Spring 2004
A more effective nag
How the mere asking of a question can become a force for positive change. » More ...
Social Sciences
Winter 2005
When buoy meets barge
“You look out on the ocean, and it looks huge. It looks like there’s space for anybody or anything out there.
“But,” says Steve Harbell, “really there’s a lot going on.”
Take, for example, crabbers and ocean-going towboats. Historically, the two have not mixed well off the Pacific coast. Dungeness crab fishermen typically set 400 to 500 pots in the waters off Washington’s coast. Multiply that by 228 fishermen, and you get a thicket of buoys attached by monofilament to the pots 50 to 250 feet below.
That same ocean, near shore, is a towboat highway over which huge boats towing barges laden with various … » More …
Winter 2005
Medieval Missive: An ancient document rediscovered
A sacred and significant artifact of European history-a genuine papal bull from the Middle Ages-was recently found tucked among the books and papers of Washington State University’s Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.
The bull, or bulla, named for its original form as a bubble-shaped metal plate, and later for the lead seal affixed to an official document, was most often a legal missive from the pope. Papal bulls did everything from advocate for an individual’s safe travel to advise the citizens of a country to follow their king.
The written communication from the pope now at WSU once protected a house for lepers in the … » More …
Fall 2005
Our Drink: Detoxing the Perfect Family
Toren Volkmann and his mother, Chris Volkmann '70 have co-authored a book about their family's experience with Toren's alcoholism. What they learned through direct experience dovetails with what counselors and researchers are discovering at WSU and beyond.
» More ...Summer 2005
Gig Harbor: Laureen Lund markets the town she loves
Laureen Lund (’82 Comm.) recently celebrated her fifth anniversary as the person who sells Gig Harbor to the world. She seems to do her job well. At least, that’s why I’m sitting in her office in Gig Harbor’s city building in mid-August.
“The best use of our dollars is public relations,” she tells me, without a trace of irony or triumph. “If I can get somebody to do an article, it costs me nothing.”
I let that sink in for a minute. So-do I feel exploited?
Nah, not a bit. I’m having a fine time.
As for Lund, she just seems very pleased that she’s … » More …
Summer 2005
A Private Matter
Spring 2005
Anna Grant—A life of firsts
Anna Harvin Grant, the first woman to earn a doctorate in sociology from Washington State University, died November 6, 2004, of heart failure. She was 81.
A nationally recognized expert in Black family life and former chair of the Department of Sociology at Morehouse College, Grant led a life of firsts.
She came to Pullman with a wave of top African American scholars who in the early 1950s were recruited to WSU’s new doctoral program in sociology. At the time the Ph.D. program was starting, several administrators with connections to predominantly Black colleges in the south put out a call to “send us your best … » More …
Spring 2005
Getting a Feel for Archaeology, Uncovering Washington's History
Within musket range of the rebuilt Fort Vancouver, Patrice Hruska wields a common garden trowel to unearth an uncommon piece of Pacific Northwest history.
The chunk of brick that the Washington State University Vancouver anthropology student has found is a remnant of the old powder magazine at the Hudson’s Bay Company’s main supply depot in the region.
Though the building measured just 20 by 20 feet, the 14,000 pounds of gunpowder packed within its walls helped the fur-trading company wield great power in the early 1800s.
“It’s really kind of fun to dig something up that hasn’t been seen for 150 years or so,” says … » More …
Spring 2005
No Blank Slates
A WSU researcher uncovers the ways parents can help babies develop emotionally.
» More ...Fall 2009
Sensation seeking scale
Curbing aggressive driving
WSU graduate students Yu-Sheng Lin and Mark Mulder, and assistant professor of marking Jeffrey Joireman are looking at effects of impulsivity and thrill-seeking on dangerous driving. Using a sensation-seeking scale, they surveyed Washington State University students to examine whether those drivers considered future consequences when making their choices on the road. The researchers collaborate with Washington State Patrol on educating drivers with high sensation-seeking behaviors on how their driving is affected and when it becomes dangerous.
[Editor’s note: The sensation-seeking scale previously on this page has been removed due to some offensive and outdated questions.]