The University of Washington is a major public research university in Seattle, Washington's University District. Locally known as "U Dub," it is the largest university in the Pacific Northwest and well-known for its programs in medicine, engineering, computer science, library and information science, and oceanography. It was founded in Downtown Seattle in 1861, and moved to its present location in 1895. Bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees are offered through the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Business School, the School of Dentistry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Forest Resources, The Graduate School, the Information School, the School of Law, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, the School of Pharmacy, the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, and the School of Social Work.
UW sports teams, students, and alumni are called Huskies. The sports teams participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and in the Pacific Ten Conference. Among their facilities are Husky Stadium and the Bank of America Arena at Hec Ed Pavilion.
The main campus is bounded on the west by 15th Avenue N.E., on the north by N.E. 45th Street, on the east by Mountlake Boulevard N.E., and on the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Its centerpiece is Suzzallo Library, which is situated at the east end of Central Plaza, better known as Red Square.
The campus was the site of the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition of 1909; the layout of the fair permanently affected the layout of the campus. There are also branch campuses in Tacoma and Bothell.
The University of Washington Medical Center, ranked by U.S. News and World Report among the top ten hospitals in the United States, occupies much of the south end of campus on land which used to be a golf course.
Most of the streets and major walkways on campus are named after the state's counties. Major exceptions are Memorial Way, named in honor of members of the UW community who died in World War I, and George Washington Lane.
The university is home to the Henry Art Gallery and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. |
