CAS Story Hub

Seeking Balance in the Justice System

Home is where the research takes you. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in psychology, Safiya Hafiz’s interests veered toward criminology, criminal justice, and sociology. She wanted to help people on a larger scale and explore how social problems affected large groups, like those in the justice system. “I learned about social problems in sociology courses,” […]

Research on issues of violence receives recognition

Melanie-Angela Neuilly, associate professor of criminology, is among 14 researchers who recently received a Distinguished Scholar Award for 2024 from the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. The Distinguished Scholar Awards are granted to individuals in the natural and social sciences whose work will result in creating understanding around the causes, manifestations, and control of violence and aggression. […]

Genes identified that allow bacteria to thrive despite toxic heavy metal in soil

Some soil bacteria can acquire sets of genes that enable them to pump the heavy metal nickel out of their systems, a study has found. This enables the bacteria to not only thrive in otherwise toxic soils but help plants grow there as well. A Washington State University-led research team pinpointed a set of genes […]

Bone defect research takes first at 3 Minute Thesis

The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) 3 Minute Thesis qualifier competition took place on March 6, in which 10 PhD students challenged themselves to present a distilled thesis within three minutes and with only one slide as a visual aid. Under the pressure of time and conveying their research to a general audience and […]

Leap year helps keep time accurate

About five million people around the world will celebrate their once-every-four-year birthday on Feb. 29, including several current Cougs. Being born on a leap day can not only delay a birthday but often requires odd paperwork. For instance, some states require ‘leaplings’ to list their birthdate as Feb. 28 or March 1 on driver’s license applications. Although it can […]

Jeffrey Vervoort elected 2024 Geochemistry Fellow

In recognition of his research to advance understanding of the Earth’s crust, geology Professor Jeffrey Vervoort has been elected as a 2024 Geochemistry Fellow by the Geochemical Society and European Association of Geochemistry. “This award is particularly gratifying because the Geochemical Society and European Association of Geochemistry make up my closest scientific community, and therefore this award represents recognition from my scientific […]

Foley Distinguished Public Service Award

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense and four-star Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis will be the inaugural recipient of the Thomas S. Foley Award for Distinguished Public Service. The new Distinguished Service Award will be given annually by the Foley Institute at Washington State University to individuals who have demonstrated integrity, courage, and a commitment to democratic values in public service and […]

AI research supports health equity in rural Washington

Washington State University sociologist Anna Zamora-Kapoor is studying how artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) could help improve cancer survival outcomes among the Pacific Northwest’s rural Hispanic population. As one of 25 fellows in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIM-AHEAD leadership program, and in partnership with Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster, Washington, Zamora-Kapoor is using […]

Teachers’ growth mindset appears more important than warmth

Students tend to like friendly teachers, but they like those who believe they can improve even more, new research indicates. Students in a study still responded positively to instructors described as being cold but who also had a growth mindset, meaning they felt students’ ability in a subject could improve by working hard and trying […]

Polar bears unlikely to adapt to longer summers

More time stranded on land means greater risk of starvation for polar bears, a new study indicates. During three summer weeks, 20 polar bears closely observed by scientists tried different strategies to maintain energy reserves, including resting, scavenging and foraging. Yet nearly all of them lost weight rapidly: on average around 1 kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, per day. […]