Eight 91爆料 researchers have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2026-2027 and will pursue studies around the world.聽

Fulbright Scholars are college and university faculty, administrators and researchers, as well as artists and professionals, who build their skills and connections, gain valuable international insights and return home to share their experiences with their students and colleagues.

This year鈥檚 91爆料 cohort represents a variety of disciplines, including sciences, engineering, business, environmental sciences, electrical and computer engineering, and computer science. The scholars will conduct research across the globe, including in Australia, India, Indonesia, Western Europe, Scandinavia and East Asia.

Two-thirds of this year鈥檚 91爆料 applicants were selected as Fulbright Scholars 鈥� an astonishing acceptance rate in the prestigious and highly selective program.

鈥淲e are incredibly proud of these outstanding 91爆料 faculty and staff whose selection as Fulbright Scholars reflects the excellence, innovation and global impact of their work,鈥� said 91爆料 Vice Provost for Global Affairs Ahmad M. Ezzeddine. 鈥淭he knowledge, partnerships and cultural understanding they gain through these experiences will enrich the 91爆料 and strengthen our shared commitment to addressing global challenges through collaboration and discovery. As the Fulbright Program celebrates its 80th anniversary, we are grateful for the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 continued investment in this transformative program.鈥澛�

The Fulbright Scholar Program for academics and professionals supports more than 800 people to teach and conduct research abroad.聽

This year鈥檚 91爆料 Fulbright Scholars are:

is a professor in the Department of Biology in the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on how mutually beneficial interactions between species 鈥� such as how insects pollinating plants is beneficial to both 鈥� scale into networks involving multiple species, and how the structure of those networks affects ecosystems. For example, some ecological network structures, or how connections between species are arranged, make these networks more resilient to perturbations, such as droughts or climate change.

Brosi’s Fulbright Scholar award will be through Spain’s flagship public research institution, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient铆ficas, at the Do帽ana Biological Station in Seville. His work there will involve synthesizing and analyzing two comprehensive long-term datasets 鈥� one from his lab and one from his Spanish host lab 鈥� to better understand global patterns in pollination networks. In particular, scientists have recorded species that appear to be 鈥渟pecialists鈥� 鈥� such as a bee species that has only been recorded visiting one plant species聽 鈥� in many ecological networks, but, without long-term data, it鈥檚 difficult to disentangle whether they are really specialists or just rare. Brosi will tackle this problem in collaboration with his Fulbright host, Ignasi Bartomeus, at Do帽ana.聽聽

is the director of academic services in the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering and 91爆料 Medicine. She supports the department鈥檚 doctoral students with a focus on improving the research experience, expanding opportunities and advancing access and collaboration.聽

While a Fulbright Scholar, she will develop a framework for a new doctoral biomedical research exchange between the 91爆料 and Tampere University in Finland. Combs will work with faculty, students and staff at both universities to lead the development of a preliminary structure of a doctoral research exchange, including eligibility criteria, mentorship plans and evaluation metrics. She will also explore funding sources for the program鈥檚 ongoing sustainability and draft a memorandum of understanding for the institutions to consider.

, an assistant professor of management and organization and the Helen Moore Gerhardt Faculty Fellow in Entrepreneurship in the Foster School of Business. Her areas of expertise include entrepreneurship, organizational growth and scaling, technology and innovation strategy, and venture capital. DeSantola teaches entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial strategy to undergraduates, master鈥檚 and doctoral students. She was named a Poets & Quants top 50 undergraduate business professor in 2021.聽

DeSantola will use her Fulbright award, during which she will be a visiting U.S. Scholar to University College Cork in Ireland, to study factors influencing innovation and entrepreneurship in novel food technologies. The project connects to a broader stream of DeSantola鈥檚 research exploring the emergence and evolution of new technology-based industries.

is聽 an interdisciplinary scientist in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs in the College of the Environment. Her work focuses on how coastal communities adapt to climate change and other environmental and socioeconomic stressors, particularly within fisheries and aquaculture systems. During the past 15 years, she has worked with coastal populations, including Indigenous harvesters, to support food sovereignty and long-term approaches to adaptation and resilience.

Greene鈥檚 Fulbright award is to advance the inclusion of聽 fish and other aquatic foods 鈥斅� 鈥淏lue Foods鈥� 鈥� into Indonesia鈥檚 National School Lunch Program. The goal of this project is to improve nutritional outcomes for school-aged children while strengthening local food systems. Through working directly with fishers and fish suppliers, Green will work with the project team to identify the conditions necessary to provide Blue Foods that promote positive nutritional outcomes for children, support local fishers and sustain local ecosystems. This project is a pilot program for the initiative that will hopefully be expanded nationally.

is an associate professor in the Information School and also is part of the Responsibility in AI Systems and Experiences (RAISE) Center. An interdisciplinary scholar with expertise in human-centered AI, Mitra’s work draws on human-computer interaction, machine learning, natural language processing and social science to understand how people and AI interact in large-scale online systems. Her research examines the societal impacts of generative AI and develops methods to make AI systems more trustworthy, culturally aware and beneficial for diverse communities.

