News

Football fever

Saturday’s game made for a fun time. Thanks so much to our commodity group partners for putting on the Homegrown Taste of Washington event at the Vogel Building!

A group of five people stands, visiting inside of a room with wooden floors. A table and chairs and windows are behind them.

Transformation

Last week, the Pullman campus had a visitor from Sen. Murray’s office. Katie Clements is a new staffer in the senator’s office. A native of Boise, Idaho, Katie had not visited CAHNRS or the College of Veterinary Medicine yet. Thanks to faculty, chairs, and staff, including coordination by the government relations team, we were able to show Katie a good mix of agriculture and natural resource research.

A man crouches in a field, smiling. Behind him are hills and trees.

Loss

Last week was a reminder of what’s really important. We lost one of our longtime, loyal CAHNRS employees. Those who knew and worked with Larry Helweg witnessed his commitment to the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) in Prosser, Wash. Larry took great pride in his work, and it made a difference for those around him. Larry will be missed by many.

Fire burns on a hillside of a lake at night. Silhouettes of trees are pictured.

Energized and excited

Wow! That was my reaction to hearing our newest CAHNRS faculty introduce themselves with a brief background during the New Faculty Orientation last week. Their accomplishments, ranging from education to prior careers, are truly impressive. Interacting with these new faculty left me energized and excited for our new talent.

A large group stands in a room with windows. A person in the front of the group holds a sign that says "2023 new CAHNRS Cougs" with the WSU logo on it.

Welcome back!

Last week ended with a good visit to Bellingham, Wash., followed by the Auction of Washington Wines Gala Saturday evening. Auctions and my competitiveness don’t always make for a good pairing, but I managed to keep my bidding in check. It helped that starting bids were more than I spent on my first house. Upon […]

Eight people stand in the Spokane County Extension office. The office includes books, a counter, stools, plants, and brochures.

Staying the course

Thanks to Jeb Sheldon, a recent AgTM graduate, Ignite scholar, and employee of Northern Oyster Co., I know more about the oyster business than ever and have a strong appreciation for the challenges posed by burrowing shrimp and green crabs. Last week’s trip to the Long Beach Research and Extension Unit was great. I enjoyed meeting Laura Kraft, who is just under a year in her position as a cranberry and shellfish Extension specialist, as well as a couple of WSU Extension retirees.

A man stands next to a tank of oysters with his fingertips touching the surface of the water. Behind him is a chain link fence and a building.

Back on the road

We had a few beautiful days in Pullman before the heat returned. No complaints though, as it will cool off soon enough. Congratulations to Doug Walsh, who was recently inducted as a fellow of the Entomological Society of America. Congratulations, also, to Kristen Johnson, who was recently inducted as an American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) […]

A group of seven people stands, holding shovels that are poised to dig into the ground. Two signs behind them read "USDA-ARS Plant Sciences Building, Washington State University Pullman, a partnership between the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Washington State University." The sign shows an artistic rendering of the building and the WSU and USDA logos.

Coming together

Groundbreaking on the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) building is less than a week away! The planning team, which includes many from WSU, CAHNRS, USDA ARS, and the Washington Grain Commission, is working hard to accommodate hundreds of guests. If you find your customary driving or walking route interrupted on Tuesday, Aug. 1, please be […]

Artistic rendering of the USDA ARS building concept design.