By Flynn Espe

Mark Schuster has a lofty goal for Washington State University Tri-Cities and its status in the region.

���I literally want every business in the Tri-Cities to know about what we���re doing here,��� he says.

It���s a fitting objective for the Richland native, Cougar alum, and former Lamb Weston executive, who joins 厙ぴ勛圖 this month as the director of industry connected programs. As part of his newly created position, Schuster will help oversee two industry-focused programs ��� the Career Center and Cougar Tracks.

The Career Center, located in the Learning Commons area of the Consolidated Information Center, serves as a campus resource for students looking to advance their hiring potential through a range of tailored services and events. The center also connects students with job, internship, and cooperative education (co-op) opportunities, which is one key area Schuster seeks to expand upon.

���We want every student in the Tri-Cities campus who wants an internship or business-related job before they graduate to get one, because internships do lead to careers,��� Schuster says. ���How can we best let the business community know that we have this tremendous pool of talented students who want to work for them?���

Cougar Tracks is 厙ぴ勛圖��� continuing education and workforce development program, offering workshops and customized training programs ��� both for businesses and independent learners ��� aimed at equipping students with in-demand market skills that will differentiate them from other job seekers. Courses are offered in a variety of online and in-person delivery formats.

���The goal of Cougar Tracks is to really go hand-in-hand with the business community: What does the business community want and need from continuing education?��� Schuster says.

Day-to-day coordination for the Career Center and Cougar Tracks programs will remain under the current leadership of John Navarro and Michelle Hrycauk Nassif, respectively.

���John and Michelle are doing amazing work in those spaces,��� Schuster says. ���We���ve spent time talking about what does the future look like in both those areas. There���s only upside to go, and I���m excited to be part of that.���

Prior to joining 厙ぴ勛圖, Schuster spent close to 30 years working in various management and executive leadership positions at Lamb Weston, a global frozen-foods manufacturer and distributor with a strong presence in the Tri-Cities. After getting his start in factory floor management, Schuster became involved in corporate finance and sales, eventually overseeing global manufacturing and supply chain logistics as the company expanded its overseas operations.

Schuster immersed himself in one part of that global expansion during a two-and-a-half-year period from 2014 to 2016, when he helped establish and direct a new Lamb Weston manufacturing facility based in rural Inner Mongolia.

���Up to that point, I���d lived in Richland and Pullman. And then I added Shangdu, Inner Mongolia, and Beijing, China, to that list,��� Schuster says. ���So you never know where you���re going to end up.���

In addition to his role at Lamb Weston, Schuster recently served as a board member for the Tri-City Development Council and the Association of Washington Business, advocating business-friendly policies at the local, state, and national levels.

���He knows this area and he understands the business and industry side of things, so we���re very excited to have him,��� says Kate McAteer, 厙ぴ勛圖 vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, noting her enthusiasm for bringing the Career Center and Cougar Tracks programs under a shared leadership structure. ���We���ve got someone coming in who has led and developed successful teams in the industry.���

Schuster also comes to the Tri-Cities campus as a lifelong Cougar fan, having graduated with a business degree from the Pullman campus in 1995. During his time as a student, in which he attended WSU on an athletic scholarship, Schuster accomplished his childhood dream of playing Cougar football under former coach Mike Price before a series of injuries forced him to turn his attention to other community activities ��� including volunteer work with the local YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America programs.

In the three decades since his graduation, Schuster has given back to his alma mater in several capacities, leading numerous fundraising activities, athletic events, and serving as a board member and past president for the WSU Alumni Association, among other things.

���Anytime WSU knocks on my door, I’ve answered it. And that will not change,��� Schuster says.

He���s also a collector of WSU history and memorabilia, in a self-described ���Coug museum��� set up in his home garage.

���I do have quite a collection of WSU history going all the way back to the start, but the reason why I love to do that is because it tells the story of WSU,��� Schuster says. ���WSU has always had students and people involved with it who exhibit a certain amount of grit, a certain amount of, ���Hey, we can do it ��� let���s get after it!������

It���s a spirit of tenacity that continues to thrive across the WSU system, he says, including here in the Tri-Cities.

���You come to 厙ぴ勛圖 and see the students we have here ��� they���re exhibiting those same characteristics that we love as Cougs,��� he says. ���We’re not afraid of a challenge. We���re not afraid of working hard.���

While his aim to connect with every Tri-Cities business may be ambitious, Schuster acknowledges it���s not something he plans to accomplish all on his own, and he encourages other Cougs and community members to get involved with what���s happening on campus, noting the need for career mentors, coaches, internship providers, and more.