She will use her Fulbright award in India, where she will collaborate with researchers at the Centre for Machine Intelligence and Data Science (C-MInDS) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay) 鈥� the nation鈥檚 topmost and most selective public research institution. She will investigate the risks and capabilities of generative AI systems across socio-cultural contexts most relevant to the Global South. The work aims to advance more culturally aware and responsible AI while strengthening research partnerships between the United States and India.

is an associate professor in the School of Oceanography in the College of the Environment. Morris鈥� research uses cultivation and whole-genome DNA sequencing to identify the roles of bacteria in global nutrient cycles. With a focus on carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, he has conducted studies that show the effects of low dissolved oxygen on the nutrient cycling activities of the ocean’s most abundant organisms.聽

During his time at in South Korea, Morris will pursue a project entitled, 鈥淗igh-throughput cultivation-based genomics of freshwater Chloroflexota.鈥� A key goal is to advance understanding of the evolution of this important group of bacteria and its potential to mediate key nutrient transformations.

is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and in the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering. She leads a neural engineering lab focused on motor brain-computer interfaces, or BCIs. Her work combines experiments with computational methods to develop new ways to build BCIs that interact with plasticity in the brain.

During her stay at the Champalimaud Institute Centre for Restorative Neurotechnology in Portugal, she will collaborate with two researchers, Dr. Juan 脕lvaro Gallego and Dr. John Krakauer. The new projects aim to improve our understanding of how plasticity shapes brain dynamics and apply new BCI algorithms for stroke rehabilitation.聽聽

is a professor in the Information School and an adjunct professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering. He is the founding director of the InfoSeeking Lab and founding co-director of RAISE, the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences. His research focuses on agentic AI, human-centered information seeking and responsible AI, examining how intelligent systems can act on people’s behalf while remaining transparent, trustworthy and accountable. He is also the founder and CEO of VersarAI, a startup translating his research on AI agents into enterprise applications. His book, 鈥淎gent Nation,鈥� was published this year.聽

Shah will use his Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, to study how agentic AI can responsibly power entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. Working with RMIT researchers and Australia’s startup community, he will investigate what he calls the Delegation Paradox: the tension between the efficiency gained by delegating tasks to AI agents and the oversight, trust and accountability that delegation demands. The work aims to produce frameworks that help founders, enterprises and policymakers adopt AI agents in ways that drive innovation without sacrificing human agency.

The increased public attention on racial injustice after influenced how Black and white employees interacted at work, new 91爆料 research suggests.

The study, recently published in , examines how major societal events tied to race and injustice can shape workplace behavior. Researchers specifically investigated how the heightened salience of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement impacted cooperation between Black and white coworkers.

鈥淥rganizations are often treated as relatively self-contained systems where formal goals, incentives and task structures determine how employees interact,鈥� said co-author , professor of management in the 91爆料 Foster School of Business. 鈥淏ut employees do not leave the outside world at the door. When major societal events occur, people carry those emotions, anxieties and identities with them into the workplace.鈥�

The study examines responses to 鈥渕ega-threats,鈥� a term used to describe highly-publicized and emotionally-charged events involving violence or injustice against marginalized groups. Such events can threaten people鈥檚 sense of identity and alter how they relate to others at work. To investigate these dynamics, researchers used an unexpected but enlightening proxy: the National Basketball Association (NBA).

鈥淭he NBA is essentially a collection of mini-organizations,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淧layers from different racial backgrounds must cooperate intensively in order to succeed, and importantly, their cooperation can actually be measured.鈥�

Using detailed data from more than 124,000 player-to-player interactions during the 2014 to 2015 NBA season, the researchers tracked how passing rates aligned with the rise of the BLM movement. Passing behavior offered a direct behavioral measure of workplace cooperation.

The findings revealed strikingly different responses among Black and white players. Black players increased cooperation with other Black players 鈥� marked by more passes 鈥� but did not reduce cooperation with white teammates. The passing behavior of white players showed standard cooperation with other white players, but white players became less likely to cooperate with Black teammates.

The researchers then conducted two experiments in which participants were randomly exposed to either materials describing highly publicized incidents of race-based injustice or unrelated information. Participants were then asked to decide about collaborating with other Black and white participants, showing how heightened awareness of these events shapes cooperation.

For Black participants, attention to BLM increased identification with their racial group and strengthened feelings of solidarity with other Black individuals. This increased their willingness to cooperate with fellow Black coworkers.

White participants, however, experienced a different psychological reaction. Researchers found that many white participants experienced a sense of 鈥渕oral taint鈥� associated with acts of racial injustice committed by members of their racial group. This shame increased concern that attempts at interracial cooperation might be rejected, misunderstood or viewed skeptically by Black coworkers. As a result, many white participants became more hesitant to initiate cooperation across racial lines.

鈥淭hey did not necessarily become hostile,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淩ather, many seemed to retreat inward because they feared that their gestures might be unwelcome or misinterpreted.鈥�

The researchers also uncovered an important exception. The tendency of white employees to withdraw from interracial cooperation was significantly weaker when the Black coworker held higher professional status.

In the NBA context, white players remained more willing to cooperate with Black teammates who occupied higher-status positions on the team. This suggests that workplace norms and professional role expectations can partially offset the interpersonal strain created by major societal conflicts.

The study highlights how societal events surrounding race and injustice can shape workplace relationships in subtle but important ways. The researchers argue that organizations need to recognize that employees may react differently to racial injustice depending on whether they identify with the victims or feel implicated by association with the perpetrators.

The study also suggests that organizations hoping to foster productive interracial collaboration during periods of social tension may need to create environments that reduce fears of rejection and encourage open, psychologically safe interaction across group boundaries.

鈥淏oth groups may need support, though for very different reasons,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淥rganizations cannot assume that societal tensions remain outside the workplace. These events can alter patterns of trust, communication and cooperation in ways that directly affect organizational functioning.鈥�

For more information, contact Gupta at abhinavg@uw.edu.

