Cultivating community and tradition among the crops at the Native Garden

an example of dry beans grown in the garden

Tucked into a corner of the UW Farm at the Center for Urban Horticulture, within the moist compost and woven through the tendrils of beans, a community flourishes. The wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Native Garden is a unique space where crops and people grow in harmony. Informed by traditional farming practices, the Native Garden serves as a space for Indigenous students to connect with their culture and share it with the broader community. 

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Adm. Linda Fagan '00 nominated to head Coast Guard, first woman to lead a US armed service

Adm. Linda Fagan

U.S. Coast Guard Vice Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan ’00 was nominated to head the U.S. Coast Guard, as announced by the Biden Administration on Tuesday, April 5th, 2022. Adm. Fagan would become the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military. Fagan is a graduate of the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, completing a thesis entitled “Improving the quality of information in the marine transportation system: an exercise in risk reduction.” 

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Comic science: a SciComm method

A pen-and-ink drawing of the student table in the main lab

Science communication can take many forms, ranging from songwriting and improv to visual art and video games. Elise Littell, a senior in the UW School of Oceanography, started creating scientific comics after experiencing difficulty concentrating during online lectures, and was later featured in the student journal FieldNotes. We sat down with Littell to learn more about her inspiration for this creative endeavor. 

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Science at your fingertips: how the science of sand uncovers Earth’s mysteries  

beach on a sunny day in Washington State

Feeling cool, wet sand squish between your toes while walking along a beach is something that many of us take solace in — there’s just something special about that boundary between land and water. The beach serves as the backdrop for so many of life’s events: vacations, barbeques, camps, seashell searches, sporting events and even weddings. But the sand you track in on your towels and sandals is more than just something to vacuum up. 

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Solar energy explains fast yearly retreat of Antarctica’s sea ice

A research vessel looking out at the horizon amidst broken sea ice

In the Southern Hemisphere, the ice cover around Antarctica gradually expands from March to October each year. During this time the total ice area increases by 6 times to become larger than Russia. The sea ice then retreats at a faster pace, most dramatically around December, when Antarctica experiences constant daylight. New research led by the University of Washington explains why the ice retreats so quickly: Unlike other aspects of its behavior, Antarctic sea ice is just following simple rules of physics. 

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