A new chapter for WSU

Dear WSU Family,

Welcome to the Fall 2022 semester. I hope you were able to take some time over the summer to refresh and re‑energize in advance of the start of another academic year. For the first time since 2019, we are starting fall classes without any restrictions on our campuses. It’s an exciting return to normalcy, and the beginning of a new chapter for WSU.

We are thrilled to be joined by new faculty and staff colleagues across all six campuses, four research and extension centers, and county-wide extension offices. I look forward to meeting you as I travel across Washington advocating for the future of WSU with friends, alumni, corporate partners, and policymakers as part of my expanded role as system president.

Over the summer, we have continued to transform our external and internal organization structures to further the OneWSU initiative. In July, we established the Office of the WSU System President in downtown Pullman — and we would welcome anyone traveling through to come in, say hello, and take a tour of the offices. At the end of this week, we will also inaugurate the first Pullman chancellor in WSU history.

This message marks our first system‑wide communication from the newly formed Office of the WSU System President. Every other month, six times per year, you can expect an email from me featuring key highlights from each of our campus locations. Chancellors will also have their campus-specific communications on issues that pertain to their campuses, but we are excited to have a platform to showcase how each campus contributes to the identity of our singular WSU system.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time to discuss your own highlights, concerns, or ways in which WSU can better fulfill our mission as Washington’s land‑grant university.

Go Cougs!

KIRK H. SCHULZ
President, WSU System

WSU Pullman

WSU Pullman is set to welcome its first Chancellor on August 18. As part of the OneWSU transition, WSU Pullman is developing a leadership structure that is separate from, and in support of, the WSU system. Dr. Elizabeth S. Chilton, provost and executive vice president, assumed the chancellor role in addition to her duties as the University’s chief academic officer. The celebration is part of WSU Pullman’s Week of Welcome, a series of events designed to kick off the new academic year.

WSU Spokane

During the early stages of the COVID‑19 pandemic, Washington State University pharmacy students were able to help test for the virus thanks in part to legislation they helped pass in 2019. A recent study reveals that the law expanded service-learning opportunities for students and preceptors across health professions, and improved student confidence in their ability to conduct COVID‑19 testing. The legislation has the potential to offer additional learning opportunities and enhance access to care for communities across the state.

WSU Tri-Cities

WSU Tri‑Cities was named a winner in Phase One of the Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize by the U.S. Department of Energy. This first-of-its-kind competition aims to further climate and environmental justice during the transition to a net-zero-carbon economy by directly funding disadvantaged communities. As one of 18 winners, WSU Tri‑Cities was awarded $200,000 to implement its Empowering the Future Energy Workforce plan.

WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver’s rare corpse flower and unofficial mascot, Titan VanCoug, is expected to bloom sometime before the end of August. The last time Titan VanCoug bloomed in 2019, thousands of fans and curious noses flocked to get a whiff of its infamous odor. Measuring a measly 2.5 inches on July 13, the flower is more than 5 feet tall as of August 10 and growing about four inches a day. When the flower’s growth slows to about two inches a day, its bloom will be imminent.

WSU Everett

Dr. Joseph Gladstone, Assistant Professor of Management in the Department of Management, Information Systems and Entrepreneurship (MISE) recently collaborated with colleagues from the University of Washington and Gonzaga University to offer recommendations on how business programs can attract more Native American students. Their article, published in The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), provides insight into the necessity of culturally relevant business education in higher education today.

WSU Global

This year, WSU Global recognized 15 graduating seniors for their outstanding dedication to academic excellence and service to the university or their communities. These students hail from all around the country and the world, representing a diverse cross-section of the global community of online Cougs. This month, they are highlighting three of their outstanding seniors and sharing their unique and vibrant Global Campus student journeys.