By Leslie Streeter

Washington State University’s sustainable aviation fuels research is getting noticed.

���� found that WSU is globally the top contributing organization to scientific literature on the field of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), based on an analysis of articles, papers, editorials, and news items published from 2001 to 2023. Researchers from WSU’s  and the  rank among the most cited authors with the highest link strength in the field.

Joshua Heyne, director of the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL)�����������سԹ� and co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute, was found to be the most cited author on SAF. Michael Wolcott, PhD, Regents Professor and director of ASCENT, the FAA’s , was noted as the second most cited author, followed by Manuel Garcia-Perez, PhD, department chair for biological systems engineering, and Kristin Brandt, staff engineer for the Composite Materials & Engineering Center.

Heyne is not only the most cited and most published researcher in the field, but he is also recognized as the most productive author in SAF research from 2001 to 2023. Additionally, he has the highest connection strength, illustrating the breadth of his collaborations, which contribute to WSU’s designation as the most collaborative institution in sustainable aviation research.

“After reading the abstract for the first time, I was a bit surprised,” Heyne said. “I get up every morning motivated to add value to the field with colleagues, but being highlighted as the most published and cited author was a surprise.”

The study, conducted by four faculty members from two universities in Turkey, used bibliometric analysis to examine literature on sustainable aviation published between 2001 and 2023. Bibliometric analysis is an advanced method of studying academic publications to understand emerging trends in specific knowledge domains. The researchers analyzed 726 published studies identified from the Web of Science database.

While the study examined literature on sustainable aviation, Heyne’s primary focus is sustainable aviation fuel, a critical component of the aviation industry’s decarbonization strategy. On average, SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 80% compared to traditional jet fuel. Today’s SAF is a blend of conventional fossil fuel and synthetic components derived from various renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oils, fats, plant oils, and municipal, agricultural, and forestry waste.

A demonstration of the difference between burning regular jet fuel (on the left) and SAF (on the right). (Photo by WSU Tri‑Cities)

Current research and collaboration within WSU

WSU researchers are working to advance SAF adoption through sample testing for producers and examining supply chains, technological feasibility, regulations, and infrastructure costs. Heyne, Wolcott, Brandt, and Garcia-Perez’s work overlaps in some of these areas.

���������سԹ�, Heyne leads SAF testing and analysis at BSEL, a 57,000-square-foot research and teaching laboratory operated in partnership with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). BSEL researchers have tested approximately 400 samples of sustainable aviation fuel candidate materials from 40 institutions across North America and Europe.

Heyne’s most recent review paper,  last November, was a collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Their review concluded that lignin has strong potential as a sustainable alternative to fossil-based aviation fuels and advancing lignin valorization could significantly support net-zero goals by enabling large-scale SAF production from this abundant, renewable resource.

Among other things, Wolcott is working on a project that determines the potential for private corporate investment to account for indirect, or Scope 3 carbon emissions in commercial aviation.

Garcia-Perez has two SAF-related projects in the works. One is an analysis of how hydrogen production cost and carbon intensity impact SAF production. This research led to the development of a  the evolution of SAF production technologies depending on the availability of cheap and clean hydrogen.

Garcia-Perez’s other project looks at SAF production in Latin America. He and his team are working with stakeholders from Colombia, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Ecuador to identify business opportunities to produce SAF in these countries. Garcia-Perez’s team includes five students who were recruited from these countries to do their doctoral studies on developing modeling tools at WSU. Graduate student Marcela Valderrama and Research Associate Lina Martinez conducted a  which led to the creation of the Colombian SAF road map. Similar interactions are happening with the other countries in the program.

Brandt is currently working on a project through ASCENT that is looking at a U.S. and Canada cross-border SAF supply chain to cooperatively find a solution to provide fuel and optimize production that is mutually beneficial for both countries.

Brandt and Wolcott have worked together over the last several years focusing on assessing sustainable aviation fuel supply chains, policy evaluation and fuel production economics. She is currently writing a paper with Wolcott that assesses the potential to meet domestic SAF production goals by 2030.

Two Washington State University Tri-Cities engineering students attended the WE Local conference in Wichita, Kansas over their spring break as representatives of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). Jacqueline Figueroa, a junior studying mechanical engineering, and Ayla Bales, a senior studying civil engineering, represented the university at the event, joining over 350 college students, retired STEM professionals, recruiters and representatives of notable STEM organizations.

