CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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Service-learning boosts academic performance and retention rates in collaborative study

May 1, 2020 mikayla.makle

In a first of its kind study at Washington State University, students taking introductory biology coupled with a service-learning project, performed better academically and had improved first-year retention rates compared with students who did not participate in service-learning. The differences were most profound among first-generation and multicultural students.

Going into the study, School of Biological Sciences Professors Paul Verrell and Lisa Carloye were skeptical that a single service-learning experience incorporated into their course would have any discernible effect.

“That we found a statistically significant effect both surprised me and enthused me,” said Verrell. “I was long aware of the challenges faced by first-generation students being one myself, and so I was extremely pleased to see how well they benefited from one simple intervention.”

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WSU Insider

CDSC archivist Anastasia Tucker earns Mellon Fellowship

May 1, 2020 mikayla.makle

Anastasia Tucker, education and outreach archivist in the Washington State University Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation (CDSC), has been chosen from among more than 60 candidates for an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship for Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Heritage. Fellows will participate in a three-year program that includes an orientation, coursework through award sponsor Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, community symposia and other activities relating to multicultural collections and trainings.

Tucker provides support for several ongoing projects administered by the CDSC, a center jointly run by the WSU Libraries and WSU College of Arts and Sciences. She coordinates content on the Sustainable Heritage Network, a repository of resources with a focus on the preservation of cultural heritage items in tribal archives, libraries and museums.

Tucker also plans and orchestrates the Tribal Digital Stewardship Cohort Program, a 12-month program for tribal archivists, librarians and museum professionals across the United States to learn the skills necessary for managing and caring for cultural materials, emphasizing local tribal needs and values. Other roles Tucker fulfills within the CDSC include designing and implementing curricula for workshops focused on digital scholarship, providing classroom instruction and organizing special events.

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WSU Insider

Big Study Finds Small Territory Usage For Washington’s Medium-Sized Wild Lynx

May 1, 2020 mikayla.makle

When researchers at Washington State University set out to find where Canada lynx are living in Washington, they’d hoped to find more of the medium-sized cats.

“I think there’d been quite a bit of concern among lynx researchers and agencies about the status of lynx in Washington,” said WSU professor in the School of the Environment Daniel Thornton.

In a study recently published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, Thornton and lead author Travis King found that lynx only occupy about 20% of potential habitat in Washington.

King, a doctoral student in the School of the Environment at the time, covered about a quarter of the state, driving and hiking to potential lynx habitat. Once there, he’d set up trail cameras hoping to capture the elusive lynx or its prey, such as snowshoe hare. They set up the cameras on roads and trails considered “movement corridors” for lynx and other wildlife.

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Spokane Public Radio
Sacramento Bee

WSU Vancouver announces five top awards

May 1, 2020 mikayla.makle

Washington State University Vancouver has announced its 2020 awards for advancing equity, research, student achievement, teaching and service. Awardees typically receive their Chancellor’s Medallions at the spring commencement ceremony. This year’s May 9 ceremony has been postponed due to Gov. Jay Inslee’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order. A new date has not been established.

Rocío Sotomayor teaches statistics and probability, but her efforts on behalf of students go beyond the classroom. She often acts as a mentor for equity-minded student organizations and initiatives that promote a more inclusive campus climate.

Andra Chastain an assistant of History may ask a lot of her students, but she gives even more than she asks, inspiring students to dig deeper, think harder and aim higher than they thought they could.

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WSU Insider

New WSU human biology degree to address widespread needs

April 29, 2020 mikayla.makle

Responding to the global need for more skilled professionals in health, social, and environmental sciences and public policy, the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington State University will launch a new interdisciplinary degree in human biology beginning this fall.

“This expressly interdisciplinary program will meld approaches and content from social and biological sciences to provide students with a vibrant, synthetic understanding of the roles of culture, the dynamics of natural and social systems, and biological attributes responsible for shaping the human being,” said Pat Carter, professor and director of the School of Biological Sciences.

A wide variety of career options for graduates with this degree include areas of medical and health sciences, social work and support, and development and analysis of public policy.

“This new degree brings together existing courses in a new constellation,” said Andrew Duff, professor and chair of the Department of Anthropology. “Our aim is to prepare students to be creative, insightful and skillful in a variety of professions that influence the welfare of humans.”

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WSU Insider