{"id":11277,"date":"2026-04-14T08:13:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/?p=11277"},"modified":"2026-04-20T09:23:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:23:30","slug":"apr-14-2026-voiland-college-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/2026\/04\/14\/apr-14-2026-voiland-college-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Apr. 14, 2026 Voiland College This Week"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Go Cougs !<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jeannine Burke&nbsp;<\/strong>received&nbsp;a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/hrs.wsu.edu\/jeannine-burke-receives-2026-crimson-spirit-award\/\">Crimson Spirit Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A new study\u00a0from\u00a0<strong>Susmita Bose\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<strong>Amit Bandyopadhyay<\/strong>\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0that <a href=\"https:\/\/news.wsu.edu\/press-release\/2026\/04\/07\/turmeric-ginger-extract-shows-benefits-for-bone-implants\/\">compounds from turmeric and ginger can be effective supplements to cutting-edge medical treatment<\/a>.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers led by&nbsp;<strong>Xinghui&nbsp;Zhao<\/strong>\u202fand graduate assistant&nbsp;<strong>Ishparsh&nbsp;Uprety<\/strong>\u202fdemonstrated that a small, affordable \u201cedge\u201d computer running a compressed large-language model&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/news\/small-edge-computer-could-help-self-driving-cars-operate-in-rural-areas\">could enable self-driving cars to make real-time decisions<\/a>&nbsp;in rural areas with limited connectivity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emeritus professor&nbsp;<strong>Paul Hirzel<\/strong>&nbsp;received the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Inland Northwest Architectural Foundation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A research team\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.wsu.edu\/news\/2026\/04\/09\/wsu-researchers-test-ai-driven-spectral-imaging-for-identifying-recyclable-plastics\/?utm_source=WSUNews-enewsletter&amp;utm_campaign=wsunewsenewsletter&amp;utm_medium=email\">developed a highly accurate plastic-sorting method<\/a>\u00a0using hyperspectral imaging and machine learning, with key contributions from lead author\u00a0<strong>Maria Paula Garcia-Tovar<\/strong>\u00a0and co-authors <strong>Macy<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>Christianson, Luis de la Torre<\/strong>, and\u00a0<strong>John Miller,<\/strong>\u00a0offering a promising path to improve recycling efficiency and reduce landfill waste.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">VCEA Attention Grabbers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Fernanda Amaral<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>Kate Barnes<\/strong>, <strong>Elena Gentry<\/strong>,\u202fand&nbsp;<strong>Nicole Leavitt<\/strong>&nbsp;recently received&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/attention-grabbers\/\">recognition from their colleagues<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wsu.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_1HvzIixWwhr9nsq\">Nominate a Voiland College peer<\/a> who has gone above and beyond in their work to create a positive culture! Nominees will be entered in a drawing for Ferdinand\u2019s Grabbers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wednesday, Apr. 15<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/cougsgive.wsu.edu\/giving-day\/108001\/set\/8145\">#CougsGive<\/a>: Since 2015, supporters of #CougsGive \u2013 WSU\u2019s annual day of giving \u2013 has generously contributed $5.6 million in support of scholarships, research, programs, innovative learning, leadership development, student activities, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday, Apr. 17 @ 10:30 AM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/the-school-of-mechanical-and-materials-engineering-seminar-series-the-untapped-and-rapidly-approaching-opportunities-for-ai-enabled-manufacturing-in-a-new-digital-and-cyberphysical-world\/\">The School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering Seminar Series<\/a>, \u201cThe Untapped and Rapidly Approaching Opportunities for AI enabled Manufacturing in a new Digital and&nbsp;Cyberphysical&nbsp;World\u201d Presented by Dr. Thomas R. Kurfess&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Monday, Apr. 20 @ 4:10 PM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/che-598-seminar-pushing-actinides-to-the-limit-bonding-and-reactivity-at-extreme-oxidation-states\/\">CHE 598 Seminar<\/a>:&nbsp;Pushing Actinides to the Limit: Bonding and Reactivity at Extreme Oxidation&nbsp;StatesSpark&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tuesday, Apr. 21 @ 1:10 PM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/cyser-virtual-seminar-hardware-ip-protection-reliability-solutions-in-a-fully-transparent-world\/\">CySER&nbsp;Virtual Seminar<\/a>: Hardware IP Protection &amp; Reliability Solutions in a Fully Transparent World&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Friday, Apr. 24 @ 5:30 PM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/engineering-and-technology-management-spring-2026-tri%e2%80%91cities-handshake-reception\/\">Engineering and Technology Management Spring 2026<\/a> Tri-Cities Handshake Reception&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Monday, Apr. 27 @ 4:10 PM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/che-598-seminar-alkane-oxidation-on-iro2110-mechanistic-insights-and-surface-tuning\/\">CHE 598 Seminar<\/a>: Alkane Oxidation on IrO2(110): Mechanistic Insights and Surface Tuning&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tuesday, Apr. 28 @ 10:30 AM&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/events.wsu.edu\/event\/2026-ensor-lectureship-presented-by-dr-james-j-collins-massachusetts-institute-of-technology\/\">2026 ENSOR Lectureship<\/a>:&nbsp;presented by Dr. James J. Collins, Massachusetts Institute of Technology&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Upcoming Events<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/upcoming-events\/\">Full listing of Voiland College events.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-callout wsu-border--color-pacificsky wsu-spacing-before--large wsu-color-background--gray-5\" >\r\n    <h2 class=\"wsu-callout__title\">\r\n        Event Promotion    <\/h2>    \n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Putting on an Event?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/communications\/\">VCEA Communications<\/a>&nbsp;has some <a href=\"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/communications\/event-promotion-tips\/\">event promotion tips<\/a> on how to utilize college resources and get people to your event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Share Your Event<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to list your event on a Voiland College website, this newsletter, or our weekly student newsletter? <a href=\"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/communications\/creating-calendar-events\/\">Follow these steps!<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI Workship May 11-13&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The&nbsp;VCEA 3-day faculty workshop focused on teaching, research and the effective use of AI in academic settings. This workshop is designed to provide practical strategies and tools that you can immediately apply to strengthen your teaching, enhance your research productivity, and integrate AI into your work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Location:\u202fWSU Pullman campus (Zoom option available)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>May 11: Teaching&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May 12: Research&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>May 13: AI Foundations &amp; GenAI for Research and Daily Tasks&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Faculty and staff may register for individual days (morning, afternoon, or full day) or attend all three days.\u202f However, you are strongly encouraged to attend the full workshop to gain the greatest benefit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each day will include interactive sessions, hands-on components, and opportunities to engage with colleagues across VCEA.\u202f We request that you&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wsu.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_3qJIPmivw1vN8I6\">complete your registration\u202fby April 29<\/a> to assist in space planning and catering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Apply by Apr. 15: Summer Program in AI Research, Education, and Mentoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/labs.wsu.edu\/cimpi\/education-outreach\/\">Computational Intelligence for Materials and Process Innovation (CIMPI) Lab<\/a> at Washington State University is offering the Summer Program in Research, Education, and Mentoring (SUPREME). <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSc8xvGkSWNxBM0-ujeqfL1hJ5TI2YqioeVLJ2Qrd3tunnX8ng\/viewform\">Apply now for a free, 2-week summer course on AI in Manufacturing<\/a>. Designed for undergraduate students, this program provides hands-on tutorials, project-based learning, small class sizes, and expert mentorship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Apr. 17: WAZZU Car Reveal&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.wsu.edu\/announcements\/wazzu-racing-car-reveal\/\">Wazzu&nbsp;Racing<\/a>&nbsp;is one of the largest engineering clubs at the WSU\u202fPullman campus. Each year, members of the team design and build a formula-style race car, which is then taken to international competitions to compete against other universities. On Friday, April\u202f17, from 5\u20137\u202fp.m. in the CUB Junior Ballroom, the club will host an event showcasing the new race car for this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital Accessibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All WSU employees who create and publish digital content (such as email, documents, multimedia, and websites) are responsible for making sure their digital content is accessible and provides an inclusive experience. WSU&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/wsu.edu\/digital-accessibility\/\">Digital Accessibility website<\/a> provides assessment, resources, and support to help make your <a href=\"https:\/\/wsu.edu\/digital-accessibility\/get-started\/glossary\/digital-content-and-technology\/\">digital content and technology<\/a> accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Nominate a Colleague for the Crimson Spirit Award<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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 <a href=\"https:\/\/hrs.wsu.edu\/recognition\/crimson-spirit-award\/\">Crimson Spirit Award<\/a> today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-callout wsu-border--color-vineyard wsu-spacing-before--xxlarge\" >\r\n    <h2 class=\"wsu-callout__title\">\r\n        Send Us Your News    <\/h2>    \n\n<p>Include your kudos, opportunities, events, and more in the <em>Voiland College This Week<\/em> newsletter for employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DEADLINE: <\/strong>Submit items by 12 pm Thursday for inclusion in the following Tuesday newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta \" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"mailto:VCEA.News@wsu.edu\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button  wsu-button--style-action\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\tEmail VCEA.News@wsu.edu\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jeannine Burke and Paul Hirzel won awards. Research spans medical treatment, AI cars, and recycling. Check out what\u2019s happening this week at Voiland College!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[412],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11277"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11294,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277\/revisions\/11294"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11277"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=11277"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vcea.wsu.edu\/faculty-staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=11277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}