Graduate student

Data ‘playshops’ reveal ‘fourth dimension of literacy’

Seven-year-old George wants to design computer games. Five-year-old Erik hopes to become a policeman. Fourteen-year-old Jaime finds archaeology and history fascinating. These youngsters and dozens of their peers recently took an important step toward achieving their dreams by participating in the Data Literacy Playshops program hosted by Washington State University data scholars. The youth and […]

Unique cannabis use study looks at motives

A recent study titled “The Pot at the End of the Rainbow” is one of the first to examine motives for cannabis use among sexual minorities quantitatively. Led by Washington State University psychologists, the researchers analyzed survey data from nearly 4,700 university students from across the country. “People who are in sexual minority groups not […]

Human hikers effect wildlife behavior

Even without hunting rifles, humans appear to have a strong negative influence on the movement of wildlife. A study of Glacier National Park hiking trails during and after a COVID-19 closure adds evidence to the theory that humans can create a “landscape of fear” like other apex predators, changing how species use an area simply […]

A new holiday song with a rat pack vibe

Just in time for the holidays, Washington State University Emeritus Professor of Music Greg Yasinitsky has a new song, “It’s Santa!,” which is now streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, Deezer, and more.  “It’s Santa!” has a fun, swinging rat pack vibe of vocals backed by a roaring big band. The band is Yasinitsky’s […]

Increasing data literacy

Sharing data concepts with young children and engaging them in fun, data-related activities can have a lasting impact that can opens them to a future in data science. “Without knowing it, they’re working with and engaging in data analysis, and this opens the door for new experiences which could possibly change the trajectory of their […]

Drones show potential to improve salmon nest counts

Struggling salmon populations could get some help from the sky. A Washington State University study showed that drone photography of the Wenatchee River during spawning season can be effective in estimating the number of rocky hollows salmon create to lay their eggs, also called “redds.”   The drone imagery appeared to find roughly double the […]

Meet graduate student Molly Roitman

A doctoral student in experimental psychology and a member of the Adolescent Health and Wellness Lab led by Jessica Fales, Molly Roitman is studying the health and social psychology track within experimental psychology. Her research focuses on the social relationships and development of adolescents with chronic pain.

Eight proteins regulate insulin in hibernating bears

Feeding honey to hibernating bears helped Washington State University researchers find the potential genetic keys to the bears’ insulin control, an advance that could ultimately lead to a treatment for human diabetes. Every year, bears gain an enormous amount of weight, then barely move for months, behavior that would

Research exchange to explore resilient, high-yielding crops

Students from Washington State University will travel to Germany next summer for a new research exchange program exploring complex plant traits underlying resilience and yield. Funded by a $300,000 award from the National Science Foundation’s International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) initiative, the 10-week program expands WSU’s partnership with Germany’s CEPLAS—Cluster of Excellence on Plant […]

Dry lightning study could aid wildfire forecasting

Researchers from the School of the Environment at Washington State University, Vancouver, have developed the first long-term climatology of dry lightning — lightning which occurs with less than 2.5mm of rainfall — in central and northern California, “Unlike human-caused fires that originate in a single location, lightning outbreaks can strike multiple locations and start numerous