From your campus to your home, we invite you to engage with and learn from the College of Arts & Sciences community through public events that cover the disciplines of arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. We look forward to your participation this May.
Innovation Month
April 30 | An Evening with Christine Sun Kim (Public Lecture)
May 1 | John Jennings: The AfroFuture Now (Public Lecture)
May 3 | Third Coast Percussion and Jessie Montgomery: Strum, Strike, Bend (Meany Center)
May 6 | Paul C. Cross Endowed Lecture in Physical Chemistry (Chemistry)
May 13 | Frontiers of Physics: Fluid or Solid? The Physics of Shape-Shifting Materials (Physics)
May 14 | MFA Dance Concert (Dance)
May 14 | Jazz Innovations I (Music)
May 15 | Jazz Innovations II (Music)
May 16 | Linguistics Colloquium Series (Linguistics)
May 19 | Book Talk: The AI Con – How to Combat Big Tech’s Hype and Forge the Future We Desire (Linguistics)
May 21 | DXARTS Spring Concert (DXARTS)
May 21 | George H. Cady Endowed Lecture in Inorganic Chemistry (Chemistry)
May 27 | Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band (Music)
ArtSci on the Move
Seeking additional opportunities to delve further into Arts & Sciences? Explore these resources to take ArtSci with you wherever you go!
“Ways of Knowing” Podcast (College of Arts & Sciences)
Black Composers Project engages School of Music faculty, students (School of Music)
Ladino Day Interview featuring Leigh Bardugo & MELC professor Canan Bolel (Jewish Studies)
Week of April 28
Thursday, May 1, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm | John Jennings: The AfroFuture Now (Public Lecture)
Afrofuturism originated as an idea introduced by scholar Mark Dery in 1993. This concept represented his way of categorizing thoughts about how Black people utilized storytelling technology to navigate racial subjugation, fractured histories, and the pursuit of a hopeful future. Recently, interest in the essential creative space known as Afrofuturism has surged across numerous disciplines.
During this lecture, John Jennings will investigate the principal themes of the Afrofuturism movement, outline its development timeline, and suggest potential futures related to this dynamic and constantly evolving worldview.
Friday, May 2 to Saturday, May 3 | The Living Breath of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ (American Indian Studies)
This symposium gathers people to exchange knowledge on themes like traditional foods, plants, and medicines; justice in food and environmental matters; food sovereignty/security; wellness; and treaty rights. This event aims to promote conversation and establish cooperative networks as we, Native individuals, endeavor to maintain our cultural food practices and uphold our healthy connections with the land, water, and all living entities. Mark your calendars for this year’s gathering. The theme will be: “Generational Food Sovereignty.”
Friday, May 2, 5:00 pm | Burke in Bloom (Burke Museum)
Join the Burke Museum on May 2 for a special tour of the museum’s extensive collection of oversized objects located at our Sand Point facility, followed by a reception, dinner, and auction.
Additional Activities
April 30 | An Evening with Christine Sun Kim (Public Lecture)
May 1 | Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band: Radiance (Music)
May 2 | UW Symphony Orchestra featuring Donna Shin (Music)
May 3 | Third Coast Percussion and Jessie Montgomery: Strum, Strike, Bend (Meany Center)
Week of May 5
Monday, May 4, 5:00 pm – 6:20 pm |“`html
Trump in the World 2.0 Lecture Series: U.S. Foreign Assistance (Jackson School)
Participate in the Jackson School’s Trump in the World 2.0, an array of presentations and dialogues addressing the global ramifications of the second Trump administration.
This week: Mark Ward, retired U.S. Foreign Service and Lecturer in the Department of History, Philosophy and Religion at Oregon State University.
Exclusively online for the public.
Wednesday, May 7, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Not So Simple! Translating Young Adult Literature as Resistance and Entertainment with Sawad Hussain (Department of Scandinavian Studies)
A prevailing myth in literary publishing suggests that children’s and young adult books are “basic” and thus straightforward to translate. However, translating literature for younger audiences is far from straightforward.
Join a trio of distinguished translators—Sawad Hussain (Arabic), Shelley Fairweather-Vega (Russian and Uzbek), and Takami Nieda (Japanese)—for an intriguing dialogue on these topics.
