It’s fall semester at WSU!

September 10, 2024

As summer winds down and fall approaches, I am excited to connect with you—our alumni, friends, and supporters of WSU and the Arts and Sciences. With the changing season, our campuses are gearing up for a vibrant period of renewed energy—students returning for classes, faculty preparing for conferences, and new research and creative projects are in the air.

We are delighted to introduce 27 new faculty members who are bringing fresh ideas and vibrancy to our college. Their presence strengthens our diverse and dynamic academic community, and we invite you to meet them: Meet the new faculty of 2024. 

As we look ahead, I want to share a few recent highlights that showcase the incredible achievements within our college:

  • Art and Creativity: Four of our talented artists—Io Palmer, Reza Safavi, JJ Harty, and Reika Okuhara (MFA ’24)—were featured at Seattle’s Bumbershoot Arts & Music Festival with individual installations that reflect the innovative spirit of our community. (photos below)
Courtney Meehan.
Detail of artwork by Io Palmer. Links to full size image.
Detail of artwork by Io Palmer. Links to full size image.
Detail of artwork by JJ Harty. Links to full size image.
Detail of artwork by JJ Harty. Links to full size image.

Images 1-2 artist Io Palmer, Images 3-4 artist JJ Harty. Links open in a new tab.

  • Research Excellence: Arts and Sciences faculty were incredibly successful in obtaining external research grants this summer. Three of many recent examples are: 1) Jacob Lewis’s (School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs) Department of Defense grant on mapping societal cohesion, disinformation, and adversary influence operations, and group formation in African crisis regions; 2) Alex Fremier’s (School of Environment) National Science Foundation grant on understanding the hydrological impact of floodplain restorations; and 3) Anjali Sharma’s (chemistry) National Institutes of Health grant on targeted nanotherapies for the treatment of prostate cancer. 
  • Innovative Teaching: More than 20 faculty members from our Pullman, Vancouver, and Everett campuses are participating in the LIFT program, which focuses on pedagogical strategies that enhance students’ sense of belonging, growth mindset, and mindfulness.
  • Celebrating Success: The Cougar Summer Music Camp, organized by our School of Music, registered its largest event to date, with 109 campers forming numerous ensembles, including a concert band, string orchestra, choir, music theater cast, and more.
  • Honoring Teaching Excellence: We recently awarded our first-ever teaching-focused Distinguished Professorship to Nicholas Cerruti in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, made possible by the Tom and Julie Lutz Endowed Distinguished Professorship.
  • Student Spotlight: Over half of the students showcased in The College Tour are majors or minors within the College of Arts and Sciences. We’re proud to see our students representing the best of WSU on a national platform. The College Tour premiere’s on Amazon in October.

These achievements are a testament to the dynamic community you help support. I will share more successes with you in the year ahead and encourage you to look through our library of news and highlights, as well as checking back periodically for other messages that I share with our community. Your continued engagement makes it possible for our students, faculty, and staff to reach new heights.

Thank you for being an essential part of our community.

P.S. We hope you can join us for our Arts and Sciences fall reception being held in conjunction with the WSU in Seattle events. Join us at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bellevue on Thursday, September 12.

Go Cougs,

Courtney Meehan's signture.

Courtney Meehan
Dean