“This was a fantastic experience for students to meet colleagues, network with professionals in their industry, and learn more about opportunities available to them as they start their engineering careers,” said Bales.

According to the website, SWE, founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders.

The WE Local conference agenda consisted of several keynote speakers and events over two days. Students were able to attend presentations on leadership, finding confidence in professions, becoming inventors, and working towards achieving net zero emissions for organizations. Learning opportunities also included networking lunches, a job fair, student research poster presentations, a trivia night with plenty of prizes, and more.

The opening keynote given by Wichita mayor Lily Wu proclaimed March 15, 2024, as Women in Engineering Day. The proclamation recognized that while only 16% of engineers in the US are women, their contributions have been pivotal in shaping world progress. A second address presented by Heather Meyer, vice president of quality for Spirit Aerosystems, encouraged women attendees to set their own measures of success in their careers through advocacy for work-life balance and addressing bias against women and minority groups in the workplace.

The FY24 SWE president Alexis McKittrick was the second day keynote speaker, addressing the conference’s theme “Live Without Limits”. She was joined by a panel of 4 women in STEM for a discussion of overcoming challenges in workplaces, developing inclusive management strategies, and embracing opportunities within the engineering profession to achieve both career and personal goals.

While visiting for the conference, students had opportunities to explore Wichita’s local culture, including site visits to the Keeper of the Plains monument, the Mid-American All-Indian Museum, and the Wichita Art Museum.

Much of Wichita’s modern culture revolves around aerospace engineering. The city has a strategic location for aviation manufacturing, being situated almost perfectly in the center of the continental US. Known as “the air capital of the world”, it has been the central hub for many notable aircraft manufacturers, including Cessna, Beechcraft, Boeing, Stearman, Airbus, and Learjet. As the Platinum sponsor for the conference, Spirit Aerosystems gifted many attendees with aluminum window cutouts from Boeing 737 fuselages.

“We would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Alaska Airlines for the generous flight credits. This trip could not have been possible without their support. Also, a big thank you to the ASWSUTC’s Finance Committee for helping make this trip possible,” said Haydee Guzman, program coordinator of the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities is pleased to present the Herbert M. Parker Foundation Lecture Series featuring Werner Rühm November 2 from 12 to 1:30 p.m. online.

Werner Rühm leads the Medical and Environmental Dosimetry Group at the Helmholtz Center, Munich Institute of Radiation Medicine in Germany. He is also a professor at the Medical Faculty of the University of Munich. He has been a member of Committee 1 “Radiation Effects” (C1) of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) since 2005, serving as C1 secretary from 2012 to 2016, and as C1 chair from 2016 to 2021.

The ICRP is an independent registered charity, established to advance for the public benefit the science of radiological protection, in particular by providing recommendations and guidance on all aspects of protection against ionizing radiation.

Since its foundation in 1928 the ICRP has continuously developed recommendations for the appropriate level of protection for people and the environment against radiation exposure. These recommendations, which are found in the ICRP System of Radiological Protection, are used all over the world. While the system is robust, it requires regular review to make sure that it is still up to date and fit for purpose. Watch this presentation with Rühm to learn more about the System and the first steps taken by the ICRP towards its review and refinement.

MEDIA CONTACT(S)

Leslie Streeter, Office of Marketing and Communication, (509) 372-7333, leslie.streeter@wsu.edu

September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is asking Tri-Cities Cougs to #BeThe1To:

• Ask the tough question directly if someone is experiencing emotional pain: “Are you contemplating suicide?”
  • Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way.
• Be there.
  • Listening without judgment helps people feel less depressed, suicidal and overwhelmed.
• Keep them safe.
  • If someone is thinking of suicide, ask if they have a plan. If so, help separate them from lethal means for suicide.
• Help them stay connected.
  • Connect someone you’re concerned about to resources including hotlines, ���سԹ� Counseling Services, friends and family.
  • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a new three-digit dialing code: 988
    • For TTY: Use you preferred relay service or dial 711 followed by 1-800-273-8255
  • The Trans Lifeline is 1-877-565-8860
  • The Trevor Project LGTBQ youth crisis line is 1-866-488-7386 or 
  • The Veterans Crisis line text and chat is 
  • ���سԹ� Counseling Services is located in Floyd 101A
    • Crisis Hotline: (509)554-5684
    • Concerned about yourself or a fellow Coug?
    • ������������tricities.counselingservices@wsu.edu or call 509-372-7153
• Follow up.
  • Check in with the person you care about on a regular basis.

���سԹ� fine art students paint a mural they designed at Marcus Whitman Elementary school in Richland, WA: Razan Osman, Silvia Gomez-Hernandez, Steph Osorio, Carola Garcia-Mendez, Liz Jimenez, Elizabeth Yanes, Shanna Conner, Kali Cornwell, & Iratze Lomeli.

RICHLAND, WA – A group of fine arts students from Washington State University Tri-Cities brought the local landscape and inspiring words for students to life in a mural they designed for Marcus Whitman Elementary School.

Dustin Regul, fine arts professor at ���سԹ� said, “The purpose for this project was to bring art to the community and add to the aesthetic culture of the Tri-Cities. Plus, it was a great opportunity for students to get experience developing a public installation from concept to completion.”

The mural is located on the grounds of Marcus Whitman Elementary School in Richland. The ���سԹ� students came up with the design which features elements of the local landscape and a book filled with inspirational quotes collected from teachers who work at the school. The project took place during the spring semester and included approximately five meetings and two, eight-hour workdays to complete. In addition to the collaboration with the school, Griggs Ace Hardware made significant contributions to this project as well.

Regul initiated the project but said it was the hard work and dedication of the students that made it happen. “This is our first mural, and we hope to make this a yearly thing. In the fall we’ll look at planning one at another school.” Regul said.

Learn more about creative arts programs offered at ���سԹ� on the College of Arts and Sciences website.

RICHLAND, Wash. – It has been another amazing year at ���سԹ�! Our Coug community accomplished so much this year, and we had the pleasure of recognizing a multitude of achievements in the final weeks of the semester!

Check out some of the highlights below!

���سԹ� Commencement

���سԹ� honored more than 375 graduating students this year. The honorees include graduates from the fall 2021 and spring and summer 2022 terms. ���سԹ� 2022 Commencement Ceremony is the first in-person commencement since 2019.

Multicultural Graduation

In addition to commencement, graduating students had the opportunity to attend Multicultural Graduation on campus, hosted by the Rainbow Alliance, Dreamers Club, and Black Student Union.

Graduates were given traditional serape stoles to be worn at commencement.

Nursing Pinning Ceremony

Before commencement, nursing students attend a ceremony in which they are “pinned” by a faculty member, family member or friend – someone who has been important to them in their nursing education. The act of pinning ceremonially welcomes undergrad nurses into the profession.

The following individuals were specifically honored for their contributions to the nursing program:

Undergraduate Research Symposium

At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, students presented their hard work to peers, family and industry professionals in the Collaboration Hall on campus.

Awards were given to the highest-scoring projects in the following categories:

Order of the Engineer

The Order of the Engineer was initiated in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer.

Graduating engineering students and engineers from the Tri-Cities community gathered to participate in the ring ceremony. The Engineer’s Ring is a stainless steel ring, worn on the fifth finger of the working hand by engineers who have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer in a ring ceremony.

TRIO End-of-Year Celebration

The ���سԹ� TRIO department hosted a celebration recognizing the hard work of their graduating students!

The U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO Program is a federal outreach and student services program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Faculty and Staff Awards Recognition

���سԹ� faculty and staff awards are given annually to honor those campus members who epitomize the highest levels of excellence in the pursuit of the university’s mission and goals.

Chancellor Sandra Haynes presented the following awards:

Evening of Excellence

The purpose of the Student Excellence Awards is to recognize the outstanding leadership and achievements of ���سԹ�’ student organizations, students, and advisors. The awards ceremony, also called the Evening of Excellence is hosted by the Office of Student Engagement & Leadership.

The following individuals were honored at the Evening of Excellence ceremony:

Graduation Receptions

In the week leading up to commencement, each academic college hosted a graduation reception for their graduating students and their families.

