Impact Series

Video

Univ. of Washington researchers roll out tiny, battery-free, autonomous robot called ‘MilliMobile’

by Kurt Schlosser on September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 at 3:13 pm

University of Washington researchers are rolling out another tiny robotic breakthrough, this time in the form of an autonomous device that relies on surrounding light or radio waves to move… Read More

Fire resistant, quake safe, climate friendly: Mass timber is on the rise as a construction alternative

by Lisa Stiffler on September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 at 2:04 pm

When Seattle’s eight-story Heartwood Apartments opens to residents this fall, it will be Washington’s tallest timber building and the first in the U.S. permitted under a set of new construction… Read More

Coding saves lives, and Fred Hutch Cancer Center wants the next generation to take note

by Amy Rolph on September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 at 10:33 am

Plenty of high school students plan to make careers out of coding when they graduate from college. And plenty of other students are probably planning careers as cancer-research scientists. But… Read More

Feds award $15M for new cutting-edge research center to study Pacific NW earthquakes

by Lisa Stiffler on September 8, 2023September 8, 2023 at 2:34 pm

Wildfires and hurricanes are dominating the disaster spotlight, but the threat of a massive earthquake still simmers beneath the surface in the Pacific Northwest. The National Science Foundation today announced… Read More

City of Seattle partners with local teletherapy startup to tackle youth mental health crisis

by Lisa Stiffler on September 8, 2023September 8, 2023 at 7:23 am

The city of Seattle and healthcare startup Joon Care are partnering to provide free online mental healthcare in an effort to increase services to teens and young adults, which as… Read More

Severe wildfires are difficult to control – but one research model shows ‘a better way forward’

by Lisa Stiffler on August 25, 2023August 25, 2023 at 4:12 pm

As swaths of wildlands are being scorched and communities smoked out by another unusually hot, dry summer, researchers in Washington state say there could be a less miserable, environmentally beneficial… Read More

Microsoft AI tool reveals swath of devastation from Maui wildfire

by Lisa Stiffler on August 11, 2023August 14, 2023 at 8:39 am

In Maui’s historic town of Lahaina, more than half of the community’s 2,810 buildings have been damaged by a wildfire that this week obliterated the landscape. More than 1,200 of… Read More

UW researchers develop promising ‘bioplastic’ that can decompose like a banana peel

by Lisa Stiffler on July 24, 2023August 17, 2023 at 11:03 am

Plastic trash is everywhere in the environment. Bottles made from fossil fuels litter the side of the road, screw caps pepper the beaches, bags waft down the street. So the… Read More

Despite new affirmative action ban, universities and tech programs pledge commitments to diversity

by Lisa Stiffler on July 19, 2023July 19, 2023 at 4:21 pm

Universities and their computer science and engineering programs have been striving for years to boost the diversity of their student population, achieving varied levels of success. The schools are a… Read More

Job opportunities outweigh political differences when climate tech comes to rural communities

by Lisa Stiffler on June 15, 2023June 15, 2023 at 11:21 am

Inside a cavernous building in Cashmere, Wash., workers pressed thousands of tons of local apples and pears into Tree Top juices every year. But after more than four decades, operations… Read More

How are nonprofits using AI and ChatGPT? The focus is on the donor dollars

by Lisa Stiffler on June 3, 2023June 5, 2023 at 8:34 am

The nonprofit sector — which encompasses some 1.6 million organizations in the U.S. alone — has joined the ChatGPT and AI digital frenzy. The philanthropic ventures are eager to use… Read More

Seattle school cuts a bold new STEM program, showing challenges of reimagining education

by Lisa Stiffler on June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 at 12:06 pm

As the school year winds down, Trish Millines Dziko is focused on helping students at Washington Middle School in Seattle prep for their big STEM expo. It’s an exciting culmination… Read More

How the Univ. of Washington aims to make online systems and content more accessible

by Shira Zur on May 29, 2023May 29, 2023 at 1:19 am

Taking small steps to make digital content more accessible can make a big difference. That was one takeaway from the University of Washington’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day held earlier this… Read More

Microsoft makes tiny dent in annual carbon footprint but says ‘it’s not happening fast enough’

by Lisa Stiffler on May 10, 2023May 10, 2023 at 8:33 am

After its carbon footprint grew a shoe size or two in 2021, Microsoft notched a small decline in its carbon emissions last year. The cloud, software and gaming giant cut… Read More