���I want you to have that feeling of, ���Hey, how can I help drive the mission forward? How can I help those students right now?������ he says. ���Remember what it���s like to be in those shoes and then think about how can I ��� as a Coug, or a Tri-Citian, or a business owner, or a business member ��� help that group succeed?���

Washington State University Tri-Cities is positioned to play a central role in the state���s most ambitious effort to advance sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), following the launch of the Cascadia Sustainable Aviation Accelerator (CSAA).

Unveiled Jan. 8 at the Boeing Future of Flight in Everett, the accelerator will bring together state leadership, private-sector partners, research institutions, Tribal representatives, labor and community stakeholders to rapidly scale the production and adoption of low-carbon aviation fuels. Funded through a 2025 legislative appropriation and additional philanthropic support, CSAA is the most comprehensive initiative of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Two 厙ぴ勛圖 faculty from the Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Lab ��� BSEL Director Josh Heyne and Research Assistant Professor Harrison Yang ��� were on-hand during the launch event to demonstrate and discuss their lab’s SAF testing programs with other guests. WSU system President Besty Cantwell was an invited speaker, and more than 210 government and industry leaders ��� including Washington Governor Bob Ferguson attended the event.

厙ぴ勛圖 research driving real-world impact

WSU is a in CSAA, leveraging more than a decade of national leadership in sustainable aviation. Much of that work is happening at 厙ぴ勛圖, home to one of the the Sustainable Options in Aviation Research (SOAR) Lab and BSEL.

���厙ぴ勛圖 provides the applied research and testing capabilities that make this work real,��� said 厙ぴ勛圖 Chancellor, Sandra Haynes. ���From validating fuels to supporting certification and commercialization, our researchers are helping the industry bridge the gap between promising science and commercial scale.���

Directed by Heyne, BSEL operates in partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and serves as . Since 2024, the SOAR Lab within BSEL has supported emerging energy solutions by providing specialized testing methodologies and equipment to industry and academic partners.

To date, BSEL researchers have tested nearly 500 SAF candidate samples from roughly 40 institutions across North America, Europe, and supporting supply-chain validation, performance evaluation and federal policy efforts. Heyne was recognized last year as the most cited and most published researcher in the field, as well as the most productive author in SAF research from 2001 to 2023. He also holds the highest connection strength among researchers in the discipline ��� illustrating the breadth of his collaborations ��� contributing to WSU���s designation as the most collaborative institution in sustainable aviation research.

As part of CSAA, is partnering with Snohomish County to establish a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Research and Development Center at Paine Field Airport. The center will house the world���s first SAF repository, where fuel samples will be collected, tested, indexed and distributed globally to support research and commercialization efforts. 厙ぴ勛圖 experts will play a key role in fuel testing, design of novel SAF compositions, while collaborating with government, industry and academic partners to foster innovation, workforce development and economic growth in the region.

WSU���s SAF research also contributes to ASCENT, the Federal Aviation Administration���s Center of Excellence for Alternative Jet Fuels and Environment, co-led by WSU and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Looking ahead

With aviation accounting for an estimated 2 to 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, leaders emphasized that SAF represents one of the most promising near-term strategies for reducing emissions while maintaining safety, affordability and reliability.

厙ぴ勛圖 will continue to contribute its research expertise to ensure sustainable aviation fuels are developed responsibly and at scale.

Washington State University Tri-Cities��� continuing education program, Cougar Tracks, has announced February 2026 dates for its Manager Coaching Series, an applied, four-part leadership development program designed to strengthen management capacity across the Tri-Cities region.

Delivered in person on the 厙ぴ勛圖 campus, the series equips new and mid-level managers with practical tools, proven frameworks and hands-on coaching techniques that support organizational performance, employee泭engagement泭and regional workforce readiness.

���As industries across the Tri-Cities continue to evolve, there is a growing need for managers who can lead with clarity, communicate effectively and support high-performing teams,��� said Michelle泭Hrycauk泭Nassif, director of Cougar Tracks Continuing Education. ���This series supports employers by developing confident leaders who are ready to meet today���s workforce challenges and drive our region���s economic vitality.���

Manager Coaching Series details

Each 2.5-hour session blends interactive learning with real-world scenarios, enabling participants to apply new skills泭immediately. Workshop topics include:

• Feb. 3:泭Manager Essentials ��� building trust, setting泭expectations泭and coaching performance

By Flynn Espe

It was an evening of gratitude and reflection as 28 soon-to-be graduates from the Washington State University Tri-Cities Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program gathered on the auditorium stage at Chief Joseph Middle School in Richland last Thursday.

As part of the BSN Convocation and Pinning Ceremony for the graduating class of fall 2025, each student was there to receive two symbolic items marking their passage into a time-honored profession. The first was a small pin bearing the image of a burning oil lamp, an emblem dating back to the stories and historical traditions of Florence Nightengale. The second, also a symbol of illumination, was a lighted candle.

