Eight 窪蹋勛圖厙 researchers have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2026-2027 and will pursue studies around the world.泭

Fulbright Scholars are college and university faculty, administrators and researchers, as well as artists and professionals, who build their skills and connections, gain valuable international insights and return home to share their experiences with their students and colleagues.

This year���s 窪蹋勛圖厙 cohort represents a variety of disciplines, including sciences, engineering, business, environmental sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science. The scholars will conduct research across the globe, including in Australia, India, Indonesia, Western Europe, Scandinavia and East Asia.

Two-thirds of this year���s 窪蹋勛圖厙 applicants were selected as Fulbright Scholars ��� an astonishing acceptance rate in the prestigious and highly selective program.

���We are incredibly proud of these outstanding 窪蹋勛圖厙 faculty and staff whose selection as Fulbright Scholars reflects the excellence, innovation and global impact of their work,��� said 窪蹋勛圖厙 Vice Provost for Global Affairs Ahmad M. Ezzeddine. ���The knowledge, partnerships and cultural understanding they gain through these experiences will enrich the 窪蹋勛圖厙 and strengthen our shared commitment to addressing global challenges through collaboration and discovery. As the Fulbright Program celebrates its 80th anniversary, we are grateful for the U.S. Department of State���s continued investment in this transformative program.���泭

The Fulbright Scholar Program for academics and professionals supports more than 800 people to teach and conduct research abroad.泭

This year���s 窪蹋勛圖厙 Fulbright Scholars are:

is a professor in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on how mutually beneficial interactions between species ��� such as how insects pollinating plants is beneficial to both ��� scale into networks involving multiple species, and how the structure of those networks affects ecosystems. For example, some ecological network structures, or how connections between species are arranged, make these networks more resilient to perturbations, such as droughts or climate change.

Brosi’s Fulbright Scholar award will be through Spain’s flagship public research institution, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient穩ficas, at the Do簽ana Biological Station in Seville. His work there will involve synthesizing and analyzing two comprehensive long-term datasets ��� one from his lab and one from his Spanish host lab ��� to better understand global patterns in pollination networks. In particular, scientists have recorded species that appear to be ���specialists��� ��� such as a bee species that has only been recorded visiting one plant species泭 ��� in many ecological networks, but, without long-term data, it���s difficult to disentangle whether they are really specialists or just rare. Brosi will tackle this problem in collaboration with his Fulbright host, Ignasi Bartomeus, at Do簽ana.泭泭

is the director of academic services in the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering and 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medicine. She supports the department���s doctoral students with a focus on improving the research experience, expanding opportunities and advancing access and collaboration.泭

While a Fulbright Scholar, she will develop a framework for a new doctoral biomedical research exchange between the 窪蹋勛圖厙 and Tampere University in Finland. Combs will work with faculty, students and staff at both universities to lead the development of a preliminary structure of a doctoral research exchange, including eligibility criteria, mentorship plans and evaluation metrics. She will also explore funding sources for the program���s ongoing sustainability and draft a memorandum of understanding for the institutions to consider.

, an assistant professor of management and organization and the Helen Moore Gerhardt Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship in the Foster School of Business. Her areas of expertise include entrepreneurship, organizational growth and scaling, technology and innovation strategy, and venture capital. DeSantola teaches entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial strategy to undergraduates, master���s and doctoral students. She was named a Poets & Quants top 50 undergraduate business professor in 2021.泭

DeSantola will use her Fulbright award, during which she will be a visiting U.S. Scholar to University College Cork in Ireland, to study factors influencing innovation and entrepreneurship in novel food technologies. The project connects to a broader stream of DeSantola���s research exploring the emergence and evolution of new technology-based industries.

is泭 an interdisciplinary scientist in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs in the College of the Environment. Her work focuses on how coastal communities adapt to climate change and other environmental and socioeconomic stressors, particularly within fisheries and aquaculture systems. During the past 15 years, she has worked with coastal populations, including Indigenous harvesters, to support food sovereignty and long-term approaches to adaptation and resilience.

Greene���s Fulbright award is to advance the inclusion of泭 fish and other aquatic foods ���泭 ���Blue Foods��� ��� into Indonesia���s National School Lunch Program. The goal of this project is to improve nutritional outcomes for school-aged children while strengthening local food systems. Through working directly with fishers and fish suppliers, Green will work with the project team to identify the conditions necessary to provide Blue Foods that promote positive nutritional outcomes for children, support local fishers and sustain local ecosystems. This project is a pilot program for the initiative that will hopefully be expanded nationally.

is an associate professor in the Information School and also is part of the Responsibility in AI Systems and Experiences (RAISE) Center. An interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in human-centered AI, Mitra’s work draws on human-computer interaction, machine learning, natural language processing and social science to understand how people and AI interact in large-scale online systems. Her research examines the societal impacts of generative AI and develops methods to make AI systems more trustworthy, culturally aware and beneficial for diverse communities.

She will use her Fulbright award in India, where she will collaborate with researchers at the Centre for Machine Intelligence and Data Science (C-MInDS) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) ��� the nation���s topmost and most selective public research institution. She will investigate the risks and capabilities of generative AI systems across socio-cultural contexts most relevant to the Global South. The work aims to advance more culturally aware and responsible AI while strengthening research partnerships between the United States and India.

is an associate professor in the School of Oceanography in the College of the Environment. Morris��� research uses cultivation and whole-genome DNA sequencing to identify the roles of bacteria in global nutrient cycles. With a focus on carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, he has conducted studies that show the effects of low dissolved oxygen on the nutrient cycling activities of the ocean’s most abundant organisms.泭

During his time at in South Korea, Morris will pursue a project entitled, ���High-throughput cultivation-based genomics of freshwater Chloroflexota.��� A key goal is to advance understanding of the evolution of this important group of bacteria and its potential to mediate key nutrient transformations.

is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and in the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering. She leads a neural engineering lab focused on motor brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs. Her work combines experiments with computational methods to develop new ways to build BCIs that interact with plasticity in the brain.

During her stay at the Champalimaud Institute Centre for Restorative Neurotechnology in Portugal, she will collaborate with two researchers, Dr. Juan ��lvaro Gallego and Dr. John Krakauer. The new projects aim to improve our understanding of how plasticity shapes brain dynamics and apply new BCI algorithms for stroke rehabilitation.泭泭

is a professor in the Information School and an adjunct professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering. He is the founding director of the InfoSeeking Lab and founding co-director of RAISE, the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences. His research focuses on agentic AI, human-centered information seeking and responsible AI, examining how intelligent systems can act on people’s behalf while remaining transparent, trustworthy and accountable. He is also the founder and CEO of VersarAI, a startup translating his research on AI agents into enterprise applications. His book, ���Agent Nation,��� was published this year.泭

Shah will use his Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, to study how agentic AI can responsibly power entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. Working with RMIT researchers and Australia’s startup community, he will investigate what he calls the Delegation Paradox: the tension between the efficiency gained by delegating tasks to AI agents and the oversight, trust and accountability that delegation demands. The work aims to produce frameworks that help founders, enterprises and policymakers adopt AI agents in ways that drive innovation without sacrificing human agency.

