Recent recognition of the 糖心少女 includes American COuncil of Learned Societies Fellowship, Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship and Humboldt Award from Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Assistant professor awarded 2026 ACLS Fellowship听

, assistant professor in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature at the UW, was awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship recognizes excellence in humanities and social sciences research and supports scholars whose work is poised to make original and significant contributions to their fields.听Rominger听will be the 2026 ACLS Pauline Yu Fellow.听听

“It means a great deal to hold a fellowship in Pauline Yu’s name,鈥� Rominger said. 鈥淗er scholarship on Chinese poetics is part of why I do this work.”听

This year, the program awarded more than $3.5 million to 63 scholars selected from a pool of more than 2,000 applicants.听

Rominger specializes in early Chinese literary and intellectual history. His project, 鈥淎urality and the Search for Sound and Meaning in Early Chinese Texts,鈥� examines how sound-based patterning听shaped meaning in early Chinese听philosophical texts, particularly in听writings听from the Warring States period to the Han dynasty.听听

Rominger鈥檚 research shows how early Chinese thinkers employed the sound of language not only for style but also to build arguments and express complex ideas. The project brings together close readings of ancient texts, historical reconstructions of Old Chinese pronunciation, and computational tools to offer new insight into the relationship between literary form and philosophical thought.

Postdoctoral scholar awarded Arnold O. Beckman Fellowship in Chemical Instrumentation听

, a 糖心少女postdoctoral scholar听in听chemistry, was awarded the Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Instrumentation. The fellowship supports advanced research by postdoctoral scholars in fundamental chemistry and the development and construction of chemical instrumentation.听

The award provides two years of funding, along with an听additional听$200,000 budget to support instrumentation costs.听

With the fellowship, Rebstock will build a new vibrational spectroscopy instrument designed to听observe听chemical reactions as they happen at surfaces. The instrument will allow researchers to see how molecules move and interact in real time, offering insight into surface chemistry that could help improve technologies such as batteries and clean fuels.听

This fellowship provides Rebstock with a rare opportunity to combine instrument development with fundamental chemistry questions. 鈥�I鈥檓 excited to pursue both and to explore new ways of probing the chemistry that happens at interfaces.鈥� Rebstock said.听

糖心少女researcher receives Humboldt Research Award听

a 糖心少女professor of Earth and space sciences,听received a Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The award recognizes internationally leading researchers across all disciplines for their academic record and significant contributions to their fields.听

Each year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt Research Awards to researchers from abroad. Awardees receive personal award听money and听are invited to carry out research projects of their听choosing听in cooperation with specialist colleagues in Germany.听

Teng said he was deeply honored by the recognition and grateful to Professor听Harry听Becker, head听of the Geochemistry Group at听FU-Berlin, for听the nomination. The award will allow听Teng听to spend extended periods over the next few years conducting research at Freie University Berlin, beginning with his听sabbatical this听summer.听

鈥淚t is a wonderful opportunity to spend extended periods over the next few years conducting cutting-edge research at Freie University Berlin,鈥� Teng said.听

The award will also enable Teng to develop new collaborations across Germany and become part of the Humboldt Foundation鈥檚 international network of distinguished researchers.听

While soccer is the most popular sport globally, it wasn鈥檛 high on the list in Ron Krabill鈥檚 home state of Indiana. As a high schooler, Krabill鈥檚 soccer team often had to travel an hour and a half to find the nearest school with a team. Krabill still became a lifelong fan.

Now a professor in 糖心少女Bothell鈥檚 School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and director of the Global Sport Lab in the 糖心少女Jackson School of International Studies, Krabill never imagined soccer would become part of his academic work until he found himself conducting research in South Africa in 2010 when the country hosted the World Cup. He鈥檚 been intertwining sport and academics ever since.

With Seattle scheduled to host World Cup games from June 15 to July 6, Krabill is gearing up to co-lead this year鈥檚 糖心少女Summer Institute in the Arts & Humanities with , 糖心少女teaching professor of communication, and , doctoral student in the 糖心少女Jackson School of International Studies. This year鈥檚 theme, Seattle鈥檚 World Cup: Storytelling Through Community Mapping, will combine community mapping with other methodologies, including photo and video essays and journalistic reporting, to tell stories about Seattle鈥檚 experience with the World Cup.听

The mapping technology was developed by , associate professor of Urban Studies at 糖心少女Tacoma. Kelley is the director of the Action Mapping Project, which works to engage issues of livability, equity, and voice in marginalized neighborhoods through the use of participatory data collection, spatial data analysis, mapping and data visualization.

糖心少女News talked with Krabill about his plans for participating students, his background in sports scholarship, what he鈥檒l be watching during Seattle鈥檚 tournament games and more.

When did your love of soccer and your academic work first intersect and how have you continued that work?

Ron Krabill: I lived and worked in South Africa on and off between 1996 and 2010 doing research on South African media, the late Apartheid Era and the media’s impact on anti-Apartheid politics. And then South Africa hosted the World Cup. I had been to two Women鈥檚 World Cups, but never before to a Men鈥檚 World Cup and I thought, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 be in South Africa when this happens and not go.鈥� It just felt too big and too important. It was a momentous thing for South Africa as a nation.听

A lot of debates were happening from the time South Africa was awarded the World Cup about whether it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing and what it meant. My academic work was concerned with a state putting a lot of money into feel-good projects when听 it鈥檚 struggling to provide basic resources for its people. I around 2010 for Social Text, which is an academic journal that covers a wide range of social and cultural phenomena. The piece talked about the challenge for people who love soccer but also see all the problems with soccer, mega-events, the industry, and so on. In that piece, I also talked about loving South Africa, being deeply connected to South Africa and worrying about what the impact of the World Cup would be.

