Notices and Announcements

The President’s Commission on Gender Identity and Expression and Sexual Orientation (GIESO) will be hosting a spring celebration on April 18 from 3–5 p.m.

Here is what you can look forward to at the event:

• All student, staff, faculty and community members are invited!
• Acknowledging GIESO Scholarship and Award winners
• Highlights of WSU LGBTQIA2S+ accomplishments from the past year
• Option to attend in person (Spokane Diversity Center SAC 105 and Pullman CUB Junior Ballroom) and via Zoom (link provided at RSVP link)
• Enjoy giveaways, prizes, and music!
• Build community with LGBTQ+ Cougs

You are welcome to RSVP for the event. Are you interested in highlighting your accomplishments at our event? Let us know at the RSVP link.

Tuesday, April 16, at 3 p.m.
Compton Union Building
LGBTQ+ Center, CUB 401
WSU Pullman

Free!

Join the SmartHealth Washington Moves event between April 15 and 26.

• Who can participate?
  
  This event is for all eligible SmartHealth participants (PEBB eligible employees) — all ages and abilities. Any type of movement that gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster for about 25 minutes at a time counts. Walking, dancing, chair aerobics, rowing — whatever you like!

  Governor Inslee invites you to join!  Watch this video message from the Governor.

• Why is movement important?
  
  Movement helps your well-being and quality of life. It can: Improve mental health by reducing depression and anxiety. Lower your risk of certain conditions like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Help strengthen bones and muscles.

Track it! You’ll earn 200 SmartHealth points for participating virtually from wherever you are.

Diane Scott of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, has been approved for shared leave. Those interested in donating can do so by following the instructions below.

From your Workday home page:

1. Click on the Absence applet.
2. Click Request Absence.
3. Click on today’s date only on the calendar (even if donating for a range of dates).
4. Click blue Request Absence button on the page bottom left side.
5. Select Absence Type, then Donate Leave, then choose type of leave you wish to donate and then click next.
6. On the Request Absence screen, click the grey Edit Quantity per Day option.
7. Enter the amount of hours you would like to donate in the Update All Quantities box, then in the comments leave the name of the recipient. Click Done.
8. Choose Reason for Donation, then submit.

When submitting donated leave, please list only one recipient per transaction.

Thank you.

Effective tomorrow, April 16, Pullman General University Classroom (GUC) support is transitioning to Information Technology Services (ITS) under a new department name: Pullman Integrated Academic Technologies (PIAT).

Striving for a seamless organizational transition, ITS and PIAT are committed to ensuring Pullman learning spaces, faculty, and staff continue receiving high-level support for all classroom needs.

Pullman faculty and staff are encouraged to continue using the 509-335-5044 phone number to contact the PIAT team for immediate classroom support.

Starting April 16, requests for classroom support can also be directed to the new PIAT service desk email: piat@wsu.edu.

As we finalize this move, ITS is excited to expand our service capabilities and offer improved resources to the Pullman community with the support and assistance of the PIAT team.

Please reach out to ITS Director Jacqueline Southwick via email at jsouthwick@wsu.edu for any questions, concerns, or additional support regarding Pullman’s classroom support transition to ITS.

The following policy is revised in the BPPM:

• 10.35 Internal Rule-Making Procedures

For a summary of the changes, see BPPM Revision #624.

Dr. Keith Hengen — assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis biology department — will be visiting WSU Spokane for the SPRC Seminar Series. His seminar, entitled “Peering into the Operating System: Sleep and Disease,” will be in person in the Spokane Center for Clinical Research and Simulation room 250 and through Zoom on Tuesday, May 7, 12:10–1 p.m.

Keith Hengen earned his PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Keith continued his postdoctoral research under Gina Turrigiano at Brandeis University, where he began exploring topics such as sleep, emergent dynamics, and optimal computation. In 2017, Keith assumed a faculty position in the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. The Hengen Lab primarily posits that the most important feature of neurobiological computation is reliability, which serves as a foundational element for learning, complex behavior, and cognition. This is examined using a multidisciplinary approach of neurophysiology, computational modeling, theory, and cell biology. Keith’s work has been recognized through several prestigious awards, including the Allen Institute’s Next Generation Leader Award and the BrightFocus Foundation’s Outstanding Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

We look forward to you joining us in person (SCCRS 250) or through Zoom!

