UPDATE April 7, 2026:听The original version of this story omitted two UW programs that were included in the rankings: Occupational Therapy (Tied for 20th) and Physical Therapy (Tied for 31st).听

The 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs again were recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

Topping this year鈥檚 list include programs at the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, the School of Public Health, the School of Nursing, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering in the College of Engineering and the College of Education. The College of Arts & Sciences and the College of the Environment also had top-rated programs.

In total, 81 graduate and professional degree programs across the UW placed in the top 35 in this year鈥檚 U.S. News rankings.

“These rankings highlight the strength and impact of the 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional programs,鈥� said UW President Robert J. Jones. 鈥淭hese programs equip students with the skills and knowledge to meet critical workforce needs and serve society, while demonstrating the power of higher education to advance the public good. We are proud to foster an environment where students and faculty can thrive and have a real impact on the world around them.鈥�

While the UW celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The UW School of Law and the UW School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

UW leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 29 UW programs placed in the top 10, and 81 are in the top 35.

听The UW this year placed in the top 10 nationwide in public affairs, biostatistics,听 nursing, computer science, education, psychology, speech and language pathology, statistics and Earth sciences.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and tied for fifth in the nation this year. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second, while public finance and budgeting as well as leadership both ranked No. 10.

The UW School of Nursing鈥檚 doctor of nursing practice program tied for No. 1 among public institutions. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year at No. 9. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology.听

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 6.听 Two programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall with three programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language and systems.

U.S. News ranks biostatistics in two ways. UW ranked No. 3 as a science discipline that applies statistical theory and mathematical principles to research in medicine, biology, environmental science, public health and related fields. UW鈥檚 School of Public Health ranked No. 7 in biostatistics as an area of study that trains students to apply statistical principles and methods to problems in health sciences, medicine and biology. At the UW, biostatistics is a division of the School of Public Health.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. Programs in dentistry are not ranked.听

The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st (ranked in 2025)

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Biostatistics: 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Four-way tie for 4th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Four-way tie for 5th

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (systems): Tied for 6th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Psychology (clinical): Three-way tie for 6th

Speech-language pathology: Five-way tie for 6th

Statistics: Four-way tie for 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 7th

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): Tied for 7th

Education (secondary education): 7th

Nursing (midwifery): Five-way tie for 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Public Health (epidemiology): 8th

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 9th

Earth sciences: Tied for 9th听

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 9th

School of Public Health (overall): Tied for 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Five-way tie for 16th

Business (accounting): 10-way tie for 16th

Business (entrepreneurship): Five-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Three-way tie for 15th

Business (part-time MBA): Three-way tie for 11th

Business (full-time MBA): 20th

Business (management): Five-way tie for 25th

Business (marketing): Eight-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Seven-way tie for 22nd

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

Computer science (theory): Tied for 11th

College of Education (overall): Tied for 24th

Education (administration): Tied for 11th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Tied for 12th

Education (policy): Tied for 14th

Education (special education): Tied for 12th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Tied for 17th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Five-way tie for 12th

Engineering (civil): Four-way tie for 13th

Engineering (computer): 12th

Engineering (electrical): Three-way tie for 22nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Seven-way tie for 24th

Engineering (materials engineering): Five-way tie for 25th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Tied for 12th

Nurse practitioner (adult gerontology acute care): Tied for 11th

Nurse practitioner (family): Tied for 15th

School of Pharmacy (overall): Tied for 14th

Physics (overall): Tied for 20th听

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 14th

Public Affairs (social policy): Tied for 13th

Public Affairs (urban policy): Three-way tie for 21st

Public Health (health care management): Three-way tie for 16th听

Public Health (health policy and management): 11th

Public Health (social behavior): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2025)

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (analytics): Seven-way tie for 32nd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Nine-way tie for 31st

Business (international MBA): Tie for 32nd

Business (production & operations): Five-way tie for 27th

Engineering (chemical): Tied for 28th

Engineering (mechanical): 34th

English: Two-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2025)

Fine arts: 15-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st (ranked in 2025)

Mathematics: Four-way tie for 26th

Occupational Therapy: Tied for 20th

Physical Therapy: Tied for 31st

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd (ranked in 2025)

When the seven states of the Colorado River Basin first divided water rights in the 1920s, they handed out more than the river could reliably deliver, especially during periods of drought. Today, the basin supplies drinking water to 40 million people and irrigates 5 million acres of farmland across the southwestern United States, 30 tribal nations, and parts of Mexico.听听

Climate change has exacerbated shortages, with studies indicating that recent Colorado River flows are near their lowest in at least 2,000 years. That has had severe consequences for fish: Of the 49 fish species native to the Colorado River Basin, 44 are already threatened, endangered or extinct.听听

Standing agreements governing Colorado River management among states and between the U.S. and Mexico are set to expire after 2026. New research led by 天美影视传媒 water policy expert found that a market-based approach to managing water could provide more reliable supplies for farmers, communities and industry. The right market design and a little extra investment could also help threatened fish species.

The study, , details a new system for leasing rights to water from the basin while reallocating some water to imperiled habitats. Among the paper鈥檚 most substantial findings, researchers estimate that strategically spending 8% more than under the cheapest water conservation program could nearly triple the ecological benefits.听听

鈥淭here鈥檚 already a lot of money spent on water conservation agreements. Spending a little bit more money, especially in headwaters, could have outsized ecological impact,鈥� said Womble, who started this research as a graduate student and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University and is now a UW assistant professor in the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.听

Rights to the river鈥檚 water have been divided by a complex and contentious set of agreements. Under the , states in the river鈥檚 Upper Basin (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) agreed that they would not cause the river鈥檚 flow towards the Lower Basin (Arizona, California and Nevada) 鈥� just below the nation鈥檚 second-largest reservoir, Lake Powell 鈥� to be depleted below a 10-year rolling average of 7.5 million acre-feet per year.听听

