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WSU welcomes history students for research exploration

Eighth-graders visit WSU's Museum of Anthropology
Eighth-graders visit WSU’s Museum of Anthropology

From sewing a miniature book binding to seeing how to shape a stone tool, nearly 200 eighth-graders from Lincoln Middle School in Pullman took a whirlwind tour of library sciences and anthropological research at WSU to prepare for a special history project this spring.

The teens visited the WSU Libraries and the WSU Museum of Anthropology to glean ideas for their upcoming “Night of the Notables.” They are responsible for investigating an important historical figure, writing a paper, and answering questions while dressed as that figure in an event for parents and friends.

More than preparation for their big event, the field trip gave participants a chance to explore topics and places they might not normally see, said LMS history teachers.

Learn more about the middle-schoolers’ hands-on learning experience at WSU.

Saving babies: first international collaboration to study infant health, culture, lactation connection

Michelle McGuire, left, and Courtney Meehan lead an international study to help babies thrive
Michelle McGuire, left, and Courtney Meehan lead an international study to help babies thrive

Working with colleagues from 12 institutions around the globe, two Washington State University researchers are leading the first comprehensive international study of human lactation and milk composition.

“It’s all about saving babies,” said Michelle McGuire, associate professor of biology at WSU and principal investigator (PI) for a three-year $950,000 National Science Foundation grant funding the project.

Biological and anthropological data will be collected at 11 sites in eight countries across Europe, Africa and North and South America to better understand how diet, hygiene and cultural practices relate to human milk composition and infant health.

Despite six years of working on the same campus and their common research interest in infant health and breastfeeding, Michelle McGuire and co=PI Courtney Meehan, an assistant professor in anthropology at WSU, only learned about each other when a colleague suggested they have lunch together.

Read more about McGuire, Meehan, and the international project.

Three students earn prestigious national scholarships to study abroad

Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship
Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship
Three WSU students will study in Asia this fall as a result of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships. The recipients are: Galen Green, a sophomore English major from WSU Vancouver; Jackie Hill, a senior Chinese major at WSU Pullman; and Maria Peden, a senior anthropology major at WSU Vancouver. Green and Hill will study in China, and Peden will spend a year at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. More than 30 WSU students since 2006 have received the prestigious scholarship.

Find out more about the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship recipients at WSU News.

Anthropology Student to Direct V-Day Play

Randi Beardslee, a sophomore studying anthropology, will direct the 2013 benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues,” on Feb. 21-23 in the Jones Theater in Daggy Hall.

The award-winning play dives into the mystery, heartbreak, wisdom and outrage of women’s experiences with issues such as menstruation, rape, incest and battery. Based on interviews with more than 200 women, the end result has been described as “hilarious” and “empowering.”

“The show has many funny, light-hearted monologues,” said Randi Beardslee, WSU sophomore anthropology major and director of the production. “It brings women together to sympathize, empathize, mourn and, most importantly, celebrate.”

The show is sponsored by V-Day WSU, a registered student organization affiliated with Health and Wellness Services that raises awareness to end violence against women and girls. The production contributes to the average of $8,000 V-Day WSU raises each year. The majority of the proceeds are donated to Alternatives to Violence of the Palouse.

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