Social Sciences Division

Community and mentorship made all the difference to Sherri Berdine (2008) as an Alaska Native (Aleut & CIRI Descendent) UW student. Now she's the University's Director of Tribal Relations.

Katy Pearce, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington (UW), is dedicated to advancing research in the field of social and political uses of technology, while also supporting students and colleagues. With a focus on digital divides and inequalities and the use of information and communication technologies for marginalized people and social movements in non-democratic states, Pearce is passionate about bridging the gap between the theoretical and lived experiences of people around the world.

"Americans spend more than half a billion dollars annually on 150 million units of imported Christmas lights. U.S. News & World Report ranks the best Christmas light displays. And ABC’s reality TV show “The Great Christmas Light Fight” recently premiered its 10th season. Christmas lights, in short, are not only ubiquitous but also central to American culture. But that has not always been the case. The man credited with popularizing Christmas lights in the early 20th century, Albert Sadacca, had never celebrated Christmas. In fact, he was a Jew from the Muslim world," writes Devin Naar, associate professor of history and Jewish studies at the UW.

Dean Harris describes how Elizabeth Gordon, editor of House Beautiful, one of the premier home design magazines of the postwar period, espoused the style we now call midcentury modernism as a gentler alternative to the often harsher styles of prewar Europe. Dean Dianne Harris' writing is mentioned.

Start the new year with lectures, performances, exhibitions and more.

Anthony Gill, a UW political science professor, argues in a new paper that gift-giving has long-term positive effects for society and the economy, regardless of what you buy.

LaShawnDa Pittman, American ethnic studies and sociology professor, is excited to think together as the newest Hanauer appointee. Pittman's research centers socially marginalized women and those living with poor health resources/outcomes. Interrogate notions of “Western Civilization" in class and/or discuss what matters to you at an upcoming salon talk.

In the summer of 2018, 3,300 acres of the Olympic National Forest were set ablaze by poachers aiming to cut down maple trees. UW professors Daniel Hoffman and Lynn Thomas created a documentary, titled “The Maple Cutter,” about the incident — read writer Curran Nielsen’s interview with the filmmakers.

University of Washington political science professor Anthony Gill explains the social and economic value of gift-giving — and how even unwanted gifts help promote trust and build relationships.

Eric Lei was named one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30, 2023. While at UW, Eric triple majored in economics, mathematics, and computer science. He now is a portfolio manager at WorldQuant.

For the first time, the UW Board of Regents has a voting faculty member in its ranks. In October, Gov. Jay Inslee selected Professor Alexes Harris, ’97, to serve a three-year term on the University’s highest governing body.

Through public events and exhibitions, connect with the UW community every week! Highlights of current exhibitions:  Until April 16 | Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest, Burke Museum (Free admission for UW students, faculty and staff) Until January 8 | everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt., Henry Art Gallery (Free admission for UW students,...

Ricardo Ruiz is a poet, activist, father, husband, veteran, and UW alum. His new poetry book, “We Had Our Reasons,” sheds light on the stories of immigrants and their reasoning behind the decision to migrate to the United States. Through these poems, Ruiz hopes people outside the community are able to understand why someone would sacrifice so much and give up everything that they have just to migrate to a new country.

Wolf management in Washington has been controversial. Rob Anderson, who obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Washington, explains the dynamic of managing a species through fear.

Half the world could soon face dangerous heat. We measured the daily toll it is already taking. While the future is uncertain, climate scientists widely agree that even in the best-case scenarios — in which humans take dramatic action to lower carbon emissions — days with dangerous levels of heat and humidity are very likely to become more common in much of the world. The forecasts of heat stress shown in this article include Adrian E. Raftery and David S. Battisti at the University of Washington.