Earlier this year, six CAS professors spent 12 weeks as learners themselves in the new WORD! Faculty Fellowship program. The experienced educators were challenged to think about how to help students write within the context of their various disciplines. WORD! workshops help faculty understand “how writing can be the process through which students learn the […]
You can take a fish out of toxic water, but its epigenetic mutations will remain for at least two generations. A research team led by Washington State University scientists analyzed the epigenetics—molecular factors and processes that determine whether genes are turned on or off—of a group of Poecilia mexicana fish, or Atlantic molly, that live […]
The 2021 WSU President’s Awards for Leadership and Engagement Award of Distinction (LEAD) recognized 17 CAS students and a faculty member for outstanding contributions across our diverse campus communities. “This is a prestigious award that recognizes…the ways they give back to the community and empower others,” said Phillip Sinapati, ASWSU advisor and
WSU evolutionary biologist Joanna Kelley studies genetic adaptation to extreme environments: tropical fish that thrive in waters thick with hydrogen sulfide; an Antarctic midge which can survive brutally cold temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius; and now, the charismatic grizzly bear, a species that is insulin-resistant—a metabolic state similar to diabetes in humans—during hibernation but insulin-sensitive during […]
CAS faculty members are engaged in new projects to improve undergraduate education, thanks to funding from the Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Teaching and Learning Endowment. “The wide scope of projects selected this year reflects a breadth of interests among faculty,” said Mary Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. “Their work […]
Carly Ellingsen (’16 BS zoology) comes from a long line of Cougars. She’s named after her great-grandfather, Carl “Tuffy” Ellingsen, who kicked, ran and threw the Cougars to their second Rose Bowl in 1931. Her grandfather, Don Ellingsen, another Washington State University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, still ranks seventh all-time in receptions among other […]
Alterations in the epigenetic programming of hatchery-raised steelhead trout could account for their reduced fertility, abnormal health and lower survival rates compared to wild fish, according to a new Washington State University study. The study, published May 18 in Environmental Epigenetics, establishes a link between feeding practices that promote faster growth, as well as other […]
Four CAS faculty leading projects in forest ecology, underrepresented composers, environmental remediation, and effective messaging have been selected to receive New Faculty Seed Grants from the Office of Research and Office of the Provost to encourage development of their research, scholarly, or creative programs.
Plant scientists at Washington State University and in Germany are launching a new research collaboration through a series of virtual talks about advances that help feed and sustain our world. “Direct cooperation between German and U.S. scientists and collaborative education of our scholars helps expand society’s knowledge about beneficial crops,” said Mechthild Tegeder, Herbert L. Eastlick […]
An associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, Erica Crespi is interested in how animals interact with the environment and understanding how early exposure to environmental conditions can alter behavior, growth, reproduction, and overall fitness during later life stages. She thrives on engaging with students at all levels. She regularly mentors undergraduate and graduate […]