CAS in the Media | Washington State University

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

Debate project takes WSU students inside Coyote Ridge Corrections Center

April 4, 2013

Of the 26 college students who teamed up this semester to participate in Wednesday’s debate over the issue of gun control at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, only half boarded the bus at the end of the day to make the long drive back to Washington State University in Pullman. The remaining 13, enrolled on-site in programs offered through Walla Walla Community College, instead rejoined the inmate population of the all-male correctional facility.

For the undergraduates from WSU – juniors and seniors working on majors within the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology – the trek to Coyote Ridge was the fourth and final one of the semester. And while second amendment rights may have served as the focus for their debate, most of the Criminal Justice students were drawn to the experience primarily for the opportunity to develop something more than an abstract notion about the realities of working within the corrections system.

Master of Fine Arts show at Museum of Art

April 2, 2013

Encounters with creativity await visitors to the Washington State University Museum of Art’s annual Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, April 5-May 4. An opening reception will be at 6 p.m. Friday, April 5, in the museum gallery. Museum admission is always free.

The display of work by MFA graduate candidates was organized by Keith Wells, the late Museum of Art curator.

“This exhibition provides a wide range of styles for faculty, students and local museum constituents,” Wells said. “The world class faculty at WSU encourage the MFA candidates to become more confident and articulate in their convictions. The museum presents this year’s graduate thesis work in hopes that undergraduate students, first year graduate students and anyone willing to be moved by art will find it a fun and stimulating experience.”

Researcher: Dispel Newtown’s misreporting

April 1, 2013

In the wake of the Newtown, Conn., grade school killings, the Associated Press has issued guidelines for reporters on coverage of mental disorders.

“That’s a good, first step in dispelling the myth that autism causes people to commit horrific crimes,” said a Washington State University psychology professor who has researched the disorder.

After Adam Lanza shot 27 people and then himself on Dec. 14, numerous media reports implied a link between his shooting rampage and the fact that he had Asperger’s syndrome, a high-functioning type of autism.

“When I first heard that, I thought, ‘Oh no, this is bad. This is really bad,’” said WSU psychologist Theodore Beauchaine, who spent a decade researching the condition that affects one in 88 children, according to the most recent estimate by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Grant funds preparation for invasive mussels

March 28, 2013

Researchers at Washington State University are preparing for a Northwest invasion of the zebra mussel – a small, distinctly striped and rather tenacious freshwater mollusk that can quickly encrust underwater surfaces. The mussels have caused significant damage in other parts of the country and pose an enormous risk to the hydroelectric infrastructure, recreational facilities and unique ecological system of the Columbia River Basin.

“Once they are established in the water, they are almost impossible to eradicate,” said Stephen Bollens, director of the WSU School of the Environment and lead investigator for a $630,000 grant from the Bonneville Power Administration to ramp up preparations.

President’s Excellence Award

March 8, 2013

Heather Cochran, administrative professional staff and academic coordinator for the Department of Psychology will receive the President’s Employee Excellence Award at the 2013 Celebrating Excellence Recognition Banquet on March 29.

Her broad experience and thorough knowledge of resources available to help students succeed at WSU and beyond contribute to her expertise as an outstanding advisor. She insists that advisees learn to “navigate the system” on their own to enhance their professional development and personal growth. She helps students construct multi-year plans to get the most from their time at WSU – a remarkable undertaking, considering that she advises upwards of 450 students.

Cochran cares about students and the challenge to help them figure out the “right fit” so they can make the most of their talents and interests. She is energetic, good-natured, receptive to feedback and collaborative with co-workers.

Cochran will be honored alongside four other outstanding WSU employees at the banquet, part of the Washington State University Showcase annual celebration of faculty, staff and student achievement.