By Flynn Espe

Seven students from Washington State University Tri-Cities are bringing their collective passion for community service beyond the confines of the Richland campus. As members of the newly relaunched Mid-Columbia Rotaract Club, they’re on a mission to give back to the region through a range of charitable activities, including an upcoming bowling fundraiser event.

“We hope to better the community in any way possible,” says ���سԹ� sophomore Romeo Ross, currently serving as the Rotaract chapter president.

are official sub-organizations of Rotary International chapters, aimed at cultivating leadership and service-minded professionalism among young adults, ages 18–30. The Mid-Columbia Rotaract Club is sponsored by Columbia Center Rotary, based in Kennewick.

Ross says he became involved in getting the Rotaract chapter up and running in late 2025 when Rotary member and ���سԹ� donor Phil Ohl (’87 BS Mat. Sci. & Eng., ’92 MEM) pitched the idea to him. Although the Mid-Columbia Rotaract club had been active in years past, the group had effectively dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving no one left from the chapter’s former membership to carry the mission forward.

“(Phil) gave me a little bit of insight as to what they had done in the past,” Ross says. “The pitch was, ‘This is really big for our community, and we’re looking for someone to revitalize this and serve in this way.’”

Despite his already busy schedule, including serving as vice president for the Associate Students of ���سԹ�, Ross says he agreed immediately.

“I love humanitarian work. I love service projects,” Ross says. “So I said, ‘Of course, I would love to.’”

His first task was to recruit other new members for the chapter who would be just as committed to community service and engaging with people. Fortunately, he didn’t have to look far. As of now, ���سԹ� undergraduate students comprise more than three quarters of the group’s nine-person leadership team, which includes Diedre Cady, freshman; Xavier Cox, sophomore; Felix Galvan, junior; Harleen Kaur, freshman; Anas Mohamed, sophomore; and Nate Sibaja, sophomore.

Despite the heavy representation of ���سԹ� students, Ross says the makeup of the group is diverse in other ways, with three members hailing from other countries.

“Every individual on the team speaks at least another language,” Ross says, citing Italian, Japanese, and Twi as three languages currently represented. “The team is so multifaceted.”

Rotaract members are focusing their efforts on fundraising support for the Prescott School District, which serves approximately 225 children in rural Walla Walla County and has been facing potential dissolution due to financial distress.

Ross says the decision to focus on helping the district was made during the club’s inaugural meeting on Jan. 15, after each new member brought in three ideas for potential service projects and causes. Cox, who grew up in the town of Prescott, was the one who brought the issue to the group’s attention.

“We came to a consensus that this was the most time-sensitive project,” Ross says. “It was a unanimous vote.”

For Ohl, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from WSU and currently serves as managing director for the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance, getting young people involved in community service has been a driving passion. He praised the new Rotaract team for getting up and running so quickly.

“Romeo and the new members of Mid-Columbia Rotaract embody the Rotary motto, ‘Service above self,’” Ohl says. “All the members are passionate about our Tri-Cities and surrounding area communities, and I’m excited to get to work with them. The fact the group is Coug-centered is a great bonus.”

The group’s first planned outreach activity is a bowling night fundraiser event from 9:30-11:30 p.m. on March 19 at Atomic Bowl in Richland. All proceeds go to the Prescott School District.

For more information on upcoming events, you can follow Mid-Columbia Rotaract Club on . Ross says his team is still on the lookout for new members who exhibit ambition, compassion, and optimism.

“It’s an amazing opportunity, especially if individuals are interested in community service and leadership,” Ross says.

By Flynn Espe

Washington State University Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes has been named a 2026 Leader of Distinction by the WSU President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

�ճ���� are presented annually to a select group of WSU faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni, and university partners who have promoted gender equality�����Ի���championed positive social change. Award winners are selected through an open nomination process and considered based on their exemplary leadership, career achievements, public service,�����Ի���positive contributions to the growth and success of others, including women.

Haynes, who won in the administrator category, joined ���سԹ� in 2018 to serve as the campus’ seventh chancellor. She also currently serves as the interim chancellor for WSU Vancouver.