The 窪蹋勛圖厙 recently was ranked highly among its global peers in both the and the . Both rankings were released in mid-June.

According to U.S. News, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 is No. 12 in the world on the 2026-27 rankings, No. 3 among U.S. public institutions. The 窪蹋勛圖厙 also placed in the top 10 globally in six subject areas.

On the QS World University Rankings, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 is among the top 100, landing at No. 92, or No. 7 among U.S. public universities.

More about the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities ranking:

The U.S. News ranking methodology ��� based on data and metrics provided by Clarivate ��� weighs factors that measure a university���s global and regional research reputation and academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications, citations and international collaboration.

The overall Best Global Universities ranking encompasses 2,250 institutions spread across 105 countries.

Here are the 窪蹋勛圖厙 fields of study that are in the top 10 in U.S. News��� subject rankings:

• Public, environmental and occupational health ��� No. 4
• Molecular biology and genetics ��� No. 6
• Microbiology ��� No. 7
• Biology and biochemistry ��� No. 7
• Infectious diseases ��� No. 7
• Clinical medicine ��� No. 8

More about the QS World University Rankings:泭

This is the 23rd edition of the global higher education ranking by the analyst firm QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The 窪蹋勛圖厙 placed No. 92 in the world and No. 23 in America. The 窪蹋勛圖厙 is in the top 10 among U.S. public universities, landing at No. 7. This year’s ranking features more than 1,500 universities across 106 higher education systems, including 184 in the U.S.

The QS World University Rankings are based on a weighted index of indicators including research and discovery, employability and outcomes, global engagement, learning experience and sustainability.

Two current 窪蹋勛圖厙 graduate students and one recent alumnus received this year���s prestigious .

This merit-based program supports outstanding immigrants and children of immigrants pursuing graduate education in the United States. were selected this year from a competitive pool of more than 3,000 applicants nationwide. Their remarkable contributions and potential span a range of fields, including medicine, law, engineering, literature, computer science, public service and the arts.

���Having three members of the 窪蹋勛圖厙 community receive Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is a remarkable honor,��� said 窪蹋勛圖厙 President Robert J. Jones. ���This fellowship recognizes immigrants and the children of immigrants whose work strengthens communities and advances knowledge, which aligns closely with the University’s mission and values. The accomplishments of these scholars speak to the 窪蹋勛圖厙���s commitment to expanding opportunity, advancing research and discovery, and serving the public good. We���re very proud to see their achievements acknowledged.���

Fellows will receive up to $90,000 for their graduate studies, as well as lifelong access to the fellowship���s distinguished alumni network.

This year’s 泭fellows are Daniel G. Chen, Class of ���22, who received both a Marshall Scholarship and a Goldwater Scholarship, and is now pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of California, Los Angeles; Briana Martin-Villa, a doctoral student in the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine; and Ethan Shen, a doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.

Chen is the son of Chinese immigrants who came to the 窪蹋勛圖厙 at 14 via the Robinson Center for Young Scholars. While at the 窪蹋勛圖厙, Chen interned with Meta���s Facebook AI Research team and he interviewed people from Greece with 窪蹋勛圖厙���s International Studies Department. He also conducted research at the Institute of Systems Biology and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center to identify drivers of the human immune response to COVID-19 and solid tumors in skin, lung and pancreatic tissue.

Chen���s 窪蹋勛圖厙 education was supported by the Washington Research Foundation and the Goldwater Scholarship. The Marshall Scholarship enabled Chen to continue his research at the University of Cambridge where he studied the athymic organoid system. That work led him to pursue a doctoral degree at UCLA where he aims to develop new lines of therapy that increase immunotherapy efficacy while minimizing off-target side effects.

“I am deeply grateful to the Soros Foundation for this honor. The financial support afforded to me by the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship provides me the time and space to investigate new therapeutic strategies to overcome existing and future barriers to cancer immunotherapy,��� Chen said.

Martin-Villa, now a first-year student at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine, experienced rural health disparities firsthand earlier in her life when she, her twin brother and their mother worked long days in orchards in Eastern Washington. She witnessed the effects of heat, physical strain, pesticides and untreated illnesses on farm workers and was compelled to make medical advances more accessible after training in Stanford University research labs as an undergraduate.

Martin-Villa co-developed programs to improve communications between Latine childhood cancer survivors and clinicians. After graduation, she was named a at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. During the fellowship, she worked on the Biden Cancer Moonshot and initiatives to increase community engagement in science. She was drawn to the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine because of its WWAMI model of community-based training in rural and urban areas across a five-state region. She now co-leads Doctor for a Day, an academy that introduces youth to health careers. She also co-manages the Casa Latina Clinic, which cares for King County���s medically underserved communities. She hopes to practice as a physician at the intersection of patient care, research and public policy.

���As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, it is a profound honor to represent my community and to receive support that allows me to continue doing the work I love while creating opportunities to uplift others,��� Martin-Villa said. ���I���m excited to learn from and grow alongside the other fellows as I continue my medical training.���

Shen is a doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering advised by Professor Ali Farhadi. Shen was born in Seattle to parents who emigrated from China after the Cultural Revolution and the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. In the U.S., they had the freedom to pursue their education and better their lives. Shen was inspired by his parents��� story and his experience growing up in a city with a booming technology industry that improved people���s quality of life.

Shen decided to study computer science at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 with a focus on artificial intelligence. He completed his bachelor���s within three years and continued into the Allen School���s doctoral program, where his research advances affordable, open-source coding agents such as SERA ��� short for Soft-Verified Efficient Repository Agents ��� that enable rapid creation of specialized agents for private codebases. With the support of the Soros Fellowship, Shen will continue working on agents for long horizon tasks and scientific discovery, as well as novel model architectures, with the goal of making frontier intelligence accessible and useful to as many people as possible.

“Artificial intelligence is increasingly privatized, and the best AI models are prohibitively expensive. My research focuses on developing new data pipelines and model architectures for cheap, personalized models that are both capable and broadly accessible,��� Shen said. ���AI has become an essential tool across engineering, computing and the natural sciences, and I believe that everyone should be able to afford and use it.”

It all started with a slide rule.

In the fall of 1965, during Cheryl Wright���s first week at the 窪蹋勛圖厙, she went to Suzzallo Library to complete a chemistry assignment. She needed help with a math problem and saw a boy across the reading room who had a slide rule ��� an analog calculator. The young pharmacy student who helped her that day was Raymond Wilson. Together the couple, who go by Cherie and Ray, did far more than solve a mathematical equation ��� they married and formed a bond that���s lasted more than six decades.

Cherie and Ray, both members of the Class of 1969,泭 went on to have successful academic and professional careers.泭 Over the years, their connections to the 窪蹋勛圖厙 have deepened. They have supported scholarships, created alumni communities, built friendships and professional relationships, and cheered for Husky athletics, including the volleyball, basketball and football teams.

Now, the Wilsons have made a bequest of more than $8 million to be shared among the College of Education, the School of Pharmacy and 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medicine���s BRaIN Laboratory. Bequests allow donors to direct their assets to causes after their death. The bequest brings the Wilsons��� total giving to more than $10 million and they now will be recognized by the 窪蹋勛圖厙 as Presidential Laureates.

