Washington’s land-grant university advances research and creative activities for the benefit of people throughout the state, nation, and the world.
WSU Pullman
Established as the state’s land-grant college in 1890, the Pullman campus is home to researchers who are on the cutting edge in engineering, the natural and social sciences, and humanities. WSU Pullman researchers lead in sustainable agriculture, advanced materials, innovations for social justice, and many other areas—all driven by WSU’s land grant mission to serve the needs of communities in Washington and beyond.
WSU Spokane
WSU Spokane is the University’s Health Sciences Campus. In partnership with hospitals, industry, government, and other universities, researchers at WSU Spokane work with community partners and industry to solve some of the thorniest health challenges of our time.
With facilities for advanced health research, WSU Spokane Health Sciences houses the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, and the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. WSU Spokane’s innovative medical education model focuses on increasing access to primary care physicians in underserved populations. Spokane’s medical and nursing students benefit from the University’s research in behavioral health and performance, novel therapeutic strategies, and disease onset and progression.
WSU Tri-Cities
Research at WSU Tri-Cities focuses on three key areas: K-12 STEM education, wine science, and sustainable energy.
The GEAR UP program at WSU Tri-Cities reaches over 50 rural schools, giving middle-school and high-school students and their families essential guidance on preparing for college.
WSU’s longstanding partnership with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, is exemplified by three synergistic joint institutes where WSU faculty and PNNL researchers work to advance sustainable energy solutions. bridging the expertise and research capabilities of the two institutions. Along with the WSU–PNNL partnership, the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures further solidifies WSU Tri-Cities’ leading role in meeting the energy challenges and opportunities that the future holds for the state and region.
The world-class Wine Science Center and nearby Research and Teaching Vineyard are devoted to the challenges and opportunities faced by Pacific Northwest grape growers and winemakers.
WSU Vancouver
WSU Vancouver is the only four-year research university in southwest Washington. The campus provides students with access to a strong education and opportunities to participate in innovative research mentored by WSU faculty.
With emphasis on applied and translational science and technology, leadership, and sustainability, WSU Vancouver researchers are making discoveries with impacts far outside the state. WSU Vancouver research is particularly focused on sustaining our water resources (particularly in the critically important Columbia River Basin), advances in devices and smart systems for health and environmental monitoring, and investigations and interventions in equity in health care access, climate change impacts, food security, and other realms.
Research and Extension Centers
Four WSU research and extension centers spread the benefits of the University’s research across the state of Washington.
Agricultural research at these centers is supported by state and federal research grants and contracts—a public investment with enormous returns in land productivity, disease-resistant crops, the conservation of water resources, and the safer and more effective use of chemicals in agriculture.
Mount Vernon Research and Extension Center
The Mount Vernon Research and Extension Center takes advantage of the location’s unique mild, marine climate and rich alluvial soils for small-crop and weed research, looking for specific benefits for the local small and mid-sized farms in this area of rural–urban interface.
Puyallup Research and Extension Center
On 320 acres, the Puyallup Research and Extension Center houses the University’s avian health and food safety laboratories and a plant and insect diagnostic lab. Greenhouses, laboratories, and experimental plots enable research advancing sustainable and economically dynamic agriculture in Washington.
Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC)
Located in Prosser, the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center is a focal point for the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Research here focuses on innovative developments in irrigated agriculture, which accounts for an estimated two-thirds of the agricultural production in the state. Interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration are a key part of IAREC, where faculty and staff from seven WSU departments work on-site with scientists from USDA-ARS, WSDA, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center
Based in Wenatchee, the Center houses the F. L. Overley Laboratory (horticulture, plant physiology, soil sciences, entomology, and plant pathology) and the USDA Tree Fruit Research Laboratory, among other laboratories and facilities, on its 200 acres.
WSU Extension Offices
WSU Extension has 39 locations throughout the state with a mission to serve the needs of Washington communities in a wide variety of ways. Extension specialists work with communities on agriculture, youth and families, health and wellness, gardening, and more.