Vineyard soils require adequate nutrients for growing healthy grapes, but testing plants for nutrients is a cumbersome, outdated process that takes considerable time and effort.

A four-year, $4.75 million Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) USDA-NIFA grant will fund a national team of researchers and extension educators to improve plant testing and fertilizer recommendations for grape growers.

“The fertilizer guidelines that were developed 50 years ago are outdated, and the industry needs to realize that relying on these old guidelines is not going to give them the best return on investment,” said Markus Keller, Chateau Ste. Michelle distinguished professor for WSU’s Viticulture & Enology program, and the project leader.

The current testing process often requires leaves or fruit tissue samples be sent to a lab. Results can take weeks, by which time it’s often too late to change nutrient supply for the current growing season. It can also be expensive and unpredictable.

“We want to give grape growers the chance to sample earlier, make decisions immediately, and be able to act on those decisions before the following growing year,” Keller said.

The High Resolution Vineyard Nutrient Management Project  includes 14 scientists from seven institutions across the US and Mendoza, Argentina. WSU researchers involved in the project include Qin Zhang, professor of Agricultural Automation, Manoj Karkee, associate professor for Precision and Automated Agricultural Systems, Jim Harbertson, associate professor for Enology, and project manager Thomas Groenveld.

The team’s goals include plans to build remote sensors able to assess plant nutrient status from the air, and the creation of new guidelines on how to measure and adjust the nutrient status of grapevines.

Camera sensors mounted on a tractor driving up and down vineyard rows, or on a drone flying over the vineyard, might give growers near-real-time data. That would allow more informed decisions on what nutrients their grapevines need and where in a vineyard they are needed most, rather than sampling just one plant or section of a large vineyard plot.

“If we fertilize the entire vineyard as a one size fits all approach, it could lead to an imbalance in fertilization that could damage crops or end up polluting local groundwater,” said Keller. “We want to minimize the environmental impact while improving the quality of the fruit.”

The project’s social science and extension focus group sent a survey to grape industry stakeholders nationwide to see what growers are currently doing for vineyard nutrition. Despite less than 10% of their annual budgets being spent on vineyard nutrition, 75% of the over 300 respondents said soil nutrition was either ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ important’ for the yield and quality of wine and grape products.

“Macro nutrients like potassium and nitrogen allow vine growth and development. However, it can be hard to measure their presence in the plant, since the amount of nutrients can change during the season,” said Pierre Davadant, a PhD student at WSU and research assistant for Markus Keller’s lab.

Davadant, along with postdoctoral scientist Nataliya Shcherbatyuk, have collected scores of samples from commercial vineyards of wine and juice grapes for use in the study.

It will likely take a few years before results are available.

The team is fertilizing and observing blocks of Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Chardonnay grapes at cooperating Ste. Michelle Wine Estates vineyards from winter until harvest. They’ll ferment the grapes at the WSU Wine Science Center to study how differences in vine nutrient status affect wine quality.

The Auction of Washington Wines, Washington State University, and all Washington state wine grape growers and wineries through the Washington State Wine Commission provided seed money for the project to help leverage support of USDA-NIFA and continue to provide supplemental support for the project.

To learn more about the vineyard nutrition project, visit the . Visit WSU’s  to learn more about the V&E program.

By Karen Hunt, WSU Office of Research

Washington State University joins the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the University of Washington in hosting a free two‑part virtual workshop on Friday, Sept. 17 to explore research collaboration and preview the new Energy Sciences Center (ESC).

“We’re excited to join PNNL and UW in this day‑long virtual event, which serves as a launching point for fostering collaborations between university staff and students and the scientific staff that will be housed in the ESC,” said Christopher Keane, vice chancellor for research in Pullman and vice president for research at WSU. “We encourage our professors, postdocs, and students to participate in this event.”

In part one of the workshop, PNNL will include a leadership kickoff, give an overview of ESC capabilities, showcase current collaborations, and have technical presentations by PNNL scientists on:

•  and chemical conversions
•  and phenomena for energy storage
• Materials and characterization for .

In the fall of 2021, the new $90 million ESC will open at PNNL. Research in the ESC will focus on fundamental studies of chemistry and materials for energy storage, as well as the development and characterization of materials for quantum information sciences. With capabilities that include advanced electron microscopy, x‑ray spectroscopy, and magnetic resonance instruments, the ESC will be one of the most advanced facilities in the world with the combination of experimental capabilities unavailable anywhere else in the country. The 140,000‑square‑foot facility will feature a combination of research laboratories, flexible-use open spaces, conference rooms, and offices for 250 PNNL researchers, visiting scientists and engineers, and support staff.

