Mathematics and Statistics

Computational tool can help identify gerrymandering

With state legislatures nationwide preparing for the once-a-decade redrawing of voting districts, a research team has developed a better computational method to help identify improper gerrymandering designed to favor specific candidates or political parties. “We wanted to build an open-source software tool and make that available to people interested in reform, especially in states where […]

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.

New student group partnering with WSU Police

The Student Legal Research Association (SLRA) is helping evaluate data from WSU’s police department as part of measures to address racial disparity in arrests on the Pullman campus. Michelle Lee, a political science pre-law major who was searching for volunteer experiences after the pandemic shut down courthouse internships in spring 2020, worked with WSU’s Pre-law Resource […]

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

Major strides in student success

The five-year WSU Transformational Change Initiative (TCI) created an excellent model for boosting student success, and plans are in the works to continue improving the program. “The intention is to help the students connect with opportunities that align with their values, play to their strengths, and move them toward their goals,” said Samantha Swindell, associate […]

International Cougs: distanced but connected

Washington State Magazine reached out to Washington State University international alumni to see how they were holding up during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With an email questionnaire and interviews conducted by Zoom, phone, and Skype, the responses came in from ten countries on six different continents. Many reported using the skills and knowledge gained while […]

More than just numbers

When he’s not teaching mathematics – from introductory calculus to advanced numerical analysis of elliptic equations – WSU math professor Sergey Lapin might be working to speed detection of deadly disease or to expand understanding of European history, Russian language and culture, Chinese economics, or higher education in America. A firm believer in pursuing one’s […]

New research in these interesting times

In March 2020, when the University moved to distance learning to comply with stay-at-home orders, some WSU Vancouver researchers who were unable to pursue their existing projects turned instead to look at how COVID-19 was affecting various communities. The new projects are “a lot broader than what people might expect. We are not looking for […]

Data analytics games provide education, professional opportunities, fun

Working to build community among students learning remotely this fall, expert problem solvers in the WSU data analytics (DA) program created course-related games to stimulate interaction while providing some educational fun and valuable professional networking opportunities. In collaboration with academic advisors for the WSU Pullman, Everett, Vancouver, and Global campuses, the program director and statistics […]