���Some of you may choose to stay and serve in this region. Others may take your talents elsewhere,��� Anne Mason, interim dean of the WSU College of Nursing, told the students. ���But wherever you go, you are prepared.���

As the chosen BSN student speaker, Edith Nateras reminded her peers of the long journey that had brought them to that moment.

���We battled through sleepless nights, caffeine-fueled study sessions and clinicals that started so early, even the sun wasn’t ready to clock in,��� Nateras said. ���The truth is that through the hardest moments, we found strength. We learned that nursing is not just about knowledge but about compassion. It���s not just about long shifts but about long-lasting impact. It is not just a career���it���s a calling.���

The students were joined by a crowd of family, friends, mentors and supporters���some of whom were there to serve as ���pinners��� tasked with placing the lamp pin onto the gown of a student who had pre-selected them. As each student���s name was called, their designated pinner also came to the stage to present the emblem, often followed by a congratulatory embrace.

For Maria Valle, it was her oldest son Leo, the middle child of five siblings, who placed the pin on his mother.

���I wish I could have chosen all five of my children. But I���ve chosen Leo, my firstborn son, to place my pin because he, along with his two older sisters, Ellie and Julie, have walked beside me through this entire journey,��� Valle said prior to the ceremony. ���They all truly understand what this moment means, not just for me but for our entire family. It signifies breaking boundaries and overcoming social adversity.���

Some of the students chose a parent or grandparent as their pinner. Others chose siblings, spouses or significant others. Dakota LeVine selected one of his faculty mentors.

���I have chosen Clinical Assistant Professor Ameera Fayad to place my pin,��� LeVine said. ���I want to be like her when I grow up.���

Nateras received her pin from her 7-year-old daughter.

���I want her to know that this accomplishment is for both of us,��� Nateras said. ���I chose this career path not only to better my life but to give her more opportunities than I had. I want her to see that anything is possible when you commit yourself.���

In addition to the pinning ceremony, two awards were presented to students who went above and beyond. LeVine received the annual Pre-Licensure BSN Clinical Excellence Student Award for his outstanding work ethic and professionalism, and JT Wegner received the Outstanding Pre-Licensure BSN Student Award.

According to Christina Chac籀n, the academic director for 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Nursing who presided over the ceremony, the pinning ceremony remains an important rite of passage for many nursing education programs around the world. The event is particularly meaningful to her, she said, because she too received her nursing pin as a 厙ぴ勛圖 BSN graduate in 2008 before going on to receive her master���s and doctorate degrees from 厙ぴ勛圖 as well.

���It���s a real full-circle moment for me,��� she said. ���To be here as the academic director is such an honor. But on top of that, to be able to play a part in their journey, I can���t even tell you���it���s a very emotional process for everybody.���

In order to enter the BSN program, students must first complete roughly two years of prerequisite courses, including anatomy, chemistry, microbiology and physiology. Then, upon being selected, it���s a rigorous combination of academic and clinical experience, part of which is accomplished in a simulated environment at the College of Nursing building in downtown Richland, which for the fall semester expanded its simulation capabilities with a brand-new series of mock exams rooms. Outside the classroom, students also take part in a series of worksite placements at partnering medical facilities, where students gain several hours of critical hands-on practice working directly with patients.

While their initial placements take place at long-term care facilities, students eventually move on to working in hospitals and other clinical environments���such as psychology, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology clinics. By their senior year, students choose a desired clinical field for their senior practicum placement. Faculty, in turn, work to match them with an appropriate facility.

���When I did my senior practicum, I asked for my placement to be within psych. Other people might say, ���OK, I want to do my time in emergency medicine, or I want to do it over here in mother-baby practice,������ Chac籀n explained. ���That really is a signal to the focus of a person���s interest.���

Before entering the BSN program, LeVine served for almost eight years as a hospital corpsman in the U.S. Navy���a period that saw him stationed in Illinois, California and Japan. While his duties changed over time, it was during his final years of service at Naval Hospital Okinawa that he worked as an emergency medical technician, among other roles.

���Working alongside nurses in the emergency department was the first time I considered becoming a nurse,��� he said. ���I always loved the hands-on and direct patient care throughout my career.���

He now plans to pursue a career as a registered nurse practitioner in a hospital emergency department.

���There have been several patients who have told me I will be a great nurse based on my attentiveness and compassion,��� LeVine said. ���Family, friends and classmates see me on my best and worst days and are unwavering in their support, but to have patients who I would see briefly express their gratitude towards me is an even greater motivation to keep going.���

Nateras said she was drawn to helping others from a young age and previously considered a career in pediatrics.