In 2010, I helped lead a 糖心少女study abroad program called My World Cup, which was funded in part by the Simpson Center for the Humanities at the UW, the Seattle Sounders and Cape Town Community Television. We paired our 糖心少女students with University of Cape Town film students and media activists from the Media Workers Alliance to put together short segments on the impact of the World Cup locally. We then aired those during the World Cup on Cape Town Community Television.听

After that, the 糖心少女Le贸n Center in Spain approached me and I proposed a class about the politics of soccer in Spain and beyond that addresses questions of gender, race, nationalism and migration. For this year鈥檚 World Cup, I wanted to create an immersive course much like the study abroad program 鈥� something that students can really sink their teeth into.

How will your students study the World Cup and Seattle as a host city?

RK: developed the Action Mapping Project, a community mapping tool that we鈥檙e excited to use in the World Cup context. This tool will allow us to do both large and geographical analysis alongside more qualitative and traditional arts and humanities methods. We鈥檒l be asking people outside the stadium, at fan zones and at watch parties to reflect on what stories Seattle tells about itself. How do their experiences in Seattle during the Cup 鈥� whether they鈥檙e from the area, elsewhere in the United States or an international visitor 鈥� relate to what they imagine Seattle to be? In other words, does their experience of World Cup Seattle match their expectations?

The first two weeks are going to be very intense. The games are only in town for three weeks and unfortunately, the first of those weeks is the break in between academic terms. So those first weeks, we鈥檒l be introducing students to critical sport studies as a field and what it means to think about sports as a site of power and politics, at the same time as training them in research methods and fieldwork.听

Hopefully we鈥檒l gather a lot of material to work with, and then we’ll have the rest of the summer to figure out what to do with it. The students will be working in collaborative research teams, looking at different angles of what it means for Seattle to host. They’ll work off whatever material they find really compelling.听

It will be tricky, because they’ll have to collect the data before they’ve decided exactly what they’re going to do with it. They won’t have had the theoretical background to really think about the meaning. That means the teaching team is going to have to be a little more direct about what kinds of research gathering we do on our field days. The first two weeks, we’ll have four pretty long field work days with students. We’re expecting to send teams of students out into different parts of the city and the region to see what the World Cup experience is like.

What are you most interested to observe in Seattle during those three weeks?听

RK: When South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, the vibe was incredible. It鈥檚 not really clear how much Seattle is going to embrace that vibe. Is the whole city going to be all about the World Cup? Because it was definitely like that in Cape Town. The Women’s World Cup in Paris wasn鈥檛 like that. You could have easily been in Paris and not had any idea what was going on. I don’t know where Seattle will land. There have also been a lot of stories about the hotel industry downgrading their expectations. The thing about the economic impact is that it’s often named as one big number, but it’s not always very clear where that money’s going and if it’s staying in the city.

People like to say that we should keep politics out of sports. But when we start talking about where the money is going to flow to, who鈥檚 going to be able to afford games,听 or the pressures FIFA and the federal government is putting on local organizing committees, it鈥檚 not as hard for people to understand. We should be thinking about: What are the implications of this, and what are the actions that people can take to make it as beneficial as possible for the city and for the people who live in the city? How do you mitigate against the potential harms, and how do you take advantage of the potential benefits?

There is also a lot of evidence that the fan base is going to be more domestic and less international than expected from a World Cup, particularly because President Donald Trump’s stance on immigration will discourage a lot of people from traveling. I do think that’s going to impact Seattle more than most places because of our proximity to Canada. I think we would have had a lot of visitors, both from Canada and from other countries, because they could have gone to Vancouver and Seattle to see matches in both countries.

I鈥檓 also super interested in what the will look like. The local organizing committee is super committed to having it. The Seattle committee is also taking really seriously their responsibility to think about what it means to have the U.S. play on Juneteenth. That鈥檚 an opportunity to educate a worldwide audience about what Juneteenth is and why it’s necessary as a holiday.听

I鈥檓 following very closely, too. And not just because they鈥檙e coming to Seattle. I鈥檓 looking at what it means for modern society that two nations can be at war, and yet there is an expectation that one of them will travel to play in the other鈥檚 country in a tournament. The idea that that鈥檚 even a conversation says something about how detached we are in the United States from the idea of warfare.听

For more information, contact Krabill at rkrabill@uw.edu or globalsportlab@uw.edu.

Recent recognition of the 糖心少女 includes the Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, the Rosentiel Award for contributions to ocean science, and the 2026 Distinguished Community Engagement Award

Assistant professor of chemistry awarded 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award听

, assistant听professor听of听chemistry听at the听UW, received听a 2026 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award from the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. The award supports early-career faculty in the chemical sciences who have created an outstanding independent body of scholarship and听demonstrated听a strong commitment to education.听听

Each Camille Dreyfus听teacher-scholar听receives an unrestricted research grant of $100,000. Golder was one of 17 scholars selected for the 2026 award.听听

Golder鈥檚 research focuses on the design and reconstruction of plastics, with an emphasis on improving polymer integrity and sustainability. The work explores how chemical design can support stronger, more adaptable materials while addressing broader challenges in plastic waste and long-term environmental impact.听

Golder said the foundation鈥檚 support will give his group the flexibility to continue pursuing 鈥渢he boldest and most exciting ideas鈥� over the next five years.听The听recognition听also听reflects the hard work and creativity of his research group over the past six years, he said.听

Principal oceanographer receives Rosenstiel Award听

, principal oceanographer at the 糖心少女Applied Physics Laboratory听and affiliate听assistant听professor听at the School of听Oceanography, received the听2026 Rosenstiel Award. The award, created in 1971 by the Rosenstiel Foundation, honors mid-career scientists whose work has made significant and growing impacts in their fields.听听

The award is presented each year on a rotating basis across marine geosciences, atmospheric sciences, marine biology and ecology, ocean听sciences,听and environmental science policy. Whalen was invited to present a lecture at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine,听Atmospheric,听and Earth Science, where the award was presented in April.听听

Whalen studies small-scale physics听in the ocean, including processes that generate turbulence听and mix the water, along with how these processes听interact with the dynamics of the water across ocean basins. Her work helps scientists better understand the physical drivers that shape climate and marine environments.听

Whalen said she was honored to receive the award and to join the ranks of oceanographers whose work she admires. Receiving the award also gave Whalen the opportunity to visit the Rosenstiel School, where she met with faculty and students and learned more about their work.