Video

Wood or would not? Earthquake test to study how 10-story timber building stands up to Seattle shake

by Kurt Schlosser on May 8, 2023May 10, 2023 at 11:41 am

If the idea of a Seattle earthquake gives you the shakes, this test might be right up your alley. Researchers from the University of Washington are taking part in a… Read More

Gates Foundation gives $9.35M to Seattle digital health nonprofit for diagnostic testing

by Charlotte Schubert on April 18, 2023April 18, 2023 at 10:48 am

Seattle digital health nonprofit Audere will advance its technology to improve the accuracy of rapid diagnostic tests with $9.35 million in fresh funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.… Read More

Fred Hutch partners with video game streamers to raise money, fight medical disinformation

by Thomas Wilde on April 8, 2023April 10, 2023 at 9:43 am

In an effort to fight online medical disinformation and raise money for research, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is tapping into video games. The Stream for Fred Hutch charity program… Read More

Virtual reality storyteller creates project showcasing historically Black community in Seattle

by Lisa Stiffler on April 8, 2023April 8, 2023 at 7:38 am

The recognizable chords from Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” are the sonic greeting to a new virtual reality experience created by digital storyteller Yolanda Barton. Users are transported into a re-creation… Read More

Video

High school students learn how to spot misinformation at UW’s ‘Misinfo Day’ event

by Charlotte Schubert on March 20, 2023March 21, 2023 at 10:27 am

Hundreds of Seattle-area high school students learned how to discern fact from fiction at the University of Washington’s 2023 MisinfoDay earlier this month. The event helped students read charts, evaluate… Read More

Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s chatbot, the disability divide, and more

by Lisa Stiffler on March 8, 2023March 10, 2023 at 10:21 am

Microsoft’s Ability Summit has come a long way since its inaugural event 13 years ago. What began as a meeting of about 20 employees has grown to more than 20,000… Read More

Video

Code.org CEO on the nonprofit’s first 10 years, and the impact of AI on teaching computer science

by Kurt Schlosser on March 4, 2023March 4, 2023 at 8:18 am

When the Seattle-based nonprofit Code.org launched in 2013 with a mission to spread computer science knowledge, co-founders Hadi and Ali Partovi enlisted some of the most successful coders on the… Read More

Laying down fiber cable in African village

Video

Univ. of Washington researchers roll out tiny, battery-free, autonomous robot called ‘MilliMobile’

Fire resistant, quake safe, climate friendly: Mass timber is on the rise as a construction alternative

Coding saves lives, and Fred Hutch Cancer Center wants the next generation to take note

Feds award $15M for new cutting-edge research center to study Pacific NW earthquakes

City of Seattle partners with local teletherapy startup to tackle youth mental health crisis

Severe wildfires are difficult to control – but one research model shows ‘a better way forward’

Microsoft AI tool reveals swath of devastation from Maui wildfire

UW researchers develop promising ‘bioplastic’ that can decompose like a banana peel

Despite new affirmative action ban, universities and tech programs pledge commitments to diversity

Job opportunities outweigh political differences when climate tech comes to rural communities

How are nonprofits using AI and ChatGPT? The focus is on the donor dollars

Seattle school cuts a bold new STEM program, showing challenges of reimagining education

How the Univ. of Washington aims to make online systems and content more accessible

Microsoft makes tiny dent in annual carbon footprint but says ‘it’s not happening fast enough’

Wood or would not? Earthquake test to study how 10-story timber building stands up to Seattle shake

Gates Foundation gives $9.35M to Seattle digital health nonprofit for diagnostic testing

Fred Hutch partners with video game streamers to raise money, fight medical disinformation

Virtual reality storyteller creates project showcasing historically Black community in Seattle

High school students learn how to spot misinformation at UW’s ‘Misinfo Day’ event

Microsoft’s accessibility chief on Bing’s chatbot, the disability divide, and more

Code.org CEO on the nonprofit’s first 10 years, and the impact of AI on teaching computer science

Microsoft backs effort to extend fiber internet access to 20 million in Africa

Researchers find new upcycling technique to transform plastics into fuel

Seattle high schooler creates online hub to encourage youth volunteering

Brilliant Black Minds: Startup’s project backed by Serena Williams aims to break down barriers

As tech is rocked by layoffs, climate jobs and tools for landing them are on the rise

‘It changed my life’: Microsoft vet creates mentoring program for tech-focused college students

Personal story leads entrepreneur to launch a startup to improve cancer care in Africa and beyond

Steve Ballmer’s USAFacts releases new stats on American crime, jobs, population and more

Nonprofit supported by Paul Allen’s foundation studies link between lynx and burned habitats