“Her work reflects a clear focus on student success, community engagement, and expanding opportunities for women and underrepresented groups,” one of the nominating WSU community members wrote to the award committee. “In conversations with industry leaders, donors, and community partners, I consistently hear appreciation for Chancellor Haynes’ leadership and presence in the Tri-Cities community. She has strengthened ���سԹ�’ role in the region and aligned the university’s mission with community priorities, creating lasting impact.”

The same nominator praised Haynes for steering campus growth in multiple areas such as ���Գ����𲹲��������԰��DZ�������Գ�, expanded academic programs, capital projects, and the creation of ���سԹ�’ Institute for Northwest Energy Futures in 2021.

“She also oversaw the design and construction of Collaboration Hall, a 40,000-square-foot interdisciplinary building that earned national recognition for excellence,” the nominator wrote. “Designed by an all-female architectural team, the project reflects her commitment to advancing women in STEM and leadership roles.”

Haynes earned her PhD in experimental neuropsychology from Colorado State University, where she later re-specialized in counseling psychology, and holds a professorship through WSU’s Department of Psychology. As a first-generation college student, Haynes has demonstrated a career-long commitment to increasing access to higher education through novel programs and community connections — including bridge�����Ի���teaching pathways programs made in partnership with regional schools and community colleges. Haynes previously received the TRIO First-Generation Champion Award in recognition of such efforts.

Her community leadership has extended beyond the ���سԹ� campus as well. Serving as a board member and immediate past chair of the Tri-City Development Council, Haynes has worked to foster economic growth within the Columbia Basin region. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business also selected Haynes as one of its 2025 Tri-City People of Influence awardees.

“In every conversation and decision, Chancellor Haynes centers people — students, colleagues, and the communities we serve. She consistently models respect, transparency, and accountability, creating an environment where others feel empowered to lead, innovate, and grow,” another nominator wrote. “Her contributions reach far beyond job responsibilities — they touch lives, open doors, and strengthen the future of both ���سԹ� and WSU Vancouver.”

Haynes will be honored alongside eight other 2026 Leader of Distinction winners at a formal awards ceremony on March 26 at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center in Pullman.

By Flynn Espe

�ճ����Washington State University Tri-Cities Institute for Northwest Energy Futures (INEF) hosted a packed-house event on Wednesday, as community leaders from education, energy, and other local industries gathered to celebrate the launch of an educational small modular reactor (SMR) control room simulator.

The simulator is housed at the INEF building and will be operated in partnership with  and Columbia Basin College (CBC). Developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Community Capacity Building Grant Program, the space is designed to advance workforce readiness in advanced nuclear energy and strengthen the pipeline of skilled talent needed to support the region’s growing energy sector. Students will gain hands-on experience with operational scenarios modeled on  Xe-100 advanced SMR technology.

“We are thrilled to be a partner in this effort to expand education and outreach within the rapidly growing field of advanced nuclear energy,” said Sandra Haynes, ���سԹ� chancellor. “This program is especially relevant to this region given the strong nuclear presence and planned future expansion. Preparing the workforce for these next-generation SMR facilities will require collaboration, commitment, and forward‑thinking initiatives like this one.”

Students from both WSU�����Ի���CBC will have access to the technology as part of their academic programs. The simulator is also expected to provide scenario training for Energy Northwest employees, while also serving as a site for community outreach visits aimed at educating the public on advanced nuclear energy.

“Collaboration with industry and higher education partners is critical to ensuring we develop a local workforce to support our community today and in the future,” said Rebekah S. Woods, CBC’s president. “We know that practical, hands-on experiences are key to helping students discover career pathways they may not have considered before.”

In 2024, Energy Northwest announced an agreement with Amazon and X‑energy to build up to 12 small modular reactors, called the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, near Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station — the Pacific Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant. The Cascade facility is expected to create up to 1,000 temporary construction jobs and at least 100 permanent positions once fully operational.

For WSU students, the SMR simulator will provide a powerful applied-learning component to existing coursework in mechanical engineering, energy dynamics, and . WSU Pullman has a 1-megawatt  and certificate programs in nuclear materials, science, and engineering that provide additional pathways into nuclear energy studies and careers. Going forward, Pullman students in those fields will have opportunities to visit the Tri-Cities to use the simulator,�����Ի���the reactor operations program will likewise be expanded to incorporate students from the Tri-Cities campus — providing hands-on education and exposure to traditional and advanced nuclear technologies alike.