Questions/Zoom link? Contact Michelle Sanchez at michelle.r.sanchez@wsu.edu.

Dr. Chathuri Kombala — post-doctoral research associate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) — will be visiting WSU Spokane for the SPRC Seminar Series. Her seminar, entitled “Profiling functional rhythmicity using chemical biology approaches,” will be in person in the Spokane Center for Clinical Research and Simulation room 250 and through Zoom on Tuesday, April 23, 12:10–1 p.m.

Chathuri Kombala currently works as a chemical biology post-doctoral research associate at PNNL. She received her BS from University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and her PhD in chemistry from the University of Arizona in 2020. As a member of WSU-PNNL joint program in microbiome science, she developed and utilized chemical biology tools to assess the functional rhythmicity in gut microbiome and host peripheral organs. Her current research focus is to understand the link between the microbiome and host circadian rhythms using multi-omics and chemical biology approaches.

We look forward to you joining us in person (SCCRS 250) or through Zoom!

Questions/Zoom link? Contact Michelle Sanchez at michelle.r.sanchez@wsu.edu.

The 9th annual #CougsGive day of giving is Wednesday, April 17.

#CougsGive is a day for Washington State University alumni, students, faculty, staff, parents, and friends to celebrate what makes the Cougar family special through philanthropy and advocacy. The event website is cougsgive.wsu.edu.

The 24-hour event includes live fundraising for university priorities, more than $200,000 worth of unlockable matches and challenges, and a Cougar Ambassador function that allows anyone to sign up and share their excitement about the day.

All Cougs are invited to share their personal WSU stories on social media using the hashtag #CougsGive. For those who participate as ambassadors, there will be unlockable bonuses for the individuals who refer the most donors during the day.

Since the first giving day in 2015, the WSU community has generously contributed more than $3.8 million in donations during #CougsGive and shared hundreds of touching and inspirational personal stories about their connections to the university.

If your preferred funding area is not featured on the #CougsGive website, gifts to all WSU giving platforms on the day still will be counted for the campaign.

Please visit cougsgive.wsu.edu to see all the opportunities for the day. Questions about #CougsGive can be sent to annualgiving@wsu.edu.

Join us on April 16, 6–7 p.m. for the pub talk “Driving Change: Alternative Fuel Strategies and Athlete Branding in the Modern Era” with Cara Hawkins-Jedlicka and Josh Heyne. Please visit efa.wsu.edu/category/efa-events for talk details, info on speakers, and how to attend.

Topics and presenters are arranged by the WSU’s Entrepreneurial Faculty Ambassador (EFA) Program and the Palouse Discovery Science Center (PDSC). All Donations support PDSC.

Tuesday, April 16
1–3 p.m.

The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will be holding a poster session showcasing the senior capstone projects for the Spring 2024 semester. Please drop by Junior Ballroom in the Compton Union Building on the Pullman campus to learn more about what our students have been working on for the past year!

Welcome future Cougs! Learn more about your soon-to-be community during an open house April 20 from 3–5 p.m. featuring a variety of local resources and amenities, one-on-one conversations with current Cougs, light refreshments and a complimentary keepsake photo commemorating your decision to become a future WSU Pullman Coug. Stop by and say hello — we’re always here to help!

Advance at WSU is pleased to sponsor a day-long National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity workshop, “Avoiding Faculty Burnout: The Weekly Plan to Prioritize, Build & Maintain Momentum, and Experience True Work-Life Balance.” The workshop will be facilitated by Anthony Ocampo, professor of sociology at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Workshop details:

This workshop is free and open to all WSU faculty.

• Thursday, April 25, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Courtyard by Marriott, Pullman, WA — parking available on site
• Register for the event by April 15

Morning fare, lunch, and cookies will be provided to all attendees.

Mini travel grants of up to $500 are available for faculty traveling to Pullman to attend. To learn more about mini grants and hotel accommodations, please email Sreya Mukherjee at sreya.mukherjee@wsu.edu.

Registration is limited to 100 people. Register soon to secure a spot!

