Society + Technology at UW Convened A Pilot Writing Retreat at UW Friday Harbor

UW Friday Harbor Labs accepts applications from the university community to conduct research on the San Juan Island campus.

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 in the S+T at UW 2025 Friday Harbor Writing Retreat from left to right, back row: Ryan Calo, Anissa Tanweer, Lisa Hoffman, Gabriel Solis, Shannon Cram, Jason Young, and Leah Ceccarelli; front row: Monika Sengul-Jones and Sucheta Ghoshal.

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.

Seattle University’s Tech Ethics Initiative joins S+T at UW as a Community Partner

Society + Technology at UW’s community of affiliates expands with a new community partner, the Seattle University Technology Ethics Initiative.

Settle University Tech Ethics Initiative

A brown eyed middle aged man, with facial hair and cropped gray-black hair, looking at camera with a pleasant expression.

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.

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.

Next in Salon Series: At the Bioethics Table with Implantable Technologies | Stay tuned for our new date in Winter 2026

In Winter 2026, Society + Technology at UW will head over to the Department of Bioethics & Humanities at UW Medicine for a salon devoted to thinking with and about implantable technologies.

From cardiac devices and contraceptive implants to neural interfaces and experimental sensors, technologies that live in or under the skin raise complicated questions about consent, autonomy, commercial interests, and more.

At the Bioethics Table with Implantable Technologies will bring together philosophers, sociologists, policy experts, artists, and clinical practitioners to a long table for an enriching discussion, and we may even have edible implants.

Stay tuned for the new date and an updated speaker list!

About Salons

An S+T Community Program, salons are a conversation series held in-person or online designed to elevate the S+T’s cross-campus and cross-disciplinary perspectives on technologies. Each Salon is a one-hour and fifteen-minute conversation between three to five affiliates from the S+T network, with a moderator. The purpose is to recognize and honor live, arranged encounters as a meeting of the minds, to give greater visibility to the S+T network, and to cultivate intellectual conditions for deeper collaborations. Would you like to present your work in a Salon? Email mmjones@uw.edu. Interested in notifications about future Salons? Subscribe to the S+T Calendar