The 爱豆社区 recently was ranked highly among its global peers in both the and the . Both rankings were released in mid-June.

According to U.S. News, the UW is No. 12 in the world on the 2026-27 rankings, No. 3 among U.S. public institutions. The UW also placed in the top 10 globally in six subject areas.

On the QS World University Rankings, the UW is among the top 100, landing at No. 92, or No. 7 among U.S. public universities.

More about the U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities ranking:

The U.S. News ranking methodology 鈥� based on data and metrics provided by Clarivate 鈥� weighs factors that measure a university鈥檚 global and regional research reputation and academic research performance. For the overall rankings, this includes bibliometric indicators such as the number of publications, citations and international collaboration.

The overall Best Global Universities ranking encompasses 2,250 institutions spread across 105 countries.

Here are the UW fields of study that are in the top 10 in U.S. News鈥� subject rankings:

• Public, environmental and occupational health 鈥� No. 4
• Molecular biology and genetics 鈥� No. 6
• Microbiology 鈥� No. 7
• Biology and biochemistry 鈥� No. 7
• Infectious diseases 鈥� No. 7
• Clinical medicine 鈥� No. 8

More about the QS World University Rankings:听

This is the 23rd edition of the global higher education ranking by the analyst firm QS Quacquarelli Symonds. The UW placed No. 92 in the world and No. 23 in America. The UW is in the top 10 among U.S. public universities, landing at No. 7. This year’s ranking features more than 1,500 universities across 106 higher education systems, including 184 in the U.S.

The QS World University Rankings are based on a weighted index of indicators including research and discovery, employability and outcomes, global engagement, learning experience and sustainability.

You know that nail salon smell? That sharp hit of chemicals, the strangely sweet scent of polish, the faint tingle in your nose? That鈥檚 air pollution, and it鈥檚 been linked to a variety of experienced by the workers who breathe it. Nail salon workers commonly experience irritated skin and eyes, headaches, loss of smell and respiratory problems.听听

Officials in some cities and states, including Washington, have introduced new regulations designed to better protect nail salon workers 鈥� .听

But the mysteries around what, exactly, causes those potent smells make protecting these workers more difficult. Cosmetics manufacturers are rarely required to disclose what specific chemicals they use to scent their products, which has hindered efforts to better understand the air that salon workers breathe. 听

, a UW assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, set out to solve the mystery. In a study published , Ceballos and her co-authors analyzed the air in a group of nail salons around Boston 鈥� where Ceballos previously worked at Harvard University 鈥� and identified 18 distinct fragrance chemicals. It鈥檚 the most comprehensive study to date of the specific fragrance chemical mixtures found in nail salon air, and will allow researchers to further study the potential health risks.

UW News sat down with Ceballos to discuss the findings of the study, the mysteries around fragrance chemicals and how to better protect nail salon workers鈥� health.听听

Nail salons are a bit of a research specialty of yours. You鈥檝e published papers on , workers鈥� exposure to 鈥渙ld鈥� and as well as 鈥�鈥� harmful chemicals, and the . How did you come to focus on nail salons and their workers? 听

Diana Ceballos: I started working on nail salons soon after I read a back in 2015. It won all sorts of awards. When that story came out, it created havoc. I was working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the time, and the New York Health Department asked for technical assistance because they were horrified by the conditions in nail salons. I was put on the team partly because I鈥檓 an industrial hygienist, but also because I speak Spanish, and there are a lot of Spanish-speaking workers in these salons.听听

Then my life changed, and I went back to academia. I just knew there was more we could be doing. There was just so little research in this area, it was incredible. So, I decided I wanted to focus on nail salons. In the meantime, a lot of other people had the same idea, so lots of different groups around the country and internationally have started working on this.听听

What are fragrance chemicals, and what do we know about them? 听

DC: Fragrances are added to nail salon products to create a desired smell 鈥� lotion that you want to smell like lavender, for example 鈥� but many fragrances are used to mask undesired smells. A lot of nail products have very strong, not-so-good smells, so companies add fragrances to mask those smells. But then you have even more scented chemicals in the air!听

