Affiliate professor of biology receives 2026 Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award��

, a research scientist and affiliate professor in the in the Department of Biology at the Ģ����Ƶ, was honored with the ��from the��. The award recognizes exemplary lifetime contributions to science and society through research, teaching, and service in marine mammalogy.��

Over a 40-year career, Moore’s research has focused on cetacean ecology, acoustics, and natural history, particularly in the Arctic. A prolific researcher, she is widely recognized as a pioneer in using marine mammals as ecosystem sentinels in this rapidly changing region. Over decades of studying whales, Moore has helped scientists understand the health of ocean environments and how they are changing over time. Her work provides critical insight into the impacts of climate change in the Arctic and how marine ecosystems are responding. Her contributions to Arctic science have also been recognized with the����from the International Arctic Science Committee and the 2023����from the Alaska SeaLife Center; she is also a science adviser to the Washington State Academy of��Sciences,��and was appointed Commissioner��of the�� in 2022.

Natt-Lingafelter professor of chemistry awarded 2026 Earle K. Plyler Prize��

,��professor of chemistry at the Ģ����Ƶ,��was��awarded the 2026�� from the American Physical Society for her impactful contributions to the anharmonic vibrational spectroscopy and dynamics of molecular radicals, ions, and clusters. Established in 1976, the prize honors pioneering spectroscopist Earle K. Plyler and is sponsored by the Journal of Chemical Physics. The prize will be presented at the APS Global Physics Summit, the world’s largest physics research conference, in March 2026.

McCoy’s research focuses on theoretical chemistry, where she develops methods to understand how molecules move, vibrate, and exchange energy. Her work has helped scientists better understand the fundamental behavior of molecules—providing insight into how chemical reactions occur and how energy flows through molecular systems. Much of her recent work has focused on hydrogen-bonded systems and, specifically, proton transport. She is also interested in exotic molecules, like CH5+ and H5+, which have been proposed to exist in the interstellar medium. These advances help lay the groundwork for progress in areas ranging from atmospheric chemistry to materials science.

Ģ����Ƶ joint professor of mathematics and computer science awarded inaugural Trevisan Prize��

Ģ����Ƶ professor ��has received the�� for his breakthrough contributions to the study of optimization problems.��Rothvoss��holds joint appointments in the Department of Mathematics and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering and was honored in the mid-career category—a recognition of his impactful work over the course of his career.

for outstanding work in the theory of computing is sponsored by the Department of Computing Sciences at Bocconi University and the Italian Academy of Sciences. Awardees receive a one-time monetary prize and a medal and are invited to give public lectures at Bocconi University. The award ceremony and lectures took place in January 2026.

Rothvoss��has built a distinguished record of contributions to theoretical computer science and discrete optimization. He shares that “over the years my focus has changed a bit…I worked on approximation algorithms, which deal with finding provably good solutions to NP-hard problems in polynomial time.” His work has since shifted toward discrepancy theory and the theoretical foundations of linear and integer programming.��In simple terms,��Rothvoss��studies��the mathematics��behind making��optimal��decisions��in��highly complex��systems. His research helps reveal when efficient solutions are��possible and optimization problems can be solved.��

Political��science��professor��receives John Gaus Award��

,��professor of��political��science at the Ģ����Ƶ,��received the����from the American Political Science Association��(APSA).��

The John Gaus Award is presented annually to honor a lifetime of exemplary scholarship in the joint tradition of political science and public administration. Prakash was selected unanimously for the award in recognition of a career devoted to advancing scholarship at the intersection of political science and public administration. A nomination letter noted that Prakash’s research, particularly on environmental issues, has helped bring environmental concerns into public administration in a variety of ways, including examining how businesses and NGOs can fill governance gaps. At the same time, the letter highlighted how his work explores the risks of these nontraditional governance mechanisms, including potential issues such as regulatory capture and accountability deficits.��

Prakash’s research spans environmental governance, public policy, and global political economy. Over the course of his career, he has published eight scholarly books and more than 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals, with his work cited more than 18,000 times across the field. As part of the honor, Prakash presented the Gaus Lecture at the APSA Annual Meeting in September 2025.

Washington Sea Grant��interim��director��receives��governor’s��leadership��award��

, interim director of Washington Sea Grant, received the��, which recognizes exemplary leadership and service to the state of Washington.

