RICHLAND, Wash. — Sun exposure and soil temperature can affect the final flavor of wine. Students in WSU’s Viticulture & Enology program put this to the test by monitoring two cabernet sauvignon grape plots in the same vineyard with east and west facing slopes.

The resulting wines will be bottled separately and will be available for purchase in spring 2022 through the .

“They call the slope the pregnant lady, because the vines grow up and over a big hill,” said Madelyn Calderon, a 2020 graduate of the V&E program.

Calderon and fellow students Zachary Green and Justin Archibald placed soil temperature probes on both sides of a hill of cabernet sauvignon grapes at a vineyard in Kiona, Washington, and collected data over the summer as temperatures fluctuated from July through September of 2019.

The students theorized that west-facing grapes would ripen faster by facing the afternoon sun because of the more intense heat. But because the east-facing grapes received sun in both the morning and afternoon, the eastern soil was hotter, and the vines produced smaller grape clusters.

The dark purple grapes were collected on the same day and treated with the same fermentation process.

“Different soil, location and sun exposure can all influence the distinctive taste of a final wine,” said Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the Viticulture and Enology program.

After analyzing the grape compositions at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center, they found the eastern grapes held more heat at night, ripened faster and had a higher sugar content with less acid.

“The east cabernet has strong tannins with a new fruit flavor,” Green said. “The west cabernet has a less intense fruit taste with a smooth finish.”

Both Green and Calderon are now cellar hands at Bookwalter Winery in Richland, Washington, and said WSU’s program served as a springboard into the Washington wine industry.

Classes like Blended Learning allow students to create a wine from harvest to bottle with creative control throughout the process.

“Not a lot of people can say that they have their name on a bottle right out of school,” Calderon said.

Proceeds from Blended Learning wine sales benefit the V&E program.

 

Media contact:

Kaury Balcom, public relations/communications coordinator, 509-372-7223, kaury.balcom@wsu.edu

Experience to help with developing tools and resources for students in changing educational environment amid COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Shifting economic pressures and changing technologies have caused universities and colleges to make extensive changes to their delivery of educational experiences, which has only been expedited amid the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why Washington State University Tri-Cities is participating in a new cohort of nine colleges and universities for a Learner Success Laboratory.

The , hosted by the , is a comprehensive change management process that facilitates continuous improvement through intentional transformation of institutional systems, processes, programs and culture around learner success.

Kate McAteer, ���سԹ� vice chancellor for academic and student affairs, said the pandemic has exposed inequities and has created new challenges that demand that universities and colleges adapt and innovate.

“���سԹ� serves a high population of students who are the first in their families to attend college, but also a high population of students that have to work to support their families, in addition to other pressures, while they are going to school,” she said. “We are building on efforts during the pandemic to create a place where all students have a strong sense of belonging. The Learner Success Lab will help equip us with tools, important discussions with fellow institutions and research-driven practices that will help us shape the future of learning at ���سԹ�.”

���سԹ� and fellow selected institutions are working over a period of 12-18 months to integrate evidence-based practices for persistence and completion, life design and career exploration and workforce skills development. ���سԹ� began its work with the Learner Success Laboratory this fall.

Through the Learner Success Lab, ���سԹ� will develop an inclusive student support model that provides multiple and relevant pathways for success through academic and co-curricular learning, student development and career and civic engagement. The learner success model will also engage faculty and staff in professional development, allowing them to pursue goals and achieve their potential in student-centered work.

“This is an opportunity for us to look at what is working and where changes need to be made in use of technology, addressing where students are financially and socioeconomically and updating educational experiences in the classroom to ensure well-prepared graduates who meet the demands of industry,” McAteer said.

The other institutions in the cohort are:

• CETYS University (Mexico)
• Clarke University
• Florida International University
• Lewis University
• New Jersey City University
• Rowan College at Burlington County
• Southern University at Shreveport
• Western Illinois University

Learn more about the Learner Success Lab on the .

Students to benefit from mentorship and expertise of seasoned entrepreneurs

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities has launched a new Entrepreneurs in Residence program to provide students with direct connections to successful entrepreneurs for mentorship so that students may scale ideas from concepts into reality.

Through the program, students will have the option to meet with entrepreneurs to receive free advice, coaching, as well as networking connections to industry for potential partnerships.

