By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Media contacts:

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

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

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – For student Lian Jacquez, finding the ideal university fit was a bit of a challenge – that is, until he arrived at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

Originally from eastern Oregon, he attended a university located in his home state, but found that the decision was an expensive one and more based on impulse than it was in finding a good fit for where he was at in his life.

But after his parents moved to the Tri-Cities, he decided to move back in with them so he could save money, but could also find a university that would allow him to pursue his passions. He decided to attend ���سԹ� and it ended up being one of the best decisions he has made to date.

Whether it be interacting and learning from his professors through tight-knit classes, to participating in a variety of clubs, to participating in student government, to finding the perfect job on campus, Jacquez said he feels like he has found a home at ���سԹ�.

“���سԹ� is a hidden gem,” he said. “We are located in an area that offers great opportunities without a lot of the competition that one might experience at a much larger university. And the people who work here – our faculty, administration, staff and everyone behind the scenes – are here to make sure we all succeed. We, as students, aren’t just a number or another name on the roster.”

Majoring in digital technology and culture –  a focus on the creative

Jacquez found his ideal major at ���سԹ� after taking the MyMajors Quiz on the university website. He was recommended to study digital technology and culture, elementary education and psychology.

“Out of the three, digital technology and culture, or DTC as we call it, resonated with me and made me the most excited to pursue, and I always imagined doing something in design,” he said.

Through the digital technology and culture program, Jacquez is learning about graphic design, photography, video production, sound production, media and technical writing and much more in the creative sphere. With his experience in the program, he said he initially wanted to pursue a career as a graphic designer. But after working more with individuals on campus and speaking with people in similar creative industries, he realizes he now wants to pursue a career as a creative director or program coordinator.

“Being the person creating the work is fun, but being able to establish a concept, all of its components and tracking it from beginning to end is more appealing,” he said.

Jacquez said he loves the creative freedom that he and all the other students in the DTC program have.

“There are guidelines and requirements, but we have creative reign to create something that is an extension of ourselves,” he said.

Varied campus experiences to fit every student

In addition to his experience in the DTC program, Jacquez is a student ambassador for the office of admissions on campus, is director of diversity affairs for the

Associated Students of ���سԹ� (student government), is vice president of the World Research Club on campus, in addition to serving as a member of the Queers and Allies Club.

He said since coming to ���سԹ�, he feels he can really make his academic and student life experience his own.

Through his experiences with the student clubs, he is able to truly connect with his peers and organize programming and events to benefit his fellow students. Through his role with student government, he is able to extend and create initiatives so that all students on campus feel connected with the resources to make them successful. And through his role as a student ambassador with the office of admissions, he is able to communicate and inspire prospective students who express an interest in attending ���سԹ�, giving them a genuine look into what his life as a student on campus looks like.

As director of diversity affairs with ASWSUTC, he said he values opportunities created on campus that directly benefit students, including a range of student resources: access services, counseling, a student pantry called Cougar Cupboard, the veteran center and being able to connect with the international student coordinator – both to see about options for studying abroad and to connect with international students. Another example is the UndocuQueer Conference that is being held this year on the ���سԹ� campus.

“I am really excited to learn more about the intersections of the LGBTQ and undocumented communities and the people who are affected by them,” he said. “This will be my first time attending the conference.”

Career connections

In addition to his job in the admissions office on campus, Jacquez said there are also a variety of resources to help students connect with prestigious internships at ���سԹ� and in the community.

Last spring, after participating in the campus Career Development Etiquette Dinner where students are connected to professionals for an evening of networking through dinner, he met an an internship coordinator who connected him with an internship at the National Park Service. He now works as an interpretive specialist for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

He also hopes to land another internship before he graduates, which he aims to get connected with through ���سԹ�.

The connections at ���سԹ�, he said, are truly what has allowed him to get involved with many of these opportunities on campus.

“I love how incredibly diverse the campus is and the fact that not everyone is a stranger, thanks to the size of ���سԹ�,” he said.

For more information on the ���سԹ� Digital Technology and Culture program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/dtc.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities was recently awarded a $73,000 grant in partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service to research and document the African American migration, segregation and overall civil rights history at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Hanford.

Michael Mays, ���سԹ� director of the Hanford History Project, said the African American story and perspective remains largely undocumented and untold at the Hanford nuclear site, which is one of three locations of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The other locations of the national park include Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Mays said Hanford in the 1940s, like much of the rest of the country, was an extremely segregated place.“The history of the science of the Manhattan Project is well known, but the social history, especially with regard to questions of race, class and gender, is much less clearly understood,” he said. “We want to look at and document the settlement and demographic patterns of African Americans who were recruited to work at Hanford, and then track when and where they migrated to once their employment ended.”

“This is an important story to tell and an important part of our history that needs to be made known,” he said.

The plan for the project, Mays said, is to examine existing documentation, conduct new research and interview African American community members throughout the Pacific Northwest in order to better understand the African American experience at Hanford.

“The Hanford area went from a handful of small farming communities comprising a few hundred residents in the early 1940s to a peak population of nearly 50,000 at Camp Hanford in the course of 15 months,” he said. “There are many stories of the African American experience at the Manhattan Project, and we want to be able to share those stories from these individuals’ perspectives.”

The completed interviews will be included with the ���سԹ� oral history collection of the Hanford Site, as well as displayed and made available through the National Park Service and at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Hanford.

Mays said they are looking for African American individuals or their family members who had a role in the Manhattan Project at Hanford and with the site before, during and after the Cold War, or who were related to the site in any way during those times. Those who are interested should contact Jillian Gardner-Andrews at 509-372-7447 or j.gardner-andrews@wsu.edu.

“We are actively trying to identify people who experienced this remarkable history, either first- or second-hand,” he said. “We would love to hear from these individuals and document their stories.”

Mays said the project will be completed over the course of two years. Interviewees will be identified and scheduled by the end of the year, with interviews wrapped up by the end of spring. He and his team will then perform a review of documents and literature available on the subject and write up and publish their findings by the end of their second year.

 

Media Contacts:

• Michael Mays, ���سԹ� director of Hanford History Project, 509-372-7380, michael.mays@tricity.wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, Maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu