has been forever changed.


Reframing what matters

Every autumn, the new academic year offers a fresh start. This year, many of us return with a new perspective shaped by the pandemic.


June 14, 2021

Fond farewells

As we celebrate 12,000 new University of Washington graduates, we also have the special opportunity to honor three academic leaders who are retiring.


June 10, 2021

A shot at better care

To get vaccines into arms in underserved communities, we need to meet people where they are, Pharmacy Professor Don Downing writes.


March 11, 2021

Is normal near?

A year after COVID-19 arrived, there are promising signs that we’ll be back on campus soon.


December 9, 2020

He taught us how to care

The impact of Bill Gates Sr. will continue to be felt throughout Western Washington, and that is a tribute to his ambition to make this a better world.


December 8, 2020

Learning from darkness

After a tumultuous 2020, what have we learned that can light our way forward?


September 16, 2020

Unbreakable bonds

Gifts to the UW’s Be Boundless campaign reflect the character and spirit that unites us.


The power of community

With the world turned upside-down, the bond between the University of Washington and its community has never been stronger.


June 24, 2020

Stories of resilience

In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, our June 2020 issue tells stories of hope and resilience that are at the core of our UW community.


June 4, 2020

Ahead of the curve

Fast, accurate COVID-19 testing quickly went into effect here, thanks to the heroic efforts of UW Medicine faculty and staff.


March 11, 2020

Key ingredients

Meet our art director and staff photographer.


March 10, 2020

For an informed public

The UW's Center for an Informed Public is a response to the rise in disinformation and erosion of trust in our most basic societal institutions.


December 9, 2019

Power of pictures

Our new-look magazine is a showcase for visual storytelling.


September 8, 2019

Alchemy of collaboration

The fantastic alchemy of collaboration between faculty and students is at the heart of many discoveries.


September 6, 2019

The agony of September 12

Our editor reflects on the lives lost on 9/12/2001, the day a sightseeing plane full of Husky football fans crashed in Mexico.


August 26, 2019

Letters: ‘A painful reminder’

A 1972 grad and lifelong journalist was prompted to share his experience with racism after reading a story in our magazine.


August 21, 2019

25 years of Columns

As our publication evolves into University of Washington Magazine, our editor looks back on a quarter century with Columns.


June 3, 2019

President’s letter

This year, our state Legislature approved a budget that reinvests in public higher education.


Change is afoot

The name Columns will soon be retired and the magazine's look will be completely refreshed.


March 7, 2019

Editor’s Eye: Unease

I fear that part of the University is in peril—the humanities, arts, social sciences, museums, libraries.


President's Letter

A spirit of unity—the awareness that we’re all in this together—is our greatest strength, both as a state and as a community of Huskies everywhere.


December 1, 2018

President's letter

Public education requires public support—help us sound the alarm.


Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Gizmos

The innovations that come out of the UW are nothing short of mind-boggling.


October 4, 2018

Ana Mari Cauce

President’s Letter: September 2018

This year we welcome our largest-ever incoming class, which includes the most students from Washington state in our University’s history.


October 3, 2018

Editor’s Eye: Moonshot

More than 8,000 first year and transfer students starting at the University this fall. How in the world will they decide what to do?


June 6, 2018

The story of Thomas Peter Lantos

Lantos, the first and only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress, was perhaps the unlikeliest UW graduate of them all.


President's Letter: June 2018

The great power of our University and its public mission is that it touches every person in Washington, through education, research and service.


March 7, 2018

A Rather uplifting experience

Our editor reflects on meeting one of his journalism heroes, Dan Rather, during the legendary newsman's visit to the UW.


March 6, 2018

Ana Mari Cauce

President's Letter: March 2018

During Women’s History Month the UW can be proud of our legacy in educating and empowering women.


January 5, 2018

President's Letter: December 2017

Marking milestones along our journey.


Your letters: December 2017

Readers write back.


December 14, 2017

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Farewell to the Boeing 747

The Boeing 747, once the Queen of the Skies, is a winged monument to the University of Washington.


September 14, 2017

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

A love affair with libraries

Last year, the UW Libraries were visited 6 million times in person.


Your letters: September 2017

Readers write back.


September 13, 2017

Ana Mari Cauce

President’s Letter: September 2017

Welcoming the class of 2021 and saying goodbye to an old friend.


June 7, 2017

Ana Mari Cauce

President's Letter: June 2017

Thanking those who have helped make this a momentous year.


Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Zigzagging to the stage

For nontraditional students, commencement comes with a feisty pride.


March 1, 2017

Think critically, not comfortably

Be a champion for critical thinking.


Ana Mari Cauce

President’s Letter: March 2017

At times like these of uncertainty and rapid change, our university’s role has never been more critical.


February 28, 2017

Guillermo William V. Castaneda

‘Ode to the Mexican Man’

An alum in Yakima Valley shares a poem.


December 29, 2016

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Editor's Eye: Officer Friendly

The Seattle cop who impacted thousands of Washington's elementary school kids.


December 15, 2016

Ana Mari Cauce

President’s Letter: December 2016

Our ideals, passions and dreams can change the world.


September 1, 2016

Nourish

In a world gone mad with terrorist attacks, mass shootings, racial profiling, police assassinations and baffling presidential election rhetoric, thank goodness there’s an oasis of sanity in the University District that will renew your faith in humankind. At least it does for me.


