Faculty & Staff

November 1, 2024

Cultivating community

The UW's Native Garden was created to "honor, acknowledge and make space for the traditional peoples" who once built longhouses and a fishing weir in the area.


Miss Peoples in their corner

The founding director of the country's first academic support office for student athletes, Gertrude Peoples is a beloved UW figure.


October 22, 2024

Building better forests

Dr. Susan J. Prichard is a research scientist with a passion for forest ecology. She tells us about her work with wildfires.


October 18, 2024

Entrepreneur, artist and event planner Jireh Reduque is always creating for a cause

Jireh Reduque molds clay and community with her small business, Ji Designs.


October 15, 2024

Happy 100th, Don Coryell!

A UW Magazine reader asked us to dig up Don Coryell's 1951 thesis, so we did.


September 13, 2024

Novel approach

With new support of private equity, CoMotion is helping a UW professor's quest to diagnose Alzheimer's earlier.


September 11, 2024

Learning across difference

Outgoing UW President Ana Mari Cauce shares what she's learned after nearly four decades at the University.


September 9, 2024

Free people read freely

‘Warrior Librarian’ Tracie D. Hall doesn't tell people to be quiet, but to speak up against censorship that threatens learning and access to information for all.


July 29, 2024

The Olympian

Hall Health rebrands as Husky Health Center and renames their building for Olympian David C. Hall.


June 6, 2024

Best of the best

They are voracious learners who instruct and inspire their students and have an impact that lasts a lifetime. Meet this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award and Excellence in Teaching Awards.


Remote learning

UW field biologists flock to Tetiaroa, a bird lover's dream.


May 31, 2024

Finding new horizons

Anu Taranath, author and teaching professor in the departments of English and Comparative History of Ideas, shares an eye-opening experience from her recent travels.


May 30, 2024

A dose of advice

A pediatrician weighs in on the recent spike in melatonin use for kids who can't sleep.


May 21, 2024

For the common good

The UW recognizes Shauna Elbers Carlisle for her outstanding work in and out of the classroom.


Big impact

Louise Little is the 2024 recipient of the UW Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in honor of her decades of service to the UW community.


May 17, 2024

Art direction

Jordan Jones will provide curation, programming and leadership to the gallery.


April 4, 2024

Buddhist Bug

UW Bothell Senior Artist-in-Residence Anida Yoeu Ali donned her orange worm-like costume at a recent Seattle Asian Art Museum performance.


February 23, 2024

A student wearing a hard hat and safety goggles smiles

Mix masters

At the Concrete Materials Lab, UW students are testing ways to bring concrete into a sustainable future.


A museum visitor brings her fact close to Anida Ali, who is wearing a giant orange tube that winds around the room

Art in action

UW Senior Artist-in-Residence Anida Yoeu Ali opens a solo show at Seattle Asian Art Museum.


Four men in construction uniforms walk near a large stadium construction site

Studying modern slavery

Professor Anita Ramasastry is part of a global commission investigating the rise of forced labor.


An older man wearing a purple suit and a striped tie smiles in Husky Stadium

Swan song

Brad McDavid, the longest-serving band director in UW history, is calling it a career.


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.


January 18, 2024

Artist Anida Ali stands in front of a picture of herself wearing a sparkly red chador.

Out of the ordinary

UW Artist-in-Residence Anida Yoeu Ali opens her show at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, which runs through July 7.


November 29, 2023

Looking up

With determination, faith and the UW’s belief in her, Square Donaldson overcame tremendous obstacles.


October 30, 2023

Community servant

According to Dr. John Hess, this year's Distinguished Alumni Veteran Award (DAVA) recipient, service is a way of life.


October 27, 2023

Ways of knowing

A new podcast produced in partnership with the UW is dedicated to humanities research and thought.


October 24, 2023

Canoe Journey

Hosted by the Muckleshoot Tribe, this year's Tribal Canoe Journey welcomed members of the Shell House Canoe Family, č̓away̓altxʷ ʔiišəd.


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.


October 6, 2023

A hungry tiger fights best

Toshio Akamatsu began his career as a member of John Bonica's legendary team of pain management experts. Akamatsu died this year at the age of 89.


September 2, 2023

Passion for public health

Throughout his career, George Counts has addressed health and health-care inequities.


He can dig it

David R. Montgomery has a MacArthur “genius grant,” a handful of popular science books, and six albums with the local band Big Dirt under his belt.


September 1, 2023

Smart students, clever tech

Information from fitness trackers and smartphones helps Anind Dey's team learn about student success.


August 30, 2023

Tribe and timber

By listening to land stewards within the Yakama Nation, Tom Hinckley learned to see the forest for the trees.


June 20, 2023

Historian, tour guide, archive enthusiast

Let Antoinette Wills show you around the UW's campus.


