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Tag: College of Arts & Sciences

April 19, 2016

‘Shakespeare, Music, and Memory’ April 29 is colloquium, concert

Performers in 91̽»¨Collegium Musicum rehearse for their concert April 29 concluding the colloquium "Shakespeare, Music, and Memory." From left are Linda Tsatsanis and Emerald Lessley, sopranos; John Lenti on baroque guitar and lute and Nathan Whittaker on baroque cello.

A daylong colloquium, “Shakespeare, Music and Memory” will bring scholars and musicians to the 91̽»¨ campus April 29 for lectures ending with a concert of Shakespeare-themed songs by the School of Music’s Collegium Musicum ensemble. The free events were organized by JoAnn Taricani, associate professor and chair of the School of Music‘s Division of Music History, are timed to commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare‘s death in April of 1616. Scholars from several universities will give presentations…

States with punitive justice systems have higher rates of foster care, study finds

The number of children in foster care across the country is driven not solely by child abuse and neglect, but by states’ varying politics and approaches to social problems, a new 91̽»¨ study finds. States with more punitive criminal justice systems tend to remove children from their homes far more frequently than those with generous welfare programs – meaning that two states with similar rates of child abuse and neglect could have very different rates of foster care…

April 14, 2016

Scientists crack secrets of the monarch butterfly’s internal compass

Monarch butterflies.

Each fall, monarch butterflies across Canada and the United States turn their orange, black and white-mottled wings toward the Rio Grande and migrate over 2,000 miles to the relative warmth of central Mexico. This journey, repeated instinctively by generations of monarchs, continues even as monarch numbers have plummeted due to loss of their sole larval food source — milkweed. But amid this sad news, a research team believes they have cracked the secret of the internal, genetically encoded compass that the…

April 4, 2016

The Twittersphere does listen to the voice of reason — sometimes

WestJet tweet screenshot

In the maelstrom of information, opinion and conjecture that is Twitter, the voice of truth and reason does occasionally prevail, according to a new study from 91̽»¨researchers. Tweets from “official accounts” — the government agencies, emergency responders, media or companies at the center of a fast-moving story — can slow the spread of rumors on Twitter and correct misinformation that’s taken on a life of its own.

April 1, 2016

Interdisciplinary conference April 8 to study sights, sounds of ‘difference’

What do scholars and academics mean when they talk about “difference”? The 91̽»¨ Simpson Center for the Humanities and Center for Communication, Difference & Equity will hold an interdisciplinary daylong conference April 8 to study such questions, focusing in particular on how difference looks and sounds.

March 3, 2016

$750,000 Mellon Foundation grant will fund research, collaboration in arts

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded the 91̽»¨ a three-year, $750,000 grant to support guest artists in developing new works, and to better integrate arts disciplines into the broader university curriculum.

The grant will support a Creative Fellowships Initiative, under which guest performing artist fellows will be recruited from around the world for one- to three-year residencies in dance, music and theater.

February 26, 2016

Transgender children supported in their identities show positive mental health

Studies of mental health among transgender people in the United States have been consistently grim, showing higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide. But almost nothing is known about the mental health of a new and growing generation of transgender Americans — prepubescent children who are living openly as transgender with the support of their families. How do those children fare in an environment of openness and family support? When their gender identity is affirmed, are they happy? New University…

February 23, 2016

Four 91̽»¨scientists awarded Sloan Fellowships for early-career research

Four faculty members at the 91̽»¨ have been awarded early-career fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The new Sloan Fellows, announced Feb. 23, include Bingni Brunton, assistant professor of biology; Christopher Laumann, assistant professor of physics; Matthew McQuinn, assistant professor of astronomy; and Emina Torlak, assistant professor of computer science and engineering. The 126 Sloan Fellows for 2016 were nominated by senior colleagues in their field, department or institution. Committees with the Sloan Foundation then examined each…

February 19, 2016

Safari tourism: Costs, benefits studied in Benjamin Gardner’s book ‘Selling the Serengeti’

"Selling the Serengeti: The Cultural Politics of Safari Tourism" by Benjamin Gardner was published in February by University of Georgia Press.

Benjamin Gardner, associate professor in 91̽»¨Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and chair of the Jackson School of International Studies’ African Studies Program, discusses his new book “Selling the Serengeti: The Cultural Politics of Safari Tourism.”

91̽»¨scientists create ultrathin semiconductor heterostructures for new technological applications

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

91̽»¨ scientists have successfully combined two different ultrathin semiconductors — each just one layer of atoms thick and roughly 100,000 times thinner than a human hair — to make a new two-dimensional heterostructure with potential uses in clean energy and optically-active electronics.

February 8, 2016

91̽»¨biology professor is a finalist for top conservation prize

Dee Boersma

P. Dee Boersma, a 91̽»¨ professor of biology and Wadsworth Endowed Chair in Conservation Science, is one of six finalists for the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for conservation. Boersma is the first 91̽»¨faculty member nominated for this prize — the highest honor for animal conservationists — which has been awarded every other year since 2006.

January 28, 2016

Iowa caucuses: Expectations can trump votes, but will Trump meet expectations?

CNN News announces Mike Huckabee the winner of the 2008 Republican Iowa caucus. But winning Iowa does not always lead to the nomination, which that year went to Sen. John McCain.