Professor receives Distinguished Community Engagement Award听

,听professor of ethnic, gender and labor studies and American Indian studies and adjunct professor of education at 糖心少女Tacoma听received the 2026 Distinguished Community Engagement Award in the project category. Montgomery is also an adjunct professor of bioethics and humanities at the 糖心少女School of Medicine.听The award recognizes her leadership of the Indigenous Speaker Series and Community Engagement: Promoting Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Multigenerational Community Learning.听

Through support for the Haida Sails Resurgence Project and the Northwest Maritime Center, Montgomery鈥檚 work has created meaningful opportunities for co-learning, cultural听exchange,听and the uplifting of Indigenous Knowledge Systems through place-based and multigenerational learning experiences.听

Montgomery鈥檚 community-engaged scholarship focuses on amplifying Indigenous voices, supporting dialogue around cultural and traditional lived experiences and strengthening partnerships that connect academic spaces with community knowledge. The Indigenous Speaker Series, which Montgomery created in 2015, has become a platform for sharing place-based Indigenous听knowledges听and expanding conversations across communities.听听

鈥淎s a visitor to the Pacific Northwest, it is an honor to continue the responsibility to uplift place-based Indigenous听knowledges听and nurture the reciprocity of community partnerships,鈥� Montgomery said.听

grew up in the United Kingdom surrounded by soccer. He鈥檚 always loved sport, but his academic focus 鈥� he鈥檚 a 糖心少女 master鈥檚 student in South Asian Studies researching the history of memory in diaspora communities 鈥� is far removed from the playing field.

But Josan brought his passion for sport, particularly soccer 鈥� known as football to most of the world 鈥� with him to the United States. When packing for the move, he even found room in his suitcase for a prized soccer jersey he received as a Christmas present when he was 13. When Josan arrived at the UW, he started searching for ways to engage in sport scholarship.

鈥淢y interest comes from how sport creates identity and how much of our cultural connection comes from sport,鈥� Josan said. 鈥淭hat obviously has good parts, but it also means sport becomes very politically loaded. We see both in the wider scale kind of conversations about sports and politics today.鈥�

Josan found a way to nurture his combined interests when he took a course with , professor in 糖心少女Bothell’s School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and director of the in the Jackson School of International Studies. The two developed a relationship, which led Krabill to ask Josan to serve as the managing editor for a new website: .

Whether people are counting the days until the 鈥� games will be played in Seattle from June 19 through July 6 鈥� or wondering what all the hype is about, the Global Sport Lab鈥檚 syllabus was created as a way for anyone to learn more about the history and politics of the tournament.

鈥淧avandeep is an incredibly talented, thoughtful guy,鈥� said Krabill, who also served as the editor for the syllabus. 鈥淭here is no way the project would have happened without him.鈥�

The idea for the syllabus emerged from the creation of similar resources for social movements and newsworthy events. There is a Black Lives Matter syllabus, for example. And during the protests that occurred in Ferguson, Missouri, after Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer in 2014, a Georgetown University professor launched the.

鈥淲hat those syllabi did really well was put current events into larger historical, cultural and political contexts,鈥� Krabill said. 鈥淭he idea was to do the same thing with the World Cup 鈥� imagining someone who is really interested in the politics and controversies around this event and wants to dig deeper and find more analysis.鈥�

World Cup: The Syllabus is divided into seven sections: FIFA; migrations; protest and resistance; arts and culture; human rights; stadiums; and technology. Each page offers analysis written by experts, discussion questions and a suggested reading list.听

The website was curated by an editorial team of six leading experts in global football, including Krabill. Krabill and Josan had multiple, hours-long meetings with the other five academics, many of whom have sat on FIFA panels and produced some of the most widely read resources on global soccer.

鈥淚鈥檝e read a lot of what these experts have produced in the past, and I never thought I鈥檇 be chairing meetings with them,鈥� Josan said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 sometimes a bit surreal when you work with people that you鈥檝e read before. It was exciting learning about their insights, not just from what they鈥檝e studied and their research, but also from their lived experiences. That was fascinating to me.鈥�

Krabill wrote the syllabus鈥� introduction, and , a 糖心少女student in visual communication design, designed the site.鈥淭here is no right or wrong way to engage with the syllabus, and we want people to engage however they see fit,鈥� Josan said. 鈥淚f there鈥檚 a particular category that speaks most to you, start with that one.鈥�

The website is also structured to help guide readers who don鈥檛 have a preference or don鈥檛 know where to begin. In these cases, Josan recommends starting with the first section, which focuses broadly on FIFA. From there, the topics narrow down. The syllabus isn鈥檛 specific to this summer鈥檚 World Cup, either. The hope is for the resource to remain relevant for future events, including for the 2027 Women鈥檚 World Cup in Brazil.

鈥淭he Women鈥檚 World Cup has been gaining a lot of prominence, a lot of popularity,鈥� Josan said. 鈥淎ttendance numbers are higher than they鈥檝e ever been for women鈥檚 sport across the board, and specifically for women鈥檚 football. So, we鈥檙e hoping this project doesn’t stop when the 2026 final is played. It鈥檚 something that will continue to be updated.鈥�

Even people with no interest in soccer can find something in the syllabus worth exploring, Josan said.

