WSU Tri-Cities

How Chinese pioneers helped build the Pacific Northwest

Though often surprising to people today, Chinese immigrants once had a thriving population in the Inland Pacific Northwest. From their earliest days searching for gold to their later work constructing the Northern Pacific Railway, the Chinese endured discrimination and, in many cases, extreme brutality. How it began When word came that gold had been discovered […]

Meet the new faculty of fall 2021

Meet the college’s newest faculty, whose scholarly expertise and interests—from transnational geographies to transgender studies, culturally relevant music to immigration law, and mind and body awareness to fluids in the Earth’s crust—enrich and expand the arts and sciences at WSU.

Improving WARNS, a K-12 at-risk assessment tool

An interdisciplinary team of Washington State University researchers received a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to refine and expand the Washington Assessment of the Risks and Needs of Students program (WARNS), an assessment that helps address truancy in K-12 schools. Developed in 2008, the program uses evidence-driven procedures to track and […]

Radio program connects NW past to present

A Spokane resident whose invention transformed the shipping industry;  a woman who passed as a man and worked as a bartender, bronco buster, and longshoreman; plus preachers, prisoners, ranchers, immigrants, cowgirls, and soldiers are among the myriad people whose stories illuminate the history of the Northwest in Past as Prologue, a new radio program created […]

Nelson honored for teaching excellence

An early adopter of the Looking Glass technology, Lori Nelson actively engages her biology students and promotes the development of a growth mindset in every course she teaches. She was honored with this year’s WSU Tri-Cities Distinguished Teaching Award in recognition of her commitment to improvement, thoughtful approach to course design, and development of classes […]

The Manhattan Project Electronic Field Trip

A WSU professor is part of a history film focusing on the Manhattan Project that was recently nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction Special.” Robert Franklin, assistant director of the WSU Tri-Cities Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, was one of a handful of on-air talent that

Transfer student finds community on both sides of the river

When deciding what four-year university he wanted to attend, affordability and proximity to family were primary factors for first-generation student Kyle Kopta (’21). He discovered WSU Tri-Cities, located just 40 minutes from his hometown of Hermiston, Oregon, had a digital technology and culture program that would allow him to apply his passion for photography, video, […]

Enhancing undergraduate education

CAS faculty members are engaged in new projects to improve undergraduate education, thanks to funding from the Samuel H. and Patricia W. Smith Teaching and Learning Endowment. “The wide scope of projects selected this year reflects a breadth of interests among faculty,” said Mary Wack, vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement. “Their work […]

Top Ten Seniors for 2021

Five of the WSU Top Ten Seniors are graduating with degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences: Dallas Hobbs, Brandt Fischer, Samantha King-Shaw, Kyle Kopta, and Ariel Medeiros. For more than 80 years, WSU has recognized top seniors in each graduating class. These women and men represent the highest standards in specific aspects of […]

Women of Distinction honored for accomplishments, service

Six CAS women were honored for their accomplishments, service, and commitment to student success at the 15th annual WSU Women of Distinction awards ceremonies this spring. “It is amazing to see what all of these women accomplished over the past year, and we are truly in awe of their dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” […]