Digital Accessibility Liaisons' Meeting
Join us as we welcome new and existing Digital Accessibility Liaisons members to our third Community of Practice meeting of the 2025-2026 academic year! We hope you can join us. Agenda Highlights , 1:00 to 1:10 — Opening and Welcome , 1:10 to 1:20 — How are we doing two days away from the DOJ deadline? Including updates on new tools and procedures , , 1:20 to 1:30 — Comments and Q&A , 1:30 to 1:35 — Break , 1:35 to 2:15 — Community Partners: Working together to build digital accessibility UW Tacoma , UW Bothell , UW Medicine , , 2:15 to 2:25 — Updates & What’s next , 2:25 to 2:30 — Closing message How far we’ve come , Looking ahead to an even more accessible future , , To become a Digital Accessibility Liaison, please visit the Digital Accessibility Liaisons webpage.
The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request…
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96052250328. Accessibility Contact: ats-events@uw.edu. Event Types: Meetings. Target Audience: Digital Accessibility Liaisons.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM.
Stanley D. Wilson Memorial Lecture: Foundation Performance of the Millennium Tower in San Francisco, California by Jonathan P. Stewart
Shannon & Wilson and the University of Washington's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are pleased to host the 2026 annual Stanley D. Wilson Memorial Lecture.
This year's Wilson Lecturer, Jonathan P. Stewart, PhD, PE, NAE, will present “Foundation Performance of Millennium Tower In San Francisco, California” on Thursday, April 23 at 5:30 PM at the University of Washington Tower Auditorium. Reception to follow. This event is free to the public.
The Stanley D. Wilson Memorial Lecture was established in 1989 to foster and maintain the spirit of thoughtful and practical engineering solutions.
Lecture Highlights
The Millennium Tower is a 58-story reinforced concrete building that was constructed in San Francisco, California between 2005 and 2009. The Tower is founded on an embedded pile-supported mat with pile tips bearing in dense marine deposits that overlie an over-consolidated marine clay layer known locally as Old Bay Clay. This clay layer experienced stress increases from Tower self-weight…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus room: Tower Auditorium. Accessibility Contact: rsvpsea@shanwil.com. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM.
University of Washington Tower
4333 Brooklyn Avenue NE
Tower Auditorium
4th Floor, Mezzanine.
For more info visit www.shannonwilson.com. CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, April 27, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with UC Irvine Professor and Chair Julian Rimoli
Discontinuous compression structures: From tensegrity planetary landers to failure-resistant metamaterials , Abstract
The term tensegrity, derived from tensional integrity, refers to a class of structural systems composed of bars and strings that achieve mechanical stability through pre-stressing of their string members. Conventional models of these structures assume rigid bars, linear elastic cables, and treat the Euler buckling load of any bar as a failure threshold. In practice, these assumptions break down under dynamic loading. In the first part of this talk, we introduce a physics-based reduced-order model for studying the dynamic and nonlinear response of tensegrity-based planetary landers. Using this model, we demonstrate that buckling of individual members does not necessarily imply structural failure; on the contrary, post-buckling behavior acts as a load-limiting mechanism that distributes forces evenly throughout the structure, dramatically increasing the amount of energy that can be stored…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: 334. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, April 27, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Human Centered Design & Engineering Research Showcase
The HCDE Research Showcase highlights ongoing work by faculty, research scientists, postdocs, PhD students, and undergraduates. The event is designed to build community around HCDE research and create space for conversation across our community of students, alumni, friends, and the broader UW community.
Attendees will explore posters and interactive project demos and have the opportunity to speak directly with researchers across HCDE’s research clusters and topic areas.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: University of Washington Club (Faculty Center) (FAC). Accessibility Contact: welliver@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026, 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM.
For more info visit hcde.uw.edu. Information Session: Graduate Certificate in Human Centered AI
Interested in learning more about the Graduate Certificate in Human Centered AI? Join HCDE advisors for an upcoming Information Session.
This session will provide an overview of the program, including curriculum, admissions requirements, and application.
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97878291225. Accessibility Contact: Alex Llapitan. Event Types: Information Sessions. Target Audience: Prospective Graduate Certificate Students.
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Zoom.
