Academic Subjects

New advantages for digital technology & culture students, faculty

Amid rising global demand for workers skilled in contemporary technologies who are also culturally literate, Washington State University is making changes to enhance the popular Digital Technology and Culture program. One of WSU’s fastest-growing degree programs with more than 400 students across four campuses—Pullman, Vancouver, Tri-Cities, and Global—DTC was recently elevated to department status, providing […]

New leadership for WSU undergraduate research efforts

An experienced researcher, instructor, and student advisor and mentor, Jeremy Lessmann has been appointed as the director of the WSU Office of Undergraduate Research. Faculty-mentored research activities benefits students in all majors and helps them engage deeply in their education. In any field, research can take the form of seeking resolutions to contested questions, creating […]

More than just numbers

When he’s not teaching mathematics – from introductory calculus to advanced numerical analysis of elliptic equations – WSU math professor Sergey Lapin might be working to speed detection of deadly disease or to expand understanding of European history, Russian language and culture, Chinese economics, or higher education in America. A firm believer in pursuing one’s […]

Fine arts education flourishes in face of pandemic

From moist, cool clay to wet, drippy paint and dry, smudgy charcoal, visual art is a distinctly hands-on, sometimes messy, field of practice and study. So, what happens when art education goes online? “Remote teaching certainly hasn’t slowed us down. In fact, these strange times have helped us reimagine new, more expanded ways to reach […]

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum multi‑year initiative

A collaboration between WSU and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., will bring the Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff Annual Lecture and programming to the Northwest year next year and begin a multi-year regional initiative to address anti-Semitism, racism, and histories of persecution in North America. The joint endeavor will put WSU at the […]

Maestro of many voicings

A hush falls over the crowd as symphony orchestra conductor Danh Pham takes the podium and slowly lifts his baton. With the down stroke, he leads the performers through a seemingly effortless musical journey that enchants the audience and clearly brings Pham great joy. A native of Honolulu’s “ethnic mixing pot,” Pham delights in sharing music […]

Transcending borders

Tabitha Espina (’20 PhD English) is fascinated with language and the power of words, along with their ability to shape identity and sense of belonging. She grew up on the tiny island of Guam and moved an ocean away to earn her doctoral degree at WSU. Now an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition at […]

Can’t stop the music

A combination of innovative technology and careful use of practice and performance spaces will enable Washington State University musicians to play together virtually this fall. The University’s music groups, including jazz bands, choir, orchestra and of course, the Cougar Marching Band, all plan on recording and sharing virtual performances with the Cougar community in place […]

Blackwell to lead new human biology program

An expert in human evolution and immune function development, Aaron Blackwell, associate professor of anthropology, will direct the new human biology degree program at WSU, consisting primarily of courses in anthropology and biological sciences. CAS launched the four-year, interdisciplinary bachelor of arts program this fall to help meet global demand for skilled professionals in health, […]

Putting Affordable Learning Grants into action

Five CAS faculty members in four academic areas—chemistry, Spanish, humanities, and English—are creating free, open educational resources for their courses with the help of WSU Affordable Learning Grants. By shifting from traditional textbooks to openly licensed course materials,  faculty have saved WSU students more than $1 million savings in textbook costs over the past four […]