Biological Sciences

Q&A with Erica Crespi

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 […]

Dr. Universe: If snakes smell with their tongues, what do they do with their noses?

Snakes have an amazing sense of smell. They can use their tongues to pick up on all kinds of scents in the air. Whenever we smell something in the air, we are actually sniffing tiny building blocks called molecules. These molecules are what make up the scents of everything around us—things like baked bread, fresh-cut […]

Women of Distinction honored for accomplishments, service

Six CAS women were honored for their accomplishments, service, and commitment to student success at the 15th annual WSU Women of Distinction awards ceremonies this spring. “It is amazing to see what all of these women accomplished over the past year, and we are truly in awe of their dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” […]

Undergraduate researchers earn 2021 awards

Nearly 150 students from the Pullman, Vancouver, Spokane, and Global campuses were selected to present their faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative activities and compete for prizes at the the 9th annual SURCA event. Fifteen CAS students won 10 different awards across seven categories at the 2021 event held online at the end of March.

Chuck Cody and the Abelson Greenhouse

Chuck Cody, who has served as the Abelson Hall Greenhouse plant growth facilities manager since the facility opened in 1985, answered questions about the space, the plants, and his career for WSU Pullman’s #FacultyFriday Facebook feature. High above the southern end of the Library Mall, the rooftop greenhouse houses roughly 500 different species within 4,000 […]

A thesis in three minutes

A doctoral candidate in the School of Biological Sciences, Milica Radanovic took the top prize and People’s Choice awards in a semifinal round of Washington State University’s Three Minute Thesis contest hosted by the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) in Pullman. Radanovic was one of five doctoral students who vied for the CAS Pullman

A quest to improve science communication, funding

In addition to winning first place in her division for a compelling, three-minute overview of her complex, years-long biological research project, Milica Radanovic won a place among 23 graduate students selected nationwide by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) to inform Congress about the importance of funding scientific research. “We are living during a time […]

Rapid evolution may help adaptation to climate change, competition

Loss of biodiversity is a growing worldwide concern. A new study shows that species can adapt rapidly to an invader and that this evolutionary change can affect how they deal with a stressful climate. “Our results demonstrate that interactions with competitors, including invasive species, can shape a species’ evolution in response to climatic change,” said […]