UPDATE April 7, 2026:聽The original version of this story omitted two 91爆料 programs that were included in the rankings: Occupational Therapy (Tied for 20th) and Physical Therapy (Tied for 31st).聽

The 91爆料鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs again were recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

Topping this year鈥檚 list include programs at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering and the College of Education. The College of Arts & Sciences and the College of the Environment also had top-rated programs.

In total, 81 graduate and professional degree programs across the 91爆料 placed in the top 35 in this year鈥檚 U.S. News rankings.

“These rankings highlight the strength and impact of the 91爆料鈥檚 graduate and professional programs,鈥� said 91爆料 President Robert J. Jones. 鈥淭hese programs equip students with the skills and knowledge to meet critical workforce needs and serve society, while demonstrating the power of higher education to advance the public good. We are proud to foster an environment where students and faculty can thrive and have a real impact on the world around them.鈥�

While the 91爆料 celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The 91爆料 School of Law and the 91爆料 School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

91爆料 leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 29 91爆料 programs placed in the top 10, and 81 are in the top 35.

聽The 91爆料 this year placed in the top 10 nationwide in public affairs, biostatistics,聽 nursing, computer science, education, psychology, speech and language pathology, statistics and Earth sciences.

The 91爆料鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and tied for fifth in the nation this year. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second, while public finance and budgeting as well as leadership both ranked No. 10.

The 91爆料 School of Nursing鈥檚 doctor of nursing practice program tied for No. 1 among public institutions. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year at No. 9. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology.聽

The 91爆料鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 6.聽 Two programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall with three programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language and systems.

U.S. News ranks biostatistics in two ways. 91爆料 ranked No. 3 as a science discipline that applies statistical theory and mathematical principles to research in medicine, biology, environmental science, public health and related fields. 91爆料鈥檚 School of Public Health ranked No. 7 in biostatistics as an area of study that trains students to apply statistical principles and methods to problems in health sciences, medicine and biology. At the 91爆料, biostatistics is a division of the School of Public Health.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. Programs in dentistry are not ranked.聽

The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st (ranked in 2025)

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Biostatistics: 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Four-way tie for 4th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Four-way tie for 5th

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (systems): Tied for 6th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Psychology (clinical): Three-way tie for 6th

Speech-language pathology: Five-way tie for 6th

Statistics: Four-way tie for 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 7th

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): Tied for 7th

Education (secondary education): 7th

Nursing (midwifery): Five-way tie for 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Public Health (epidemiology): 8th

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 9th

Earth sciences: Tied for 9th聽

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 9th

School of Public Health (overall): Tied for 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Five-way tie for 16th

Business (accounting): 10-way tie for 16th

Business (entrepreneurship): Five-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Three-way tie for 15th

Business (part-time MBA): Three-way tie for 11th

Business (full-time MBA): 20th

Business (management): Five-way tie for 25th

Business (marketing): Eight-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Seven-way tie for 22nd

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

Computer science (theory): Tied for 11th

College of Education (overall): Tied for 24th

Education (administration): Tied for 11th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Tied for 12th

Education (policy): Tied for 14th

Education (special education): Tied for 12th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Tied for 17th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Five-way tie for 12th

Engineering (civil): Four-way tie for 13th

Engineering (computer): 12th

Engineering (electrical): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Seven-way tie for 24th

Engineering (materials engineering): Five-way tie for 25th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Tied for 12th

Nurse practitioner (adult gerontology acute care): Tied for 11th

Nurse practitioner (family): Tied for 15th

School of Pharmacy (overall): Tied for 14th

Physics (overall): Tied for 20th聽

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 14th

Public Affairs (social policy): Tied for 13th

Public Affairs (urban policy): Three-way tie for 21st

Public Health (health care management): Three-way tie for 16th聽

Public Health (health policy and management): 11th

Public Health (social behavior): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2025)

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (analytics): Seven-way tie for 32nd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Nine-way tie for 31st

Business (international MBA): Tie for 32nd

Business (production & operations): Five-way tie for 27th

Engineering (chemical): Tied for 28th

Engineering (mechanical): 34th

English: Two-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2025)

Fine arts: 15-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st (ranked in 2025)

Mathematics: Four-way tie for 26th

Occupational Therapy: Tied for 20th

Physical Therapy: Tied for 31st

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd (ranked in 2025)

Violent traumatic events 鈥� such as mass shootings and acts of domestic terrorism 鈥� have become increasingly common in the United States. Yet, despite their growing prevalence, little research has examined how these events shape the decisions made within organizations.

A new study from the 91爆料, in the Academy of Management Journal, reveals that traumatic events can significantly dampen organizational risk-taking. The findings challenge the long-standing view that decision-makers 鈥� such as CEOs, executives and team leaders 鈥� are largely rational, emotionless actors. The research instead shows that emotional experiences in the broader community can spill over into the workplace and reshape strategic choices.

鈥淧eople bring their whole selves to work,鈥� said , co-author and professor of management in the 91爆料 Foster School of Business. 鈥淲hatever emotional state that’s being influenced by things happening in their community eventually spills over and bleeds into how organizations conduct themselves.鈥�

The research team found that violent traumatic events in local communities make decision-makers less focused on pursuing lofty objectives. As a result, organizations become less likely to take risky actions to close聽 performance gaps or achieve ambitious goals.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers combined two complementary methods: an observational field study and two controlled experiments. The field study analyzed nearly 40,000 fourth-down decisions made by NFL teams between 2008 and 2019 and combined that data with information on local mass shootings and other violent events.

that when NFL teams fall behind in games, they tend to take more risks 鈥� for example, attempting a fourth-down conversion rather than punting or trying for a field goal. In this study, teams that were underperforming were about three times more likely to attempt a conversion. However, following a traumatic event nearby, those same teams were 10% less likely to take that risk.

