Main Content
Join us every second Tuesday of the month from 6:30-7:30pm for Grit City Think & Drink.
Grit City Think & Drink brings scholars and experts from various disciplines face-to-face with the public in a comfortable, lively atmosphere, either virtually or in person. The evening begins with a presentation or lecture (often interactive) followed by giveaways and a moderated Q&A. Grit City Think & Drink is free to the public and open to all ages.
Sponsors
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
- 7 Seas Brewing
- Office of Community Partnerships
Hosted by UWT Associate Professor Jim Gawel. Click on each title for more information and the option to add it to your calendar.
March 10, 2026
6:30PM - 7:30PM
Location: 7 Seas Brewing, 2101 Jefferson Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402
Sponsored by 7 Seas Brewing!
From Scratch: Making Invisible Labor Visible Through Performance Art
Yixuan Pan (潘怡璇), Dept of Culture, Arts & Communication, UW Tacoma
Talk Abstract
How do we honor the invisible labor that feeds us? UW Tacoma professor and artist Pan Yixuan transformed dumpling-making into performance art to address this question. "From Scratch: Tasting the Tenderness in Food Production" brought together nine AAPI and immigrant performers to create choreographed cooking performances that made labor visible, preserved cultural knowledge, and built community. From ASMR theater to panel discussions on immigrant worker rights, this project demonstrates how art can intersect with activism. Discover how cooking scores, glass pots, and shared meals became tools for food justice and community healing in Tacoma.
Biography
Yixuan Pan is an anti-disciplinarian artist. She is from the land of fish and rice, where she grew up speaking Mandarin Chinese. Through sound and image, Pan enjoys working with people. In recent years, her work has taken untraditional art forms, such as choral conducting, urban walking, window cleaning, love letter whispering, music therapy operating, and collective dumpling making. Pan is the author of an artist book: It -A Skillful Amateur's Records on Glass. She also runs a podcast called “Working Artist” about artists and their day jobs. Currently, Pan is an art professor at the University of Washington. She says that she wants to be a cook when she grows up.
APRIL INFORMATION COMING SOON!
May 12, 2026
6:30PM - 7:30PM
Location: 7 Seas Brewing, 2101 Jefferson Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402
Sponsored by 7 Seas Brewing!
Wailea Ike: What Hawaiian Water Tells Us About the 2023 Fire in Lāhainā, Maui
Ellen Moore, Dept of Culture, Arts & Communication, UW Tacoma
Talk Abstract
When a fire destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lāhainā in 2023, mainstream media coverage focused on the destruction caused by the fire, the lives lost, and the seeming origin: a downed power line, high winds, and a dry landscape. But the real story began centuries earlier. Drawing on recent fieldwork in Maui, including interviews with Lāhainā community members, this talk reveals how a street name tells the deeper truth about the cause of the tragedy - what Native Hawaiians say in their language and words.
Biography
Dr. Ellen Moore is a professor at the University of Washington Tacoma, where she studies how media tells (and sells) stories about the environment. Her previous book, Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline: The Framing of Injustice, examined media coverage of the pipeline protests in partnership with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Her current book explores what happens when people's direct experience of climate disasters doesn't match the stories they're told. She recently returned from fieldwork in Maui. She lives in Tacoma with her husband and far too many (if possible) rescued pets.
MISSED A RECENT GRIT CITY THINK & DRINK? You can find past 2025 - 2026 Talks on our Grit City Think&Drink Youtube Channel.