The idea for the program came about as a result of conversations between ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes and regional entrepreneurs Paul Carlisle and Christina Lomasney.

“We see an opportunity to build a pipeline of future entrepreneurs starting on the ���سԹ� campus,” Lomasney said. “The pieces are already here: a thriving Tri-Cities economy, a local national laboratory presence, growing venture capital resources and access to a strong academic foundation. We believe ���سԹ� can play an instrumental role in bringing these pieces together to create opportunity for our Cougs, to breed entrepreneurs and to help them take advantage of our unique local resources.”

Carlisle will lead the program at ���سԹ�. He is a graduate of the ���سԹ� Carson College of Business where he developed the business plan for his highly-successful and locally-based technology business, elevate, which provides technology solutions for businesses and organizations across the Pacific Northwest. Carlisle recently announced the sale of his business this month and said he is excited to be a part of the Entrepreneurs in Residence program to give back to students after a career in the tech sector. In addition to his business roles, he serves as an adjunct faculty member with the ���سԹ� Carson College of Business, as well as the ���سԹ� Carson College of Business advisory council. He also received the Sam Volpentest Entrepreneurial Leadership Award in 2016, which recognizes community leaders who provide support to entrepreneurs in the region.

“Over the past 11 years, I have taught entrepreneurial courses around management, marketing and strategy,” he said. “We look to build on the decade of successful coursework in those areas to create wider-reaching pathways that engage students where they are. For example, a young undergraduate, a graduate engineering student and a seasoned business professional would all have a place at the table to access what they need to succeed on their unique journeys.”

Lomasney is volunteering her time as an entrepreneur in residence for the program. She co-founded and served as the company’s president and CEO until 2020. The company partnered with leading Fortune 500 companies to commercialize revolutionary classes of nanostructured metals. Prior to Modumetal, she co-founded Isotron while in graduate school. Through Isotron, she realized a portfolio of advanced materials for environmental remediation and nuclear, biological and chemical defense. Lomasney now serves as an advisor to technology companies in energy, transportation, defense, manufacturing and advanced materials sectors, is a registered patent agent and volunteers as a board director on Washington state’s main initiative to secure critical material supply chains – . She was named by Fortune as one of the “.”

Lomasney said the ���سԹ� program will open an unlimited horizon for business, science and technology students to go beyond learning and to build for a better future.

“I look forward to sharing time enabling students to become better versions of themselves – in tune with the problems of our time and engaged in finding solutions for the future,” she said.

Both Carlisle and Lomasney will spend regular time at ���سԹ�, where in addition to working with business and other classes on campus, they will also meet individually with students and help student groups realize their dreams for projects and concepts.

For more information about the ���سԹ� Entrepreneurs in Residence program, including how to get involved, visit .

 

Media contacts:

• Paul Carlisle, founder of elevate and adjunct faculty with the ���سԹ� Carson College of Business, paul@elevate.net
• Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 509-372-7333 (office), 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

���سԹ�’ Preview Day is a fantastic way to see campus, learn more about academic degree programs offered, get a feel for student life and learn more about student resources.

As part of Preview Day, students receive tours of campus, meet with faculty and staff, learn more about the admissions process and more.

Individuals who attend also receive FREE WSU GIVEAWAYS!

Preview Day
Saturday, Nov. 20
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Student Union Building | ���سԹ�

Sign-up to attend: 

There is no cost to attend. Your family and friends are welcome to join you!

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – launched a new online Wine Tasting Room Certificate that trains winery and tasting room servers on wine business customer service, knowledge of Washington wines, sensory attributes of wine, as well as suggestions for selling wine.

The course, which costs $249, is comprised of four modules that take approximately eight hours to complete:

• Exploring wine
• Wines of Washington
• Keys to proper wine service and sales
• Wine tasting, evaluation and food pairing

“We worked closely with winery owners and tasting room managers to determine their needs and develop content that is specifically geared toward what wineries require for customer experience,” said Joan Giese, ���سԹ� Carson College of Business director of lifelong learning. “The outcomes of this program are well-trained servers that are confident in their abilities to know, serve and sell wine, as well as well-served guests that are delighted with enjoyable tasting room experiences.”

