Defining our Distinctiveness,

Defining our Future

“Our world-class faculty members are the cornerstones of our efforts to enhance graduate and undergraduate education. They raise our university’s academic reputation. They attract research grants. They earn recognition from leading academic societies. 

“There is a balance to be struck here. As we have been reminded again in recent months, we are a comprehensive university with many diverse areas of strength. How effectively we recognize and build on those strengths will determine our success in achieving our goals.”

~Elson S. Floyd, Ph.D.
President, Washington State University

Across the campuses of WSU, focus is being drawn to the strengths that each offers to students, to the WSU system as a whole, to the local economy, and to the world in terms of critical research.

WSU Vancouver areas of distinctiveness have evolved over the past decade into three primary areas: leadership and organization, technology, and environment.

These areas stretch across many various disciplines and programs offered at our scenic Salmon Creek campus, approaching critical areas of learning and research from both new and traditional angles. 

Leadership and organization issues studied in our Business, Public Affairs and Education programs are shaping the local leaders of tomorrow. Our multi-faceted programs address the social and environmental impacts of change and growth in business, government, health care, schools and other community organizations. Our stakeholder-focused Master of Business Administration is unique in the nation, recently honored as one of the “Top Global 100 MBAs” by the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey.

Technology includes disciplines as varied as remote sensing used for environmental and health care purposes, as well as cutting-edge micro- and nano-devices. It also extends to teacher education, developing teaching materials and methods for collegiate as well as K-12 science, technology, engineering and math education. Artistic and societal impacts of technology are also among our campus program strengths.

Environment is in the spotlight at the WSU School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, a system-wide school based on our campus, as well as in disciplines which examine ways to create sustainable societies and foster environmental justice. Our faculty and students across various programs examine the global dimensions of environmental issues and explore the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

“All of our programs will benefit from these strengths,” stated Chancellor Hal Dengerink. “These areas of distinctiveness will continue to create academic initiatives on our campus as we extend our strategic planning into the future.”

Check out our academic programs: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/programs

Faculty in Focus:

Professor Carolyn Long

Public Affairs alumni, Dr. Carolyn Long wants to hear from you.

“The Program in Public Affairs has some great alumni,” said Dr. Long, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Program in Public Affairs, and Associate Director of the College of Liberal Arts.

About a quarter of Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs graduates go on to graduate or law school, and alumni from the Master of Public Affairs program have found employment in the Secret Service, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, Bonneville Power Administration, and positions in city, county and state government.

“We often lose track of you once you leave and it can be difficult to reconnect,” said Dr. Long, who started teaching at WSU Vancouver in the fall of 1995.

She said she likes our smaller classes which provide a greater opportunity for contact with students and “the fact that I can work in a first class research environment on a smaller campus! It is also a beautiful campus in a great location.”

Dr. Long’s current research centers on separation of power conflicts between the executive, legislative and judicial branches, focusing on the political construction of constitutional law; the “constitutional dialogues” that take place between the branches of government. 

“My research explores how this dialogue shapes constitutional meaning,” she said.

Dr. Long published two books in 2006. Mapp v. Ohio, Guarding Against Unreasonable Searches and Seizures, was awarded an Honorable Mention in Legal History from The Langum Project for Historical Literature. She co-edited Reflections on the Presidency:  Selections from the Mark O. Hatfield Distinguished Historians Forum, with John Pierce, former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts of WSU. 

She is currently working on The (Un)Reasonableness Standard:  Lowering the Bar on the Fourth Amendment for the University Press of Kansas.

The Spring 2008 semester finds her in the classroom teaching Civil Liberties, and Administrative Jurisprudence, both 400-level political science courses.

Off campus, Dr. Long spends “every free moment” with her husband Kevin, and two and a half year-old daughter, Tennyson, making “modern Play-Doh art, building forts, learning to count, and reading the same books over and over.”

When she does manage to find a moment for herself, Dr. Long enjoys reading Southern literature, like William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor and Cormac McCarthy.

“I always look forward to e-mail updates from our alumni,” she said. “I often hear from them if they are planning future studies or if they have found employment in the public sector.”

Carolyn Long can be reached at long@vancouver.wsu.edu or 360-546-9737.

Public Affairs Program: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/publicaffairs  

Department Updates:

Business

The Business Program welcomes two new faculty: Dr. Sheen Liu, Assistant Professor in Finance with a specialty in fixed income securities; and Dr. Rebecca Portnoy,  Assistant Professor in Management & Operations, with a specialty in self-perception.

Looking to defend our #1 national ranking in professional sales, we held our largest ever National Collegiate Sales Competition in January. Casey Carroll, Cirita Hash, and Lauren Stender placed first, second and third respectively.  All three will attend the March national competition in Atlanta.

Our MBA program has recently been ranked as one of the global top 100 MBA programsby the Beyond Grey Pinstripes Survey. Our updated curriculum emphasizes stakeholder-engaged leadership as the path to sustainable organizational success.

Education

The Education Department welcomes Dr. Nancy Sanders, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, coming from the Council of Chief State School Officers and an expert on the standards for licensure as a school principal. She will be teaching and advising masters and doctoral students in our Educational Leadership programs.

