Thank you for helping us build momentum. We’re grateful for your support of the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Service.
Your gift to the Excellence Fund strengthens our academic programs, sparks bold new ideas, and opens doors for students, faculty, and staff to thrive. Thanks to your commitment, we’re not just moving forward, we’re gaining momentum. We’re advancing education, accelerating research, and enriching our community with purpose and energy.
Your belief in our mission keeps us going. You’re a vital part of the progress we’re making, and we’re excited to share a few highlights from the past year that reflect the impact of your support. There’s so much more ahead, and we look forward to keeping you connected to the incredible work you’re helping make possible.
With heartfelt appreciation,
GO COUGS!
Supporting events at WSU has become a hallmark of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities.
- Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art—Community Perspective Tours and Family Friendly Days. This two-part event occurred in October 2024 and forged connections between seemingly disparate academic disciplines. First, the Family Friendly Activity, titled “The Art of Food,” combined storytelling and art-making exercises about cooking, gardening, and culture, all with children ages K-3. The major event was the Community Perspectives Tour led by dietician Marissa Collier. In front of a captive audience, Marissa provided her dietician’s perspective on selected pieces of art in The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. With assistance provided by Kristin Becker (Curator of Education and Programs), all the participants gained valuable insight at the intersection of art, culture, and food.
- WSU Department of English—Disability in Higher Education Seminar. Conceived as a three-part series during the 2024-2025 academic year, this partnership between the Department of English and the Pollart Center resulted in honest and illuminating conversations about disability in higher education and how we can begin to reimagine our ideas of what access can look like for today’s college students. Invited speakers Margaret Price, Ada Hubrig, and Mimi Khuc all shared their expertise with an audience from throughout the WSU system.
- WSU School of Music—Ruth and Loran Olsen Festival of Native American Music. The Ruth and Loran Olsen Festival of Native American Music is an annual event during Native American Heritage Month designed to highlight the depth of Indigenous artistry through performing and educational events held on the WSU Pullman campus. The guest Artist-in-Residence for the 2024 inaugural year was Navajo composer and pianist Connor Chee. The festival was led by WSU faculty member Jacqui Wilson (Yakama) with assistance from Melissa Parkhurst. During the final concert, the near standing-room-only crowd were immersed in music by Native American composers performed by WSU music students and faculty in addition to Connor Chee himself.
- WSU School of Languages, Cultures, and Race—Exploration of the Whitman Mission National Historic Site. This field trip to the cities of Portland and Walla Walla enabled students to learn about the history of French art in modern times, and how artists like Monet, Chagall, Picasso, Soutine, Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir, among others, had to face rejection from academia as they were breaking the limits of art. Visiting the Whitman Mission National Historic Site showed WSU students how communities can connect, disconnect, and reconnect as they will visit a place that was home of the Cayuse Native American tribe, where Presbyterian missionaries arrived in 19th century. Students learned about tensions that can be created when colonial projects are implemented without taking into consideration the original inhabitants of a given region and their culture.
- WSU School of Music—Chamber Singers Performance at the 2025 All-Northwest Music Education Conference. The WSU Chamber Singers were selected to perform at the All-Northwest Division conference of the National Association for Music Education. This biennial conference attracted educators and students from throughout the six-state region of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska. The Chamber Singers, representing an elite group of singers, represent undergraduate students (music majors and non-majors) as well as graduate students. This choir’s performance featured 25 minutes of eclectic music showcasing contrasting styles, genres, and time periods. Appearing as an invited ensemble at a conference such as this is a significant achievement and distinction for the students and the WSU School of Music.