Skip to main content Skip to navigation
CAS in the Media Arts and Sciences Media Headlines

Enhancing research, creative activity in the arts and humanities

Eleven of Washington State University’s most innovative scholars and artists have been selected for faculty fellowships and mini-grants from the Center for Arts and Humanities (CAH) and the Office of Research.

Todd Butler.
Butler

“We are excited to support faculty as they advance not only their academic fields but also the communities we serve,” said Todd Butler, director of the center, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of English.

Funded by a five-year commitment from the Office of Research and its strategic research investment program, the center’s grant programs strengthen and enhance research and creative endeavors across WSU. Any faculty member pursuing arts and humanities-related work, regardless of rank or home department, is eligible to apply.

“This year, almost all of the arts and humanities departments—as well as associated faculty working in the social sciences—were represented in the proposals submitted, testifying to the ongoing vitality and reach of these disciplines at Washington State University,” said Butler.

Reflecting upon her CAH experience, School of Music instructor and 2019 faculty fellow Melissa Parkhurst said, “The CAH Faculty Fellowship put me in regular communication with a group of dedicated interdisciplinary scholars. I gained a vital support network, valuable feedback, and ideas for future projects.”

Find out more

WSU Insider

Flattening the curve with jazz

The WSU Jazz Big Band isn’t letting the global pandemic get in the way of delivering excellent big band entertainment.

Greg Yasinitsky.
Yasinitsky

The award-winning group, directed by Regents Professor Greg Yasinitsky, put technology to the test to produce a YouTube video of the aptly titled composition, “Flatten That Curve.”

Apart from the quality of the music, what makes the performance fascinating to watch is the fact that the band members recorded their parts and video individually using whatever technology they had available. Yasinitsky then mixed, mastered and assembled the performance together.

Find out more

WSU Insider

WSU senior headed to Wales as a Fulbright Student

Thomas LeClair.
LeClair

Washington State University senior biology and music double major and future veterinarian Thomas LeClair is the 2020 recipient of a prestigious, nationally competitive Fulbright Student Award that will fund his master’s degree studies in marine biology in Bangor, Wales.

This fall, he will travel to Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences to pursue his Fulbright topic, “Investigating Anthropogenic Effects on Cetacean Populations.” That is, the effect humans are having on marine ecology, specifically dolphins and whales. His program calls for nine months of master’s-level coursework and three months of research.

“As varied effects of anthropogenic changes have already begun to take their toll on the seas, it is imperative that we gain a deeper understanding of both our relationship with the environment and what steps we must take to mitigate these existing human-made changes,” he wrote in his application.

Thanks to the Fulbright, LeClair can also pursue additional learning experiences.

“I’ll be able to gain the skills and knowledge I’ll need to succeed while satisfying both my practical penchant for science and my passion for music.”

Find out more

WSU Insider

Tuba student earns second place in national competition

Timothy Schrader holding his tuba.
Schrader

Timothy Schrader of Blaine, Washington, a first-year student at Washington State University majoring in tuba performance and music education, recently placed second in the 2020 Music Teachers National Association Senior Brass Division Competition on April 13.

He was one of five finalists from a national pool of applicants for the online competition. Timothy performed an impressive program of music originally written for tuba as well as transcriptions. Major repertoire included Edward Gregson’s Tuba Concerto and the Fantasy for Tuba by Malcolm Arnold.

“This is an enormous accomplishment for this up-and-coming performer,” said Chris Dickey, clinical associate professor of music at WSU. “As Timothy’s private teacher, I am so proud of what he has done. I knew he would do well because of his constant devotion to tuba and music making. He is most deserving of this honor.”

Find out more

WSU Insider

WSU gives songwriters place at virtual roundtable

As many artists have done in the face of crisis, Joel Roeber, a songwriter and music student at Washington State University, turned to his art as a way to process his thoughts and feelings about the coronavirus pandemic and to help others cope.

Roeber’s new composition, “Crown of Fear,” is a gently unfolding instrumental jazz tune written in response to the anxiety and hardship brought by the virus. He also named the song in reference to the virus – “corona” means “crown” in Spanish and Latin.

Horace Alexander-Young.
Young
Gabe Condon
Condon

Roeber, a senior from Spokane, Washington, performed “Crown of Fear” during a recent Songwriter’s Roundtable, hosted online by his teacher and mentor, WSU music instructor Gabe Condon. Seven other WSU student musicians also presented their original compositions and joined Condon and fellow music faculty member Horace Alexander Young in providing feedback about everything from lyrics and chord progression to marketing potential.

Find out more

WSU Insider