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Prison Privatization Can Impede Job Growth

January 30, 2013

Building on earlier research in which they challenged the widespread belief that rural communities can create job growth by hosting state prisons, researchers at Washington State University have now found local job growth is often impeded in communities that become hosts to privately operated prisons.

“Our most recent research, which relies on a large, comprehensive national dataset, is consistent with our prior work showing that prisons really make little contribution to local economic growth,” said Gregory Hooks, professor of sociology at WSU. “Moreover, our study reveals that, in states moving quickly to turn over management of their prison systems to outside companies, the privatization of prisons often has a negative impact on employment prospects in host counties.”

Psychology Senior Wins MLK Service Award

January 24, 2013

As a freshman, Nick Montanari spent part of his spring break in Morton, Wash., helping people he had never met clean up and rebuild after severe flooding damaged their community earlier in the year. The five-day “Spring to Action, Break for Change” program, organized by the WSU Center for Civic Engagement, was a turning point for Montanari.

Campus Speaker Series on Culture, Race

January 22, 2013

The Department of Critical Culture, Gender & Race Studies (CCGRS) spring speaker series begins tomorrow.

“With speakers discussing literature, art, the Black Panther party, health care, science, religion and hip-hop, the series will offer a range of interests and backgrounds that will underscore the many approaches to studying race, gender and sexuality,” said David Leonard, department chair. “These speakers represent a broad range of experts and brilliant practitioners within their respective fields.”

The series includes:

Jan. 23: “An Evening with Adam Mansbach”

Feb. 19: “Temporal displacements and spatial constellations: An overview of the work of Jin-me Yoon”

Feb. 25: “Henrietta Lacks in Context: African American Responses to Medical Discrimination in the 20th Century” by Alondra Nelson

April 16: “Beyond Belief: The search for more (and less) in material culture” by Monica Miller

Click for details →

Leonard to give keynote at 2013 MLK Distinguished Service Awards

January 16, 2013

David Leonard, associate professor and chair of the college’s Department of Critical Culture, Gender and Race Studies, will give the keynote speech at the University’s 2013 MLK Distinguished Service Awards ceremony on January 24.

“Dr. King’s Dream, Body Politics and the Continual War on Women of Color” will examine links between Martin Luther King’s legacy, the life of Henrietta Lacks (portrayed in this year’s Common Reading book), the historical experience of African-American women, and social justice.

CAS faculty named AAAS fellows

November 29, 2012

Eight WSU faculty members have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, including six in the College of Arts and Sciences:

Sue Clark, regents professor of chemistry
Daryll DeWald, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Herbert Hill Jr., regents professor of chemistry
Ursula Mazur, professor of chemistry and materials science
Kenneth Nash, professor of chemistry
Michael Skinner, professor of biological sciences

Also named a fellow this year is psychology alumnus John Roll, professor of nursing and associate dean for faculty affairs in the WSU College of Nursing.

You may read more details at the WSU News Center.