Congratulations to Zena Edwards and colleagues from the Murrow College of Communication and the College of Education for their article’s publication in the international journal Vaccines. The work was part of a national effort — the Extension Collaboration on Immunization Teaching and Engagement (EXCITE) — to help Extension professionals increase their knowledge and skills to engage in adult immunization education. The article is featured in a special issue of the journal named “Trust, Willingness, and Associated Factors towards COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake.”
Last week, the associate deans and I spent some time meeting with the plant pathology faculty. They had already spent a day planning for their future and had another few hours to go after we left. I appreciated the chance to meet with the group and hear what’s on their minds. We talked about faculty position priorities for the department and the college’s process for submitting a hiring plan this year. We also discussed the need for some clarity on the different available faculty titles and when to use which title, as well as the department’s thoughts on contributing more to undergraduate courses. This week we are meeting with the entomology department during their summer retreat. They too are tackling big topics like curriculum planning and departmental priorities.
Staff from our federal House and Senate offices are spending time in the Puget Sound area this week, learning about WSU programs and agriculture. Leslie Edgar will accompany them, visiting the Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, the Snohomish County Extension office, and the Puyallup Research and Extension Center, among other stops. I had a chance to meet with the guests for dinner one evening and all were impressed with what they had seen and heard up to that point. The WSU government relations team worked hard to make this a special trip for the staff. The effort made for a great success!
The Gates Foundation’s agricultural development team has extended an offer to provide virtual guest lectures. CAHNRS instructors, please think about your fall course plans and if such a lecture fits into your syllabus. If learning more about their projects around the world or their career paths is of interest, please let me know and I can help make the connection.
After last week’s heat wave, I suspect we are all welcoming a bit of relief. I hope everyone finds time to get out of the air conditioning and enjoy the weather.