As the climate crisis intensifies and a historic megadrought has lowered the amount of water in the river, a legal debate has erupted over how much water the Upper Basin states can use and how much they must leave to the Lower Basin states. The possibility of litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court looms.听听

In an effort to avoid the risk of sudden cutbacks, water users in the Lower Basin states have created systems for voluntary water market transactions. Some Upper Basin states, meanwhile, have explored a water market designed to reduce water consumption and keep water flowing to Lake Powell. But existing programs generally do not prioritize water for critical fish habitats.听

To quantify the cost of strategically improving fish habitat, researchers developed a model to simulate transactions and ecological impacts in Colorado鈥檚 headwaters, which contribute nearly a quarter of the river鈥檚 natural average annual flow into Lake Powell.听

In the proposed market model, water sellers 鈥� including farmers, irrigation organizations, and cities 鈥� would lease senior water rights to governments and non-governmental environmental organizations to protect threatened fish habitat. Those senior water rights are critical for environmental protection because they are fully allocated before newer, junior water rights receive any water.听

鈥淥ne key characteristic of water law across the western U.S. is our 鈥榰se it or lose it鈥� principle,鈥� Womble said. 鈥淭hat can be a disincentive to water conservation.鈥�听

The team evaluated six scenarios to understand potential outcomes in a future drought year. They compared a 鈥減rotected鈥� market 鈥� where newer water users are legally barred from diverting restored flows 鈥� to an unprotected market with no legal flow protections.听

Simulations showed that without reductions in water consumption, fish populations could face dire conditions for at least one month of the irrigation season along nearly the full length of the river. In contrast strategic transactions that reduce water use would benefit more than 380 miles of restorable river reaches. This includes hundreds of the most ecologically significant miles, which could see at least partial restoration of fish habitats.听听

鈥淚nstead of only reducing water consumption, strategic environmental water transactions would simultaneously reduce water consumption and preserve fish habitat at the lowest cost to the buyer,鈥� the authors write.听

Additional modeling results suggest that moderate cuts to water use could be achieved with $29 million spent in a protected market. Aggressive reductions might cost approximately $120 million. Comparable reductions would cost about 12% more in an unprotected market.听

The model indicates the most stringent market design 鈥� with aggressive water-use reductions and legal protections for conserved water 鈥� is 29% more cost effective than a less formal option.听

鈥淏y strategically directing river water to the right places, even under drought conditions, fish can be saved with targeted restoration at nominal additional cost,” said , a Stanford professor of Earth system science who is a senior author on the study.听听

Other authors include , a Stanford professor of natural resources law and of environmental social sciences, and J. Sebastian Hernandez-Suarez, who participated as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford.听听

Gorelick and Thompson are also senior fellows in the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Gorelick directs the Global Freshwater Initiative and Thompson is faculty director of the Water in the West program.听

This research was funded by the , Walton Family Foundation, the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability鈥檚 Emmett Interdisciplinary Program in Environment and Resources (E-IPER), a Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowship, Ishiyama Family Foundation, Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, a Landreth Family Grant, and a McGee/Levorsen grant from the Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences.听

Adapted from a .听听

UPDATE April 8,2025: An earlier version of this story included outdated rankings that were erroneously posted by U.S. News and have since been removed from the U.S. News ranking site. This story has been updated to reflect most recent rankings.

Many of the 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to .

The UW Information School tied for No. 1 alongside the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for library and information studies. And, more than 80 UW schools and departments placed prominently in the 2026 rankings.

While the UW celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and notes that many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The UW School of Law and the UW School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

UW leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations to improve their methodologies, to the extent that the organizations are open to it. Schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淎s these rankings demonstrate, the UW鈥檚 outstanding graduate and professional degree programs are leading the way in training highly skilled people to fill critical workforce needs and advance discovery and innovation in a wide range of fields,鈥� said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淚t has never been more important to recognize how much graduate and professional education benefit our nation and people everywhere, and the UW is proud to see these exceptional programs be celebrated.鈥�

Excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 32 UW programs placed in the top 10, and more than 80 are in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the UW placed in the top 10 nationwide in library and information studies, public affairs, nursing, speech and language pathology, education, public health, computer science, psychology and civil engineering, according to U.S. News.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and placed seventh in the nation. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second and nonprofit management and social policy each were ranked at No. 8.

This year鈥檚 rankings highlighted UW鈥檚 leadership in nursing and public health: The UW School of Nursing held the No. 1 overall ranking for a public school offering a doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are among the top 10 public institutions that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The School of Public Health has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade, coming in this year tied for No. 10. The school also had three programs in the top 10: biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology. And overall, the U.S. News rankings noted UW鈥檚 strength in health sciences: The School of Social Work was ranked No. 7 and the School of Pharmacy tied for 12th 鈥� or third among public institutions on the West Coast 鈥� on last year鈥檚 list, while dentistry programs are not ranked.

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology tied for No. 5, topping schools on the West Coast.听 Three programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10. And the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall, and four programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence, programming language, systems and theory.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. relies on both expert opinions and statistical indicators.

