The
From a boat on the Duwamish River, it’s easy to see giant yellow excavators plucking crushed cars off the ground and swinging them toward an open-air shredder.
At Seattle Iron and Metal, mounds of shredded steel as big as apartment
News | December 12, 2019
‘Blue’ space: Access to water features can boost city dwellers’ mental health
Officials are increasingly recognizing that integrating nature into cities is an effective public health strategy to improve mental health. Doctors around the world now administer “green prescriptions” – where patients are encouraged to spend time in local nature spaces – …
News | August 1, 2019
‘Feedback loops’ of methane, CO2 echo environmental problem beyond Washington
One of the interesting features of climate change is the warmer it gets, the warmer it will get. Warming global temperatures are often thought of as a one-way street, originating from the exhaust pipe of a vehicle and ending with …
News | September 7, 2021
2021 Urban@UW Spark Grants awardees announced
Urban@UW is excited to announce awardees for the second round of funding through our Spark Grants program. The two projects selected address critical urban challenges, with a focus on transdisciplinary scholarship and engagement with vulnerable populations.
Water, Sanitation, …
News | June 26, 2024
A Biochar Solution for Urban Runoff
Written by Julia Davis for the University of Washington
In cities around the globe, stormwater runoff remains largely untreated, collecting everything from heavy metals to pesticides before flowing into our waterways. This environmental challenge requires innovative solutions, and biochar may …
News | January 25, 2021
A new investigation about who’s getting sick from heat-related illness should be a wakeup call for America
Mario Wilcox won’t set out in the summer without an emergency kit in his car trunk: a cooler with an ice pack and a blanket. He learned this improvised life saver from his time in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars; …
News | August 17, 2021
A triple whammy has left many U.S. city neighborhoods highly vulnerable to soaring temperatures
In New York City, several Hunts Point residents have lists of neighbors they’re checking on to help keep the most vulnerable alive during heat waves.
The city has also subsidized 74,000 air conditioners for low-income, elderly residents and is spending …
News | June 7, 2016
Access To Nature In Urban Areas Is Key To Healthier Living
Mental illnesses and mood disorders are more prevalent in urban areas partly due to reduced access to nature, according to a new study.
Researchers probed the rising tension between the critical role of urban areas and these cities’ debilitating aspects …
News | August 6, 2020
After three decades, most polluted U.S. neighborhoods haven’t changed
If your neighborhood was among the most polluted in 1981, it probably still is.
Likewise, the least polluted areas are still faring the best, according to a study published on Thursday in the journal Science that analyzed concentrations of fine …
News | February 1, 2022
Air pollution from planes, roads infiltrates schools and can be dramatically reduced with portable air filters
What started as a University of Washington-led project to measure air pollution near Sea-Tac International Airport has led to schools in the area installing portable air filters to improve indoor air quality.
First, UW researchers found they were able to …
Course | ENVH 461 / CEE 490
Air-Pollution Control
Fundamental concepts of air pollution Control including emission sources, atmospheric dispersion, ambient concentrations, and emission standards, with emphasis on processes and equipment for controlling emissions.News | August 16, 2018
An Unfair Share: Exploring the disproportionate risks from climate change facing Washington State communities
Everyone in Washington state will be affected by climate change, but race, income and occupation influences how much risk Washington state residents and workers face from climate-related hazards like wildfires, floods and extreme heat. A new report finds that the …
Scholar
Andy Dannenberg
Visit scholar websiteNews | September 28, 2020
As wildfire smoke clears, King County’s airport communities continue fight for clean air
As massive clouds of smoke from wildfires throughout the region obscured the sky last week, SeaTac Deputy Mayor Peter Kwon filtered the air in his own home by attaching a furnace filter to a box fan and then duct-taping a …
News | November 21, 2019
Baking cities advance ‘slowly’ in race against rising heat threat
With urban populations surging around the world, cities will struggle to keep residents safe from fast-growing heat risks turbo-charged by climate change, scientists and public health experts warned this week.
Heat is already the leading cause of deaths from extreme …
News | October 13, 2020
Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities hit hardest by heat waves
On average, extreme heat over the past 30 years has killed more people in the United States than any other weather event, according to the U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics. That means more lives have been lost to heat over …
News | August 19, 2019
Breathing dirty city air is as bad for your lungs as smoking
Even if you’ve never smoked, just living in a city with polluted air could lead to emphysema. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that air pollution—and in particular ozone, which is increasing with
News | July 30, 2020
Cities’ summer challenge: Keep people cool while keeping COVID-19 at bay
In the age of social distancing and other efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19, cities are grappling with whether to encourage vulnerable populations to leave their homes during extreme heat and congregate under a communal air-conditioning system or stay …
News | August 5, 2019
City of Vancouver looks west to continue restoration of Burnt Bridge Creek greenway
For decades, Burnt Bridge Creek was little more than a polluted drainage ditch lined by invasive vegetation. The creek flows west for about 13 miles through the city, from its headwaters in east Vancouver, before emptying into a natural wetland …
News | June 5, 2023
Climate Hazards Are the Duwamish Valley’s Top Concern, Survey Finds
A new study of Duwamish Valley residents in South Park and Georgetown shows that more people list environmental impacts as one of their top-three concerns than any other problem facing the area, followed by crime and cost of living.
