Alumni

Shaking hands with the past

For artist Nathan Orosco (’02 MFA), the process of making art is an art in itself. From sculpting clays to melting bronze, “you’re collaborating with raw materials. You’re shaking hands with the past and the historic ways humans have traditionally dealt with those materials. And then I add in the content of my own personal […]

Jazz CD receives bevy of national attention

“YAZZ Band,” the recently released compact disc from Greg Yasinitsky, Regents Professor of music, has received significant national attention, including a feature in Down Beat magazine — the “Jazz Bible” — and on the Public Radio International show “Jazz After Hours.” The disc also features WSU School of Music faculty members Sarah Miller, Brian Ward and […]

Power of words

When Sandy Williams (’83 psych.) was in the eighth grade, she discovered that only boys were allowed to take shop class, while girls had to take home economics. To Williams, this was unfair. Instead of standing idly by, she wrote a persuasive essay calling for a change. Thanks to Williams, girls like her who had […]

Foreign language study leads to success

Kevin Simeon (’17 Chinese) has traveled to distant continents, made many new friends, and established an international business based around his knowledge of Mandarin Chinese. He attributes his success to enrolling in Chinese 101 at WSU. It wasn’t until my sophomore year on the Palouse when I decided to take on the daunting challenge of […]

WSU Fight Song, composed by students, turns 100

As the patriotic fervor from World War I began to subside, students at then-Washington State College found themselves uninspired by the songs associated with the school. Two senior music students, Zella Melcher of Spokane, Wash., and Phyllis Sayles of Lapwai, Idaho, took on the task of writing new music to energize the student body. “They debuted their creation to great […]

A story of one student

James Whitbread, one of WSU’s 2018 Top Ten Seniors, is now attending Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Medical school is everything I ever hoped it would be and more than I ever expected,” he shared in a post on the Department of Mathematics and Statistics website. Read on to learn more about his journey. […]

Mock Trial team powered by real courtroom experience

From the probing plaintiff’s attorney to the deft defense counsel, students in Mock Trial at Washington State University play a variety of roles and gain valuable experience in preparing for careers in law. Adding powerful authenticity to their experience, this year’s Mock Trial team recently got the rare opportunity to practice their skills in an […]

‘Venn Pirouettes’ exhibition blends art and science

WSU alumnus Michael Schultheis finds dynamic synergies between the languages of mathematics and art. He employs analytical formula within his luminous paintings and sculptures. His works bend mathematical precision into imperfect visions, creating room for metaphors and storytelling. Raised on a rural family farm near the Snake River in southeast Washington, Schultheis was awarded a bachelor’s […]

WSU med student elected to national association role

Medical students at Washington State University have a national voice, thanks to David Choi (’16 biology). A devoted Coug who graduated from WSU Vancouver and is now enrolled at the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Choi was elected last spring to represent students in nine states as western region chair of the Association of American […]

Gold mettle man

Poles planted and ready, Sean Halsted (’92 psychology) waits at the starting gate for the 15-kilometer cross-country skiing race. It’s March 2018 at the PyeongChang Winter Games and he’s wearing the signature red cap and striped jersey of the U.S. Paralympic team. Behind sunglasses, Halsted glances at the grandstand filled with thousands of cheering fans, […]