TOP 10:

Library and Information Studies (overall): Two-way tie for 1st

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Two-way for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Two-way for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Nursing (midwifery): 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Two-way tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Speech-language pathology: Six-way tie for 5th

Education (elementary education): 6th

Education (secondary education): 6th

Public Health (biostatistics): 6th

Computer science (overall): Four-way tie for 7th

Computer science (programming language): 7th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th (ranked in 2025)

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 8th

Computer science (systems): 8th

Education (curriculum/instruction): 8th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Two-way tie for 7th

Psychology (clinical): Six-way tie for 8th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 8th

Public Affairs (social policy): 8th

Public Health (epidemiology): Two-way tie for 8th

Computer science (theory): Three-way tie for 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Engineering (civil): Three-way tie for 10th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

School of Public Health (overall): Two-way tie for 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (part-time MBA): Two-way tie for 17th

Business (information systems): Two-way tie for 12th

Business (international MBA): Three-way tie for 20th

Business (supply chain management): Three-way tie for 21st (ranked in 2025)

Business (full-time MBA): Two-way tie for 22nd

Business (entrepreneurship): Three-way tie for 23rd

Business (executive MBA): Three-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Education (administration): Two-way tie for 12th

Education (policy): Three-way tie for 16th

Education (psychology): 19th

Education (special education): Two-way tie for 11th

College of Engineering (overall): Three-way tie for 20th

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Three-way tie for 15th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Four-way tie for 12th

Engineering (chemical): Two-way tie for 25th

Engineering (computer): Two-way tie for 13th

Engineering (electrical): Four-way tie for 18th

Engineering (environmental/environmental health): Four-way tie for 18th (ranked in 2025)

Engineering (materials engineering): Three-way tie for 24th

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Two-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Three-way tie for 12th

Nurse practitioner (family): Three-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2025)

College of Pharmacy (overall): Three-way tie for 12th (ranked in 2025)

Physics (overall): 20th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (healthcare management): Three-way tie for 16th

Public Health (health policy and management): 13th

Public Health (social behavior): Two-way tie for 12th

Public Affairs (global policy and administration): 14th

Public Affairs (public management and leadership): Three-way tie for 11th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Sociology (overall): Two-way tie for 22nd

Sociology (population): Two-way tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Three-way tie for 27th

Business (management): Three-way tie for 29th

Business (finance): Three-way tie for 31st

Business (marketing): Two-way tie for 32nd

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Three-way tie for 30th

Engineering (mechanical): Three-way tie for 30th

English: Two-way tie for 34th

History: Three-way tie for 31st

Mathematics: Three-way tie for 27th (ranked in 2024)

Political science: Five-way tie for 33rd

Psychology: Nine-way way tie for 30th

UPDATE:

On June 18, U.S. News & Report updated the rankings to include a number of engineering disciplines.听The College of Engineering was ranked No. 21 overall and nine subdisciplines ranked in the top 35. They include:

Engineering: Aerospace, Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering, 17th

Engineering: Chemical Engineering, 25th

Engineering: Civil Engineering,12th

Engineering: Computer Engineering, 12th

Engineering: Electrical, Electronic & Communications Engineering, 15th

Engineering: Environmental & Environmental Health Engineering, 18th

Engineering: Industrial Manufacturing & Systems Engineering, 29th

Engineering: Materials Engineering, 29th

Engineering: Mechanical Engineering, 33rd

Original story:

The 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 2025 Best Graduate Schools released late Monday.

While the UW celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

The UW School of Law and the UW School of Medicine withdrew from the U.S. News rankings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions.

UW leaders continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations 鈥� to the extent they are open to it 鈥� to improve their methodologies. And schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淎cross the UW, our world-class graduate and professional degree programs are not only expanding and creating knowledge and discovery, they are training the next generation of highly skilled professionals and Ph.D.s who are needed in our labs, classrooms and hospitals; in government and industry and everywhere that we face serious and urgent challenges,鈥� said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淲e鈥檙e happy to see the success of these programs be recognized.鈥�

Dozens of UW schools and departments placed prominently in the 2025 rankings 鈥� excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, more than 30 placed in the top 10, and more than 60 in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the UW placed in the top 10 nationwide in public affairs, nursing, speech and language pathology, computer science, education, public health, social work and business, according to U.S. News.

The UW鈥檚 Evans School of Public Policy & Governance has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and placed eighth in the nation. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program was ranked second, nonprofit management and social policy each ranking at No. 8, public finance and budgeting came in at No. 10.

This year鈥檚 rankings solidified UW leadership in the health sciences: The UW School of Nursing tied for third place for the doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma are among the top 10 public institutions that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The School of Public Health tied for No. 7, and had three programs 鈥� biostatistics, environmental health sciences and epidemiology 鈥� in the top 10. The School of Social Work was ranked No. 7 this year and the School of Pharmacy placed third among public institutions on the West Coast. Dentistry programs are not ranked by U.S. News

The UW鈥檚 programs in speech and language pathology ranked No. 5, topping schools on the West Coast.听 Three programs from the College of Education placed in the top 10, and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering this year tied for seventh place overall, and three programs ranked in the top 10, including artificial intelligence at No. 6, programming language at No. 8, and systems at No. 9.

U.S. News said it would release 2025 rankings for clinical psychology and other engineering programs at a later date.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. Information about U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 methodology can be found .

TOP 10:

Public Affairs (environmental policy): 2nd

Library and Information Studies (overall): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information studies (digital librarianship): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Two-way tie for 3rd

Physics (nuclear): Tied for 3rd (ranked in 2024)

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Speech-language pathology: Four-way tie for 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 6th

Nurse midwifery: Tie for 6th

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 7th

Education (secondary education): 7th

Education (elementary education): 7th

School of Public Health (overall): Tie for 7th

Public Health (biostatistics): 7^th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 7th

School of Social Work (overall): 7th

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Computer science (programming language): 8th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Three-way tie for 8th

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): 8th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 8th

Public Affairs (social policy): 8th

Computer science (systems): 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (epidemiology): 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 10th

Business (part-time MBA): Three-way tie for 10th

Business (information systems): Two-way tie for 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (marketing): Six-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2024)

Business (analytics): Four-way tie for 19th

Business (entrepreneurship): Four-way tie for 21st

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th (ranked in 2024)

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd (ranked in 2024)

Computer science (theory): 11th

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 23rd

Education (administration/supervision): Two-way tie for 11th

Education (policy): Two-way tie for 19th

Education (special education): 11th

Mathematics (applied math): 21st (ranked in 2024)

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Two-way tie for 12th

Nurse practitioner (family): Three-way tie for 11th

College of Pharmacy (overall): Three-way tie for 12th

Physics (overall): 20th (ranked in 2024)

Public Health (health policy and management): Tie for 14th

Public Health (social behavior): 14th

Public Affairs (global policy): 14th

Public Affairs (leadership): Three-way tie for 11th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Psychology: Seven-way way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (overall): Three-way tie for 20th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (population): Tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Four-way tie for 29th

Business (full-time MBA): Two-way tie for 27th

Business (supply chain management): Three-way tie for 21st

English: Seven-way tie for 32nd (ranked in 2022)

History: Four-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics: Three-way tie for 27th (ranked in 2024)

Political science: Three-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

The 天美影视传媒 community is mourning the passing of Nancy Bell Evans 鈥� a supporter of education, health care, and arts and culture, and someone who brought energy, grace, and passion to public and nonprofit service.