June 1, 2016

Editor's Eye: Quandary

When quitting school was the easiest path, it wasn't the right one.


March 1, 2016

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Editot's Eye: Grateful

Each name on the UW's World War II memorial tells a story of sacrifice.


December 1, 2015

Editor's Eye: Montlake memories

The parking lot known as E-1 holds a lot of memories in its pavement.


September 1, 2015

A new U-District

This is not a fuddy-duddy column about how great the old days were in the U District. It’s just that with every passing week, the area becomes a bit more unrecognizable.


June 1, 2015

Editor's Eye: Aha

The best teachers get under our skin, in a good way. They get us up in the morning when we would rather linger in bed after a late night because who would want to miss that infectious enthusiasm? Our favorite teachers make us think and grow and smile. And they push us.


March 1, 2015

Editor's Eye: Jim

I first met Jim Long five years ago after he'd celebrated his birthday—his 100th. He wanted to touch base with the person who holds the same job he once held. Ever since that day, Jim became a mentor to me.


December 1, 2014

125 years together

November saw two major milestones—the 125th anniversary of Washington’s statehood for Washington (with a celebration in Olympia run by one of our alums, Gov. Jay Inslee, ’73), as well as the 125th birthday for the UW Alumni Association. Coincidence?


September 1, 2014

Editor's Eye: Quake

A lot of Husky fans feel something new is in the air, something we haven’t really felt in a long time: hope.


June 1, 2014

Editor's Eye: Commencing

You have to be bold to be an innovator. You have to have confidence. You have to take a chance. And who better to face that head-on than the thousands of students who will be marching into Husky Stadium on June 14 for Commencement.


March 1, 2014

Editor's Eye: Conviction

One hundred twenty-five years ago, the stuff of history books and museum displays happened: Washington was admitted to the union as the 42nd state and the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed most of downtown. That was also the year the UW Alumni Association was formed.


December 1, 2013

Editor's Eye: Reimagining

It should come as no surprise that a 2009 CHID graduate makes up half of one of the hottest names in hip-hop music today: the local tandem of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.


September 1, 2013

Homecoming

In a few short days, we get to come home to our spiffed up Husky Stadium, and boy, will that feel amazing.


June 1, 2013

Positive power

For me, positive thinking happens more in June than just about any other time of year. That’s because we get to honor our new graduates and recognize those people who make the UW what it is today: a shining star of a public university that serves our citizens in so many ways it’s hard to count.


March 1, 2013

Everyday Huskies

What amazes me is how many times a day my life is made better by what I call Everyday Huskies.


December 1, 2012

Family matters

It’s holiday time, and that always brings back memories.


September 1, 2012

Making change

By educating our state's citizens, searching for solutions to overcome the vexing problems of our time, and creating art and culture that uplifts and challenges us, the University of Washington serves us in many ways.


June 1, 2012

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Rooting interests

The London Summer Olympics are another reason to celebrate the UW.


March 1, 2012

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Magic in our midst

The University of Washington is a place that nourishes us with its stunning, gorgeous physical space as well as the mind-expanding challenges we get in the classroom.


December 1, 2011

Purple, gold and green

In August, the Sierra Club named the UW as the nation’s most environmentally friendly university in its ranking of the nation’s “Cool Schools.”


June 1, 2011

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Editor's Eye: Celebration

Michael Young’s selection as president-designate of the University of Washington (he starts July 1) turned a glum spring into one of celebration.


March 1, 2011

Husky pride

One of the most disappointing aspects of the terrible state budget cuts isn’t just that the University of Washington will take a big hit. It’s how easily the state Legislature aimed its budget-cutting ax at the University.


December 1, 2010

Jon Marmor, Columns Magazine

Under the radar

A question we hear a lot at the University of Washington is: What does the state get in return for its investment in the UW? The answer: more than you know.


September 1, 2010

Learning without end

When you hear questions posed by people outside our campus about the UW, you realize just what an impact this institution has. It fuels the economy, helps us get jobs, provides health care.


June 1, 2010

UW endures

The President is leaving, the state government doled out yet another discouraging budget cut, and there’s a bit of uncertainty in the air at the University of Washington. But the truth is, that’s only part of the story.


March 1, 2010

Ingenuity reigns

The UW I find myself returning to is innovative, entrepreneurial, alive. I am lucky to be here, helping tell its stories.


December 1, 2009

Editor's Eye: Everyday heroes

Devotion to making this world a better place seems to be in the DNA of alumni, staff and faculty at the UW.


September 1, 2009

Words touch our hearts

One of the things I particularly admire about a place as big and complex as the University of Washington is how it can touch us on an intimate manner: through the written word.


June 1, 2009

Genius abounds

Working at the UW, particularly, it's easy to forget how much of the day one spends surrounded by geniuses.


March 1, 2009

Just call her a scholar

Ellen Dissanayake is working in a field she invented: evolutionary aesthetics, the study of art-making as an innate human behavior that helps us survive.


December 1, 2008

Bold moves

A pair of stories are a humbling reminder of just how much people will sacrifice for freedom, whether from an oppressive government or an intolerant culture.


September 1, 2008

Ramona's world and ours

Small wonder we use the same word to describe generosity that we use to describe Beverly Cleary’s imagination: It’s a gift.


June 1, 2008

‘Legend’ has it

With this issue, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the UW's alumni magazine by celebrating the living legends among us.