Skip to main content Skip to navigation
Spring 2024

Research

Fall 2003

Learning through collaborative research

In the world of research things aren’t always what they seem, or are supposed to be. Psychology students at Washington State University learned that last spring while working together, interpreting data, and writing up results. At an undergraduate research symposium in April, a dozen student presenters used large poster boards to explain their semester-long projects. Seven of the 12 received small research grants.

The purpose of the one-day symposium was to “encourage hands-on, face-to-face learning though collaborative research between psychology majors and faculty mentors,” says coordinator Samantha Swindell, who oversees undergraduate instruction in psychology at WSU.

The projects were varied. Some used animals in fundamental … » More …

Summer 2003

Minding her B’s & T’s

In the fast paced world of immunological research, it’s not your p’s and q’s you have to mind, but your b’s and t’s. That’s B cells and T cells, two of the main players in the complex orchestra that makes up your immune system. B. Paige Lawrence, assistant professor in the College of Pharmacy, keeps track of both in her research into how the environmental contaminant dioxin affects immune system function but spends most of her time with T cells.

Dioxins are the byproducts of many industrial processes, including the incineration of municipal and medical wastes and of plastics. While they are destroyed by heat, … » More …

Winter 2002

Mystery of the Martian mummies

One of the last places you would expect to find teenage girls in the middle of July is a science classroom. But for Rachel Milhem, Romany Redman, and nine others, the Washington State University Spokane CityLab Young Women’s Summer Science Camp laboratory was one of the hottest places to be last summer.

“I wanted to participate in this camp, because I really like science, and I thought it would be fun to analyze stuff, like maybe whether or not aliens exist,” says Rachel Milhem, a sixth-grader at All-Saints Catholic School.

Rachel, along with 10 other young girls, decided to spend some of her summer engaging … » 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 …

Spring 2004

Scientists and researchers honored by WSU

Washington State University created the Alumni Achievement Award in 1969 to honor alumni who have provided significant service and contribution to their profession, community, and/or WSU. In recent months, three individuals have been recognized.

Richard H. Pehl

While completing his doctorate in 1963 at the University of California, Berkeley, Richard H. Pehl was the last graduate student to use the famous 60-inch Cyclotron. His research group was undertaking the initial effort to develop radiation detectors fabricated from semiconductors. He was the graduate student responsible for that effort. This work established a base for his career.

Pehl (’58 Chem. Engr., ’59 Nuclear Engr.) was honored by … » More …

Fall 2007

Borrowing nature's designs

In Michael Knoblauch’s lab, the gap between fundamental research and practical applications is a narrow one.

Knoblauch studies the inner workings of phloem (FLOAM), the channels that transport water and nutrients throughout a plant. Research doesn’t get much more basic than that—yet one of his recent discoveries is leading him straight to the patent office.

He’s found that structures in the phloem of some plants have great potential as high-tech, microscopic valves, sensors, and motors.

Knoblauch named the structures “forisomes,” which means “gate-bodies.” He found that they keep the phloem from leaking after it’s been injured.

Phloem is comprised of parallel tubes, or sieve elements, … » More …

Videos: Meet the Scientist – Cynthia Haseltine and microbiology research on Archaea

Our DNA suffers damage all the time-from cosmic rays, exposure to chemicals, simple wear & tear-and is constantly being repaired. But when something goes wrong in the repair process, says WSU microbiologist Cynthia Haseltine, “bad things happen.” Among the worst of those bad things is lymphoma, a cancer of white blood cells.

In a series of four brief video clips produced by Adam Ratliff and Cherie Winner for Washington State Magazine Online, Haseltine describes how she’s working to understand the process of DNA repair and the causes of lymphoma, with the help of a microbe that has an unusual lifestyle and an uncanny resemblance to … » More …

Videos of the Conner Museum

A series of videos introducing WSU’s Conner Museum and its work in research, education, and public service. The Charles R. Conner Museum features the largest public collection of birds and mammals in the Pacific Northwest, and the scientific collection used by researchers houses over 65,000 specimens.

Read “Fine Specimens” in the Winter 2008/09 issue.

 

Education and Public Displays at the Conner Museum

Why is lead shot bad for birds? Is it possible to bring a mammoth to life using fossil DNA? Director Mike Webster tells how new displays and public lectures at the Conner explore these and other questions.

 

Preparing … » More …