鈥淭he syllabus is designed to cross the boundary between football and other topics that are of interest to our society,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檇 encourage anyone to engage with this, especially if you live in an area that鈥檚 going to host a World Cup game. There is going to be so much that you鈥檒l learn, and you might be able to connect the dots when you see things play out in our local area.鈥�

For more information, contact Lauren Kirschman at lkirsc@uw.edu.

Three 糖心少女 faculty members听have been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Their work spans environmental science,听computing听and engineering, addressing challenges ranging from climate resilience and ecosystem sustainability to artificial intelligence and accessible healthcare technologies.听

Founded in 1780, the听听recognizes leaders across disciplines whose work advances research, public policy听and the common good. The Academy elects听roughly 250听members each year.听

,听UW听professor听in听the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, was听elected听for research on how climate change,听urbanization, and听land use affect freshwater ecosystems and fisheries.听

Schindler鈥檚 work focuses on salmon habitats, watershed health听and ecosystem resilience in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, helping scientists better understand how environmental change affects ecosystems, wildlife听and communities that rely on fisheries.听

鈥淚鈥檓 deeply honored by the recognition,鈥� Schindler said. 鈥淚鈥檓 also grateful for the colleagues and students at the 糖心少女whose听curiosity听and camaraderie have made our science impactful and genuinely fun.鈥�听

,听professor of computer science and engineering and听director of the Allen听School,听was elected听for听contributions to data management and data science,听as well as her leadership roles at 糖心少女and nationally.听

Balazinska听develops data management systems and techniques听to help users across domains process complex and large datasets more efficiently and more easily, including tabular data, images and videos,听content听generated by听artificial intelligence,听and scientific datasets. Her work has included systems for cloud analytics, stream听processing, and video听analysis听among others.听听听

Balazinska听said joining the Academy听shows听how far science and engineering have come, while also听highlighting future听opportunities that will听arise as AI reshapes research and discovery.听

鈥淎I has the potential to accelerate progress in ways I couldn’t have imagined at the start of my career,鈥� she said.听

, professor in the听Allen School听and the听Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, was听elected听for research in ubiquitous computing, human-computer听interaction听and sensor-enabled systems.听

Patel develops technologies that use smartphones,听sensors听and machine learning to expand access to healthcare and improve sustainability. His work includes smartphone-based health screening tools designed to improve access to care, as well as technologies that help households听monitor听energy and water use more efficiently.听

Several technologies developed by Patel and his students have been commercialized through startups and later adopted by major companies, including Google.听

Patel said he was 鈥渉umbled and honored鈥� by the recognition and听wants it to encourage听broader thinking about the role of applied computing research.听

鈥淚 hope this serves as a catalyst for others to embrace a broader, more practical perspective on what computing can achieve for society,鈥� he said.听

As the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup inches closer, 鈥檚 schedule keeps getting busier.

鈥淚f I鈥檓 not teaching, I鈥檓 on a call dealing with the World Cup,鈥� Ramasastry said.

Ramasastry, a professor of law at the 糖心少女, is an expert in the convergence of business and human rights 鈥� a field she helped create. She was also an advisor to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the group that established standards to help governments regulate companies while also providing guidelines for听 those companies to navigate global human rights issues.

Her expertise led to work with , which launched a stronger commitment to human rights after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. included its reliance on migrant workers to build stadiums, women鈥檚 rights and LGBTQ+ rights. As a large global sporting body bigger than most multinational corporations, FIFA accepted that, like those companies, it has corresponding human rights commitments.

In the wake of that tournament, Ramasastry was asked to join FIFA鈥檚 human rights subcommittee as its independent human rights advisor. The committee commissioned on Qatar, which found that many migrants were uncompensated for their work, and others died or suffered injuries.听

As a result, the 2026 World Cup marks the first time each host bid had to include a human rights component, including the United Bid submitted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.听

Once that bid was accepted, cities also had to vie to host matches. Ramasastry drafted the human rights action plan for Seattle. Because of her global and local expertise, she鈥檚 also chairing the human rights expert advisory group for FIFA 2026, headquartered in Miami. She worked on the 2026 World Cup鈥檚 human rights framework, which served as a baseline for cities to create their plans.

糖心少女News caught up with Ramasastry to talk about the World Cup and human rights, Seattle鈥檚 action plan and more.

What is a human rights action plan and what potential issues do they address?

Anita Ramasastry: For every city that鈥檚 going to host the tournament, in every country, there are going to be human rights impacts. How do you identify harms and risks to unhoused people that are connected to the tournament? How do you ensure that people have the right to assemble and protest? Are workers being fairly paid?听

There are all kinds of issues that arise that are connected to these sporting events. In different countries, there are different issues. Qatar had issues with migrant labor. In Russia, it was LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination. The controversy around Qatar happened after the bid was already awarded. The world tuned into what was happening there and started thinking about human rights.听

The point of having a human rights action plan is that you anticipate the harms that arise from the tournament and you try to mitigate them. It鈥檚 been a bumpy ride because the issues we’re now dealing with are not the issues we originally thought we were going to be dealing with. Immigration issues are very different now. The issue of protests and counterprotests weren鈥檛 necessarily top of the list before, but they are now very much an issue for cities.听

FIFA and the host cities also have a commitment to what we call 鈥渁ccess to remedy.鈥� If someone is harmed, there should be a way for them to be provided with relief and remediation. FIFA is going to have a grievance portal where people will be able to raise an issue and then FIFA is going to screen it.听

This is the largest and most decentralized World Cup ever. FIFA says its role is to protect human rights in the stadium and to protect the human rights of athletes and workers in the stadium. It鈥檚 the cities鈥� job to deal with fan festivals or other events happening outside the FIFA zone. This has been a challenge because the cities don’t get extra money to deal with this. My job is to say we want to protect people 鈥� the fans, the workers, the communities 鈥� that may get impacted.

What issues are most pressing for Seattle and how did you identify them?

