Faculty

Service-learning boosts student success

In a first of its kind study at WSU, students taking introductory biology coupled with a service-learning project performed better academically and had improved first-year retention rates compared with students who did not participate in service-learning. The differences were most profound among first-generation and multicultural students. The study titled “Service Learning as a Portal to […]

Chemistry at-home lab kits keep students on track

To help chemistry students complete hands-on lab requirements while transitioned to remote instruction due to COVID-19, the Department of Chemistry will provide home lab kits to students taking selected undergraduate chemistry courses during the Summer 2020 term. “Given the current ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order in Washington state, we revisited the idea of lab kits […]

New degree in human biology

Responding to the global need for more skilled professionals in health, social and environmental sciences, and public policy, the College of Arts and Sciences will launch an interdisciplinary degree in human biology this fall. The new degree is designed for rigorous study in the natural and social sciences, and will be unique in Washington state […]

Fellowships expand options for PhD students

Living in Pullman while working on her graduate degree, Tabitha Espina yearned for the people, and the lumpia and adobo, that she grew up with in Guam. That all changed when she joined the first cohort of WSU’s grant-funded project, “Reimagining the 21st Century Land-Grant PhD” and began working with a community of Filipino and […]

Canada lynx disappearing from Washington state

Canada lynx are losing ground in Washington state, even as federal officials are taking steps to remove the species’ threatened status under the Endangered Species Act. A massive monitoring study led by WSU researchers has found lynx on only about 20% of its potential habitat in the state. The results paint an alarming picture not […]

Creative collaborations connect arts, sciences, community

Walking along the soggy banks of the Palouse River near Pullman, Washington, Linda Russo listened to the squish of mud under her feet and felt the cool wetness seep into her shoes. As the water rose around her heels and toes, her mind was flooded with thoughts about the past, present, and future of the […]

In a pandemic, why do people seek to help others?

Heartwarming examples of people across the country stepping up to help others in the face of a deadly disease raise the question of why people share resources and risk their own health and safety to help strangers. Craig Parks, professor of social psychology and WSU vice provost, provided insights about such “prosocial” behavior in a […]

Researching potential negative effects of cannabis

Coughing fits, anxiety and paranoia are three of the most common adverse reactions to cannabis, according to a recent study by the WSU Health and Cognition Laboratory. Researchers surveyed more than 1,500 college students on the type and frequency of adverse reactions they had experienced while using cannabis for their study in the Journal of […]