鈥淚 think it is a sadness effect,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淲hen people are sad, they can’t focus on pursuing their ambitious goals. They can still continue to avoid negative circumstances, but the pursuit of ambitious goals is driven by a strong positive drive. These traumatic events impair people鈥檚 ability to pursue those goals.鈥�

Researchers also found that when the chief decision maker 鈥� the coach, in this case 鈥� had spent more time embedded in the community, the event鈥檚 impact on risk-taking behavior increased. Distance also mattered: The closer to an organization the event occurred, the stronger the impact.

鈥淚t was striking that distance still matters,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淵ou think it wouldn鈥檛 matter with the way information spreads now, but even two miles versus 20 miles still really matters. When it’s that close, you can imagine yourself or your kids being the target. Rationally, it shouldn鈥檛 matter, but psychologically, it clearly does.鈥�

The two controlled experiments verified the mechanism behind the behavior changes. In each experiment, one group of participants read a Wikipedia article about a mass shooting while the other group read about a more neutral event 鈥� either a music festival or an accounting conference.

Participants then competed in a three-round game for bonus pay. In line with the field study, those exposed to the traumatic narrative took fewer risks in later rounds and reported a decreased focus on winning, suggesting that sadness diminished their competitive drive.

By demonstrating that emotionally charged events in the broader social environment can alter organizational risk-taking, the study highlights the deep interconnectivity between societal trauma and economic decision-making. It suggests that collective emotional states 鈥� such as sadness, anxiety or fear 鈥� may ripple through firms, industries and local economies, quietly seeping into strategic behaviors.

鈥淓motional states are dynamic, fleeting, and hard to study,鈥� Gupta said. 鈥淗ow they influence important organizational decisions is still an underexplored area. Much of individual-level psychology hasn鈥檛 yet made its way into research on strategic decision-making. Our findings, we hope, will spark a broader rethinking of how emotion and environment jointly shape organizational behavior.鈥�

Other co-authors were of Vienna University of Economics and Business and of the University of Vienna.

For more information, contact Gupta at abhinavg@uw.edu.

Neurodivergent adults, such as those on the autism spectrum, or with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, or other cognitive differences, experience significant barriers to inclusion in education and employment due to disabilities that often aren鈥檛 obvious. Research shows聽that remain consistently employed over time, and just are employed, compared to 87% employment among adults without ADHD. Studies suggest that is neurodivergent. Accordingly, efforts to improve the neuroinclusivity of academic institutions and workplaces have significant potential for impact on individuals, families and the U.S. economy.

鈥淭he lower education and employment outcomes are largely attributed to education and workplace environments that were designed to reinforce normative expectations,鈥� said , 91爆料 associate professor in the Information School and founding director of the Institute. 鈥淲hen learning and work environments are designed for neurodiversity 鈥� and managers and teachers are trained to be neuroinclusive 鈥� neurodivergent individuals achieve far better outcomes.鈥�

Annabi is a leading scholar on neurodiversity and employment. Her work in this space includes the publication of a series of Neurodiversity @ Work Playbooks that make a case for hiring neurodivergent people and offer concrete instructions for supporting their growth and career development.

鈥淭he Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment is set up to make a significant difference 鈥� not just at the 91爆料, but for communities all over our state,鈥� said , executive director of the Canopy Neurodiversity Foundation. 鈥淭his institute will build on Canopy鈥檚 vision for a truly neuroinclusive workforce, dramatically expanding what鈥檚 possible in our state.鈥�

Housed in the Information School, the Institute will integrate faculty, research and support from the and the , with additional collaboration from 91爆料 Medicine and the School of Social Work.

鈥淭he new institute will build upon the outstanding neurodiversity work of Dr. Annabi at the Information School,鈥� said , dean of the 91爆料 Information School. 鈥淎dding the deep expertise of our cross-campus collaborators, along with Canopy and other community partners, we will create truly multidisciplinary, innovative and impactful solutions that will transform Washington鈥檚 education and employment spaces 鈥� including here at the 91爆料.鈥�

鈥淎t present, research addressing lifespan issues such as employment is happening in silos across various disciplines, limiting our ability to develop comprehensive solutions,鈥� said Annabi. 鈥淏y convening a broad coalition of partners across the neurodiversity, employment and academic communities, we can move beyond isolated efforts toward innovative, systems-level change 鈥� driven by those with lived experience and deep expertise.鈥�

The Institute鈥檚 work will focus on five pillars: translational research on neurodiversity and employment, applied professional education and training, community empowerment across Washington state, advocacy efforts to create and strengthen neuroinclusive policies and practices statewide, and direct engagement with 91爆料 leadership to make the university a premier destination for neurodivergent faculty, staff, clinicians and students.

Annabi is particularly enthusiastic about the 91爆料鈥檚 commitment to 鈥榳alk the talk鈥� by committing, through the Institute, to neuroinclusive employment practices.

“The 91爆料 recognizes that employment is an important component of a person鈥檚 quality of life and the equitable distribution of societal resources and power,鈥� said 91爆料 Provost Tricia Serio.聽 “As one of the state鈥檚 largest employers, we have a vital role to play in modeling ways to increase support for neurodivergent people and break down the persistence of barriers in post-secondary education and the workplace that they face. We are thrilled to channel this work through the Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment.鈥�

The 91爆料 Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment will launch activities and programming in 2026.

###

For questions, please contact: neurodiversity@uw.edu.

Recent recognition of the 91爆料 includes an AIS Early Career award, the Tomassoni-Chisesi prize for contributions to theoretical physics and the National Science Foundation CAREER award.