鈥淣ancy was a true civic leader who dedicated her life to helping others, including UW students and the state we all serve. She was not only a supporter of the UW鈥檚 Evans School, she was an inspiration to the many students who will follow her footsteps into public service. Nancy鈥檚 advocacy for early childhood education has benefitted countless Washington children, and her work supporting health care 鈥� from cancer care to public health efforts 鈥� has helped so many people live healthier, longer lives. And Nancy鈥檚 support for the arts and historic preservation, including preserving the Governor鈥檚 Mansion, has brought so much joy and beauty to our state. Nancy鈥檚 passion was boundless and she combined intelligence with heart in everything she did. Our thoughts are with Governor Evans and all of Nancy鈥檚 family and loved ones as we mourn the loss of a remarkable woman,鈥� said President Ana Mari Cauce.

鈥淎s a newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, Nancy welcomed me with open arms and shared poignant stories about nonprofits and politics, here and in D.C. She and her family represent the best tradition of deep dialogue and discussion that helps us work across our differences for the good of us all,鈥� said Jodi Sandfort, Dean of the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.

Evans currently served on the UW Foundation Board and the Dean鈥檚 Council at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.听 She also was on the visiting committee of the School of Public Health, as well as an honorary co-chair of the Evans School鈥檚 campaign.

The 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to听 released late Monday.

While the UW celebrates the success and impact of the programs recognized by U.S. News 鈥� and many applicants use these rankings to help them select schools and discover potential areas of study 鈥� the University also recognizes shortcomings inherent in the ranking systems.

In the past year, the and the withdrew from the U.S. News rankings citing concerns that some of the methodology in the rankings for those specific disciplines incentivize actions and policies that run counter to the schools鈥� public service missions. U.S. News announced last week that rankings for law and medicine will be published at a later date due to 鈥渁n unprecedented number of inquiries鈥� received from schools.

UW leaders will continue to work with U.S. News and other ranking organizations 鈥� to the extent they are open to it 鈥� to improve their methodologies. And schools, colleges and departments continually reevaluate the benefits and potential shortfalls of participating in specific rankings.

鈥淥ur public University is committed to delivering a world-class education and training to the talented graduate and professional students who come here to pursue their academic and career goals. We measure our success first and foremost by the impact their students and alumni make in Washington and throughout the world,鈥� said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. 鈥淭hese rankings, which are just one of many metrics of success, reflect the UW鈥檚 leadership in providing outstanding graduate and professional degree programs.鈥�

Dozens of UW schools and departments placed prominently in the 2024 rankings 鈥� excluding the School of Law and the School of Medicine, 35 placed in the top 10, and more than 75 in the top 35.

In new rankings released this year, the UW leads the nation in public affairs, nursing,听physics, education, computer science, public health and Earth sciences, according to U.S. News.

The听听has maintained its top-10 ranking for more than a decade and tied for eighth place with the University of Chicago. The Evans School鈥檚 environmental policy program tied for second in the nation with Duke University, nonprofit management was ranked No. 5 and public finance and budgeting came in at No 9.

This year鈥檚 rankings solidified UW leadership in the health sciences: The听听held the No. 1 overall ranking for a public school offering a doctor of nursing practice program, and nursing schools at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma again collectively tied for No. 1 among public schools that offer a master鈥檚 degree. The tied for No. 5, and had four programs 鈥� biostatistics, environmental health sciences, epidemiology and social behavior 鈥� in the top 10. Previous year鈥檚 rankings placed the at No. 2 and the at No. 7. Schools offering dentistry programs are not ranked by U.S. News.

The this year tied for fifth place overall alongside University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and three programs ranked in the top 10, including programming language at No. 5, and artificial intelligence and systems both at No. 7.

Five programs from the placed in the top 10 and the was recognized with five-way tie for the No. 9 spot in Earth sciences. The 鈥� nuclear physics department tied for No. 3 with Stony Brook University, joining statistics in the ranking鈥檚 top 10.

In some cases, such as the College of Arts & Science and the Foster School of Business, U.S. News ranks several professional disciplines housed within academic units. The rankings below are based on preliminary data and may be updated. Information about U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 methodology can be found听.

TOP 10:

Public Affairs (environmental policy): Tie for 2nd

Library and Information Studies (overall): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and information studies (digital librarianship): Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (information systems): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

School of Social Work (overall): Five-way tie for 2nd (ranked in 2019)

Nurse practitioner (doctor of nursing practice): Three-way tie for 2nd

Physics (nuclear): Tied for 3rd

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): Tie for 4th

Library and Information Studies (library services for children and youth): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Education (secondary education): 5th

Education (elementary听education): Tie for 5th

Public Affairs (nonprofit management): 5th

School of Public Health (overall): Three-way tie for 5th

Psychology (clinical): Three-way tie for 5th (ranked in 2021)

Computer science (overall): Tie for 5th

Computer science (programming language): Tie for 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Nurse practitioner (pediatric primary care): Tie for 5th

Public Health (biostatistics):听6th

Computer science (artificial intelligence): 7th

Computer science (systems): 7th

Pharmacy: Six-way tie for 7th (ranked in 2021)

