OR annual report

Research Excellence

Fiscal Year 2024

Greetings!

Here at Washington State University, research, scholarship, and creative activities play a pivotal role in shaping the future of society.

It’s more than just the pursuit of knowledge. It’s a collective effort to understand and address challenges, solve problems, innovate, and improve lives.

Our researchers provide innovative solutions that raise the quality of life across Washington and around the globe, in areas like energy systems, health disparities, advancement in precision agriculture, and technological advancements. Research fosters critical thinking, challenges assumptions, and sparks creativity that propels society forward.

By bringing together diverse perspectives, research at WSU fuels progress and empowers our scientists to make meaningful contributions. Each discovery, whether big or small, has the potential to improve lives, spark new industries, and create a more equitable and sustainable future, building the foundation for tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

WSU research continues to grow. In FY2023, we set a record of $378.7 million in total research and development (R&D) expenditures at WSU, as reported by the National Science Foundation. In FY2024, the Office of Research Support and Operations processed 1,554 awards, bringing in over $331 million to support WSU researchers. WSU boosts Washington state’s economy by billions of dollars a year and WSU researchers create jobs when they bring their innovations to market. As a result of recent lab to marketplace innovations, WSU received $10.39 million in licensing income.

We also celebrate milestones reached by our researchers, including the election of six WSU faculty members to the Washington State Academy of Sciences, seven faculty recognized as Highly Cited Researchers, and two WSU researchers who received faculty Early Career Awards from the National Science Foundation. Other notable awards include Katrina Mealey, presented with the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Faculty Achievement in Research Award, Dipra Jha, recognized from the International Hospitality Institute among the 100 most influential people in U.S. hospitality and travel, and Don Dillman, awarded the 2023 European Survey Research Association Outstanding Service Award.

To learn more about the life-changing research, scholarship, and creative activity unfolding at WSU, please read on—and stay up-to-date on all WSU research and services offered by the Office of Research.

Michael P. Wolcott
Regents Professor
Interim Vice President for Research

By The Numbers

$331 million in total research awards

1,554 research awards received

$378 million research and development expenditures

Top Funding Agencies

Chart showing funding by government agencies: $76.1M from USDA; $61.2M from HHS; $22.5M from DOE; $22.0M from NSF; and $10.5M from DOD.

Commercialization At a Glance

90 Patent Applications

$10,391,862 in Licensing Revenues

78 Technology Disclosures

Research Strengths

Crop and Livestock Improvement

WSU researchers support Washington’s agricultural sector by developing crop varieties that are well-suited for the Pacific Northwest and other regions. They also focus on improving animal health and productivity, particularly in dairy and fish farming, while WSU entomologists work to enhance the health of pollinators like bees. Crop and livestock improvements is a core research area within WSU’s food security and sustainable agriculture research strength.

Research in Action

People doing yoga outdoors, focused on one man in particular.

Health Equity

Communities face health challenges unevenly, with many lacking access to healthcare that others may easily rely on. WSU’s health science researchers recognize this disparity, focusing their work on the unequal impacts of disease and limited access to quality healthcare, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities, which often experience overlapping challenges. Health equity is a key research area within WSU’s community and public health research strength.

Research in Action

Agronomist examining plant in corn field

Climate Science: Adaptations to Changing Ecosystems

WSU scientists study how human and animal communities respond to impacts of global climate change on ecosystems. Their research includes wildlife habitat monitoring, wildfire predication and mitigation, forest resiliency, and developing crop varieties adapted to changing agricultural conditions. These efforts aim to address challenges posed by climate change across environments. Climate science: adaptions to changing ecosystems is a key focus area within WSU’s environmental sciences and energy futures research strength.

Research in Action

Immunology and Infectious Disease

Researchers in epidemiology, disease monitoring, and control of disease vectors are focused on preventing the spread of diseases in human and animal populations. Their research explores the biological mechanisms of bacterial and viral diseases, including innate immunity, antimicrobial resistance, and disease transmission pathways. Immunology and infectious disease is a key research focus area within WSU’s biomedical, life sciences, and biotechnology research strength.

Research in Action

Matter Under Extreme Conditions

Researchers are studying how matter behaves under extreme pressure and shock conditions, with applications in national security, additive manufacturing, space technology, and energy futures. WSU researchers collaborate with national laboratories and top universities across the country to solve complex problems. Matter under extreme conditions is a key focus area within WSU’s next generation materials and advanced manufacturing research strength.