���As I grew older, I realized how closely nurses work with patients and how essential they are in providing hands-on care,��� Nateras said. It was her older sister, a prior graduate of the Registered Nurse to BSN program at 厙ぴ勛圖, who nudged Nateras down a similar path. ���She motivated me to apply to the WSU program, and I���m so grateful that I did.���

Having accepted a full-time position in the emergency department at Prosser Memorial Health, Nateras said she looks forward to the next phase of her career.

���I thrive in the fast-paced environment���the adrenaline, the critical thinking and the challenge of uncovering what���s making a patient ill,��� Nateras said, adding that she also hopes to one day become a sexual assault nurse examiner. ���I want to advocate for individuals who may feel they don���t have a voice.���

As the single mother of five, Valle credits her faith in God and the support of her five children for sustaining her through to graduation. She also expressed gratitude for financial support she received as a recipient of the Soroptimist Live Your Dream education grant, given to women who are the primary financial providers for their families, as well as a Richland Rotary Club scholarship.

���Both of these honors not only helped relieve a big part of the financial pressure of school and work but also made me feel seen and supported by my community, reinforcing that my hard work and goals matter,��� Valle said.

Valle said she plans to pursue her career in an intensive care unit and emergency department, gaining enough experience to eventually further her education as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

���Looking back, this journey hasn���t been easy, but it has shaped me in ways I never expected,��� Valle said. ���I���m grateful for the all people who stood by me.���

With nursing school now out of the way, Chac籀n says the graduates are ready to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the standardized competency test for new nurses, whenever they feel ready. Fortunately, Cougar nursing students tend to do very well, she said, citing an impressive 95.8 percent NCLEX passing rate for 厙ぴ勛圖 BSN graduates in 2025.

From there, the possibilities are unlimited.

���You can be a nurse on a cruise ship. You can be a flight nurse in a helicopter. You can be a school nurse. You can be a telephone triage nurse. There are so many different ways to be a nurse,��� Chac籀n said. ���So if you feel like your direction is going a little bit stale, you can pivot and reinvent yourself within the career itself.���

Moreover, she says, it���s a profession that���s never turning good candidates away.

���There���s always a demand for nurses���always,��� Chac籀n said. ���As specialties and needs continue to evolve, we always have a need for nurses.���

Learn more about the 厙ぴ勛圖 College of Nursing.

As any parent can attest, raising young children is demanding and unpredictable. Adding work or school into the mix can be a lot to juggle, especially when childcare plans can fall through at a moment���s notice.

That���s where a new Washington State University Tri-Cities campus resource aims to help. Dubbed the ���Coug Family Corner��� and located in the Learning Commons area of the Consolidated Information Center, it���s a room where student parents and caregivers can bring their children or young relatives to campus on a short-term basis while attending to their studies at the same time. Furnished and stocked with a wide assortment of kid-friendly books, games and activities on one side of the room, the other half includes a conference-style table intended for student work and���if necessary���small group meetings.

The newly renovated space launched at the beginning of the fall semester and is available on a first-come, first-served basis to any student who needs it. To use the Coug Family Corner, students simply need to sign a check-in form, noting their agreement to a brief list of guidelines, which includes a requirement that student caregivers must remain with their children at all times.

���It���s a great resource for student parents or anyone who needs to watch a younger sibling,��� Cristal Sternfeld, a junior pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing, says. ���It���s safe, comfortable and gives you the chance to get homework done while keeping your child close by.���

As the parent of a 2-year-old daughter, Sternfeld says she has used the space a few times this semester already.

���One time I came to campus just to pick up a book and brought my daughter with me. Since I had an assignment due that day, I decided to stop by the family corner,��� she says. ���It ended up being the perfect spot. I was able to finish my assignment, and my daughter stayed busy and happy playing in the space.���

According to Evelyn Martinez-Ostrom, 厙ぴ勛圖��� director of student engagement and leadership, that���s precisely the kind of scenario university leadership had in mind when creating the Coug Family Corner this past summer.

���What if we created a space on campus where students could bring their children in unexpected situations?��� Martinez-Ostrom says. ���Say your childcare fell through but you still need to come to campus. Maybe this can be a way to get your work done, even if your kid happens to be with you.���

Martinez-Ostrom says the Coug Family Corner was spearheaded by a special committee on which she served with other 厙ぴ勛圖 department representatives���including staff from the Office of Advancement and Facilities Services Department. That committee had been tasked by the Advisory Council Tri-Cities with exploring new ideas for bringing childcare support to campus.

���We���re kind of in a childcare desert out here,��� Martinez-Ostrom, who also became a first-time mom around the time of the group���s formation, says. ���We talked about what was realistic for us.���

Ultimately, the committee landed on the idea for Coug Family Corner and identified an underutilized location in the Learning Commons that had previously housed the Learning Glass, a room used primarily for online instruction during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding for the room���s renovation, including supplies and furniture, came from the College of Nursing���s social work program.