Statistics: Tie for 7th (ranked in 2022)

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Tie for 8th

Public Health (environmental health sciences): 8th

Nurse midwifery: Three-way tie for 8th (ranked in 2021)

Public Health (epidemiology): 9th

Speech-language pathology: Six-way tie for 10th (ranked in 2022)

Geophysics: Three-way tie for 9th

Earth sciences: Five-way tie for 9th

Education (special education): 9th

Public Affairs (public finance and budgeting): 9th

Education (curriculum/instruction): Tie for 10th

Education (administration/supervision): Three-way tie for 10th

Public Health (social behavior): 10th

TOP 25:

Biological sciences: Three-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Business (full-time MBA): 20th

Business (information systems): Three-way tie for 17th

Business (marketing): Six-way tie for 23rd

Business (part-time MBA): Tie for 11th

Chemistry (analytical): Four-way tie for 16th

Chemistry: Three-way tie for 24th

Chemistry (inorganic): Three-way tie for 22nd

Computer science (theory): 11th

College of Education (overall): Two-way tie for 11th

Education (policy): 14th

College of Engineering (overall): 25th

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): 17th

Engineering (biomedical): Four-way tie for 14th

Engineering (chemical): Three-way tie for 24th

Engineering (computer): Three-way tie for 13th

Engineering (civil): Six-way tie for 19th

Engineering (electrical): Seven-way tie for 16th

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Six-way tie for 21st

Engineering (environmental/environmental health): Four-way tie for 21st

Engineering (mechanical): Five-way tie for 28th

Health care management (School of Public Health): Three-way tie for 16th

Mathematics (applied math): 21st

Nurse practitioner (family): 12th

Physics (overall): 20th

Public Health (health policy and management): 12th

Public Affairs (leadership): 11th

Public Affairs (local government management): Four-way tie for 24th

Public Affairs (public policy analysis): 13th

Public Affairs (social policy): 15th

Psychology: Seven-way way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2022)

Library and Information Studies (school library media): Tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (overall): Three-way tie for 20th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (population): Tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Five-way tie for 29th

Business (analytics): Four-way tie for 34th

Business (management): Nine-way tie for 27th

Business (executive MBA): Four-way tie for 27th

Engineering (materials engineering): Three-way tie for 34th

English: Seven-way tie for 32nd (ranked in 2022)

History: Four-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Mathematics:听Three-way tie for 27th

Political science: Three-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

For more information, contact Victor Balta at balta@uw.edu.

UW鈥檚 Lincoln Johnson receives student union association鈥檚 highest honor

Lincoln Johnson, associate vice president for student life at the UW, has been recognized with ACUI鈥檚 highest honor, the , for his significant contributions to the college union and student activities movement.

Founded in 1914, is a nonprofit educational organization that brings together college union and student activities professionals from hundreds of schools in seven countries.

Johnson has more than 30 years of senior leadership experience in higher education, working at small, large, public, private and faith-based institutions. He鈥檚 been an active volunteer with ACUI since 1995 and has been at the since 1996, where he first served as director of the Husky Union.

鈥淔or decades, Lincoln Johnson has continued to serve as a role model for our association and our campus communities,鈥� said ACUI Chief Executive Officer John Taylor. 鈥淗is willingness to participate, the energy he directs toward others to become involved, and his commitment to maintaining a culture of care on campuses are but a few of the attributes that have made his contributions so significant.鈥�

Johnson received the award during a live ceremony at the Association鈥檚 2022 Annual Conference in Chicago. In making the announcement before a live audience, Dave Barnes, James Madison University director of University Unions and ACUI past president (2012鈥�13), reflected on nominator statements in support of Johnson receiving the honor.

鈥淗e constantly reminded me of that difference that I and so many of my colleagues were making, making it clear that we were supported whole-heartedly,鈥� one student nominator wrote. 鈥淗e emphasized that our work, and more importantly, that we as individuals, mattered. It made all the difference.鈥�

You can view Johnson鈥檚 acceptance speech .

* * *

UW receives INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine鈥檚 Jesse L. Moore 2022 Supplier Diversity Award

The UW received the from magazine, the oldest and only print diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.

The award is a national recognition honoring colleges and universities that take proactive steps to support and engage with minority-owned businesses through supplier diversity offices, unique programs and leading initiatives.

The UW was recognized for its , which supports the University鈥檚 commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion by encouraging the UW community to consider small, local and diverse businesses when sourcing and purchasing goods and services. It is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team, which includes Procurement Services, UW Facilities and the Foster School of Business Consulting and Business Development Center.

鈥淭he UW Business Diversity and Equity team is proud of its collective efforts to identify, utilize and grow small and diverse businesses,鈥� said Monica Acevedo-Soto, interim director for Facilities and Business Diversity at the UW. 鈥淪upplier diversity programs help communities and businesses thrive. Creating equity in business opportunities and diversity in our supplier base is integral to the UW鈥檚 values and exemplifies our commitment to making a positive social and economic impact in the community.鈥�

The Business Diversity and Equity Program worked to raise awareness campuswide to the value of engaging with new and existing diverse businesses and providing opportunities for them to grow and thrive. Examples of collaborative efforts recognized by this award include student internships focusing on supplier diversity, a consulting and business development program offered to minority-owned small businesses, and inclusion goals for capital projects focused on minority-owned small businesses.

Winners will be announced in the April 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

* * *

Ben Brunjes begins fellowship with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Policy Planning and Liaison

, an assistant professor of public policy at the UW Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, this month will begin a fellowship with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Policy Planning and Liaison.

The fellowship is designed to meet the Biden administration鈥檚 mandate for studies and recommendations to increase equity in federal procurement. The administration last December in order to better serve small businesses owned by women and people of color.