By Flynn Espe

In downtown Pasco, just a few blocks from a 150-acre railroad yard that once marked the dividing line of a racially segregated community, a new exhibit seeks to preserve the fragmented memories of a time and place that history nearly forgot. Spanning art, archival research, and interpretive media, “Eastside Temporalities” tells the story of East Pasco from World War II to the early 1970s, when it existed as a predominantly African American neighborhood.

The exhibit, which runs through the end of March at Cafe con Arte in Pasco, came together under the guidance and direction of ���سԹ� faculty, working in collaboration with local artist Joel Nunn-Sparks and other partners. It represents the latest milestone in an ongoing grant-funded project aimed at documenting the history of African American contributions to the Manhattan Project at Hanford.

“By 1950, Pasco is about 20 percent Black, which per capita, is one of the largest Black populations in the West Coast,” said Robert Franklin, ���سԹ� assistant professor�����Ի���associate director of the Hanford History Project. “But it’s relegated to East Pasco.”

As the principal investigator for the project, Franklin has spent close to 10 years building the collection of historical artifacts — including photos, essays, oral histories, and more — that forms the foundation of the exhibit. He also co-authored the 2020 book , which documents the experiences of various nonwhite groups in the area, including African American government laborers who migrated from the South in the 1940s.

That migration was driven by the development of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, when DuPont — operating as a U.S. defense contractor — began hiring large numbers of workers to build and operate the massive facilities for plutonium production. The hiring effort followed President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 executive order establishing the Fair Employment Practices Commission, which effectively mandated an early form of affirmative action.

“It’s an investigative arm of an act of Congress that says, ‘If you’re a federal contractor, your workforce needs to resemble the American people.’ So if the American people are roughly 15 percent, 16 percent African American, guess what?” Franklin said. “Now, it didn’t say what jobs they had to be hired into, but it did say you have to hire them — and you have to pay your workers equally in the position.”

Although good-paying jobs drew Black families to the region, discriminatory housing practices left them few options for where to live. For many, East Pasco was it.

“And that was because when Pasco was formed as a railroad town, the railroad company platted East Pasco on the other side of the tracks as where its non-white workers would live — Chinese, Japanese, Black workers,” Franklin said.

The eastside neighborhood lacked basic infrastructure, including paved roads, streetlights, sewers, and home plumbing. Community members instead relied on a shared water tap. On top of that, the Black residents of East Pasco found themselves excluded from many business services outside of their designated enclave and subjected to other racist treatment.

“Kennewick was a notorious sundown town until 1965 when it passed an open housing ordinance — sundown town meaning that Blacks had to be out by sundown,” Franklin said.

Despite the squalid conditions, a flourishing and tight-knit East Pasco community emerged. Black-owned businesses sprouted up to serve local needs. Residents labored alongside one another to establish their own municipal park. And when the civil rights movement swelled across the nation in the 1960s, East Pasco residents organized�����Ի���took to the streets in protest — actions that resulted in local policy victories.

But as desegregation advanced, social change in the Tri-Cities region also ushered in an era of urban renewal. In an effort to finally fix the blighted conditions of East Pasco, sweeping redevelopment during the early 1970s brought rapid�����Ի���significant change — not all of it welcome. Old residential blocks were rezoned for industrial use, and many Black-owned businesses disappeared.

“It splintered the Black community. Some people left the Tri-Cities,” Franklin said.

In the decades that followed, much of old East Pasco’s history survived only through scattered memories and family photo albums. As Franklin’s team set out to document those memories, beginning with a National Park Service-funded oral history project in 2017, earning community trust took time.

“It was pretty awkward being like, ‘Hi, you don’t know me, but I’m at the university and I’d like to talk to you about civil rights and migration and segregation,” Franklin said. “A lot of the questions I got were, ‘What are you going to do with this?’”

As part of the grant deliverables, the team made plans to facilitate two public workshops. Instead of hosting just a passive show-and-tell event, Franklin said, the group sought to incorporate authentic community participation and involvement.

