Gender diversity has existed throughout time and across cultures. However, in many western cultures we have been socialized to treat gender as binary, only recognizing men and women. In this context, understanding what gender-inclusive language is and how to use it can be confusing: it’s not typically something we learn in school, it’s constantly evolving, [...]

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Facing a severe blood shortage, Bloodworks Northwest is issuing a “Code Red” emergency in Western Washington and Oregon. Consider donating life-saving blood with Bloodworks NW at one of their pop-up locations at the UW Tower or Paccar Hall.  Blood donations, including platelets and plasma, save lives and improve the health of millions of people worldwide. However, [...]

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The Pacific Northwest is well known for its outdoor recreation enthusiasts, from seasoned adventurers to habitual couch potatoes and everyone in between. We are lucky enough to live in a region where there are many opportunities–from snowshoeing and skiing to snow play and skijoring–to bundle up, get outside and recreate in a way that respects [...]

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Horacio de la Iglesia doesn’t always practice what he preaches. The sleep scientist and UW professor of biology, whose influential sleep research helped demonstrate the benefits of delaying school start times for Seattle high schoolers, knows that he should go to bed at roughly the same time each night. But on weekends, he likes to [...]

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The holiday season is upon us, and many people are planning in-person festivities. For some older adults, however, the holidays can exacerbate existing loneliness, particularly for those who have outlived family, friends, and finances and become isolated or those whose families live far away or are estranged. Recent research reveals that nearly half of Americans [...]

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For those living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), the COVID-19 pandemic was not the first pandemic of their lives. The toll of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is staggering: since the discovery of the AIDS virus 41 years ago, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has claimed more than 35 million lives – more than 700,000 in [...]

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Creating an inclusive and diverse workplace culture is fundamental for everyone’s success. Whether neurodivergent or neurotypical, the most productive workplace is one in which people are mentally and physically healthy and feel safe enough to put their whole selves into their work. Neurodiversity is a term we hear a lot these days—and that’s a good thing: [...]

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Like many higher education professionals in disability services, Ian Campbell was driven to the vocation because of his personal experience with disability. Ian struggled with academics for years before finally being diagnosed in high school with learning disabilities. He characterizes the struggles before his diagnosis as “aptitude without performance”—the frustrating inability to fully demonstrate his [...]

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Brooke Emrich is what you would call an extreme knitter. The educational seminars coordinator with the UW Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology spends a not insignificant amount time with needles in hand. In 2008, going through a period of creative stagnation, the self-described “knitting addict” picked up her first pair of needles, participating in [...]

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It’s no secret that individual drive, effort and innovation are highly valued traits in the workplace, traits that result in recognition and reward in the form of promotions, pay and bonuses. But nonstop drive, effort and innovation can come at a price. The constant focus on success can make it difficult to allow yourself to [...]

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Each fall, the UW Combined Fund Drive – our workplace giving program for faculty, staff and retirees – spotlights a nonprofit organization doing amazing work to make our communities healthier and more resilient.  The 2022 featured nonprofit is Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). MSF is an independent and neutral organization offering medical humanitarian assistance around [...]

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Kristin Jones’s childhood dream of working in the field of pediatrics took a couple of hard right turns on its way to fruition, courtesy of an unplanned teenage pregnancy and an 18-year stint in the telecommunications industry. “I always wanted to be a pediatrician and work with kids—well, until I took a good look at [...]

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