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College of Arts and Sciences Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs

Pre-law, Spanish major earns Congressional internship

Daniela Carvajal-Macias.Daniela Carvajal-Macias, a junior pre-law student majoring in Spanish, has been selected for a National High School Equivalency Program/CAMP Association Congressional Internship. Over the summer, she will work with Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva, who has served his congressional district since 2003.

“I am super excited and a little nervous,” Carvajal-Macias said. “I want to learn more about what it is like to work in a congressional office, and I look forward to » More …

Women of Distinction honored for accomplishments, service

Ramirez, Lee, Peters, Crespi, Thepvongsa, and Hurt.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,” said Davi Kallman, Women of Distinction co-chair and » More …

New student group partnering with WSU Police

SLRA members Jack Weyer, Andrew Green and Michelle Lee in front of the WSU Public Safety Building in Pullman.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 Center to jumpstart the association. Lee recruited other » More …

Examining how we perceive, trust new technologies

Dairy cow.New technologies have the potential to improve health and wellbeing for humans and livestock, but only if people trust and accept them.

Philosophy professor Patricia Glazebrook is teaming up with WSU colleagues and scientists at partner institutions to study how interactions with social and traditional media, as well as » More …

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 better testing or a vaccine or methods of contact tracing, but rather the impacts of the pandemic on various communities,” said Christine Portfors,  vice chancellor for research and » More …

Q&A with Travis Ridout

Travis Ridout.A professor of political science in the WSU School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs, Travis Ridout is an expert on political advertising and campaign finance. His work has appeared in leading political science journals in the U.S. and U.K. and he is highly sought by national and international news media for his knowledge about political campaigns. » More …

Facebook political ads more partisan, less negative than TV

A computer screen displaying Facebook's login page.More political candidates may be shifting primarily to social media to advertise rather than TV, according to a study of advertising trends led by WSU political science professor Travis Ridout. Looking at the 2018 campaign season, Ridout and his colleagues also found that Facebook political ads were more partisan, less negative and less issue-focused than those on TV.

“The 2018 race showed that social media can be helpful to candidates who may not have a lot of resources, including challengers and those who are not already well known,” said Ridout, a corresponding author on » More …

Foley Institute to host election lecture series online

Washington State University entrance.The Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service is bringing its Fall 2020 lecture series online with political science professors and experts from across the country. Political Science 400, an undergradute class that tracks with the lecture series, is also being offered this semester.

Although there are challenges, the move to online lectures means more people have an opportunity to watch live and be engaged in discussions, and it is possible to connect speakers from across the country to the » More …

Meet the new faculty of fall 2020

College of Arts and Sciences - Washington State University.Meet the college’s newest faculty, whose disciplinary expertise—from origin of life and supermassive black holes to political psychology, ancient economics, and interdisciplinary art—enriches and expands the arts and sciences at WSU. » More …

Political advertising expert Ridout tapped to lead PPPA

Travis Ridout.A national expert on political advertising and campaign finance, Travis Ridout will begin on July 15 a four-year term as director of the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs (PPPA).

Now the Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy, Ridout joined the WSU faculty in 2003. Since then, he has taught a wide range of courses, including American politics, elections, media and politics, political behavior, » More …