Mar. 3, 2020 Voiland College This Week

Go Cougs!

Bioengineering students Jackson Rieb, Katie Lober and Sarah Schroeder were selected as finalists for the 2020 Northwest Entrepreneur Competition.

The 8th annual CrimsonCode Hackathon attracted 300 competitors.

The Daily Evergreen featured a story on Min-Kyu Song and his research team’s efforts to make a high-energy battery which forgoes the safety issues found in lithium-ion batteries.

Monish Mukherjee, K.J. Nitthilan and Rahul Jma were featured in the Daily Evegreen about their preparations for the upcoming Voiland College Three-Minute Thesis Competition on Thursday, March 5^th at 2pm in ETRL 101.

Crimson Robotics student club will compete on the TV show Battlebots.

WSU Everett student clubs are also very active this semester:

The Design Build Fly team will compete in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Design Build Fly contest this April in Wichita, Kan. Students must design, manufacture and demonstrate flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric-powered, radio-controlled aircraft.

Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) students will travel to Peoria, Ill., in June for a multi-day Baja SEA competition.

The Mars Rover team has passed multiple checkpoints in the University Rover Challenge to continue their path to competing in May in Hanksville, Utah, in 2021.

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Events

Tuesday, March 3

@ 11:00 AM ESIC Seminar: “Catching falling conductors in midair and nontraditional approach to generator measurements and model validation” – presented by Ceeman Vellaithurai and Kamal Garg, Schweitzer Engineering

Wednesday March 4

@ 9:10 AM EECS Colloquium: “System support for large-scale geospatial data analytics”

Thursday, March 5

@ 11:00 AM MME Seminar: “Materials under extreme conditions.”

@ 2:00 PM Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition.
Three Minute Thesis is a research communication competition challenging Ph.D. students to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance in three minutes or less to a non-technical audience.

Friday, March 6

@ 11 AM Prof. Hussein Zbib Memorial – CUB Jr. Ballroom.

@ 4:10 PM Porous media seminar series

Monday, March 9

@ 4:10 PM CHE 598 seminar: “Recent advances in ambient-pressure photoelectron spectroscopy: studying the reaction of 2-propanol on Sno2(110)”

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Opportunities

Kids’ Science and Engineering Day March 28

The Society of Women Engineers is excited to host the 11th annual Kids’ Science and Engineering Day! This year, KSED will take place on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m.-3:00 p.m., in the Smith Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE). Pre-register before Thursday, March 5, to reserve free youth-sized t-shirts!

VCEA Staff Excellence Awards – Nominations Due March 6

It is time to submit nominations for the VCEA Staff Excellence Awards! VCEA staff and faculty received their nominations forms from Chris Gass. Please scan the form electronically and email it back to chrisgass@wsu.edu.

IREACH Proposals Due March 10

The Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health is currently accepting applications for grants to foster research at Washington State University that will provide significant and innovative contributions to American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, LatinX, or rural health. Applications from faculty members in any discipline to fund research on health disparities impacting these populations are welcome.

Dedra Buchwald, MD, Director, IREACH, Clemma Muller, PhD, Methods Core Co-leader, and Caitlin Oberst, JD, Associate Director, IREACH, will conduct an application support meeting via Zoom on February 11 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Prospective applicants are encouraged, but not required, to attend.

Details for the February 11 Zoom meeting are as follows:
Zoom Link Meeting ID: 773 362 471

Science Fair Needs Judges

Pullman’s Franklin Elementary Science Fair needs Guest Scientists to review projects on Wednesday, March 25th from 2-3 pm and Thursday, March 26th from 2-3 pm. Sign up.

WSU President’s Teaching Academy – Apply by March 16

The WSU President’s Teaching Academy is asking for applications from prospective new members who are particularly strong advocates for teaching and learning at WSU.

NW CASC Graduate/Post-doc Fellowship Proposals Due March 16

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (NW CASC) invites proposals for its 2020-2021 Research Fellowship Program from graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. The program supports research related to climate adaptation for Northwest natural and cultural resource management and provides training in the principles and practices of co-producing decision-relevant science. The deadline to submit proposals is March 16.

Oaks Academic Technology Award – Nominations Due March 23

Nominations are now being accepted for the $3,000 Oaks Academic Technology Award, which recognizes a faculty member’s innovative application of an existing technology to transform teaching and learning in their classroom (face-to-face, online, videoconferencing).

Affordable Learning Grant Applications Due March 23

The Office of the Provost is offering Affordable Learning Grants to fund faculty exploration and adoption of affordable learning materials. Grants ranging from $1,500 to $4,500 are available for faculty at all levels and all WSU locations.

Smith Teaching and Learning Grants – Apply by March 23

Faculty with innovative ideas to enhance teaching and learning are encouraged to apply by March 23 for a Smith Teaching and Learning Grant of up to $5,000.

JCDREAM Symposium March 26

Hear from the minds at the cutting edge of battery technology, electric fuels, and materials science education. This year’s Symposium has the potential to create visible changes in Washington state policies, as well as making positive impacts on a national and global scale.

March 30: SURCA Judges Needed

SURCA is March 30 and we are currently seeking judges to spend 2 hours judging posters. Please plan to be available from 2:00 – 3:45 Monday March 30. Please sign up here at the SURCA website.

Digital Ag-athon April 2-3

Use cloud computing, the Microsoft Azure platform, satellite and other imagery to deliver agriculture-focused insights. Open to WSU students/postdocs/researchers from all backgrounds and campuses. Limited travel support available.

NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide FAQs Available

Now available! A new set of Current and Pending Support Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) (FAQs) that accompany the revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 20-1), effective June 1, 2020. The FAQs address policy questions related to the PAPPG clarifications to the current and pending support coverage, as well as questions regarding use of an NSF-approved format for current and pending support. The FAQs will be updated periodically as appropriate. If you have any questions regarding the 2020 PAPPG, please contact the DIAS/Policy Office by email at policy@nsf.gov.

The FIZ- Our Makerspace/Your Course Partner

Are you teaching a course that requires or could benefit from fabrication? If so, check out the FIZ’s Course Partnership website to get started, FIZ Course Partnerships.

Crimson Spirit Award

Have you noticed a WSU employee going out of their way to help a colleague or customer? Nominate them for the Crimson Spirit award to recognize their excellent service. Submit a nomination.

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Be Safe Cougs

Flu Prevention

There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

However, as a reminder, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available.

Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

For information about handwashing, see CDC’s Handwashing website.

For information specific to healthcare, see CDC’s Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings.

These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. CDC does have specific guidance for travelers.

WSU has set up a website to serve as the university’s central source of updates and information about COVID-19. Questions, suggestions and recommendations from the WSU community can be sent to COVID-19.info@wsu.edu.