Little was honored for her work supporting the state’s coastal communities through Washington Sea Grant’s research, outreach, and partnership-driven initiatives.��

Little has dedicated more than 15 years to strengthening Washington’s coast through strategic vision, inclusive practices, and sustained investment in community-centered programs. Under her leadership, Washington Sea Grant delivered nearly $250 million in services and economic benefits statewide between 2021 and 2024, reflecting the program’s broad impact across coastal and maritime communities.��

“A big thank you to the team at Washington Sea Grant for the nomination,” Little said.��“I’m��deeply grateful to work alongside such thoughtful colleagues, who are so dedicated to our shared work.��I’m��so honored by this recognition from the��governor. This award really is a testament to the impact of Washington Sea Grant’s work in serving the state’s coastal communities.”

Biology��professor��awarded Rome Prize Fellowship in Environmental Arts & Humanities��

, professor of biology��at��the Ģ����Ƶ,��was awarded��the prestigious in the new Environmental Arts & Humanities category by the��. This pilot fellowship supports collaborative projects that explore how human beings relate to, experience, and interpret the natural world.

In partnership with Katharine Ogle, lecturer��of��English at��the University��of Southern California, Summers will pursue a project titled��“Piscis Romana.”��Their work draws on��natural history��research conducted at the Friday Harbor Laboratories to investigate the links between marine life,��ecology,��and poetic expression.��

“This��award will allow��Katie Ogle and��me to��further explore the links between poetry and natural history that have been developed by a group of us at Friday Harbor Labs,”��Summers said.��

Summers’ biological research spans marine and aquatic systems with a strong emphasis on understanding organismal form,��function,��and the broader natural-history context in which��species��evolve and interact. Partnering��with Ogle, he will extend that scientific inquiry into the realm of arts and humanities, looking at how the natural world inspires literary forms,��metaphors,��and cultural narratives.��

With this Rome Prize fellowship, Summers joins a competitive cohort selected from��nearly 1,000��applicants and will spend several��months in��residence at the Academy in Rome, working among scholars and artists from around the world.��

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The has awarded a prestigious fellowship to Ģ����Ƶ assistant professor to fuel his passion to balance precision and efficiency in complex mathematical calculations. The Packard Foundation honor early-career academics pursuing innovative research in all fields of science and engineering.

“It’s a great honor — and frankly, I’m still digesting the news,” said , who has joint appointments with the Department of Mathematics and the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, or CSE.

Rothvoss’ research probes the theoretical limits of computer algorithms designed to analyze large, complex datasets. He wants to understand when these algorithms operate quickly and efficiently and when they cannot. In situations where efficiency craters, he develops alternative mathematical methods that can approximate an optimal answer.

“This is really a problem of optimization,” said Rothvoss. “Let’s say you have a lot of objects of different weights and sizes — and boxes to pack them in. You want to optimize the packing process, grouping the objects into the smallest number of boxes as possible as quickly as possible.”

It could be possible to write an algorithm to perform this calculation and produce a plan for packing the objects in boxes, Rothvoss said. But, the scenario is so complex that the algorithm would be sluggish and inefficient.

“A better approach is to recognize these limitations and come up with algorithms that approximate an ideal answer,” said Rothvoss. “Find an efficient algorithm that gets you close to that optimum. That’s my specialty.”

Efficiency problems plague the era of big data. For example, today’s best DNA sequencers produce trillions of short sequences of DNA letters. It falls to computer scientists to write algorithms that can query these giant libraries of letters and assemble complete genome sequences of an individual or organism.

“This field is called ‘combinatorial optimization,'” said Rothvoss. “And it lies at the intersection of theoretical computer science and mathematics.”

A German native, Rothvoss became interested in the theoretical limits of computer science as an undergraduate at the Technical University of Dortmund. That meant spending more time in mathematics courses than the average computer science student, and he quickly became “hooked” on approximation methods.

Rothvoss earned his doctorate in 2009 from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, and later worked as a postdoctoral researcher both there and at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He came to the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Mathematics in 2014 as an assistant professor, and received a joint appointment with CSE in 2015.

As a Packard fellow, Rothvoss will receive $875,000 over five years. The Packard Foundation selects just each year from an initial pool of 100 nominees — two each from 50 universities. A 12-member panel of scientists and engineers selects the winners.

The fellows program began in 1988 to give early-career researchers — that is, those within the first three years of their first academic appointment — flexibility to pursue “risky” research avenues. As research funds atrophy from traditional sources, these fellowships become increasingly important for unlocking innovation.

“Basically, this means for the next five years that I can spend less time writing grants and more time doing research with my students,” said Rothvoss. “And that is wonderful news.”

Rothvoss is , eight of whom are still affiliated with the university. He is the first from the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Mathematics, but the third for CSE. Past Packard fellows from CSE are and , who is now CEO of Impinj, a Ģ����Ƶ spinoff.

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For more information, contact Rothvoss at 206-543-1723 or rothvoss@uw.edu.

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