News | May 13, 2024
Cloud Brightening Study in California Is Halted by Local Officials
Researchers had been testing a sprayer that could one day be used to push a salty mist skyward, cooling the Earth. Officials stopped the work, citing health questions.
Written by Christopher Flavelle for The New York Times.
Officials in …
Center & Lab
Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilence (CEER)
CEER is a boundary breaking collaboration of researchers and scholars committed to policy relevant, community-driven research. We empower communities to use scientific methods to solve real world problems and build resilience to acute and chronic stressors. We are public health scholars committed to working with policy-makers, practitioners, and community-based organizations to collaboratively generate evidence, as…
Visit lab websiteCourse | ENVH 448
Community Air Pollution
Offers a comprehensive overview of community air pollution including: air pollution sources, chemistry, and meteorology; human health and environmental effects; global warming; air quality standards, monitoring, control, and management; indoor air; and local air quality management.News | December 7, 2020
Coronavirus cases spike among Puget Sound-area transit workers
As a new wave of coronavirus sweeps Washington state, positive cases are ticking up at local transit agencies, where workers have continued driving and servicing buses since the start of the pandemic.
At King County Metro, employees have reported 20 …
News | May 7, 2020
Coronavirus pushed Seattle to treat homelessness differently. Will those changes last?
Lola Anderson-Najera finally has a door that locks.
After years of weaving in and out homelessness, sleeping “elbow-to-elbow” in shelters and sometimes outside, she’s found a tiny, temporary home. It’s small, but it has a chair to read in, an …
News | January 18, 2022
COVID’s invisible toll on Seattle’s trans community
A Seattle Times analysis found that among all groups, a disproportionate percentage of trans people were on the brink of poverty, homelessness and starvation. This, in a city where over 10% of the population identifies as queer.
As their social …
News | November 8, 2024
Crows hold grudges against individual humans for up to 17 years
Reported by Eric Falls for Earth.com
Crows are more than just black-feathered figures cawing from treetops; they are masters of memory and grudges, with cognitive abilities that defy our expectations.
While we often admire birds for their bright plumage and
News | March 30, 2023
DEOHS Researchers Testing Air Quality on Buses and Trains
University of Washington researchers are working with Pacific Northwest transit agencies to study whether illicit drug use on buses and trains may affect air quality in the vehicles.
The research team is collecting samples and assessing airflow on buses and …
News | June 26, 2015
Designing Healthy Cities by Andrew Dannenberg
Presented at the June 1st Urban@UW Launch…
News | May 20, 2020
EarthLab announces Innovation Grant recipients for 2020
Research projects funded for 2020 by EarthLab’s Innovation Grants Program will study how vegetation might reduce pollution, help an Alaskan village achieve safety and resilience amid climate change, organize a California river’s restoration with tribal involvement, compare practices in self-managed …
News | April 8, 2024
Earthquake showed Taiwan was well prepared for a big one — more so than parts of U.S.
Originally reported by Evan Bush for NBC News.
The powerful earthquake in Taiwan on Wednesday shook an island that was well prepared for a seismic catastrophe — likely more so than some regions of the U.S., several experts said.…
Scholar
Edward Kasner
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Elaine Faustman
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Elena Austin
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Emily Hovis
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Empowering youth to seek climate solutions in their communities
A new $2.3 million program funded by the US National Science Foundation will educate and equip young scientists to cultivate resilience to climate impacts such as flooding and extreme heat.
Partners include the University of Washington Interdisciplinary Center for Exposures, …
Degree Program
Environmental Health (BS, minor, MS, PhD, MPH)
The University of Washington’s Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health is a great fit for students who love science, and who are passionate about using their scientific skills to address human health issues related to the built and natural environments. Environmental Health is designated as a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) by the…
Visit program websiteNews | September 15, 2023
Environmental Protection Agency Delays New Ozone Pollution Standards Until After the 2024 Election
The Environmental Protection Agency is delaying plans to tighten air quality standards for ground-level ozone — better known as smog — despite a recommendation by a scientific advisory panel to lower air pollution limits to protect public health.
