Aug 1, 2018

John Horne named director of JISAO

John Horne, director of the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO)

UW’s College of the Environment is pleased to announce that John Horne has been named director of the Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean (JISAO) for a three-year term, effective August 1, 2018. Horne is a professor in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and a fisheries biologist who uses acoustical techniques to understand spatial structures, interactions and abundances of aquatic communities, which are used to inform resource management.

Sea-level rise report contains best projections yet for Washington’s coasts

One certainty under climate change is that global ocean levels are rising. A new report led by Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group provides the clearest picture yet of what to expect in Washington state. The report includes projections for more than 150 different sites along the Washington coastline, from all marine shorelines in Washington state.

Harold Tobin named director of Pacific Northwest Seismic Network

Harold Tobin, the new director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and professor in Earth and Space Sciences

The College of the Environment is pleased to announce that Harold Tobin has been named director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and professor within the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. Tobin will start his new position at the University of Washington on September 1, 2018. Tobin’s research involves interdisciplinary and integrative studies of subduction zone processes, with a focus on fault mechanics and seismic structure.

Study shows why eastern U.S. air pollution levels are more stagnant in winter

Particulate haze over eastern Pennsylvania in winter, as seen from the WINTER campaign aircraft.

The air in the United States is much cleaner than even a decade ago. But those improvements have come mainly in summer, the season that used to be the poster child for haze-containing particles that cause asthma, lung cancer and other illnesses. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and led by the University of Washington explains why winter air pollution levels have remained high, despite overall lower levels of harmful emissions from power plants and vehicles throughout the year.

Aquatic and Fishery Sciences' Daniel Schindler elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences

Daniel Schindler, a professor at the College of the Environment’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, is one of 14 UW scientists elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences in 2018. According to a statement released by the organization, the new members were selected for “their outstanding record of scientific achievement and willingness to work on behalf of the academy in bringing the best available science to bear on issues within the state of Washington.”