I hope you are all settled into the new semester and enjoying the relatively mild weather we’ve been experiencing throughout the state of Washington (at least until recently).

System update from the president

February 23, 2023

Dear WSU Community,

I hope you are all settled into the new semester and enjoying the relatively mild weather we’ve been experiencing throughout the state of Washington (at least until recently). Like many of you, I suspect, the lack of snow over the last couple of weeks had me envisioning longer, warmer days with plenty of sunshine for walking the dog and firing up the grill. Until then, I’ll begin preparing my Airstream for the summer camping season this March — Noel and I cannot wait.

During this busy time across the WSU system, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation for our incredible faculty and staff. Thanks to you, WSU continues to fulfill the core tenets of our land-grant mission. From supporting student success to enriching our communities statewide, the highlights included below reflect a large body of work where Cougs came together to cultivate change on behalf of our students and the state.

While we consider the challenges and opportunities ahead of us, I want to ensure that we continue to celebrate all that we’ve achieved together as a system.

Thank you for all that you do to support Washington State University and Go Cougs!

Kirk

Kirk H. Schulz
System President
Washington State University

Aerial view of the WSU Pullman campus.

WSU Pullman

WSU Pullman is excited to host the Hostile Terrain 94 (HT94) exhibition at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU (JSMA). Made possible through a partnership between the Office of the Provost and Pullman Chancellor, JSMA, College of Arts and Sciences, and Center for Arts and Humanities, HT94 is a participatory exhibition of approximately 3,800 handwritten toe tags that represent migrants who have died trying to cross the Sonoran Desert from the mid‑1990s to 2020. Additional activities are planned around the exhibition, including a visit and lecture from HT94 founder and anthropologist, Jason De León. Additional information, including how to participate in workshops to complete the toe tags, is available on the Provost’s HT94 website.

Aerial view of the WSU Spokane campus.

WSU Spokane

Research led by Bhagwat Prasad, associate professor, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is helping develop safe drug dosing standards for children and other populations that are underrepresented in clinical drug trials. This research could assist pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals determine the right dosing for many drugs prescribed to children that have only ever been tested in adults.

Exterior view of the WSU Tri-Cities campus.

WSU Tri‑Cities

Governor Jay Inslee made a stop at Washington State University Tri‑Cities in December to highlight clean energy initiatives he is seeking funding for in the state’s biennial budget. One of the key initiatives is the WSU Tri‑Cities Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF). The proposed funding would allow INEF to support the Tri‑Cities, our region, state, and nation as a leader in transforming energy systems and solving climate issues by bridging science and policy.

Exterior view of the WSU Vancouver campus.

WSU Vancouver

Students are helping their peers succeed in historically difficult courses by promoting and modeling effective study strategies in WSU Vancouver’s new Supplemental Instruction space. In the new space, students who have previously taken the course with demonstrated success will lead study sessions that cover readings, compare notes taken in class, predict test questions, and share ideas for developing effective learning, critical thinking, and study strategies.

Exterior view of the WSU Everett campus.

WSU Everett

Sen. Murray visited Everett Community College on January 19 for a roundtable discussion about college affordability with leadership, staff, and students. Chancellor Pitre, financial aid advisor Brandon Buckingham, and student/Pell Grant recipient Elena Cervantes represented WSU Everett in the discussion to put higher education in reach for everyone.

Laptop computer, headphones, notepad, and pen.

WSU Global

Last month, five WSU Global Campus online programs ranked among the best in the nation for 2023 by U.S. News & World Report. Global Campus ranked 18th nationally for its undergraduate degrees, including its undergraduate business and psychology programs which ranked 12th and 16th, respectively. WSU’s online MBA program, from the Carson College of Business, ranked 27th among the nation’s best online MBA programs, and the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s online graduate engineering programs ranked 31st. The programs were also named among the nation’s best for veterans, with undergraduate programs ranking 12th, the online MBA ranking 17th, and online graduate engineering programs ranking 23rd in their respective Veterans categories.

Letters spelling WSU inside an outline of the state of Washington.