Foster School鈥檚 Mingwen Yang receives AIS early career award

, 91爆料 assistant professor of Information Systems and Operations Management in the Foster School of Business, received the from the Association for Information Systems.

is a leading international organization dedicated to advancing the practice and study of information systems. Established in 2014, the award recognizes exceptional early-career scholars who have made outstanding contributions to research, teaching and service in the field of information systems, both locally and globally.

A 2024 recipient, Yang was honored for her impactful early work and dedication to advancing the discipline through scholarship and education.

鈥淚 am deeply honored and grateful to receive the Association for Information Systems (AIS) Early Career Award, a meaningful milestone in the early stage of my academic journey,鈥� said Yang.

David Kaplan awarded Tomassoni-Chisesi Prize for advances in theoretical physics

, 91爆料 professor of physics, received the for his contributions to theoretical physics. Awarded by Sapienza University of Rome, the prize 鈥� worth approximately $45,000 鈥� was presented on March 18, 2025 by Giorgio Parisi, recipient of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Kaplan was recognized for solving a long-standing problem in physics: 鈥� those that exhibit handedness, meaning they behave differently when left- or right-handed 鈥� on a computer. His domain wall approach, which adds a fifth dimension to lattice simulations, has become a foundational tool in particle physics.

Reflecting on the personal significance of the recognition, Kaplan shared that the breakthrough has been decades in the making. 鈥淚 first heard about the problem in 1981 when visiting Princeton,鈥� he said. 鈥淣obel laureate David Gross described it, and I didn鈥檛 really understand it then 鈥� but filed it away in my mind as something interesting.鈥� That early spark led to a 1992 theory involving a five-dimensional model with two surfaces. It wasn鈥檛 until 2019, however, that he saw how a single-surface geometry 鈥� like a doughnut or sphere 鈥� could yield particles with the same interactions observed in nature, including the weak force. 鈥淭he jury is still out 鈥� but I feel that I am on the right path now and it is very exciting.鈥澛� When asked of his plans for the prize money, Kaplan shared his plans to donate to the 91爆料 Department of Physics 鈥� 鈥渨hich made the work possible.”

For such an incredible breakthrough, we asked what keeps him motivated to keep exploring such big, complex questions in physics. Kaplan鈥檚 answer was simple: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 need motivation to think about complex questions in physics,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 do it in the shower, as I walk to work, and in my sleep鈥� I find it all obsessively interesting and fun.鈥�

Marchand Receives $800K NSF award to advance synthetic DNA research

, 91爆料 assistant professor of chemical engineering, received a from the Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, Systems and Synthetic Biology Program.

The is the agency鈥檚 most prestigious honor for early-career faculty, recognizing those with the potential to become academic leaders in both research and education.

With this award, Marchand鈥檚 lab will develop sequencing technologies capable of precisely reading and interpreting semi-synthetic DNA alphabets 鈥� genetic systems that use more than the four natural DNA bases found in all known life. In other words, while natural DNA uses a four-letter code (A, T, C, G), Marchand鈥檚 group is exploring the implications of expanding that alphabet to six letters. Their research aims to understand what happens to biological systems when the genetic code is fundamentally altered.

鈥淟ife evolved to use a four-letter DNA alphabet,鈥� Marchand said. 鈥淗ow much of biology breaks versus works when we change that alphabet to six letters is unknown. New technology is required to investigate these questions, which we will develop with this award.鈥�

Marchand said he鈥檚 proud of the recognition for his lab鈥檚 鈥渂old vision in engineering biology for compatibility with expanded genetic alphabets.鈥�

As public universities across the U.S. face increasing scrutiny over issues such as diversity initiatives and tenure protections, new research from the 91爆料 offers timely lessons on how universities can navigate politically charged issues without abandoning their core commitments.

The study, recently published in , examines how public universities decided whether to offer same-sex domestic partner benefits in the early 1990s and 2000s. Researchers found that universities 鈥� especially those in conservative states 鈥� often strategically adjusted not just whether and when they adopted inclusive policies, but also how they justified those decisions.

鈥淲hen universities face powerful stakeholders who oppose their values, how they frame their decisions can be as important as the decisions themselves,鈥� said , co-author and professor of management in the 91爆料 Foster School of Business.

91爆料 News spoke with Gupta about what universities can learn from this earlier period of cultural and political tension.

Can you tell me about the inspiration for this research?

AG: This project began when I was a doctoral student at The Pennsylvania State University, where my co-authors and I were interested in understanding how institutional change unfolds under ideological pressure. We were especially drawn to the LGBTQ+ rights movement, which has been one of the most successful in recent U.S. history 鈥� not only in shifting cultural values, but also in driving tangible changes in workplace policy and practice.

Among those changes, the adoption of same-sex domestic partner benefits by universities stood out as a concrete, measurable outcome with real resource implications. It offered us a focused way to examine how inclusive policies are implemented within institutions that must navigate competing political and economic demands.

We weren鈥檛 just curious about whether universities adopted these benefits 鈥� we wanted to understand how they managed the politics of those decisions, especially in states where conservative legislatures controlled university budgets. This was an opportunity to study how organizations pursue values-based change pragmatically, often advancing their commitments in ways that are sensitive to the views of key stakeholders.

Over time, we built a comprehensive dataset of top public universities, tracking the progression of this policy between 1990 and 2013. Modeling that process was painstaking, but it allowed us to identify patterns in how universities adopted and framed these decisions 鈥� strategically aligning with trusted actors in their environments, such as major local employers, and adjusting their rhetoric to reduce backlash.