The first workshop was a community mapping event, held last August at Morning Star Baptist Church in East Pasco — the oldest Black church in the Tri-Cities, which once served as an important meeting and community organizing site during the civil rights era. Franklin’s team invited surviving residents of old East Pasco to come and document the locations of former homes and businesses.

“It was so much fun. We basically got an old map of Pasco and blew it up and put it on the wall. We gave people sticky notes and markers and just said, ‘Go nuts!’” Franklin said. “It was a get-together for a lot of folks. There were a couple of people that drove in from Seattle who hadn’t been to Pasco in a few decades.”

“Eastside Temporalities” represents the second public workshop. For this event, the team wanted to showcase the results of their work in a way that similarly honored community voices. Partnering with Cafe con Arte made sense for several reasons, including its proximity to the railroad tracks that once divided Pasco by race.

“The exhibit emerged gradually in conversation with Saul Martinez from Cafe con Arte,” said Kyley Canion-Brewer, a ���سԹ� PhD candidate�����Ի���Hanford History Project intern who helped organize both events. “Then we got in contact with Joel Nunn-Sparks, who’s an amazing artist. We looked at his art and realized there was an opportunity here.”

Nunn-Sparks, a photographer and mixed-media artist who has lived most of his life in East Pasco, said he was eager to join the project. Although he wasn’t alive to experience the neighborhood prior to urban renewal, he grew up steeped in the culture and traditions of the families who remained.

“There used to be a Juneteenth parade every year, and we would either be in the parade or standing outside my grandma’s house, catching candy from the floats,” he said. “That’s a big memory for me.”

Like many of his relatives, he even worked at Hanford after graduating from Pasco High School in 2008.

For the exhibit, Nunn-Sparks incorporated interpretive touches to the photos and artifacts on display, including overlaid fragments of painted plywood and other found materials — a partial nod to the makeshift structures once common in East Pasco.

“It’s really making something out of nothing,” he said.

In addition to the photos, essays, and original artwork adorning the cafe walls, a digital component lets visitors access audio and video stories via phone app. Taken as a whole, Canion-Brewer said, the exhibit represents the collective efforts of many contributors.

“We have students who have contributed essays. Those essays are foundational in what’s displayed on the wall. We have local business owners who have contributed interviews with us,” Canion-Brewer said. “This is a labor of love, but it’s very collaborative.”

Other partners who supported the “Eastside Temporalities” exhibit include the African American Community, Cultural, and Educational Society of Pasco, as well as the Eastern Washington Institute of Black Heritage and Culture.

Canion-Brewer says that if funding allows, the team would like to turn the results of the community mapping event into an interactive web application. For now, an artistic representation of that map is featured in the current exhibit.

By Flynn Espe

In the world of medicine, Washington State University Tri-Cities alumna Kristen Panthagani (’10 BS Chem.) is a rare breed of doctor. Having earned both an MD and PhD, she belongs to a select group of physician scientists who split their time between clinical work and research.

Now in her fourth year of an emergency medicine residency at Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut, she spends part of her schedule in focused scientific study and the rest providing hands-on care to emergency room patients alongside a team of fellow doctors and nurses. Her clinical workload averages about 12 shifts every four weeks, and if you’ve ever watched the HBO Max medical drama The Pitt, she says, it’s kind of like that — though not always as extreme.

“The shift they show is like the worst shift you can possibly think of in terms of how much craziness comes in,” Panthagani says with a laugh. “But the chaos, clinical cases, and healthcare system overload they show are real. The show does an amazing job capturing the reality of our healthcare system.”

But there’s another angle to Panthagani’s career that sets her apart among her peers and colleagues. In addition to being both a doctor and a researcher, she’s also a professional content creator, with a large following on multiple social media platforms. As the author of the online newsletter , she writes regularly about a wide range of health science topics.

With article headlines like “How do I find accurate health information online?” and “Why I stopped using the word ‘misinformation,’” much of her writing brings a critical perspective to the overarching question of how to discern fact from speculation. In doing so, she aims to help bridge the gap between health science institutions and the public.