���This remarkable bequest reflects not only Cherie and Ray Wilson���s generosity, but a lifetime of connection to the 窪蹋勛圖厙. It represents an enduring relationship grounded in gratitude, trust and a shared belief in the power of education and discovery,��� said 窪蹋勛圖厙 President Robert J. Jones. ���From their earliest days as students to this extraordinary commitment, they have invested in people, ideas and communities across our university. Cherie and Ray���s impact will be felt for generations, expanding opportunity for students and advancing research that improves lives.���

After graduating from the 窪蹋勛圖厙, both Cherie and Ray attended the University of Kansas, where Cherie earned a master���s degree in early childhood development and Ray earned his doctorate in medicinal chemistry. They both earned medical degrees from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, respectively.

Cherie and Ray wanted to return to Washington state and eventually settled near Seattle, where Cherie worked as a pediatrician at Seattle Children���s and in private practice in Bellevue. Ray set up a gastroenterology practice at the Everett Clinic. Their career success enabled them to give back to the community in several ways, including philanthropically, with several gifts supporting the 窪蹋勛圖厙. For Ray, who was able to attend the 窪蹋勛圖厙 thanks to scholarships, supporting students today is a way to pay it forward.

���Our giving is out of gratitude for what the University did for us,��� Ray said. ���It certainly helped me when I didn’t have a lot of money. It���s a privilege to try and help other students who might be struggling to get through school.���

College of Education

Ray was inspired to create an endowed scholarship fund at the College of Education more than a decade ago to support master���s level teacher training for Native Americans. It was a way to honor his high school baseball and basketball coach, Dan Iyall. Iyall, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, reached legendary status as a pioneer in Washington high school athletics.

Iyall worked for nearly 50 years in education and is a member of the Washington Baseball Hall of Fame. He created the Washington high school baseball championships and is credited with developing a new style of bunting. He coached championship-level teams from four different high schools across Eastern Washington: Coulee City, Deer Park, Oroville and University. He also took a team from Oroville to the Washington State A boys basketball championship.

Wilson said Iyall���s presence reinforced the importance of inclusivity.

���Eventually, I decided we need more people like Dan Iyall,��� Wilson said. ���We need more teachers like that.���

The bequest will grow the Dan Iyall Native American Support Fund by more than 300%. 泭Thanks to the fund, more than a dozen Native American fellows have earned their master���s in teaching. Now, the College will be able to award more fellowships each year.

The Wilsons are also creating the Dean Mia Tuan Endowed Professorship, to recognize Tuan���s leadership and long-standing emphasis on authentic, reciprocal community partnerships and culturally informed problem solving. The new endowment will allow the College to recruit and retain faculty specializing in community- and equity-based education.

���Ray and Cherie are extraordinary people whose generosity reflects a deep commitment to strengthening our communities,��� Tuan said. ���Their gift will support Native students in becoming teachers while helping diversify Washington���s educator workforce. I am also deeply moved that their gift will establish an endowed professorship dedicated to authentic community partnerships and culturally grounded problem solving.���

School of Pharmacy

Several decades after Ray received financial assistance to attend the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Pharmacy, he teamed up with classmates and launched the Class of 1969 Scholarship Fund. Set up in the 2000s, it was the first School of Pharmacy alumni class to create a fund to help students.

���I came from a small town in Eastern Washington with almost no money, and yet, the University provided me with scholarships and completely covered my tuition,��� Ray said.

Wendel L. Nelson, a professor and pioneer in medicinal chemistry, recognized Ray���s talents early on and hired him to work in a lab. The research helped Ray advance his career, and the extra money helped pay for food and housing. More than that, the combination of scholarships and laboratory work enabled Ray to graduate debt-free.

With this bequest, the Wilsons��� generosity supports two additional funds in the School of Pharmacy: The Wendel L. Nelson Endowment in Medicinal Chemistry, named for Ray���s mentor, will support graduate students involved in basic laboratory research in medicinal chemistry. The gift also adds to the Nelson-Mendenhall Summer Scholars Program Fund, which brings undergraduates to the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Pharmacy for a 10-week intensive in pharmaceutical sciences.

���From their longstanding financial support to their ongoing participation in School events, to Ray���s past volunteer leadership, Ray and Cherie have already contributed so much to our School of Pharmacy community, and they have done so with a genuine desire to help students and the School thrive,��� said School of Pharmacy Dean Jay Panyam. ���The Wilsons��� estate commitment is yet another example of their incredible generosity, and I know it will have a significant and lasting impact for our students.���

窪蹋勛圖厙 Biorepository and Integrated Neuropathology (BRaIN) Laboratory in the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine

The Wilsons��� bequest contributes additional funds to the BRaIN Laboratory, part of 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medicine���s Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.

Researchers at the BRaIN Lab are studying normal brain anatomy and function and how these change in injury and disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy .

Cherie and Ray泭 were introduced to the BRaIN Lab���s groundbreaking research by their former neighbors, Linda and Bob Dahl, whose son, Matthew Dahl, was one of their favorite neighborhood kids. When he died at 24, they were moved to learn about the BRaIN Lab, where Bob and Linda had donated his brain for research and to understand the impact of a childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI). The examination determined that Matt���s childhood TBI had evolved, rather than resolved. The outcome ��� Matt���s brain showed significant damage ��� highlighted the importance of such donations and moved the Wilsons to make meaningful philanthropic contributions to the lab.

Cherie said she���s hopeful the BRaIN Lab���s work may lead to treatments that could result in better long-term outcomes for patients.

���Some of these problems are going to be solved,��� Cherie said. ���Just becoming aware of chronic head injury and the effect on kids is really, really important.���

The BRaIN lab is a global leader in neurological research on many topics, including TBI. With this bequest, the Wilsons support the intersection of pharmaceutical research and brain injury and disease.

���Ray and Cherie���s engagement and generosity will continue to help the BRaIN Lab become a national model for neuropathology research. This generous gift will accelerate our work to better understand the mechanisms of brain injury and disease and to support the development of new strategies for diagnosis, treatment and prevention,��� said Dr. Caitlin S. Latimer, director of both the Division of Neuropathology and the BRaIN Lab.

Four 窪蹋勛圖厙 researchers have been named AAAS Fellows, according to . They are among 449 newly elected fellows from around the world, who are recognized for their ���scientifically and socially distinguished achievements��� in science and engineering. New Fellows will receive an official certificate and a gold and blue rosette pin ��� representing science and engineering, respectively ��� to commemorate their election.

A tradition dating back to 1874, election as an AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor. AAAS Fellows play a crucial role in shaping public policy, advancing scientific research and influencing national and global perspectives on critical issues. Becoming a AAAS Fellow is among the most distinct honors within the scientific community, and those elevated to the rank have made distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. All fellows are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

This year���s 窪蹋勛圖厙 AAAS fellows are:

, professor of biochemistry at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine and the director of the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medicine Institute for Protein Design, was recognized for his groundbreaking work in computational protein design. Baker���s early work was in predicting how chains of chemicals fold into molecular structures that determine protein functions. He went on to design new proteins from scratch to carry out tasks in medicine, technology and sustainability. His team is developing vaccines, targeted drug delivery for cancer, enzymes to break down environmental pollutants and innovative biomaterials, among other endeavors. Baker received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his scientific achievements to benefit humankind. He has also been awarded the Overton Prize in computational biology, Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences and Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences.

, professor and chair of neurobiology and biophysics at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine, was honored for her distinguished contributions to cognitive and systems neuroscience. Buffalo, who is the Wayne E. Crill Endowed Professor, is particularly noted for her pioneering research on the neural basis of remembering and learning, and for advancing translational research into broader insights on human brain function. She studies the relationship between eye movements and activity in the hippocampus and other nearby brain regions involved in forming memories, navigating and recalling the emotional context of past events. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, which presented her with the Troland Award for innovative, multidisciplinary studies. She also helps train postdoctoral scholars at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Medicine Institute for Translational Immunology.

, professor and chair of genome sciences at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine, was noted for her distinguished contributions to the fields of genetics and genomics. She is known for advancing knowledge of the mechanisms underlying molecular evolution and genetic variation in yeasts and in humans. Her lab develops new tools to study mutations and their consequences, genome structure, gene interactions, and the evolution of gene expression. She has a longstanding interest in how copy number variations ��� how many times a particular segment of DNA repeats ��� affect adaptation, and how these variations arise. Dunham applies her genomics methods to diverse topics, including the biology of aging and the emergence of multi-drug antibiotic resistance. Dunham is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University and was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Faculty Scholar.

, 窪蹋勛圖厙 professor of chemistry, was honored for distinguished contributions to the theoretical understanding of nanoscale light-matter interactions, particularly for the design and interpretation of advanced spectroscopies that use electrons and light to probe material excitations. Masiello is an applied physicist whose research focuses on creating simple-yet-rich theoretical models that bring insight and understanding to observations spanning from quantum materials to nanophotonics. Masiello was hired as an assistant professor at the 窪蹋勛圖厙 in 2010. He is a faculty member in both the Molecular & Engineering Sciences Institute and the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems, and is also an adjunct professor of applied mathematics and of materials science and engineering. Masiello’s honors include receiving an NSF CAREER Award and a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, called PECASE, awarded by President Obama at the White House.

Tohoku University and the 窪蹋勛圖厙, two leading academic research institutions of the Pacific Rim, announced ���Q-DREAM,��� a significant expansion of their decades-long collaboration.

The agreement, signed by university leaders in Tokyo on Friday, provides a broader, future-oriented framework that represents areas of the highest potential synergy. The two universities will engage in joint research, education and innovation in quantum information science & engineering, disaster resilience, engineering and advanced manufacturing, and medicine ��� summarized with the acronym Q-DREAM.

The Q-DREAM agreement will accelerate joint research and global impact, increase student and faculty exchange programs, enhance international visibility and funding opportunities, and foster innovation ecosystems connecting academia, industry and government. The first part of this new initiative will focus on quantum materials and is set to begin immediately. The remaining focus areas are expected to roll out over the next few years.

The 窪蹋勛圖厙-Tohoku collaboration has grown and deepened since it began in 1996. Rooted in aerospace research, the relationship has broadened to include clean energy technology related to transportation, materials for industrial applications and seismic engineering. Since 2017, Academic Open Space (AOS), has provided a strong foundation facilitating research matching across diverse fields and fostering vibrant faculty and student exchanges. And Q-DREAM allows for even more trans-Pacific interaction.

Q-DREAM���s work will include the following focus areas:

• Quantum: Builds on both institutions��� internationally recognized leadership in quantum materials, information science and technologies to accelerate the translation of discoveries into real-world applications with impact across science, industry and national security.
• Disaster resilience: Addresses natural hazards and climate-driven risks, including earthquakes, tsunamis and extreme weather events, with the goal of strengthening community preparedness and infrastructure resilience.
• Engineering & advanced manufacturing: Advances AI-driven engineering, sustainable and resilient manufacturing, and next-generation robotics.
• Medicine: Collaborates at the intersection of engineering and medicine to drive translational research and health innovation, with the goal of accelerating the path from discovery to clinical and societal impact.

���Addressing today���s complex challenges requires bold, collaborative solutions,��� said 窪蹋勛圖厙 President Robert J. Jones. ���When leading research universities align around a shared vision, we amplify our ability to advance discovery, drive innovation and serve the public good. We look forward to deepening this partnership with Tohoku University and advancing our shared work in the years ahead.���

Tohoku University President Teiji Tominaga echoed those sentiments.

���Our shared strengths in engineering, science and medicine position us to deliver even greater global impact,��� said Tominaga. ���Through this collaboration, we are committed to building resilience, advancing scientific discovery and improving lives.���

The Q-DREAM agreement was signed by the leaders of both institutions on the eve of 窪蹋勛圖厙 Converge Tokyo, the 窪蹋勛圖厙���s annual gathering for its global community of alumni and friends.

Come curious. Leave inspired.

While February might be just 28 days, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 offers an exciting lineup of more than 40 in-person and online events. From thought-provoking art and music to conversations on culture, history, and science, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 community invites you to explore, learn, and connect across disciplines throughout the University. In addition, take a look ahead at what’s happening in March.

In addition,泭.

ArtSci On Your Own Time

Recorded Lectures: 泭(History)
Incarceration is a hotly debated topic in the United States, a country that has one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world. Looking at the practice from a historical perspective, what can incarceration teach us about who we were and who we are now? What might histories of incarceration, and the histories of those who have been incarcerated, tell us about power dynamics, belonging, exclusion, struggle, and hope across societies in the past and present? The 2026 History Lecture Series explores the practice of incarceration, tracing its change over time from antiquity to our modern world. Following the lectures, the recordings will be available online.

Podcast: (School of Drama)
A lively and opinionated cultural history of the Broadway Musical that tells the extraordinary story of how Immigrants, Jews, Queers, African-Americans and other outcasts invented the Broadway Musical, and how they changed America in the process.In Season One, host David Armstrong traces the evolution of American Musical Theater from its birth at the dawn of the 20th Century, through its mid-century ���Golden Age���, and right up to its current 21st Century renaissance; and also explore how musicals have reflected and shaped our world — especially in regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, and equality. Free.

Exhibition: (Henry Art Gallery)
Primarily featuring works from the Henry collection created in the twenty-first century, Figure/Ground reflects a period in which hard-won civil rights and claims to self-determination have been eroded across the US, disproportionately affecting Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities. Free.

Book Club: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (窪蹋勛圖厙 Alumni)
Stephen Graham Jones is the NYT bestselling author of more than forty novels, collections, novellas and comic books. He is a professor of English at the University of Colorado Boulder, and an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana. Free.

Recorded Lectures:
Featuring selected lectures from 1996 to today, 窪蹋勛圖厙 Graduate School’s Office of Public Lectures YouTube features an incredible lineup of artists, scientists, researchers, and more!

Week of February 2

January 29���February 8 | (School of Drama)
In this new translation of Chekhov���s ���serious comedy of human contradictions���, a group of artists and dreamers meet in the countryside and wrestle with the costs of ambition, unspoken longings, and the harsh realities of artistic pursuits. Set against a backdrop of love, passionate aspirations, and the search for meaning,泭The Seagull泭captures the fierce hopes and quiet heartbreaks of an artistic career.泭 Directed by MFA Student Sebasti獺n Bravo Montenegro.

Online – February 2 | 泭(Jackson School of International Studies)
Presented by Radhika Govindrajan, Director, South Asia Center and Associate Professor, Anthropology, 窪蹋勛圖厙; Sunila Kale
Professor, South Asia and International Studies 窪蹋勛圖厙; and Milan Vaishnav, Senior Fellow and Director, South Asia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Trump in the World 2.0 is an online series of talks and discussions featuring guest speakers and faculty exploring global perspectives on a second Trump administration. Free.

February 3 | (Asian Languages & Literature)
This is a unique opportunity to learn from 窪蹋勛圖厙 Professor Zev Handel and get a peek into a linguistic history that has shaped the world. Like the book, this talk will be accessible to everyone���regardless of whether you have any knowledge of Chinese characters or East Asian languages. Free.

February 3 | (Jackson School of International Studies)
A Welcome & Research Presentation with 2025-26 窪蹋勛圖厙 Fulbright Canada Special Foundation Fellow, Clinton Westman. Free.

February 4 |
(History)
This lecture explores the evidence for ancient incarceration in vignettes: reading letters that prisoners wrote on papyrus, investigating spaces where they were held, and analyzing depictions of captives in monuments, law courts, and homes. Roman evidence does not model a just society, but it does offer a mirror where we can see modern practices of incarceration in a new light, asking which aspects of contemporary prisons are unique to modernity, and which reflect longer histories. The 2026 History Lecture Series presents “Power & Punishment – Histories of Incarceration,” exploring the practice of incarceration, tracing its change over time from antiquity to our modern world. Following the lectures, the recordings will be available online. Free.

February 4 | (School of Art + Art History + Design)
Death is a fundamental first step toward rebirth���but this transition can feel daunting without a compassionate guide. In The Book of Zero, our 2026 Jacob Lawrence Legacy Resident indira allegra presents a multimedia, meditative experience shaped by their research into doula work, death care, and the cyclical nature of bodies and environments. Free.

February 4 | (School of Music)
A free lunchtime performance featuring 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Music students in the North Allen Library lobby. Presented in partnership with 窪蹋勛圖厙 Libraries. Free.

Online option – February 5 | 2026 University Faculty Lecture – A breath of fresh air: The science and policy saving lives from America���s deadliest cancer
Lung cancer kills nearly 125,000 Americans each year ��� more than breast, colon, and prostate cancers combined. 窪蹋勛圖厙 Department of Surgery Professor and Chair Dr. Douglas Wood is out to change that and will discuss the many ways he and his colleagues are raising lung cancer awareness, increasing access to early detection, and ultimately, working to change lung cancer victims to lung cancer survivors. Free.

February 5 | 泭(Asian Languages & Literature)
During the dark centuries between the fall of the Han dynasty in 220 CE and the golden age of reunified China under the Tang and Song dynasties (618���1279), the shi poetic form embraced new themes and structure. Using biography, social history, and literary analysis, Ping Wang demonstrates how the shi form came to dominate classical Chinese poetry, making possible the works of the great poets of later dynasties and influencing literary development in Korea and Japan. Free.

February 6 | (Jackson School of International Studies)
Since the early 2000s, literary scholarship has read Hebrew and Arabic literatures together to find moments of transgression or trespass, challenging logics of partition. In Static Forms: Writing the Present in the Modern Middle East, Shir Alon develops an alternative model for reading Arabic and Hebrew literatures, as two literary systems sharing a remarkably similar narrative of modernization and developing parallel literary forms to address it. In this talk, Alon will discuss the potential of a paradigm grounded in formal and affective analysis for new understandings of transnational modernism, Middle Eastern literatures, and comparative literary studies at large. She will also explore the limits of this approach, when parallel readings of Hebrew and Arabic literatures obfuscate rather than clarify the conditions of the present. Free.

February 6 | 泭(Music and American Indian Studies)
窪蹋勛圖厙 Ethnomusicology, Department of American Indian Studies, and the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Symphony collaborate with Lushootseed Research���s Healing Heart Project in presenting this special community event. Following a free screening of the documentary film The Healing Heart of Lushootseed, the 窪蹋勛圖厙 Symphony (David Alexander Rahbee, director) and soprano Adia S. Bowen (tsi s��uyu��a伎) perform Bruce Ruddell���s 50-minute symphony Healing Heart of the First People of This Land. This powerful work was commissioned by Upper Skagit elder Vi Hilbert (taq妢禳��blu) shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a vehicle for, in Hilbert���s words, ���bringing healing to a sick world.��� Premiered by The Seattle Symphony in 2006, the piece draws inspiration from two sacred Coast Salish songs Hilbert had entrusted to the composer and features a number of percussion instruments native to this region. The performance features soloist and Indigenous soprano Adia S. Bowen (tsi s��uyu��a伎), a 窪蹋勛圖厙 alumna who graduated in June 2025 with degrees in Voice Performance and American Indian Studies. Free.

February 6 | (Psychology)
Whether you���re married, dating, or flying solo, Dr. Nicole McNichols has some sex advice for you. And you may want to pay attention because McNichols is not only the professor of 窪蹋勛圖厙���s most sought-after class in its history, she���s one of social media���s most popular educators on the topic of sex. Pulling from her book, You Could Be Having Better Sex, McNichols shares the latest data that shows good sex is one of the most powerful and effective sources of joy.

Week of February 9

Online – February 9 | 泭(Jackson School of International Studies)
Presented by Re��at Kasaba, Professor, International Studies, 窪蹋勛圖厙 and G繹n羹l Tol, Director, Turkish Program, Middle East Institute. Trump in the World 2.0 is an online series of talks and discussions featuring guest speakers and faculty exploring global perspectives on a second Trump administration. Free.

February 10 | 泭(Simpson Center for the Humanities)
The production and promotion of so-called “AI” technology involves dehumanization on many fronts: the computational metaphor valorizes one kind of cognitive activity as ���intelligence,��� devaluing many other aspects of human experience while taking an isolating, individualistic view of agency, ignoring the importance of communities and webs of relationships. Meanwhile, the purpose of humans is framed as being labelers of data or interchangeable machine components. Data collected about people is understood as “ground truth” even while it lies about those people, especially marginalized people. In this talk, Bender will explore these processes of dehumanization and the vital role that the humanities have in resisting these trends by painting a deeper and richer picture of what it is to be human. Free.

February 10 | (QuantumX)
Dr. Krysta Svore is Vice President of Applied Research for Quantum Computing at NVIDIA, joining the company after 19 years at Microsoft, where she served as Technical Fellow and VP of Advanced Quantum Development and pioneered reliable quantum computing through the co���design of hardware, software, and error correction. She began her career developing machine learning methods for web search before founding Microsoft���s quantum computing software, algorithms, and architecture program. Free.