Beginning Summer 2008 we will be offering the Professional Certificate for Principals, and we hope to begin offering classes in our deaf education certificate beginning Fall 2008. A partnership with Grays Harbor College is in the works to be able to offer the Bachelor of Arts in Education with elementary certification at their location as well as on the WSU Vancouver and Lower Columbia College campuses.

Nursing

We welcomed two new adjunct faculty members this semester.

Holly Paul is a Family Nurse Practitioner who received her Master’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University, currently working in The Clinic at Elma in Elma, Wash., in a hospital-owned rural family practice clinic. She will be supervising family nurse practitioner students in the clinical area this spring as well as assisting Melody Rasmor in the Advanced Health Assessment class.

Don Laack works in the area of Nursing Informatics and received his Master’s of Science in Clinical Informatics from the University of Utah. He currently serves as the senior systems analyst for clinical applications at Peace Health in Bellevue, Wash., and is co-teaching the graduate level course in Information Management for Nursing Practice with Dr. Kenn Daratha.

Liberal Arts

Four new tenure-track faculty joined us this fall, including Dr. Ed Hagen in Anthropology; Dr. Darryl Wood in Political Science and Criminal Justice, Dr. Thabiti Lewis in English and Dr. Daniel Jaffee in Sociology. A new minor in Addiction Studies was added to the curriculum, while majors in Criminal Justice, History, and Sociology are planned for Fall 2008.

Digital Technology and Culture (DTC) initiated a new “artists in residence” program in Fall 2007, bringing three digital media artists to campus to work with students and provide workshops, exhibits, and performances for the community.

Human Development

With the addition of three new faculty members — Dr. Marcelo Diversi, Dr. Jane Lanigan , and Dr. Yoshie Sano — we have been able to offer more courses to our growing number of students. We conducted two workshops on how to prepare for and what to expect when applying to graduate school, and will offer workshops on what to do once you get in this spring.

Kappa Omicron Nu, our honorary society, sponsored a series of presentations focused on faculty research and how to become more involved in research as students. 

Science 

The National Science Foundation has awarded us $2.7 million over five years. Under the Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 program, or GK-12, up to 10 of our graduate students per year will partner one-on-one with sixth to ninth grade science teachers in Vancouver, Camas and La Center school districts.

Our new faculty include Dr. Stephen Henderson, Assistant Professor of Environmental Geophysics in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, teaching classes in Physics and Environmental Sciences, with research interests in water flow and sediment transport; and Dr. Nandini Ranganathan, Instructor of Mathematics, teaching a wide variety of lower division and upper division mathematics courses.

Our enrollment continues to explode, with 43% growth rate in the last year. We now have more than 280 students majoring in Biology or Environmental Science.

For the latest WSU Vancouver news, visit www.vancouver.wsu.edu 

For events, visit: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/events

Alumni Spotlight

Ashley McWatters, 26
Bachelor of Arts, Business Administration, 2004

Ashley is owner and manager of Rapid Rendering, LLC, pre-architectural development services for various developers and government agencies. The company has local headquarters, as well as regional partners and an offshore office in the Philippines.

A Vancouver native and 1999 graduate of Prairie High School, he transferred to WSU Vancouver from Lower Columbia College, where he played baseball, going to the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges championship game both years.

“You can’t go wrong with WSUV — it’s a great school! Faculty members really take time one-on-one if you want it,” Ashley said. “I still interact with professors who help advise me in my business, providing networking and contacts. WSU Vancouver was the best of all options — very convenient location and top education.”

The benefits of the WSU Vancouver alumni network go far beyond the faculty for Ashley. “I’m just amazed at the number of alums in this area. They have great camaraderie, especially in the building industry.”

Looking back on his time at WSU Vancouver, Ashley remembers the critical influence of his classes and professors on his career. “Finance 425 [Intermediate Financial Management] was a great way to learn how to operate a business the most optimal way,” he said. “It is a must!”

Ashley said he spent a great deal of time with Dr. U.N. Umesh, and still does to this day. “We share a love for good deals in real estate and talk about trends,” he said. “I took his Entrepreneurship class and had a great chance to interact with a project that was in the works in downtown Washougal. They have actually built a great new town square down there, a block or two away from where we did a project focusing on what to build in that area to attract new people. Dr. Umesh’s Entrepreneurship and Marketing class is also a must for a potential business owner.”

Finally, he added that he wishes he had paid more attention to detail and studied a lot harder in accounting classes, now spending up to 10% of his business time in that area.

In his down time, Ashley loves to golf, winning a few tournaments last year, and to spend time working on his house.

Campus Notes

Student Activities Get a Boost

The Call-a-Coug Telephone Outreach program gives WSU’s alumni, parents, and friends the opportunity to talk to current WSU students and a chance to hear about the new and exciting things that are happening on campus. It also provides you the opportunity to update your information, share your Cougar experiences and stories, ask questions and voice concerns, as well as to make a contribution to your alma mater.

Calls from Call-a-Coug are made on behalf of every college and academic department at WSU, as well as Athletics, the Parents Program, WSU Libraries, and the WSU Museum of Art.

