Private gifts and grants have an enormous impact on the lives of our students, faculty and programs. We thank every one of our supporters, be they individuals, corporations, private foundations, organizations or community partners. You help ensure that the College of the Environment and all of its exceptional schools, departments, centers, programs and people, remain and grow as national and global leaders in education, research and outreach across a broad array of environmental fields.
Read more »Dean's Letter: To what end?
As Dean I am often asked to explain the importance of the College of the Environment in simple, accessible language to the public—the proverbial “elevator speech.” In my first year as Dean I often described the size and scope of the College. And, in truth, it’s impressive: the biggest college of the environment in the United States, with $115 million in externally-funded research taking place on all seven continents and in each of the world’s oceans.
Read more »Empowering science communication in the College of the Environment
The College of the Environment’s Science Communication Program has been advancing on numerous fronts since spring quarter. Guided by our Strategic Directions and the findings of the Science Communication Task Force, the College has been building support and expanding opportunities for our faculty, staff, and student scientists to share the process and products of their research beyond academia. The College recently hosted a campus-wide and online conversation about the evolving ways that academic scientists can communicate their research on the Internet.
Read more »Fires and floods: North Cascades federal lands prepare for climate change
In a country that boasts an awe-inspiring system of national parks, the Pacific Northwest may be especially lucky. But even remote parks and forests can’t escape the problem of human-induced climate change. Future shifts could affect everything from how people access the parks to what activities are possible once they arrive—not to mention the plants and animals that call those places home.
Read more at UW Today »Citizen science key to keeping pace with environmental change
Is it plastic, metal, a fragment, sharp? Does it have a loop in it that a marine animal might stick its head through? Is it small enough and in the color range that an albatross might mistake it for flying fish eggs and eat it? The latest University of Washington program powered by citizen scientists aims to characterize debris washed up on beaches in terms of potential harm to seabirds and other marine animals.
Read more at UW Today »