May 29, 2023

Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award

John C. Berg was named the recipient of the UW’s 2023 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award.


Teachers of the year

From inspiration to impact, this year’s Distinguished Teaching Award recipients mentor and nurture students from all disciplines.


May 28, 2023

Our part for the planet

A UW workshop showcases how climate change innovations on campuses can benefit surrounding communities and beyond.


April 25, 2023

Signs of disability

Stephanie Kerschbaum explores how we notice, and sometimes don't notice, disability.


April 21, 2023

Full circle

Sherri Berdine supports and strengthens the University’s relationships with nearly 40 tribal nations in the Pacific Northwest.


February 25, 2023

Opioid game-changer

Vaccines show promise for treating addiction to oxycodone, heroin and other addictive substances.


Foster library turns back time

The Foster School library put a time capsule from the 1990s on display to mark its anniversary.


February 23, 2023

Another side of the city

Peter Bacho wrote a love letter to Seattle with “Uncle Rico's Encore,” a book he says he “had to write.”


November 27, 2022

Genius at work

The MacArthur Foundation honors Yejin Choi, a professor who teaches human language to computers.


A seat at the table

Gov. Jay Inslee, ’73, selected Professor Alexes Harris, ’97, to serve a three-year term on the University’s highest governing body.


November 26, 2022

On the scene of change

In data and in the field, professor Briana Abrahms seeks ways for humans and wildlife to coexist as the climate changes.


November 4, 2022

A new era for campus security

The UW's new police chief, Craig Wilson, has served 26 years in the department.


November 3, 2022

Tamara Lawson portrait

Tamara Lawson is the UW's new law dean

The UW’s new law dean wants to infuse social justice and civil rights throughout the law school curriculum.


September 20, 2022

Making history

History professor Margaret O'Mara explains how prior generations handled a pandemic and what we can learn from their mistakes.


September 9, 2022

Story of Black Seattle

Quintard Taylor tells the stories of Seattle’s small, but influential Black community.


September 3, 2022

Neurodiversity at work

Neurodiverse UW employees gather to share their stories at a seminar.


September 1, 2022

State of happiness

Early each summer, the University organizes a statewide field trip to introduce new faculty and administrators to Washington.


August 31, 2022

Touch Down

There's a new head coach in town: Kalen DeBoer shares his insights on the upcoming season with editor Jon Marmor.


August 10, 2022

MAP Maker

A “true leader,” Thaddeus Spratlen brought dignity, dedication and a scholarly approach to the Multicultural Alumni Partnership.


June 15, 2022

Good, better, best!

They garden, they read, they cook and they dream of becoming dentists. Teachers: They're just like us! But these six are the cream of the crop.


May 30, 2022

JoAnn Taricani, 1953-2022

School of Music Director JoAnn Taricani brought joy to her students and colleagues over more than four decades before her sudden death Feb. 1.


May 29, 2022

Media man

For the past 31 years, Jeff Bechthold has worked in sports information for the UW athletic department. He handles Husky football and crew.


May 25, 2022

Champion of opportunities

Michael Verchot receives the 2022 UWAA Distinguished Service Award for his work on behalf of the UW Consulting and Business Development Center.


Commemorating Ken Sirotnik

Ken Sirotnik's legacy remains strong nearly two decades after his death. The UWAA honors him with the 2022 Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award.


Community champion

For his dedication to the UW and Chicano/a/Latino/a communities, Erasmo Gamboa receives the 2022 Retiree Excellence in Community Service Award.


May 16, 2022

Toward a more diverse faculty

A new campus-wide effort led by Alexes Harris supports underrepresented groups and first-generation faculty.


March 18, 2022

Behind the scenes

Tres Tracy Ballon, '01, is the master carpenter at the UW School of Drama. We talked to her about squirrels, big ideas and building sets (and boats).


March 5, 2022

Living through history

UW history professor Margaret O’Mara shares her perspective on the pandemic and its echoes from the past.


March 4, 2022

Caring for custodians

Evalynn Fae Taganna Romano, ’10, ’21, leads an effort recognize an often overlooked group in the pandemic: campus custodians.


December 11, 2021

Partially colored sketch of Marie Spiker cooking soup

Locally grown

Marie Spiker is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the UW School of Public Health, registered dietitian and enthusiastic kayaker. We asked her about her various passions.


December 4, 2021

Why get a booster?

Marion Pepper of the School of Medicine helps us better understand the latest COVID-19 shot.


A damaged container of juice with a label reading "Sunny Diabetes, 100% bad choice for Vitamin C, 15 sugar cubes per serving"

Fruity, not healthy

Fruit drinks are often disguised as nutritious alternatives to soda. Researchers try to counter that narrative.


Dancer Abdiel Jacobsen poses wearing dark blue pants, a light blue tank top and a pink cardigan.