Call-a-Coug’s calling hours are Sundays from 1 - 9 pm and Monday through Thursdays from 5:30 - 9 pm. The Call-a-Coug Center is located in the Lewis Alumni Centre on WSU’s Pullman campus. For additional information, please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 360-546-9600.

Help Fellow Cougars Earn a Degree

You can help current WSU Vancouver students by contributing to WSU Vancouver Alumni Scholarships. Because of generous alumni like you, we have been able to award $12,000 in scholarships over the past three years. Scholarships are awarded to a student from every college. Currently, there are more than 2,500 students enrolled at WSU Vancouver. As our student population continues to grow, securing gifts to support scholarships has become more vital and remains a priority. Gifts of any size make a difference. Your participation is important to us and it is a greatway to demonstrate your Cougar Pride!

Please contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 360-546-9600 or giving@vancouver.wsu.edu to contribute to the fund. You can also make a gift on-line at www.wsufoundation.wsu.edu/giving . Please specify the Vancouver Alumni Scholarship Fund.

Memorial Benches - A Lasting Tribute

Memorial benches are a great way to remember loved ones. Brass-plated memorial plaques mounted on the benches state the name of the person in whose honor or memory the bench is donated. A minimum of $2,000 is requested for each bench. Contact the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 360-546-9600 or giving@vancouver.wsu.edu for details.

New Buildings Mark Campus Growth

Two new buildings opened in the fall semester of 2007, and construction has just begun on another.

Sept.13 marked the grand opening of the Student Services Center and the Firstenburg Student Commons, featuring a snack bar, multi-use student lounge, student government offices and meeting spaces.

“This is a permanent legacy for the Firstenburg family and for WSU Vancouver,” said Chancellor Hal Dengerink. “The Firstenburg Student Commons provides a much needed space on campus for students. We are truly grateful to the Firstenburgs.”

The 18,000 square foot, two-story Student Services Center now houses The Bookie bookstore, as well as the new Cougar Center, providing personalized one-stop services for students and visitors, Monday through Thursday, 7:30 am - 6 pm, and Friday, 8 am - 5 pm.

Continuing to grow as a full four-year campus, construction began in late January on the new Undergraduate Classroom Building, our first Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design certified project, earning the LEED Silver level distinction under the Green Building Rating System.

Read the latest WSU Vancouver Press Releases: www.vancouver.wsu.edu/news  

Campus Resources for Alumni

Career Services

WSU Vancouver Student Services Center
www.vancouver.wsu.edu/career
360-546-9224

• Résumé Workshop, Tuesday, April 8, 1 pm
• WSU CareerLink, a new online career program, containing a database of local and nation-wide jobs, also for employers to post jobs and mentor current students. Available at the career center web site.
• Career Counselors, available to meet individually for help with résumé and cover letter writing, job search strategies, and career assessments.

The Bookie

Our bookstore provides famous Cougar Gold cheese, textbooks and other titles, classroom supplies and Cougar apparel, on the bottom floor of the Student Services Center. Open Monday–Thursday, 9 am -– 6 pm, Friday 9 am – 5 pm; during the summer: Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm 360-573-0447 

Student Involvement

Ambassadors provide campus tours, help orient new students and plan activities.

The Recreation Program includes the fitness center; equipment rental of camping gear, skis and snowboards, trips and recreational information clinics.

The VanCougar student newspaper is published bi-monthly, and accepts paid advertising, reaching our student market and campus community.

Library

Our library has over 20,000 book titles and 9,000 print and electronic journal subscriptions, and computers for student and patron use. Business, education, psychology, humanities and nursing are the primary subjects covered. Open Monday – Thursday 8 am - 10 pm, Friday 8 am - 6 pm, and Saturday – Sunday 10 am - 7 pm. 

Cougar Pride Days

April 1 - 3 and April 5, numerous environmental projects for volunteers around the campus grounds. Watch www.vancouver.wsu.edu/cougarpride for details. 

Alumni Association Deals

Vancouver Area Discounts:

• Big Al’s Sports Bar and Grill - buy 1 get 1 free bowling special, $2 off one appetizer with the purchase of any entrée.
  
• Hilton Vancouver, request WSUAA room rate of $105 for weekend nights based on availability.
  
• Mr. Formal Tuxedo Rentals, 10% off any tuxedo rental at the Vancouver Mr. Formal locations.
  
• Red Lion at the Quay, 15% off the best available room rates at RedLion.com, use preferred corporate account code “WSU” or call 800-325-4000 and ask about “Pride Program for Washington State University”
  
• Salut! Wine Co., 10% off any purchase of $20 or more
  
• Tully’s Coffee, 10% off all specialty beverages

Many, many more benefits at alumni.wsu.edu! 

Art Galleries 

Our Administration and Engineering Life Sciences building galleries host rotating art shows. Our Library also features Diversity Task Force travelling art exhibits. Community members are invited to submit work for display. Visitors are welcome in both galleries during building hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 am - 9 pm; Friday, 8 am - 5 pm Parking is available in metered spaces or in the Blue Lot for $3 per day.