Although history doesn鈥檛 repeat itself exactly, the same underlying dynamics often resurface. This case offers a narrow but revealing window into how change happens 鈥� not through confrontation alone, but through patient, careful work that gradually builds consensus. For anyone interested in advancing equity in complex institutional settings, there are valuable lessons in how the LGBTQ+ movement translated advocacy into durable, systemic shifts.

What patterns did you notice in universities鈥� decision making?

AG: One of the most striking dynamics we observed was in states where public universities relied heavily on funding from conservative legislatures. In these contexts, university administrators were often deeply concerned about potential backlash. They feared that allocating funds to support same-sex domestic partner benefits could be seen as ideologically out of step with legislative priorities.

We analyzed adoption patterns across major public universities 鈥� research powerhouses and flagship institutions throughout the U.S. 鈥� and found a clear and systematic pattern. Universities in more progressive states were often early adopters of these benefits, with some acting as early as 1991. In contrast, their peers in more conservative states often waited nearly a decade longer to adopt the same policies.

But what was particularly telling was how these later adopters framed their decisions. Many universities in red states did not lead with social justice arguments. Instead, they took a 鈥渂usiness case鈥� approach, aligning their decisions with market-based rationales 鈥� emphasizing competitiveness, talent recruitment and employee retention. These institutions typically adopted the policy only after major local employers had done so, effectively using the private sector as cover. This allowed them to present the decision as a practical response to labor market trends rather than an ideologically driven move.

This pattern led us to develop a broader theoretical insight: when organizations anticipate ideological resistance from key stakeholders, they often look to 鈥渆xemplar organizations鈥� 鈥� entities already seen as legitimate by those stakeholders. By emulating the behavior of these exemplars and adopting rhetoric that reflects stakeholder values, they can diffuse opposition and build support without abandoning their goals.

In contrast, universities in more liberal states often cited peer institutions and framed their decisions more explicitly around fairness and inclusion. What this shows is that organizations don鈥檛 simply conform or resist in the face of ideological tension 鈥� they adapt. They make strategic choices about when and how to act, often tailoring their message and reference points to gain legitimacy in diverse political and cultural environments.

What lessons can universities take from this case study, particularly in the current environment?

AG: We鈥檙e living through a time of heightened scrutiny and political tension, and universities increasingly find themselves at the center of it. In many ways, higher education has long enjoyed a degree of autonomy 鈥� but that autonomy rests on relationships with a broad set of external stakeholders whose values may not always align with those of university leadership, faculty or students.

This moment raises a fundamental question: What should universities do when their internal priorities come into conflict with the beliefs or expectations of those who hold influence over their resources 鈥� such as policymakers, donors or community leaders? Some might argue that institutions should stay true to their values no matter the cost. But our research suggests that universities benefit more when they strategically engage their environment, not ignore it.

This doesn’t mean compromising principles. It means understanding the value systems of key stakeholders and learning to speak in ways that resonate. For example, when universities face resistance to inclusive policies, it can be effective to frame those decisions around economic competitiveness, workforce needs or community relevance 鈥� themes that often carry bipartisan appeal. The goal is not to dilute the message, but to translate it into language that expands support rather than provokes opposition.

In our research, we also emphasize the value of 鈥渆xemplar organizations鈥� 鈥� trusted institutions that skeptical stakeholders already view as legitimate. When a university can point to respected peers or private-sector leaders who have adopted a similar course of action, it lowers the perceived risk of following suit and frames the decision as pragmatic rather than ideological.

At their best, universities are extraordinary institutions. They create scientific breakthroughs, train healthcare professionals and business leaders, support local economies and open doors for the next generation. Their work benefits people across political, cultural and socioeconomic divides. To continue delivering that value, especially in contentious times, universities need to build broad-based coalitions 鈥� not by avoiding disagreement, but by finding common ground wherever possible.

Other co-authors were Chad Murphy of Oregon State University and Forrest Briscoe of Cornell University.

For more information, contact Gupta at abhinavg@uw.edu.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced an unprecedented shift to remote work. Now, as organizations transition back to in-person operations, hybrid work has emerged as a popular solution.

Hybrid work claims to offer the best of both worlds 鈥� employees benefit from face-to-face collaboration in the office and can also focus on deep, individual work at home 鈥� but new research from the 91爆料 shows this arrangement might be too good to be true.

More than half of U.S. companies with hybrid work policies now require employees to be in the office three days a week. The study, published in the , shows that moderate office attendance requirements create ideal conditions for the formation of workplace subgroups.

When employees follow a three-day office schedule but choose different days to come in, certain team members naturally work together more often. Researchers found that, over time, these patterns create 鈥渃o-location imbalance,鈥� which divides teams into subgroups聽with stronger internal relationships.

, co-author of the study and professor of management in the 91爆料 Foster School of Business, spoke with 91爆料 News about hybrid archetypes and their impact on the workplace.

Can you explain how hybrid work leads to the formation of subgroups?

Subgroup formation has been examined quite a bit when considering demographic fault lines in teams. For example, if you had a team of five people that had three older white males and two younger Latina females, then those demographic characteristics could align and create a fault line in the team, where you have clear subgroups on both sides. The research on subgroups finds it鈥檚 usually bad for teams because people tend to collaborate and cooperate more with people in their subgroup. They will often not do so with people across the fault line.

My co-authors and I started considering ways hybrid work could impact this subgroup formation. That鈥檚 when we started thinking about people’s individual choices of which days they would go to the office. Could the imbalance in who you co-locate with across days impact subgroup formation?

