What is UWEI?
The University of Washington Earth Initiative (UWEI) is a transformational initiative that encourages innovative partnerships to address environmental and natural resource challenges. By focusing on problem-specific environmental issues in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, we bring together faculty, students, and community partners to create collaborative research, teaching and scholarship.

Why was UWEI formed?
At the UW, our programs in natural resources and the environment are extensive, broad in scope, and of very high quality. We are committed, however, to becoming more than the sum of our parts. UWEI builds upon existing programs within the university and upon relationships with our external partners to capitalize on unique opportunities where the UW has underutilized potential.

How will UWEI impact our community?
UWEI offers a new model for faculty and students to collaborate on some of our region’s and our nation’s most critical issues. We can make a difference by combining scholars from the environmental sciences and a host of other disciplines: computer science, public health, engineering, and business to name just a few. We can create the knowledge and encourage the flow and transfer of information that will result in potential solutions to some of society’s great challenges.