Stepping up

Dance students and faculty once again get a chance to strut their stuff.


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.


Wendy Barrington wears a dark blue shirt and clear glasses and rests her head on her chin while looking into the camera.

A call to action

Associate Professor Wendy Barrington, '12, brings a passion for health equity to her role as director of the Center for Anti-Racism and Community Health.


Maynard Okereke wearing a white coat and glasses, smiling, holding a small globe.

Opening up a new world

Maynard Okereke, ’06, makes STEM topics more relatable to kids of color.


Illustration depicting a giant evil smartphone terrorizing Seattle.

Fighting the infodemic

Twisted facts, fake news and social media spoofs can turn society upside down. One UW team is working to help us through the infodemic.


November 19, 2021

Lois and Thaddeus Spratlen sitting and smiling wearing formal attire

Remembering the Spratlens

Thaddeus Spratlen and Lois Price-Spratlen were the UW’s academic power couple—excelling as scholars and opening up opportunities for others.


September 11, 2021

Friend to veterans

Dentistry professor Theresa Cheng leads a nonprofit organization that connects veterans with resources and employment opportunities.


Eyes on the goal

Sociology Professor Alexes Harris, ’97, works closely with UW Athletics to help student-athletes succeed.


September 4, 2021

Hope and healing

A researcher combats cancer with the help of UW doctors and tools developed by his colleagues.


August 31, 2021

A distinguished legacy

Thaddeus Spratlen was a trailblazing business educator, a prolific scholar, a mentor and role model for generations of students.


Land of fire and smoke

Ernesto Alvarado will be the first to tell you: You can’t suppress all of a region’s fires when they’re as much a part of the ecology as its flora and fauna.


July 22, 2021

A fresh lens on QTPOC life

Through feature films, groundbreaking documentaries and shorts, a UW librarian creates a canon of meaningful representation in American cinema.


June 21, 2021

Professors nonpareil

One year into remote learning, these seven distinguished scholars kept class as fresh and relevant as ever. Find a seat and meet your 2021 Distinguished Teachers of the Year.


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.


Bridging the distance

UW faculty members used innovative approaches to teaching hands-on courses during the pandemic.


May 11, 2021

High-flying professor

Cecilia Aragon’s memoir, “Flying Free,” is for “anybody who has been discouraged all their life,” she says.


May 10, 2021

Diversity takes work

In the recent years, the UW has seen the highest racial and gender diversity among students in its history, “and yet we have fallen short on our faculty diversity efforts."


March 13, 2021

Surveying the Native art of the Pacific Northwest

Here's what it's like to be a student in the University of Washington's class about Indigenous art.


March 11, 2021

Helen Chu honored

University of Washington Medicine professor Dr. Helen Chu, ’12, “Washingtonian of the Year” by the Washington State Leadership Board.


Native knowledge

Native art is prominent in the life of Miranda Belarde-Lewis, an assistant professor in the University of Washington Information School.


March 9, 2021

Don’t be a spreader

Some advice about the kind of misinformation you may see in the coming months about COVID-19 vaccines and some tools to stop its spread.


March 4, 2021

Our climate future is now

Scientists spent decades warning us about what would happen during the 2020s and 2030s. Now we see it.


Digital dynamo

UW Libraries has undertaken a massive effort to expand access to digital resources and develop programs that teach students and faculty skills for research in a digital age.


December 16, 2020

A year to remember

Historians and information experts encourage us to preserve our memories and mementos so future generations might understand this exceptional time.


December 7, 2020

Scholar and mentor

After earning his doctorate, Christopher Beasley established the Husky Post-Prison Research Lab.


November 29, 2020

For many UW retirees, service never stops

Retiring from the UW doesn’t end the story for faculty and staff. They are driven to serve their communities on a local or global scale.


November 12, 2020

A new face teaches American portraiture

Assistant Professor Juliet Sperling, pictured here, began teaching American art history at the University of Washington this fall. She took us on a tour of U.S. history by looking at 18 portraits over four centuries.


September 30, 2020

Campus ambassador

Our sketchbook profiles Alice Lee, manager of the UW Visitors Center.


September 16, 2020

Book takes honors

A book by UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Emily Thuma won the 2020 Lambda Literary Award for LGBT Studies.


Being there

For many older Americans, the rhythms of every day have not just changed during the COVID-19 pandemic; they have stopped.


September 11, 2020

Beauty by all accounts

To experience the true beauty of the University of Washington’s Seattle campus, look no further than the photographs of Loyd Heath.


Values and victories

Jennifer Cohen started working at the UW athletic department in 1998 and was promoted to athletic director in 2016.


Our lives, disrupted

We asked three UW experts—a historian, a leader in education and an expert in infectious disease—how we might use this time of challenge and change to plan for a better future.