WSU veterinary chaplain one of a few in the nation
Scott Campbell’s role at WSU reflects a growing recognition of the grief associated with a pet’s death and the toll veterinary care can take on people in the profession.
Good To Know
Campus & Community
School of Hospitality Business Management hosts week of hospitality events
Hospitality Week kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 27, and features a lineup of in person and online events open to the public, including the Burtenshaw Distinguished Lecture.
AI in the classroom
Learn how WSU faculty members are preparing students to use AI ethically and responsibly in the future workplace in this article from Washington State Magazine’s spring 2024 edition.
Museum hosts Indigenous arts events
Learn about the importance of intergenerational knowledge in Indigenous artwork during a series of events at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and online Feb. 22–24.
Food scientists taste-test how music changes chocolate perception
A taste panel at WSU’s Sensory Evaluation Lab recently paired bites of chocolate with short tracks of classical music in an experiment that feasted the senses.
University Affairs
TRIO programs boost success for thousands of students system-wide
WSU Vancouver established TRIO Talent Search programs at Fort Vancouver and Hudson’s Bay High Schools in 2021. The programs seek to educate students about the benefits of going to college.
Refugees and students benefit from WSU-IRC partnership
In the face of a global refugee crisis that has uprooted millions, WSU is working with the International Rescue Committee to help provide support for displaced families.
WSU Law award applications open through March 19
The Law award recognizes outstanding teaching by instructors on all WSU campuses who lead courses in the University Common Requirements curriculum.
Applications for TCI IDEA grants on inclusive teaching excellence open through March 15
Faculty, staff, post‑doctoral fellows, and graduate students system‑wide can apply online for $500–$5,000 grants to fund short‑term projects.
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
New digital accessibility website offers guidance on approachable content
The website aims to educate the WSU community on how to make everything from emails to PowerPoint presentations more approachable.
Applications open for spring faculty peer-observation project
A new WSU professional-development opportunity for all faculty — the Peer Observation and Co-Mentoring Program — is accepting applications for spring now through Feb. 9.
Awards & Achievements
Murrow College announces 2024 Hall of Achievement class, introduces new service category
WSU alumni Tom Holmberg, Tiffany Paup Sanders, and Liz Pritchard will be honored as 2024 Hall of Achievement Award recipients at the 48th Murrow Symposium held April 3–4.
Pat Chun selected to serve on College Football Playoff Selection Committee
Chun was announced as an incoming member of the committee by CFP’s Management Committee earlier this month, with his three‑year term slated to begin this spring.
Noel Schulz appointed to endowed professorship at WSU Tri-Cities
As holder of the Bob Ferguson Endowed Professorship, Schulz will conduct research related to the clean energy goals of the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures.
WSU Global Campus ranked among nation’s best online degrees by U.S. News
Five WSU online programs are ranked among the best in the nation for 2024 by U.S. News & World Report.
Science & Technology
Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers
Researchers tracked polar bears using video/GPS collars and found that while some rested and some foraged, nearly all still lost weight rapidly.
NSF Career award will support DNA computing research
As part of the approximately $500,000 award, Dominic Scalise is working to develop a robust, DNA computer that can be readily programmed to execute several tasks.
WSU alum, inventor of 3D‑printing technology shares his journey
The inventor of the technology used in 3D printing and WSU alumnus, Scott Crump told a group of WSU Tri‑Cities engineering and business students that in order to invent new things, you have to break the rules.
Top research coverage of 2023
Many WSU studies that caught the media’s attention seemed to involve human pleasures, and their consequences, a focus that may reflect the global, post-pandemic mood.
Food & Agriculture
New grant will allow WSU to help underserved farmers apply for loans
The goal of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded grant is to launch a provider network that informs eligible farmers about loans and helps them complete their applications.
University to co‑host SoilCon24 in February
SoilCon is a series of free events hosted by WSU and other state agricultural partners where participants get to learn about advances in soil health practices.
Carson College of Business names new executive chef and culinary director
Matthew Morgan’s duties include teaching culinary classes, running the hospitality school’s culinary certificate program, and leading the student-run catering services that serve WSU and Pullman.
WSU Extension resources support ag workers’ mental health
Agricultural workers statewide are receiving support from WSU Extension through services, programming, and one-on-one financial counseling.
Health & Medicine
Potential link found between high maternal cortisol, unpredicted birth complications
A snippet of hair can reveal a pregnant person’s stress level and may one day help warn of unexpected birth problems, according to a new WSU study.