There is a lot of social psychological research that says when we’re face-to-face with people, we tend to form better relationships with them than if we’re remote. Our logic was, if you’re co-locating with some people a lot and others not very much, the people you鈥檙e co-locating with could begin to form subgroups because they鈥檙e sharing contact and all the informal things that are happening together. The people who are remote are not sharing those things. Even if they’re connecting via technology, they miss out on so much by being remote on those days. That was kind of how we started to connect the dots between hybrid work and subgroup formation.

The study discusses how different hybrid archetypes have different effects. Can you explain some of those archetypes and how they differ?

The clearest subgroup archetype that we put in the paper is 鈥渄ivide to conquer,鈥� where on a fictional five-person team, three members are co-locating a lot together. The other two are co-locating a lot together but not with the other three very much. Another archetype that was particularly interesting was 鈥渦s vs. them,鈥� where three people are at the office every day and the other two work fully remote. This is what you see with virtual teams or partially distributed teams, where you might have some people in different geographic locations who can never attend in-person. In the 鈥減ower dyad,鈥� you have two people who are co-locating a lot together while the other team members aren鈥檛 co-locating with each other very much. Here, one strong subgroup is making most of the decisions about the work and then maybe delegating to the periphery, where everybody is alone.

The only archetype that we identify in the paper that seems positive is called 鈥渁ll for one and one for all,鈥� where everybody is co-locating on the same days. If workers are in the office two days a week, they decide they鈥檙e going to be on Tuesdays and Thursdays and remote all the other days.

Many organizations that are adopting hybrid work are choosing three-day in, two-day out policies. With this policy, our analysis shows there are more than 200,000 possible co-location patterns from a team of five that can occur in any given week. While that policy may have benefits in other ways, it鈥檚 also dangerous in terms of teams fracturing into unproductive subgroups.

What happens in the workplace when these subgroups form?

that office workers form tight-knit groups that exclude remote employees without even realizing it. Office workers grab coffee together, chat in hallways and hold impromptu meetings. Remote employees miss all of this. These “two-tier work environments” happen naturally when some people share physical space and others don’t. And the problem compounds over time. In-office teams develop their own communication patterns that remote colleagues never see. Progress made in these casual conversations becomes invisible to remote workers, widening the divide.

The people who are in the same subgroup form a virtuous cycle with more collaboration and more of a sense of identity with their subgroup. But there is also a vicious cycle of less collaboration and less of a sense of identity with the other subgroups, or those who are not in their subgroup. Over time, as these subgroups continue to co-locate together, they can develop a much more rigid pattern of who they want to work with and who they’ll collaborate with most effectively. They can even become very suspicious of the other subgroup, thinking that the other subgroup might be trying to undermine or sabotage their work.

But subgroup formation is not always bad. In time crunches, when workers must produce a product very quickly, there isn鈥檛 time for everybody to co-locate and talk all together. Instead, they need to split the workload: one team takes these two things, another team takes those two things. It鈥檚 possible that organizations could encourage an imbalance in co-location when they have time sensitive kinds of issues.

What can organizations learn from this research when considering their hybrid work policies?

Hybrid work provides real benefits in terms of employee satisfaction and retention. But organizations that require two or three days in office without scheduling coordination create ideal conditions for fracturing teams into unproductive subgroups. Our study suggests successful hybrid models must go beyond simple attendance policies. Organizations need intentional strategies that consider co-location patterns, not just total office days. Companies that ignore these dynamics risk creating permanently divided teams where information, opportunities and relationships develop unequally between in-office and remote colleagues. For hybrid work to succeed, leaders must recognize that workspace isn’t just physical 鈥� it’s social.

Other co-authors are of Friedrich-Alexander-Universit盲t Erlangen-N眉rnberg, of ISCTE Business School, of Universidad de los Andes.

For more information, contact Michael Johnson at mdj3@uw.edu.

UPDATE April 8,2025: An earlier version of this story included outdated rankings that were erroneously posted by U.S. News and have since been removed from the U.S. News ranking site. This story has been updated to reflect most recent rankings.

Many of the 91爆料鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

The 91爆料 Information School tied for No. 1 alongside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for library and information studies. And, more than 80 91爆料 schools and departments placed prominently in the 2026 rankings.

While the 91爆料 celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The 91爆料 School of Law and the 91爆料 School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

91爆料 leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淎s these rankings demonstrate, the 91爆料鈥檚 outstanding graduate and professional degree programs are leading the way in training highly skilled people to fill critical workforce needs and advance discovery and innovation in a wide range of fields,鈥� said 91爆料 President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淚t has never been more important to recognize how much graduate and professional education benefit our nation and people everywhere, and the 91爆料 is proud to see these exceptional programs be celebrated.鈥�

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 32 91爆料 programs placed in the top 10, and more than 80 are in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the 91爆料 placed in the top 10 nationwide in library and information studies, public affairs, nursing, speech and language pathology, education, public health, computer science, psychology and civil engineering, according to U.S. News.

The 91爆料鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and placed seventh in the nation. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second and nonprofit management and social policy each were ranked at No. 8.

This year鈥檚 rankings highlighted 91爆料鈥檚 leadership in nursing and public health: The 91爆料 School of Nursing held the No. 1 overall ranking for a public school offering a doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at 91爆料 Bothell and 91爆料 Tacoma are among the top 10 public institutions that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year tied for No. 10. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology. And overall, the U.S. News rankings noted 91爆料鈥檚 strength in health sciences: The School of Social Work was ranked No. 7 and the School of Pharmacy tied for 12th 鈥� or third among public institutions on the West Coast 鈥� on last year鈥檚 list, while dentistry programs are not ranked.

