Introduction

The University of Washington, commonly referred to as simply Washington, UW, or informally U-Dub, is a public flagship research university based in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast and features one of the most highly regarded medical schools in the world.

Washington is a member of the Association of American Universities. Its research budget is among the highest in the United States. In athletics, the university competes in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12).

Academics

The University of Washington offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees through its 140 departments, themselves organized into various colleges and schools. 

UW students include 136 Fulbright Scholars, 35 Rhodes Scholars, 7 Marshall Scholars and 4 Gates Cambridge Scholars. As of the 2011ndash;12 autumn term, the university had 42,428 students, making it the largest university (in terms of student population) on the west coast. About 33% of all undergraduates are members of minority groups.

The University of Washington recruits faculty and staff from around the world. Among the faculty, there are 151 members of American Association for the Advancement of Science, 68 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 67 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 53 members of the Institute of Medicine, 21 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 1 member of the National Academy of Public Administration, 6 Nobel Prize laureates, 2 Pulitzer Prize winners, 1 winner of the Fields Medal, 29 winners of the Presidential Early Career Awards in Science and Engineering, 15 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators, 15 MacArthur Fellows, 9 winners of the Gairdner Foundation International Award, 5 winners of the National Medal of Science, 5 winners of Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research, 4 members of the American Philosophical Society, 2 winners of the National Book Award, and 2 winners of theNational Medal of Arts.

Notable alumni

Lloyd Barber, President Emeritus; former president and former vice chancellor of the University of Regina

Paul Brass, expert on the politics of India

Y. Austin Chang, Distinguished Professor

Dale Chihuly, modern glass sculptor

Chuck Close, contemporary photorealistic painter

Peter Adkison, founder and former CEO of Wizards of the Coast; US publisher of Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons Dragons and Pokeacute;mon

William S. Ayer, President and CEO of Alaska Airlines

David Bonderman, investment banker; acquired Continental Airlines; founder of Texas Pacific Group

Faith Ireland, Associate Justice of the Washington Supreme Court

William Bolcom, Music, 1988; composer and winner of three Grammy Awards in 2006

Timothy Egan, Journalism, 2001; journalist and author

Ed Guthman, Journalism, 1949; journalist; former press secretary for Robert F. Kennedy; professor at the University of Southern California

Brock Adams, US Senator (1987ndash;1993); US Representative (1965ndash;1977), for the state of Washington

Fouad Ajami, Director of the Middle East Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University

Armida Alisjahbana, Minister of Economics and Development of Indonesia

Robert Armstrong, movie actor who portrayed Carl Denham in the 1933 version of King Kong

John Aylward, stage, TV, and movie actor, ER, The West Wing

Stan Boreson, comedian and singer, the "King of Scandinavian Humor"