A good number of fragrances are known sensitizers. That doesn鈥檛 only cause irritation on the skin, but, for example, some fragrances could trigger an asthma attack if inhaled. Or, if they鈥檙e a sensitizer, they could even help cause asthma and other respiratory complications. It鈥檚 not just the skin, it鈥檚 the entire immune system. And that鈥檚 just the effects that we know of.听

There are also some positive effects from fragrances. It鈥檚 well-known that some fragrances can be relaxing or affect the ambiance of an environment. But that hasn鈥檛 been well-studied. Some of these chemicals are very little-known. They could be toxic, but we don鈥檛 know. They鈥檙e just used in small amounts to produce fragrance, and for the most part, chemical regulations have been focused on bigger culprits. It鈥檚 just in the last decade or so that officials have paid attention to chemicals that show up in smaller quantities, like fragrances.听

For a very long time, fragrances were trade secrets, and specific chemicals weren鈥檛 listed as ingredients. Labels just said 鈥榝ragrance.鈥� In the last 10 years, chemical regulations in Europe and in some states have introduced more discrimination of toxic chemicals that could include fragrances, but there鈥檚 a lot of work still to disclose the ingredients. For example, in the new cosmetics bill in Washington, there鈥檚 more information required on ingredients lists. That was already the case in California, for example, but it鈥檚 just starting. We aren鈥檛 the first ones to ever measure them, but to our knowledge we鈥檝e measured the biggest number of fragrances. Also, our analysis suggests that not only nail products are contributing to fragrances, but also other products in the salons such as personal care products and cleaning agents are potential emission sources.听

Many people can identify the strong scent of a nail salon, but I鈥檓 not sure we consider that we鈥檙e actually smelling air pollution. How does that pollution affect nail salon workers?听听

DC: Indoor air quality is important for anyone. The quality of our health depends on the air that we breathe. Even for a customer, nail salons are very fragrant and have many odors. Some people are very sensitive to odors. Even just talking about the odor itself can trigger a lot of health effects. People can get headaches, dizziness, and get nauseated. So, there are people that don鈥檛 go to nail salons because they can鈥檛 be in there. And that鈥檚 a customer. Imagine the workers. 听

There are people who have to do this work because they don鈥檛 have training in anything else, and in surveys of the health of people who work in nail salons, it鈥檚 fairly prevalent to have headaches, irritation, fussiness 鈥� all the typical symptoms of odors, let alone toxic chemicals. It can deteriorate your well-being and quality of life, especially as some of these workers are on 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. So, it鈥檚 significant, the amount of time they鈥檙e exposed to these fragrances along with many other toxic chemicals.听

You note throughout your research that the air pollution in nail salons is something that can affect the air we all breathe 鈥� even if we never visit a salon. How is that possible?听

DC: It鈥檚 very important to lower chemical concentrations indoors because they eventually go outside and contribute to overall air pollution. It鈥檚 hard to control that in small businesses, but one thing that was clear when Boston was building a ventilation policy was that it was important to make sure businesses filtered out chemicals before they went out the window. Now we know that fragrances make up a considerable part of overall chemicals in nail salons and they鈥檙e adding to the mix. And since you have fragrances in a bunch of products, it all adds up. We must consider the accumulated burden that fragrances can have in the indoor environment and put more purposeful thought into how we produce products that contain those things 鈥� not just during the life cycle of the products, but also how they interact with the environment. 听

There are policies right now that are trying to work on fragrances, but we need to learn more. It鈥檚 going to be a while before we can control or guide manufacturers better. It鈥檚 very early, but I think there鈥檚 a lot we can learn about fragrances in the future.听

Other authors on the June 19 paper are Chunrong Jia and Xianqiang Fu of the University of Memphis and Thomas Webster of Boston University.听听

For more information or to reach Ceballos, contact Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.听

Across the American West, managers of fire-prone landscapes are increasingly using a practice that seems counterintuitive: setting small fires to prevent larger, more destructive ones. Commonly called 鈥減rescribed burns,鈥� these targeted, controlled fires keep forests healthy by reducing the buildup of grasses, leaves, branches, and other debris that can fuel larger wildfires and smoke out nearby communities.听听

