Fall 2025 Highlights

I want to thank you for everything you do to make the College of Arts and Sciences thrive. Across the college, we are putting our land-grant mission into action, expanding access and opportunity for students while driving research, scholarship, and creative activity that strengthens the communities we serve. 

I am honored to be formally appointed as dean after serving the past 15 months in an interim role. I’m grateful for the support and encouragement I have received along the way, and I’m excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead. 

One recent milestone underscores the strength of our faculty and their dedication. Last year the college recorded nearly $35 million in research expenditures, one of our highest levels to date. In a challenging federal funding landscape, this achievement reflects the excellence of our faculty and the impact of their research at WSU and beyond. 

Thinking about the work ahead, I’m reminded of a recent conversation with a CAS alumnus now at Microsoft after a career that included Google and other top companies. His early pivots across industries, roles, and locations were grounded in skills he built at WSU: critical thinking, clear communication, problem-solving, and connection-building. He is a proud and passionate Coug who, like me, knows these strengths make our graduates essential in today’s workforce, where adaptability, connection, empathy, collaboration and quick learning are in high demand.  

Stories like his and the successes of our students and faculty remind us why our work matters. Even in a challenging education and funding landscape, our focus remains clear: preparing future leaders and advancing knowledge that benefits communities. Our graduates leave WSU ready to adapt, to lead, and to make a difference. Thank you for helping make this possible. 

This summer showcased highlights that reflect who we are and the impact we make. I’m excited to share some of them with you below. 

Research, Scholarship & Creative Excellence:  

• Assistant Professor Anjali Sharma, Department of Chemistry, received two National Institutes of Health R01 grants to advance nanomedicine. The first grant ($2.5 million) is focused on developing treatment for pediatric traumatic brain injury through technology that targets delivery of therapeutics to injured neurons. The second grant ($2.6 million) focuses on treatment for corneal neovascularization. These awards mark a major step forward in efforts to translate nanomedicine research into therapies that address urgent unmet clinical needs.  
• Assistant Professor Rachel Horowitz received a National Science Foundation grant to conduct research of past economic activities among the ancestral Maya, specifically the role of small-scale craft producers. In partnership with colleagues from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Succotz, Belize, the archaeological excavations in Belize included a stone tool production workshop and the homes of the stone tool producers. Horowitz also hosted a workshop to teach local tour guides how to make stone tools and participated in the community’s Succotz Archaeology Day. 
• Assistant Professor Robert Franklin, historian and archivist for the Hanford History Project, was awarded two grants from the National Park Service. A two-year project funded by one grant focuses on documenting the contribution of women who worked on the Manhattan Project at Hanford. The second grant will engage students in conducting a literature review to advance understanding of the science, design and construction, and advancements resulting from the Manhattan Project.  

Student Success:  

• This summer 30 WSU choral students with Assistant Professor Matthew Myers performed as guests at Carnegie Hall; Carter Mitchell participated in the 2025 Euphonium and Tuba Festival in Atlanta, GA; and Cassidy Fairchild (horn) performed with the NUCORNO Collegiate ensemble at the International Horn Symposium in Harrisonburg, VA. 
• James Lesperance, a WSU Vancouver Spring 2025 digital technology and culture graduate, received a $1,000 travel grant and acceptance to participate in the Intra/HT Summer School this September. This opportunity is presented by the Association of Computing Machinery, and it takes place in Chicago timed with the Hypertext 2025 Conference. 
• Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs graduate student Joseph Akowuah received an American Political Science Association Political Psychology Distinguished Junior Scholar Award this June.  

Community Engagement:  

• Department of Sociology and William Julius Wilson Distinguished Professor Justin Denney and School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs Director and Claudius O. and May W. Johnson Distinguished Professor Travis Ridout were elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.  
• School of Music Director of Choral Activities and Professor Dean Luethi partnered with Associate Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor Matthew Myers to engage with over 300 high school choral students at 10 schools across the western and central parts of Washington. They collaborated with ensembles, shared insights on music opportunities after graduation, and highlighted WSU’s enriching student experience. 
• Assistant Professor Beverly-Porter (Digital Technology and Culture) and Assistant Professor Marlene Gaynair (History) were each featured on panels at this year’s Comicpalooza University, a three-day event that involved 16 panels and 36 scholars from various academic institutions. Beverly-Porter’s panel, “Game On: From Consoles to Community,” examined how avatars and game narratives shape identity and culture, with a focus on Black voices, critical making, and game-based storytelling. Gaynair’s “Caribbean Comics” panel discussed comics and creators of the Caribbean.  

Strategic Investments: 

• The Integrated Science Building receives initial funding and approval from the Washington State University Board of Regents. 
• One of Washington State University’s oldest collections, the Marion Ownbey Herbarium, has a new funding source thanks to a bequest commitment from Charles and Beverly Heebner.  

With your support, our work continues to make a difference — at the college, WSU and beyond. 

Sincerely,

Courtney Meehan
Dean