For more information on the Wine Tasting Room Certificate program and to sign up, visit tricities.wsu.edu/wine-tasting-room-training.

Those who complete the course will learn about:

• How wine is made
• Styles of wine
• Types of grapes
• Unique aspects of Washington wines
• American Viticultural Areas specific to Washington state
• How to deliver great wine service to guests, including suggestions for selling wine and wine club memberships
• How to taste and describe wines
• How to serve wine flights
• How to determine wine faults
• How to make suggestions for wine and food pairings

“Upon testing this course in partnership with regional wineries, it has shown to provide winery and tasting room servers with the quality knowledge they need to enter into the profession, as well as a great baseline knowledge of what to know when working with customers in wine businesses,” Giese said.

For questions about the Wine Tasting Room Certificate program, email tricities.professionaleducation@wsu.edu.

���سԹ� is one of few universities nationwide that feature both programs in wine and beverage business management and wine science on the same campus. It is home to the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center – one of only a handful of comprehensive wine research facilities in the world.

For more information on ���سԹ�’ wine and beverage business management program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/business/undergraduate/wbm. For more information on ���سԹ�’ viticulture and enology (wine science) program, visit tricities.wsu.edu/wine-science-degree.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

HERMISTON, Ore. – Washington State University Tri-Cities is partnering with Blue Mountain Community College for a direct student transfer program that will save students money, increase pathways for STEM careers and help students graduate on-track and on-time with a bachelor’s degree.

Through the ���سԹ�-BMCC Bridges Program, students do not pay an admissions application fee, nor do they pay for access to transcripts to transfer to ���سԹ�. Students in the program also benefit from in-state tuition rates once attending ���سԹ�.

Throughout their time at both schools, students work with an academic advisor at both BMCC and ���سԹ� to develop a complete program of study. Through that process, students know what classes they need to take and what will directly transfer, helping to cut down on unnecessary classes that won’t transfer between the two institutions.

“We are excited to partner with Blue Mountain Community College to create access to a baccalaureate degree for more students,” ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “With our close proximity to BMCC in Oregon, this program creates an ideal partnership between our two institutions to serve students in both areas and help students save on costs.”

Mark Browning, president of Blue Mountain Community College, said he is excited for the opportunities that the Bridges program presents for students from the Blue Mountain region.

“Bridges is what we hope to see for all our students who see a path to their future through a regional research university like Washington State University Tri-Cities,” he said. “Blue Mountain students will now be able to pursue a complete program right here. The resources available through ���سԹ� are now available to those BMCC students who enroll in Bridges – including those in a variety of STEM programs ranging from engineering, to computer science, to the sciences. Talk about a bright future.”

Requirements for the program

To qualify for the ���سԹ�-BMCC Bridges program, students must have taken less than 45 quarter credits at BMCC with a 2.5 or higher cumulative grade-point average. Additionally, they must be in the process of completing one of the following degrees: AAOT, ASOT/BUS or ASOT/CS.

To apply for the Bridges program, students should submit the Declaration of Intent on the . The ���سԹ� Bridges academic advisor will follow up individually with students to set up meetings to talk about next steps.

When getting ready to transfer to ���سԹ�, students should submit the by Nov. 15 for spring admission, or by Jan. 31 for fall admission, to ensure they are eligible for merit-based awards.

Students to feel right at home

���سԹ� is the closest four-year public university to BMCC students in Hermiston, making it a great option for students interested in earning an excellent education close to home, Browning said.

At BMCC, more than 41% of students are students of color and the majority are the first in their family to attend college. Similarly at ���سԹ�, nearly 48% of students are students of color and nearly 44% are the first in their family to attend college.

“We look forward to welcoming a bunch of new Timberwolves to the Coug community where they will feel right at home,” Haynes said.

Crossing the Columbia to become a Coug

BMCC and ���سԹ� alumnus Kyle Kopta said he enjoyed the ease of the transfer process from BMCC to ���سԹ� and also benefited from in-state tuition rates as a Hermiston, Oregon, resident.

“My pathway through BMCC and ���سԹ� was the perfect fit for me,” he said. “It allowed me to accomplish my personal and professional goals in the most timely and affordable way possible.”