An expert in federal contracts and government procurement, Brunjes will advise SBA officials; help create and update federal procurement rules and regulations; identify and share new data on federal contracting; and study trends in and the performance of federal procurement equity programs. More specifically, the work includes studying disparities by location and type of industry among small businesses owned by women and people of color, and how to provide tools and incentives to improve contracting and potential community revitalization.

鈥淭he SBA’s equity programs help support growing businesses around the U.S. This fellowship will give me the chance to help improve access for small businesses,鈥� Brunjes said. 鈥淧rocurement equity programs are among the most successful social improvement policies in our country and making them work better will improve the lives of hard-working Americans in communities that need investment the most.

The fellowship runs through Sept. 15, alongside Brunjes鈥� current responsibilities in the Evans School.

* * *

Yong Wei honored by NOAA as ‘Ambassador of Tsunami Risk Assessment’

, a senior research scientist at the UW-based , was recently honored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration鈥檚 Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory as an 鈥淎mbassador of Tsunami Risk Assessment.鈥�

Wei is an expert in tsunami modeling, coastal flooding, and tsunami effects on structures in the U.S. and overseas. He is currently working on a multiyear NOAA project to assess tsunami hazards and develop 鈥淭sunami Design Zones鈥� for select overseas State Department facilities.

Wei helped developed probabilistic tsunami risk maps to update the American Society of Civil Engineers鈥� design standards, and applied these new design criteria in a UW鈥揘OAA project funded by the U.S. Navy and the National Institute of Building Science to . In the Pacific Northwest, Wei performed tsunami inundation modeling and debris tracking for the Oregon State University鈥檚 Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building in Newport, Oregon, which last year won an for its focus on coastal resilience.

The 天美影视传媒鈥檚 graduate and professional degree programs were widely recognized as among the best in the nation, according to听 rankings released late Monday.

Dozens of UW schools and departments placed prominently in the 2023 rankings 鈥� 41 placed in the top 10, and more than 100 in the top 35.

Leading the nation, the UW School of Medicine ranked No. 1 for both primary care education and for family medicine training. Other notable achievements in the top 10 are nursing, , social work, computer science, , public health and public affairs.

鈥淢eeting the challenges facing our world will require deep expertise, innovation and discovery,鈥� UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. 鈥淚 am proud to see the UW鈥檚 outstanding researchers, educators and healthcare providers recognized for all that they do to address these challenges and train the next generation of professionals and Ph.D.s whose work will help to create a healthier, more equitable and more sustainable world.鈥�

In addition to its No. 1 position in primary care education and family medicine training, the also placed No. 2 among public institutions for research. The school maintains its position as second in the nation in federal grant funding with $966 million of federal grants in 2020.

The received the No. 1 overall ranking for a public school offering a doctor of nursing practice program, and the No. 2 position overall. The nursing schools at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma collectively tied for No. 1 among public schools that offer a master鈥檚 degree, and placed No. 5 overall.

The tied for No. 2 in the nation alongside University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis. This is the highest ranking the school has received since the initiation of this national survey.

Ranked second among public institutions and third overall, the has maintained its top-10 ranking for the sixth consecutive year. The Evans School also ranked in the top 10 in the following areas: environmental policy, public finance and budgeting and nonprofit management.

Information about U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 methodology can be found听.

TOP 10:

Primary care medical schools: 1st

Family medicine: 1st

Law librarianship: 1st (ranked in 2017)

Environmental policy: 2nd

Library and information studies: Tied for 2nd听(ranked in 2022)

Digital librarianship: Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Information systems (library and information studies): 2nd (ranked in 2022)

Microbiology: Tie for 2nd (ranked in 2019)

School of Social Work (overall): Three-way tie for 2nd

Doctor of Nursing Practice (overall): Three-way tie for 2nd

Biostatistics:听3rd

Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (overall): Five-way tie for 3rd

Computer science (programming language): 4th

Computer science (artificial intelligence): Three-way tie for 5th

Library services for children and youth: Tie for 5th (ranked in 2022)

Education (secondary education): 5th

Nurse practitioner (pediatric acute care): Two-way tie for 5th

Nursing master鈥檚 (overall): 5th

Nonprofit management: 5th

Psychology (clinical): Three-way tie for 5th (2021)

Computer science (overall): Three-way tie for 6th

Education (elementary听education): 6th

Pediatrics: 6th

Physics (nuclear): Two-way tie for 6th

Education (special education): Tie for 7th

Pharmacy: Six-way tie for 7th (ranked in 2021)

Statistics: Four-way tie for 7th

Geriatrics: 7th (ranked in 2018)

Education (curriculum/instruction): 8th

Nurse midwifery: Three-way tie for 8th (ranked in 2021)

Public finance and budgeting: Tie for 8th

Engineering (computer): Four-way tie for 9th

Computer science (systems): 9th

School of Medicine (overall): 9th

School of Public Health (overall): 9th

Speech-language pathology: Six-way tie for 10th (ranked in 2022)

Chemistry (analytical): Two-way tie for 10th

Education (administration): 10th

Genetics/Genomics/Bioinformatics: Six-way tie for 10th

Nurse practitioner (family): 10th

Part-time (evening) MBA: 10th

TOP 25:

Anesthesiology: 19th

Biological sciences: Two-way tie for 23rd

Business (information systems): 17th

Business (marketing): Four-way tie for 22nd

Chemistry: Five-way tie for 25th

Chemistry (inorganic): 22nd

Computer science (theory): 11th

College of Education (overall): Tie for 12th

Earth sciences: 11th

Education (psychology): 13th

Education (policy): Three-way tie for 19th

College of Engineering (overall): Tie for 24th

Engineering (aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical): Three-way tie for 17th

