Gift cards from politicalized brands dampen recipients’ gratitude
When liberals and conservatives receive gift cards for politicized brands that clash with their own views, they are less appreciative of the gesture, new research indicates.
Campus & Community
WSU Children’s Center earns national accreditation
The distinction demonstrates WSU’s focus on meeting the highest standards and the center’s status as a place where children are not only kept safe but provided educational experiences.
WSU hosts Balkan student journalists for program on free press
A delegation of 14 student journalists from the Balkans are participating in a three‑week program that includes visiting regional news outlets, taking classes with faculty experts, and connecting with local non‑profits.
State 4-H livestock judging qualifier changing location
The contest will be at the Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake, Washington on Saturday, June 25. The Washington state fairgrounds in Puyallup hosted the event in the past.
Cougar Kids Camp helps faculty and staff meet summer work demands
The Pullman-based camp is open to children 5 to 12 years old and consists of seven weekly sessions that run throughout June and July.
University Affairs
Interim dean of Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine announced
Dr. James Record will take the helm as interim dean starting July 5. He has served as a vice dean since 2021 and is a clinical professor in the Department of Medical Education and Clinical Sciences.
Washington Research Foundation donation will support WSU and UW graduate students
The Washington Research Foundation donated $1.65 million to support graduate students finding solutions to problems such as tick-borne diseases, brain disorders, and demands for clean water.
First Transformational Change Initiative grants to support four projects
The grants are part of a series of recent commitments from the provost’s office to promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
WSU Board of Regents committee meeting June 22
Regents will consider proposed 2022–2023 tuition rates for the newly established Masters of Health Administration and Leadership program.
WSU-related Podcasts
From WSU:
Food safety, WSU stories, science answers for kids, and more—listen to podcasts from Washington State University.
About WSU:A selection of programs about Washington State, produced by alumni and friends.
WSU PodcastsBenefits & Training
Pre-retirement seminar – June 2022
Are you considering retiring? Join a pre-retirement seminar to assist you in your planning. Topics include: Retiree Medical, Dental, and Life Insurance Enrollment Processes; Medicare and Social Security; Voluntary Employee’s Benefit Association Medical Expense Plan (VEBA MEP); Annual Leave Payment; Voluntary Investment Programs; Retirement Income, and; Retirement Supplementation for WSURP participants. These seminars are open […]
Score tickets to the game with SmartHealth
SmartHealth is sending four eligible PEBB members to see the Seattle Storm or Seattle Seahawks! SmartHealth will hold two random drawings for eligible PEBB and SEBB subscribers who complete their well-being assessment by the deadline. Subscribers who have already completed the well-being assessment will automatically be entered into the drawings. Learn all the details and […]
Awards & Achievements
Seven WSU teams earn perfect marks from NCAA
Four Coug women’s athletics teams and three men’s teams received perfect single-year Academic Progress Rate scores in the latest report from the NCAA.
Nuclear Science Center receives DOE grant
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded WSU more than $100,000 to enhance its research nuclear reactor.
Gleason Institute awards neurodegenerative disease grants
Four research teams have received more than $160,000 in seed grant funding from the WSU Spokane Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience.
WSU Tri‑Cities awarded Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize
As one of 18 winners, the Tri‑Cities campus received $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to implement its Empowering the Future Energy Workforce plan.
Science & Technology
Turfgrass farm debuts grasses of tomorrow with inaugural field day
Grass seed producers and members of the public will get their first chance to see experimental grasses with the potential to produce seed prolifically and save water from 9 a.m. to noon Thursday, June 9, in Pullman.
WSU hosts summer undergraduate researchers from across the United States
More than 80 undergraduates from 52 American universities are conducting research with WSU faculty in Pullman and across the state this summer.
Ganapati Bhat receives national award for wearable device research
Bhat won the 2022 Outstanding Dissertation Award from the Association of Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Design Automation for his work improving wearable devices.
National Science Foundation grant supports eco‑friendly roofing
WSU researchers are teaming up with a Tacoma-based start‑up to develop environmentally friendly, climate resilient, and affordable roofing materials made from bamboo.
Food & Agriculture
June 23: WSU Potato Field Day offers look at seed and pest studies, virus-sniffing dog
At their 400‑acre Othello research farm, WSU scientists study seed quality, new varieties, pests, and growing practices to help Northwest potatoes thrive and become better French fries, chips, and tots.
Working with youth provides background for new interim 4‑H director
Mark Heitstuman has spent over 20 years in WSU Extension, helping youth with livestock education, STEM programs, organizing camps, and more.
Automated drones could scare birds off agricultural fields
A WSU team has designed a system that uses automated drones to deter pest birds, like European starlings or crows, that cost growers millions of dollars a year in stolen or ruined fruit.