February 11 | 泭(Chemistry, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Bioengineering)
Explore how cutting-edge research is driving material innovation in the built environment. Faculty whose work spans chemistry, engineering, and architecture examine how living systems can be integrated into material design to address pressing challenges related to sustainability, resilience, and the future of construction. Free.

February 11 | (History)
This lecture explores the wide variety of carceral practices in medieval Europe and examines how the recovery of Roman law and the concept of the state in the twelfth century began to transform those practices. Following the lectures, the recordings will be available online. Free.

February 11 | (Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies)
Navigating Academia as a Transnational Scholar from the Global South: Treasuring All the Knowledges brings together the voices of 16 women and non-binary scholars who began their postgraduate journeys as non-elite international students and (un)documented migrants in countries positioned as economically more powerful than their places of origin. Inspired by the book���s creative and relational approach to knowledge, this event will also open a collective space for poetry and storytelling. Participants are invited to write and share short poetic or narrative reflections that speak to their own experiences of abundance, survival, care, and knowledge-making within academic spaces. Free.

February 12 | (Sociology)
The future will be old; Europe, the Americas and Asia will soon have the oldest populations ever known to humanity. Can we cope? It will require major changes in the way we think about youth, women, immigration, and globalization to avoid disaster. Free.

February 12 | 泭(Jackson School of International Studies)
In Ghost Nation: the Story of Taiwan and its Struggle for Survival, Chris Horton compares Beijing’s claim that Taiwan has been Chinese territory “since time immemorial” with Taiwan’s actual history. Several different groups have controlled some or all of Taiwan over the last 400 years — the Dutch, Spanish, Tungning, Manchu, Japanese, Chinese, and now, Taiwanese. By looking at those who have ruled Taiwan, Horton also tells the story of the Taiwanese people, highlighting their intergenerational quest for self-determination — and the existential threat posed by an expansionist Chinese Communist Party. Free.

February 12 | (Simpson Center for the Humanities)
Athletes with ancestral ties to the Pacific Islands are dominant fixtures in some of the world���s most visible sports and over several generations have produced a modern sports diaspora. Tracing Samoan transnational and diasporic movement along divergent colonial pathways, this talk examines the relationship between embodied experiences of racialization and the emergence of Pacific sports excellence in three settler colonial countries (United States, Aotearoa New Zealand, and Australia). It then considers what recent efforts to mobilize Indigenous practice inside and outside sport tell us about the uses and importance of culture in contemporary sport. Free.

February 12 | 泭(School of Music)
Faculty pianist Robin McCabe joins forces with guest artist Maria Larionoff in an evening of high octane duos for violin and piano. On the launch pad: Stravinsky���s Suite Italienne, Beethoven���s Sonata in G major, Opus 96, and Faure���s impassioned Sonata in A Major.

Online – February 13 | 2026 Provost’s Town Hall
Join 窪蹋勛圖厙 Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Tricia Serio as she discusses the state of the University from an academic perspective and the singular role that public research universities ��� and the 窪蹋勛圖厙 in particular ��� play in our society. Featured speakers include Jodi Sandfort, dean of the Evans School, and Sarah Cusworth Walker, research professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Ted Poor, associate professor in the School of Music, will introduce the provost.

February 13 | (Open Scholarship Commons)
Douglass Day is an annual transcribe-a-thon program that marks the birth of Frederick Douglass. Each year, sites across the country gather thousands of people to help create new & freely available resources for learning about Black history. A transcribe-a-thon is an event in which a group of people work together to transcribe a collection of digitized historical materials. The primary goal of a transcribe-a-thon is to make the materials more easily accessible, but these events also serve to promote awareness of parts of Black history ��� and especially Black women���s history ��� that remain too-little-known. Free.

February 14 | (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
Celebrate Valentine���s Day with 8x Grammy nominee and NAACP Image Award winner The Baylor Project ��� featuring vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor. Steeped in the heart of jazz, with dynamic performances that are soulful to the core, their musical roots are deeply planted in gospel, blues and R&B. Their eclectic sound and infectious chemistry provide the perfect backdrop for a memorable evening filled with vibrant, spiritual, feel-good music.

Week of February 16

February 17 | (School of Art + Art History + Design)
Our question to consider: what does the work of indira allegra offer us when thinking about the project of liberation? This program is part of the year-long Liberation Book Club series exploring liberation through shared texts, art, film, music, and workshops. Free.

February 18 | (History)
In 1942, the U.S. government incarcerated more than 120,000 Japanese Americans in concentration camps based on the racist argument that they were likely ���disloyal��� to the United States. In the ensuing years of World War II, though, the U.S. government simultaneously sought to demonstrate the ���loyalty��� of Japanese Americans to American democracy. By placing U.S. wartime policies and Japanese American responses in different historical contexts, this lecture will interrogate the meanings of loyalty, democracy, and national security���during World War II and in our own time. Following the lectures, the recordings will be available online. Free.

February 18 | (Digital Arts & Experimental Media)
DXARTS presents an evening of 3D music, featuring recent work and world premieres by current staff and graduate students. Free.

February 18 & 19 | & (School of Music)
窪蹋勛圖厙 Jazz Studies students perform in small combos over two consecutive nights of original tunes, homage to the greats of jazz, and experiments in composing and arranging. Directed by Cuong Vu, Ted Poor, John-Carlos Perea, and Steve Rodby.泭Free.

February 19 | 泭(Henry Art Gallery)
Poet, musician, and scholar Rasheena Fountain presents Speculative Land Blues, a blues guitar, poetry, and DJ set. Developed in collaboration with Adeerya Johnson, Associate Curator at the Museum of Pop Culture, the Henry presents Speculative Landscapes. Free.

February 19 | (Burke Museum)
Read the book ahead of time, or join to learn more about the selection. The February book is Spirit Whales and Sloth Tales: Fossils of Washington State by Elizabeth A. Nesbitt and David B. Williams. Free.

February 19 | (Jackson School of International Studies)
John Johnson is a recently retired Senior Foreign Service Officer whose career included leadership roles in Brussels, Afghanistan, and with the U.S. Mission to NATO. Since joining the State Department in 2002, he has served in Europe, Asia, and Washington, D.C., earning multiple awards for his service. A Seattle native and 窪蹋勛圖厙 graduate, John speaks several languages and lives with his family in the Pacific Northwest. Free.

February 20 | 泭(Political Science)
The Center for Environmental Politics hosts Amanda Stronza, professor in Texas A&M University Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, and co-founder of the Applied Biodiversity Science Program. Free.

February 21 | 泭(Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
yMusic ��� named for Generation Y ��� is a genre-leading American chamber ensemble renowned for its innovative and collaborative spirit. yMusic has a unique mission: to work on both sides of the classical/popular music divide, without sacrificing rigor, virtuosity, charisma or style.

Week of February 23

Online – February 23 | 泭(Jackson School of International Studies)
Presented by Ambassador Michelle Gavin who is currently Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies, Council on Foreign Relations. Trump in the World 2.0 is an online series of talks and discussions featuring guest speakers and faculty exploring global perspectives on a second Trump administration. Free.