Engineering (biomedical/bioengineering): Five-way tie for 13th

Engineering (chemical): Four-way tie for 20th

Engineering (civil): Eight-way tie for 17th

Engineering (electrical): Six-way tie for 19th

Engineering (environmental/environmental health): Five-way tie for 21st

Engineering (industrial/manufacturing/systems): Three-way tie for 21st

Foster School of Business (overall): Three-way tie for 22nd

Geology: Three-way tie for 15th

Geophysics/seismology: 11th

Health care management: Tie for 15th (ranked in 2019)

Internal medicine: 13th

Law (dispute resolution): Five-way tie for 19th (ranked in 2022)

Local government management: Two-way tie for 18th

Mathematics (applied math): Two-way tie for 18th

Mathematics (analysis): Three-way tie for 22nd

Mathematics (topology): Five-way tie for 20th

Nurse practitioner (adult, acute care): Tie for 13th (ranked in 2019)

Nurse practitioner (psychiatric/mental health): Three-way tie for 11th (ranked in 2021)

Obstetrics and gynecology: Two-way tie for 13th

Occupational therapy: Six-way tie for 23rd (ranked in 2021)

Physics: Three-way tie for 20th

Physician assistant: 14th (ranked in 2021)

Psychology: Seven-way tie for 23rd

Public management and leadership: 11th

Public policy analysis: 14th

Radiology: Three-way tie for 16th

School library media: Tie for 11th (ranked in 2022)

Social policy: 12th

Sociology: Three-way tie for 20th (ranked in 2022)

Sociology (population): Tie for 15th (ranked in 2022)

Surgery: Two-way tie for 20th

TOP 35:

Business (accounting): Six-way tie for 28th

Business (management): Four-way tie for 26th

Business (finance): Seven-way tie for 27th

Business (entrepreneurship): Seven-way tie for 27th

Business (executive MBA): Five-way tie for 31st

Engineering (materials): Six-way tie for 27th

Engineering (mechanical): Four-way tie for 34th

English: Seven-way tie for 32nd (ranked in 2022)

History: Four-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Law (environmental): Three-way tie for 31st

Law (clinical training): Eleven-way tie for 35th

Law (criminal): Seven-way tie for 32nd

Law (intellectual property law): Four-way tie for 28th

Law (tax law): Five-way tie for 34th

Mathematics:听Three-way tie for 26th

Physical therapy: Nine-way tie for 25th (ranked in 2021)

Political science: Three-way tie for 34th (ranked in 2022)

Urban policy: Two-way tie for 27th

The above rankings were those available under embargo. More schools may be listed and this story will be updated.

A five-year, eight-state study of monetary sanctions 鈥� the fines and fees people are sentenced to for everything from a traffic citation to court costs following a felony conviction 鈥� reveals the devastating consequences for the people involved, within a system that perpetuates racial and social injustice.

The study, led by , professor of sociology at the 天美影视传媒, involved a team of student and faculty researchers from around the country, including , assistant professor of public policy at the UW Evans School. The work was published online in January as a double volume of related articles in .

The project, Harris said, taught the research team and potentially, decision-makers and the general public, a lot about monetary sanctions. Legal fines and fees, or LFOs, have vast ramifications for people鈥檚 lives, from their ability to attain and build wealth, to their employment and housing stability, their health and wellness, even their ability to participate in public life through driving and voting. These prohibitions and limitations, then, can impact people鈥檚 families, and even entire neighborhoods.

Harris sat down with UW News to discuss the scope of the project, and what comes next.

What do people generally get wrong, or simply not understand, about this issue?

Many people think, 鈥淭hey did the crime, they have to do the time,鈥� and see fines and fees as a way to 鈥渉old people accountable.鈥� However, what many people do not realize is that most people convicted of offending are sentenced to an array of punishments. Upon conviction, people are regularly sentenced to jail or prison and typically receive community supervision (probation) after their release. They also may have mandated community service hours, classes and treatment; they may lose the right to drive and vote; and they have convictions on their records that impact housing, education loans and access, and employment prospects.

On top of all of these serious consequences, people receive monetary sanctions. Across the nation, people who are convicted in municipal and felony courts are getting plenty of punishment and are being held accountable. The added punishment of monetary sanctions serves as a disparate punishment for people who are poor 鈥� the penal debt creates a longer period of punishment and a more intense strain on their lives and that of their children and families.

Describe how this work seemed to open up new lines of research, such as on the emotional impacts of legal financial obligations, and the impacts of LFOs on specific populations, such as women and Native Americans.

Our five years of data collection and analysis gave us further insight into the nuanced ways the punishment of monetary sanctions affects people. In our interview data we examined how the punishment of fines and fees, and the related tethering to the criminal legal system (via warrants, mandated court appearances and re-incarceration), created health stressors. People palpably described how their inability to pay off fines and fees generated chronic and acute moments of anxiety, stress and even depression.

We also examined how fines and fees might go beyond just individuals and their families. Using court data from Washington state, we were able to map out the amount of fiscal penalties sentenced per person within a given census tract (neighborhood).听 We were able to identify, in one of the articles in the new volume, what we term as neighborhoods that carry a high monetary sanction debt burden per capita. These debtor鈥檚 blocks tended to be non-white neighborhoods and those with higher poverty, and had an average higher rate of monetary sanctions than communities that were more affluent and those with larger numbers of white residents. This analysis also found a longitudinal association between a neighborhood鈥檚 increase in poverty and the amount of fiscal penalties to which the residents had been sentenced. That is, it appears that monetary sanctions exacerbate a community鈥檚 poverty level, and this was especially true for communities of color.

In a related analysis, one that focused on court sentencing data from Minnesota, the authors found that in criminal court and carried the largest average LFO debt loads relative to other racial and ethnic groups in Minnesota, particularly when residing close to tribal lands. They also found that monetary sanctions exacerbated existing poverty and spatial isolation in rural areas.

Moving forward I am interested in better understanding the outcome from policy reform.听 We have seen a national movement that attempts to assuage the harms related to monetary sanctions. I have a new study where I am examining how policy reforms have impacted individuals sentenced to fines and fees 鈥� both in the amounts of relief they have been given across counties and also in regaining their right to drive.