On Monday, April 15, a Verizon 5G FOSC project contractor will mobilize and begin excavation for a new hand hole and pole in the landscaping adjacent to the loading dock access to Biotech Life Sciences and Veterinary and Biomedical Research. The contractor will be utilizing a vacuum truck and should not have any vehicles obscuring pedestrian traffic at the site. The contractor will be utilizing four of the adjacent street parking stalls for the duration of the project.

At this time, we are projecting one week of intermittent detours for normal users of this sidewalk and will direct foot traffic to the north sidewalk. Please observe all traffic signage and personnel. If you should have any questions, please address them to Jeremy Griffin, facilities construction manager, at jeremy.griffin@wsu.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and we thank you for your patience.

On Monday, April 15, a Verizon 5G FOSC project contractor will mobilize and begin excavation for a new power hub on the northeast side of Northside Residence Hall in the landscaping adjacent to Cougar Way and the access road near the dumpsters. The contractor will be digging by hand and should not have any vehicles obscuring pedestrian traffic at the site.

At this time, we are projecting one week of intermittent detours for normal users of this side road. Please observe all traffic signage and personnel. If you should have any questions, please address them to Jeremy Griffin, facilities construction manager, at jeremy.griffin@wsu.edu. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and we thank you for your patience.

The College of Nursing and College of Veterinary Medicine are teaming up once again for the annual Healthy People + Healthy Pets program, which provides free health care services to those living in shelters, transitional housing, and currently unhoused community members and their pets.

This year’s event will take place on Monday, April 15, from 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

One-day clinic location:
WSU Spokane Campus Center for Clinical Research and Simulation

You can help by donating pet and personal care supplies!

Pet supplies:
Collars, coats, food dishes, leashes, dog/cat food, treats, blankets, and toys

Personal care items:
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair combs, deodorant, hair ties, nail clippers, chapstick, socks, hats, and other personal care products

Donation bins can be found on campus in the Health Science Building (HSB), Student Academic Center (SAC), Nursing and Pharmacy buildings.

More information: nursing.wsu.edu/event/healthy-people-healthy-pets

The following new policy is added to the SPPM:

• 2.63 Working During Wildfire Smoke Events

For a description and link to the new policy see SPPM Revision #143.

A new Commercialization Gap Fund cycle is coming soon!

Hosted by the Office of Commercialization (OC) with support from the Washington Research Foundation (WRF), the yearly competition aims to provide a funding avenue for researchers looking to bridge the “gap” between their research and industry.

Through the Commercialization Gap Fund (CGF), you can receive up to $50,000 in awards to help turn your innovative ideas and inventions into viable market products.

Join us for an informational Zoom webinar!
Friday, April 19, 2–3 p.m.
Register online!

Contact the Office of Commercialization:
509-335-5526
commercialization@wsu.edu
commercialization.wsu.edu/about-us

Join guest curator Johanna Gosse, a London-based art historian specializing in experimental film and media, in the museum today, April 12, 4–6 p.m., for a reception and talk on Beyond Hope: Kienholz and the Inland Northwest. Beyond Hope explores the collaborative artistic practice of artist Ed Kienholz and his wife, Nancy Reddin Kienholz, during the decades they spent living and working in the small northern Panhandle town of Hope, Idaho. Using key works from the exhibition, the gallery talk will further contextualize the notion of place as a generative context for the Kienholzes’ artistic practice. Discussion starts at 4:15 p.m., followed by a reception. Free and open to the public.

The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU is located in the Crimson Cube (on Wilson Road across from Martin Stadium and the CUB) on the WSU Pullman campus.

The Association for Faculty Women at WSU is pleased to announce the recipients of the Outstanding Students in Graduate Studies Awards for 2023–24.

AFW Founders Award for Outstanding Master’s Student:

• Sara Thompson, Kinesiology
• Anna Somerville, Music

Harriett B. Rigas Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student:

• Rebecca Gustine, Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Thao T. Vo, Kinesiology and Educational Psychology
• Molly Sutter, Mathematics

Karen Depauw Leadership Award (awarded in conjunction with the Graduate School):

• Nazua Idiris, Literary Studies
• Meenakshi Richardson, Prevention Science

Read more about these outstanding students by visiting the AFW website.

An awards ceremony and celebration will be held on Friday, April 19, in the Honors Lounge on the Pullman campus. Find more information and register online.