But smoke from prescribed burns also presents health risks. Today鈥檚 forest managers must ask themselves 鈥� how much prescribed burning is too much? When do the long-term benefits of fuel reduction no longer outweigh the short-term smoke costs? And how can nearby communities better prepare for a fire season?听听

An international team led by researchers at the 爱豆社区 built a framework to help land managers assess the air quality implications of land management scenarios with different levels of prescribed burning. To apply the framework, researchers听linked together a series of models that estimate the smoke effects of various levels of prescribed burning on ecosystems and nearby communities.听听

After using those models to estimate the smoke produced under six different levels of prescribed burning across California鈥檚 Central Sierra range, the researchers found that moderate amounts of burning would reduce overall smoke levels. All tested levels of prescribed fires led to less wildfire smoke overall. But greater amounts of prescribed fires could present notable health hazards of their own.听听

The researchers reported their findings 鈥� specific to the Central Sierra landscape 鈥� in a pair of recently published papers. The first, , estimated how different levels of prescribed burning affected the total amount of smoke produced during an average wildfire season. The second, , analyzed the impacts on the region鈥檚 outdoor agricultural workers.听

鈥淲e haven’t had a good way to put numbers to that smoke exposure trade-off previously because of challenges in integrating data and methods across sectors,鈥� said , a UW doctoral alum of the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and lead author of both papers. She is now a postdoctoral scholar at UCLA. 鈥淲e know that if we can reduce fuel density, then wildfires may be less severe when they do come through. Emissions may also be lower, and thus subsequent smoke exposure and health impacts will be less. We also must consider that the location and timing of prescribed burns are planned, which is not the case for wildfires. That鈥檚 the concept. But I think communicating that has previously been difficult.听听

鈥淲hat鈥檚 cool about this work is we were finally able to quantify the trade-off between reducing wildfire risks and its impacts on human health through prescribed burning at a local scale.鈥�听

Researchers focused on the Tahoe Central Sierra Initiative, a 2.4 million acre expanse covering public, private and commercial land. A consortium of land managers in the area developed six forest management scenarios with increasing levels of prescribed burning. They ranged from Minimal Management, with no prescribed burns and limited efforts to trim back excess fuels, to a scenario dubbed Fire++, with an estimated 30,000 acres of prescribed burning each year.听听

Those scenarios were fed into a series of models that estimated the amount of smoke generated by wildfires and prescribed burns in each scenario, and the health impacts on nearby communities.听听

Every scenario that included prescribed burning in the Tahoe Central Sierra Initiative resulted in a shorter wildfire smoke season, with less overall smoke, than those without prescribed burns. As a result, nearby communities and outdoor agricultural workers could be exposed to less smoke.听听

The model predicted that overall smoke levels as measured by concentrations of fine particles (PM 2.5) were lowest with a moderate amount of prescribed burning 鈥� a scenario researchers called, simply, Fire. Scenarios that involved greater amounts of burning 鈥� Fire+ and Fire++ 鈥� produced slightly more total smoke than the moderate scenario. 听

Schollaert hopes forest managers across the country will replicate the methods, so they can better incorporate public health considerations into management planning on their specific landscapes.听

鈥淭he exact placement of that sweet spot of prescribed burning is going to vary. But when mitigating extreme wildfire risk, the more you can lower severity of fire, the lower your emissions are going to be, generally,鈥� Schollaert said. 鈥淎nd baked into that sweet spot is also coordination with health agencies, because you can theoretically plan for smoke from prescribed burns. That鈥檚 the kind of planning I鈥檓 hoping can come from this.鈥�听

Other authors on both papers include and of the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences; of the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and of the UW Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, among others.听听

Research for the Nature Sustainability paper was funded by Science for Nature and People Partnerships. Research for the Environmental Research Letters paper was funded by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy.听