The 91爆料鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 5, topping schools on the West Coast.聽 Three programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall, and four programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language, systems and theory.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Nursing (midwifery): 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Two-way tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Speech-language pathology: Six-way tie for 5th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Education (secondary education): 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 6th

Computer science (overall): Four-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 8th

Computer science (systems): 8th

Education (curriculum/instruction): 8th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Two-way tie for 7th

Psychology (clinical): Six-way tie for 8th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 8th

Public Affairs (social policy): 8th

Public Health (epidemiology): Two-way tie for 8th

Computer science (theory): Three-way tie for 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Engineering (civil): Three-way tie for 10th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

School of Public Health (overall): Two-way tie for 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (part-time MBA): Two-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Two-way tie for 12th

Business (international MBA): Three-way tie for 20th

Business (supply chain management): Three-way tie for 21st (ranked in 2025)

Business (full-time MBA): Two-way tie for 22nd

Business (entrepreneurship): Three-way tie for 23rd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Education (administration): Two-way tie for 12th

Education (policy): Three-way tie for 16th

Education (psychology): 19th

Education (special education): Two-way tie for 11th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 20th

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Three-way tie for 15th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Four-way tie for 12th

Engineering (chemical): Two-way tie for 25th

Engineering (computer): Two-way tie for 13th

Engineering (electrical): Four-way tie for 18th

Engineering (environmental/environmental health): Four-way tie for 18th (ranked in 2025)

Engineering (materials engineering): Three-way tie for 24th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Three-way tie for 12th

Nurse practitioner (family): Three-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2025)

College of Pharmacy (overall): Three-way tie for 12th (ranked in 2025)

Physics (overall): 20th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (healthcare management): Three-way tie for 16th

Public Health (health policy and management): 13th

Public Health (social behavior): Two-way tie for 12th

Public Affairs (global policy and administration): 14th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): Three-way tie for 11th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Three-way tie for 27th

Business (management): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Three-way tie for 31st

Business (marketing): Two-way tie for 32nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Three-way tie for 30th

Engineering (mechanical): Three-way tie for 30th

English: Two-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st

Mathematics: Three-way tie for 27th (ranked in 2024)

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd

Psychology: Nine-way way tie for 30th

Recent recognition of the 91爆料 includes the Best Paper Award at NeurIPS Pluralistic Alignment Workshop, Scialog: Early Science with the LSST Collaborative Innovation Award and 2024 AVS Thin Film Young Investigator Award.

Professor wins ‘best paper’ at NeurIPS Pluralistic Alignment Workshop

, assistant professor in the 91爆料 Foster School of Business, received the $1,000 Best Paper Award on Pluralistic Alignment at the NeurIPS 2024 Workshop.

The Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, or NeurIPS, is one of the most influential conferences in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science and is known for its rigorous peer-review process.

Kleiman-Weiner co-authored the paper, “,” which introduces the MultiTP dataset 鈥� a collection of moral dilemmas in over 100 languages that enables the assessment of large language models鈥� decision-making in diverse linguistic contexts. The analysis explored the alignment of 19 LLMs with human judgments across six moral dimensions.

鈥淏y examining moral decisions across over 100 languages, we discovered that language models often fail to capture the rich diversity of human moral preferences across cultures,鈥� Kleiman-Weiner said. 鈥淭his reinforces why pluralistic alignment — ensuring AI systems can understand and respect different cultural perspectives — is so crucial as we develop these technologies. I’m excited about this work because it pushes us to think critically about whose values AI systems reflect. 鈥� We hope this research encourages more work on building AI systems that serve all of humanity, not just a select few.”

Nora Shipp receives Collaborative Innovation Award

, 91爆料 assistant professor of astronomy, was part of one of eight interdisciplinary teams awarded the in the first year of Scialog: Early Science with the LSST.

This initiative, launched by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, is a three-year program designed to support early-career scientists as they prepare to utilize data from the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time, or LSST, at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

“Scialog has been a great opportunity to make connections with scientists across the field of astronomy to brainstorm new ideas for taking advantage of the unprecedented data that will soon be provided by the LSST,” said Shipp.

Shipp鈥檚 proposal brings together researchers to study stars and dark matter — not just in the Milky Way, but also in smaller galaxies. By using the LSST to reveal the faint outer regions of these galaxies, the research will help us to better understand the universe’s creation and the limits of how galaxies form.

, which is short for 鈥渟cience + dialog, “is a collaborative program launched by RCSA in 2010. It鈥檚 designed to accelerate breakthroughs by fostering a network of creative scientists across disciplines and encouraging intensive discussions on scientific themes of global importance.

As part of this initiative, the conference brought together an expert group of scientists and facilitators, including Eric Bellm, research associate professor of astronomy and DiRAC Institute Fellow, to guide the discussions.

Chemical engineering professor wins 2024 AVS Thin Film Young Investigator Award

, 91爆料 assistant professor of chemical engineering, has been named the 2024 recipient of the American Vacuum Society (AVS) . Named in honor of Professor Paul H. Holloway, a distinguished scholar and contributor to AVS, the award recognizes young scientists for significant theoretical and experimental contributions to thin film research.

Bergsman studies how to deposit layers of plastic that are 1/1000 the thickness of a human hair, which he uses to develop better materials for computer processors, clean energy, and water purification.

鈥淭he American Vacuum Society was foundational to my growth as a young scientist,鈥� Bergsman said. 鈥淚 am deeply honored to receive this award from a community which has always been an inspiring and supportive environment. I鈥檓 excited to continue engaging with this network of scientists and pushing the boundaries of research in interfacial engineering, surface science, thin films, and related technologies.”