March 1, 2025
Kate Starbird, a professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, delivered the University Faculty Lecture in February 2025. She presented insights from over a decade of research on how online rumors, misinformation, and disinformation are created and shared during uncertain times.
The lecture follows Starbird receiving the University Faculty Lecture Award, an honor recognizing UW faculty whose achievements have had a substantial impact on their field, the work of others, and society as a whole.
2025 University Faculty Lecture
A Spotlight on Rumors: Illuminating How Influence and Improvisation Shape Online Conversations
See also
In a special to The Seattle Times, Starbird summarizes her points from the UW Faculty Lecture, including recommendations for all creators and consumers of news and information today: "To understand right-wing media's power, study improv and theater of influencers."