News & Blog
An Undergraduate Computer Science Major Engages in Interdisciplinary Research on Southern Ocean Phytoplankton Modeling
Written by Ayush Nag. Ayush is now a software engineer at SpaceX Starlink. The Southern Ocean is a large part of the global carbon cycle and phytoplankton play a key role by converting CO2 to organic carbon, which can be transported to the deep ocean. Previous works examined phytoplankton presence and CO2 flux but didn’t take community species composition into account.
Read moreMy Research Journey: Building a Bridge Between Science and People through Interdisciplinary Solutions
Beginning college was a chaotic time for me. It was my first time being independent, I had moved far from home and was spending time trying to make new friends. The whole time, I had one question lingering at the back of my mind: What do I want to do with my career? I was completely lost at answering this question when I started at UW, with only a vague idea of wanting to do science but no clear direction of what for.
Read moreGraubard Fellowship Supports Reconstructing Past Arctic Sea-Ice Coverage
The Arctic region is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet. Consequently, sea-ice coverage has reduced rapidly, with the summer minimum September sea-ice declining by about 40% since 1979. Sea-ice loss threatens the food security and infrastructure of coastal communities, drives unresolved changes in biological productivity, and promotes further global warming through ice-albedo feedback. However, model projections of the timescale of Arctic sea-ice decline and the resulting changes to the Arctic ecosystem vary widely.
Read morePCC Graduate Students Present at the COE Symposium
The UW College of the Environment Symposium gave the opportunity to showcase current research from students and faculty. The Program on Climate Change featured six presenters funded by PCC philanthropic initiatives, including Climate Science Research Acceleration Fund projects awarded to T.J. Fudge, Alison Gray, and Mira Berdahl, and Graubard Fellowships awarded to John Morgan Manous, Christina Bjarvin, and Tongxin (Joyce) Cai.
Read moreIn the News: Kyle Armour quoted on climate predictions in Tangle
PCC Interim Director, Kyle Armour (UW OCEAN & ATMOS), sat down with Ari Weitzman of Tangle (an independent, non-partisan media outlet) on climate predictions, the future of climate, and what scientists know and how. Grab a coffee and check out the article that brings together research, plain language, and context to address climate skepticism and the evolution of the understanding of climate change.
Read moreBeyond Prediction: Building Capacity and Innovation in Adaptation Through a Participatory Evaluation
As the impacts of climate change intensify, communities across Washington are increasingly engaging in climate change adaptation planning to prepare for more frequent and severe climate impacts. Monitoring and evaluation of these plans is a crucial step to improve their efficacy and implementation, but often goes undone, as many communities struggle to assemble the resources and staff capacity evaluation requires. This leaves a critical blind spot as to whether a community’s adaptation practices are yielding the desired results.
Read moreResilience in Diversity: Climate Change and Seed Selection on Organic Farms in Western WA
Since the dawn of agriculture, humans have been stewarding seeds. Traditionally bred seeds are the result of careful selections over time, the inheritors of traits selected by both environmental pressures and human desires. Seeds hold information for how to birth life anew, passed down along with the knowledge of how to care for them. They are tended into crops used for familiar meals and healing medicines.
Read moreWhere We Go From Here - A Youth's Reflections on Moving Towards Action as a Community
My name is Isaac Olson, and 4 years ago, I was a lot more naïve. In December 2020, I was still in my first year as an undergraduate at the UW, barely aware of what my future degrees would be. I had no idea that I would still be at the UW after 4 years, having gotten bachelor’s degrees in both Oceanography and Environmental Studies, and now pursuing a master’s degree with the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
Read moreGraubard Fellowship supports high resolution mapping of Sea Surface Temperature anomalies
by Naomi Wharton The ocean can store approximately 1000 times more heat than the atmosphere. As a result, where and when energy is released from the ocean to the atmosphere can have significant consequences for weather and climate patterns. Sea surface temperature (SST) is a key indicator of air-sea processes that transfer energy between the ocean and atmosphere across many spatial and temporal scales.
Read moreOutcomes of our PCC Community Survey
The Program on Climate Change represents a combination of University of Washington members. We all come together with an interest in climate change from faculty, staff, and researchers to grad students, undergrads, and alumni. We form a group focused on accelerating climate involvement, education, and research but we also form a community. To get to know and connect with our community members further, we sent out a survey in February and March 2024, ahead of our Winter Welcome.
Read more