Thursday, May 8, 11:30 am – 12 pm |Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Reading featuring Brandon Som (Department of English)
Theodore Roethke (1908 – 1963) was an educator at the University of Washington from 1947 until his passing in 1963. The Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Readings commenced in 1964 to commemorate his legacy by inviting prominent contemporary poets to the University of Washington campus for readings of their poetry and, when feasible, to engage with students enrolled in the department’s advanced poetry writing programs. The annual Roethke Readings, co-hosted by the Department of English, the University of Washington Graduate School, and the Theodore Roethke Memorial Fund Committee, are typically held on the Thursday in May closest to Roethke’s birthday (May 25) and have been taking place in Roethke Auditorium, 130 Kane Hall, on the UW campus since 1972. They are free and accessible to the public, consistently drawing large crowds of poetry enthusiasts from across the Pacific Northwest.
Saturday, May 10, 10:00 pm – 5:00 pm | Dino Fest (Burke Museum)
Discover revolutionary research from Burke and UW scientists, admire hundreds of specimens from the Burke’s collection, and rejoice in all things prehistoric with fossil excavations, ancient creature identification, microfossil sorting, crafts, and much more!
Additional Activities
May 5 | Faculty Recital: Melia Watras, Broken Bell (Music)
May 6 | A Delicate Symphony: Courtship, Guardianship, and (self-)Censorship in Translating from Arabic (Simpson Center)
May 6 | Paul C. Cross Endowed Lecture in Physical Chemistry: Prof. David Hu (Chemistry)
May 7 | Finland: Scandinavian, Nordic, and Baltic Positioning by Sonya Amadae of the University of Helsinki (Jackson School)
May 7 | Guest Artist Concert: Lumina Women’s Ensemble (Music)
May 8 | Second Seattle Organic Chemistry Seminar: Professor Sarah Reisman (Chemistry)
May 8 | Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Meany Center)
May 8 | Monsen Photography Lecture: Carmen Winant (Henry Art Gallery)
May 9 | UW International Security Colloquium (Political Science)
May 10 | External Event: Organ Masterclass: Jonathan Moyer, Oberlin Conservatory (Music)
Week of May 12
Monday, May 12, 5:00 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: Latin America and Africa (Jackson School)
Participate in the Jackson School’s Trump in the World 2.0, a series of discussions and lectures on the global implications of the second Trump presidency.
This week: Vanessa Freije, James D. Long, Tony Lucero, and Christopher Tounsel.
Exclusively online for the public.
Tuesday, May 13, 7:30 pm | Frontiers of Physics: Fluid or Solid? The Physics of Shape-Shifting Materials (Department of Physics)
When we envision engineering materials, we frequently imagine rigid forms such as steel or plastic characterized by constant attributes—malleable, light, or sturdy. Conversely, granular substances like sand or rice flow and deform. What if a material could accomplish both? Polycatenated Architected Materials (PAMs) represent an innovative category of structures that connects the divide between solids and liquids. Composed of interconnected particles that create complex 3D networks—similar to contemporary chainmail—PAMs can transition from flowing like granular substances to acting as solid elastic materials, depending on the exerted forces. This remarkable duality challenges traditional theories and opens avenues for applications ranging from enhanced sports equipment to adaptable robotics and intelligent devices for harsh environments. Join the Department of Physics to learn how the geometry and topology of PAMs are transforming what is achievable in material sciences and engineering.
Thursday, May 15, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm | Global Sport Lab: African Women, Gender and Soccer with Martha Saavedra (Jackson School)
Join us for a reflective discussion regarding the prospects of African women in football, followed by a Q&A session featuring special guest Martha Saavedra, faculty member and associate director at the Center for African Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. This event forms part of the Global Sport Lab initiative.
Attendance for this event is complimentary and accessible to everyone.
Additional Events
May 12 | Strike: Labor, Unions, and Resistance in the Roman Empire (Classics)
May 13 | Katz Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities: Jahan Ramazani (Simpson Center)
May 13 to May 23 | 2025 BA Exhibitions – Group 2 (Art + Art History + Design)
May 13 | Jonathan Biss: Transfiguration (Meany Center)
May 14 | MFA Dance Concert (Dance)
May 14 | Jazz Innovations I (Music)
May 14 | Ten Paradoxes of Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership by Tuomas Forsberg, Tampere University (Jackson School)
May 15 | Jazz Innovations II (Music)
May 16 | Center for Environmental Politics: “Water Governance Disparities and Utility Performance: Evidence from California” (Political Science)
May 16 | Linguistics Colloquium Series (Linguistics)
May 17 | Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North (Meany Center)
Week of May 19
Monday, May 18, 5:00 pm – 6:20 pm | Trump in the World 2.0: Energy (Jackson School)
Participate in the Jackson School’s Trump in the World 2.0, a sequence of talks and dialogues regarding the global influences of the second Trump administration.
This week features: Scott L. Montgomery.
This session is available solely online for the public.