2025
JANUARY 13: Street Traders, Urban Marketplaces, and the Informal Economy with Jill Purdy, UW Tacoma, Milgard School of Business YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wttqp-miY30
DECEMBER 9: The Importance of “Place” in UWT Students’ Educational Journey with Mark Pagano, UW Tacoma, Mechanical Engineering Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E69-yeMAfg
NOVEMBER 12: From Genomes to Biological Insight, the Human Genome Project Today with Dan Holmes, University of Washington, Department of Genome Sciences YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGsqsi2c8_o
OCTOBER 14: Masculinities in Dance on Screen, from Old Musicals to TikTok with Pamela Krayenbuhl, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDOl_dPRLRg
JUNE 10: Future-ish: Exploring the Science, Design, and Culture Shaping our Future & Introduction to Future Studies with Sean Schmidt, UW Tacoma Student Affairs & Founder, Future-ish. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5NLw5j8SCY
MAY 13: Nonviolence and the Right to Self Defense: A dialogue on feminism, racism and movements for change with Carolyn West and Mike Honey, UW Tacoma YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH3IAtTStCw
MARCH 11: Self-reflexivity, Media, and the Performance of English Teachers with Dr. Daniel Lewis. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH3IAtTStCw
JANUARY 14: Grow your own tropical island, fast! with Marjorie Cantine, Earth and Space Sciences, UW Seattle. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KVRzN4_oIQ
2024
NOVEMBER 12: Mind, body, and plate: Biopsychological perspectives on food choice and well-being with Leighann Chaffee, UW Tacoma, Sciences and Mathematics. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWoJk6SZMvY
OCTOBER 8: Le Nain Rouge: The Decolonial Deity of Detroit with Jessi Quizar, UW Tacoma, Urban Studies. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_10g8-4Q9Y
JUNE 11: Green Cities: Busting the Myth with Nara Almeida, Ph.D. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5_OqnoGWWfk?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
MAY 14: Queer Stacks: Resisting LGBTQ Book Bans Information from the talk here: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/sites/default/files/2024-06/queer-in-the-stacks-resources.pdf
APRIL 9: Radical Adaptation through Inclusive Design with Ann Paradiso (she/her), Principal Research Designer at Microsoft Research and the founder and director of the Microsoft Hands Free Music Project. YouTube: https://youtu.be/q7lJfqKHOPQ?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
MARCH 12: A Disappearing Alaskan Permafrost Donut with Joel Eklof (he/him), PhD Candidate in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Washington. YouTube: https://youtu.be/UfOzxldsvsI?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
FEB 13: Tacoma v. Puyallup Tribe Recognition with Dr. Danica Miller (Puyallup Tribe of Indians), Associate Professor of American Indian Studies at UW Tacoma. YouTubr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU0gPM-wHFc
JAN 9: Life Near the Bone: A Journey of Discovery in the Wild with Dr. Ellen Bayer, storyteller and Associate Professor of Environmental Arts & Humanities at the University of Washington Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/SFnZjj_5BS8?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
2023
DEC: Can VAR Make Soccer an Equitable Game? with Dr. Harvey, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Washington Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/pBVjbbG-aEQ?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
NOV: CANCELLED
OCT 10: Our earliest ape ancestors’ environments with Kirsten Jenkins (PhD - U Minnesota; BA -WWU), Biological Anthropologist and Archaeologist at Tacoma Community College. YouTube: https://youtu.be/p3cPSIJH0uw?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
SEP 12: Carrots, sticks, and competition – how feedback can contribute to inequalities with Dr. Anna Lovász, Assistant Professor of Economics at UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/1gJKxJaCK4M?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqCokqv1FdyDjgYcPh3rw_NL
JULY 12: Putting Students First: Human-Centered Approaches to College Success with Dr. Bonnie Becker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y_VNHgWb5TI?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqDRia-BQ0tm3nJKpzs_L93j
JUNE 13: The History and Science of Brewing with Caitlin Moats, IT Project Manager at UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/DJCi62kwpu8?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqDRia-BQ0tm3nJKpzs_L93j
MAY: CANCELLED
APRIL 11: New Studies on an Old Poison: Arsenic in Shallow Lakes with Dr. Jim Gawel, Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering at UW Tacoma. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmemoAe-iGU
MARCH 14: Ewww! Repulsive Renaissance Poetry with Natalie K. Eschenbaum, PhD, Professor and Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/TmV48PKxac0?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqDRia-BQ0tm3nJKpzs_L93j
FEB 14: Is It Really Cheating? Understanding the New Relationship Students Have with Information and Truth with Ander Erickson, assistant professor of mathematics education at the University of Washington Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/qwnkVXyLrZw?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqDRia-BQ0tm3nJKpzs_L93j
JAN 10: Do Some F-ing Yoga and Get Back to Work with Dr. Alex Nutter, teaching professor of media studies and the Vice Chair of Culture, Arts, and Communication at the University of Washington Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/8HWwdhf2RrM?list=PL-r-Ht1OarqDRia-BQ0tm3nJKpzs_L93j
2022
DEC 13: Outdoor Recreation in the Smartphone Age with Rachel Fricke, PhD student in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaKNVvKIhC0
NOV 8: Red snow and pink glaciers: How snow microbiomes help shape the future of alpine snow and glaciers with Robin Kodner, Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Western Washington University. YouTube: https://youtu.be/a8SJnH84Tcg
OCT 13: Reflections on four decades of economic development in a Mauritania village with Katie Baird, Professor of Economics, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/oOpmfVWevFU
APRIL 12: You and the UW Sustainability Action Plan: How can we make it real for all of us? with Marilyn Ostergren, Interim Director, UW Sustainability. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Kj37XemWNPs
MARCH 8: Getting to Net-Zero and Beyond: What are the stakes and what will it take? with Chris Forest, Professor of Climate Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University; Director, Center for Earth System Modeling, Analysis, and Data. (Note: This presentation was not recorded.) Click to view slides provided during the presentation.