Dissertation Defense: Aayushi Dangol, "Designing Interactive AI Literacy Systems that Support Children’s Critical and Reflective Engagement with Artificial Intelligence"
Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Aayushi Dangol. Designing Interactive AI Literacy Systems that Support Children’s Critical and Reflective Engagement with Artificial Intelligence, PhD Candidate: Aayushi Dangol
Abstract:Children are increasingly encountering AI systems in the tools and media that shape how they learn, play, communicate, and create. These technologies offer new opportunities for exploration, creativity, and personalized learning. At the same time, as AI becomes embedded in everyday contexts, there is a growing need for AI literacy that supports children in understanding how these systems operate within broader socio-technical ecosystems. However, many AI systems remain opaque, making it difficult to understand how outputs are generated, what assumptions are embedded in their design, and where their limitations lie. This opacity can hinder the development of accurate mental models and contribute to overestimation of AI…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Allen Library (ALB). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/2511757592. Campus room: Allen Auditorium. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Friday, May 1, 2026, 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, May 4, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. MSE Seminar: Chenhao Jin
Title: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Matthew Yankowitz, myank@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 4, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM.
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with MIT Professor Chuchu Fan
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with MIT's Chuchu Fan
Safe and Intelligent Autonomy: Bridging Rigorous Mathematics with Machine Learning, Abstract
Autonomous systems today must balance two competing paradigms: the rigorous safety guarantees of classical control and formal methods, and the scalability and flexibility of modern machine learning. This talk presents our contributions to safe and intelligent autonomy that bridges this divide by embedding mathematical guarantees directly into learning-enabled systems.
We introduce neural certificates, such as control barrier functions and Lyapunov-based methods, that enforce safety and stability by design while enabling high-performance control. These ideas extend naturally to large-scale, multi-agent systems through graph-based formulations, yielding distributed controllers that generalize to complex, dynamic environments with provable guarantees.
Beyond control, we address planning and decision-making by integrating temporal logic, optimization, and large…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/96607403354. Campus room: 145. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 4, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Dissertation Defense: Ridley Jones LeDoux, "Designing in and for Complex Coordinative Spaces: Interagency Traffic Management"
Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate Ridley Jones LeDoux. Designing in and for Complex Coordinative Spaces: Interagency Traffic Management and the Evolution of Public Service Work Infrastructure, PhD Candidate: Ridley Jones LeDoux
Abstract:Major traffic incidents such as multi-car crashes can spawn countless human and machine processes, as public agencies activate to get to the scene, save lives, move debris, and when possible, get traffic moving safely again. Disciplines such as design studies and CSCW (computer-supported cooperative work), infrastructure studies, and design research study how to create and situate technology systems into varied contexts of use, but complex inter-organizational work like traffic incident management are not as well understood.
In this dissertation, I present one such project, the Virtual Coordination Center (VCC). From 2018-2023, designers and researchers worked with Seattle-area government agencies to help…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Sieg Building (SIG). Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98990775476?pwd=g9SkBnOBsnHjf6WitQMkUzzNpZyb8u.1. Campus room: Sieg 433. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
Dissertation Defense: John Robinson, "Building and Sustaining Community Online: An Exploration of the Early Life of Online Communities"
Members of the HCDE & DUB communities are invited to attend a dissertation defense by PhD Candidate John Robinson. Building and Sustaining Community Online: An Exploration of the Early Life of Online Communities, PhD Candidate: John Robinson
Abstract:Many people participate in some form of online community. They may ask questions in a Facebook group, learn makeup tips on TikTok, or share parenting advice on Reddit. They can connect people across the globe, or help mobilize and organize neighborhoods. Still, some communities may not have goals or may struggle to meet their goals. Creators, participants, and even the platforms have a vested interest in helping communities meet their individualized goals.
This work aims to expand our understanding of the participants’ behaviors, which participants do various types of “work” and how communities evolve over time. I take a historical, mixed-methods approach to look at the life of online communities on Reddit, a popular platform that hosts many online…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Sieg Building (SIG). Campus room: Sieg 433. Accessibility Contact: hcdehelp@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM.