The decision …
Scholar
Esther Min
Visit scholar websiteNews | February 11, 2025
Exciting Updates from RAC Cohort 2
Last month the second cohort of the Research to Action Collaboratory gathered to share their progress. The Research to Action Collaboratory, or RAC, is an incubation program that provides dedicated team time, skill sharing, and seed funding. RAC teams include …
News | July 2, 2020
Fearful commuters on trains, buses hold one key to U.S. recovery
Masks are mandatory on subways and buses in Washington. San Francisco is betting longer trains will help riders social distance. Crews disinfect New York’s trains daily — stations twice a day — and are testing ultraviolet light devices to see …
News | July 31, 2018
FEMA-style tents as homeless shelters? Maybe, say some King County officials
Three health officials on the King County Board of Health are urging the panel to declare homelessness a “public health disaster” and advise local jurisdictions to respond accordingly — including potentially deploying large scale FEMA-style tents as emergency shelter before …
News | September 18, 2020
Food insecurity rates have more than doubled since start of COVID-19 pandemic
Since the onset of the pandemic, food insecurity rates have more than doubled in our state. That’s according to researchers at the University of Washington who have just compiled the results from their first round of a statewide survey.
It …
Course | ENVH 220 / GH 220
Global Environmental Change and Public Health
Humans are the primary drivers of global environmental changes that are changing the planet on the scale of geological forces. Students will be introduced to these changes and their consequences for human health and well-being, with a focus on climate change and its consequences.News | May 20, 2024
Global life expectancy is projected to increase by 5 years by 2050
Reported by Rodielon Putol for Earth
A recent study from the prestigious Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 reveals an encouraging trend: global life expectancy is expected to rise by nearly five years by 2050, despite various global challenges.…
News | June 25, 2016
Good food, not gone to waste
UW School of Public Health works with city to combat hunger, reduce discards
Forty percent of food in the United States—much of it healthy and edible—goes uneaten. It ends up in landfills and produces methane emissions that are 25 times …
Scholar
Grace Lasker
Visit scholar websiteCourse | ENVH 306
Health and Sustainability
Focuses on the intersection of human health and environmental sustainability. Introduces core concepts of sustainability (for health sciences students) and public health (for environmental studies students) and explores the intersections of health and sustainability in specific domains including energy, transportation, the built environment, food systems, and chemicals. Emphasizes a systems thinking approach to formulating solutions.Course | ENV H 536, URBDP 536
Health Impact Assessment
Examines the use of Health Impact Assessment as a public health tool for informing decision-makers about the potential health impacts of proposed projects and policies. Students learn the steps for conducting HIAs, review case studies, and conduct an HIA of a current local proposed project.News | June 11, 2024
Here’s why an Arizona medical examiner is working to track heat-related deaths
Written by Alejandra Borunda for NPR News
Greg Hess deals with death day in, day out.
Hess is the medical examiner for Pima County, Ariz., a region along the United States-Mexico border. His office handles some 3,000 deaths each year …
Scholar
Hilary Godwin
Visit scholar websiteCourse | ENVH 443
Housing and Health
Explores healthy and safe homes as a crucial element in public health. Review of federal, state and local approaches to housing-related programs under the banner of healthy homes. Students completing this course will understand the relationship between housing and human health and well-being.News | July 24, 2023
How ‘forever chemicals’ impact your health: HealthLink
A study from the U.S. Geological Survey released this month, reported an estimated 45% of U.S. tap water contains at least one type of PFAS. Short for polyfluoroalkyl substances, they are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they take
News | October 5, 2021
How extreme heat hits our most vulnerable communities the hardest
Heat already kills more Americans than any other weather-related disaster, according to the National Weather Service — and climate change is making these extreme events even more dangerous.
The Northwest’s record-breaking heat wave in June, which scientists say would have
News | March 14, 2017
How future superstorms could overwhelm today’s wastewater infrastructure
The current Seattle rainstorm, and many like it this year, are overwhelming our city’s wastewater pipes, and some sewage may be dumping into the Puget Sound as we speak. But even in a normal year, King County dumps about 800 …
News | July 18, 2022
How King County is preparing for extreme heat this summer
Last summer, two heat waves blanketed the usually temperate Pacific Northwest. The first one, which saw at least 30 heat-related deaths and many more injuries, would become the deadliest climate-related event in King County’s recorded history. In the wake of …
News | April 10, 2018
How Texas is ‘building back better’ from Hurricane Harvey
For most Americans, the one-two punch of last fall’s hurricanes is ancient history. But hard-hit communities in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean are still rebuilding.