Kopta is a Hermiston High School graduate who decided to attend both BMCC and ���سԹ� due to the programming available through both institutions, as well as both schools’ proximity to his hometown. Interested in a multimedia degree, Kopta said he was able to complete his pre-requisite courses at BMCC, followed by his upper-level major courses for the digital technology and culture program at ���سԹ�.

“Both institutions set me up for success in my career,” he said. “I hope others take advantage of this incredible opportunity and enjoy it as much as I did.”

For more information about the Bridges program, visit or contact ���سԹ� Bridges academic advisor Rafa Pruneda at rpruneda@wsu.edu.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Passionate. It is a word used by many to describe Stacie Hamilton, a Washington State University alumna, when reflecting upon her work in the wine business sector and higher education through her support of ���سԹ�’ wine and business programs.

Hamilton recently passed away at the age of 63, but her memory will live on in the form of her many contributions that have set the stage for wine business education in Washington state.

“Whenever an opportunity arose for her to support ���سԹ�, she always responded in large fashion,” said Gary Spanner, fellow ���سԹ� Carson College of Business advisory council member. “She was tireless in supporting the local wine and viticulture sector.”

Prior to entering the wine profession, Hamilton served as an accountant. What led her and husband Russ Hamilton into the wine profession was a personal passion for wine. They spent most of their free time visiting wineries. While at a winery one day, standing on the balcony drinking what they described as a “superb Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon,” they looked at each other and said, “Let’s do this.” They realized their dream of starting Hamilton Cellars as a tasting room in 2006, which was followed by the opening of their vineyard and winery on Red Mountain in 2014.

Hamilton had large impacts on the growth of the Red Mountain wine region. Byron Marlowe, ���سԹ� wine and beverage business management and hospitality business management professor, said she would cluster with others participating in Red Mountain events and activities.

“She will be remembered as a business woman on Red Mountain as much as a winemaker in the sense that she operated her winery in a way in which those with perhaps a little less business background could learn from,” he said.

In addition to running a wine business, Stacie Hamilton contributed in a variety of ways to ���سԹ� as an instructor teaching accounting courses for the wine and beverage business management program and by serving on the ���سԹ� Carson College of Business advisory council and on the WSU Viticulture and Enology advisory council. The Hamiltons also supported wine education programming financially by means of hosting fundraisers, naming a space in the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center, as well as participating in a variety of campus events and functions to raise awareness about wine and business academic programs.

“I first met Stacie at the Hamilton winery shortly after I moved to Richland in 2015 to assist in bringing the hospitality business management and the wine and beverage business management majors to ���سԹ�,” said Robert Harrington, director of the WSU hospitality business management program. “She quickly offered to host a fundraising event at the winery that has become known as the Crimson Food and Wine Classic at Hamilton Cellars … Stacie went above and beyond the call of duty to make it a success.”

It was Stacie Hamilton’s idea to explore private partnerships to make the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center a reality at ���سԹ� in the heart of Washington wine country. The facility opened in 2015.

“She was the first one to volunteer and say that wineries should have a piece in making this facility possible,” said Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the WSU viticulture and enology program. “Stacie was incredibly invested in providing exceptional educational opportunities for students so that we have prepared, capable and talented winemakers and wine business leaders that will only continue to contribute back to the regional wine industry. She saw the power of education and what it can do for our region.”

Harrington said Hamilton was always the first one to volunteer, offer up ideas and get something started – especially when it came to supporting WSU.

“Stacie was passionate about WSU and a proud Coug,” he said. “As I tell people about the Coug nation, Coug alums and current students that I meet embody what I call the art of hospitality. They’re just good people that will give you the shirts off their backs if needed, wanting to do what they can to make the world a better place and impact the quality of life for others. Stacie embodied all of these things, making her a passionate supporter and example of these ideals.”

In honor of Stacie Hamilton, her family asks that individuals consider making a donation in her honor to the and/or the at ���سԹ�.

PROSSER, Wash. – Washington State University researchers are part of a team of west coast university collaborators that received a $7.6 million grant to study the impact of smoke exposure on grapes, a project that will provide critical knowledge to grape growers and winery owners in Washington severely impacted by widespread wildfire smoke in recent years.

Washington State University researchers will work with scientists at Oregon State University and the University of California, Davis, on the four-year project, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative.