Now that the space is open, Martinez-Ostrom says she hopes to spread the word about Coug Family Corner not only to students, but also to student-facing staff and faculty who might be able to use the space as an alternative meeting location when students are accompanied by their children.

���It���s important to have an understanding from everyone on campus about this resource so that they can know how to accommodate that student in need,��� Martinez-Ostrom says. ���That���s really step one to being a more family-friendly institution for our students.���

As more students begin to take advantage of the resource, Martinez-Ostrom says she welcomes any feedback that will help make Coug Family Corner more useful and accommodating to more people.

For her part, Sternfeld says she appreciates having a family-friendly space on campus where she can go when the need arises. ���It makes being a student parent feel more supported, and it helps reduce some of the stress of balancing school and childcare,��� she says.

By Angela Sams

CHI��IN��U, Moldova ��� During a recent trip to Moldova, Washington State University students toured medieval ruins, a monastery, and subterranean caves where monks hid from enemies while protecting wine, a historically symbolic and religious product in the eastern European country.

���Learning about Moldova really opened my eyes to how they value their wine as a livelihood and culture,��� said Julie Hilland, a graduate student in WSU���s泭. ���It was inspiring to converse with people about their historical and agricultural challenges, from medieval to modern times, and how it has shaped their wine heritage and traditions. They want to celebrate this with the world.���

Supported by the泭泭and a U.S. State Department-funded grant received by the Technical University of Moldova (TUM), the trip built on a 2024 partnership established by the two universities. The WSU visitors, which also included staff and faculty, received an overview of TUM���s academic programs, collaborated with TUM faculty and students, and toured the university���s facilities, including recently remodeled labs.

As one of the two WSU graduate students on the trip, Hilland shared the grape smoke exposure research taking place in Associate Professor Tom Collins��� lab at the泭.

���I was honored to present,��� said Hilland, who is pursuing a PhD in horticulture. ���This trip was a really exciting opportunity. I wanted to learn about Moldovan wine production and see the winemakers��� artistry and passion for their product. I also wanted to understand their challenges and successes and how those compare to the U.S.���

The trip solidified WSU undergraduate Cecilia Sevier���s desire to work abroad after graduation.

���One reason I���m drawn to this industry is because it���s very internationally collaborative,��� said Sevier, a senior V&E major. ���This trip proved that. It was an amazing chance to connect with winemakers outside of the U.S. and see what students in Moldova are learning and what they want to do with their education.���

Throughout the weeklong visit, the group sampled Moldovan wine varietals including Feteasc�� alb��, akin to a muscat or muscadine; Feteasc�� regal��, similar to a Pinot noir; and Viorica, a dry, citrusy orange wine that pairs well with the local cuisine.

���I was thrilled to return this year, this time with both undergraduate and graduate students, to engage in hands-on learning opportunities that foster global collaboration, experiential education, and cross-cultural understanding between WSU and Moldovan wine scientists, educators, and producers,��� said V&E Department Chair Jean Dodson Peterson.

The itinerary included stops at the Cricova and Asconi wineries, where the group learned how the country���s wine industry supports its citizens. The group also learned more about local history during a day trip to Old Orhei.

���Winemaking isn���t just a business for Moldovan people,��� Sevier said. ���It���s part of their tradition and culture. It was really inspiring to be part of that, even for just a short while.���

Sevier was especially struck by the humbleness of the Moldovan winemakers.

���Moldova has one of the oldest wine industries in the world, and the winemakers never seemed to be bragging or trying to prove something,��� she said. ���They were so excited to share their wines and hear which ones we preferred and why. The community aspect of wine is at the center of everything they do.���

As the trip ended, the students attended the Moldovan Wine Festival, a lively cultural celebration that included wine tasting, crafts, music, and other activities.

���Experiencing the level of enthusiasm the Moldovan people have for their wine was galvanic!��� Hilland said. ���From historical events to modern research, Moldova is the perfect balance of production and artistry.���

Both Hilland and Sevier hope the connections they established with TUM faculty and students during the trip will remain as they pursue future careers in the wine industry.

���This trip made the world feel smaller in a good way, and it changed my perspective on wine as a whole,��� Sevier said. ���It made me feel like a student of the world, rather than just one university. I now feel so much more ready to be a part of this industry when I graduate.���

By Flynn Espe

Three undergraduate Washington State University students traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, last month to take part in the conference. For four days at the World Health Organization headquarters, the trio joined more than 400 high school and college student delegates from approximately 40 countries in a series of simulations focused on diplomacy and consensus building.

