Two WSU physicists named Girl Scouts Women of Distinction

Two faculty members in the Washington State University Department of Physics and Astronomy have been named Women of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. 

The award was presented to Vivienne Baldassare and Anya Guy for their work contributing to the region through their professional endeavors, commitment to their community, and willingness to lead. The Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho spans 29 counties covering 65,000 square miles, serving over 3,000 Girls.

Baldassare, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy, joined the Coug team in 2020.  She earned her PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Michigan in 2017 and was a NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Astronomy at Yale University.

At Yale, she led the discovery of what was then the smallest known super black hole. 

Anya Guy is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at WSU where she implements research-based instructional practices in undergraduate physics.

For much of her academic career at WSU, she also attended Walla Walla University and had resident studies at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.

Teaching physics at EWU initially, she also was a corporate trainer at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories to develop a math and science development program for employees.