Facial recognition app for dogs developed to help in fight against rabies
A new mobile phone-based facial recognition application for dogs has the potential to significantly improve rabies vaccination efforts in endemic areas like Africa and Asia.
Multi-generational toxicant exposures show cumulative, inherited health effects
While exposure to a single substance like DDT has been shown to create inherited disease susceptibility, a recent study in animals found exposure to multiple different toxicants across generations can amplify those health problems.
Protein discovery could help solve prostate cancer drug resistance
Researchers have identified a receptor protein known as CHRM1 as a key player in prostate cancer cells’ resistance to docetaxel, a commonly used chemotherapy drug to treat advanced cancer that has spread beyond the prostate.
Veterinary Medicine
WSU veterinary chaplain one of a few in the nation
Scott Campbell’s role at WSU reflects a growing recognition of the grief associated with a pet’s death and the toll veterinary care can take on people in the profession.
Mastiff saved thanks to WSU Good Samaritan Fund, generosity of strangers
Sean Manwill’s 18-month-old mastiff, Gracie, had only months to live without an expensive heart procedure. Support from the WSU community poured in to save her life.
Rehabilitated golden eagle newest ambassador for the Yakama Nation
The male eagle — unable to hunt in the wild due to eye trauma — is the second eagle at the Yakama Nation Aviary, a tribal facility for unreleasable birds of prey.
Special calf gets second chance with help from WSU
The round-the-clock attention of WSU’s Agricultural Animal Service gave a one-day-old rare breed of cow a second chance at life after suffering a catastrophic injury.
Arts & Culture
Chinese historians share Lunar New Year tales
WSU’s Xiuyu Wang and Weiguo Cao discuss traditional celebrations of the Lunar New Year in China as well as the cultural significance of the Year of the Dragon and the Chinese zodiac.
WSU selects ‘How the Other Half Eats’ as 2024–25 Common Reading book
The book explores the untold story of food and inequality in America. Incoming first-year students and faculty planning to use the book in their courses will receive a free copy.
New WSU graduate designs reusable wedding dresses
Mya Phan is creating modular wedding dresses that can be worn again with minor, easy-to-make adjustments.
WSU Press book receives critical praise for focus on post‑WWII art
“Montana Modernists” focuses on the artists who redefined the art of the Western United States, shedding the romanticism of the generation that came before them.
Business & Economics
Jeff Joireman appointed director of the Carson College of Business International Business Institute
Joireman, a marketing and international business professor, will officially assume director duties for the institute on May 16.
Workers sound the alarm on AI workplace readiness
Half of the U.S. professional workforce is concerned they will be “left behind” in their careers without opportunities to learn about AI, according to a new Carson College of Business report.
Shipping delays, cost increases may be on the horizon
Piracy in the Red Sea and low water levels within the Panama Canal are hindering global trade, and the ramifications could be felt within the WSU system.
Business researchers honored at national accounting conference
Accounting researchers from WSU received honors at the American Accounting Association’s Management Accounting Section Midyear Meeting, held Jan. 4-6, 2024, at the University of Central Florida.
Politics & Society
Black history in the Northwest
In the early 1970s, a young assistant professor in WSU’s new Black Studies program launched a project to write a history of Blacks in the Pacific Northwest.
Customers prefer text over video to provide service feedback
In a study, more people said they would likely leave written comments about service on a restaurant-provided AI‑enabled tablet. A video option discouraged feedback.
Documentary film explores Richland, Washington’s complex heritage
Filmmaker Irene Lusztig drew heavily upon the expertise of WSU historian Robert Franklin for her award-winning film, “Richland,” which will be shown Feb. 8 in Pullman.
Anderson turned WSU’s fledgling Black Studies program into a force
Talmadge Anderson played a key role in the 1970s transforming WSU Black Studies into one of the broadest interdisciplinary programs of its kind in the West.
Reports & Updates
WSU reaches tentative agreement with academic student employees
The tentative agreement still must be approved by the union’s members, with the UAW setting a ratification vote for Jan. 19–25.
Preparing for potential ASE strike
WSU President Kirk Schulz reaffirms the university’s commitment to ensuring classes proceed without impediment in the event of a work stoppage by academic student employees.
Honoring Dr. King’s legacy and fostering community
As we look to further this work, WSU is also proud to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by reaffirming WSU’s commitment to overcoming division, removing systemic barriers, advancing equity, and combatting hate in all its forms.
Light posting ahead for WSU Insider
The last day for regular daily posting to the website for the remainder of the year will be Tuesday, Dec. 19, ahead of the holiday and reduced operations. Regular posting and updates, as well as the daily push email, will resume Tuesday, Jan. 2.