Research in Action

Electronic Design Automation

Researchers in electronic design automation are applying their expertise in chip design, algorithms, and system modeling to address challenges and opportunities arising from the growing use of AI and machine learning. Their research spans various sectors, including agriculture and health, aiming to integrate AI/ML tools in equitable ways through cross-disciplinary and community partnerships. Electronic design automation is a central research focus within WSU’s broader artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics emerging research area.

Research in Action

Person with microphones and a notebook for interviews.

Shaping Public Perspectives

WSU researchers in communications and the arts and humanities play a crucial role in shaping public perspectives by fostering critical thinking and cultural understanding about important topics affecting our communities, the state, and the nation. Through visual arts, history, political science, and other disciplines, they offer a window into diverse human experiences and provide the tools to examine societal values, norms, and injustices. Research and creative production in areas of art, history, misinformation, and political dialogue contribute to the formation of informed, reflective citizens who can participate in meaningful dialogue contributing to the social, political, and ethical advancement of society.

Research in Action

Emerging Faculty

Pouria Bahmani

Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, WSU Pullman

Research Interests: His research focuses on performance-based engineering, innovative mass timber structures, design of modular construction, sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems, and large-scale dynamic testing.

Project to watch: Composite Recycling Technology Center, a Port Angeles non-profit, awarded $359,963 for the project “Investigating the Structural Performance and Durability of Cross Laminated Timber Manufactured with Thermally Modified Wood Species”. This project is the continuation of an ongoing collaboration between WSU and the Composite Recycling Technology Center to develop advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT).

Kathryn Cabbage

Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, WSU Spokane

Research Interests: Her research interests center on the connections between early speech and language skills and later literacy acquisition. She is particularly interested in improving both the clinical identification and treatment of children with speech sound disorders and/or language impairment who are most at risk for reading difficulty. With a background as a school-based speech–language pathologist, she is dedicated to conducting clinically applicable research that provides practical solutions to real-world problems, particularly in school-based settings.

Project to watch: Department of Health and Human Services National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders awarded $245,975 for the project “Academic Progress in Phonological Learning for Elementary School Children with Speech Sound Disorders (APPLES)”. Dr. Cabbage will study the active ingredients of school-based speech sound therapy for children with speech sound disorders.

Rui Liu

College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Department of Crop Science, WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser

Research Interests: Her research focuses on integrated weed management practices for vegetable and specialty crop production in the Columbia Basin. She is also interested in the biology and ecology of herbicide-resistant weed species.

Project to watch: Washington State Potato Commission awarded $30,000 for a new plant growth chamber for studies related to potato cropping in our region.

Yoon-Wha (Yuna) Roh

College of Arts and Sciences School of Music, WSU Pullman

Research Interests: She has previously focused on Beethoven’s Sonatas repertoire. Currently, she is exploring the piano music of the late Romantic period. Roh has appeared as a celebrated soloist with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, New Jersey Garden State Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Korean Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, Sungnam Philharmonic Orchestra, and New York Classical Symphony Orchestra.

Project to watch: The George and Joan Berry Faculty Success Grant awarded $5,000 to cover expenses supporting scholarship and research activities. The funding covered travel expenses for an international performance in early 2024 with the Musica Sinfonietta in Penang, Malaysia, where she performed Chopin’s first piano concerto, and a performance in October 2024 with the Jeonju Philharmonic Orchestra in Jeonju, South Korea, where she performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.

Surendra Singh

Director of the Lind Dryland Research Station
College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, WSU Pullman

Research Interests: His research focuses on soil health on dryland wheat.

Project to watch: The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $1 million for the project “Living Mulch and Grazing Techniques to Improve Soil Health and Weed Control for Farmers Transitioning to Organic Farming Across Climatic Zones”. Singh and other WSU researchers will study how to transition from conventional to organic wheat growing. Researchers will try out different legumes to grow on wheat farms.

Hongtao Dang

Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture School of Design and Construction, WSU Pullman

Research Interests: His diversity, equity, and inclusion research focuses on supportive services for women- and minority-owned or disadvantaged business enterprises, training programs for inclusive construction job sites, psychological safety, mental health, wearable technologies, drones, and augmented realities.

