Every spring, Laura Prugh teaches a wildlife research techniques class at the University of Washington. Her students spend much of their time outside, complementing their lecture notes with actual experience. They learn to identify and properly handle animals — frogs, salamanders and bushy-tailed woodrats, for example — and they practice using equipment for tracking animals and estimating populations. But when the UW announced it was moving its spring quarter 2020 classes entirely online to combat the novel coronavirus, Prugh and other instructors across campus faced a new, unchartered challenge.
Read more at UW News »Three UW Environment students awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
Three graduate students from the College of the Environment have been awarded the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, which recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This year’s awardees include Irita Aylward and Zoe Krauss from the School of Oceanography, and Helena McMonagle from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. NSF Fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching and innovations in science and engineering.
Read more »Virtual environment events to stay connected
The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day is fast approaching (April 22) and the COVID-19 pandemic has many people spending more time indoors than normal. Stay connected to our planet and emerging environmental science and policy with these great online events in April. Monday, April 13 at 7 p.m. Sustaining our World Lecture with Author Tim Egan: Using the Power of Nature to Forge a New National Narrative Free; please RSVP Wednesday, April 15 at 12:30 p.m.
Read more »Community science project tracks changes in bird behavior during coronavirus
The predictable, daily routines of humanity have all but stopped with the arrival of COVID-19. For most of us, we no longer head to the office each morning or have friends and family over for dinner in our homes. Our day-to-day activities now look entirely different than they did six weeks ago. But does this abrupt change only apply to us bi-pedaled mammals?
Read more »SciComm lessons from a global pandemic
The worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 has left an indelible mark on 2020, one that will go far beyond when the last person is vaccinated. It has forced the global population to get up to speed quickly—understand and evaluate the risk, make judgements about one’s own behavior, and adapt to ‘new normals’ from family gatherings and dining out to teaching students and traveling for work or pleasure.
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