“This project really ties together our ongoing state-based research programs into a strong, coordinated effort up and down the west coast,” said Tom Collins, assistant professor at Washington State University, and on the project.

Washington is the second-largest wine producing state in the U.S., with over 1,000 wineries that produce over 17 million cases of wine each year, contributing to $8.4 billion in annual in-state economic impact, according to the .

Grape exposure to wildfire smoke can compromise the quality and value of wine grapes, and adversely affect the final wine. Wildfire season has been especially devastating for the west coast, where California, Oregon, and Washington are three of the .

In the wake of the challenging 2020 vintage, the grape and wine industry on the west coast want to better understand how smoke density and composition impact grapes, grape vines, wine composition and sensory perception of the wine in a glass. The research team is calling this a “smoke to glass” understanding.

Goals for the grant build on  Collins has been doing this summer with , such as installing low-cost sensors and sensor networks in commercial vineyards throughout central Washington, and experimenting with barrier sprays for fruit to reduce or eliminate smoke uptake into grapes.

The team of west coast researchers will work to assess the impact of smoke exposure on the health of grapes and grapevines, and how to optimize rapid small-batch fermentation to better predict what wine impacted by wildfire smoke will taste like.

Collins said in the early years, there were only three or four researchers in the U.S. working on smoke exposure. “Now we have a really substantial team to work through these challenges. This grant really brings the resources that are going to make significant headway,” he said.

RICHLAND, Wash. – Individuals will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of regional employers from across the Tri-Cities and inquire about current and future jobs and career opportunities as part of the Virtual Columbia Basin College/���سԹ� Career Fair that takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

The career fair will take place from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. online via a platform called Handshake. To attend, ���سԹ� students should register at . Members of the public should register at .

The career fair is free and open to the public.

More than 30 employers are registered to participate. Individuals will have the opportunity to meet with those employers via individual virtual rooms. Attendees can jump from room to room to explore a variety of career opportunities.

For more information, contact AJ Andrade at aandrade@columbiabasin.edu or 509-543-1449.

 

Media contacts:

Jay Frank, Columbia Basin College assistant vice president for communications and external relations, 509-544-2038, jfrank@columbiabasin.edu

Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 509-372-7333 (office), 619-403-3618 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – A panel hosted by the Washington State University Tri-Cities College of Arts and Sciences on Thursday, Oct. 7, will examine the rise of national and international Nazi and white supremacist organizations throughout the 20^th century and their relationship to each other and to Nazi movements.

The panel, titled “The Holocaust, Neo-Nazism and White Supremacy,” takes place from 4:15 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. via Zoom. It is being held in cooperation with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the WSU Center for Arts and Humanities. It is made possible by the Curt C. and Else Silberman Foundation, which supports programs in higher education that “promote, protect and strengthen Jewish values in democracy, human rights, ethical leadership and cultural pluralism.” The presentation is open to students, faculty and staff at ���سԹ�, as well as the larger WSU system and other university campuses.

To register to attend the virtual panel, visit

“This panel presentation marks a pertinent opportunity to explore how white supremacist groups rise to power and their impact on not only our nation, but the world,” said Robert Bauman, ���سԹ� history professor and academic director for the College of Arts and Sciences. “Especially given recent events regarding social injustice in communities in our own country, this panel will present perspectives that will help shed light on how these groups arise in the first place and the ways communities have responded to those groups.”

The panelists featured include:

• Richard King, professor and chair of humanities, history and social sciences at Columbia College of Chicago
• Kristine F. Hoover, associate professor in the master of arts organizational leadership program and director of the Institute of Hate Studies at Gonzaga University
• Rebecca Erbelding, historian of education initiatives at the William Levine Family Institute for Holocaust Education of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Bauman will serve as the moderator for the panel.

For more information about the presentation and panelists, visit tricities.wsu.edu/event/the-holocaust-neo-nazism-and-white-supremacy.

 

Disclaimer: “The US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Center’s mission is to ensure the long-term growth and vitality of Holocaust Studies. To do that, it is essential to provide opportunities for new generations of scholars. The vitality and the integrity of Holocaust Studies require openness, independence, and free inquiry so that new ideas are generated and tested through peer review and public debate. The opinions of scholars expressed before, during the course of, or after their activities with the Mandel Center do not represent and are not endorsed by the Museum or its Mandel Center.”