Project to watch: Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration awarded $252,933 for the project “Washington’s High-Demand Advanced Civil Engineering Workforce Development”. This project aims to bridge the talent gap between industry-desired intelligence and traditional technical skills in civil engineering. The project focuses on infusing critical, emerging technology in work-and-learn education and training models to develop students’ competencies and skills, meeting high-demand civil, structural, transportation, and construction engineering jobs.

Anjali Sharma

College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry, WSU Pullman

Research Interests: Her research focuses on designing methods for developing multitasking nanomaterials for a wide range of biological applications. The Sharma Lab is developing smart, clinically translatable nanotechnologies for target-specific drug/gene delivery and imaging applications to help diagnose and treat unmet medical problems.

Project to watch: Evergreen Social Impact Andy Hill Care Fund awarded $1,303,525 for the project “In Vivo Imaging Capabilities to Enable Investigations Focused on Cancer Mechanisms and Therapeutic Outcomes”. This project will enhance the cancer research infrastructure at WSU. Specifically, the award will fund new imaging systems that will enable cancer researchers at WSU to better understand cancers in animal models, disease mechanisms, tumor targeting, tumor growth and metastasis, to visualize theragnostic delivery to tumors, and to assess the pre-clinical treatment outcomes of chemo- and immuno-therapies.

Researcher wearing a surgical mask and looking through a microscope

Research to Watch

BioRISE: Biological Resilience for Indigenous Systems Empowerment

College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, WSU Pullman

$3 million funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Biological Infrastructure

This collaborative project funded by the NSF RaMP Program connects scientists at Washington State University and the University of Idaho with the Tribal Nations on whose lands the universities sit to deepen our understanding of biological resilience. By building multifaceted partnerships between Native mentors, Native trainees, and academic mentors, principal investigator Tarah Sullivan (Crop and Soil Sciences) and her academic partners at WSU and UI intend to intertwine the Western scientific approach to learning about biological systems resilience with indigenous knowledge (IK) to establish a “two eyed seeing” approach to experimental design. Aspiring scientists from Tribal communities will receive mentorship in developing research projects using this approach with the express purpose of honoring and strengthening Tribal sovereignty.

The project spans more than a half-dozen disciplines in science and education, with mentors in WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources and the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences. Additional project partners include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, local USDA units, tribal science offices, and state resource management districts.

Co-lead investigators at WSU include Tarah Sullivan, associate professor in the WSU Pullman College of Agircultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, and Laura Bartley, associate professor in the Institute of Biological Chemistry.

Empowering Community College Students to Equitably Enhance Urban Forests

WSU will work with faculty at four community colleges serving disadvantaged areas of Washington state to empower their students through coursework, engagement activities, and opportunities for professional development. Students will learn to recognize and steward urban trees as critical assets for community and environmental health, complete projects to learn skills to understand and enhance urban forest resiliency, and have opportunities to address the inequities with tree planting partners and tree giveaways to increase tree canopy cover in their communities.

This project is led by Joseph Hulbert, postdoctoral research associate at the Puyallup Research and Extension Center.

College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, Puyallup Research and Extension Center

$1.7 million funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Forest Service

Two monarch butterflies feeding on a pink cone flower.

Monarch and Pollinator Strategic Conservation Research Program

College of Arts and Sciences School of Biological Sciences, WSU Vancouver

$500,000 funded by the U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program

Monarch butterflies in the West have declined by over 99% since the 1980s, with sharp drops in population observed in 2018 and 2020. To help address this, WSU researchers conducted a study between 2017 and 2019 to learn more about when and where these butterflies are found across the West. The goal was to gather important data to help improve the management of habitats for monarchs on Department of Defense (DoD) lands.

The research took place in five states and six military locations, including Vandenberg Air Force Base in Southern California, Beale Air Force Base in Northern California, Naval Weapons System Training Facility Boardman in Oregon, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Yakima Training Center in Washington, Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada, and Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

By analyzing this data, researchers gained better insights into why monarch populations have been fluctuating. This research is a first step toward creating conservation strategies that protect monarchs while also allowing the DoD to continue its military training and operations.

This project is led by Cheryl Schultz, professor in the WSU Vancouver College of Arts and Sciences School of Biological Sciences.

