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.
In November 2025, Society + Technology at UW hosted a pilot writing retreat at the UW Friday Harbor Laboratories and the Whiteley Center. The retreat brought together eight faculty and researchers affiliated with the initiative for writing time and cross-disciplinary exchanges as they worked on independent projects focused on the social, societal, and justice aspects of technology.
While the structure prioritized uninterrupted work time, there were also opportunities for connection and through shared meals in the Friday Harbor Labs dining hall, and optional social activities — including fireside conversations, writing workshops, hiking, and bowling.
Participants included Anissa Tanweer (eScience, UW Seattle), Gabriel Solis (Music, UW Seattle), Jason Young (Information, UW Seattle), Leah Ceccarelli (Communication, UW Seattle), Lisa Hoffman (Urban Studies, UW Tacoma), Ryan Calo (Law, UW Seattle), Shannon Cram (IAS, UW Bothell), and Sucheta Ghoshal (HCDE, UW Seattle).
One of the goals of the pilot was to trial a convening format that supports slower scholarship, cross-campus relationship-building, and opportunities for focus. Participants were also invited to provide feedback on the retreat and other S+T at UW community programming, to inform future convenings.
Would you like to participate in programming hosted by Society + Technology at UW? Learn more and apply to affiliate.
Society + Technology at UW’s community of affiliates expands with a new community partner, the Seattle University Technology Ethics Initiative.
Directed by Professor Onur Bakiner (SU, Political Science), whose research and teaching focus on technology and society, the Seattle University Technology Ethics initiative seeks to bring together students, faculty, practitioners, and community members to explore how technologies shape power, accountability, and the public good.
This cross-institutional partnership indexes a shared commitment to cross-disciplinary collaboration and to creating spaces where open conversations about technology, society, and justice can flourish across institutions and communities.
Society + Technology at UW welcomes interest from community organizations, nonprofits, and industry groups who see value in what we’re building and would like to be part of it. To learn more about joining the Society + Technology at UW affiliate circle, email mmjones@uw.edu.
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.
