Funded by grant from the National Science Foundation, scientists in WSU’s Department of Psychology and Department of Human Development are launching a four-year study of babies’ emotional reactions and responses, seeking a greater understanding of how humans develop safe and unsafe behaviors. Researchers will study infants’ approach and avoidance behaviors, to understand how they develop […]
Derren Patterson (’07 History) wanted to see the world. After stops in China and Korea, he landed in Bolivia—and made the landlocked South American country his home. The ecotourism adventurer has been sharing his passion for the place—part mountain range, part desert, part rainforest—for twelve years now. “I’ve guided Hollywood movie stars, princes and princesses, […]
Surrounded by piles of art in her studio, MFA student Ashley “Q” Quast wondered what else she could make as she prepared for the Palouse Performance Showcase. She typically uses different materials in her art to express varied concepts and explains concepts by implementing humor. “Q is hilarious. She is quite dynamic in how she […]
A study conducted at 19 universities found that a brief social-belonging exercise boosts the performance and persistence of students who speak English as a second language in STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and math. “We found that this fairly brief intervention that involves reading stories from older students and doing a writing exercise had lasting […]
For many years, she never spoke about World War II. “It was too difficult. You try to forget. You try to go on with life.” But by the time 91-year-old Carla Olman Peperzak met Raymond Sun, a WSU associate professor of history, the former teenage operative in the Dutch Resistance had dedicated the rest of […]
Earth is not necessarily the best planet in the universe. Researchers have identified two dozen planets outside our solar system that may have conditions more suitable for life than our own. Some of these orbit stars that may be better than even our sun. The 24 top contenders for superhabitable planets are all more than […]
Before she decided to pursue a graduate degree in history, Samantha Edgerton worked in the disability and insurance industry for 18 years. “I was hesitant to start a master’s program because of my age,” Edgerton said, “but my adviser encouraged me to not let that prevent me. It has been a dream of mine to […]
Bill Gardner grew up on Pullman’s College Hill and thought for sure he was on track to be a teacher when he graduated from WSU. His father was a soil physicist at the University from 1950 to 1983. “I was 11 before I realized there were professions other than being a professor,” he says. “If […]
A self-described “band kid” growing up in Kennewick, Washington, Jacqueline Wilson has always found music to be a respite from the stresses of life. Wilson, a new assistant professor in the School of Music, specializes in the bassoon, a double-reed woodwind instrument that she cherishes for its versatility and rich
Over the past couple of decades an increasing number of reports have warned of dramatic declines in insect populations worldwide. Faced with data sufficient to cause grave concern, WSU scientists embrace a mixture of trust in insect resilience and a determination that despair is not an option. Referring to her efforts to restore pollinator habitat […]