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Reach new audiences with Op-eds for Academics workshops on March 3 and 5, 2026 (same workshop offered twice!)

Register now for Op-Eds for Academics!

Society + Technology at UW and the Center for an Informed Public are co-hosting Op-Eds for Academics, a hands-on workshop focused on building public writing skills, taking place twice: on Tues., March 3, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the School of Law, William H. Gates Hall, 115 ABC – Perkins Coie Room (Register | In-Person Workshop) and online on Thurs., March 5, 2026, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (Register | Online Workshop).

The identical workshops are designed to provide the UW’s cross-disciplinary community of experts focused on the social, societial, and justice dimensions of technology with the opportunity to gain skills in translating academic work into public commentary.

Both workshops will kick off with a brief panel discussion from members of the UW community who have written op-eds, then participants will get to work doing the same—from identifying a timely hook, drafting a persuasive short piece, and navigating the submissions process.

The ambitious may leave with a draft op-ed and a concrete plan for submitting it. Everyone will gain a clearer understanding of how to write for new audiences and the opportunity to connect with other participants.

*This workshop is for members of the UW tri-campus community working on topics in tech and society, specifically those involved in the Society + Technology at UW initiative and the Center for an Informed Public.*

Co-hosts and co-facilitators: Monika Sengul-Jones; mmjones@uw.edu (Society + Technology at UW) and Ali Durran; adurran@uw.edu (Center for an Informed Public), University of Washington, Seattle

Co-sponsors: Center for an Informed Public andSociety + Technology at UW

Link to: Op-Eds for Academics Workshop Resources

Signals & Society event on personal robots on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026 at Lonely Siren

Society + Technology at UW is pleased to promote the next event in the Signals & Society series, Personal Robots — Is It Finally Time? on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Lonely Siren (1501 Pike Pl, Level 2, #200, Seattle, WA 98101).

This will be a conversation with Ryan Calo (Law & Information, UW Seattle) and Maya Cakmak (Computer Science, UW Seattle) on what’s at stake when robots are the gatekeepers to our intimate routines and confidential secrets.

Free and open to the public. No registration required. Add to calendar.

After Hours on privacy and urban surveillance on Jan. 12, 2026 at Halcyon Brewery

Join Society + Technology After Hours on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Halcyon Brewery (8564 Greenwood Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103) for Who’s Watching? Privacy and Urban Surveillance, a conversation with Ryan Calo (Law and Information, UW Seattle), Brie McLemore (Political Science, UW Seattle), and NPR’s Martin Kaste. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Why is tech so hard to regulate? A conversation with Ryan Calo at Ada’s on Monday, Dec. 8 at 6 PM

You’re invited to a conversation with Ryan Calo (Law, UW Seattle) about the frictions between law and technology in honor of the launch of his new book, Law & Technology: A Methodical Approach (Oxford University Press), on Monday, December 8, 2025 at 6 PM at Ada’s Technical Books & Café (425 15th Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112).

Why is technology hard to regulate? What can be done about this? Join us for a cool walk-through of a framework to understand and address legal challenges posed by technologies at Seattle’s geekiest bookstore with UW’s leading scholar of technology and law.

No registration required.

Please feel free to share widely with colleagues, students, and friends who
might be interested.