How did this study provide new opportunities for collaboration and student scholarship?

This five-year study and funding from Arnold Ventures was an amazing opportunity to invite senior and junior academics to develop a multi-state research team. I call it my Dream Team. It was also a great way to have graduate and undergraduate students join the team, engage in research development, data collection and analysis. One of my aims with this project was to increase the number of scholars interested in researching the system of monetary sanctions.听 Another goal was to create a team environment for younger scholars (both scholars without tenure and graduate students) to have the opportunity to conduct research on a large team, gain hands-on experience, and publish with senior academics. At the end of five years, we had over 50 scholars engage in data collection, analysis and write-up. To date, we have over 36 peer-reviewed publications and reports from our project, with more under review and in development. Almost all of these papers involved a mix of graduate students and professors, or were solely graduate student partnerships created within our team.

Your research points to the way LFOs perpetuate racial and social injustice, through governments that have come to depend on the revenue. What are some possible solutions?

Our research over the past five years suggests several policy changes that would help ensure that people convicted of violating the law are held accountable to a reasonable punishment without excessive penalties.

First, we suggest that state legislators should reduce the scope of monetary sanctions by reducing or eliminating jurisdictional reliance on the funding from those sanctions. States should also eliminate the use of private agencies for debt collection, surveillance and data management.

Second, we argue that state legislatures, through policy and courts in practice, should eliminate arbitrary and excessive monetary sanctions. To do so, judges should be mandated to evaluate, at sentencing, current ability to pay, with clear guidelines. Courts should also evaluate the definition and guidelines used to assess behavior constituting 鈥渨illful nonpayment.鈥�

Third, states should enact legislation that would decouple unpaid fines and fees from other institutions. For example, states should eliminate the practice of suspending driver鈥檚 licenses of people who are unable to pay their fines and fees. Similarly, states should allow people to exercise their right to vote even if they still owe monetary sanctions.

Finally, state courts should mandate that jurisdictions make data accessible and transparent on monetary sanctions to the public, defendants, and policymakers.

These reforms 鈥� tangible changes state legislatures and state courts could impose 鈥� would provide better protections for people who are poor from the system of monetary sanctions. I think it is important to outline incremental policy reform that would give relief to people who are currently entangled in the criminal legal system. That said, I do argue, based on 14 years of research on this topic, that a system of monetary sanctions can never be 鈥渏ust鈥� within a society with so much racial and economic inequality. To begin to address the injustice of the criminal legal system in America, the system of monetary sanctions should be abolished.

For more information, contact Harris at yharris@uw.edu.

More than a year into the pandemic, Washington nonprofits have shown resiliency in serving their communities and staying afloat, a study from the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the 天美影视传媒 shows.

The new study explores not only how the pandemic economy impacted donations to, and the operations of, charitable organizations, but also how nonprofits responded to the simultaneous call for racial justice.

鈥淭he dual pandemic created challenges and opportunities for funding, service delivery and operations,鈥� said , a doctoral candidate in public policy and one of the report鈥檚 authors. 鈥淐hanges made by nonprofits and funders will bring long-term benefits in terms of access to services and a greater focus on addressing racial inequities.ut the short-term sacrifices 鈥� especially for smaller, BIPOC-led and -serving organizations 鈥� were significant. And those sacrifices are ongoing.鈥�

The marks the second phase of research into the effects of the pandemic on Washington鈥檚 nonprofit sector. The first phase, published in fall 2020, surveyed more than 200 organizations and showed how donations were down, community needs were up, and called on governments and other institutions to step up their support.

A year later, new findings from a subset of 37 organizations have revealed how public and private relief funds came to the rescue for many organizations but can鈥檛 be counted on over the long term. The new phase of research also concentrated on how organizations responded to communities of color and incorporated diversity, equity and inclusion into their decision-making and administration.

The more than three dozen organizations sampled for this second phase were based around the state and included those in health and human services, education, the environment and the arts. Researchers interviewed nonprofit leaders during spring and summer 2021.

Among the findings:

• Nonprofits have been stretched thin in an effort to continue providing services. Some shut down programs that were running at a deficit and others had to close their doors altogether
• Emergency relief funds and generous donations helped stave off even more dramatic losses than were expected after the first several months of the pandemic, when last year鈥檚 study found that funding was down 30%. Some nonprofits noted that a switch to online services helped reduce costs, so they could make the donations go even further
• Rapidly-mobilized federal assistance programs, especially the Paycheck Protection Program, were critical in keeping many nonprofits solvent at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis
• Some large foundations and government agencies prioritized nonprofits serving communities of color by increasing funding or loosening certain application and reporting requirements

• More nonprofits were able to engage in advocacy and participate in the legislative process as a result of their ability to provide online as it eliminated time and resource barriers
• Many nonprofits instituted or strengthened existing efforts to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in their organizations. Researchers say it remains to be seen whether this results in stronger efforts to combat underlying structural racism.

鈥淲e鈥檝e known that there are deep racial disparities in the nonprofit sector,鈥� says report co-author and . 鈥淪eeing that their values, including their commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and access, were out of alignment with their mission, many nonprofits started shifting program priorities and engaging in advocacy efforts. There鈥檚 a lot more work to be done, but this trend is promising.鈥�

In light of the findings, researchers recommend governments and large foundations take further steps to help nonprofits continue to provide essential services: allocating funding over longer periods of time (beyond just emergency relief), and imposing fewer restrictions on funds, thus allowing nonprofits to take actions they deem necessary both to survive and to serve their communities. 鈥淣onprofits are closer to the communities they serve and understand the dynamic nature of the challenges those communities face. Trust them,鈥� the authors wrote.

The study was funded by the Nancy Bell Evans Endowment for Excellence at the UW.

For more information, contact Associate Teaching Professor Erica Mills Barnhart at enm@uw.edu.