Nicole Errett, lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, recently …
News | August 1, 2019
How to consider nature’s impact on mental health in city plans
Almost one in five adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness. That statistic is similar worldwide, with an estimated 450 million people currently dealing with a mental or neurological disorder. Of those, only about a third seek treatment.…
Scholar
Howard Frumkin
Visit scholar websiteNews | May 2, 2024
Immunocompromised and at-risk Americans feel left behind as COVID restrictions disappear
Written by Clayton Sandell for Scripps News
Four years after the COVID pandemic swept across the U.S., mask mandates are no more. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommends a five-day isolation after a positive test, and …
News | May 21, 2020
In Seattle’s polluted valley, pandemic and particulates are twin threats
…
News | September 9, 2021
In the early 1990s, heat waves battered Philadelphia’s most vulnerable communities. The lessons learned are helping today
The water trickled down quickly, enough to coat the sun-bleached concrete basin in a city park with a layer of wetness. A toddler danced, smiling as water from the park’s sprinklers rained down on her, keeping her cool.
…News | August 4, 2023
Increasing Power Outages Don’t Hit Everyone Equally
Multiple rounds of storms tore through parts of Illinois and Missouri in the first week of July, triggering widespread power outages that left tens of thousands of people without electricity—some for days after the storms had passed. It was just …
News | May 13, 2024
Is Seattle a walkable city? Pedestrian death rates show otherwise
Written by Jadenne Radoc Cabahug for Crosscut.
Washington was the first state to commit to zero traffic fatalities. But 24 years later, deaths are at an all-time high and officials are reevaluating.
Twenty-four years after Washington became the first
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Jeremy Hess
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June T. Spector
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Kelly Edwards
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Kristie L. Ebi
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Leave the imported shrimp, take the local bivalves: sustainable seafood choices
Reported by Kim Malcolm and John O’Brien for KUOW, a NPR news station.
Seafood and the Pacific Northwest go hand in hand. Maybe you’re one of those people out fishing, clamming, and crabbing during the season. But if you’re
News | May 28, 2020
Less traffic means 40% drop in car pollution in Seattle but will it last?
Experts say our good air quality this spring is partially due to people driving less. However, they warn that unless big, long-term changes are made, these cleaner skies are not here to stay.
From late March through the end of …
News | June 12, 2019
Limiting climate change would prevent thousands of heat-related deaths in U.S.
Deadly summer heat will get worse as the globe warms, so putting the brakes on climate change by reducing carbon emissions will literally be a lifesaver for thousands of Americans, a new study co-authored by UW Environmental and Occupational Health …
News | November 14, 2019
Livable City Year: Jennifer Otten & Branden Born
Food brings people together. In the case of the academic collaboration between Jennifer Otten and Branden Born, so did food policy. Otten, an associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and core faculty in the …
News | August 30, 2024
Living in tree-filled neighborhoods may reduce risk of heart disease, study shows
Written by and
Living in a tree-filled neighborhood may be as beneficial to the heart as regular exercise, new research shows.
Researchers at the University of Louisville designed a clinical trial that followed …
News | October 12, 2021
Lynden has spent more than a year testing poop for COVID-19. Was it a good investment?
The poop doesn’t lie — at least in Lynden, where it has helped guide the city’s pandemic response for over a year. The Whatcom city has become home to one of the most thorough COVID-19 wastewater testing programs in the …
News | December 13, 2019
Mapping jet pollution at Sea-Tac airport
Communities underneath and downwind of jets landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are exposed to a type of ultrafine particle pollution that is distinctly associated with aircraft, according to a new University of Washington study that is the first to identify …
Scholar
Marissa Baker
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Ming-Yi Tsai
Visit scholar websiteNews | May 21, 2019
More back-to-back heat waves will come with climate change
Here’s another health danger climate change will deliver in the coming years: New research warns that back-to-back heat waves that go on for days will become more common as the planet warms.
The elderly and the poor will be the …
News | July 19, 2024
More Than 1 Trillion Microbes Live Inside the Average Tree Trunk
Reported by Erik Stokstad for Science
The wood inside the average tree might seem barren, but it’s home to an incredibly diverse array of life. More than 1 trillion fungi, bacteria, and other microbes live inside the average trunk, according …
Scholar
Nancy Simcox
Visit scholar websiteNews | August 20, 2024
Need anti-withdrawal meds? In King County, call this 24/7 hotline
Reported by Eilis O’Neil for KUOW and NPR News
People addicted to opioids in King County can call a new hotline and get a prescription right away for a drug that can help. Buprenorphine reduces symptoms of withdrawal and can …
News | March 6, 2019
New study shows how exposure to air pollution early in life may lead to autism
Exposure to air pollution, particularly traffic-related air pollution, has previously been linked to autism spectrum disorder in epidemiological studies. And now a new animal study from the University of Washington School of Public Health describes a possible mechanism by which …
News | April 20, 2023
New UW Center for Environmental Health Equity to Launch with a $12 Million Grant from the US EPA
The University of Washington will lead a new center to help address longstanding environmental and energy justice issues—from legacy pollution to energy security—in Pacific Northwest and Alaska Native communities with funding announced today by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).…
News | August 11, 2021
New UW collaboratory to support equitable and just climate action
An interdisciplinary group of University of Washington researchers has teamed with Front and Centered to create an innovative Collaboratory to promote just and equitable climate action.