“There unfortunately has not been a lot of investment from the academic world into this more informal style of public communication. But a lot of people get their health information on social media, so there’s this disconnect,” Panthagani says. “One of my goals is to help meet that need and be one of the people who can translate from academia into the social media space in a way that still is accurate.”

Her work has gained national attention. Since launching her website roughly six years ago, Panthagani has been interviewed by The New York Times, appeared on podcasts, written guest pieces for outlets such as Scientific American�����Ի���The Wall Street Journal, and more. In a recent , Panthagani discussed how poor public communication during the COVID 19 pandemic contributed to declining trust in vaccines.

“Communications isn’t the standard career path of people who have this degree training,” she says. “But for me, it’s worked out really well.”

It’s also not a path she intended to pursue — at least not at first. As an undergraduate student, Panthagani chose chemistry as her first major.

“I really liked math, but I wanted to be a pre-med,” she says. “So I picked the major that I thought would give me a good balance of the pre-med courses but still some math.”

As for selecting ���سԹ�, Panthagani says she initially based her decision on two practical considerations: affordability and location. Having grown up in West Richland, she says, the chance to be near family was a key factor. The education she received, on the other hand, proved even more valuable in terms of faculty mentorship and hands-on experience.

“The research opportunities really helped solidify what I wanted to do and opened a lot of doors,” Panthagani says.

For two years during her studies — and for an additional year after graduating in 2010 — Panthagani worked as a research assistant at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, studying the biochemistry of fungi for biofuels applications. Through that work, Panthagani became the first ���سԹ� student to receive the prestigious .

“It was basically doing genetics research on different types of fungi to figure out how to use them to break down leftover plant matter and convert them into useful chemicals,” she says. “It’s given me a strong foundation for the research I’ve done since then.”

When looking into medical schools, it was her faculty mentor, Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs Kate McAteer, who encouraged her to consider an MD/PhD program.

“It was very evident that Kristen had a passion for science. Even as an undergraduate, she had a gift for asking challenging questions and investigating them with rigor and determination,” McAteer says. “I also knew she had her heart set on medical school, which is why I suggested she look into becoming a physician scientist, because it seemed like that type of dual training might be a great fit for her.”

Panthagani ultimately enrolled at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, where she completed her doctoral thesis on the human gut microbiome. It was there, almost by accident, that she discovered her talent for public-facing communication.

As Panthagani recalls, it was the second week of March 2020. The World Health Organization had just declared COVID-19 a pandemic. As the earliest U.S. cases of the virus were beginning to emerge, a sense of worry and confusion was slowly building. Panthagani was sitting in her office and looking over data, trying to get a sense of what to expect next.

“There was a crowdsourced Google sheet of COVID cases across different countries, and I was plotting the U.S. versus Italy, which had spiked before us,” Panthagani says. “They were, by that time, in a state where their healthcare system was starting to feel the strain, and we were still kind of early. But I plotted it, and I could see that we were on the same trajectory as Italy.”

Her projections were grim.

“I was like, ‘Oh, well, that looks bad,’” she says. “And I remember feeling very conflicted about whether or not I should post it.”

Shouldn’t someone in government with more clout�����Ի���expertise be getting the word out through official channels, she wondered? Why should it be left to a graduate student on social media to do the job of health officials?

“I finally decided to post it, and it got a lot of attention,” Panthagani says. “People really appreciated it.”

A few months later, following another viral post, she launched You Can Know Things. Today, the newsletter has thousands of subscribers.

At first, Panthagani focused on debunking COVID-19 myths and rumors circulating online, addressing topics such as mask effectiveness and treatments like hydroxychloroquine. Her dual-degree background proved especially useful.

“In the communication space, that’s been really valuable because I can speak from both perspectives,” she says. “I work in a hospital and I see patients directly, and I have the scientific training to dig into a study really well.”

In the years since the height of the pandemic, both her writing and research have shifted toward how to effectively communicate health science to the public. For institutions, she says, that requires understanding how the media landscape has changed.

“I’m very much a proponent of physicians and scientists getting on social media, but I think it’s bigger than that,” she says. “People want to feel that you’re giving them your raw, unfiltered thoughts and that you’re being a real person, and that’s the exact opposite of what we’re taught to do in academia.”

