CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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Richard Daugherty, professor emeritus of anthropology, dies

March 4, 2014

Widely known for unearthing Makah Tribe artifacts

Richard Daugherty expected to spend a few months excavating Makah Tribe artifacts uncovered by a storm in 1970. Instead, he spent 11 years helping the Makah uncover their history at the Ozette village site, leading one of the most well-known and nationally significant archaeological discoveries of the last century.

“Doc” Daugherty, as he was known by many of the Makah, died Feb. 22 in Pullman of bone cancer, at age 91.

The artifacts he helped to unearth — which were buried in a landslide and preserved for hundreds of years in wet clay — are on display at Neah Bay, on the Makah Reservation on the Olympic Peninsula. An additional 50,000 artifacts are in storage, in the tribe’s possession.

“He did a beautiful job of bringing ancestors to life for the people of today,” said state archaeologist Allyson Brooks. “His work was also foundational as far as our understanding of Pacific Northwest Native American history.”

Yasinitsky inducted into state music educators hall of fame

March 3, 2014

Greg Yasinitsky, Regents professor and director of the WSU School of Music, recently was inducted into the Washington Music Educators Hall of Fame, part of the national organization. The honor recognizes exceptional support, inspiration and contribution to the growth and development of music education, both public and private, in the state.

Yasinitsky is also recipient of a 2014 ASCAP-Plus Award for composition from the American Association of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and an arts excellence award from the WSU Student Entertainment Board.

More musical achievements for Yasinitsky

Computer models help unravel mystery of Puebloans’ disappearance

February 28, 2014

Remember playing “The Oregon Trail” computer game in middle school? As a pioneer leading your family westward in a covered wagon, you hunted virtual deer, rabbits and bison—but not too many. You had to leave enough game animals alive to sustain your party until you reached Oregon. And along the way, you were subject to chance events such as snowstorms and snakebites, and the most dreaded fate: “You have died of dysentery.”

Yes, the game was delightfully unrealistic. But controlling the use of finite natural resources and adapting to changing conditions have been central to human survival in the American West for ages. In fact, WSU archaeologist Timothy Kohler and his partners in the Village Ecodynamics Project are using computer models to better understand the processes that affected prehistoric societies in the Southwest.

Learn more about VEP and “the elephant in the room”

WSU psychology clinic now helping children

February 28, 2014

Brian Sharpless, Director, Psychology Clinic — Brian Sharpless, Director, WSU Psychology Clinic

For the first time in almost a decade, the WSU Psychology Clinic is offering services for children, including assessment and treatment of learning disabilities.

Three doctoral students and their supervisors now offer services for individuals under age 18. The clinic, which continues to provide adult services, began offering child services in January. It is the only place in Pullman that provides child assessment and therapy on a sliding-scale fee based on income, said primary supervisor Dr. Masha Gartstein.

“It’s something we always wanted to do to fill the needs of the community,” she said.

Veterans’ families can use the clinic free of charge.

Read more about the clinic in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
(subscription required)

More information is at the WSU Psychology Clinic website.

CAS employees honored for excellence

February 21, 2014

Two members of the CAS community will receive 2013-14 President’s Employee Excellence Awards at the Celebrating Excellence Recognition Banquet, part of the WSU Showcase annual celebration of faculty, staff, and student achievement on March 28.

The awards recognize civil service and administrative professional staff for outstanding contributions in work quality, efficiency, productivity, problem solving, work relations, and community service.

Kris Boreen, budget and finance manager for the Department of Physics and Astronomy, served in a number of WSU administrative and finance manager positions before landing in physics and astronomy two years ago. Since then, she has helped the department find optimal ways to invest resources, reduce expenses, identify resource needs and manage a complex budget. She asks questions, suggests options, provides answers and hammers out solutions, sometimes working late into the night and on weekends.

Boreen brought “an infusion of positive can-do energy” that helped improve staff morale. She cares about the success of the university, department, faculty, staff and “most definitely the students,” said a nominator.

Sisouvanh Keopanapay, academic coordinator in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, supervises about 40 interns working in Pullman-area courts and police departments and creates other innovative ways for students and faculty to connect with each other and with the justice community. After she revamped her department’s internship program, it added 25 students in two semesters, said one nominator.

Keopanapay coordinates a variety of tasks efficiently and creatively, including institutional research. She initiated a study abroad program and mentors other advisers. She also advises about half of the department’s undergraduates and “her evaluations are always at the top of the charts,” said a nominator.

Read about all of this year’s winners of the WSU President’s Employee Excellence Awards