The Collaboratory aims to respond to climate change impacts with attention to equitable mitigation …
News | August 16, 2022
New UW study shows how COVID lockdowns affected Northwest birds
While the unusual quiet of the pandemic’s first months was hard on many people, it allowed birds in the Pacific Northwest to use a wider range of habitats, according to a newly published University of Washington study.
The study, published …
News | May 2, 2024
New York cities plagued by blackouts due to climate change, study finds
Written by Saul Elbein for The Hill.
Climate change is pushing some New York City neighborhoods into dozens of nearly daylong blackouts per year, a new study has found.
Large swaths of the state’s principal towns and cities faced …
Scholar
Nicole Errett
Visit scholar websiteNews | September 30, 2019
On the ground in disaster’s wake
From flood-damaged Houston to fire-ravaged Paradise, CA, Nicole Errett’s research takes her into the heart of communities trying to recover after catastrophe strikes.
As a disaster researcher and lecturer in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences…
Course | ENVH 439
One Health: Human and Animal Health in a Changing Environment
Case based exploration of the One Health concept, connecting human, animal, and environmental health. Topics include emerging zoonotic infectious diseases transmitted between humans and animals, animals as sentinels of environmental hazards, the human-animal bond, and the comparison of spontaneous diseases between human and animals. Includes two optional field trips.News | August 2, 2021
Paratransit services for people with disabilities in the Seattle region during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for recovery planning
A new journal article titled, “Paratransit services for people with disabilities in the Seattle region during the COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons for recovery planning” co-written by Urban Design & Planning PhD students Lamis Abu Ashour, Xun Fang, and Yiyuan Wang…
News | October 17, 2019
Pop-up galleries and data: Visualizing the lives of homeless people and their animals
Sparked by a grant from the UW Population Health Initiative, the UW’s Center for One Health Research created a series of pop-up galleries featuring autobiographical photographs made by people experiencing homelessness with their animal companions.
The first gallery was …
News | May 5, 2020
Population Health Initiative announces award of 21 COVID-19 rapid response grants
The University of Washington Population Health Initiative announced the award of approximately $350,000 in COVID-19 rapid response grants to 21 different faculty-led teams. These teams are composed of individuals representing 10 different schools and colleges. Funding was partially matched by …
News | May 16, 2023
Prolonged Power Outages, Often Caused by Weather Events, Hit Some Parts of the U.S. Harder than Others
…Course | ENV H 538, URBDP 538
Public Health and the Built Environment
Examines how the design of communities and land use and transportation decision have positive and adverse effects on health. Considers built environment impacts on physical activity, obesity, air quality, injuries, mental health, social capital, and environmental justice; and explores interventions to promote healthy community design.Course | URBDP 538 / ENV H 538
Public Health and the Built Environment
Examines how the design of communities and land use and transportation decision have positive and adverse effects on health. Considers built environment impacts on physical activity, obesity, air quality, injuries, mental health, social capital, and environmental justice; and explores interventions to promote healthy community design.News | September 21, 2022
Q&A: Exploring How the Design of the Built Environment Affects Our Health and Well-Being
How does the design of the built environment – such as houses, schools, workplaces, streets, parks, transportation systems, and urban form – affect our health and well-being? To explore these issues, editors Nisha D. Botchwey, Andrew Dannenberg, and Howard …
News | May 29, 2016
Quick Recap: Here’s What Happened in May!
May saw a lot of wonderful events, visitors, and research coming out of the University of Washington community. Here’s a quick recap:
- The CBE PhD Program looked at the future of cities
- Patricia Romero Lankao visited to talk about the
News | April 17, 2024
Quiet! Our Loud World Is Making Us Sick
Written by Joanne Silberner for Scientific America.