AR: For the Seattle bid, I consulted local stakeholders and they identified what they saw as the top salient risks. The main topics were human trafficking, issues related to unhoused populations, the right to protest, workers鈥� rights and discrimination against certain communities.听

Now one of the biggest issues 鈥� and it鈥檚 challenging to address 鈥� is the rights of immigrant communities. We at the 糖心少女hosted a roundtable on safeguarding immigrant communities. We鈥檙e also working on a peaceful assembly toolkit about the rights of protestors 鈥� how they can ensure they鈥檙e doing things peacefully and lawfully.

Part of the idea is that the practices and protocols that are created for Seattle now can be used in the future. I’d love for Seattle to have good ways of dealing with things. When the MLB All-Star Game came to Seattle in 2023, there were . Those are exactly the issues we don’t want to have happen. If there’s a protest, we don’t want people to be harmed. We want to allow dissent in a proper way. It鈥檚 really about the legacy of: Are there mechanisms in place to address issues or, if there is harm, to resolve complaints in a way that helps people?

Can you elaborate on past issues that led to this being the first World Cup to require human rights to be part of the bidding process?

AR: I think it’s a combination of several things. One is that there were the human rights standards that arose out of the United Nations. , a former Harvard professor, helped draft those. And he had such authority that he was then able to go to FIFA and advise on embedding human rights into its operations. FIFA was amenable to changing its governance standards, not only because it was called out because of questions about Qatar, but because it had been implicated. There were and a whole investigation by the Department of Justice. And so with FIFA being ensnared in the bribery and corruption charges, it was open to these other reforms. It was kind of a confluence of events.

At the same time, there was similar pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to do the same thing, so now the IOC also has its own commitment to human rights. It does work with host governments and they have ways in which human rights plans are mobilized. With the expertise we鈥檝e developed at the UW, I鈥檓 going to keep moving forward with our students. The Women鈥檚 World Cup may be coming to the U.S. in 2031 and the Olympics are in Los Angeles in 2028. Those are other opportunities to ensure safe events.

Speaking of your students, how do they engage with this work?

AR: I just taught a seminar this winter on human rights and the World Cup, so they were able to trace the journey from Qatar all the way to Seattle and beyond. We had people speaking about the World Cup, the LA Olympics and what it means to think about the World Cup going to Saudi Arabia in 2034, which is its own kind of interesting issue. Every week, students were able to meet with insiders 鈥� either in-person or virtually. The human rights officer from FIFA Zurich talked to them, as did the leader of the Dignity 2026 Coalition, which is a network of labor and human rights organizations uniting to protect groups who are at risk of adverse effects from the World Cup. Other speakers included former Olympic soccer gold medalist , who is the CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights who worked on the United Bid, and , who graduated from the 糖心少女School of Law. She is the COO of the Seattle Reign and chaired the bid committee for Seattle. She now serves on the board of the Seattle 2026 Local Organizing Committee.

Students who want to do applied work helped write the Seattle bid. They were in the room for the roundtables we convened on immigration and peaceful protest, taking notes and writing summaries. My students have met with people who have dedicated their careers to human rights. For many of us, it鈥檚 about the people, right? No matter how much money is made, at the end of the day it should be made in a harm-free manner.

For more information, contact Lauren Kirschman at lkirsc@uw.edu.

Hear more from Anita Ramasastry

Anita Ramasastry will moderate 鈥淲orkers鈥� Rights in Seattle during the World Cup,鈥� a discussion with King County councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, on May 4 from 5-6:00 p.m.

The discussion is part of an ongoing speaker series from the 糖心少女Global Sport Lab where experts discuss the geopolitical, local and sporting implications of the 2026 FIFA Men鈥檚 World Cup in Seattle. These sessions are free and open to all via livestream. Registration is required. Please follow to RSVP.

once believed the focuses of her doctoral and postdoctoral work were completely different.听

She completed her doctorate in Botswana, studying how humans were changing large carnivore behavior. After earning her degree, she researched whale migration at the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But while Abrahms was with NOAA, a historic heat wave off the West Coast was associated with an unprecedented rise in whales getting tangled in fishing gear. The event reminded her of studying in Botswana, when an extreme drought led to predators killing more livestock.听

鈥淚t struck me as important that you have two really different systems, yet in both cases an extreme climate event led to a change in human-wildlife interactions,鈥� said Abrahms, an associate professor of biology at the 糖心少女.

Those experiences led Abrahms to study how climate change is affecting human-wildlife interactions and increasing conflict around the world 鈥� from polar bear attacks on people to elephant destruction of agricultural areas. Her areas of expertise made her the ideal choice for keynote speaker at the held in Botswana in January.

Abrahms offered a global perspective on how climate change is impacting human-wildlife conflict while also providing specific insight on southern Africa, since she has worked in Botswana since 2011. The roundtable was hosted by the National Assembly of Botswana in partnership with through its program.

鈥淚t was really gratifying,鈥� Abrahms said. 鈥淎s a scientist, we鈥檙e often putting papers out and not knowing what reach they will have. You never really know where they鈥檙e going to go, if they鈥檙e going to go anywhere. To be featured so prominently in this intergovernmental parliamentary workshop was a career highlight.鈥�

The roundtable brought together parliamentarians from Botswana, other African nations, the European Union, and beyond, alongside government officials, civil society leaders, local community representatives, conservation experts and international partners. Attendees focused on identifying solutions to human-wildlife conflicts while ensuring that the interests of citizens, local communities, ecotourism operators and wildlife advocates are reflected in policy.

Abrahms鈥� speech addressed the global impacts of climate change on human-wildlife coexistence.