Convergent Next-Generation Robotics Training: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Adaptive Design Amid a Changing World of Work

This project will develop a multidisciplinary approach to address workforce and industry needs identified within the Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier theme by providing NextGen Robotics Training through the lenses of Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Adaptive Design (NRT-LEAD). Leveraging longstanding relationships with leading Washington state businesses and government agencies in the areas of fruit orchard automation, nuclear waste cleanup, and underwater operations, the project will educate next-generation engineers and scientists working at the interface of human-robotics technology through the development of a unique Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) graduate certificate program available to graduates in all STEM disciplines at WSU.

NRT graduate fellows will develop a strong, interdisciplinary technical foundation in robotics and autonomous systems, become leaders in convergent research and scholarship, and comprehend the psychosocial and socioeconomic implications of next-generation robotic technology in the future of work.

This project is led by Prashanta Dutta, Richard Schneider Jr., professor in the WSU Pullman Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering.

Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture, WSU Pullman

$2.99 million funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education

Woman using a phone with a wine glass nearby

Automated Contingency Management System for Reduction of Alcohol Use

Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, WSU Spokane

$1.3 million funded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health

Alcohol abuse remains a significant cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Yet only 15% of those with AUD receive treatment. Researchers have demonstrated that contingency management (CM) is an effective approach for reducing alcohol use in problematic drinkers.

The goal of this project is to develop a feasible and effective end-to-end CM platform, which can aggregate information to allow individuals and their clinicians to monitor drinking, reduce alcohol consumption, and better understand factors related to each individual’s alcohol use. This will take the form of a mobile app designed to track and manage progress through a heavy drinking protocol that includes contingency management as its primary treatment modality along with biochemical validation through serial submission of breath samples.

This project is led by Sterling McPherson, professor in the WSU Spokane Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Department of Community and Behavioral Health.

Forecasting and Surveillance of Infectious Threats and Epidemics

This project will establish a Center of Integration of Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling into Practice, called Forecasting and Surveillance of Infectious Threats and Epidemics (ForeSITE). The center will establish a coalition between the University of Utah, Washington State University, and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (UDHHS). Other partners include state health departments in Washington, Idaho, and Montana; local health districts in Utah and Washington; regional healthcare organizations; community hospitals in Washington and Idaho; and the Veterans Health Administration.

This coalition supports broad coverage in the Intermountain West, a region that has unmet needs in public health response. The unusual dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in this region can be attributed in part to the isolation and small size of community populations, and the limited resources of health departments. The inclusion of healthcare organizations as partners along with public health reflects their crucial contribution toward combatting infectious disease threats.

Eric Lofgren, associate professor in the WSU Pullman College of Veterinary Medicine Paul G. Allen School for Global Health is heading WSU’s role in this project, which is being led by the University of Utah.

College of Veterinary Medicine Paul G. Allen School for Global Health, WSU Pullman

$1.6 million funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Developing a New Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) Technology for Hydrogen Storage in the Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs)-Lignin Jet Fuel (LIF)

College of Agricultural, Human, Natural Resource Sciences Department of Biological Systems Engineering
WSU Tri-Cities

$312,426 funded by the U.S. Department of Energy

This project will develop a new way to store hydrogen, a clean energy source, using a special chemical system. Scientists have learned how to store hydrogen using Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOC), but they have not figured out how to use this method with Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). Researchers will create an innovative technology that combines these two ideas into one system.

WSU Tri-Cities will lead a team of researchers from University of New Haven (UNH), American Green Fuels, and Polykala Technologies to develop a better way to store hydrogen in SAF. They will work on improving the chemicals used to store the hydrogen, making sure the system works well and is safe to use. They will also figure out if this new system is practical, cost-effective, and good for the environment. Once developed, the new technology will be tested on a larger scale to see if it can be used in real-life situations. The U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Technologies Office and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is supporting the project to help move towards cleaner energy solutions.

This project is led by Bin Yang, professor in the WSU Tri-Cities College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences Department of Biological Systems Engineering.

Young female scientist looking through a microscope in a laboratory

Faculty in the Spotlight

Washington State University faculty lead the nation and world with their research.

Below are recognitions and awards given to faculty members during 2024. These awards recognize the continued impacts that research at WSU makes across the state, nation, and world.