“The ESC will be a focal point for collaborative research among PNNL scientists, industry, and partners at the university, and other major institutions in the region, U.S., and abroad,” said Wendy Shaw, the chief science and technology officer in PNNL’s Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate. “Through these workshops, we are excited to work with the WSU faculty, researchers, and students to building collaborative pathways.”

Register for the eight‑hour workshop by going to .

A second workshop is being planned by PNNL and university partners to foster discussion and identify collaborations around the three topic areas.

For questions about the event, contact Wendy Shaw at wendy.shaw@pnnl.gov or 509‑375‑5922 for technical information and Becky Ford at bford@pnnl.gov or 509‑372‑4977 for logistical information.

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Several Washington State University faculty are the recipients of a $1.4 million grant from the to refine and expand an assessment that helps address truancy in K-12 schools.

The program, also known as WARNS, uses evidence-driven procedures to track and improve interventions with students. The program was developed in 2008 to assess students on a scale of six needs that have been linked to truancy, delinquency and/or dropping out of school: aggression-defiance, depression-anxiety, substance abuse, peer deviance, family environment and school engagement. More than 100 schools in Washington state and across the nation are now using the tool.

Paul Strand, ���سԹ� professor of psychology, Brian French, Berry Family Distinguished professor and director of WSU’s and , Nick Lovrich, WSU Regents professor emeritus, and Bruce Austin, research associate in educational psychology and the LPRC, have worked since 2014 to evaluate and refine WARNS. With the grant, the group is also adding the following members to their team to help refine the tool: Chad Gotch and Marcus Poppen, both WSU assistant professors in education, and Mary Roduta Roberts, an associate professor of occupational therapy at the University of Alberta.

French said what makes the program so successful is its ability to hone-in on issues that lead to truancy early in a student’s educational path. Schools can develop a plan for how to address those issues and increase the student’s likelihood of being successful. He said what was made especially clear amid the COVID-19 pandemic is the need to get information to counselors regarding student issues at home and other external factors that prevent students’ current and future success.

“This grant will also allow us more space to examine its success,” French said. “We will also be looking into specific implications of the WARNS – how it is used and the success when it is in use. We want to look at the implications and gather data to know how those conversations are helping and specific instances of how that is happening. Then, we can continue to build from that information.”

Updating the assessment

Strand said the new grant will allow the team to update the instrument in a few ways. He said a variety of new issues have arisen that have impacted school attendance and performance in recent years. Examples, he said, include the prevalence of vaping and social media use.

Additionally, the team aims to improve the middle school version of the instrument to tailor it further for issues that pertain to that specific age demographic.

“The grant allows us to explore the context of student situations and how to refine WARNS to reflect that context,” Strand said.

Identifying issues early to reduce truancy, drop-out rates

French said more than 10,000 assessments have been given through the program.

“To me, that represents 10,000 productive conversations that have occurred with kids,” he said. “We can look at the large numbers to help us do that, but each of those individual conversations are helping make a difference in the lives of thousands of kids each year.”

Strand said schools use the data from the assessment to develop and implement a plan for at-risk students through school community truancy boards to help prevent and/or correct student behavior.

“With the pandemic, we have seen that many counselors are struggling to stay connected and invested in kids,” he said. “But what we have seen with WARNS is that it has helped schools stay connected and invested in kids. The pandemic wasn’t something we could have envisioned, but it is a tool that has helped.”

For more information about WARNS, including how to implement it for individual schools or school districts, visit 

 

Media contacts:

• Paul Strand, ���سԹ� professor of psychology, pstrand@wsu.edu
• Brian French, WSU Pullman Berry Family Distinguished professor and director of WSU’s Learning and Performance Research Center and Psychometric Laboratory, frenchb@wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� director of marketing and communication, 509-372-7333 (office), 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu
• Brandon Chapman, WSU College of Education public relations/communications manager, 509-335-6850, b.chapman@wsu.edu

In line with updated state guidance, the WSU system has announced the implementation of relaxed protocols for accessing and returning to campus.

Face-to-face interaction with our students and each other is the foundation of our effectiveness as an educational institution. Working in community on the ���سԹ� campus provides the best means of supporting our students and each other in the important work we do.