February 23 | 泭(Asian Languages & Literature)
窪蹋勛圖厙 Asian L&L and the Seattle International Film Festival co-host an award winning filmmaker Ash Mayfair at the SIFF Cinema Uptown for the screening of Skin of Youth (2025). A Q&A moderated by Assistant Professor Ungsan Kim will follow the screening.

February 23 | 泭(School of Music)
窪蹋勛圖厙 music students perform music from the Baroque era under the direction of Tekla Cunningham. Free.

February 24 | (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
Join us for a feature documentary that traces the remarkable history and legacy of one of the most important works of art to come out of the age of AIDS ���choreographer Bill T. Jones���s tour de force ballet ���D-Man in the Waters.��� There will be a post-screening discussion with Bill T. Jones and Berette S Macaulay. Free.

February 24 | 泭(Jackson School of International Studies)
Can political elites shape public opinion by influencing the tone of news coverage, even when they cannot dictate what gets covered? This study addresses that question using text analysis of more than five million Japanese news articles from 2004���2024, showing that rising negativity in legacy media closely corresponds with declines in cabinet approval. A newly compiled dataset of prime ministers��� daily schedules further reveals that periods of intensified elite engagement with journalists coincide with less negative coverage. Together, these findings suggest that incumbents may still temper media tone through proactive outreach, though this influence appears to weaken in the age of fragmented, digital media. Free.

February 25 | (History)
Prison is more than a place of punishment. It is also an archive. Yet the official story found in sentencing reports and conduct reviews is only part of the story. Incarcerated people generate a parallel counter-archive of resistance and transformation. The Washington Prison History Project is a multimedia digital effort to document this counter-archive at a local level. Across a series of publications, programs, and protests, incarcerated people have shown prison to be a central feature in the development of Washington State and the country. An examination of this archive tells a different history of our state���and its possible futures. Following the lectures, the recordings will be available online. Free.

February 25 | (American Indian Studies)
Featuring Oscar Hokea(Cherokee Nation and Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma). Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature.泭Free.

Online option – February 25 | The Office of Public Lectures presents: America���s Character and the Rule of Law with George Conway III泭(Public Lectures)
This talk will explore the idea that the endurance of the rule of law in the United States relies not solely on the provisions of the Constitution���its structural framework, the institutions it established, or the rights it enshrines���but fundamentally on the character of its citizens. Qualities such as public-spiritedness, tolerance, moderation, empathy, mutual respect, a sense of fair play, and, ultimately, intelligence, honor, and decency form the foundation of constitutional democracy. Free.

February 26 | (School of Art + Art History + Design)
In this talk, Rachael Z. DeLue will share insights from her current research and teaching on the relationship between art and science in nineteenth-century Europe and North America, focusing on a suite of extraordinary chromolithographs created in the 1880s by the astronomer and illustrator ��tienne-Leopold Trouvelot. Based on his work at the Harvard Observatory and the United States Naval Observatory, the chromolithographs represent the cross-pollination of art and science in an attempt to generate knowledge about astronomical phenomena that eluded perception and resisted visualization. Prof. DeLue will consider Trouvelot���s prints in relation to other such attempts on the part of fine artists and scientific illustrators to picture the celestial sphere at a time when technology was limited and space travel was still the stuff of science fiction.���Free.

February 26 | 泭(Stroum Center for Jewish Studies)
In this talk, Paris Papamichos Chronakis discuss his new book, The Business of Transition ��� Jewish and Greek Merchants of Salonica from Ottoman to Greek Rule, and shows how the Jewish and Greek merchants of Salonica (present-day Thessaloniki) skillfully managed the tumultuous shift from Ottoman to Greek rule amidst rising ethnic tensions and heightened class conflict. Bringing their once powerful voices back into the historical narrative, he traces their entangled trajectories as businessmen, community members, and civic leaders to illustrate how the self-reinvention of a Jewish-led bourgeoisie made a city Greek. Salonica���s merchants were present in their own���and their city���s���remaking. Free.

February 26 | 泭(Simpson Center for the Humanities)
Taiwan is a unique site of innovation in disability rights. Despite being barred from becoming a States Party to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) according to the diplomatic exclusion faced by Taiwan, it has become a model for the localization of the CRPD through its use “domestic review mechanisms.” Furthermore, Taiwan demonstrates the ways in which fundamental divides within human rights discourse, such as Western individualism and East Asian familialism, can be bridged using strategic adaptation that reimagine disability rights as a post-colonial hybrid. Free.

February 26 – March 1 | (Dance)
Presenting seven original student-choreographed works. This platform gives students the opportunity to express their creative voices through choreography and costume design, as well as collaborating with lighting designers and mentors.

February 26 – 28 | (Meany Center for the Performing Arts)
Thirty years after its historic premiere, the groundbreaking dance theater work by Bill T. Jones returns to the stage. Still/Here shatters boundaries between the personal and the political, exemplifying a form of dance theater that is uniquely American. At the heart of the piece are ���survival workshops��� Jones conducted with people living with life-threatening illnesses.

ArtSci Roundup goes monthly!

The ArtSci Roundup is your guide to connecting with the 窪蹋勛圖厙���whether in person, on campus, or on your couch.

Previously shared on a quarterly basis, those who sign up for the Roundup email will receive them monthly, delivering timely updates and engaging content wherever you are. Check the roundup regularly, as events are added throughout the month. Make sure to check out the ArtSci On Your Own Time section for everything from podcasts to videos to exhibitions that can be enjoyed when it works for you!

In addition, if you like the ArtSci Roundup, sign up to receive a monthly notice when it’s been published.

Do you have an event that you would like to see featured in the ArtSci Roundup? Connect with Lauren Zondag (zondagld@uw.edu).uw.edu).

The 窪蹋勛圖厙 is proud to announce that 56 faculty and researchers who completed their work while at 窪蹋勛圖厙 have been named on the list from Clarivate.

The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the .

Highly Cited Researchers demonstrate significant and broad influence in their fields of research. The total list includes 7,131 awards from more than 1,300 institutions in 60 countries and regions. This small fraction of the global researcher population contributes disproportionately to extending the frontiers of knowledge and contributing to innovations that make the world healthier, more sustainable and which drive societal impact, according to Clarivate.

The that determines the ���who���s who��� of influential researchers is drawn from data and analysis performed by bibliometric experts and data scientists at the Institute for Scientific Information at Clarivate.

The list below includes faculty and researchers whose primary affiliation is with the 窪蹋勛圖厙, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Please note: Some of the people on the list are no longer with the 窪蹋勛圖厙 and their current affiliation is noted. This list reflects initial data from Clarivate and may be updated.

