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Spring 2024

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Fall 2002

Right on CUE

Today students are finding new ways to work collaboratively, across academic disciplines and distance, and often in ways not convenient before at WSU.

The hub of this activity is the new $32 million Samuel H. Smith Center for Undergraduate Education.  The “CUE” was designed to support “student-centered and interactive learning,” says Gary Brown, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology, one of four units housed in the five-story, 94,000 square-foot building.  Other units include the WSU Writing Program, the General Education Program, and the Student Computing Services lab. The building contains 20 classrooms of various sizes, while the SCS lab has 45 workstations, … » More …

Fall 2002

Dancing for the Gods

On a recent spring evening, the audience at Daggy Hall was mesmerized by a rare glimpse of a complex and ancient culture. For more than two hours, Raji Soundararajan, who by day is a research associate with the Center for Materials Research, danced the magical Bharata Natyam.

Though obviously a rare treat, for many Indians in the audience Bharata Natyam was not so exotic as it was for the rest of us. Even without the excellent explanations by Mani Venkatasubramanian, associate professor in electrical engineering, they understood the stories, the rich allusion to Hindu epics danced by Ms. Soundararajan. The rest of us, including many … » More …

Fall 2002

Small and smaller

There’s a limit to how small a piece of chocolate chip cookie you can have. At some point, you’ll either have a piece of chocolate or a piece of cookie, but not a piece of chocolate chip cookie.

You run into the same problem if you’re trying to make smaller silicon processor chips, says Kerry W. Hipps, professor of chemistry and materials science. Eventually the chip gets too small to function as a processor.

The processor is the brain in your computer. It makes the decisions about what data should go where, including how to route input like keyboard strokes, and how to route output … » More …

Summer 2002

Frances Penrose Owen dies March 9 at 102

Former Washington State University regent Frances Penrose Owen died March 9, 2002 in Seattle. She was 102.

Governor Albert Rosellini appointed WSU’s first woman regent to the board in 1957. She served for 18 years and was twice elected president. In 1979, WSU’s new science and engineering library was named in her honor.

Eleven years later, when Mrs. Owen was presented with the Medal of Merit, the state’s highest award, WSU president emeritus Glenn Terrell said, “Frances is a rare combination of strength, gentleness, intelligence, and forcefulness.”

Mrs. Owen’s life was filled with service. She was elected to the Seattle School Board in 1945 and … » More …