Faculty

Bridging world history: African metalworking, Caribbean foods, and more

Although she spent much of her career in administrative positions, history professor Candice Goucher has always thought of herself as a scholar first and foremost. Her research combines the theories and methods of history, archaeology, ethnography, art history, ecology and chemistry. She is well known for her books and articles on African foodways, metallurgy, and […]

Salmon face double whammy from toxic stormwater

WSU researchers have found that salmon face a double whammy when they swim in the stormwater runoff of urban roadways. First, as scientists learned a couple years ago, toxic pollution in the water can kill them. WSU researchers have now determined that fish that survive polluted stormwater are still at risk. Experiments on both larval […]

It’s in the genes

When Omar Cornejo got his genomic analysis back from 23andMe, he and his wife, fellow population geneticist Joanna Kelley, were both a bit surprised and vindicated. Venezuelan, Cornejo expected to see the alleles, or variations of a gene, from Native American, western European, and North African populations. But he was unaware that his family’s deep history […]

Dear Dr. Universe: Why does hair turn gray?

Hair comes in lots of different colors. There’s black, medium brown, auburn, light brown, strawberry blonde, and copper, to name just a few. But in the end, almost everyone will have hair that’s gray or white. I decided to visit my friend Cynthia Cooper, a biologist and researcher at Washington State University, for help answering this […]

What’s at the core of a dark personality?

Dark personality traits such as narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are socially aversive personality styles that are often confused because of their similarities. Using a quantitative technique called network analysis, WSU psychologists David Marcus and Jonathan Preszler, along with their colleague Virgil Zeigler-Hill at Oakland University, are investigating the behaviors that make up the common core of dark personality traits.

3D printing: ‘still life’ art exhibit, innovative teaching tools

The show “Sculpting in Virtual Space: Experiments in Teaching” showcases diverse 3-dimensional prints created by several fine arts students and two faculty members, Hallie Meredith, art historian and clinical assistant professor, and Jamin Kuhn, instructor of fine arts digital media. New sculptures by WSU fine arts students are mixed with miniature versions of iconic artworks […]

McGuire honored for contributions to nutrition education

Shelley McGuire, a professor in the School of Biological Sciences, has been selected to receive the 2018 “Excellence in Nutrition Education Award” from the American Society for Nutrition. She will receive the award, given for “outstanding contributions to teaching nutrition,” at the society’s flagship meeting in Boston this June. For more than two decades, McGuire […]

Dramatic decline in genetic diversity of Northwest salmon charted

Columbia River Chinook salmon have lost as much as two-thirds of their genetic diversity, Washington State University researchers have found. The researchers reached this conclusion after extracting DNA from scores of bone samples — some harvested as many as 7,000 years ago — and comparing them to the DNA of Chinook currently swimming in the […]

Self-fertilizing fish reveal surprising genetic diversity

As weird animals go, the mangrove killifish is in a class of its own. It flourishes in both freshwater and water with twice as much salt as the ocean. It can live up to two months on land, breathing through its skin, before returning to the water with a series of spectacular 180-degree flips.

Foreign languages and cultures department newsletter, Fall 2017

In this issue of News Travels, learn about our new language certificate programs, a wide range of student activities held throughout the semester, creative learning activities like dancing lessons, field trips, and tasty tiramisu. Plus, don’t miss the photos from three faculty-led study abroad trips and a recap of honors and achievements by faculty and students. Read […]