WSU Research Highlights
March 2017
Honors and Awards
Three WSU researchers receive national early career awards
Jean-Sabin McEwen, Steven Saunders, and Dae Hyun Kim received young faculty awards from the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency. – WSU News
Three WSU inventors named NAI fellows
Diane Cook, Katrina Mealey and WSU Tri-Cities chancellor H. Keith Moo-Young recently were elected as 2016 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors—joining a prestigious group of scientists that includes 27 Nobel laureates.- WSU homepage feature
Four WSU faculty members elected AAAS
Four Washington State University faculty have been named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The researchers are Wei Hong (Katie) Zhong, Markus Flury, Susmita Bose, and Kelly Brayton – WSU News
WSU, PNNL energy researcher wins national award
Professor and WSU alumnus Yong Wang has won the American Chemical Society’s annual industrial and engineering Chemistry Division Fellow Award. Dr. Wang is also associate director of PNNL’s Institute for Integrated Catalysis. – WSU News
News highlights
Wood-based biofuel powers cross-country flight
WSU-led coalition partners with Alaska Airlines for the world’s first commercial flight using fuel made from forest residuals. – CNBC
First cohort of PNNL-WSU graduate research students
WSU and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have selected the first group of students for the PNNL-WSU Distinguished Graduate Research Program. – WSU News
Nature inspires major advancement in 3D printing
Washington State University researchers have developed a unique, 3-D manufacturing method that for the first time rapidly creates and precisely controls a material’s architecture from the nanoscale to centimeters – with results that closely mimic the intricate architecture of natural materials like wood and bone. – Yahoo News
Ridding the world of rabies
Through the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, WSU professors Drs. Thumbi Mwangi and Felix Lankester are addressing the critical transboundary issue in eliminating infectious diseases through their efforts at the borders of Kenya and Tanzania. – Science Magazine
Reducing use of opioid painkillers
As opiate addiction continues to grab public attention across the country, a Washington State University professor is leading a research project she hopes will give doctors and patients options other than prescription painkillers. – The Inlander
Understanding how cannabis impacts driving
A study by WSU political science researcher is helping law enforcement determine the best methods to measure impact that cannabis use has on drivers. – The Atlantic
Bias training simulator helps police departments
Researchers at the Washington State University Spokane campus have created simulation gear to help police train for situations where they need to use deadly force. – KREM2 News
Understanding what makes U.S. babies more social
A WSU psychologist has found that babies born in the U.S. are more social an impulsive than those from some other countries. This finding is part of larger research on how toddlers’ temperaments are very influenced by their parents’ values. – TIME Magazine
Bringing virtual and augmented reality to education
The Virtual Integrated Technology for Assessment Learning laboratory at WSU Tri-Cities allows faculty and students to explore the ways virtual reality can help students, teachers and the education process. – Tri-City Herald
WSU-branded fries on the menu at McDonalds
McDonald’s, the largest global buyer of potatoes, added two new russet potato varieties developed in part by WSU professors in Pullman. – The News Tribune
WSU releases review of innovation and entrepreneurship
Increasing faculty incentives and regional industry and community engagement are among recommendations from a recent report of how WSU can better connect its research to non-academic stakeholders. – WSU News