We are, thus, very excited about what this new guidance means for our campus and we look forward to seeing many of you in-person very soon! It’s been a long-time coming, but we are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel, as evidenced by the new guidelines, below.

Fully in-person classes planned for fall
���سԹ� will offer fully in-person learning this fall. Scheduling will be adjusted for regular classroom capacities and laboratories will move back to their normal capacities.

Admissions applications accepted through summer months
���سԹ� will accept applications for admission for fall 2021 through the summer. Classes begin on Aug. 23. To apply to attend ���سԹ�, visit .

Vaccine requirements
All WSU locations require that individuals receive the COVID-19 vaccine to access a university location, however, exemptions will be granted for medical and non-medical reasons. More information will be shared on the exemption process for all employees and for non-WSU Pullman students prior to the start of the fall semester.

Mask requirements
WSU employees who declare themselves fully vaccinated via  are not required to wear masks and socially-distance at WSU locations. Those who are not fully vaccinated must continue to wear masks and socially-distance while on a campus or worksite. Providing falsified information regarding vaccination status is grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination from employment.

Students, contractors, vendors and visitors must be prepared to show proof of vaccination to a relevant unit or department lead when entering a WSU building. Employees who are not unit or department leads should let the unit or department lead know of their concern about someone’s vaccination status, rather than approaching the individual, themselves. Those unable or unwilling to provide proof of vaccination to the unit or department lead are required to wear a mask and socially-distance or leave university property.

Campus tours resume
The ���سԹ� Office of Admission is now scheduling on-campus tours for prospective students and their families. The tours will initially be held mostly outside before slowly transitioning to building interiors as campus facilities are prepared. To schedule a campus tour, visit tricities.wsu.edu/visit.

SOAR (Student Orientation, Advising and Registration) to offer in-person experiences
���سԹ� is planning for in-person experiences as part of SOAR that will take place in July. For more information, contact Ian Jamieson at ian.jamieson@wsu.edu.

Attestation no longer required
Students, employees and visitors who access a WSU location no longer have to attest to their current health status via the official WSU attestation process.

Campus check-in to be used for contact tracing
While attestation is no longer required, ���سԹ� will continue to utilize a campus check-in process for all employees and visitors at the Floyd and CIC entrance kiosks. However, this process will be moving to an online check-in process that departments and individuals can use when visitors come to campus. To meet the state requirements for contact tracing come fall, faculty will be asked and expected to take attendance in their classes. More details will be shared as they are finalized.

Return to in-person work dates
���سԹ� director-level supervisors and above are expected to start working from campus or their respective WSU location no later than July 12.

All other ���سԹ� employees (except faculty) are expected to work from campus or their respective WSU location no later than Aug. 2.

���سԹ� faculty should plan to start working from campus or their respective WSU location beginning on their contracted start date for fall.

Those who have a medical condition impacting their ability to report to in-person work should contact their supervisor and ��������HRS.disabilityservices@wsu.edu or 509-335-4521.

Employees should provide notice when planning to return to help alleviate stress on facilities and IT staff
Those who have not yet returned to work on campus should provide advanced notice to facilities and/or IT if they require help in setting up equipment in their work area. Those who are able to move their items back to their office, themselves, are encouraged to do so. This will help reduce demands on the facilities and IT teams as they try to manage the return to campus needs for all campus members as we get closer to fall.

Return to work plans for units/departments no longer required to be submitted
WSU units and departments are no longer required to submit official return to work plans to ���سԹ� Environmental Health and Safety. A ���سԹ� campus-wide return to campus plan will remain in effect. It is currently being updated by �����dzٳ����մdz������ with latest guidance and will be posted to the ���سԹ� COVID-19 website upon completion: .

Return to work training no longer required
Employees are no longer required to complete the HRS return to workplace training. Rather, they can visit the  for a complete account of current guidance.

Events
All on-campus events should be entered into 25Live for scheduling resources.

Where to find latest up-to-date information
���سԹ� will continue to maintain its COVID-19 web page at . WSU individuals can also access updated information on the WSU system COVID-19 website at .

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities has partnered with the City of Pasco and the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center to offer two new in-person pop-up study spaces, as well as one on-campus space, that will provide WSU students with a quiet place to study and access free Wi-Fi.

