UW Tacoma in the media

For nearly 20 years, a historic schoolhouse has hosted artists, writers, musicians and more for a live-work residency in a tiny Montana town of just 25 people. Two Dot Schoolhouse, stewarded by Seattle artist Ruth Marie Tomlinson, offered Assistant Professor Yixuan Pan an inspiring space to prepare for her upcoming solo exhibition at SUNY Binghamton.

By approaching biological questions with a framework of physics and mechanical engineering, scientists at UW's Friday Harbor Labs learn great lessons from armored and obscure life under the sea. UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Cassandra Donatelli is quoted.

As the founder of Columbia Bank and an influential advocate for higher education in Tacoma, Bill Philip played a key role in the creation of UW Tacoma. Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange reflects on his legacy in a Puget Sound Business Journal article about his passing.

The dating app Bumble, whose trademark feature required women to initiate connections with potential love matches, has seemingly changed course. Associate Professor Riki Thompson argues that this reversal — allowing men to send the first message — is Bumble's attempt to stay relevant in a crowded market and an ever-changing dating scene.

Marine Ecologist and Assistant Professor Eliza Heery joined This Green Earth to discuss urban marine environments, the creatures that inhabit them and how we can be better stewards of our waters.

Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange joined Drew Mikkelson of King 5 News to discuss UW Tacoma's plans for growth, including a new residence hall and on-campus dining.

The Hood Canal summer shellfish harvest is closed indefinitely due to an unusual rise in Alexandrium — a toxin found in oysters, clams and cockles that can be deadly when ingested. Warming temperatures may be to blame for the bloom. Associate Professor Cheryl Greengrove is quoted.

Our next residence hall is officially on the way! When it opens in late 2029, the facility will accommodate nearly 500 additional students and include UW Tacoma’s first on-campus dining hall as we shift gears from commuter campus to college town.

UW Tacoma's future student housing and dining hall project will create a central hub for Tacoma Huskies as the campus prepares to grow its enrollment to 10,000 students in the coming decades.

Stan Emert, founding director of the Sports Enterprise Management program at the Milgard School of Business, was quoted in an article about the potential return of an NBA franchise to Seattle, offering insight into the complexities of league expansion.

Samuel Peña-Rojas ('26), a new grad from the Milgard School of Business, was included in an article featuring the cost-saving strategies of three Huskies across the tri-campus community who graduated college without student loan debt.

Associate Vice Chancellor for Social Mobility Amanda Figueroa was quoted in a story by The Hechinger Report about college graduates navigating a job market where artificial intelligence is reshaping entry-level opportunities and increasing the need for adaptable, in-demand skills.

Pamela Krayenbuhl, associate professor of film and media studies at UW Tacoma, recently spoke with Dance Magazine about why movement works so well in short-form media, and what our fascination with dance says about culture, identity and connection.

As artificial intelligence moves from buzzword to public policy challenge, UW Tacoma's Arthur Jago is helping make sense of what comes next. The Milgard School of Business associate professor recently joined TVW's Inside Olympia podcast to discuss how AI is reshaping government operations, public trust and civic decision-making.

Omari Amili (B.A. '14, M.A. '16), founding director of UW Tacoma's Husky Post Prison Pathways, appeared on TV Tacoma's Cityline program to discuss an upcoming talk on campus with John Bunn, the wrongfully convicted, fully exonerated founder behind "A Voice 4 The Unheard," a nonprofit that promotes literacy in prisons and among youth.

When a dance goes viral on social media, what comes next? UW Tacoma's Pamela Krayenbuhl weighs in on how online fame shapes a young person's future and the bigger questions behind fleeting internet stardom.

A study authored by Assistant Professor I-An "Amy" Su is referenced in a new editorial from Law360 that explores an ongoing debate in court: Does a condemned inmate's mental health diagnosis make it legally or morally permissible to execute them?

Danica Miller's "This is Native Land," a permanent exhibition on view at the Washington State History Museum, centers Indigenous voices, presence and futures in a new interview from UW Magazine.

Angel Gabriel Cabrera Silva, Assistant Professor of International Law, appeared before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Brazil to argue for the recognition of democracy as a human right with social, political and economic considerations. He authored a blog post about the experience for the UW Center for Human Rights.

Bonnie Becker, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success, and Amanda Figueroa, Associate Vice Chancellor for Social Mobility, were featured on The Connected College Podcast with Elliot Felix. In the episode, they discuss how UW Tacoma is advancing student success through collaboration, continuous improvement and an affinity for practical, action-oriented solutions.

