{"id":8767,"date":"2025-12-16T13:39:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T21:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/academics\/?page_id=8767"},"modified":"2025-12-19T09:31:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:31:58","slug":"cahnrs-connections-november-december-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cahnrs.wsu.edu\/academics\/cahnrs-connections-november-december-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"CAHNRS Connections November\/December 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CAHNRS Connections<\/div>\t\t\t\t
November\/December 2025<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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CAHNRS Connections November\/December 2025<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Newsletter brought to you by CAHNRS Student Success and Academic Programs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\r\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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Beef & Brews…and Beer-mosas!<\/h2>\n\n\n
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This year’s Beef & Brews took place bright and early, followed by the game starting at 12:00 noon. The special timing meant Beer-mosas and morning menu options like hash browns, buttermilk biscuits, tri-tip steak, and eggs! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the regents, Regent Cerna, stopped by to participate in the fun. Around 150 Coug parents, family, and friends also joined in, making it an event to remember. Courtesy of the AgTM club, the food was an incredible addition to a morning of preparation for an amazing game. Other clubs such as AgTM, AgED, and Horticulture were present, running booths for awareness of their clubs taking orders for apples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CAHNRS Spirit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Highlighted Event Dates to Mark on Your Calendar<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 23, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tWSU Scholars Progression
CUB Senior Ballroom
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMarch 23, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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CUB Senior Ballroom
3:30 – 4:45pm
Awards Ceremony follows at 5:00\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Deadlines<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 31, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tUndergraduate Research Fellowship Awards
Application Deadline\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJanuary 31, 2026\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\tWSU General Scholarship Application Due
Scholarships I Admissions I WSU<\/a>\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n<\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n
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The CAHNRS Winter Party 2025 <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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This year’s party featured a Fireside Flannel theme with the official WSU tartan decorating every surface from the helpers’ scarves to the invitations and table signs. The first ever marshmallow games were a hit, with attendees getting competitive to move mini marshmallows with only straws, toss marshmallows into a giant hot cocoa mug, and pick up mini marshmallows using only cups. The night featured extra special department baskets (such as a special spices set from CAHNRS For All and 20 rolls of beautifully wrapped toilet paper courtesy of ‘The Year 2020’) and a new color of poinsettias called the Winter Aurora kindly donated to us by the CAHNRS Horticulture Club. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The All-CAHNRS Faculty & Staff Meeting & Reception <\/h2>\n\n\n
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The first ever All-CAHNRS Meeting and Reception were held in Johnson Hall, featuring several familiar faces and some new ones. This event was a new opportunity for faculty and staff to come together and learn about college-wide news and stats, get to know Dean Khosla better, introduce new faculty and staff, and much more. The associate deans discussed happenings in Extension, the status and goals of research funding, budget situations and strategies, student success, demographics, first gen support, and how to be more involved in student retention and academic progress. Following the meeting, a reception allowed folks from all across the college to mingle and discuss over hors d’oeuvres and drinks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope to see everyone at the upcoming Town Hall in February, and please stay tuned for an RSVP link in which you can submit questions you’d like to hear answers for from the dean and associate deans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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J.D. Baser Receives American Award<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the FFA Convention and Expo in October, our very own J.D. Baser received the Honorary American FFA Degree, a degree that is given to those exhibiting exceptional service to agriculture, ag education, or FFA, or to teachers who have created high-quality ag education programs that encourage students to strive for success. J.D. has taught agricultural education in high schools, been an FFA advisor, an elementary school principle, and now is an ag education teacher here at WSU. When asked how he sees his work, he mentioned that it helps him feel fulfilled know that if he helps 10 students who go on to be high school teachers, then in so doing he is indirectly helping dozens of young people each year. His perspective is about giving back to ag education and FFA by training teachers who can impact future generations for the better, which makes him wholly deserving of this honorary degree. Learn more about CAHNRS SSAP’s visit to National FFA in the article below.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\tLearn more about the Honorary American FFA Degree and J.D. Baser's teaching approach here\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n <\/section>\n\n
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Additional Upcoming Events and Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStudent Care & Concerns Sessions
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Nancy Deringer, Associate Dean for Student Success and Academic Programs in CAHNRS, and a group of CAHNRS Chairs & Directors are paired up with the WSU Dean of students. On Dec. 3rd, they discussed the current climate for students and their evolving needs, addressing issues like student care and the ever-growing dynamic possibilities for student accommodations. With the goal of making student success and retention (one of President Cantwell’s 6 pillars) the priority going forward, CAHNRS is leading an important charge.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tADVANCE – Faculty Development\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\n\n

ADVANCE focuses on removing recruitment, hiring, and retaining barriers for faculty, and works to promote career-long excellence by building an inclusive land-grant institution. Using institutional data, ADVANCE delves into faculty experience to investigate disparities and uses those findings to improve policies and practices. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\tLearn More about ADVANCE\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSSAP at National FFA\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\n\n

CAHNRS SSAP, represented by Miguel Inzunza, Junior Gomez, and two students, visited the National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis October 29 – November 1st. This event was attended by over 70,000 students from every state and territory in the U.S., making it a great opportunity for visibility. CAHNRS SSAP participated in the FFA Expo\/Collegiate Connection as exhibitors, representing WSU CAHNRS amongst 80 different colleges and universities from across the country.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n\n

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCollegiate 4-H\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\n\n

Encourage students to become volunteers and stay connected with local 4-H groups. The main goal of our representatives is to help out with events such as the annual 4-H Teen Conference that takes place here at WSU each year. Student helpers run the workshops and campus tours.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\tRead more about 4-H student opportunities in the WSU Insider\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n\n
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDECA – Distributive Education Clubs of America\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\n\n

The DECA 2025 Fall Learning Conference in Bellevue, WA, was a great opportunity for CAHNRS to represent itself. Our group of representatives, including Emily Libey from SSAP, Kelli Gardner & Shanna Hiscock, CAHNRS advisors, and Ting Chi, Chair of AMDT, participated on November 3rd at the Exhibitor Fair. After the exhibitor fair, Kelli Gardner attended a college round table event where seated students at tables were visited by the college advisors one by one to answer their questions. <\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/article>\n<\/div>\n <\/div><\/section>\n\n

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WSU’s President Cantwell Outlines Six Pillars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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President Cantwell has outlined a new path of focus for WSU in her presentation to the Board of Regents, specifically naming the Six Pillars that are central to decision-making. The first two were directly related to Student Success and Academic programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n