Ivan Anishchenko (Vilya)

David Baker

William A. Banks

Gregory N. Bratman

Steven L. Brunton

Guozhong Cao

Ting Cao

Lauren Carter (Gates Medical Research Institute)

Helen Chu

David H. Cobden

Katharine H. D. Crawford

Riza M. Daza

Frank DiMaio

Kristie L. Ebi

Evan E. Eichler

Emmanuela Gakidou

David Ginger

Raphael Gottardo (CHUV)

Alexander L. Greninger

Simon I. Hay

Andrew Hill (Infinimmune)

Eric Huang

Michael C. Jensen (BrainChild)

Neil P.泭 King

C. Dirk Keene

J. Nathan Kutz

Eric H. Larson

Aaron Lyon

Michael J. MacCoss

Brendan MacLean

C. M. Marcus

Julian D. Marshall

Ali Mokdad

Thomas J. Montine (Stanford)

Mohsen Naghavi

Marian L. Neuhouser

Julian D. Olden

Robert W. Palmatier

David Pigott

Hannah A. Pliner (Bristol Myers Squibb)

Ganesh Raghu

Stanley Riddell

Andrea Schietinger (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Jay Shendure

M. Alejandra Tortorici

Troy R. Torgerson (Allen Institute)

Cole Trapnell

Katherine R. Tuttle

David Veesler

Theo Vos

Alexandra C. Walls (BioNTech SE)

Bryan J. Weiner

Di Xiao

Jie Xiao

Xiaodong Xu

Jihui Yang

窪蹋勛圖厙 . Birth before 37 weeks can lead to a cascade of health risks, both immediate and long-term, making prevention a vital tool for improving public health over generations.泭

In recent years, researchers have identified a potential link between wildfire smoke ��� one of the fastest-growing sources of air pollution in the United States ��� and preterm birth, but no study has been big or broad enough to draw definitive conclusions. A new study led by the 窪蹋勛圖厙 makes an important contribution, analyzing data from more than 20,000 births to find that pregnant people who are exposed to wildfire smoke are more likely to give birth prematurely.

���Preventing preterm birth really pays off with lasting benefits for future health,��� said lead author , a 窪蹋勛圖厙 postdoctoral researcher in environmental and occupational health sciences. ���It���s also something of a mystery. We don���t always understand why babies are born preterm, but we know that air pollution contributes to preterm births, and it makes sense that wildfire smoke would as well. This study underscores that wildfire smoke is inseparable from maternal and infant health.���

In the study, ,泭researchers used data from the , a federal research project focused on how a wide range of environmental factors affect children���s health. The sample included 20,034 births from 2006-2020 across the contiguous United States.

Researchers estimated participants��� average daily exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, generated by wildfire smoke, and the total number of days they were exposed to any amount of smoke. They estimated the intensity of smoke exposure by how frequently participants were exposed to wildfire PM2.5 levels above certain thresholds.

They found that pregnant people exposed to more intense wildfire smoke were more likely to give birth prematurely. In mid-pregnancy, exposure to any smoke was associated with an elevated risk of preterm birth, with that risk peaking around the 21st week of gestation. In late pregnancy, elevated risk was most closely associated with exposure to high concentrations of wildfire PM2.5, above 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

���The second trimester is a period of pregnancy with the richest and most intense growth of the placenta, which itself is such an important part of fetal health, growth and development,��� said co-author , a 窪蹋勛圖厙 professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of pediatrics in the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine. ���So it may be that the wildfire smoke particles are really interfering with placental health. Some of them are so tiny that after inhalation they can actually get into the bloodstream and get delivered directly into the placenta or fetus.���泭

The link was strongest and most precise in the Western U.S., where people were exposed to the highest concentrations of wildfire PM2.5 and the greatest number of high-intensity smoke days. Here, the odds of preterm birth increased with each additional microgram per cubic meter of average wildfire PM2.5.

It���s possible those results were more precise simply because the West experiences more wildfire smoke on average, making the exposure model perform better, Sherris said. But there may be other factors behind the regional differences.泭

The composition of wildfire smoke is different across the country. In the West, smoke tends to come from fires nearby, while in places like the Midwest, smoke has typically drifted in from faraway fires. and reacts with sunlight and airborne chemicals, which could have affected the results. Researchers also noted that external factors like co-occurring heat or housing quality may have effects that aren���t fully understood.泭

Researchers hope that future studies will examine the exact mechanisms by which wildfire smoke might trigger preterm birth. But in the meantime, Sherris said, evidence for a link is now strong enough to take action.泭

���There are a couple avenues for change,��� Sherris said. ���First, people already get a lot of public health messaging and information throughout pregnancy, so there���s an opportunity to work with clinicians to provide tools for pregnant people to protect themselves during smoke events. Public health agencies��� messaging about wildfire smoke could also be tailored to pregnant people and highlight them as a vulnerable group.���

Co-authors include , doctoral student of environmental and occupational health sciences at the 窪蹋勛圖厙; , clinical associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the 窪蹋勛圖厙; , professor of biostatistics at the 窪蹋勛圖厙; , associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences and of epidemiology at the 窪蹋勛圖厙; , postdoctoral fellow of epidemiology at the 窪蹋勛圖厙; and , assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the 窪蹋勛圖厙. A full list of co-authors is included with the paper.

This research was funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program at the National Institutes of Health under multiple awards. A full list of ECHO funding awards is included with the paper.泭

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.

• , professor of neurobiology and biophysics, and adjunct professor of applied mathematics
• , Arthur B. McDonald Professor of Physics and director at the Center for Experimental Nuclear Physics and Astrophysics

Fairhall and Hertzog are among 120 new members and 30 international members elected ���in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research,��� . Chartered in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences provides policy advice and input to governmental, nonprofit and private organizations.

develops theoretical approaches to understand how nervous systems process information. She collaborates with experimental labs across the 窪蹋勛圖厙, examining information processing in systems that range from single neurons ��� nerve cells that receive and conduct signals ��� to neural networks. She���s studied how mosquitoes use heat and chemical cues to forage, and how neural inputs drive muscle activation and biomechanics in hydra ��� tiny, tentacled invertebrates that live in water.

Fairhall grew up in Australia. She completed her master���s and Ph.D. in physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. She was a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University before joining the 窪蹋勛圖厙 School of Medicine faculty in 2004. Among Fairhall���s honors and awards are a Sloan Fellowship, a Burroughs Wellcome ���Careers at the Scientific Interface��� Fellowship and a McKnight Scholar Award. She was named an Allen Institute Distinguished Investigator. In 2022, she was Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair at the ��cole Normale Sup矇rieure in Paris.

Hertzog leads the 窪蹋勛圖厙 , a research group that has designed and constructed detectors for high-precision experiments with muons ��� similar to electrons, but about 200 times more massive ��� conducted at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago. The 窪蹋勛圖厙 team also has led efforts to analyze the massive amounts of data produced in that experiment, known as the泭.

The overarching goal is to test the ��� a theory to describe how the universe works at its most fundamental level.泭Studying the behavior of muons may help determine whether muons are interacting solely with known particles and forces, or if unknown particles or forces exist.

Hertzog completed his Ph.D. in physics at The College of William & Mary. Following time at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Illinois, he joined the 窪蹋勛圖厙 as a professor in 2010. He���s served on numerous scientific advisory committees and panels and is coauthor of more than 200 papers and technical reports. He has mentored or co-mentored more than 20 Ph.D. students and 15 postdoctoral researchers.

With this year���s additions, the National Academy of Sciences now has 2,662 active members and 556 international members.