
Communication, University

In praise of simple things
In a world that’s beset with huge changes, it is sometimes hard to appreciate small things.
Consider the mouse-ear cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, which grows by roads and sidewalks. Not much to see, the little weed has a very small genome and in 2000 was the first plant to be completely sequenced. Its very simplicity has made Arabidopsis a powerful research tool for plant scientists at Washington State University and around the world.
WSU scientists have used it to identify a gene that allows the elimination of trans fats from many cooking oils and fats, find ways to help plants adapt to climate change, and investigate many other … » More …

Keys to success in roles no matter how brief

From the president

What to read: Offerings from WSU Press
Here’s a round-up of reading recommendations featuring 11 titles curated by the staff at WSU Press.
Be Brave, Tah-hy!: The Journey of Chief Joseph’s Daughter by Jack R. Williams with illustrations by Jo Proferes (2012). Exquisitely illustrated and rich with depictions of Nimiipuu Dreamer culture, Tah-hy’s young voice narrates this novel about the harrowing 1877 flight of the Nez Perce.
Edge of Tomorrow: An Arctic Year by Sam Wright (1998). Living in a hand-built, 12-foot-by-12-foot cabin in the Brooks Range of Alaska 100 miles inside the Arctic Circle, Wright records his experiences and thoughts through seasonal changes, as he and his wife spend … » More …

Symbiosis

Monumental Seattle: The Stories behind the City’s Statues, Memorials, and Markers

Briefly noted
Atomic Geography: A Personal History of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
Melvin R. Adams
WSU Press: 2016
One of the first environmental engineers at Hanford recalls his two decades of study of both the toxic soil and water at the nuclear site, and the wildlife and plants that thrive on the 586 square miles of central Washington desert. Adams helped determine the initial scope of the soil cleanup at Hanford, among other projects there. He shares his perspectives on leaking waste storage, the obsession with safety, and the paradoxical nature of a place that’s a sprawling wildlife refuge and one of the most complex environmental … » More …