She discussed increasing news reports of human-animal conflict, like kangaroos mobbing areas in Australia during droughts, and increased alligator attacks due to hurricanes in South Carolina. Previous research from Abrahms and her team revealed that the warming world is increasing human-wildlife conflicts. Another of her studies found that the overlap between humans and animals will increase substantially across much of the planet in less than 50 years due to human population growth and climate change.听

鈥淭hese issues are definitely getting more attention and when I gave this talk, it resonated,鈥� Abrhams said. 鈥淎fterward, there was a panel featuring different parliament members and every single one of them had their own stories of climate increasing conflict in their countries, whether it was from a hurricane or a drought or a heat wave.鈥�

Despite the wide variety of animal species and climate events 鈥� floods and hurricanes in Sri Lanka, droughts in Botswana and more 鈥� Abrahms was struck by how frequently climate change exacerbated these problems. She was heartened, though, by how many people from around the world came together to share experiences, success stories and challenges.

Some national-level policy recommendations that came out of the roundtable included predictable compensation and insurance mechanisms for when human-wildlife conflicts occur. Experts also suggested land-use planning that recognizes wildlife corridors as well as human needs. Among the other ideas: Investment in community resilience and climate-smart livelihoods, parliamentary oversight and a wildlife coexistence fund.听

Public outreach is also an important piece, Abrahms said.

鈥淭hat would help people prepare and hopefully prevent some of these conflicts from occurring,鈥� Abrahms said. 鈥淕overnmental fiscal planning also could help by anticipating that there will be increased strain on a system and extra money could be put into a fund for use during extreme climate events.鈥�

Abrahms left the roundtable impressed with how much the attendees genuinely cared about the environment, as well as their interest in learning from each other and about her work.

鈥淚t was a very grounding experience,鈥� Abrahms said, 鈥渁nd it was nice to be part of a policy-oriented audience. There is a huge amount of money and resources and personnel and expertise aimed at alleviating these problems. In that respect, it was uplifting.鈥�

For more information, contact Abrahms at abrahms@uw.edu.

Recent books from 糖心少女 faculty and staff include those from legal studies at 糖心少女Tacoma, international studies, political science, history, and Asian languages and literature.听

糖心少女Tacoma assistant professor collaboration with Policing in Chicago Research Group

鈥�鈥� was collaboratively authored by , assistant professor of legal studies at 糖心少女Tacoma, and the Policing in Chicago Research Group. They developed the book in dialogue with those on the front lines of struggles against racist policing in Black, Latinx and Arab/Muslim communities.

鈥淚mperial Policing鈥� analyzes the connections between three police 鈥渨ars鈥� 鈥� on crime, terror and immigrants 鈥� with a focus on the weaponization of data and the coordination between local and national agencies to suppress communities of color and undermine social movements. Topics include: high-tech, data-based tools of policing; racialized archetypes; the manufacturing of criminals and terrorists; the subversion of sanctuary city protections; and abolitionist responses to policing, such as the Erase the Database campaign.

The book contains analysis and ideas for solutions at a critical political moment, and serves as a rare, vital example of scholars working directly with community organizations to map police networks and intervene in policing practices.

鈥溾�業mperial Policing鈥� is an important offering that decenters normative modes of knowledge production and the academy itself and instead provides a model for collaborative knowledge production and change work that academics ought to take up and consider,鈥� Ravichandran said. 鈥淭his book deepens abolitionist analyses of U.S. Empire and broadens abolition as a necessary global coalitional framework.鈥�

Modern Taiwan through an agrarian lens

鈥�鈥� is a recent book by , associate professor of international studies at the UW.

The book recounts the history of modern Taiwan through the lens of agrarian development. Starting in the 1950s, Taiwan sent international development missions to over two dozen nations across the Global South. From the 1950s to 1990s, Taiwan鈥檚 GDP per capita grew by 800%. While researching this growth, an article caught Lin鈥檚 attention: a report of how Taiwan鈥檚 efforts surrounding improved varieties of broccoli rabe would solve hunger, famine and malnutrition.

鈥淗ow could broccoli rabe make the world a better place?鈥� Lin wrote in a blog post about his book. 鈥淥ver the next decade, I traced the arc of agricultural development in libraries and archives across the world, from Ithaca, New York to Shanhua, Taiwan. The more I delved into this question, the more I unearthed a time when Taiwan鈥檚 contributions to the world weren鈥檛 in advanced semiconductors, but rather rice and vegetables.鈥�

In 鈥淚n the Global Vanguard,鈥� Lin examines how Taiwanese technicians and agricultural scientists introduced new crop varieties, extended new agricultural technologies and extolled the virtues of a Taiwanese approach to development across the Global South.听

Lin argues the missions eventually shaped how the Taiwanese conceived their place in the world. At the same time, the Nationalist party-state of Taiwan co-opted agrarian science to position Taiwan as a modern nation, legitimizing the government’s authoritarian rule by martial law.

Ordinary people and the global legal order

鈥�鈥� examines an important, and often underappreciated, actor in international law.听

Written by , professor of political science at the UW, the book is of interdisciplinary interest due to its combination of constitutional and international law theories and a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data.

When considering who counts in the international legal order, most answers focus on governments, leaders, generals, lawyers or other elites. Wallace integrates insights from law and political behavior to advance the idea of 鈥減opular international law,鈥� where ordinary people are considered important legal actors.

鈥淒rawing on a blend of experiments, conventional polling, media coverage and historical cases, this book shows the ways in which national publics can have an impact on core functions of international law,鈥� Wallace said. 鈥淚nsights from the book offer an account of international legal politics from below 鈥� taking seriously the place of ordinary people in international affairs.

Co-authored book began with love of 18th century poetry

鈥�鈥� is a new book co-authored by the UW鈥檚 , associate professor of history, and , professor of Asian languages and literature. True to its subtitle, the book emerged from friendly conversations they had about early 18th century poetry in Urdu 鈥� a language that was called Rekhtah at the time.

Their interdisciplinary conversations led to the growing conviction that the diverse roots of this important vernacular tradition had become obscured through selective attention to a handful of poets associated with rarified imperial courtly environments. Poetic networks had become erased as poems were taken out of their social contexts and isolated in separate tomes by author.听听

鈥淰ali Dakhani and the Early Rekhtah Networks鈥� presents the evidence to reconstruct these lost literary networks of Urdu’s formative past. The book reframes the history of Urdu within the diverse context from which it emerged: lively social gatherings, bazaars, shrines and multiple courts of 18th-century South Asia, highlighting its engagement with diverse regional cultures and communities in South Asia.听

The cover illustration, an 18th-century canvas by Mughal painter Chitarman II, vividly depicts the many literary references to “Lovers and Beloveds” featured in the poetry of this period, inviting the reader to join the authors in sharing its pleasures.

For more information, contact Lauren Kirschman at lkirsc@uw.edu

Affiliate professor of biology receives 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award听

, a research scientist and affiliate professor in the in the Department of Biology at the 糖心少女, was honored with the 听from the听. The award recognizes exemplary lifetime contributions to science and society through research, teaching, and service in marine mammalogy.听

Over a 40-year career, Moore鈥檚 research has focused on cetacean ecology, acoustics, and natural history, particularly in the Arctic. A prolific researcher, she is widely recognized as a pioneer in using marine mammals as ecosystem sentinels in this rapidly changing region. Over decades of studying whales, Moore has helped scientists understand the health of ocean environments and how they are changing over time. Her work provides critical insight into the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and how marine ecosystems are responding. Her contributions to Arctic science have also been recognized with the听听from the International Arctic Science Committee and the 2023听听from the Alaska SeaLife Center; she is also a science adviser to the Washington State Academy of听Sciences,听and was appointed Commissioner听of the听 in 2022.

Natt-Lingafelter professor of chemistry awarded 2026 Earle K. Plyler Prize听

,听professor of chemistry at the UW,听was听awarded the 2026听 from the American Physical Society for her impactful contributions to the anharmonic vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics of molecular radicals, ions, and clusters. Established in 1976, the prize honors pioneering spectroscopist Earle K. Plyler and is sponsored by the Journal of Chemical Physics. The prize will be presented at the APS Global Physics Summit, the world鈥檚 largest physics research conference, in March 2026.

McCoy鈥檚 research focuses on theoretical chemistry, where she develops methods to understand how molecules move, vibrate, and exchange energy. Her work has helped scientists better understand the fundamental behavior of molecules鈥攑roviding insight into how chemical reactions occur and how energy flows through molecular systems. Much of her recent work has focused on hydrogen-bonded systems and, specifically, proton transport. She is also interested in exotic molecules, like CH5+ and H5+, which have been proposed to exist in the interstellar medium. These advances help lay the groundwork for progress in areas ranging from atmospheric chemistry to materials science.

糖心少女joint professor of mathematics and computer science awarded inaugural Trevisan Prize听

糖心少女 professor 听has received the听 for his breakthrough contributions to the study of optimization problems.听Rothvoss听holds joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering and was honored in the mid-career category鈥攁 recognition of his impactful work over the course of his career.

for outstanding work in the theory of computing is sponsored by the Department of Computing Sciences at Bocconi University and the Italian Academy of Sciences. Awardees receive a one-time monetary prize and a medal and are invited to give public lectures at Bocconi University. The award ceremony and lectures took place in January 2026.

Rothvoss听has built a distinguished record of contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete optimization. He shares that 鈥渙ver the years my focus has changed a bit…I worked on approximation algorithms, which deal with finding provably good solutions to NP-hard problems in polynomial time.鈥� His work has since shifted toward discrepancy theory and the theoretical foundations of linear and integer programming.听In simple terms,听Rothvoss听studies听the mathematics听behind making听optimal听decisions听in听highly complex听systems. His research helps reveal when efficient solutions are听possible and optimization problems can be solved.听

Political听science听professor听receives John Gaus Award听

,听professor of听political听science at the UW,听received the听听from the American Political Science Association听(APSA).听

The John Gaus Award is presented annually to honor a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in the joint tradition of political science and public administration. Prakash was selected unanimously for the award in recognition of a career devoted to advancing scholarship at the intersection of political science and public administration. A nomination letter noted that Prakash鈥檚 research, particularly on environmental issues, has helped bring environmental concerns into public administration in a variety of ways, including examining how businesses and NGOs can fill governance gaps. At the same time, the letter highlighted how his work explores the risks of these nontraditional governance mechanisms, including potential issues such as regulatory capture and accountability deficits.听

Prakash鈥檚 research spans environmental governance, public policy, and global political economy. Over the course of his career, he has published eight scholarly books and more than 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals, with his work cited more than 18,000 times across the field. As part of the honor, Prakash presented the Gaus Lecture at the APSA Annual Meeting in September 2025.

Washington Sea Grant听interim听director听receives听governor鈥檚听leadership听award听

, interim director of Washington Sea Grant, received the听, which recognizes exemplary leadership and service to the state of Washington.

Little was honored for her work supporting the state鈥檚 coastal communities through Washington Sea Grant鈥檚 research, outreach, and partnership-driven initiatives.听

Little has dedicated more than 15 years to strengthening Washington鈥檚 coast through strategic vision, inclusive practices, and sustained investment in community-centered programs. Under her leadership, Washington Sea Grant delivered nearly $250 million in services and economic benefits statewide between 2021 and 2024, reflecting the program鈥檚 broad impact across coastal and maritime communities.听

鈥淎 big thank you to the team at Washington Sea Grant for the nomination,鈥� Little said.听鈥淚鈥檓听deeply grateful to work alongside such thoughtful colleagues, who are so dedicated to our shared work.听I鈥檓听so honored by this recognition from the听governor. This award really is a testament to the impact of Washington Sea Grant鈥檚 work in serving the state鈥檚 coastal communities.鈥�

Biology听professor听awarded Rome Prize Fellowship in Environmental Arts & Humanities听

, professor of biology听at听the UW,听was awarded听the prestigious in the new Environmental Arts & Humanities category by the听. This pilot fellowship supports collaborative projects that explore how human beings relate to, experience, and interpret the natural world.