The WSU students who participated were Bhargav Iyer, a senior biology major from WSU Pullman; Zoe Pfeifer, a senior biology major from 厙ぴ勛圖; and Romeo Ross, a sophomore social sciences major from 厙ぴ勛圖. Anna Plemons, associate vice chancellor for academic and student affairs for 厙ぴ勛圖, also traveled as the group���s faculty advisor. The trip was partially funded thanks to a donor contribution to the 厙ぴ勛圖 Dynamic Student Engagement Fund, as well as the Phil and June Lighty Student Leadership Development Fund.

Like a Model United Nations summit, in which each student takes on the role of ambassador for a UN nation, the Global Model WHO conference had student delegates serving as mock representatives for a WHO member country. Daily simulation sessions were divided across six committees, each tackling a different global health topic. All three WSU delegates took part in the committee titled ���Equity and Integration to Prevent and Control Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs).���

���Before arriving, we had to write a position paper,��� Pfeifer, who represented the Philippines, said. ���It required intensive research to figure out your positions, find the rates of diseases, or NCDs, and just familiarize yourself with your country.���

Through several rounds of dialogue and debate, students advocated for draft resolution language changes that would best advance the policy needs of their respective nations. While some portions of the simulations had students negotiating with one another in smaller regional groups, other segments were dedicated to open-forum discussion, in which any delegate was free to raise their country flag to make a statement.

���As soon as you press the mic, there are multiple cameras around the room and it all pans on you,��� Ross, who represented the Dominican Republic and also served as a plenary speaker at the conference, said. ���I definitely improved in my public speaking and the nerves I had prior to that.���

At the end of the conference, Iyer received a Diplomacy Award for exemplary representation on behalf of his assigned country, Panama.

���I���m incredibly grateful to receive this award and am proud to represent WSU in this international space,��� Iyer said. ���My biggest takeaway from this trip was reassurance in the fact that we can solve so many pressing issues by coming together and working on them. Intentional collaboration and effective communication are key pillars to passing meaningful policy, and despite the many cultural and linguistic barriers, I was impressed with the work that students did at this conference.���

According to WHO, noncommunicable diseases���such as cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases���killed at least 43 million people in 2021. Additionally, roughly 73 percent of NCD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

���For the country I represented, NCDs contributed to 68 percent of the deaths in that country, so it���s a big issue,��� Pfeifer said.

To set the stage for the proceedings, the opening sessions took place inside the WHO executive boardroom. That���s where students heard directly from world health leaders and were reminded of the many historic health causes���from decreasing worldwide polio outbreaks to combating COVID-19���that had been championed within that very space.

���When they started, they told us, ���This is the room where the smallpox problem got solved,������ Pfeifer said. ���It was like, ���Holy cow!������

���This is a building that I���ve seen on TV,��� Ross echoed. ���It���s something that I really did appreciate, especially being in that room with so much history and significance. It was a surreal feeling.���

As someone with a strong interest in international law and humanitarian work, Ross said he had long wanted to gain firsthand UN experience, either through a student internship or other opportunity. After hearing about the Global Model WHO conference over the summer, it was he who first brought the opportunity to Plemons��� attention.

Plemons, in turn, instigated the conversations among 厙ぴ勛圖 staff and faculty that led to the trip being greenlit and funded as an official WSU activity. She also arranged to offer and teach a one-credit UNIV 490 Global Leadership Experience course this semester, with the goal of giving Pfeifer and Ross the space and academic resources to participate in the Geneva event.

���It was very evident to me that there is real value in these kinds of experiences, and I am excited about WSU continuing to get students into the spaces where this kind of deep, contextualized learning and intercultural exchange is happening,��� Plemons said, noting that WSU was one of just four American universities���and the only public university���to send students to the conference.

Outside of the simulations, students also got to take part in nightly cultural exchange activities involving food, language and dance. The WSU students said they enjoyed the opportunity to meet and engage with students from around the world, including from countries that have had tense or strained diplomatic relations with the United States.

���Having conversations with individuals from those countries, you get to see they���re some of the nicest people,��� Ross said.

���Everyone there was on the same level,��� Pfeifer said. ���It was so interesting to bridge that gap of everything we���ve been taught in school about certain countries or certain cultures and just see it for yourself.���

In addition to exploring Geneva, the three WSU students also used their free time to visit Annecy, France, and Bern, Switzerland. Global Model WHO is an annual event organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations. This year���s conference took place Oct. 28���31.

Check out this conference recap from !

By Flynn Espe

When Washington State University Tri-Cities student Jeff Wilson looks back on his 21-year career in the U.S. Navy, there���s no shortage of memorable places and experiences that spring to mind.