“Last spring, many students communicated a need for a quiet place with access to Wi-Fi where they could do their school work, attend classes and complete exams,” said Chris Meiers, vice chancellor for student affairs and deputy Title IX officer. “We wanted to provide students with a space that could still meet all state requirements for social distancing, especially as the days get shorter into the winter. We are grateful to have partners in and out of the WSU system that stepped up to support student learning.”

The following spaces are now available for students to access in-person:

Pasco – Police Community Services Building – 215 W. Sylvester St
Mondays Noon – 5 p.m., Wednesdays 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Reservation encouraged

Prosser – Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) – 24106 North Bunn Road
2^nd Floor of West Building (follow signs)
Mondays Noon – 5 p.m., Wednesdays 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Reservation encouraged

Richland – ���سԹ� Consolidated Information Center (CIC) – 2770 University Drive
Mondays – Fridays 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
No reservations necessary. Check-in at Floyd Building main entrance.

The spaces will accommodate up to five students that feature study stations that are socially distanced, per the state requirements. The space will also be sanitized between each student use and is supervised by a WSU employee.

As a convenience at the Prosser and Pasco locations, students can make a reservation to use the space. Reservations are not required for the CIC space on campus.

The City of Pasco was quick to partner to offer ���سԹ� students an in-person space right in their own backyard.

N. Zach Ratkai, administrative and community services director for the City of Pasco, said the partnership represented a seamless opportunity to help provide students with a base in their own community to complete their studies.

“The City of Pasco is proud to partner with the ���سԹ� pop-up study spaces initiative,” he said. “During this very challenging time, Pasco is committed to continuing to serve the educational needs of students and provide greater access to the community and its services.”

Due to its location in the Yakima Valley as a hub for a range of agriculture, including vineyards, the WSU IAREC was thought to be strategic for students who are completing studies in agriculture, and even more specifically, the WSU viticulture and enology (wine science) program, said Naidu Rayapati, director of the IAREC.

“Students with limited resources are finding it challenging to have quality internet connectivity at home or travel daily to ���سԹ� to have better internet access,” Rayapati. “Offering a dedicated space at the IAREC meets this critical need. It can offer students a balanced approach to attend classes remotely and maintain regular interactions with academic advisors for successfully completing their course work, all while staying close to their family.”

Rayapati said due to their proximity to each other, partnerships between the WSU IAREC and ���سԹ� is a logical first step to offer superior educational opportunities.

“In addition, the IAREC faculty could offer experiential opportunities to train ‘shovel ready’ undergraduate students for increased employment opportunities in agriculture-related fields,” he said.

For more information on the ���سԹ� pop-up study spaces and for students to reserve a space at the Pasco or Prosser locations, visit .

 

Media contacts:

Chris Meiers, ���سԹ� vice chancellor for student affairs, 509-372-7381, chris.meiers@wsu.edu

Naidu Rayapati, WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center director, 509-786-9215, naidu.rayapati@wsu.edu

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

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Student business teams from and took home top honors at the this month that required them to research and create extensive business plans for a fictitious wine grown and created in Washington state.

A ���سԹ� team, comprised of students Kyle Brunson and Danae Williams, earned the grand prize at the competition for their combined score for their business plan, financial plan and wine label for their wine “Gladiolus Red Mountain Rosé .”

A team from WSU Pullman, comprised of students Crisol Barajas, Sherlane Yuen, Brittany Jacobs, Becca Jainga, Eunjeong Kim, and Justin Walker earned top prize for their financial plan for their wine “Ribbon Pink Ladies Rosé .”

Another team from WSU Pullman also earned “honorable mention” for the overall award for their wine “Colossus Wine,” scoring just 1.5 points below the winning ���سԹ� team. Team members included Ashton Sidebottom, Joy Kam, Annika Roberts, Sam Levora, Ashley Molina, Megan O’Mera.

The competition welcomed student teams from several university campuses, which, in addition to ���سԹ� and WSU Pullman, included Michigan State University, Florida International University, Linfield College and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Insights into business practices for wine

The teams were required to create detailed business and financial plans for their fictitious wine valued at $25-$40, as well as a wine label, all of which they submitted virtually to be judged. A panel of experts ranging from wine experts, to journalists and more, then evaluated each component of the competition and an award was presented to the student team with the best combined score, as well as individual awards for best scores for individual business plan, financial plan and wine label.

