Digital Media | CAS in the Media | Washington State University

^{CAS in the Media} _{Arts and Sciences Media Headlines}

45 undergraduates named top researchers in SURCA competition

April 28, 2014

Thirty-nine awards were presented recently to 45 WSU students—many in the College of Arts and Sciences—at the third annual Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) 2014.

The work of 192 students University-wide was detailed in 11 oral and 145 poster presentations open to faculty, staff, students, and guests. More than 100 judges evaluated the presentations. The judges included WSU emeriti faculty and retirees, faculty, staff, and post-doctoral students as well as experts from companies outside of WSU.

While many students from urban campuses traveled to participate, SURCA was made available to two place-bound students thanks to web conferencing provided by the Global Campus. A Pullman student studying abroad in Mexico and a WSU Vancouver student who was unable to attend SURCA in person talked “live” to their judges who were in the senior ballroom of the Compton Union Building.

More about the competition and list of winners

Creative media students hone career skills with e-book project

January 31, 2014

Project team, from left to right: Nicholas Rudy, WSUV Student & Project Manager; Greg Shine, NPS Chief Ranger & Historian; Dr. Dene Grigar, WSUV Course Instructor & CMDC Director; Bryan Ruhe, WSUV Student & Lead Designer; and Kyleigh Williams, WSUV Student & Content Specialist. Not pictured, Meagan Huff & Heidi Pierson, NPS Museum Technicians.

“Our plan is quite simple – we want to take over New York City publishing.”

That’s how Dr. Dene Grigar feels after witnessing her students produce a new digital book on the life of Dr. John McLoughlin, chief factor of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Vancouver.

Grigar, an associate professor in English and director of WSU Vancouver’s Creative Media and Digital Culture (CMDC) program, believes that the old model of publishing is dying, and that the 225 students in her program are gaining real-world experience in the new model: digital.

Three CMDC students worked with the National Park Service on the digital publication which is called “The McLoughlin Family Collection: A Look Inside the Fort Vancouver Museum Collection.” The e-book features photos and 3D images of McLoughlin family artifacts from the National Historic Site collection, an animated overview of Dr. McLoughlin’s life and struggles on the frontier, and music recorded directly from the family melodeon, a type of early organ.

“This project fits well in the vision for the CMDC program,” Grigar explained. “We are developing a digital publishing track in our program and experimenting with open source technologies to produce scholarly, artistic and commercial publications.”

Learn more about the creative media project

High tech ‘hearts’ humanities: Market values creativity, communication, critical thinking

October 23, 2013

In this time of intense focus on technology, what good is a degree in the humanities?

Plenty, say not only Washington State University professors but leading high-tech companies too. And WSU humanities alumni are proving it.

Only weeks before collecting her bachelor of arts degree through the WSU Department of English last December, Allison Hartinger walked right past a job-fair booth seeking software engineers: “I just didn’t see myself with that title,” she said.

Powering cultural preservation: 2 new grants expand archiving of indigenous treasures

October 12, 2013

Just thinking about the box of fragile cassette tapes gives Kim Christen chills. Recorded on the thin ribbons was the last-known speaker of the Kiksht language, yet another vanishing treasure of Native American culture.

“I was so afraid the tapes would be accidentally damaged before they could be more safely archived,” said Christen, associate professor of English and associate director of the Digital Technology and Culture Program. Her intense drive to help tribal people protect their heritage materials and increase their accessibility and use – while respecting the communities’ limits in terms of resources and cultural sensitivities – has led to two new, federally funded grants totaling almost $1 million.

Officials learn new rules for chat on social media

August 29, 2013

Political timesaver

Michael Rabby, an instructor in digital technology and culture at WSU Vancouver and a specialist in social media, says social media is a timesaver for politicians. “At the local level, it’s an easier means of communicating than going door to door… And it’s certainly less invasive.”

But the rise in politicized social media also creates what’s known as a silo effect. People take partisan sides from which they don’t deviate and follow only politicians with whom they agree, Rabby says.

Social media pitfalls