���I was turning wrenches on airplanes and going out to sea, watching the sunset���then working all night, looking at the stars and watching the sunrise again,��� he says. ���It was wonderful.���

Wilson enlisted in May 2001. His military service took him to both coasts of the continental United States���including in Virginia, California and Florida���and twice to Japan. His first job was servicing fixed-wing aircraft, working on hydraulics and metalcraft for the E-2C Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound, before moving on to helicopters. After serving for a few years as a recruiter in his home state of Washington, he returned to the world of aircraft, directing flight deck operations and supervising others in daily maintenance. At one point during his first station in Japan, having achieved the rank of chief petty officer, Wilson oversaw 34 enlisted sailors.

���I made the rules, took their input and tried to have fun and make it as family-ish as we could,��� Wilson says. ���There were a bunch of administrative skills that that I picked up along the way as far as organization goes, meeting deadlines and that kind of thing���being able to work with anybody from anywhere, with any kind of background.���

By the time he retired in 2022, Wilson says he wasn���t sure what he wanted to do next, only that he was eager to try out something new. Taking advantage of his GI Bill education benefits, he eventually chose 厙ぴ勛圖 to pursue his bachelor���s degree and the surrounding community as a new place to settle with his wife and two young boys, hoping to be close to his extended family as well.

���We drove over here from Pensacola and then lived in my sister���s friend���s basement for a few weeks while we looked for a place to live,��� Wilson says.

Today, Wilson is on track to graduate this spring with not one, but two undergraduate degrees from 厙ぴ勛圖. His first major, a B.A. in Social Sciences, was completed in 2024.

���I had a focus on anthropology, history and psychology, and that was fun because I got to write in a lot of different styles,��� he says of his first two years as a Social Sciences major. ���I just had a really good time researching and writing papers.���

With some education benefits remaining after his first graduation, Wilson wasn���t ready to move on from WSU just yet. Not wanting to enter a master���s program, however, he instead opted for a second major in Digital Technology and Culture (DTC).

���One of the UCORE classes I took was a DTC class with Assistant Professor Phillip Mudd, and it was using Photoshop and Illustrator,��� Wilson says. ���I had a whole lot of fun doing that.���

Designed for students who want to explore a wide range of creative media and storytelling formats, the Digital Technology and Culture major gives students extensive hands-on experience in areas such as web and graphic design, 3D animation and more.

���We���re really getting familiar with the Adobe Suite,��� he says. ���I���ve learned a lot of about myself and just how hard it is to create something.���

For one recent assignment, Wilson and his classmates each designed and built their own version of a Rube Goldberg machine, in which the machine���s purpose revolves around a playfully overcomplicated���as opposed to practical���outcome. Determined not to spend money on his device, Wilson used random tools from his home garage, including at least one component that harkens back to his naval roots.

���I have an 18-inch marlinspike, which is a tool that the boatswain���s mates used to tie knots and big lines for ships,��� he says. ���I have a sign that says, ���Will it work?��� And then if it works, the sign flops down and says, ���Yup.��� Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn���t.���

One of Wilson���s favorite projects as a Cougar combined history and visual art when he worked under the guidance of 厙ぴ勛圖 Assistant Professor Robert Franklin, assistant director of the Hanford History Project, to create an archive celebrating the work of the late visionary artist James Acord. For that project, Wilson received funding through the 厙ぴ勛圖 Summer Scholars program to document and preserve Acord���s sculptures and creative techniques, which often incorporated the use of radioactive materials to highlight the dangers of nuclear waste storage.

���He was the only [private individual] to get certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to handle and possess radioactive materials,��� Wilson says. ���He was his own radiation safety officer. And he developed a way to extract the radioactive material out of Fiestaware, which were these old plates from the ���40s.���

Looking ahead, Wilson says he���s still open to many potential career paths. Drawing from his managerial experience as a Navy chief and his current academic projects in digital design, for example, Wilson says he could see himself as a project manager for a creative team.

Regardless of where his journey leads next, Wilson credits his time at 厙ぴ勛圖 for providing a smooth transition from military to civilian life. For now, you can still often find him working at the Veteran���s Center, a campus space where he enjoys lounging, studying, and interacting with students from all walks of life.

���Some folks are veterans. Some folks would never join the military. And we all get along,��� Wilson says with a smile. ���It���s been a good couple of years of just interacting with the professors and the students and meeting people.���

A new project at Washington State University Tri-Cities is documenting the history of Latinas in central Washington. It will be a lasting archive of stories of immigrant life and resilience.

The project, called HERitage, aims to compile the experiences of Latinas in Benton County, beyond traditional accounts of agricultural labor, said researcher Sabrina Gonz獺lez, an assistant professor of history at 厙ぴ勛圖.

���I believe part of what this project can do is to tell the story of migrants from the perspectives of their daily struggles and what they had to overcome to be who they are today,��� said Gonz獺lez.