For her non-academic readers, Panthagani hopes to provide tools for identifying trustworthy information.

“A lot of the inaccurate information is paired with somebody who’s trying to sell a product,” she says, highlighting one common red flag. “That’s not always true, but it’s often true — especially online.”

With one fellowship year left at Yale, Panthagani is unsure what comes next. For now, she enjoys balancing an independent academic career with the support and camaraderie of the emergency room.

“People who go into emergency medicine tend to be very chill, relaxed people, which maybe seems counterintuitive because we’re dealing with chaos, but they actually go very well together,” she says.

McAteer, meanwhile, says she’s enjoyed following her former student’s career, pointing to Panthagani’s success as an example of how the STEM fields and other academic disciplines can work hand-in-hand.

“One thing we strive to teach our students is to embrace that multidisciplinary mindset, regardless of what their major is,” McAteer says. “I’m so proud of Kristen for going on from ���سԹ� and becoming a trailblazer in this science communications space. She’s still doing what she’s always done — identifying a need and stepping up to the challenge.”

By Flynn Espe

In this third year as a Cougar, Eric Mayo-Gutierrez can already say that Washington State University has taken him places. For starters, he’s been a student at three different WSU campuses, spanning both sides of the Evergreen State.

But that’s just the beginning for this first-generation mechanical engineering major from Moses Lake, Washington, who now has his sights set on a scholarship-funded trip later this summer to Tokyo, Japan. That’s where he plans to take part in an engineering internship through the Council on International Educational Exchange’s Summer Global Internship program.

To make the trip possible, Mayo-Gutierrez applied to and recently received the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship, a federal program that helps fund educational travel experiences for undergraduate students facing financial hardship.

“I’m a recipient of the Pell Grant, so thankfully I had the opportunity to receive this,” Mayo-Gutierrez says. “It helps students be able to explore opportunities that they might not have been able to due to financial circumstances.”

The Gilman scholarship program has to work and study overseas as they take part in all manner of travel experiences — learning about food and culture in Spain and Portugal, researching , and , to name a few. In 2025, there were 14 WSU students who received a Gilman scholarship, including one from ���سԹ�.

Although Mayo-Gutierrez has yet to be matched with an employer for his overseas internship, he looks forward to seeing and experiencing all that Tokyo has to offer when he gets there this summer.

“Not a lot of students have this opportunity,” Mayo-Guiterrez says. “I’m just thankful.”

Mayo-Gutierrez began his bachelor’s degree studies at WSU Vancouver in the fall of 2023 before transferring to WSU Pullman the next semester. He then made one final move, beginning his sophomore year at ���سԹ�, where he’s since taken part in several extracurricular jobs as a peer mentor, biology and chemistry lab prep assistant, undergraduate research assistant, and mechanical and electrical engineering intern at Grant County P.U.D. He previously earned his associate degree and welding certificate from Big Bend Community College.

He says his long-term career goal is to become a mechanical or robotics engineer working on biomedical devices — bonus points if he can live and work internationally. Through engineering innovation, he says, he hopes to advance new technologies and solutions that will increase access and lower costs for patients.

For current students interested in applying for a , WSU will be hosting a Gilman Scholarship Workshop Series on Zoom this February.

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 ���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ�’ 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 ���سԹ�, 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, ���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ� 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.

���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ�, home to one of the the Sustainable Options in Aviation Research (SOAR) Lab and BSEL.

“���سԹ� provides the applied research and testing capabilities that make this work real,” said ���سԹ� 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. ���سԹ� 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.

���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ� campus, the series equips new and mid-level managers with practical tools, proven frameworks and hands-on coaching techniques that support organizational performance, employee engagement 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 Hrycauk 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 immediately. Workshop topics include:

• Feb. 3: Manager Essentials — building trust, setting expectations 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 Chacón, the academic director for ���سԹ� 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 ���سԹ� BSN graduate in 2008 before going on to receive her master’s and doctorate degrees from ���سԹ� 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,’” Chacón 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 ���سԹ�, 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, Chacón 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 ���سԹ� 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,” Chacón 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,” Chacón said. “As specialties and needs continue to evolve, we always have a need for nurses.”

Learn more about the ���سԹ� College of Nursing.