mikayla.makle | CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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Hearts in Darkness

June 2, 2020 mikayla.makle

Iridescent little fairywrens drew doctoral student Jordan Boersma to the grasslands of Papua New Guinea, but it was the unexpected generosity of the people that captured the researcher’s heart.

“I’ve traveled all over Asia and never experienced this level of hospitality. If you accept their culture, they’ll really take you in and look after you,” he says.

Hubert Schwabl, professor in the Washington State University School of Biological Sciences, says Boersma is one of the rare students who is able to do field work under difficult tropical conditions.

Boersma, who joined the project in 2015, says white-shouldered fairywrens are good models for mate selection studies. The sparkly birds, found only in Papua New Guinea, are easy to observe as they hop around in the grass looking for insects.

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Washington State Magazine

New cave installed for bears

June 2, 2020 mikayla.makle

The Washington State University Bear Research, Education, and Conservation Center has a new man-made cave, giving the bears something novel to explore in their exercise yard.

“Our bears enjoy digging dens in the yard, but they always collapse, so we figured we’d give them something permanent,” said Brandon Hutzenbiler, the manager at the center, which is jointly run by the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Agricultural, Natural, and Human Resource Sciences.

He hopes the bears will use it as another place to escape the weather, get some privacy, or play.

“In the heat of summer, this should give them a location that’s a little cooler,” Hutzenbiler said. “We’ll put in some straw and make it as comfortable as possible in there.”

The cave is actually a 10-foot long steel culvert buried in the side of a hill in the existing 2-acre exercise yard. The culvert was specially made to have a flat top and bottom, to be more comfortable for the bears.

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WSU Insider

Ask Dr. Universe: How do parachutes work?

June 2, 2020 mikayla.makle

Parachutes work a lot like dandelion seeds—using the same invisible forces all around us. Nicholas Cerruti, a physics professor at Washington State University, helped me learn how.

The air around you is packed with tiny things called molecules. You can’t see them, but you’re constantly bumping into them. This is true for you, and for every object in motion on Earth.

“As an object moves through air, it needs to move the air around it,” Cerruti explained.

Parachutes work by creating lots of drag. The same idea appears in nature: in dandelion seeds, bird wings, and more. “Flying squirrels have a skin between their legs that develops like a parachute,” Cerutti said. “Instead of the squirrel dropping out of a tree, they can glide.”

Every year, Cerruti and the Physics and Astronomy Club test these ideas by dropping pumpkins from the top of a tall building.

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Ask Dr. Universe

Carter named outstanding chair/director

June 2, 2020 mikayla.makle

Listen to Pat Carter, professor, Biological Sciences, talk about the School of Biological Sciences for a few minutes and you’re ready to jump online and register for every course the school offers. It’s hard to imagine a time when Carter was overwhelmed and unsure if he could handle the job as the Director of SBS.

“When I first became director it was pretty scary,” said Carter. “I had about a two-week window to learn the job. Our former director Larry Hufford was fantastic at giving me all that I needed to know. One of the reasons I was interested in the job was I see the role as creating an environment where students, faculty and staff can be successful.”

Carter was named the Outstanding School Director for 2019-2020. Matt Jockers, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, says Carter’s dedication to the University and his role as director set him apart.

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WSU Insider