In partnership with Katharine Ogle, lecturer听of听English at听the University听of Southern California, Summers will pursue a project titled听鈥淧iscis Romana.鈥�听Their work draws on听natural history听research conducted at the Friday Harbor Laboratories to investigate the links between marine life,听ecology,听and poetic expression.听

鈥淭his听award will allow听Katie Ogle and听me to听further explore the links between poetry and natural history that have been developed by a group of us at Friday Harbor Labs,鈥澨齋ummers said.听

Summers鈥� biological research spans marine and aquatic systems with a strong emphasis on understanding organismal form,听function,听and the broader natural-history context in which听species听evolve and interact. Partnering听with Ogle, he will extend that scientific inquiry into the realm of arts and humanities, looking at how the natural world inspires literary forms,听metaphors,听and cultural narratives.听

With this Rome Prize fellowship, Summers joins a competitive cohort selected from听nearly 1,000听applicants and will spend several听months in听residence at the Academy in Rome, working among scholars and artists from around the world.听

A recent documentary about the breeding habits of antelopes in India includes the story of how engaging with artists and local communities can help researchers share the importance of their work.

“MELA,” short for Mating Ecology of a Lek-breeding Antelope, is a short film about a research project that studies the mating behavior of blackbuck, an antelope species native to India and Nepal. During mating, male blackbuck aggregate into certain areas, called “leks,” to perform a series of feats to try to impress females.

This story of “MELA” is told in three chapters. The first chapter summarizes the science behind the project, including the technical challenges associated with creating continuous and sweeping drone footage across an entire lek. Then the second and third chapters focus on the researchers’ work with artists and local communities.

, a 糖心少女 assistant professor of biology, is one of the leaders of the MELA project, which started when he was a postdoctoral research associate at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the University of Konstanz in Germany. 糖心少女News asked him for details about the project and the documentary.

How did this project get started?

Vivek Hari Sridhar: It started in 2019 when the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior put out a global call for collaborative research projects that addressed broad questions related to how animal societies emerge and function. The call was meant to support teams of two or three postdoctoral researchers.

The timing was perfect because I was in the latter stages of my doctoral degree. As part of my doctoral research, I discovered how animals choose between spatially separated objects. I developed a theory and validated my model predictions in both vertebrates and invertebrates under controlled laboratory conditions. For my postdoc, I wanted to explore if the theory could tell us something about spatial decisions made by animals in the wild.

I teamed up with , now an assistant professor at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, and , a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. For her doctoral research, Akanksha had already worked with blackbuck and had recorded a few drone-based videos of the lek. This got me excited because leks seemed like the perfect study system to extend my doctoral work. Hemal is a computer vision and machine learning expert who develops software to process large-scale drone footage. Hemal was crucial in the establishment of our art-science collaborations.

The project developed from our common commitment toward supporting junior researchers in the field, working with local communities and establishing a research project in India, our home country.

Chapter 2 of the documentary talks about art and science. Can you talk about how they are similar?

VHS: Artists use various media 鈥� writing, visual art, performances, etc. 鈥� to try to understand the world around them and to tell the stories that matter most to them. As scientists, we engage in evidence-based storytelling. We gather data and then we analyze and interpret it to reveal something new about the natural world. In that sense, science can be thought of being a form of art.

What was it like working with artists on this project?

VHS: It was an incredible learning experience! I worked with , a German-based institution that brings artists and scientists together, for my artist residency.

At first I was nervous. The idea of working on something artistic myself felt daunting. Retrospectively though, it was one of the most rewarding experiences. I met several interesting people over the years and collaborated with many of them. They helped me realize that I had several stories that I wanted to share that I couldn鈥檛 do solely through science. Working with writers and sound artists, I have since been able to explore a creative side of myself that I didn鈥檛 know existed.

Chapter 3 explains that it was important to engage with the community where you did this research. Can you talk about why that is?

VHS: As academics, we spend much of our time within the confines of the university, engaging with literature within our field and building on those ideas. And while these are extremely important aspects of the job, it is only one of the many sources of inspiration, especially in the context of studying animal behavior 鈥� people in local communities spend their lives surrounded by these animals every day.

Conversations with the locals gave us a head start in terms of understanding the natural history and activity patterns of these animals. A great example of this is when the locals told us about the location of a new lek. Because leks are traditional mating grounds, they鈥檙e occupied by males year after year. We intended to conduct our study on a lek that had been around for nearly 40 years. But then the locals told us about a second location with a larger aggregation of males. This information allowed us to monitor both sites, which led to a whole new line of research inquiry.

Beyond science, I also believe we have an ethical obligation to let people know what we鈥檙e doing. Many people from these communities are curious to know why we’re visiting their corner of the world. Once we learned what interested different community members, we were able to engage with them accordingly. For example, we took some children birding because they were fascinated with our use of binoculars.

What do you hope people who watch the documentary will learn?

VHS: Perhaps that science is not just a knowledge-seeking endeavor 鈥� it’s also a human-endeavor. We can do more impactful work when we work together with other people from various walks of life. Here, we came together as three scientists collaborating with artists, local communities and students to produce what we believe is something more than “just science.”

But doing this work takes time, effort and resources. In a fast-paced and productivity-focused society, it is important to stop and consider what is important to us. We were fortunate to have the time and opportunity to shape our work and we hope this inspires others to think beyond the immediate call of their jobs.

This research was funded by a Collaborative Research Grant funded by the Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior and the Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour at the University of Konstanz.

For more information, contact Sridhar at behavior@uw.edu.