Ten years ago Jamie Banks started working from her home in the town of Lincoln, Mass. After a couple of months, the continuing racket from landscaping machines began to feel unendurable, even …
News | November 27, 2023
RAC projects learning together, building momentum
Co-creation sessions with Duwamish Valley community members and stakeholders that focused on identifying priorities, values, and aspirations for community open space in their neighborhoods. (Credit: Maron Bernardino)
After their launch in spring of this year, the two inaugural projects of …
News | October 19, 2022
Recently completed Spark Grants foster research on mobile home wastewater management, and estimating unhoused populations
Over the past year, two teams of researchers from the University of Washington tackled a host of urban challenges in our region with the support of Urban@UW’s Spark Grants. In September 2021 grants of up to $20,000 were awarded …
News | September 16, 2024
Register Today for Urban@UW’s presentation at Climate Week NYC
Urban@UW is heading to the big apple for Climate Week NYC, the largest international conference of business leaders, political change makers, scientists, and civil society representatives working for climate action. Rachel Berney, Faculty Director, and Kate Landis, Program …
News | June 17, 2024
Rekindling Our Relationship with Wildfire
Written for the Climate One podcast, hosted by Greg Dalton and Ariana Brocious.
Summer is just around the corner, and in addition to travel and vacation, that also means peak wildfire season. Recently we’ve seen some of the most destructive …
Scholar
Richard Gleason
Visit scholar websiteNews | December 17, 2020
Round 2 of Washington study underway to determine food, economic insecurity during pandemic
Understanding Washington residents’ access to food and their economic well-being – or lack of it – during the COVID-19 pandemic is vital for state and community partners to identify those needs and allocate resources effectively.
To help accomplish this goal, …
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Sarah Collier
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Scott Meschke
Visit scholar websiteNews | July 30, 2020
Searching for climate and inequity hot spots, by car
Fifteen cars with blue snorkels jutting up from their passenger windows drove around King County on Monday, the hottest day the Seattle area has seen in 2020.
Volunteer drivers crisscrossed roads from Shoreline to Enumclaw. Their odd window attachments were
News | July 9, 2020
Seattle arose from a tortuously transformed Duwamish River
When we think of waters that define Seattle, which ones come to mind? Puget Sound and Elliott Bay, with Lake Washington and Lake Union close behind. Perhaps Green Lake. Don’t forget the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
But what about the …
News | March 1, 2021
Seattle will use a UW-developed mapping tool to guide equitable vaccine distribution
As it strives to improve equitable vaccine distribution, the city of Seattle will use a new mapping tool to help it site future mobile and pop-up clinics and, eventually, mass vaccination sites.
The map, developed by the University of …
News | May 7, 2024
Seattle-area housing market picks up, but buyers feel the squeeze
Written by Heidi Grover for The Seattle Times
The Seattle area’s spring housing market continued to heat up in April, with more activity and higher home prices across the region, particularly in King County.
The number of new listings and …
News | February 28, 2019
Seattle’s minimum-wage hikes increased childcare facilities’ labor costs but not supermarket prices, new UW studies find
Jennifer Otten, Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Services, was lead author on a study that found that childcare facilities’ labor costs increased after the wage hikes. She looked at payroll data from 2014 and 2016 for …
News | April 26, 2024
Seattle’s troubled past and present suggest a new approach to mental health
Written by Will James, Sydney Brownstone, and Esme Jimenez as part of the series “Lost Patients” for KUOW, an NPR Station.
Edward Moore, a 32-year-old sailor, was discovered, near freezing and living in a tattered tent on …
Course | ENVH 445
Solid Waste Management
Examination of the public health, environmental, economic, and materials conservation aspects of solid wastes management; amounts and sources of solid wastes, waste reduction and recycling, methods of storage, transportation and disposal, integrated waste management, identification of present problems and future needs.News | May 11, 2023
Spain’s April Heat Nearly Impossible Without Climate Change
Record-breaking April temperatures in Spain, Portugal and northern Africa were made 100 times more likely by human-caused climate change, a new flash study found, and would have been almost impossible in the past.
The study also said the extreme …
News | December 9, 2015
SPH Faculty Tap into New UW Effort to Create More Livable Cities
A new University of Washington initiative is thinking “upstream” when it comes to creating safer, healthier and more livable cities.
Urban@UW aims to bring together UW faculty, staff and students from different disciplines with city decision-makers and citizens to wrestle …
News | June 30, 2020
Study asks Washington state residents to describe food security and access during pandemic, economic downturn
The Washington State Food Security Survey, which went live June 18 and runs through July 31, is open to all Washington state residents aged 18 or over. It was created by researchers at the University of Washington, Washington State …
News | March 21, 2019
Study points to grocery store gap, inequity in access to healthy foods in the Seattle area
Seattle neighborhoods that are lower income or that have more Black or Hispanic residents have fewer options for healthy foods, more fast food and longer travel times to stores that sell produce, according to a new study by the University …
News | September 8, 2020
Study provides way to more accurately measure impact of COVID-19 response on air pollution
Stay-at-home orders issued in Seattle in response to COVID-19 led to a significant drop in some of the most harmful air pollutants to human health, according to a novel method used by the University of Washington School of Public Health.…
Scholar
Tania M. Busch Isaksen
Visit scholar websiteNews | August 30, 2024
The pros and cons of spraying pesticides to keep disease-carrying mosquito populations down
Written by Julia Jacobo for ABC News
Researchers are trying to find ways to quell growing mosquito populations that spread disease without putting recovering populations of important pollinators like bees and butterflies at risk.
