Celebrated forest ecologist and UW Professor Emeritus Jerry Franklin once thought he’d been grabbed by Sasquatch while conducting research in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington. It turned out to be a mature Douglas fir shedding 1,000 pounds of its bark. Professor Franklin, a longtime steward of old growth forests and advocate for ecological [...]

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Juneteenth, variously known as Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Jubilee day or Liberation Day, is a holiday commemorating the June 19, 1865 announcement in Galveston, Texas of the emancipation of all chattel slaves following the end of the Civil War. The oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth – [...]

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For many Americans, the last Monday in May – Memorial Day – indicates the unofficial start of summer and a day off from school or work. Across the country, parades are held, grills are fired up, and people get together in backyards to eat, drink, and socialize. Enjoying the day off is great, of course, [...]

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Although every day is good day to elevate women’s and girls’ achievements and call out gender bias, International Women’s Day – March 8 – provides a community platform from which a call to action might be more clearly heard. It is an opportunity for content creators, social activists and anyone working toward a gender equal [...]

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UW faculty, staff and retirees came together this fall to contribute $2,040,474 to a variety of organizations through the UW Combined Fund Drive. As many are still reeling from the impacts of the ongoing pandemic, the drive has helped make a positive impact on the lives of many. “Our employees have continued to step up [...]

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I have many COVID – 19 pet peeves and one of the big ones is hearing people say, “We’re all in this together.” Setting aside the High School Musical number running through my head every time I hear the phrase, it minimizes the unique nature of what we are going through. The pandemic is different [...]

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The world has become a very different place in the age of COVID-19. With stay-at-home orders in place for months on end, many traditional volunteer opportunities – sorting donations, reading to kids, building houses, serving in a soup kitchen – have been significantly limited. Despite the impact of coronavirus restrictions, the pandemic has prompted millions [...]

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Our family had big plans this summer—a trip to Hawaii with our extended family. Clearly, that trip is no longer happening. While I mourn the loss of warm weather and tropical breezes, what I’m really feeling sad about is the loss of connection with my family. It got me thinking about ways we create memories [...]

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Like many of you, I’m home with my family and feeling pulled in so many directions as a parent, partner, employee, citizen, friend, and teacher. A constant question I hear every day in all those spaces is: “How can I help? I want to do more than just donate money.” The news we receive during [...]

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Chances are you’re not spending much, if any, time on the University of Washington’s campuses this spring due to COVID-19. That’s why, for Earth Day, we thought we’d bring you a story that recalls the life-giving richness of the spaces we normally share so that when time comes to reoccupy them, we can do so [...]

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Even in the best of times, the need for donated blood is constant. Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, is an especially vital time to step up to help the American Red Cross provide lifesaving blood. Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine and Bloodworks Northwest are putting out the call for people who [...]

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Let’s talk about the power of one. Of the 16 million members who are part of the Be The Match marrow donor registry, it only takes one person to save a life. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant by managing the largest and [...]

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