Dec. 6, 2022 Voiland College This Week

Go Cougs!

Ayad Rahmani is one of the developers of a new certificate program being developed by an interdisciplinary team of WSU faculty in architecture, engineering, and the humanities.

Recent graduates Jhoana Avante and Prem Jongdeenarn received an American Institute of Architects Northwest and Pacific Region citation award for their design entry that was developed as a final project in the graduate design studio led by Maryam Mansoor.

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Events

Tuesday, December 6 @ 5PM in Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center

Gateway Project – Students in architecture, landscape architecture, and interior design will present their interdisciplinary projects and will feature conceptual master plans that envision ways to connect the WSU campus to downtown Pullman. This class project is designed to enhance the town-gown connection.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to attend.

Save The Date

Dec. 10: WSU Pullman Commencement

Dec. 13-14: WSU Pullman Town Hall Sessions

Feb. 6-7: Spring Career Expo

March 27: Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (SURCA)

Apr. 14: Voiland College Convocation

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Opportunities

President’s Employee Excellence Awards – Nominations Due Dec. 8

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2022–2023 President’s Employee Excellence Awards.

The award is presented annually to recognize outstanding contributions by WSU administrative professionals and classified employees. Staff at all WSU locations are eligible to be nominated for this award. Award criteria include outstanding contributions made by the employee regarding the productivity of the university; innovative problem-solving; positive working relations, and university and community service. Award recipients each receive $2,500 and will be recognized at the annual Showcase event to be held in the spring of 2023.

LIFT Faculty Fellows Program- Apply by Dec. 15

The LIFT Faculty Fellows Program focuses on implementing pedagogical and behavioral innovations to increase academic success, develop students’ life skills and resilience, and transform the educational experience at WSU for all students. This system-wide program is designed to support instructors in integrating research-based teaching methods that have been shown to improve students’ engagement, connection, and learning; decrease course withdrawal and fail rates; and increase retention.

Showcase 2023 – Abstracts Due Jan 18

Each year Academic Showcase and the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) Research Exposition celebrate original scholarship, research, and creative expression across WSU’s academic community. Abstracts are due January 18.

SURCA 2023 Applications Open to Undergraduates Through Feb. 21

Washington State University undergraduates can submit abstracts from Dec. 5 through Feb. 21 to present their research, scholarships, and creative activities on March 27 at the 2023 Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA).

WSU Undergraduate Research Awards – Apply by Jan 20

Washington State University undergraduate students can apply online now through Jan. 20, 2023 for any of seven awards to support their mentored undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities in academic year 2023-24.

Supporting First-Gen Students

Did you know that more than 30 percent of WSU students are the first in their family to attend college?

Here are some tips on how faculty and staff can support first-gen Cougs.

PNNL-WSU Distinguished Graduate Research Program – Apply by Feb. 13

The WSU Office of Research, the WSU Graduate School, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are pleased to announce the call for applications (PDF) for the seventh cohort of the Distinguished Graduate Research Program (DGRP). Incoming students are nominated jointly by a WSU faculty and a PNNL scientist.

Interested co-advisors from WSU and PNNL should submit a joint-DGRP application online by Nov. 18 for priority consideration. Advisor applications have a hard deadline of Feb. 13, 2023.

The DGRP is intended to increase the quality and quantity of STEM doctoral students across the WSU system, while providing an enhanced research experience by aligning WSU faculty, students, and PNNL scientists with the unique capabilities and research programs at PNNL. Students in the DGRP are funded by their WSU and PNNL advisors, not by the DGRP.

For more information, please visit PNNL-WSU Distinguished Graduate Research Program, or email DGRP@wsu.edu.

Study in Sweden! Apply by Jan. 31

Computer science, data analytics, and engineering majors- are you interested in studying abroad? Next fall semester, seven WSU undergraduate students will have the opportunity to participate in a pioneering exchange program with Sweden’s Linköping University. Each participating student will also receive a $12,000 fellowship. To learn more about this exciting new program and apply, visit the WSU Europe Laboratory website.

GPSA Dissertation Grant – Apply Today

The Awards and Scholarships Committee offers dissertation grants to support the research needs of WSU Ph.D. students. These grants will be awarded on a rolling basis to help cover expenses generated as students work to complete their dissertation projects.

Nominate a Colleague for the Crimson Spirit Award

Do you know a WSU employee who is exceptionally creative in problem-solving or who consistently goes above and beyond? Nominate that WSU employee for the Crimson Spirit Award today!

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We’re Hiring!

Voiland College is hiring for several staff and faculty positions.

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Be Safe Cougs

Safe Campus Environment

Washington State University is committed to preventing campus violence and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all faculty, staff, students, and/or visitors. Here is a list of resources available to ensure safety on all of our campuses.

WSU Pullman offers a variety of security services to students and employees. Cougar Safe Rides provides safe transportation to and from campus most nights. Call or text WSU-267-SAFE (978-267-7233) to arrange a free ride. The WSU Police Cadet Corp offers a free foot escort service to and from campus most evenings. Call 509-432-2328 for details.

If you are on campus and need immediate help, look for one of the many emergency blue light telephones located around the area. Push the button and you are directly connected to the Whitcom 911 Communications Center.

Pullman Seasonal Preparedness

Building Temperatures

Facilities Services in Pullman plans to continue the slight building temperature setbacks initially implemented during the pandemic. The targeted setpoints will keep most spaces between 65F–68F. Those spaces identified in previous years that require setpoints higher than this range (e.g., certain labs, health care spaces) will not be affected and will remain at their adjusted setpoints. The goal of these temperature adjustments is to help offset higher energy costs and lessen the impact on the central utility budget. These slight adjustments to the setpoints provided nearly $1 million in savings in utility costs last year. You may not need supplemental heat for your area, but if you do please follow the buying and use guidelines for space heaters.

Snow/Ice

If an area is slick with ice or snow, please contact 509-335-9000.

The largest cause of injury at WSU is from slips, trips and falls. With winter weather comes ice and snow. Please be extra cautious when navigating metal areas such as grates, street crossings and curbs, and high traffic areas with compact snow or ice. If you find an area that is a hazard, please call it in at 509-335-9000 or notify Dar Neunherz at 509-335-3783.

Weather Impacts

High winds, freezing rain, and heavy snow events tend to cause power outages, and can close highways.

We are also still seeing supply chain disruptions that can be exacerbated by winter weather and storms.

Please prepare your vehicles, homes, and work areas to keep you safe while traveling, sheltering in place, or during periods of limited supply.

Laboratory Preparedness

A power failure is one of the most likely emergency situations at WSU and depending on what you are operating can create a high-risk situation quickly. Please exercise caution in your emergency preparation planning around a power failure. Note: VCEA has no buildings with backup power. When the power goes out power outlets do not work, hoods do not work, the air systems shut down, and elevators halt. (For PACCAR occupants’ toilets will also not flush – the building’s water reclamation system provides the toilets with water but does not operate in a power outage.) The only systems that consistently work in a power failure are emergency lights, fire alarms, and emergency fire sprinklers. WSU does have generators, but they are only used for an extended power loss, and only certain areas of campus may be brought online with the generators.

Water Outage: While it is not typical, there are occasions that a building’s water will go down. This might affect equipment or areas that are water cooled or systems that are on the DI water.

Procurement Delay: Many supply and distribution chains are experiencing delays, interruption, or back-orders. If you have supplies that are critical to operating your lab, please plan appropriately.

Emergency Contacts

In the event of a life-threatening emergency please call 911.

In the event of a security or safety concern please contact the WSU Safety Services office at 509-335-1380.

In the event of a facility issue (such as a water leak) please call Facilities Services at 509-335-9000.

In the event of a lab safety issue please contact Environmental Health & Safety at 509-335-3041 or as appropriate the Office of Radiation Safety at 509-335-8916.

For any concern, please feel free to contact the VCEA Director of Facilities Operations and Safety Services directly at 509-335-3783 or 509-432-1649.

Cyber Security Awareness Training- Complete by Jan. 31

Following updates to university Executive Policy, all active WSU employees, including faculty, student employees, and temporary hourly, are required to complete annual cyber security awareness training by Jan. 31, 2023. Visit Human Resource Service’s new learning platform Skillsoft Percipio to complete cyber security awareness training.