Sola Adesope, American Educational Research Association Co-Editor of Educational Researcher Journal
Amit Bandyopadhyay, Materials Research Society Fellow
Soumik Banerjee, American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow
Ganapati Bhat, National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER)
Santanu Bose, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Susmita Bose, Washington State Academy of Sciences Board of Directors
Adam Bross, American Accounting Association Outstanding Paper of the Year
Amanda Boyd, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Gary Chastagner, American Phytopathological Society Fellow
Tom Collins, Jackson Family Wines Endowed Professor
Nairanjana Dasgupta, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Don Dillman, 2023 European Survey Research Association Outstanding Service Award
Dan “Annie” Du, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Prashanta Dutta, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2024 Donald N. Zwiep Innovation in Education Award
Brian French, American Psychological Association
Girish Ganjyal, Institute of Food Technologists Board of Directors
Dogan Gursoy, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Craig Hemmens, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Fellow
Deukhyuon Heo, Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Fellow
Joshua Heyne, 2023 EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Award
Kimberly Honn, President of the Working Time Society
Dipra Jha, International Hospitality Institute’s 100 Most Influential People in U.S. Hospitality and Travel
Manoj Karkee, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Superior Paper Award
Kris Kowdley, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Laura Lavine, Entomological Society of America Distinguished Achievement Award in the Promotion of Diversity and Inclusion
Hongfei Lin, American Chemical Society
Yuehe Lin, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Luna Magpili, Fulbright Specialist
Thomas Marsh, Agricultural and Applied Economics Fellow
Craig McConnel, American Veterinary Medical Association’s Zoetis Award for Veterinary Research Excellence
Nathan McDowell, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Terry McElwain, Washington State Academy of Sciences Board of Directors
Jean-Sabin McEwen, American Vacuum Society 2023 Peter M. A. Sherwood Mid-Career Professional Award
Sterling McPherson, American Psychological Association Fellow
Katrina Mealey, American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Faculty Achievement in Research Award
Hallie Meredith, The Clark Art Institute Fellow
O. Steven Norberg, National Association of County Agricultural Agents Distinguished Service Award
Melanie-Angela Neuilly, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation 2024 Distinguished Scholar Award
Mary Paine, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Guy Palmer, American Society of Microbiology Fellow
Allan Pessier, Northwest Partners in Amphibian and reptile Conservation 2024 Luminary Award
Tahira Probst, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Tim Paulitz, American Phytopathological Society’s Pacific Division Lifetime Achievement Award
Kathleen Rodgers, USDA Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences/Regional Teaching Award
Shyam Sablani, Fulbright Scholar; Institute of Food Technologists Fellow
Dominic Scalise, National Science Foundation’s Early Career Development Award
Noel Schulz, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Women in Technology and Leadership Award
Rance Sellon, American Veterinary Medical Association Zoetis Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award; American Association of Veterinary Clinicians Faculty Achievement in Teaching Award
Xianming Shi, National Academy of Inventors Senior Member
Jeannie Shinozuka, American Philosophical Society Library Short-Term Resident Research Fellowship; The Huntington Library Dibner Research Fellow in the History of Science and Technology
Kawkab Shishani, Fulbright Specialist
Ryan Sommerfeldt, American Accounting Association Outstanding Paper of the Year
Juming Tang, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Mechthild Tegeder, Washington State Academy of Sciences Member
Bernard Van Wie, American Society for Engineering Education Donald R. Woods Lectureship Award for Lifetime Achievement in Chemical Engineering Pedagogy
Margaret Vaughn, Fulbright Specialist
Vaithianath Venkatasubramanian, Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Power and Energy Society Prabha S. Kundur Power System Dynamics and Control Award
Jeff Vervoort, Geochemical Society Fellow
Jeffrey Walls, American Education Research Association Emerging Scholar Award
Doug Walsh, Entomological Society of America Fellow
Yong Wang, 2023 Highly Cited Researchers
Benjamin Warnick, Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division Best Reviewer Award
Jennifer Watts, National Institutes of Health Outstanding Investigator Award
Rachel Wilbur, Society for Public Health Education Sarah Mazelis Paper of the Year Award
Megan Willson, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Academic Leadership Fellow
Bin Yang, American Institute of Chemical Engineers Fellow; Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair Award
Harrison (Zhibin) Yang, 2023 EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Award
Kyle Yoshida, Washington Research Foundation Fellow
Jinwen Zhang, National Academy of Inventors