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Fall 2024

WSM staff

Winter 2001

Regents authorize new indoor practice facility

At its August 31 meeting, the Washington State University Board of Regents approved plans to move ahead on construction of a new indoor practice facility for varsity sports on the Pullman campus. Phase I construction on the $9.7 million project began in early October, and completion is expected by summer 2002. Site preparation and infrastructure were completed last spring between Bailey-Brayton Field and Ferdinand’s Creamery.

The facility will consist of an air-inflated fabric structure over playing surfaces to support practice for 14 of the 17 Cougar varsity sports. The primary surface will be a Mondo Track for track and field practice. A roll-out Magic … » More …

Winter 2001

In search of a tougher honey bee

WASHINGTON STATE apple growers have a problem. The honey bees that pollinate their trees can be a little wimpy when it comes to temperature.

Apple growers prefer to have the king, or primary, blooms pollinated, because they produce the biggest apples. But all too often, the trees bloom during cool weather. And the resident honey bees, being mostly of Italian descent and therefore partial to Mediterranean weather, hole up when the temperature dips below 55 degrees F.

Other bees do better in cool weather but often have quirks of their own that limit their usefulness as pollinators.

So Steve Sheppard—associate professor of entomology at Washington … » More …

Winter 2001

Firstenburg family fountain dedicated at WSU Vancouver

Intermittent spurts of water play on native basalt slabs and columns in the new Firstenburg Family Fountain at Washington State University Vancouver. Local residents Ed and Mary Firstenburg, owners of First Independent Bank, donated $500,000 to create the fountain and plaza as a focal point for the 351-acre campus. The Firstenburg family was recognized at an August 16 dedication. Ed is a graduate of the University of Washington and fondly remembers students gathering on the campus plaza in Seattle during his college days. WSU Vancouver executive officer and dean Hal Dengerink said the fountain is “a permanent legacy for the Firstenburg family and for WSU … » More …

Winter 2001

WSU reports record enrollment

Over the past year fall semester enrollment at Washington State University’s four campuses grew by 2.5 percent—from 21,248 to 21,794. The freshman class at the Pullman campus is the second largest in history and the most diverse ever, with students of color totaling 409, or 15 percent of the class. The class total increased to 2,619 from a fall 2000 total of 2,473. Transfer students were up from 1,318 to 1,329.

“We are pleased with these solid numbers,” said Charlene Jaeger, vice president for student affairs. “The University plans to attract the most able students. We are interested in quality, not quantity.”

The average … » More …

Winter 2001

$3 million WSU scholarship program targets Washington high school seniors

HIGH-ACHIEVING Washington high school seniors who choose to enroll at Washington State University could share more than $3 million in scholarship awards under the University’s new Regents Scholars Program.

“The program aims to recognize outstanding seniors by acknowledging their accomplishments and offering them opportunities for significant support toward their education at WSU,” President V. Lane Rawlins said.

High school principals in the state received nomination forms for the Class of 2002 that had to be returned to WSU by September 15. Beginning in February, the principals will be asked to nominate members of the junior class—the Class of 2003—for the scholarship. Each principal can … » More …

Winter 2001

You want impact? Well, we’ve go impact

Since September, serendipitous Seattleites have been treated to a billboard campaign about the high quality of Washington State University’s programs and faculty. The billboards are part of a statewide advertising campaign that debuted last spring in newspapers from Seattle to Spokane. Showcasing the University’s faculty, staff, and students, the campaign is designed to appeal to high-achieving students and their parents. It demonstrates high-quality, intense learning opportunities between WSU faculty and students. In addition to newspaper ads, the campaign includes airport displays, radio and television spots—and, of course, billboards.

Through November, look for WSU’s “World Class. Face to Face” billboards at Denny Way and Wall Street, … » More …

Winter 2002

Columbia Valley wineries double

 

Arthur Linton, center, assistant dean and director of Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser, and Julie Tarara, a USDA research horticulturist, explain the effects of temperature on grape yields to Washington secretary of state Sam Reed during his visit in July. The IAREC is home to WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program. During the past decade, the number of Columbia Valley wineries has doubled, making Washington the second largest wine-growing region in the nation behind California. Reed, who holds two WSU degrees (’63 Social Studies, ’68 M.A. Political Science), traveled to China on a trade mission in September 2001 … » More …

Winter 2002

Faculty research tops $100 million

Washington State University researchers conducted research valued at more than $100 million over the last year on projects that include a myriad subjects.

“We are proud of this achievement,” says James N. Petersen, interim vice provost for research. “This landmark shows the accomplishment and quality of our researchers and their programs.”

Petersen says all of the colleges contribute significantly to achieving this milestone. The College of Agriculture and Home Economics, through the Agricultural Research Center and Cooperative Extension, led the way with nearly $33 million expended last year to fund research, outreach, and educational programs. Other colleges also contributed significantly to these land-grant missions, with … » More …

Fall 2004

Cougar in the corn

Philipp Schmitt fashioned this elaborate Cougar Country corn maze on 14 acres east of Spokane near Liberty Lake last October. Each fall for the past five years, he’s used global positioning-coordinates beamed by satellite-to figure out where to plant the corn. Last year, he opted for the cougar-head logo, and relied on hand mapping to get all the details, including the whiskers, just right. The Pasco farmer attended Washington State University for five semesters from1994 to 1998.