FEB 8: They Never Can Jail Us All: My Life in the Freedom Struggle with Michael Honey, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/bOZ2lOJ3q_Y
JAN 11: The Power of Direct Cash Payments: After stimulus checks and Child Tax Credits, are we ready to embrace a Guaranteed Income? with Anne Aurilio, Federal Campaign Director, Economic Security Project. YouTube: https://youtu.be/xnBK3C4Vmwg
2021
DEC 14: The Politics of Matching, Messaging, and Making the First Move in Online Dating with Riki Thompson, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/H5FmVpQ4iO4
NOV 9: If Furniture Could Talk: Culture, Power, and Politics with Ali Modarres, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/rSFZsNpYQt4
OCT 12: Low Cost, Engineered Materials for Enhanced Contaminant Removal in Urban Stormwater with Jessica Ray, UW Seattle. YouTube: https://youtu.be/qwikEz7YbIA
SEPT 14: Barcoding the Sound: Genetic approaches to Quantifying Salish Sea Crustacean Diversity with Kristin Hultgren, Seattle University. YouTube: https://youtu.be/uW6uBjx-MUQ
AUG 10: Dogs, Rats, and Goats! Oh My!: On the Wonderful World of Nonhuman Humanitarians with Ben Meiches, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/O-f7Ym8pW-4
JULY 13: Global Themes in World History since 1500 in Five Images with Libi Sundermann, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/RQPa2sB7FJ4
JUNE: CANCELLED
MAY 11: Transnational and spatial stories of becoming Nisei in pre-WWII Tacoma with Mary Hanneman and Lisa Hoffman, UW Tacoma. Youtube: https://youtu.be/Q5q_bcXCyuA
APRIL 13: Stand up for the earth while you sit down to dinner: Understanding the connections between our food, climate change, and antibiotic resistance in the environment with Jenny Jay, UCLA. Youtube: https://youtu.be/RDFargL0taA
MARCH 9: More than a meal: Exploring the diverse ways that fish contribute to society with Julian Olden, UW Seattle. YouTube: https://youtu.be/VNL9DtPu7Ro
FEB 9: Gender Justice and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit People with Charlene Aqpik Apok, University of Alaska Fairbanks; Executive Director, Data for Indigenous Justice; Director of Gender Justice & Healing, Native Movement. YouTube: https://youtu.be/trEOoEbBYWY
JAN 12: When Should We Restrict Hate Speech? A Social Justice Response to Escalating Hatred in the US with Chris Demaske, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/IOAentjBAn0
2020
DEC 8: From Black Lives Matter to Black Wives Matter: Exploring How Pornography Has Sexualized Social Justice Movements with Carolyn West, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/hqZLU4dKjIQ
NOV 10: Save the Whales: Using Citizen Science to Conserve Alaska’s Critically Endangered Cook Inlet Belugas with Alison Gardell, UW Tacoma. YouTube https://youtu.be/4KCvmggb9V8
OCT 13: Enhancing Inclusivity and Access Using Evidence-Based STEM Teaching Practices with Shannon Seidel, Pacific Lutheran University. YouTube: https://youtu.be/SDUS4X5vnZI
SEPT 22: All Districts Are Gerrymandered, But How Matters! with Jim Thatcher, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y0WWUXRrvD0
SEPT 9: A Tale of Two Plagues: The 1918 Flu Pandemic and the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 with Anna Groat Carmona, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/T5sgZSWWIZ0
AUGUST: CANCELLED
JULY 14: Volcanic Ecology: Just Add Water with Carri LeRoy, The Evergreen State College. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4PGfi-QCbI
JUNE 9: The Rise of Chinese Wine: A Political Economy Story with Cynthia Howson, UW Tacoma and Pierre Ly, University of Puget Sound.
MAY 12: The Social Value of Property in the Quest for Affordable/Attainable Housing with Anaid Yerena and Rubén Casas, UW Tacoma; Flavia de Ávila, Federal University of Sergipe, Brazil. YouTube: https://youtu.be/g925eueF7W4
APRIL 14: Global Competition of Social Messaging Platforms with Huatong Sun, UW Tacoma. YouTube: https://youtu.be/atrsRYifFVQ
MARCH: CANCELLED
FEB 11: Smokey Bear: Friend or Foe of our Forests? with Maureen Kennedy, UW Tacoma
JAN 14: We Are Puget Sound - Stories of Hope with Mindy Roberts, Washington Environmental Council