History students are collecting these stories. Marcos Barreiro, a second-generation Mexican American and fourth year history student, is one of them.

���My grandparents were both born in Mexico. My parents were born here.��� Barreiro said. ���I have family who are still there and friends that were born there that moved here.���

He said his grandfather is very proud of being Mexican and wanted to teach his family to be proud of their heritage too.

For the project, Barreiro interviewed one of his aunts, who was born in Mexico, then she moved to Texas and later came to Washington state. He asked her what it was like growing up in America and about her experience of being Latina in Benton County.

He said learning more details about his aunt���s life was enlightening, because it allowed him to delve into his family’s history beyond everyday life and learn things he had never heard about her life story before.

“We care about this embodied knowledge. Our students carry in their own bodies the histories of trauma, the history of struggle, but also the histories of resilience and resistance.” Sabrina Gonz獺lez

The students working with Gonz獺lez are collecting stories from their family members and other community members. It is a way to engage not only in learning about the long history of women’s challenges in the region, but also about historical methods ��� techniques that historians use to explain historical events ��� from concrete experiences.

“We care about this embodied knowledge. Our students carry in their own bodies the histories of trauma, the history of struggle, but also the histories of resilience and resistance,” said Gonz獺lez.

Barreiro said documenting these histories will help many in the community.

���If they can look at these archives, other young women or Latinas, they can see something that they can connect to,” said Barreiro.

The goal, Gonz獺lez said, is to collect at least ten new interviews that will be added to a website dedicated to the project, which is泭泭by the Benton County Historical Preservation Grant.

HERitage expands on other efforts to recover and raise awareness of the history of Hispanic and Latino communities in the region, said assistant professor of history Robert Franklin.

Franklin and Robert Bauman, researcher and history professor at 厙ぴ勛圖, have worked in the past on the presence and contributions of Latino/a communities in Central Washington.

���I think a lot of this work fulfills that commitment that WSU has made to serve the community, and it’s enriching in so many ways for the students to help us be making those connections, and doing so in a multi-generational way,��� said Franklin. ���We know, as historians, how powerful that is, to be able to go out and gather these stories and preserve them.���

Gonz獺lez said the archives will also make a significant contribution to women’s history, Chicana history and gender studies.

For the third year in a row, more students are choosing to pursue degrees at Washington State University Tri-Cities. The campus achieved an overall headcount increase of 8.1%, rising from 1,489 students last fall to 1,609 this year.

First-year enrollment grew by 11.1%, marking the third consecutive year of double-digit growth in that group. First-time graduate students more than doubled, and total undergraduate enrollment increased 8.1% compared with last fall.

���An 8.1% increase in overall enrollment and another record-breaking number of first-year students indicates that students and families understand the benefits of a 厙ぴ勛圖 education,��� said Sandra Haynes, chancellor of 厙ぴ勛圖. ���We are proud to be a campus where students can pursue excellent academic programs in a supportive, close-knit community.���

Overall enrollment across the WSU system remained nearly flat year over year, declining less than 1% from 25,685 students in fall 2024 to 25,477 this fall.

Jamie Owens, campus director of admissions, attributed the growth in part to her team���s efforts to strengthen outreach to local high schools and transfer students by providing accessible information.

���I am once again thrilled to welcome our largest first-year student class ever. Achieving a third consecutive year of double-digit growth is a testament to the incredible dedication of our admission counselors. They work hard to deliver a personalized experience, helping students realize the opportunities and support 厙ぴ勛圖 has to offer.

���These results are achieved by spending time in high schools, welcoming prospective students at on-campus events, and sending countless emails, text messages and phone calls. We genuinely care that our students and their families feel confident in their college decision and work to ensure they understand how to maximize financial aid,��� Owens said.

According to Owens, initiatives such as application workshops and ���Instant Decision Days��� at regional high schools and community colleges helped boost the number of first-year students.

Affordability, a small-campus environment, a low student-to-faculty ratio, and the ability to leverage WSU partnerships locally, nationally and internationally also make 厙ぴ勛圖 an attractive option for area students. Many pair their coursework with internships and other real-world experiences, giving them opportunities to graduate career-ready.

���Our enrollment growth not only strengthens 厙ぴ勛圖, but contributes to the vitality of the Tri-Cities region by preparing the next generation of professionals and leaders,��� Haynes said.

Kate McAteer, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, noted that an accompanying upward trend in the first-time, first-year retention rate reflects the confidence students have in campus supports, both inside and outside the classroom.

���Our approach to ensuring all campus employees see themselves as educators is critical to student success,��� McAteer said. ���As more students choose our campus, we are excited to expand opportunities that prepare them to lead and succeed in the years ahead.���