College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Seniors:

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Outstanding Seniors:

CougsGive Day

With the support of our community, ���سԹ� raised $16,895 for the and the ! These generous gifts contribute directly to our student’s success.

Throughout the day, students shared stories on their social media accounts about those on campus who made a major impact on their lives.

Richland, Wash. – The Washington State University Tri-Cities MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion, in collaboration with Wavelengths Salon, will hold an LGBTQ+ Panel at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 in the East Auditorium on campus and via Zoom. The event will feature a panel of community members across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and allies who will share their experiences and answer questions from the audience.

Learn about the experiences, aspirations and work done by LGBTQ+ members and allies that help make the Tri-Cities a more inclusive environment. Conversations will center around panelists’ sexual and gender identities, the impact of allyship and representation for their own coming out stories, dreams for inclusive and safe spaces in the Tri-Cities and more. Each panelist brings their perspective and relationship to the forefront to create awareness and representation in the community.

Panelists include:

• Faith Gambetty (she/her) – a transgender woman and co-owner of Wavelengths Salon
• Seth Johnson (he/him) – a transgender man
• Cassandra Loomis (she/her) – a parent of a transgender boy
• Luis Madigral (he/him) – a gay Latino therapist
• Pastor Marj (she/her) – a lesbian pastor
• Scott Rogers (he/him) – a straight ally and local attorney
• Gemini Stark (they/them) – a nonbinary hair stylist at Wavelengths Salon

RSVP for in-person attendance at . COVID-19 guidelines and requirements will apply. The Zoom registration link is .

���سԹ� ���سԹ�

���سԹ� is located at 2710 Crimson Way, Richland, WA 99354. Find campus maps at tricities.wsu.edu/campusmaps.

���سԹ� is located on shared traditional homelands of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. As a leading public research university with a focus on energy, environment and agriculture, ���سԹ� delivers career-connected learning and innovative research that addresses economic and social challenges.

MEDIA CONTACT(S)

Brenda Alling, Office of Marketing and Communication, 360-546-9601, brenda_alling@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – A Washington State University Tri-Cities history professor is part of a history film focusing on the Manhattan Project that was recently in the category of “Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction Special.”

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the ���سԹ� Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, chats with Sara Cassin, a student from Delta High School, in front of the B Reactor at the Hanford Nuclear Site as part of a video shoot for the Daytime Emmy-nominated film “The Manhattan Project Electronic Field Trip.”

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the ���سԹ� Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, was one of a handful of talent that starred in “” produced by based out of New Orleans. The project focuses on the three major sites that were instrumental in the Manhattan Project, which developed the technology and produced the plutonium and uranium for the world’s first atomic bombs: Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The 70-minute film, which is also , has been shown to middle schools and high schools across the country throughout the last year, exploring the science, sites and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb.

Franklin, with his role and expertise on Hanford as part of the ���سԹ� Hanford History Project, was approached about participating in the project in 2019. That summer, crew from the National WWII Museum traveled to all three sites, using a local high school student as the host for each site and referencing local experts in the region on the history of each site as part of the film. Franklin had the opportunity to not only voice his expertise on the site as part of the film, but also provided input to the script.

Sara Cassin, a student from Delta High School, was selected as the local student host, who, with Franklin, led filmmakers through the B Reactor, the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor, as well as other historical landmarks and buildings located at Hanford.

Robert Franklin (right), assistant director of the ���سԹ� Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, chats with Sara Cassin (center), a student from Delta High School, at the old Hanford High School on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation as part of a video shoot for the Daytime Emmy-nominated film “The Manhattan Project Electronic Field Trip.”

Franklin said even with the excellent production of the project, neither he, nor any of the members of the crew or other talent, anticipated they would be nominated for a Daytime Emmy for the project.

“I was kind of in shock when I found out,” he said. “Really, I was just a small part of the project – it was the folks at the museum who organized it, wrote the script and packaged the whole thing. But I am honored to have participated in it. I never thought I would say that I was in something that was nominated for an Emmy. It’s not a sentence I ever thought I would say.”

Franklin said to be part of a project that is now recognized with such a prestigious award is an incredible honor. He said working at ���سԹ� and bringing the knowledge he has gained and cultivated about the Manhattan Project, and specifically Hanford history, to students and the public is his dream job.