Pesticides are an important management tool …
News | July 15, 2024
The Quinault Nation and the Rising Pacific
Written by Hallie Golden for the Associated Press
TAHOLAH, Wash. (AP) — Standing water lies beneath the home Sonny Curley shares with his parents and three children on the Quinault reservation a few steps from the Pacific Ocean in Washington’s …
News | February 17, 2022
These scientists are fighting the pandemic with sewage
Sewage stinks, and it’s often laden with disease. But it can also be of tremendous value to public health.
Cutting-edge biomedical research sometimes begins with prying a heavy steel lid off a sewer hole, to gain access to the data …
News | October 12, 2020
This South King County church created a drive-thru food bank in response to the pandemic
The Tukwila Food Pantry has been a lifeline for many South King County residents who have lost their jobs during the pandemic.
Like many local food banks, it saw a surge in demand. It went from serving 50 households a
News | December 15, 2020
Tracking the seasons of pandemic response in Seattle
Just before 7:00 on a cool, misty Seattle morning, Jacqueline Peltier stands alone on the University of Washington campus. Nearby, squirrels and rabbits frolic in the morning dew. Peltier, part of a National Science Foundation-funded research team, will spend the …
News | February 16, 2024
Transit workers fight drugs on buses and trains
Written by Joseph Gallivan for Axios Oregon
Transit companies are pushing to make it a Class A misdemeanor to use drugs on buses and trains in Oregon.
TriMet, the Oregon Transit Association, and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 testified yesterday …
News | September 14, 2021
Trees: Our mental, physical, climate change antidote
There are many sugar maples along the banks of the Mill River in western Massachusetts. But this one is special, at least to Danielle Ignace. Its wide, green canopy keeps Ignace cool as she works or entertains friends, even on …
Course | ENVH 418 / GH 418
Understanding and Managing the Health Risks of Climate Change
The health risks of climate change are multiple and range across the public health space. Addresses current and projected health risks of climate change and the policies and measures to manage these risks as the climate continues to change.News | April 3, 2024
Urban@UW announces second cycle of Research to Action Collaboratory projects
Urban@UW is excited to announce the project teams selected for the second Research to Action Collaboratory (RAC) cohort. Throughout the next 18 months, Urban@UW will work with these teams to provide seed funds, dedicate time to building team cohesion and …
News | April 17, 2023
Urban@UW Announces the 2023 Research to Action Collaboratory Inaugural Cohort
Urban@UW is excited to announce the project teams selected for the inaugural cohort of the Research to Action Collaboratory (RAC). Throughout the next 18 months, Urban@UW will work with these teams and provide seed funds, dedicated time to build team …
News | September 5, 2024
Urban@UW Presenting at New York Climate Week
Urban@UW Director Rachel Berney and Program Manager Kate Landis will present on the Research-to Action Collaboratory later this month at New York Climate Week, as part of the New York Climate Exchange. “We are thrilled to be one …
News | October 2, 2024
Urban@UW Presents at Climate Week NYC
Last week Urban@UW’s Director Rachel Berney and Program Manager Kate Landis presented on the Research to Action Collaboratory at Climate Week NYC, as a guest of the New York Climate Exchange. Leaders from all sectors met on …
News | November 1, 2024
Urban@UW’s Research to Action Teams Gather for a Fall Workshop
What do Microforests, the historic University of Tacoma campus, refugee resettlement, greenwater recycling, everything bagels and tasty Thai food have in common? They all played a part in October’s Research to Action teams retreat, led by Urban@UW.
Urban@UW brings …
News | August 25, 2020
US cities could face nearly 30 times more exposure to extreme heat by 2100 compared to the early 2000s, study finds
As triple-digit heat tests the limits of California’s electrical grid to keep millions of people cool, it is clear the effects of human-caused global warming are already here.
But the extreme heat baking the Western US is a mere preview …
News | September 27, 2017
UW researchers analyze effects of minimum wage on seattle food prices
Affiliates UW Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences and Adjunct Assistant Professor in Health Services Jennifer Otten (lead author), UW Professor at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance Jake Vigdor, and Evans School’s Associate Dean …
News | October 6, 2020
UW researchers driving around Seattle to track COVID-19 response over time
As the city of Seattle shut down in March 2020 to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, a group of University of Washington researchers got to work.
The team developed a project that scans the streets every few weeks …
News | October 13, 2021
UW study provides rare window into work life of app-based drivers during pandemic
When you get into the car of the app-based driver you just tapped up on your phone, you expect and hope the driver and the car are safe and capable of getting you where you need to go. Apps rate …
News | May 26, 2016
UW-led study pinpoints how air pollution harms your heart
Dr. Joel Kaufman of the University of Washington led a 10-year study of 6,000 people in six cities that found air pollution accelerates deposits of calcium in heart arteries, a known cause of heart attack and stroke.
Scientists have known …
News | May 2, 2019
UW, WSU community partnership: Improving the health of homeless youth and their pets
Rivals in the sports arena, the state’s two largest public universities have teamed up off the field to improve the health of young adults experiencing homelessness – and their pets.
The University of Washington and Washington State University are working …
Scholar
Vanessa Galaviz
Visit scholar websiteNews | April 18, 2023
Washington and Seattle Launch Campaign to Plant Thousands of Urban Trees
Officials with the state and city of Seattle on Thursday launched a renewed effort to plant trees in urban areas most affected by pollution, flooding and other extreme weather events, like the unprecedented 2021 heat wave that smashed record highs …
News | May 20, 2024
Washington overdose deaths continued to rise in 2023 while national trends declined, but there’s hope
Reported by Kate Walters for KUOW/NPR
Overdose deaths in Washington state continued to rise throughout 2023, bucking the national trend. According to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week, reported overdose deaths across the
News | April 11, 2023
Washington State’s 2021 Heat Wave Led to Previously Uncounted Deaths from Injury
Heat is a quiet killer. Unlike most natural disasters, which can leave visible damage across an entire region, a heat wave’s effects on human health can be difficult to track. So after record high temperatures struck the Pacific Northwest in …
Course | ENVH 440
Water, Wastewater, and Health
Review of water supply, water quality, and water/wastewater treatment as they relate to human health. Includes water law and regulations, source water protection, basic treatment technologies for water and waste, chemical and microbial contaminants, and recreational water.News | October 8, 2020
Where you live could influence your COVID-19 risk
King County neighborhoods that are poorer and have higher levels of air pollution also tend to have higher rates of COVID-19 cases, according to new research by the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) and collaborators.
These …
News | July 6, 2023
Why a Pierce County Water District is Spending Millions to Clean Up Its Water
Lakewood is one of many water systems going to extraordinary lengths to address the threat [of PFAS] that health officials are still trying to understand.
The synthetic compound Polyfluoroalkyl, commonly referred to as PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” has been used
News | August 19, 2017
Why Architects should care about public health
Andrew Dannenberg, an Affiliate Professor at the School of Public Health and the College of Built Environments, writes about the importance of architects recognizing human health: while architects have long recognized the importance of human health —including physical, …
News | June 25, 2024
Why social media rarely leads to constructive political action
Written by Stefan Milne for UW News.
While social media platforms are rife with problems — from harassment to misinformation — many argue that the platforms also nurture political movements, such as the Arab Spring and #MeToo.
But …
News | June 21, 2024
Why the First Heat Wave of the Summer Can Be the Most Dangerous
Written by Scott Dance for the Washington Post.
In an average June, just a few days reach 90 degrees in Detroit. But by the time the year’s first blast of summer breaks in the Motor City this weekend, nearly
News | August 2, 2024
Wildfire Smoke Exposure Linked With Higher Dementia Risk
Reported by Dennis Thompson for HealthDay
THURSDAY, Aug. 1, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The wildfires thats are increasing with climate change could harm the future brain health of humanity, a new study suggests.
Wildfire smoke appears to increase people’s risk …
News | February 21, 2023
Will global warming make temperature less deadly?
The scientific paper published in the June 2021 issue of the journal Nature Climate Change was alarming. Between 1991 and 2018, the peer-reviewed study reported, more than one-third of deaths from heat exposure were linked to global warming. Hundreds of …
Scholar
William E. Daniell
Visit scholar websiteNews | April 14, 2020
With more people staying home, Washington skies are cleaner
Since the coronavirus pandemic sent Washingtonians indoors to help flatten the curve of infection, Seattleites who open a window or venture outside for socially distanced nature therapy swear something’s different in the air.
“It’s for sure much cleaner,” says lifelong
Scholar
Yona Sipos
Visit scholar websiteNews | December 1, 2022
Young kids who breathe polluted air can fall behind in school, study finds
Young children living in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty are more likely to be exposed to many different air pollutants, and that can harm their development during early childhood, according to a study published Wednesday. The children’s increased …