University of Washington College of Engineering

06/22/2026

How could a two-year-old with motor disabilities play alongside their siblings? For University of Washington Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. student Mia Hoffman, that question helped inspire the Switch Kit, an adaptable play and communication system that helps children with disabilities engage in digital play. 🧸

The project challenges the idea that assistive technology designed for adults can simply be scaled down for children. Instead, Hoffman designs around children’s developmental needs, using inexpensive materials and customizable switches to support play, communication and participation. Through her work with Husky ADAPT, she has also helped make adapted toys available to Washington families.

“Technology is just a tool. At the end of the day, the goal is to make it a little easier to play or a little easier to participate,” says Hoffman.

Hoffman, a Husky 100 honoree, recently received the 2026 Graduate School Medal for this work.

Learn more about Hoffman’s research: https://bit.ly/4xYASOu

Mia Hoffman receives this year’s Graduate School Medal Award for her work to reimagine assistive technology for young children

06/18/2026

Wireless earbuds already help us talk and listen hands-free. Now, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering researchers are exploring how they could help people understand what they’re seeing. 🔎

The prototype, called VueBuds, is the first system to add tiny cameras to off-the-shelf wireless earbuds, allowing users to ask AI questions about the scene in front of them. Instead of relying on HD video or cloud processing, VueBuds capture low-resolution images, process them locally on a nearby device and give users control over deleting them.

“We wanted to see if we could put visual intelligence into tiny, low-power earbuds, and also address privacy concerns in the process,” says Allen School professor Shyam Gollakota.

Learn more and see a video of the VueBuds in action: https://bit.ly/4eClazF

University of Washington researchers developed a system called VueBuds that uses tiny cameras in off-the-shelf wireless earbuds to allow users to talk with an AI model about the scene in front of...

06/16/2026

Next-generation aircraft wings are lighter and can make flight more efficient, but they also flex in complex ways. UW Aeronautics & Astronautics Ph.D. candidate Kuang-Ying “Eddie” Ting is working to keep them steady. ✈️

Inside the UW Aeronautical Laboratory (UWAL) wind tunnels, Ting studies how flexible aircraft wings bend, vibrate and respond to turbulence, helping engineers compare sophisticated math models with real-world airflow.

“You can build the most sophisticated math models in the world, but at some point you have to put test models in real airflow and find out how well the math models capture physical reality,” says A&A professor Eli Livne.

Learn more and see a video of Ting’s work:

Kuang-Ying "Eddie" Ting spends his time in our UWAL wind tunnels figuring out how to keep wings under control.

06/12/2026

Congratulations to Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering professors Magdalena Balazinska and Shwetak Patel on being elected to the 2026 class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences! 🎉

One of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies, the Academy recognizes exceptional individuals across academia, industry, the arts and more whose work advances new ideas and addresses important issues.

Allen School director Balazinska was recognized for her trailblazing contributions and service to the field of data management and data science. Patel (who also teaches in UW Electrical & Computer Engineering) was recognized for his research bringing together research in human-computer interaction (HCI) with ubiquitous computing and sensor-enabled embedded systems to advance new health and sustainability innovations.

Learn more about their research and help us congratulate them in the comments: https://bit.ly/445kGwV

Magdalena Balazinska and Shwetak Patel were recently elected part of the 2026 class of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. They join the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Albert...

06/09/2026

The first time Darrien Liang experienced UW Engineering Discovery Days, he was a middle school student learning about science. In 2026, the now-University of Washington Department of Bioengineering sophomore returned with an exhibit of his own in hopes of sparking the same curiosity in the next generation of students. 🧪

Last month, Discovery Days welcomed over 12,000 elementary and middle school students from across Washington. Liang’s exhibit was one of 129 interactive activities designed to introduce students to STEM in a fun, hands-on way.

“The diverse exhibits reveal the many problems that engineering has already helped to solve, and spark further imagination for what other problems can be solved using engineering skills,” says Liang.

Learn more in our 2026 recap:

Renewing a century old tradition of outreach, students from around the state sampled the many flavors of UW Engineering at Discovery Days.