For more information, contact Schollaert at cschollaert@ucla.edu.听

Two years ago, as life regained its rhythm and public transit once again filled with people, train and bus operators spotted a troubling trend. Some operators reported instances of people smoking drugs on their vehicles, and worried that the haze it created could linger, potentially affecting workers鈥� physical and mental health.听

Spurred by operators鈥� concerns, five transit agencies in Washington and Oregon approached researchers at the 爱豆社区 with a yes-or-no question: Were transit operators being exposed to drug smoke or residue in their workplace?听听

The answer is nuanced. A UW research team conducted a limited-scope, first-of-its-kind assessment and detected fentanyl and methamphetamine on board numerous transit vehicles, both in the air and on surfaces. But nearly all of the positive samples contained small amounts that are unlikely to cause acute medical conditions. And it remains unclear if consistent, long-term exposure 鈥� such as that potentially faced by operators working a 40-hour week 鈥� poses a risk to worker health.听

鈥淎 work environment that includes drug use and drug smoke can make it harder for transit operators to safely and effectively do their jobs, regardless of the level of exposure that operators may face,鈥� said , a UW assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who co-led the assessment. 鈥淭his research is important, as it draws attention to the stressors and exposures that these essential workers face.鈥� 听

A complete accounting of the project, including research methods and detailed results, is available in the researchers鈥� The findings from this assessment are not yet submitted for publication. 听

The assessment was limited in scope and narrowly tailored. Researchers collaborated with five transit agencies, which also provided funding: , , and in Snohomish County, and in the Portland metro area.听

Air and surface sampling took place on trains and buses from four agencies and over 28 nights earlier this year. Transit lines and times were selected for sampling based on operator reports of observed drug use, with researchers targeting routes and runs when smoking events were most likely to occur. Both air and surface samples were collected near operators and in other areas of the vehicles where smoke was likely to accumulate.听听

The assessment did not explore whether operators had any level of secondhand fentanyl or methamphetamine in their bodies. It also did not attempt to examine all transit routes and times, and researchers said their findings should not be assumed to be typical for all transit vehicles at all times.听

Researchers detected methamphetamine in 98% of surface samples and 100% of air samples, while fentanyl was detected in 46% of surface and 25% of air samples. One air sample exceeded . No similar guidelines exist for airborne methamphetamine.听

No enforceable federal or state regulations exist for either fentanyl or methamphetamine exposures in a workplace.听听

The detection of fentanyl or methamphetamine by the lab does not necessarily mean it poses a health risk to operators or the riding public, Baker said.听听

No previous studies have demonstrated acute medical conditions resulting from passive exposure to fentanyl or methamphetamine at the levels seen in this study, such as from touching contaminated surfaces or inhaling secondhand smoke. But further consideration should be given to daily secondhand exposure experienced by operators and its potential for long-term health effects, which have yet to be established by evidence-based research.听听

鈥淥perators are different from the riding public, because operators are exposed for a much longer time period,鈥� said , a research industrial hygienist in the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences and co-leader of this assessment. 鈥淭he potential long-term health effects associated with daily exposure have not been adequately researched, so until these relationships are established, we鈥檙e suggesting protective measures that transit agencies could implement to keep operators safe.鈥� 听

Those mitigation measures include enhanced cleaning of surfaces, upgraded ventilation and filtration where possible, and operator training. Training topics could include how operators should respond to smoking on board, real and perceived risks of secondhand drug exposure and how and when to use naloxone (Narcan) in overdose emergencies.听听

Researchers also emphasized the need to consider operators鈥� mental health, especially for those in recovery or who may have experienced trauma related to drug use. 听

鈥淓ven at a level that is considered 鈥榮afe,鈥� it can still be stressful to see drug use in your workplace,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淭aking steps to protect operators will benefit their physical and mental well-being at work.”听

, a clinical assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences, also co-authored the final report. This assessment was funded through a contract with Sound Transit. King County Metro, Community Transit, Everett Transit, and TriMet, in addition to Sound Transit, contributed funding.听

For more information or to contact the researchers, email Alden Woods at acwoods@uw.edu.听