UW Leads the Way in Environmental Research and Education

Founded on land nestled between the mountains and the sea, the University of Washington is intrinsically linked to the natural environment. Some of the UW's earliest academic programs focused on cultivating and protecting our natural resources. From this foundation — and with the support of private philanthropy and public funding — the UW has become a leader in environmental learning and discovery.

The UW's environmental expertise spans the most critical environmental issues of the day: climate change; water resources; energy; the balance between urbanization and conservation; and the links between human and ecosystem health and the environment. The UW's efforts expand beyond natural science to include programs in law, policy and design.

The UW takes the same comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to the environment that it takes with all of its research endeavors. Whether it's the human body, the legal system or planet Earth, the UW's approach begins with understanding the fundamentals and spans all the way to hands-on practices.

More than 400 UW faculty members and 5,000 students are engaged in understanding how environmental systems work and finding solutions to today's environmental challenges. From protecting salmon in our Pacific Northwest waters to forecasting the effect of global warming on Cascade snowmelt, UW students and faculty are working on real-world environmental issues and translating research into solutions and practices.

"Finding solutions to environmental issues requires a holistic approach. With the largest portfolio of environmental scientists, engineers and scholars of any university in the United States, the UW is uniquely positioned to be the country's leading university for environmental research and education," UW Provost Phyllis Wise says. "Private philanthropy is helping the UW reach this level, by supporting students and faculty in their pursuit of the answers to today's biggest environmental challenges."

One example of the UW's multidisciplinary environmental efforts is the Environmental Management Certificate Program, supported by the Henry Luce Foundation. The program connects graduate students from across the UW with external clients on real-world environmental problems.

Lesley Jantarasami, who's enrolled in graduate programs at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and the College of Forest Resources, is part of a team developing a salmon recovery management plan that incorporates science, policy, and social marketing. Her team also includes students from the Michael G. Foster School of Business and the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences. They are working with the Island County Marine Resources Committee and the Island County Planning Department to develop the plan. "We all bring our different perspectives and expertise to the table," Jantarasami says. "It's been such a great learning experience to work with students and faculty from other disciplines and be able to take advantage of the wide range of environmental expertise at the UW."

For more on the UW’s environmental research and education efforts, visit depts.washington.edu/poeweb/ and www.uwei.washington.edu.

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