The ���سԹ� team designed a rosé comprised of a blend of Syrah and Merlot, that, for their project, was hypothetically grown and created on Red Mountain in the Tri-Cities. The region is known for its great soil, and the wine presented excellent marketability and a great business infrastructure that is already established in the area.

Williams said she and Brunson did extensive research about the cost of the grapes, storage, sales, distribution, and other business and financial components required to successfully run and promote a wine estate. Brunson also sought the help of a friend who works at a local winery to gain information regarding the cost of wine grapes and other production components to get a realistic picture of costs in a working winery.

“The project provided a great introduction into what it really takes to run not only a business, but a wine business, in particular,” Williams said. “It was good to be able to see exactly what all goes into owning a winery. It was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but it was incredibly useful for what I will need in the future working for a wine business.”

Career connections

Williams is majoring in wine and beverage business management at ���سԹ�, so the project served as perfect experience and practice for her career trajectory. She is also the recipient of the Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits student scholarship at ���سԹ�.

“My ultimate goal is to own my own winery,” she said. “It was a fun project that provided a lot of great hands-on experience in the wine field.”

For other students pursuing a different area within the business field, the opportunity also provided a great outlet to dive into a real-world project.

Brunson, who is studying business management and administration at ���سԹ� and currently working as an intern out at the Hanford Site in facilities and operations, said the project provided a great opportunity for developing a comprehensive business plan and an ideal introduction for his capstone course he is taking this year.

“It was really rewarding,” he said. “I got to apply all that I have been learning from all my other classes. It provided a great opportunity to really explore what it takes to run a business and the practical aspects of making that business a success.”

For more information on the ���سԹ� wine and beverage business management and hospitality business management programs, visit tricities.wsu.edu/business/undergraduate/wbm and .

By Stephen Nakata, Division of Student Affairs

It often goes unnoticed by their professors, peers, and those who love them the most. While first-generation students are academically skilled, very motivated, and contribute many ways to the campus community, navigating the complexities of university policies, procedures and jargon can be challenging.

As a First-Forward institution designated by NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education), Washington State University defines first-generation students as those whose parents or guardians did not receive a four-year degree. WSU is committed to helping them build confidence in their abilities, feel a sense of belonging, and provide additional support to help them be successful.

In celebration of WSU’s First-Generation Week, this article recognizes six females serving in leadership roles throughout the WSU system who were first-gen students. As their stories reveal, they each took unique paths through college and made key connections that made a big difference in their ability to graduate and excel in their careers. These women are now helping to shape the future of WSU.

The words they use to describe first-gen students are: brave, pioneers, courageous, resourceful, ambitious, dedicated, driven, and resilient. They are descriptors that perfectly match their own aspirations and it is enlightening to learn about their journeys.

Sandra Haynes

Living close to her maternal grandparents, ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes spent a lot of time with her grandmother while growing up. They were very close. One evening when she was around eight years old, Haynes’ grandmother invited her to keep her company while she worked as a custodian in an office building. Haynes said they had the best conversations while she watched her grandmother dust, vacuum and sweep, and helped her empty the trash. In one fancy office, she remembers her grandmother pointing to a family portrait on the desk and asking, “Do you know what the difference is between this family and ours?” Unable to find a good response, she looked over at her grandmother who said it was education that set them apart.

“My grandmother didn’t have more than an eighth-grade education,” Haynes said. “I don’t think I fully understood the significance of what she said because I was so young, but that particular comment stuck with me throughout the years.”

Coming from a working-class family, Haynes’ primary goal after graduating from high school was finding a job to support herself. She was happy to find work as an administrative assistant in an engineering firm. One day she met a female engineer there and realized there are many more career options for women that went to college.

“I got to thinking that what my friend was doing was a lot more interesting than what I was doing,” she said.

To her family’s dismay, she quit her job at age 21, moved back in with her grandparents, and became a first-generation student at her local university. While navigating the higher education system and affording college was difficult, she credits some professors for recognizing her talent when she sometimes didn’t see it herself and took a special interest in her success.

Just a few nudges of encouragement here and there, and people providing her with research and job opportunities, made a big difference in her ability to keep advancing in school and in her career. Looking back, she is still amazed she is leading a university campus.

“At every turn I wondered if I had the ability to take the next step,” Haynes said. “It’s something that many first-gen students grapple with, and fortunately I had people along the way that taught me what’s possible in life.”

Paula Groves Price

Being a first-generation college student had such an impact on Paula Groves Price’s life, she said it drives almost everything she does in her role as associate dean for diversity and international engagement and professor in the College of Education. She is also the scholar in residence at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center.

“When I think about what I teach, the service that I do here, the research projects and grants I go after, it’s all connected to my background,” Groves Price said. “I want to help kids recognize that college is attainable, and once they get there, university programs exist to help them not only survive, but thrive.”

Unlike many first-generation students, Groves Price knew she wanted to go to college at a young age. Her family stressed the importance of education early and encouraged her to do well in school. She grew up in Southeast San Diego at a time when gang violence was escalating. It was then that her family made the decision to sell their house and move to an apartment in a safer and more affluent town nearby. It was a different world for Groves Price, the kind where students live in mansions with pools, drive expensive cars to school, and never worry about their safety. Once the culture shock wore-off she realized everyone at her new school was expected to go to college, and now having access to college prep classes, her dream of going to college suddenly seemed within reach.

Groves Price said it was a big accomplishment to enroll at University of California at Berkley, but as a first-generation student, her challenges were not over. She maintained a class-load of 22 credits while working 40 hours a week off campus and at a campus library to pay the bills. She said she may not have succeeded had it not been for the Professional Development Program. It was a program designed for underrepresented students taking large math classes that allowed participants to meet in smaller sections, study together, and even live together.

“It was very empowering,” Groves Price said. “Not only were we helped by amazing instructors who made us feel comfortable asking questions, we were around scholars and activists who were first-gen students themselves and I never felt out of place.”

Renny Christopher

In the late 1960’s and early 70’s students at campuses across the nation held demonstrations to protest the Vietnam War and advocate for civil rights. Some of those protests turned violent, like what happened at Kent State University where four students were killed in 1970. Renny Christopher, vice chancellor of academic affairs at WSU Vancouver, remembers a comment her mom made during her freshman year of high school.

“It must have been shortly after this incident that my mom told me she hoped the violence on campuses stopped by the time I went to college,” Christopher said. “It was the first time anyone said anything about college to me.”

Christopher grew up in a working-class family. Her dad was a carpenter and her mom a hairdresser. Despite attending an impoverished high school, she performed very well in her classes and caught the eye of one of the school counselors, who sent her to a local college recruitment fair. She helped guide her on applying for college and scholarships.

It was a proud moment when Christopher enrolled at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., aspiring to become a writer. The celebration was short-lived, however, when she dropped out during her second year.

“The college environment was so foreign to me and I experienced a great deal of culture shock,” she said. “I was academically unprepared.”

It took her four years of working as a typesetter before she decided to give Mills College another try. This time she discovered a program there called “Resumers” that was created to help older, first-generation students like Christopher. The rest is history. She graduated from Mills and went on to graduate school, never losing sight of her background along the way.

“I worked my way through graduate school helping my dad in construction,” Christopher said. “I would do construction in the morning and go to class in the afternoon wearing my work boots. I literally brought my working-class roots into the classrooms,” she said with pride.

Leila Harrison

The feeling of being a first-gen student doesn’t end when you apply for college. Leila Harrison, interim senior associate dean for student affairs, admissions, and recruitment at WSU’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, said there are new discoveries at every step, sometimes making the journey stressful, frustrating and exciting all at the same time.

“During every aspect of your college experience, you are a pioneer,” Harrison said. “You are putting yourself out there with a lot of unknowns and without a lot of guidance. That’s incredibly courageous.”

Harrison was primarily raised by her father, who worked as a civilian at a governmental missile range in New Mexico. She was born with a determined mind and always took the initiative to learn. She remembers her dad had an old math textbook buried in his closet. To help prepare for a math placement exam, she dug it out one day and began teaching herself algebra.

Her drive to succeed and create a better life for herself eventually led to her earning three full-ride scholarships for college, believing that was the only way she could attend. She attributes that same work ethic for providing her opportunities to attend graduate school, earn a doctoral degree, and keep advancing in her career, never dreaming she would one day be senior associate dean at a medical school.

“A lot of times first-gen students are unable to see beyond their knowledge base or experiences,” Harrison said. “It often takes someone to show them all the different kinds of careers that are out there for them so they can dream beyond what they know.”

Anna McLeod

Looking back at her college experience, things would have gone much smoother for Anna McLeod had she received more guidance along the way. She remembers being frustrated trying to navigate her way through the bureaucracy of a university, feeling too intimidated to see her advisors, and was unsure how to go about choosing a major. It is because of these challenges that she decided to pursue a career in student affairs. She serves as associate director for student services at WSU Everett.

“I really struggled finding my way in college,” McLeod said. “I changed my major a lot and when I found out my advisor was a faculty member, I was too scared to see them. I ended up trying to advise myself.”

While neither of McLeod’s parents went to college, they were very supportive when they learned of her interest in going. Her dad, an auto mechanic, even drove her around the state to visit universities. But once she decided Eastern Washington University was a good fit, her parents no longer knew how to help her. For the most part, she felt like she had to figure everything out on her own.

With WSU Everett’s first-generation student population making up 44 percent of the student body, McLeod says there is no reason first-gen students should feel alone there. Being a smaller campus, she said it is easier for students to find helpful connections and the faculty and staff can spend more time getting to know them. She encourages each student to own their story.

“Each of our students took their own unique path to higher education and I sense that some of them are a little ashamed of their backgrounds,” McLeod said. “I want them to own their stories and be proud of who they are.”

Laura Lavine

As a self-proclaimed nerdy smart kid from rural South Carolina, Laura Lavine had her sights set on going to college at an early age. She didn’t want to join the military like her father and many other relatives did to escape poverty. She wanted to forge her own path. Even though none of her family had gone to college, they knew that Lavine, the chair of WSU Pullman’s Entomology Department, would find her calling there.

Lavine enrolled in a small, rural school called Lander University in her grandparent’s hometown of Greenwood. Although she originally aspired to attend a larger university, it was Lander’s intimate atmosphere that allowed her to thrive and receive the personalized attention she needed as a first-generation student. It was there that a biology professor noticed her curiosity for learning and interest in teaching others. He encouraged her to go to graduate school which ultimately changed the course of her life.

“He took a special interest in me and became my mentor,” Lavine said. “It’s really interesting how one person can have so much impact.”

As smoothly as her undergraduate years went, Lavine almost dropped out during her first year of graduate school. Her graduate advisor provided little guidance and she found herself struggling in school for the first time in her life. That same year she attended a workshop that opened her eyes to the institutional barriers many females face in higher education.

“In graduate school it matters who you know, if you have access to a network, and if you have an advisor who will introduce you to people to help give you a leg up,” Lavine said. “Once I learned that many women are being denied these crucial things, I became an advocate for women in STEM–even before it was a cool thing to do, and it stayed with me to this day.”

Inspiring the next generation

These WSU leaders encourage today’s first-gen students to ask a lot of questions even if it feels uncomfortable at first, and make connections with students, faculty and staff that have similar backgrounds or express a desire to help. A common thread in each of their experiences is the impact mentoring played in their success.

Just as these WSU trailblazers did when they went to college and are still doing years later in their careers, first-generation students inspire new generations to give college a try. In her family, Groves Price described it as breaking the cycle of thinking high school is the end of the line for education.

“My college graduation was a big deal in my family as many of my nephews and nieces have now gone on to attend college,” Groves Price said. “It is more of an expectation that they go to college and they know they can call me whenever they have questions.”

SPOKANE, Wash.– The Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine recently announced the launch of Range Health, a non-profit academic health network designed to bring health care to Washington’s rural and underserved areas. The College of Medicine also unveiled the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit, the network’s first traveling health clinic.

Named for its intent to deliver care to all of Washington’s 39 counties with a nod to its rural emphasis, Range Health is a separate 501(c)(3) entity in partnership with WSU and the College of Medicine. The organization will provide prevention and wellness strategies, as well as treatment to patients across the state, focusing on communities where health care is limited. Leveraging its network of doctors, nurses and pharmacists, Range Health will increase access to health care while serving as a training ground for future doctors and health care providers.

“From the earliest days of the College of Medicine, we envisioned a time when we would not only educate medical students to become doctors in our rural and underserved communities but create new ways of delivering health care to the people of our state,” said John Tomkowiak, founding dean of the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine and chair of the board and ex officio director of Range Health. “Range Health fulfills this vision and, while there is a lot of work ahead to scale up, extend our reach and expand our offerings, we’re excited to take our first steps toward serving the communities that need us most.”

Range Health launches with its first mobile medical unit named for William A. Crosetto, a cattle rancher from Othello who passed away in January 2018. Known to friends as Bill, he worked with Innovia Foundation to create the William A. Crosetto Charitable Foundation to support medical education and rural health among other philanthropic interests. His legacy lives on in the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit, which will travel to rural and underserved communities to provide comprehensive primary care, urgent care procedures, and preventive screening for conditions such as diabetes, cholesterol, pregnancy, STDs, asthma and more. The unit is slated to begin providing services in January 2020.

As a Washington State College runner who went on to compete in the Olympics, Bill’s father had a significant impact on his life, but he was most proud of the legacies established by his uncles, Fred Hutchison, a famous baseball player and Dr. William Hutchinson, who founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as well as the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute.

“Bill was proud of his family’s legacy but often felt he lived in the shadow of his uncles, and yet his generosity in our region will have just as deep of an impact,” said Shelly O’Quinn, CEO of Innovia Foundation. “Bill wanted to ensure rural residents would have access to doctors in their hometown. His legacy will allow people to age in place in the communities they love.”

Led by executives from the colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Range Health and the William A. Crosetto Mobile Health Care Unit will initially focus on care from doctors and medical students with plans to expand across all health sciences disciplines in the future.

“Humankind is demanding solutions that support modern health care needs. Health care must be reimagined. With Range Health, we’re signaling steps taken to our larger vision of WSU Health—our initiative to advance health care across the Pacific Northwest,” said Daryll DeWald, WSU Health Sciences vice president and chancellor. “As education becomes more and more a critical component of health, WSU Health Sciences is uniquely equipped to embrace modern health care needs.”

True to its emphasis on bringing care to communities, Range Health will take its mobile unit on tour across the state in October. Sponsored by Banner Bank, the tour will travel to the college’s clinical campus sites in Vancouver, Everett and Tri-Cities where third-year medical students are now based full time for clinical training. All community members are encouraged to attend the tour events to see the mobile unit, meet locally based WSU students, and hear from WSU and Banner Bank leadership. Tour dates and locations include:

• Vancouver: Oct. 15 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank East Vancouver Branch 3100 SE 164^th
• Everett: Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank Everett Colby Branch 2531 Colby Everett Ave.
• Tri-Cities: Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at the Banner Bank Richland Branch 1221 Jadwin Ave.

“It is our pleasure to partner with WSU to bring this tour to each of their clinical campus communities,” said Mark Grescovich, President & CEO of Banner Bank. “Like WSU, Banner Bank serves communities all across Washington, including many rural areas that will directly benefit from the mobile medical care unit. We are excited to help shine a light on the important work of the medical school and Range Health.”

For more information visit the .

Media Contact

• Christina VerHeul, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, 509-368-6850, christina.verheul@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – recently signed an agreement with to explore educational opportunities for international collaboration in the field of wine science.

Valdemar Family Wine Estates has in both Walla Walla, Washington, and Rioja, Spain. It is the first non-American winery to establish a location in Walla Walla.

“We are delighted to forge an agreement with Valdemar Family Wine Estates, as it will provide extensive learning opportunities for students,” ���سԹ� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “These opportunities include internships, research and hands-on experiences that provide an in-depth look at the wine industry here and in Spain.”

The agreement specifically encourages the exploration of:

• Ways that international students could participate in experiential learning such as internships at Valdemar Family Wine Estates in Walla Walla, Washington, and in Rioja, Spain
• Ways to recruit Spanish students to the Tri-Cities and vice-versa
• Joint research efforts including grape and wine production
• Opportunities for collaborative programs relating to wine business professional development and related research programs

“There are two things that excite us the most about this partnership, and those are the possibility of giving local students an international experience in Rioja, which is something that will enhance their career, as well as the project bringing Rioja grapes, such as Maturana or White Tempranillo, something that would enrich the grape diversity of Washington state,” said Jesús Martínez Bujanda Mora, CEO of Valdemar.

André-Denis Girard Wright, dean of WSU’s College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resource Sciences, said Washington is the new epicenter of wine, and WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program fosters the state’s $4.8 billion wine industry with research, education and outreach.

“Partnering with Valdemar Estates, who pioneered the first internationally-owned winery in Walla Walla, brings global connections that are truly exciting for our students, scientists and wine industry partners,” he said.

Washington State University is a , featuring the state-of-the art and all-encompassing – one of only a handful of full-fledged wine science centers in the United States.

For more information about the wine science program at WSU, visit . For more information about Valdemar Family Wine Estates, visit .