Distinguished Lecture Series: Kevin Weil - Accelerating Science with AI
In just a few years, LLMs have gone from solving school-level problems to contributing to frontier mathematics, theoretical physics, and autonomous biological experimentation. I’ll share what that progress looks like, where it is already changing the pace of discovery, and what still separates today’s systems from the highest levels of scientific invention. The big idea is simple: AI will not replace scientists, but it will give them superpowers — accelerating the path from question to insight, and perhaps letting us do the science of 2050 in 2030 instead.
BIO
Kevin Weil is VP of OpenAI for Science, focused on building the next great scientific instrument: an AI-powered platform that accelerates scientific discovery. Previously, Kevin served as the Chief Product Officer at OpenAI, where he led the teams turning frontier models into products like ChatGPT, Codex, and the OpenAI API.
Before joining OpenAI, Kevin was the President, Product and Business at Planet Labs. He was previously the co-founder…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus room: Gates Center (CSE2), G20 | Amazon Auditorium. Accessibility Contact: dso@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Thursday, May 7, 2026, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM.
Gates Center (CSE2), G20 | Amazon Auditorium.
For more info visit www.cs.washington.edu. CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. MSE Seminar: TBD
Title: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Matthew Yankowitz, myank@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM.
Undergraduate Research Symposium College of Engineering Session
Join us for the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium College of Engineering Session—an inspiring showcase of innovation from over 180 engineering undergraduates across all of the departments! Explore dynamic poster sessions in the CSE Microsoft Atrium and attend engaging oral presentations in breakout rooms. Don’t miss this chance to witness the future of engineering!
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE). Online Meeting Link: symposium.uw.edu. Campus room: CSE (Allen Center) Microsoft Atrium. Accessibility Contact: Shanai Lechtenberg, lechts@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Exhibits. Special Events. Student Activities.
Friday, May 15, 2026, 12:20 PM – 4:50 PM.
CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, May 18, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. MSE Seminar: Kayla Sprenger
Title: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Matthew Yankowitz, myank@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 18, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM.
A&A Distinguished Speaker Seminar with UC Berkeley Professor Lining Yao
Safe and Intelligent Autonomy: Bridging Rigorous Mathematics with Machine Learning, Abstract
Autonomous systems today must balance two competing paradigms: the rigorous safety guarantees of classical control and formal methods, and the scalability and flexibility of modern machine learning. This talk presents our contributions to safe and intelligent autonomy that bridges this divide by embedding mathematical guarantees directly into learning-enabled systems.
We introduce neural certificates, such as control barrier functions and Lyapunov-based methods, that enforce safety and stability by design while enabling high-performance control. These ideas extend naturally to large-scale, multi-agent systems through graph-based formulations, yielding distributed controllers that generalize to complex, dynamic environments with provable guarantees.
Beyond control, we address planning and decision-making by integrating temporal logic, optimization, and large language models (LLMs), developing scalable, rigorous…
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: 334. Accessibility Contact: aafrontdesk@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, May 18, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM.
Ability Summit 2026: in-person and digital
CREATE Advisory Board member Ed Summers is a featured speaker, joining Jenny Lay-Flurrie and other leaders in accessibility and AI innovation. Note that the online conference is limited to the keynote presentation, a showcase of accessibility products built into Microsoft products and services. Free , In person on the Microsoft Redmond campus - both days , Online - May 19 keynote only, "Engage with disabled experts, accessibility professionals, and technology leaders. Experience product demos and training opportunities that will deepen your knowledge of accessibility across industries.".
Event interval: Ongoing event. Accessibility Contact: EventAccess@microsoft.com. Event Types: Conferences. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Target Audience: All interested in accessibility‑first, AI‑powered innovation to boost education, jobs, productivity.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
Microsoft Conference Center, Redmond, WA.
For more info visit abilitysummit.event.microsoft.com. UW GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) 2026
The purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion. This will be a hybrid event. Registration is required as the in-person space available is limited.
Program details, including panel discussions and research presentations, are tentative and subject to change. Visit UW Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026 for more information.
