Grace Reed, a sophomore from University Place, Wash., majoring in English, is headed for Nottingham Trent University to study “Creativity, Culture, History and Heritage” for four weeks this summer.
Reed is one of three WSU undergraduates going to England and Scotland as the University’s first recipients of Fulbright UK Summer Institute awards.
“It is quite an accomplishment for WSU to have three students accepted for the Fulbright UK,” said Sarah Ann Hones, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program, part of the WSU Office of Undergraduate Education.
The students will experience the UK; develop their research, communication and presentation skills; and perform community service. The Fulbright program will cover most of their costs.
Twelve WSU undergraduates went through the rigorous process of applying for the awards.
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.
The WSU jazz studies program in the School of Music was recognized at the recent 2014 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho.
WSU saxophonist Michado Mijiga was selected from soloists on the festival’s College Day to perform at Hamp’s Club that evening. He also competed and was chosen as a featured soloist with the Lionel Hampton Youth Jazz Orchestra in the final evening’s concert.
The WSU Jazz Big Band, under the direction of Greg Yasinitsky, professor and director of the school, was selected to present an invited performance during the evening Young Artists Concert.
Brianna Berg, a junior majoring in biochemistry and chemistry, is the first Washington State University student – and one of only 10 undergraduate students nationwide – to be selected by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) for the annual Thomas J. Bardos Science Education Award.
The two-year award promotes education and training of exceptional next-generation scientists and helps them develop their potentials as future cancer researchers.
Tyler Langerveld makes post-game announcements at a Cougars men’s basketball game in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman.
Many college students these days struggle to find their direction in life or a suitable career path.
But that’s never been a problem for WSU General Studies student Tyler Langerveld. In fact, Langerveld, 21, doesn’t have just one career interest—he has three: law enforcement, sports broadcasting, and coaching.
Now in his third year of college, Langerveld volunteers as a reserve deputy for the Whitman County Sheriff’s Department, does public address (PA) announcing for Cougar athletics, helps coach his middle school’s football team, and works one shift a week at the Cougar Country Drive In. While the busy schedule doesn’t leave him with a great deal of free time, Langerveld said he’s grateful he’s been able to get so much real-life experience with his prospective careers, especially sports broadcasting and law enforcement.
“I’ve just been incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to have these two career fields already going, experience them and really get my foot in the door,” he said.
Langerveld, a Pullman resident for 20 years, has been announcing for Cougar athletics since he was a junior in high school. He initially was hired by WSU to announce baseball, but his PA repertoire has expanded. He now announces baseball, swimming, and women’s basketball on a regular basis, while occasionally filling in for Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson, who announces men’s basketball.
“I grew up listening to him,” Langerveld said of Johnson. “He was the voice you heard at the football games and basketball games. I’d always go home and imitate him when we would play sports out in the backyard.”
In addition to PA announcing, Langerveld said he’s also interested in doing sports play-by-play announcing for radio and television. Growing up, he drew much of his inspiration from WSU sports broadcasters Bob Robertson, Jim Walden, and Bud Nameck.
He also showed an early passion for law enforcement, his father said, recalling that his son rode around on his bicycle, writing fake tickets and putting them on people’s windshields. He would also pretend to pull his father over.
“Tyler’s always been pretty considerate of the law. He’s pretty upright, respects the law. I think it makes sense that he wants to enforce it,” Todd Langerveld said.
Langerveld said he plans to pursue a career as a police officer as soon as he graduates from WSU. With his current gig as a reserve deputy for the Whitman County Sheriff’s Department, he patrols with a partner throughout Whitman County any time he can.
There’s “something about it … just being able to be hands-on with the community all the time,” he said. “I like being able to have a job that kind of throws everything at you.”
Langerveld’s other love, he said, is coaching. Before playing basketball and football in high school, he was quarterback for the Lincoln Middle School football team. He now serves as the current team’s offensive coordinator.
With so many jobs and activities revolving around school, sports, law enforcement, and friends, Langerveld said he’s learned a great deal about time management to continue doing what he loves. “As long as I can, I’ll just do them all, until I can’t anymore—until one of them makes me stop or the opportunity is not there.”