In the Iowa caucuses, expectations are nearly as important as votes and front-runners must watch their backs, say 91̽»¨ professors who are closely watching this year’s presidential race. The 2016 Iowa caucuses will be held Monday, Feb. 1, pitting Democratic leader Hillary Clinton against Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Martin O’Malley and Republican mogul and mouth Donald Trump against Sen. Ted Cruz among a lineup of largely ineffective opponents. We asked political scientists Mark A. Smith and John…

January 15, 2016

Twenty-seven 91̽»¨faculty listed among ‘world’s most influential scientific minds’ by Thomson Reuters

The 91̽»¨ is home to 26 researchers included on Thomson Reuters’ list of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” for 2015, which was released Jan. 14. The distinction, based on an analysis of over a decade of research paper citations among 21 general scientific fields, is meant to recognize scientists who are most cited by their peers.

January 6, 2016

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

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

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

December 15, 2015

91̽»¨conservationists celebrate new protected areas for Argentine penguins

Adult Magellanic penguin and two chicks begging.

On Dec. 3, the legislature for Argentina’s Chubut province established a new marine protected area off Punta Tombo, which would help preserve the feeding grounds for about 500,000 Magellanic penguins that make their home along this rocky stretch of Argentine coast. This is welcome news for the 91̽»¨scientists who have studied these penguins for decades and advocated for their conservation.

December 14, 2015

History meets geography: James Gregory’s collaborative digital project tracks key 20th century social movements

91̽»¨historian James Gregory’s new collaborative digital project, “Mapping American Social Movements through the 20th Century” uses data visualization and interactive maps to depict the progress of various social movements — with more to come.

December 10, 2015

Trees either hunker down or press on in a drying and warming western U.S. climate

Trembling aspen.

Two 91̽»¨ researchers have uncovered details of the radically divergent strategies that two common tree species employ to cope with drought in southwestern Colorado. As they report in a new paper in the journal Global Change Biology, one tree species shuts down production and conserves water, while the other alters its physiology to continue growing and using water.

December 8, 2015

Culture wars, Christianity at heart of 91̽»¨political scientist Mark Smith’s book ‘Secular Faith’

Mark A. Smith's "Secular Faith: How Culture Has Trumped Religion in American Politics" was published in September by University of Chicago Press.

Mark A. Smith is a 91̽»¨ professor of political science and adjunct professor of comparative religion. He is the author of “Secular Faith: How Culture Has Trumped Religion in American Politics,” published in September by University of Chicago Press. He answered a few questions about his book for 91̽»¨Today. What’s the concept behind this book? My book’s overarching theme is that Americans have much more in common politically than you’d expect from observing how the media covers…

December 4, 2015

91̽»¨project focuses on fines and fees that create ‘prisoners of debt’

Criminals are meant to pay their debts to society through sentencing, but a different type of court-imposed debt can tie them to the criminal justice system for life and impact their ability to move forward with their lives. Though debtors’ prisons were eliminated in the United States almost two centuries ago, a modern-day version exists in the dizzyingly complex system of fines and fees levied against people as they move through the court system. Offenders are charged for everything from…

November 19, 2015

After Nobel win, neutrino endeavors snag Breakthrough Prize in Physics

Neutrinos may be small, but when it comes to prizes, they pack quite a punch. In October, it was announced that two scientists who headed international projects to study these miniscule, seemingly ephemeral subatomic particles will share the Nobel Prize in Physics. On Nov. 8, these same scientists joined five of their colleagues from other neutrino projects to accept the 2016 Breakthrough Prize in Physics. The $3 million prize will be shared among the over 1,300 scientists, including University of…

November 10, 2015

91̽»¨School of Music talents, influence featured in book ‘Classical Seattle’

"Classical Seattle: Maestros, Impresarios, Virtuosi, and Other Music Makers," by Melinda Bargreen, published by 91̽»¨ Press.

Melinda Bargreen is a Seattle-based freelance arts writer who spent 31 years as classical music critic for The Seattle Times. She is the author of “Classical Seattle: Maestros, Impresarios, Virtuosi, and Other Music Makers,” published this fall by 91̽»¨ Press. Bargreen is a 91̽»¨ alumna, with a bachelor of arts in English and a master of arts in music. Dave Beck of Seattle classical radio station KING FM said, “No other book provides such a well-informed…

November 6, 2015

Swartz Foundation grant to boost 91̽»¨research in computational neuroscience

Two 91̽»¨ faculty members have been awarded a grant from The Swartz Foundation to support research in theoretical neuroscience. The award establishes the 91̽»¨as the latest of the Swartz Foundation-supported centers for innovation in this growing field, which spans mathematics, statistics, physics and biology. “This award is a recognition of what is happening here at the 91̽»¨in theoretical neuroscience research,” said Adrienne Fairhall, a 91̽»¨associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. “It is…

October 29, 2015

Now you see it: cloaking technology arrives sooner than 91̽»¨mathematician expected

In science, decades can pass between a proposed theory and its real-world application. That is precisely what 91̽»¨ mathematics professor Gunther Uhlmann was expecting when he and three colleagues proposed a means to develop an electromagnetic wormhole in a 2007 paper in Physical Review Letters. Their theoretical wormhole — an invisible tube for electromagnetic fields — would cloak an electromagnetic field while it passed through the tube, creating a “secret” connection between the entry and exit point. Uhlmann…

In astronomy-themed concert, Benaroya Hall launches audience to the cosmos

Andromeda galaxy.

A Nov. 7 concert in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall promises to offer the audience a decidedly stellar musical experience. The event, “Origins: Life and the Universe,” will pair live performances of new compositions with video and slideshow scenes depicting cosmic events like the Big Bang, as well as scenes from distant worlds and Earth’s own life-filled history. The Northwest Sinfonia, under the direction of Grammy Award-winning conductor David Sabee, will perform the eight works by Pacific Northwest composers while the projected…