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by WSM staff
Washington State Magazine
webisodes
(formerly Viewscapes)
We connect you to stories at Washington State University, from meaningful research to fascinating people and campus life.
Cougs from all over talk with us about WSU research, outreach, alumni experiences, and campus life.
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RECENT EPISODES
Season 4
January 27, 2026
Rain, Wind, Heat: 2025 Weather in Review
Episode 44
December 2025 was a wild month for weather across Washington. An atmospheric river dumped historic amounts of rainfall on northwest Washington in early December, leading to flooding, landslides, and power outages. A few days later, a windstorm swept across eastern Washington. Gusts of 83 miles per hour were recorded in Pullman, accompanied by an unusual winter thunderstorm.
In this episode, Josh Ward and Jon Contezac, field meteorologists for Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet, discuss significant weather events of 2025.
December 4, 2025
The Christmas tree doctor is in.
Episode 43
Consumers want fresh-cut Christmas trees that can be displayed for weeks without losing their needles. Gary Chastagner, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at Washington State University, has spent more than 40 years helping Northwest Christmas tree growers improve their product. For his work, Chastagner earned the nickname “Dr. Christmas Tree.”
Chastagner talks about working on solutions to diseases, visiting tree lots in the Southwest, scouting out new Christmas tree varieties, and his own traditions.
October 21, 2025
A coffee adventure
Episode 42
Philip Meech and Caffè Lusso take people on a coffee journey around the world. A coffee roaster and entrepreneur for over 25 years, he wants coffee drinkers to slow down, taste the roasted beans and enjoy the rich variety.
In this episode, Meech (’00 Busi.) talks about his lifelong love of coffee, the art and science of coffee roasting, and his journey from Washington State University to running a successful micro-roastery. He also gives some tips on brewing and tasting coffee.
September 30, 2025
Always educating: WSU Police Chief Dawn Daniels
Episode 41
Dawn Daniels was appointed as Washington State University’s police chief in August 2025. Daniels shares her journey from WSU student to leading the university’s police department. Over nearly three decades at WSU, she has served in various WSU roles including community policing officer, sergeant, and firearms instructor.
She talks about her unexpected path into law enforcement, the importance of community policing and student engagement, and memorable moments in her career.
August 19, 2025
Facing opioids with facts and education
Episode 40
Opioid misuse and overdoses are a serious public health crisis across Washington state and nationwide. From 2019 to 2021, the annual number of opioid drug overdose deaths in the state nearly doubled.
It’s crucial to get real information and education on opioid use to communities. Washington State University faculty and staff, including assistant professor Nicole Rodin at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, have teamed up with colleagues across Washington to get accurate and useful facts out to people and try to prevent overdoses. Rodin talks about the scope of the opioid epidemic, effective education, reducing stigma, and how we can all lend our support.
June 16, 2025
The art of baseball: Dick Perez, Marq Evans, and The Diamond King
Episode 39
For over 20 years, Dick Perez was the official artist of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, painting the game’s history and every Hall of Fame ballplayer—a project he continues into his 80s. Marq Evans (’03 Busi.) directed The Diamond King, a documentary that tells the fascinating story of Perez, the “Picasso of Baseball,” whose portraits transformed the commemoration of America’s most iconic pastime.
April 10, 2025
Rock on: Digging into the history of rock ‘n’ roll
Episode 38
The popular history of rock music class at WSU covers everything from The Beatles to Beyoncé, Bob Dylan to Kendrick Lamar. Instructor A.J. Miller talks about the class and introduces a six-step process for examining songs.
March 26, 2025
Appreciation for the farming life
Episode 37
The essential work of producing food for the world has long been celebrated in art, literature, and essays. Richard Scheuerman (’72 History) wrote three books that take a deep dive into art and books over a span of time and geography. He talks about how we need to appreciate food production, and how art and literature that speaks to the nature of farming, harvesting, and the agrarian life.
February 3, 2025
Lessons FROM the pandemic
Episode 36
Students, teachers, and schools learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the challenges and opportunities were already there, just emphasized by the global health emergency, says Johnny Lupinacci, associate professor at the Washington State University College of Education.
January 7, 2025
A year of extremes: 2024 weather in review
Episode 35
Weather extremes in 2024 hit new levels of severity. Washington State Magazine science writer Becky Kramer talks with Josh Ward, a field meteorologist at Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet about those extremes from last year, and how the Pacific Northwest weather might go in early 2025.
December 11, 2024
Exceptional stories from Washington State
Episode 34
The stories gathered in The Evergreen Collection: Exceptional Stories from Across Washington State, celebrate 20 years of Washington State Magazine. No matter where you live in the state or what interests you, you’ll find something in the book to draw you in. Editor Larry Clark and associate editor Adriana Janovich read some excerpts from the book, discuss how it came about, and share a few of their favorite stories.
November 8, 2024
A new voice for Coug sports
Episode 33
If you listen to Washington State University sports, you’ll hear calls from a Coug who’s returned home: Chris King (’09 Comm.). He took over radio broadcast announcing duties in fall 2024. King talks about his path back to WSU, teamwork in producing sports broadcasts, telling the stories of Cougar sports, how he became a sports broadcaster, and some of the challenges of the job.
November 1, 2024
A stormwater priority: Protecting coho salmon from tire chemicals
Episode 32
Coho salmon in urban areas were dying from stormwater runoff, but scientists didn’t know why until a few years ago. A team of researchers from Washington State University and University of Washington identified 6PPD, a chemical found in most tires, as the culprit. WSU graduate students Caitlin Lawrence and Nathan Ivy discuss their research and efforts to protect salmon from toxic chemicals.
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