Partnership shares genetics for earlier ripening, grower-friendly sweet cherries
Flavorful sweet cherries that ripen earlier and are more practical to grow are the goal of a new project led in part by WSU scientists.
Health & Medicine
Native Americans face disproportionate travel burden for cancer treatment
In addition to experiencing higher rates of certain cancers than non‑Hispanic whites, many Native Americans have to travel especially large distances to access radiation therapy, according to new WSU research.
Chicken vaccination shows benefits for nutrition, growth in Kenyan children
Vaccinating household chicken flocks can increase consumption of eggs and meat, leading to better growth of young children in rural Kenya, according to a WSU‑led study.
WSU researchers to close gaps in Alzheimer’s disease research
The scientists will spend the next three years investigating brain health in older adults, thanks to nearly $500,000 in Alzheimer’s Association funding.
Discovery could lead to better cancer immunotherapy
A type of white blood cell previously known only as a helper in the immune system appears also to be the instigator of the body’s defenses against cancerous tumors.
Veterinary Medicine
Study finds elk hoof disease may affect antlers
A disease in elk that causes deformed hooves and eventually leads to lameness and death is also associated with abnormal, asymmetrical antlers, a WSU‑led study of hunter reports found.
Researcher helps protect swans in lower Coeur d’Alene river basin
Veterinarian Marcie Logsdon is part of an EPA‑led research team monitoring lead exposure of tundra swans by collecting their feces as well as sediment in the Lower Coeur d’Alene River Basin.
Experts recommend steps to avoid spread of avian influenza
Several cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in birds have been confirmed in Washington state, and animal disease experts at WSU are asking the public to take measures to avoid its spread.
WSU veterinarians give basset hound a new life
Bailey’s heart stopped beating for 18 minutes but, defying the odds, the emergency and critical care teams at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital didn’t give up.
Arts & Culture
From class project to social dialogue
Three WSU students developed a podcast surrounding the topic of culturally- and linguistically-responsive pedagogy as an alternative to a conventional class assessment or test.
Fridays at the Clock concert series returns
The outdoor summer concert series will take place over four Fridays this summer on the Pullman campus beginning June 24. Each concert is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be free of charge.
WSU Schnitzer Museum presents ‘Lore,’ a film by Sky Hopinka
Visitors to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at WSU on the Pullman campus are invited to experience a unique form of Indigenous cinema opening Tuesday, June 7.
WSU Press’s new imprint focuses on general audiences
Basalt Books aims to publish general interest titles for readers ranging from young children to adults—all with a connection to the Northwest.
Business & Economics
Gift cards from politicalized brands dampen recipients’ gratitude
When liberals and conservatives receive gift cards for politicized brands that clash with their own views, they are less appreciative of the gesture, new research indicates.
School of Hospitality Business Management seeks local participants for pasta study
Each participant will receive two pasta samples and answer a short questionnaire for the event at Black Cypress restaurant on June 28. Participants will also receive a $20 Black Cypress gift card.
Gender gap in leadership aspirations changed little in 60 years
Women in the U.S. are still less likely than men to express a desire to take on leadership or managerial roles, according to an analysis of data from leadership studies conducted over six decades.
Student venture teams’ ideas ring in success at annual business plan competition
Solutions to improving life after COVID was a collective theme at WSU’s 2022 Business Plan Competition on Thursday, April 28.
Politics & Society
Four‑year college students drink more, use marijuana less than community college peers
Students at four‑year colleges and universities drink nearly twice as much alcohol as their peers in two‑year colleges, according to a survey of Seattle‑area college students.
Service workers’ volatile shifts linked to high‑cost debt
Time, more than money, appears to influence whether service employees end up turning to so‑called predatory lenders, a WSU‑led study found.
Few Americans see race as key factor in environmental inequality
Only 33% of U.S. households believe that Black people are more likely to experience environmental pollution and that this well-documented inequality is unfair, according to a WSU study.
Chris Matthews to speak at Tom Foley documentary premiere
The best-selling author and former host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” narrated the documentary, “The Gentleman Speaker: Conversations with Tom Foley,” which explores the Spokane-born legislator’s political legacy.
Reports & Updates
A time to reflect and commit to doing better
Juneteenth stands as a day of strength, honoring the spirit of those men, women, and children who lived under the system of slavery in the United States.
Celebrating Pride Month
WSU leaders ask that all employees continue to be an ally, and to complete the LGBTQ+ Ally Training available through Human Resource Services if they haven’t yet done so.
Celebrating our progress over the last year
From resuming in‑person instruction and events to advancing OneWSU planning and installing our inaugural chancellor of the Pullman campus—a lot has changed for the university community.
Executive Budget Council – Listening and Feedback Sessions
While the last few years have been strained in the wake of COVID‑19 budget trimming, WSU is on a positive trajectory thanks to the support of our donors and state legislators.