CAS News & Stories
Quiet, please: Hatchery salmon raised amid noise are less likely to return to spawn
That’s a key finding of new research from Washington State University Vancouver showing that hatchery-raised fall Chinook salmon that started life in noise-protected environments were more likely to complete the journey to the ocean and back than fish raised in noisy ones.
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Shaping Conversations: CAS in the Media
New Scientist: Special relativity can warp chemical bonds – now we’ve seen it happen
Chemistry professor Kirk Peterson spoke with New Scientist about his recent publication in Science Magazine about the first observation of relativistic chemistry, using a bismuth carbide charged molecule.
Op-Ed: Education opens the door to opportunity
History professor Ryan Booth recently contributed his perspective to the Lewiston Tribune’s round-up of stories about America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
WSU study shows food insecurity varies among low-income racial and ethnic groups
Sociology professor Justin Denney was interviewed by “Think Out Loud” on Oregon Public Broadcasting about his research showing that rates of food insecurity in the U. S. Vary among members of different racial and ethnic groups.
AI legal agent designed to guide police during domestic violence calls
Researchers from the WSU Complex Social Interactions (CSI) Lab were featured in coverage from New Atlas on their research and development of open-source AI platforms designed to support information gathering during police investigations.
WSU Choir Tour covered by Columbia Basin Herald
The WSU Choir Tour’s stop in Ephrata was covered by the Columbia Basin Herald; music professors Dean Luethi and Matthew Myers took WSU students on a choral tour from Pullman to Bellingham, stopping at several local high schools along the way.
Trump, the Pope and a New Holy War
Matthew Sutton, professor of history at Washington State University, was the featured author of the Wall Street Journal’s “Saturday Essay” on April 17, 2026.
Achievements, Recognitions, & Awards
Season Hoard wins Yang “Wendy” Liu Award
Season Hoard, political science professor, won the Yang “Wendy” Liu Award for making complicated US politics accessible to international students.
Jordan Thompson wins R.E. Taylor Poster Award at Society for American Archaeology’s Annual Meeting
Jordan Thompson, PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology, won the R.E. Taylor Poster Award at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
CAS research funded by President’s Big Ideas Initiative
Ten Washington State University research projects were awarded funding from the President’s Big Ideas Initiative, and two of those efforts come from professors affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences.
Department of English: Lauren Westerfield
Lauren Westerfield has been awarded the Juniper Prize in Creative Nonfiction for her book, Woman House: Essays and Assemblages
Biological Sciences: Summer Howard
Summer Howard has been recognized as a 2026 Leader of Distinction and Leader of the Year by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.
Biological Sciences: Caroline Terry
Caroline Terry, fifth-year PhD candidate in the School of Biological Sciences, recently won the Best Student Presentation, Division of Comparative Physiology and Biochemistry, at the 2026 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Annual Meeting in Portland, OR.