06/08/2026

Huge congratulations to UW Engineering students Sophia Dahlgren and Athena Ortega, recipients of the the 2026 Dean’s Medal for Academic Excellence! �

Each year, the UW Engineering dean recognizes two exceptional students who exemplify academic excellence, leadership and engagement.

- Sophia Dahlgren, a UW Chemical Engineering student, was recognized for her interdisciplinary research in chemical engineering, molecular engineering and nanoscience, as well as her work expanding access to STEM education through mentorship and community engagement.

- Athena Ortega, a Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) student, grounds her engineering work in community, creativity and empathy. She worked as an Engineering Peer Educator for the Emerging Leaders in Engineering program and currently conducts research at Seattle Children's to develop more accessible, patient-centered digital health experiences.

See all the nominees and join us in congratulating Sophia and Athena in the comments: https://bit.ly/4oe26fp

06/03/2026

Micropantries (often called “little free pantries”) are all around Seattle, supplying roughly 4 million pounds of food to people in need each year. These small, community-run resources help fight food insecurity, but because they rely on volunteers and donations, they aren’t always dependable. 🥫

To help, an interdisciplinary team featuring UW Engineering researchers created PantryMap.org, an app that maps local pantries and gives each one an activity feed. Users can share what they’ve donated, report stock levels, add requests and more. Some pantries have also been fitted with sensors that anonymously update usage and stock in real time.

“Behind each little free pantry there is a whole system of behaviors — people trying to help one another. If we can understand that system better, we can support it better,” says Urban Freight Lab researcher Giacomo Dalla Chiara.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3SfJvDG

University of Washington researchers launched a pilot app that maps ‘little free pantries’ throughout the Seattle area and gives pantry users and donors new tools to communicate with and help one...

06/02/2026

Congratulations to UW Electrical & Computer Engineering undergraduate student Anders Pearson for receiving a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) fellowship! 🎉

The NSF GRFP recognizes students pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in STEM. Pearson’s work brings together machine learning and wireless communication networks to model radio wave propagation in extreme environments.

His research could support future NASA lunar surface missions and help enable more resilient wireless communication networks on Earth.

Learn more about his research in our latest spotlight:

UW ECE is proud to announce that undergraduate student Anders Pearson has been awarded a fellowship by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). The NSF GRFP...

06/01/2026

What happens when you run a train across a bridge that floats? 🚄

The I-90 Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge is one of the longest floating bridges in the world. Now it also carries Sound Transit's 2 Line light rail, creating a unique challenge: cars can handle small bumps and bridge joints, but train tracks need to stay smooth and precisely aligned.

To monitor the bridge in real time, University of Washington Civil & Environmental Engineering researchers built a digital replica that pulls in sensor data on weather, GPS positioning, anchor cable tension and more, allowing maintenance teams to view a 3D model and see current conditions across the bridge.

“The most surprising thing for me has been learning how the bridge behaves on a day-to-day basis at the level of precision that we were never able to before,” says UW CEE professor Travis Thonstad.

Learn more:

Keeping watch on a one-of-a-kind bridge By: Julia Davis / Photos courtesy of Sound TransitMay 18, 2026Top image: A light rail vehicle crosses the I-90 floating bridge. CEE researchers build a digital twin of the I-90 Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge to monitor the world's first floating light rail cr...

05/29/2026

UW Chemical Engineering's Unit Operations Lab is where undergrads get hands-on experience with chemical engineering equipment (units), and it just got an upgrade. 🔬

Thanks in part to a generous estate gift, the lab was able to replace old equipment with new units, including a tray distillation column, a continuous reactor and more. The redesigned space is also flexible and modular, allowing the department to add machinery to meet industry demand and student interest.

“We want to be a model by which other labs around the country, and even the world, operate,” says UW Chemical Engineering professor Jorge Marchand.

Take a video tour of the renovated lab: https://bit.ly/4viMiKL

The Unit Operations Lab was renovated thanks in part to an estate donation. ChemE students and faculty gave a tour of the updated space.