“Being able to teach in the classroom and bring what we’re doing with the Hanford History Project to students and further cement my role as a historian means the world to me,” he said. “The film was such a great project to be involved with. It’s such an incredible way to engage students and the public, and it’s just really well-done. It was such an honor to be a part of and apply even a small part of my work as a historian to the project.”

The will air at 8 p.m. Friday, June 25, on CBS. It will also be available on-demand and via streaming.

Media contacts:

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the ���سԹ� Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, robert.franklin@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

President and First Lady Schulz, Chancellor Haynes hope their investments will inspire others to support new building on Tri-Cities campus

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

WSU President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz, and ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes, are the first to donate for naming rights for the new state-of-the-art academic building currently being constructed at ���سԹ�. The building is on-schedule to open this fall.

Kirk and Noel Schulz committed $50,000 in funding to name the “Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge.” Haynes, a first-generation college graduate, donated $25,000 to name the “Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students.”

���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes

The state-funded academic building features eight science teaching laboratories, two large active learning classrooms, a large open-concept atrium ideal for presentations and events and a variety of study and collaborative areas. As a late addition to the exterior, the building will also house an outdoor amphitheater.

The WSU leaders hope their contributions will inspire others to follow in their footsteps and give to support the new building, which stands to prepare students for future careers in the sciences, health and medicine, engineering and other technical fields that are critical to the growing Tri-Cities region.

“Donating to this building is an investment in our students’ futures, and by doing so, contributing to the future of our region,” Haynes said. “I hope others will join us in contributing to this building.”

Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge

The Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge will provide greater access to academic and student support services and a dedicated beyond-the-classroom space for faculty and students to meet and collaborate.

Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge digital rendering

“My wife, Dr. Schulz, is spending two weeks a month in the Tri-Cities working with ���سԹ�, working with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the Advanced Grid Institute and helping the engineering program and the Tri-Cities grow and thrive,” Kirk Schulz said. “As the new building was coming up, we were talking to people about making investments and naming opportunities and Noel came home and said, ‘Hey, I think we should participate in this. Given what is taking place in the Tri-Cities, this would be a really opportune time.“

Kirk Schulz said the Tri-Cities is a hub for STEM education, with reputable expertise in energy, agriculture and environmental sciences. Earlier this year, ���سԹ� announced it would be launching a new institute centered on energy and the environment. The campus is also a part of three focusing on nuclear science and technology, advanced grid and bioproducts.

“We want to help take the building to the next level through our support of the faculty and student support lounge,” Noel Schulz said. “It’s really about all of us chipping in to make WSU, as a whole, better.”

Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students

Chancellor Sandra Haynes understands the significance of being the first in her family to go to college, like so many ���سԹ� students. More than 40% of ���سԹ� students are the first in their family to attend college.

Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students digital rendering

Haynes said her investment and dedication of the collaboration space celebrates first-generation students and serves as a reminder that, on the other side of adversity, is success.

“It is so important to make sure that those students feel very supported throughout their college careers,” Haynes said. “They are taking a leap of faith and they are doing something that no one in their family has done, before. I’m contributing to this building because I want our students to be able to learn in a state-of-the-art facility with state-of-the-art equipment. It feels great to be giving back to the campus that has given so much.”

Haynes said the new building will be significant in growing the campus’ STEM-focused programs and curriculum, which stand to benefit regional industry.

“The industries in this region are highly STEM-focused,” she said. “This building will benefit regional industry by providing well-prepared graduates in these fields and welcoming regional companies and organizations in for shared experiences ranging from presentations, to partnerships for projects and more.”

Naming opportunities and other support

Mike Connell, acting vice president and CEO of the , said when WSU leaders choose to make personal investments in the future of the university, they are truly leading by example.

“The most recent investments by the Schulzes and Chancellor Haynes will open doors for students at ���سԹ� while inspiring others to join their lead in adding to WSU’s already world-class student experience,” he said.

For more information on the new ���سԹ� academic building and naming opportunities, contact Jaime Heppler at Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu or by phone at 817-243-6019.

For more information about the new ���سԹ� academic building and to access a virtual tour. visit tricities.wsu.edu/academic-building.

Media contacts:

Jaime Heppler, ���سԹ� senior director of development, 817-243-6019 (cell), Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu