RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities, the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion and the Ģ������Ƶ Career Center will be hosting a Women in STEM event on Thursday, March 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. on the Ģ������Ƶ campus in the East Auditorium and via Zoom.

The event features a panel of multiple women in various STEM-related fields discussing their experiences, obstacles and accomplishments. The panelists include Kimberly Harper, a physical scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest Site Office located at Pacific Northwest Laboratory; Jenny Kadinger, engineering manager at Washington River Protection Solutions and Carina Ocampo, Ģ������Ƶ adjunct professor of science and an environmental scientist with Central Plateau Cleanup Company.

Kauser Gwaduri, Ģ������Ƶ student services coordinator with the MOSAIC Center for Student Inclusion and one of the organizers of the event said, “It is vital that we have events such as ‘Women in STEM’ because STEM fields still have a long way to go for gender equality. Women and other genders bring important skills, perspectives, and innovative ideas to their companies, and organizations will only grow from hiring more diverse populations. Before we can get to hiring, we need our students to know that STEM careers ARE a possibility for them and that professionals are there to help guide the way.”

The event is open to Ģ������Ƶ and CBC students, staff, and faculty and the public. Registration is required to attend in-person and via Zoom. Please contact TriCities.Mosaic@wsu.edu for any questions.

Ģ������Ƶ fine art students paint a mural they designed at Marcus Whitman Elementary school in Richland, WA: Razan Osman, Silvia Gomez-Hernandez, Steph Osorio, Carola Garcia-Mendez, Liz Jimenez, Elizabeth Yanes, Shanna Conner, Kali Cornwell, & Iratze Lomeli.

RICHLAND, WA – A group of fine arts students from Washington State University Tri-Cities brought the local landscape and inspiring words for students to life in a mural they designed for Marcus Whitman Elementary School.

Dustin Regul, fine arts professor at Ģ������Ƶ said, “The purpose for this project was to bring art to the community and add to the aesthetic culture of the Tri-Cities. Plus, it was a great opportunity for students to get experience developing a public installation from concept to completion.”

The mural is located on the grounds of Marcus Whitman Elementary School in Richland. The Ģ������Ƶ students came up with the design which features elements of the local landscape and a book filled with inspirational quotes collected from teachers who work at the school. The project took place during the spring semester and included approximately five meetings and two, eight-hour workdays to complete. In addition to the collaboration with the school, Griggs Ace Hardware made significant contributions to this project as well.

Regul initiated the project but said it was the hard work and dedication of the students that made it happen. “This is our first mural, and we hope to make this a yearly thing. In the fall we’ll look at planning one at another school.” Regul said.

Learn more about creative arts programs offered at Ģ������Ƶ on the College of Arts and Sciences website.

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

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.

CPJ6DF Parade of the youth group of the German-American Bund on Long Island, 1936

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 Ģ������Ƶ, 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, Ģ������Ƶ 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.”

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities celebrated the opening of its first fully state-funded academic building in over 30 years as part of a ribbon cutting celebration on Sept. 22.

Students study in the atrium of Collaboration Hall at Ģ������Ƶ.

The grand opening of Collaboration Hall featured remarks from university leaders, light refreshments and open tours of the building.

Hands-on, career-relevant learning

The building, which officially opened on the first day of fall classes this year, features a range of state-of-the-art science teaching laboratories, three large interactive classrooms, study and collaborative areas, an open atrium ideal for presentations and events, as well as an outdoor amphitheater that seats 100.

Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes said the building was designed and constructed with student success in mind.

“Being a STEM-focused campus, this building, complete with labs specific to the full array of science disciplines, will enhance students’ education, resulting in graduates even more prepared to meet the demands of the workforce,” she said. “At Ģ������Ƶ, we partner with a range of companies and organizations that contribute to groundbreaking research, technology development and overall community growth. As signified in its name, this building will help further academic and industry collaboration and truly help prepare our students for future careers rooted in regional needs.”

The teaching laboratories featured in the building include:

• A physics laboratory
• Two biology laboratories
• A chemistry laboratory
• An anatomy and physiology laboratory
• An environmental science laboratory
• An innovation and design laboratory

Early construction on Collaboration Hall at Ģ������Ƶ.

Funded by state and local support

The construction of Collaboration Hall was made possible by $3 million in design funding and $27 million in construction funding from the Washington state Legislature.

In addition to state allocations, financial contributions have been made by university leadership by naming study, collaborative and learning spaces:

• WSU President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz | Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge
• Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes | Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students
• WSU Regent Lura Powell and Art King | Lura Powell and Art King Lounge – Supporting First-Generation and Underserved Students and STEM

The following individuals and organizations also committed to naming seating on the grand staircase located in the atrium of Collaboration Hall. The naming of each step pays tribute to Ģ������Ƶ students and the regional community:

• Washington River Protection Solutions | “Investing today for the challenges of tomorrow”
• Central Plateau Cleanup Company | “Building our future workforce step by step”
• Patrick and Tia Jensen | “In honor of first-generation students”
• Phil and Diane Ohl | Ohl Family Foundation | “We always find our way back home, Go Cougs!”

Haynes said the Ģ������Ƶ campus community is incredibly grateful for the generous state, private and organizational support.

“It’s a stunning and functional space that, as a result of our state and community contributions, is one of the most valuable assets for our campus in fulfilling our educational mission,” she said.

An anatomy lab in Collaboration Hall at Ģ������Ƶ.

Serving community needs

Collaboration Hall lives up to Ģ������Ƶ’ historical roots. The Tri-Cities campus dates back to the 1940s when it began as the General Electric School of Nuclear Engineering to provide educational advancement to engineers and others working at the Hanford Nuclear Site amid the Manhattan Project. Collaboration Hall was constructed to provide an educational space that would prepare regional students for current and future regional, state and national needs.

Kirk and Noel Schulz, both engineers, said the building is a prime example of a facility that capitalizes on WSU’s land-grant mission of providing exceptional learning, research and community service.

“For a campus that thrives in providing excellent STEM education, Collaboration Hall at Ģ������Ƶ is a fantastic place for students to learn, grow and excel, all in partnership with our regional industry,” Kirk Schulz said. “We want to thank the Washington state Legislature and the many individuals and organizations that made this facility a reality. It is a space where students will learn foundational and practical skills that will be applied to serve regional, state and national needs.”

For more information on Collaboration Hall, visit tricities.wsu.edu/collaborationhall.

Those interested in providing a gift or naming a space in the building should contact Jaime Heppler, Ģ������Ƶ senior director of development, at 509-372-7207 or jaime.heppler@wsu.edu.

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

RICHLAND, Wash. – A Washington State University Tri-Cities history professor is part of a history film focusing on the Manhattan Project that was recently in the category of “Outstanding Daytime Non-Fiction Special.”

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the Ģ������Ƶ Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, chats with Sara Cassin, a student from Delta High School, in front of the B Reactor at the Hanford Nuclear Site as part of a video shoot for the Daytime Emmy-nominated film “The Manhattan Project Electronic Field Trip.”

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the Ģ������Ƶ Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, was one of a handful of talent that starred in “” produced by based out of New Orleans. The project focuses on the three major sites that were instrumental in the Manhattan Project, which developed the technology and produced the plutonium and uranium for the world’s first atomic bombs: Hanford, Washington; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The 70-minute film, which is also , has been shown to middle schools and high schools across the country throughout the last year, exploring the science, sites and stories of the creation of the atomic bomb.

Franklin, with his role and expertise on Hanford as part of the Ģ������Ƶ Hanford History Project, was approached about participating in the project in 2019. That summer, crew from the National WWII Museum traveled to all three sites, using a local high school student as the host for each site and referencing local experts in the region on the history of each site as part of the film. Franklin had the opportunity to not only voice his expertise on the site as part of the film, but also provided input to the script.

Sara Cassin, a student from Delta High School, was selected as the local student host, who, with Franklin, led filmmakers through the B Reactor, the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor, as well as other historical landmarks and buildings located at Hanford.

Robert Franklin (right), assistant director of the Ģ������Ƶ Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, chats with Sara Cassin (center), a student from Delta High School, at the old Hanford High School on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation as part of a video shoot for the Daytime Emmy-nominated film “The Manhattan Project Electronic Field Trip.”

Franklin said even with the excellent production of the project, neither he, nor any of the members of the crew or other talent, anticipated they would be nominated for a Daytime Emmy for the project.

“I was kind of in shock when I found out,” he said. “Really, I was just a small part of the project – it was the folks at the museum who organized it, wrote the script and packaged the whole thing. But I am honored to have participated in it. I never thought I would say that I was in something that was nominated for an Emmy. It’s not a sentence I ever thought I would say.”

Franklin said to be part of a project that is now recognized with such a prestigious award is an incredible honor. He said working at Ģ������Ƶ and bringing the knowledge he has gained and cultivated about the Manhattan Project, and specifically Hanford history, to students and the public is his dream job.

“Being able to teach in the classroom and bring what we’re doing with the Hanford History Project to students and further cement my role as a historian means the world to me,” he said. “The film was such a great project to be involved with. It’s such an incredible way to engage students and the public, and it’s just really well-done. It was such an honor to be a part of and apply even a small part of my work as a historian to the project.”

The will air at 8 p.m. Friday, June 25, on CBS. It will also be available on-demand and via streaming.

Media contacts:

Robert Franklin, assistant director of the Ģ������Ƶ Hanford History Project and teaching assistant professor of history, robert.franklin@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

President and First Lady Schulz, Chancellor Haynes hope their investments will inspire others to support new building on Tri-Cities campus

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

WSU President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University President Kirk Schulz and First Lady Noel Schulz, and Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes, are the first to donate for naming rights for the new state-of-the-art academic building currently being constructed at Ģ������Ƶ. The building is on-schedule to open this fall.

Kirk and Noel Schulz committed $50,000 in funding to name the “Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge.” Haynes, a first-generation college graduate, donated $25,000 to name the “Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students.”

Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes

The state-funded academic building features eight science teaching laboratories, two large active learning classrooms, a large open-concept atrium ideal for presentations and events and a variety of study and collaborative areas. As a late addition to the exterior, the building will also house an outdoor amphitheater.

The WSU leaders hope their contributions will inspire others to follow in their footsteps and give to support the new building, which stands to prepare students for future careers in the sciences, health and medicine, engineering and other technical fields that are critical to the growing Tri-Cities region.

“Donating to this building is an investment in our students’ futures, and by doing so, contributing to the future of our region,” Haynes said. “I hope others will join us in contributing to this building.”

Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge

The Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge will provide greater access to academic and student support services and a dedicated beyond-the-classroom space for faculty and students to meet and collaborate.

Noel and Kirk Schulz Academic Support Lounge digital rendering

“My wife, Dr. Schulz, is spending two weeks a month in the Tri-Cities working with Ģ������Ƶ, working with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on the Advanced Grid Institute and helping the engineering program and the Tri-Cities grow and thrive,” Kirk Schulz said. “As the new building was coming up, we were talking to people about making investments and naming opportunities and Noel came home and said, ‘Hey, I think we should participate in this. Given what is taking place in the Tri-Cities, this would be a really opportune time.“

Kirk Schulz said the Tri-Cities is a hub for STEM education, with reputable expertise in energy, agriculture and environmental sciences. Earlier this year, Ģ������Ƶ announced it would be launching a new institute centered on energy and the environment. The campus is also a part of three focusing on nuclear science and technology, advanced grid and bioproducts.

“We want to help take the building to the next level through our support of the faculty and student support lounge,” Noel Schulz said. “It’s really about all of us chipping in to make WSU, as a whole, better.”

Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students

Chancellor Sandra Haynes understands the significance of being the first in her family to go to college, like so many Ģ������Ƶ students. More than 40% of Ģ������Ƶ students are the first in their family to attend college.

Sandra Haynes Collaboration Space in Honor of First-Generation Students digital rendering

Haynes said her investment and dedication of the collaboration space celebrates first-generation students and serves as a reminder that, on the other side of adversity, is success.

“It is so important to make sure that those students feel very supported throughout their college careers,” Haynes said. “They are taking a leap of faith and they are doing something that no one in their family has done, before. I’m contributing to this building because I want our students to be able to learn in a state-of-the-art facility with state-of-the-art equipment. It feels great to be giving back to the campus that has given so much.”

Haynes said the new building will be significant in growing the campus’ STEM-focused programs and curriculum, which stand to benefit regional industry.

“The industries in this region are highly STEM-focused,” she said. “This building will benefit regional industry by providing well-prepared graduates in these fields and welcoming regional companies and organizations in for shared experiences ranging from presentations, to partnerships for projects and more.”

Naming opportunities and other support

Mike Connell, acting vice president and CEO of the , said when WSU leaders choose to make personal investments in the future of the university, they are truly leading by example.

“The most recent investments by the Schulzes and Chancellor Haynes will open doors for students at Ģ������Ƶ while inspiring others to join their lead in adding to WSU’s already world-class student experience,” he said.

For more information on the new Ģ������Ƶ academic building and naming opportunities, contact Jaime Heppler at Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu or by phone at 817-243-6019.

For more information about the new Ģ������Ƶ academic building and to access a virtual tour. visit tricities.wsu.edu/academic-building.

Media contacts:

Jaime Heppler, Ģ������Ƶ senior director of development, 817-243-6019 (cell), Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

Student finds passion for multimedia arts as result of experiences at BMCC and Ģ������Ƶ

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

RICHLAND, Wash. – When thinking about what college choice would be best for him, Hermiston native and future first-generation college student Kyle Kopta knew he wanted to stay close to home. It was a decision that would allow him to save money, but also gradually expand his network.

Kyle Kopta, Ģ������Ƶ digital technology and culture alumnus, works on a computer in the Mac lab at Ģ������Ƶ.

As a student, he completed the first year of his associate’s degree through as part of the program, which helped him save a year on costs of tuition and provided him with gradual entry into the college setting.

“It was a perfect fit for me, as it allowed me to meet my lower division general education requirements and quickly transfer as a junior to any institution of my choosing,” he said.

While at BMCC, Kopta said he enjoyed being near family while still maintaining that hometown environment. The community aspect, he said, was one of his favorite parts.

“It had a hometown feel where everyone knew each other,” he said. “It felt like an extension of the surrounding community, rather than being separate from it.”

When deciding what four-year university he wanted to pursue, affordability and proximity to family remained primary factors, in addition to his career interest in the multimedia arts. He discovered that Washington State University Tri-Cities, located just 40 minutes from Hermiston in Richland, Washington, had a digital technology and culture program. The program would allow him to apply his passion for photography, video, graphic design and fine arts as part of a well-rounded degree that had eventual outlets for a variety of career paths.

Seamless transfer to Ģ������Ƶ

The transfer process between the two institutions, Kopta said, was seamless. He said with his AAOT degree, everything transferred to Ģ������Ƶ without any problems.

“My experiences at BMCC laid the groundwork for helping me navigate higher education, in general,” he said. “As I moved to Washington and began my Ģ������Ƶ journey, I felt well-equipped to tackle anything that came my way.”

Preparing for future career in multimedia arts

Kyle Kopta, Ģ������Ƶ digital technology and culture alumnus, takes a photo along the river at the Ģ������Ƶ campus.

Through digital technology and culture courses at Ģ������Ƶ, Kopta learned the fundamentals of a wide variety of multimedia skills, ranging from graphic design, to video production, to sound editing, to photography, to typography and more. He said he enjoyed that the program didn’t put his passions into a single box.

“The digital technology and culture program here at Ģ������Ƶ ended up being the next logical step for me in my career,” he said. “I was attracted to the multidisciplinary nature of the program because I knew it would allow me to explore all the things that interested me, simultaneously. Other programs were rigid in their approach, but the digital technology and culture program would allow me to explore all my options as an artist, designer and working professional in the field.”

At Ģ������Ƶ, Kopta became involved with a wide variety of hands-on experiences and student organizations. He helped curate student exhibits and display his own work through a variety of art shows and symposiums on-campus. He served as part of the Associated Students of Ģ������Ƶ as its graphic designer. He lent his skills in the multimedia arts as a teacher’s assistant and tutor for the campus’ digital technology and culture program, in addition to serving on the Washington State Arts Commission. He also currently serves as an intern through the Ģ������Ƶ marketing and communication office.

This spring, Kopta also had the opportunity to create and curate a that allowed users to virtually walk through a digital gallery space to view student art, just as one would during non-COVID-19 times. It is those sorts of experiences, he said, that proved to be true highlights of his college career.

“Being able to see and experience all of the work our Coug community is doing is always my favorite,” he said. “The people I am surrounded by are constantly engaging in such important and innovative work. I never know what to expect from my peers, and that’s the best part.”

Saving on costs

Throughout his college journey, Kopta received several scholarships, including the Ģ������Ƶ Douglas P. Gast Scholarship in memory of his late digital technology and culture professor. Kopta said he was honored to receive such a significant award that honored his late professor.

This past year as part of his senior year, Ģ������Ƶ also launched the I-82 Advantage program, which now allows students from Umatilla County to attend Ģ������Ƶ for in-state tuition rates. Kopta was able to save even more on tuition.

Looking toward the future

After graduating this past spring, Kyle is staying on as a student intern through the summer in the Ģ������Ƶ marketing and communication office.

His experience both at BMCC and Ģ������Ƶ, he said, helped him not only navigate the college setting successfully, but also find his future career. As a result of his experience, he hopes to pursue a career in marketing, specifically working in higher education, where he can help other students find their future interests and careers.

“Marketing allows me to work in design, photography and video, simultaneously,” he said. “I would also love to continue working in a higher education setting. Collaborating with different groups of people on all different sorts of projects is important to me. Working at a college allows me to do just that.”

Applications open at BMCC and Ģ������Ƶ

Applications are open for summer and fall 2021 at both BMCC and Ģ������Ƶ.

To apply to BMCC, visit . To apply and/or transfer to Ģ������Ƶ, visit .

Ģ������Ƶ digital technology and culture student Kyle Kopta.

For more than 80 years, Washington State University has recognized ten of the top seniors in each graduating class. The WSU Alumni Association selects these women and men who represent the highest standards in specific aspects of the college experience, including academics, athletics, campus involvement, community service, and visual and performing arts.

Kyle Kopta, a senior studying digital technology and culture at Ģ������Ƶ, was selected as a WSU Top Ten Senior for the category of visual/performing arts.

He is a talented graphic designer, photographer, videographer, writer and overall creative. He serves as an intern with the Office of Marketing and Communication, served as a graphic designer for the Associated Students of Ģ������Ƶ, serves as a DTC lab tutor, as well as on the Washington State Arts Commission. He transferred to Ģ������Ƶ from Blue Mountain Community College.

VISUAL/PERFORMING ARTS

• College of Arts and Sciences
• Digital technology and culture
• Ģ������Ƶ
• Hermiston, Oregon

INVOLVEMENT

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; President’s Honors List, summa cum laude; ASWUTC Perseverance Award; Douglas P. Gast Fine Arts Scholarship; member, committee of the Washington State Arts Commission overseeing the Washington State Art Collection; graphic designer for ASWSUTC; marketing intern for Ģ������Ƶ; teacher’s assistant and tutor in the ; host of biweekly community radio show; and Ģ������Ƶ Student Employee of the Year for the 2020-2021 academic year

Photograph “Dance Dance” by Kyle Kopta, Ģ������Ƶ digital technology and culture student.

FAVORITE WSU EXPERIENCE

The Ģ������Ƶ Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition is held at the end of each semester. What stands out most to me is really those shows. Our students are making just incredible work. I helped put it on when we were in-person. Being able to showcase their work and my work is always the most fun event. I’m currently 3D modeling a space for us so we can hold it virtually this semester. I’m doing it in my free time; I’m not doing it paid or part of any job. It’s something I know how to do and can donate. It’s just so important for students to have this kind of culmination for all their hard work. They create all this amazing work, and they have to be able to somehow show it.

Ģ������Ƶ also has a lot of mentors who helped me navigate the higher education world and the art world. I grew up in a rural area. There were zero galleries. Neither of my parents graduated from college, but they have been so supportive of my journey in higher education. I couldn’t have done it without them and my professors, who helped me succeed inside and outside the classroom. I think art in general has been a vehicle for self-growth in my professional, personal, and academic life. Through video, photography, and painting, I can learn about myself and my community and how I fit into it and I can help other people. Sometimes the things you don’t expect can end up having the most impact and being the most rewarding. Limitation can breed innovation.

Ģ������Ƶ digital technology and culture student Kyle Kopta paints from home as part of a fine arts course amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

FUTURE PLANS

I’ve really found a love for marketing. It’s not something I expected to love as much as I do. I came to Ģ������Ƶ putting myself in a box, saying, “I’m going to become a videographer or graphic designer,” but I’ve been awarded so many opportunities to collaborate with so many different WSU departments that I’ve found I have a real love for creating things for the community with other people. My plan now is to get a marketing job. I contemplated whether I should move to a bigger city or stay local, and I think I’ve kind of settled on staying local because it’s really important to me to foster this small but tight-knit arts community. I really want to contribute to the Tri-Cities community what I wish I had growing up in Hermiston.

Initial step in launch of future energy institute led by Ģ������Ƶ

By Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ

RICHLAND, Wash. – Longtime Tri-Citian Bob Ferguson, who served as the first deputy assistant secretary of nuclear programs for the , made a $500,000 gift to support Washington State University Tri-Cities’ first endowed faculty position in energy and environment.

Bob Ferguson (left) chats with Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes.

The position represents the initial step in the development of a future institute at Ģ������Ƶ. The institute will be dedicated to understanding and shaping the region’s diverse energy resources, and will directly leverage WSU’s research strengths in water resources, environment, agriculture, policy and economics.

“The professorship and institute will focus on partnerships for research in the energy industry, fostering community discussions and relationships for policy development at the state and national levels, and developing curriculum to support future workforce needs across various energy sectors,” Ģ������Ƶ Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. “We are incredibly grateful to Bob for his generous gift and its vast potential impacts for the Tri-Cities region and Washington state as a whole.”

Ferguson said the Tri-Cities region is already a leader in the energy sector, contributing de-carbonized power through nuclear, solar, wind, hydropower, and biofuels. To build on this foundational strength, Ferguson wanted to provide a substantial gift to launch Ģ������Ƶ’ first endowed faculty position, and encourages others to join in donating to the effort.

“This institute would solidify the Tri-Cities as a hub, probably the first one, ever, that can link all of these energy sources, from basic research to full demonstration,” he said. “Energy is the source of all economic development. We need a curriculum. We need a workforce for the future. Ģ������Ƶ is uniquely positioned to integrate all these areas. WSU could lead this effort for the state and the nation.”

Established foundation in energy

Longtime Tri-Citian Bob Ferguson served as the first deputy assistant secretary of nuclear programs for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Ferguson’s storied career in nuclear energy began in 1957 at , where he trained and worked as a reactor physicist and reactor operations supervisor at the B Reactor – the world’s first large-scale nuclear reactor, located in the Tri-Cities. He worked his way up to the position of deputy assistant secretary of nuclear programs for the U.S. Department of Energy before making his way back to the Tri-Cities to serve as CEO for the Washington Public Power Supply System — now called .

Ferguson was actively involved in early discussions for the expansion of the Tri-Cities campus into a fully-fledged WSU campus. The campus began in the 1940s as the General Electric School of Nuclear Engineering, where it offered graduate-level programs for those working out at the Hanford Nuclear Site. In 1989, it became a WSU campus, first serving upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs and now offering full four-year bachelor’s and graduate programs in a range of fields.

“This gift is a culmination of the vision we had when we established Ģ������Ƶ here,” Ferguson said. “This is a way to support research that WSU is doing now, as well as investing in what it could be doing in the future.”

WSU President Kirk Schulz said leveraging what each WSU campus does best — by utilizing local assets, such as the unique location and surrounding community of each campus — is the most effective way to deliver on WSU’s land-grant mission and provide optimal service to the state.

“For Tri-Cities, the clear differentiator is the confluence of nuclear, solar, hydro, biofuels, and wind power,” he said. “Bob’s gift will help transform Ģ������Ƶ into an energy headquarters for our entire state and region.”

Because WSU is a Carnegie Research 1 university and because of its existing relationship with the through its joint nuclear, biofuels, and power grid institutes, the Ferguson gift will be a major boost for energy-related research at WSU, said Christopher Keane, WSU vice president for research.

“Bob’s gift will advance Ģ������Ƶ research capabilities, the university’s capabilities in energy systems and WSU’s collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,” he said.

Continuing momentum with future investment

Ferguson’s gift launches an effort to raise $2 million in additional funding to fully support the endowed faculty position. The campus plans to conduct a nationwide search for the position in fall 2022.

“The lead commitment for this faculty position is an important milestone,” said Mike Connell, acting vice president and CEO of the . “Through this generous investment, Bob will inspire other individuals and industry partners to get involved and fuel an energy research hub that will have both a regional and national impact.”

Mike Wolcott, WSU associate vice president for research, said Ferguson’s reputation brings a level of prestige to WSU’s mission and will be instrumental in attracting the best talent to the region for the position and the program.

“Expanding on this foundational vision will allow us to have a greater impact on the future of our energy systems and the economic development that will be associated with its build-out,” Wolcott said. “WSU has tremendous breadth and depth to offer in many facets of energy-related topics.”

Regional legislators are also excited about the potential for the professorship and a nationally-recognized energy institute.

“Bob Ferguson’s leadership and generosity is remarkable and makes me proud to be a Tri-Citian,” said Washington state Rep. Matt Boehnke. “I can’t wait to see the research and ingenuity that comes out of the energy systems institute, as well as the leaders that are developed as a result of the new professorship.”

For more information in supporting the professorship and future institute, contact Jaime Heppler, Ģ������Ƶ senior director of development, at 509-372-7207 or Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu.

Media contacts:

Jaime Heppler, Ģ������Ƶ senior director of development, 509-372-7207, Jaime.heppler@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, Ģ������Ƶ director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell), Maegan_murray@wsu.edu