A Q&A with Corey Garza, UW Environment Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Corey Garza flies a drone for research in the field.

Corey Garza begins his tenure as the UW College of the Environment Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and as a Professor of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences effective September 1. We sat down with Garza to talk about the vision for his new role, his approach to advancing equity and inclusion, and what he ultimately hopes to achieve. What appeals to you most about coming to the College of the Environment to lead DEI efforts? 

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The art and science of Dale Durran

Bassoon rods illuminated by LED lights in random patterns against a metal backdrop

While most of his days are spent unraveling the intricacies of weather patterns and atmospheric dynamics, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences Dale Durran has embraced metal work to express his passion for the natural world. With a curiosity that reaches far beyond the confines of the laboratory, Durran crafts works that infuse the interplay of science and creativity into each unique piece. 

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REBURN: A new tool to model wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and beyond

This image shows the site of the Tripod Complex Fire one year later, in 2007.

In 2006, the Tripod Complex Fire burned more than 175,000 acres in north-central Washington. The fire, which was within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, was more than three times the size of Seattle. Yet while considered severe at the time, even larger wildfires in 2014, 2015 and 2021 have since dwarfed Tripod. Past research shows that large and severe wildfires like these were much rarer in the western U.S. 

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Are wildfires really getting worse? A Q&A with Brian Harvey

a wildfire burns in California

Whether you live in a rural community that grapples with annual threats of destructive wildfires or in a city that now spends part of every summer inundated with smoke, many across North America have found themselves wondering: what happened to cause such a sudden change in the way our forests burn? We sat down with Brian Harvey, assistant professor of environmental and forest sciences in the UW College of the Environment, to discuss some of the most frequently asked questions we encounter about the causes of wildfires, how they’re changing and what we can do to limit their impacts on human health and property. 

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In the Field: UW team to spend six weeks visiting deep-ocean observatory

The University of Washington’s large research vessel, the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, will embark Aug. 13 from Newport, Oregon. A team of dozens of UW students, researchers and engineers will visit sites hosting a unique, National Science Foundation-funded, underwater observatory. For almost six weeks the team will send a remotely operated vehicle, ROV Jason, to recover and deploy more than 100 instruments as far as 2 miles below the ocean’s surface, all connected to a cable that supplies power and internet connectivity. 

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