Monday, May 19, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm | 2025 Andrew L. Markus Memorial Lecture (Asian Languages & Literature)
This lecture, Recipes for the Life Politics of Domesticity in Global Korea with Hyaeweol Choi, uses culinary practices as a lens for comprehending gender history and culture broadly, with a particular emphasis on the politics surrounding domestic life. It specifically examines the gendered history of street food in South Korea, exploring its development in the context of war, economic difficulties, industrial growth, and nation-branding amid globalization.
Wednesday, May 21, 7:30 pm | DXARTS Spring Concert: Celebrating John Chowning (DXARTS)
The composer John Chowning is recognized as one of the forerunners in Computer Music. His significant contributions, including the creation of FM Digital Synthesis, greatly influenced both classical and popular music landscapes. This invention led to the creation of one of the most famous digital synthesizers, the Yamaha DX7, which sold millions in the 1980s and became a staple for numerous bands of that era. Profits from licensing this technology to the Yamaha Corporation enabled Chowning to establish the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford University, a leading center for Computer Music research globally.
Thursday, May 22, 7:30 pm | Sacred Breath: Indigenous Writing and Storytelling
“`Series (Indigenous Studies)
The American Indian Studies Department at the University of Washington organizes an annual literary and storytelling series. Sacred Breath showcases Indigenous authors and narrators sharing their artistry at the stunning wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House located on the UW Seattle campus. Storytelling facilitates a spiritual bond and a sharing of sacred breath. In a similar vein, literature safeguards human experiences and principles. Both art forms are resilient and convey strength that instructs us on how to exist. Storytelling and vocal reading have the ability to influence audiences through the essence of presence, allowing for the immersion in the experience of sacred breath transfer as audiences engage deeply within the realms of stories and literary works.
Thursday, May 22 to Sunday, June 1, Timings Differ | Thrive, or What You Will (Theater)
THRIVE, OR WHAT YOU WILL narrates the story of Jeanne Baret, a gender-nonconforming 18th-century herbalist, who undertakes an 11-year expedition around the globe under the guise of a (male)botanist’s aide. As the first female to circumnavigate the planet, Jeanne’s expedition is illustrated through a fusion of historical fiction and modern-day issues. The play examines concepts of “discovery,” survival, authority, access, gender, and identity while emphasizing the subjective nature of history and self-perception. By blending the past and present, this grand narrative is humorous, captivating, meaningful, and untamed. Within this ensemble-driven journey for self-empowerment, the portrayal of Jeanne’s character transforms as Jeanne herself evolves.
Extra Events
May 19 | Baroque Ensemble (Music)
May 19 | The AI Con – How to Challenge Big Tech’s Hype and Shape the Future We Desire (Linguistics)
May 20 | Voice Division Recital (Music)
May 20 | Brechemin Piano Series (Music)
May 21 | Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium (CHID)
May 21 | George H. Cady Endowed Lecture in Inorganic Chemistry (Chemistry)
May 21 | Judge Joel Ngugi (Public Lecture)
May 22 | Guest Artist Concert: Ekmeles Vocal Ensemble (Music)
May 22 | Standing in Solidarity with Palestine: Transnational Resistance and Political Change in the United States (Jackson School)
May 23 | Severyns Ravenholt Seminar in Comparative Politics(Political Science)
May 23 | Modern Music Ensemble (Music)
May 23 | Guitar Studio Recital (Music)
Week of May 26
Thursday, May 29, 7:30 pm | UW Sings (School of Music)
The University Singers, Treble Choir, and UW Glee Club offer a diverse selection of music from various cultures, including folk melodies and adaptations of well-known music classics.
Thursday, May 29, 7:30 pm | Percussion Ensemble and UW Steelband (School of Music)
The UW Percussion Ensemble (Bonnie Whiting, director) alongside the UW Steelband (Gary Gibson, director) present an exhilarating end-of-year percussion celebration.
Extra Events
May 27 to June 6 | 2025 BA Exhibitions – Honors (Art + Art History + Design)
May 27 | Studio Jazz Ensemble and Modern Band (Music)
May 28 to May 30 |Conference on Space Ethics (Philosophy)
May 28 | The Geopoliticization of Essential Raw Materials: Eroding a Fair Global Green Transition (Jackson Center)
May 30 | International Security Colloquium at the University of Washington (Political Science)
May 30 | University Chorale and Chamber Singers: Blue Planet (Music)
May 30 | Philharmonia Orchestras of the Campus (Music)
Do you have an occasion you wish to be showcased in the ArtSci Roundup? Reach out to Kathrine Braseth ([email protected]).