Robin Evans-Agnew, Professor of Nursing and Healthcare Leadership, co-authored an opinion piece for the Tacoma News Tribune alongside Alexandria Drake of the University of Puget Sound. Together, they call for Washington communities to come together in defense of public health.

Milgard School of Business student Evan Garner earned the top prize at the university’s 2026 Investment Challenge after debuting a successful AI investment model.

Ilā Ravichandran, Assistant Professor of Legal Studies, has co-authored "Imperial Policing: Weaponized Data in Carceral Chicago" with the Policing in Chicago Research Group. Developed in collaboration with community organizations engaged in policing reform efforts, the book explores how data tools and inter-agency coordination shape policing practices in communities of color.

Hui Suk So, Assistant Teaching Professor and Director of the Financial Literacy Initiative at the Milgard School Center for Financial Wellness, appeared on Good Day Seattle to discuss how Tacoma Huskies are gaining money management skills alongside their degrees.

With the rise of car-centric city planning over the past century, Tacoma aims to become a community where cars aren't required for residents to access basic needs. Associate Professor Rubén Casas is quoted.

Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange joined KBTC’s public‑affairs program to talk about the university’s plans for new student housing and dining facilities.

UW Tacoma Professor Carolyn West's research underscores a critical gap in how gender-based violence is recorded and understood, raising urgent concerns about women’s safety and who should be held accountable at the policy level.

The UW has again earned a prestigious recognition for the impact and importance of the connections faculty, students and staff have with local, regional and global communities. All three UW campuses were recognized with the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement reclassification.

In an episode of the Tacoma Rising podcast, Chancellor Sheila Edwards Lange shares how UW Tacoma is driving economic development in the South Sound through education, workforce development and community partnerships.

Professor Carolyn West, an expert on relationship violence, offers the South Seattle Emerald important context on how survivors experience and respond to harassment.

Professor Hui Suk So was a featured expert in WalletHub’s “Best Credit Cards for Students with No Credit” guide, offering insights to help students navigate options when building credit for the first time.

Under the leadership of UW Tacoma MSW alum Samie Iverson, students are helping Tacoma Public Libraries make social services more accessible to those who need them the most.

New data shows mass killings in the U.S. have hit their lowest numbers in nearly 20 years, but experts warn AP News that the dip doesn’t necessarily mean overall safety has improved. UW Tacoma Professor Eric Madfis is quoted.

UW Tacoma MSBA candidate Andrea Bob ('23) reflects on her journey as a member of the Puyallup tribe and a first-generation college student in an editorial for the Puyallup Tribal News.

The Tacoma News Tribune published a story on Assistant Professor Yixuan Pan’s dumpling making performance art piece inspired by her Chinese heritage and memories in the kitchen.

Assistant Professor Cassandra Donatelli was quoted in a New York Times story that explores how research on plants and animals has inspired numerous technological innovations.

Northwest Public Broadcasting published a story about a student-led initiative to build a micro-forest on the UW Tacoma campus.

In an episode of KBTC's Northwest Now, Chancellor Lange reflected on her professional journey, UW Tacoma’s transformative impact on the South Sound, and exciting developments ahead for the campus.

Dillon’s research on energy-efficient, cost-saving LED lighting is featured in a new episode of “The Economics of Everyday Things” podcast.

Madfis joined the Rockefeller Institute’s Policy Outsider podcast to discuss his latest research on keeping schools safe through behavioral threat assessments.

In a first-of-its-kind course, UW Tacoma students contributed to the Washington State Zoning Atlas — a new interactive tool from the Washington State Department of Commerce that standardizes zoning data across the state.

Michael Kula was selected to serve as Fulbright Writer-in-Residence at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland. In addition to teaching courses in AMU’s Center for the Affirmation of Literature, he will be completing final research and revisions for his book, “The Long Alone,” a creative nonfiction account of the travels of Kazimierz Nowak, an amateur Polish journalist who bicycled alone across Africa in the 1930s.

This USGS team provides critical data and lab and research facilities that helped Professor Ed Kolodziej in his vital research on 6PPD-quinone, a chemical used in tires that is toxic to Coho salmon.

Samantha Iverson (BA '08, MSW '16) is making a big difference as the first social worker for Tacoma Public Library, helping connect patrons with the community resources.