UW College of the Environment

06/04/2026

Congratulations to David Catling, a University of Washington Earth and Space Sciences professor who has been elected as a fellow of The Royal Society! Fellows are elected from all over the world through a lengthy selection process based on scientific excellence.

“For perspective, I think it’s important to remember that science is never a solo act. For me, this award ultimately arises because of strong science teachers in high school, sympathetic advisors during my university degrees, great mentors for my postdoctoral research at NASA, and the help of all my own students, postdocs and colleagues in bringing my scientific ideas to fruition.”
-David Catling

Read more about David's work and this incredible honor: https://bit.ly/4fklFQT

University of Washington University of Washington News

06/01/2026

Thinking ahead to next ski season? Check out what our expert has to say.

You've probably seen the El Niño news by now. I asked snow forecasters to break it down.

06/01/2026

Today we are celebrating UW Program on the Environment student Brigitte Worstell who was awarded a 2026 Bonderman Travel Fellowship! 🏅 ✈️

Brigitte’s travel will include Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Poland and Turkey. While traveling, she plans to explore how people define fulfillment and success in cultures that emphasize collective well-being and interdependence over individual distinction.

Together with her 2026 cohort, Brigitte and fellow University of Washington students will travel to more than 30 countries, spanning five continents collectively.

Read more about this amazing opportunity and Brigitte's plans: https://bit.ly/4uEm6u1

05/29/2026

Congratulations to UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences professor Daniel Schindler for being named a new member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences! 🏆

Daniel's work focuses on salmon habitats, watershed health and ecosystem resilience in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, helping scientists better understand how environmental change affects ecosystems, wildlife and communities that rely on fisheries.

Read more about Daniel's work: https://bit.ly/3RSQzG9

📷 Daniel in Alaska during a summer field season

05/28/2026

We are so happy to celebrate this year's award winners! These 11 amazing people are recognized by their colleagues for making unique, inspiring and meaningful contributions to our community during the academic year. We honored them this week at our annual Spring Celebration event! 💜 ☀️ 🏅 🌿

Here are this year's winners:
⭐ Connor Whalen, Exceptional Mentoring of Undergraduates
⭐ Bridget Trosin, Jenna Keeton, Robert Maw and Brandii O’Reagan, Outstanding Community Impact
⭐ Hemalatha Velappan and Lisa Watkins, Outstanding Commitment to Inclusive Excellence
⭐ Sasha Seroy, Outstanding Teaching
⭐ Fred Averick, Distinguished Staff Member
⭐ Lara Volski, Graduate Dean’s Medalist
⭐ Ada Carter, Undergraduate Dean’s Medalist

We are so proud of you! Thank you for giving back to our community in such meaningful ways 💜 Read more about our award winners: https://bit.ly/3RQLwGe

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Washington Sea Grant UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences

05/27/2026

University of Washington scientists eavesdropped on Cook Inlet belugas to better understand the context of their calls and how human noise is impacting their ability to communicate with each other.

Read about the new study: https://bit.ly/4f46cnU

📷 Cook Inlet belugas swimming in northern Cook Inlet, near Anchorage, Alaska. Credit: Arial Brewer

UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences University of Washington News

05/21/2026

Congratulations to undergraduate student Zayna Haider, who is the inaugural recipient of the Steve Pool Memorial Fund for Students in Atmospheric and Climate Science.

“I’m honored to be the first person to receive this incredible scholarship. This will help me to continue my education in atmospheric and climate science and pursue my dream of having a career in atmospheric chemistry.”

Read our story: https://bit.ly/3RoL4ii

UW Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science KOMO News University of Washington

05/20/2026

There are more opportunities than ever for ocean science students to build meaningful careers in the field. That’s why 130+ students, industry professionals and researchers recently gathered at University of Washington for the first-ever TIDES Conference, a free event to connect ocean science students with marine technology careers in Seattle and beyond.

"One of my biggest takeaways from this conference is that in industry, we need to find more ways to engage with students. The TIDES Conference offered an incredible opportunity to do this, and I hope there will be many more efforts in the future.”
-Courtney Avioli, ‘23, a research scientist at Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies and mechanical engineer at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory

Read our story about the conference: https://bit.ly/4uDtGov

📷 Cameron Munn

Sea-Bird Scientific Sequoia Scientific, Inc. BioSonics University of Washington College of Engineering Marine Technology Society

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Joel Thornton, who has been named the new dean of !

Joel has served as interim dean since last July. He is a professor and former chair of the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Science and his research focuses on the impacts of human activities on air quality and climate. Read more about his background: https://bit.ly/4v11nR9

Joel will become our dean effective June 1, pending UW Board of Regents approval, following a national search.

University of Washington University of Washington News

05/08/2026

A near-miss tsunami in Alaska during peak tourist season last August highlights increasing environmental instability. A new study in Science describes how glacial retreat caused by global warming primed the Tracy Arm Fjord for a colossal wave.

Check out the University of Washington News story about this work by University of Washington Earth and Space Sciences and University of Calgary scientists: https://bit.ly/4wi0rZI

Photo 1: Aerial photo of the Aug. 10, 2025 landslide, terminus of South Sawyer Glacier, and Tracy Arm taken on Aug. 13, 2025. Note the trimline along the far side of the fjord, caused by the tsunami stripping the walls of vegetation. Credit: Cyrus Read/USGS
Photo 2: Sawyer Island was once covered in trees. After the tsunami, all but a couple remained. Credit: John Lyons/USGS
Photo 3: Aerial photo of the highest runup resulting from the tsunami in Tracy Arm, also taken on Aug. 13, 2025. Credit: John Lyons/USGS