Students walking through the quad at the UW.

Perspectives Newsletter

September 2025 Newsletter

Perspectives is a monthly newsletter that highlights the accomplishments and latest news from the College of Arts & Sciences community. Learn about unusual courses, student projects, faculty research, alumni careers, and more.

Featured Stories This Month

Mia Bennett on a snowmobile with a vast snowy arctic landscape behind her.

Where in the World is Arts & Sciences?

Arts & Sciences faculty, staff, and students traveled the world this summer to pursue research, study abroad, intern, and more. Check out some of their adventures. 

Illustration showing a laptop on a table, with an angelic halo above it.

Can Machines Learn Morality?

UW researchers at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences and in the Allen School are exploring the potential for training AI to value altruism.

Leo Freedman sitting on a bench on campus, with a microphone in his hand.

Capturing the Sounds of Campus

With "University of Washington Soundscape," ethnomusicology and international studies major Leo Freedman has created an audio experience of the UW campus. 

  • Derek Sheffield in the outdoors, wearing a backpack, with trees in the background.

    Outside with Poet Laureate Derek Sheffield

    Washington’s newest poet laureate, alum Derek Sheffield (BA, English; MFA, Creative Writing) will prioritize mental health and the outdoors during his term.

    University of Washington Magazine

Opportunities to Explore

  • Handwoven shawl or jacket with a Native American design at collar edge.

    Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving

    Through August 30, 2026
    Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
    Journey through the seasonal cycle of weaving, from gathering materials and spinning wool to dyeing with natural ingredients and weaving intricate designs, in this exhibition that showcases historical and contemporary woven items and the cultural and scientific knowledge embedded in every strand.

  • Artwork from Spirit House exhibition - a wall artwork and a sculpture on a white pedestal.

    Spirit House

    Through January 11, 2026
    Henry Art Gallery, Upper Level Galleries
    Inspired by spirit houses, small devotional structures found throughout Thailand that provide shelter for the supernatural, this Henry Art Gallery exhibition investigates how contemporary artists of Asian descent challenge the boundary between life and death through art.

  • Mahani Teave performing at the piano

    Pianist Mahani Teave

    October 3, 7:30 pm
    Meany Hall – Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater
    The only professional classical musician from her native Rapa Nui (Easter Island), award-winning pianist Mahani Teave bridges the creative world with education and environmental activism. Her Meany Center  program features music by composers from Spain and Chile.

  • Two women looking at plants in the greenhouse

    Visit the Biology Greenhouse

    UW Life Sciences Building
    3747 W Stevens Way NE
    The UW Biology Greenhouse, home to more than 4,000 plants from diverse habitats, is open to the public for walk-in browsing on non-holiday Wednesdays (noon - 4 pm) and on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month (10 am - 2 pm). Docent-led tours for 8+ people are also available but must be booked ahead.

Looking for more events? Visit ArtsUW and the UW Alumni Association website. 

In The News

  • Rewind: Sex & Aging

    The erotic lives of senior citizens are typically made invisible by our culture, which can lead to confusion and misinformation. Pepper Schwartz, UW professor of sociology and the love and relationships columnist for AARP, joins the Dear Sugars podcast to dispel certain myths about sex and aging.

    WBUR

  • University of Washington Studying Cell Phone Bans in Schools

    A growing number of school districts are implementing new cell phone bans in the classroom, and a UW study found that while teachers generally support the policies, students are less positive -- though some concede the policies improve concentration. Lucía Magis-Weinberg, UW assistant professor of psychology, is interviewed.

    FOX 13

  • New faculty books: Language instruction, the yoga of power, and more

    New faculty books from the UW College of Arts & Sciences include publications from faculty in Asian languages and literature, applied mathematics, and the Jackson School of International Studies.

    UW News

  • Fresh Bucks boosts fruit and veggie intake in Seattle

    A new research study led by Melissa Knox, UW teaching professor of economics, indicates that Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, which provides monthly stipends to buy fruits and vegetables, significantly improves food security and boosts fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income residents.

    The Seattle Medium

Editor

Nancy Joseph
nancyj@uw.edu

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