Hello, Huskies! Welcome back to campus for the start of the 2025-2026 academic year. Here's what's happening at the University of Washington: President Ana Mari Cauce has announced she will step down in June 2025 after a decade of service. She plans to return to her faculty position, and the search for her successor is underway. Washington state faces potential losses exceeding $1 billion in research funding due to proposed federal budget cuts. Institutions like UW and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center could be significantly impacted, with UW's School of Medicine alone potentially losing an estimated $90 million annually. In May, approximately 30 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested after occupying the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building, demanding UW sever ties with Boeing over its military contracts with Israel. The U.S. Department of Education has since launched an investigation into alleged antisemitic incidents related to the protest. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/32b88c67a80491ea6c11a9680b79b396?utm_source=openai), [axios.com](https://www.axios.com/2025/05/07/trump-administration-antisemitism-uw-gaza-protest-review?utm_source=openai)) UW has tied for seventh place in the 2024-2025 U.S. News rankings of the best global universities, surpassing institutions like Columbia, Princeton, and Yale. This recognition highlights UW's outstanding research contributions and academic excellence. A new Health Sciences Education Building has opened, providing a hub for students across health disciplines to collaborate and innovate. The facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, simulation spaces, and wellness areas. - : The renowned Eroica Trio will be in residence from April 15-17, 2025, including master classes and a concert at Meany Hall on April 16. - : As Seattle prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, UW's Department of Communication is collaborating on "Home Fields," a media project documenting grassroots soccer communities in the area. That's all for now. Stay tuned for more updates, and have a great start to the quarter!