CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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

Foley distinguished speaker Nick Hanauer offers insights for saving U.S. capitalism

August 29, 2014

Seattle business owner, economics activist, and one of the Northwest’s most ardent advocates for income equality, Nick Hanauer will present the 2014 Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Lecture “Saving American Capitalism: The Truth about Jobs, Prosperity, and Economic Growth” in two events Oct. 2 in Pullman and Spokane, Wash.

Hanauer will speak and take questions from the audience at 2:30 p.m. in the Compton Union Building (CUB) Auditorium at WSU Pullman and at 7:30 p.m. at the Fox Theater in downtown Spokane. Both events are free and open to the public.

The Thomas S. Foley Institute at WSU provides public-affairs programming and education, supports student engagement in public service, and fosters scholarly research on public policy and political institution in a nonpartisan setting.

Learn more about Nick Hanauer’s Foley lectures:
WSU News
The Spokesman-Review

WSU flu outbreak provides rare study material

August 28, 2014

In 2009, WSU took on the national distinction of having one of the first and largest H1N1 outbreaks at an American college. The epidemic gave Elissa Schwartz, an assistant professor of both math and biological sciences, an ideal phenomenon for scientific study. Using a trove of data gathered during the outbreak in Pullman, Schwartz has gained insight into how only a few infected people could launch the virus’s rapid spread across the university community.

WSU News

Washington State Magazine

Science Newsline

(e) Science News

Health Canal

2014’s Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality

August 25, 2014

Women’s rights in the United States have made leaps and bounds since the passage of the 19th Amendment. Yet many women today still struggle to crack the proverbial glass ceiling. And it doesn’t take a feminist to convince anyone that the gender gap in 21st-century America remains disgracefully wide. In 2013, the U.S. failed to make the top 10 — or even the top 20 — of the World Economic Forum’s list of the most gender-equal countries.

Participating in a Q&A about workplace inequality, Julie Kmec, professor of sociology and Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor in the Liberal Arts, said women can be proactive by promoting their attributes and successes. When a woman encounters a situation she deems unfair or unequal, she should not hesitate to (professionally and armed with details and facts) inquire why she was overlooked, Kmec said.

Learn more about the gender gap problem and solutions

WSU research chemists honored by national society

August 23, 2014

In recognition of their significant accomplishments in the field of chemistry and thoughtful service to the scientific community, two WSU faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Chemical Society (ACS), a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress.

Kirk Peterson, professor of chemistry at WSU-Pullman, and Karen Grant, program director of chemistry at WSU-TriCities, were honored at the ACS national meeting in San Francisco on August 11, 2014.

WSU Tri-Cities to offer course on Hanford history

August 22, 2014

A history course at WSU Tri-Cities is being overhauled with a local focus to better engage a growing freshman student body.

Five professors will teach “Hanford: An Interdisciplinary Team-Taught Freshman Seminar” this fall. The course will use local history, culture and development to teach students about global issues, while also covering time management and study skills to help freshmen adjust to college.

“The opportunity to look at Hanford from an interdisciplinary perspective is unique,” said Vice Chancellor Mike Mays. “Our students have a rich opportunity to benefit from this location and study of the Hanford area.”

Kate McAteer, a clinical assistant professor of biological sciences, received a $5,000 grant from the Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Teaching and Learning Endowment to turn the History 105 “Roots of Contemporary Issues” course into the new seminar course.

It will put freshmen into a lecture hall setting twice a week followed by smaller group discussions with a faculty member once a week. There will also be field trips to the new Hanford Reach center in Columbia Park and the Hanford site.