Tentative schedule:
10:00 - 10:50 am
Community Partners: Working together to build digital accessibility (presentation)
11:00 - 11:50 am
Lightning Talks highlighting Accessibility Milestones achieved by teams across UW
12:00 - 12:45 pm
Lunch (bring your own) and Networking
12:45 - 1:45 pm
Keynote address / Thoughts from Leadership: Anja Canfield-Budde, Assoc. Vice President, Information Technology , Tricia Serio, Provost, 2:00 - 2:50 pm
Digital Accessibility and Course Alignment (presentation and discussion)
3:00 - 4:00 pm
Challenges and emerging solutions in accessible Math/STEM (panel)
The University of Washington…
Event interval: Single day event. Online Meeting Link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/93396848075. Campus room: HUB 250. Accessibility Contact: ats-events@uw.edu. Event Types: Meetings. Target Audience: UW.
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Memorial Day
Holidays
No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Spring. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, May 25, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, May 25, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. CREATE Community Day
CREATE Community Day is an annual half-day forum for discussing the concerns about and approaches to sustainable accessibility research and a showcase of research led by CREATE and HuskyADAPT. Student researchers highlight their work and showcase a variety of individual and team projects. Directions and Parking , Zoom link to be provided , Accessibility: Building FAQs | Email, Panel topics and speakers are being finalized and will be announced soon.
1:15–2:30 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #1 (hybrid)
2:45–4:00 p.m. - Community Day panel discussion #2 (hybrid)
4:00–5:00 p.m. - Research Showcase co-hosted with HuskyADAPT (in-person only).
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: Zillow Commons. Accessibility Contact: oliviapb@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Exhibits. Information Sessions. Meetings. Special Events. Target Audience: Anyone interested in research on accessible technology & making the world accessible through tech.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. Civil & Environmental Engineering Research & Capstone Showcase
We are excited to announce the inaugural CEE Research & Capstone Showcase. This event will highlight our departmental and industry-sponsored senior capstone projects through a friendly poster competition. It will also exhibit research projects from across the department. We would be delighted to have you there to join us in celebrating the great work being done in our department.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: HUB Lyceum. Accessibility Contact: Richard Wiebe, rwiebe@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Exhibits. Student Activities.
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 5:00 PM – 6:45 PM.
CREATE Accessibility Seminar - Spring 2026
The CREATE Accessibility Seminar, CSE 590w – Accessibility Research, brings students and faculty together to explore a variety of topics relating to accessibility and technology.
In spring, Ph.D. students share their research presentations and facilitate discussion.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science & Engineering (CSE2). Campus room: 287. Accessibility Contact: gclepper@uw.edu. Event Types: Academics. Diversity Equity Inclusion. Student Activities. Target Audience: CREATE Ph.D. students and other UW students, faculty, and staff.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM.
For more info visit create.uw.edu. MSE Seminar: Joe Falson
Title: TBD
Abstract: TBD
Bio: TBD.
Event interval: Single day event. Accessibility Contact: Matthew Yankowitz, myank@uw.edu. Event Types: Lectures/Seminars.
Monday, June 1, 2026, 2:30 PM – 3:20 PM.
HCDE Capstone Showcase
Join the University of Washington's Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering for our 2026 Capstone Showcase.
Student teams solve real-world problems through a human-centered lens. Projects are proposed by industry sponsors or driven by an interest from the students on the team. Details about projects will be added as the showcase nears.
Questions? Contact Melissa Ewing at mewing3@uw.edu.
Event interval: Single day event. Campus location: Student Union Building (HUB). Campus room: HUB Ballroom. Accessibility Contact: mewing3@uw.edu. Event Types: Exhibits. Special Events.
Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.
For more info visit www.hcde.washington.edu. Instruction Ends - Spring 2026
Instruction ends.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Spring. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, June 5, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Final Examinations - Spring 2026
Week of final examinations for spring quarter.
Event interval: Ongoing event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Spring. Event Types: Academics.
Saturday, June 6, 2026 – Friday, June 12, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Juneteenth
Holidays
No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, June 19, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Instruction Begins - Summer 2026 - Full and A-term
Instruction begins.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Monday, June 22, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu. Independence Day (Observed)
Holidays
No classes. Most University offices and buildings are closed. Check with specific offices to confirm.
Event interval: Single day event. Year: 2026. Quarter: Summer. Event Types: Academics.
Friday, July 3, 2026.
For more info visit www.washington.edu.