Dean’s Message

I am reminded today of the saying “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”

Here on the Palouse, people are making the most of those last moments of sunshine that follow the chill of morning air. Today I saw a student rise from the Bustad lawn where she had created a wonderful, warm space to study among small yellow flowers. She moved to give her space fully to the […]

The winds have whipped up in the Palouse, adding drama to this week of ceremonies and education rituals. Last month I wrote about firsts. This month is about the annual welcoming events that tie us together as an academic community. At the college this fall, we welcomed 141 new veterinary students, around the same number […]

I had several “firsts” this month. I spent five days on my first canoeing adventure on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument in north-central Montana. Deep mud, lovely grasses, intense shale and sandstone rock formations, bighorn sheep, fossilized bison teeth, birds, more birds, and lots of sun. The people on the trip were wonderful. […]

Rain came, reminding us of summer’s tenuous hold on the Palouse. But, to me, the intense greens are worth the gray skies. We have those lively quail and red-winged blackbirds back (although, who really needs to sing at 4 a.m., honestly?) and my husband and I have discovered a pond dominated by yellow-headed blackbirds. Very […]

Whispering so as not to change our good luck … the Palouse has gifted us a gorgeous spring. I think she is making up for, well, last spring — when, quite frankly, she was a bit disappointing. One of those years where July 4 was truly the first week that hit 70 degrees. Not this […]

These owls spent a few weeks in the trees outside of Bustad, while the owlets were in the branching phase. We couldn’t stop looking at them. We took field trips outside, chatted with people we didn’t know (who, without our amazing guidance, may not have even seen the wonder)! We were giddy. The owls have […]

I slept this weekend and truly deserved it! I have been on the move since early January, travel for conferences, development, and federal engagement can be exhausting. But the time is punctuated by surprising moments of impact and connectivity as well as a deep recognition (and gratitude) for all the work people at WSU are […]

As a university, we have been thinking more and more about what it means to have an international footprint. The depth and breadth of our programs in East Africa provide a strong pathway to pursue program building and partnerships in new areas, including engineering, agriculture, and social sciences. We re-signed an MOU with the University […]

I still get motivated by hot coffee and half and half in the morning—my clear hours. I even walk with coffee in hand. Recently, I found myself thinking about impact and how we align with our land-grant and outreach mission. Visible and tangible efforts to make our world better. And what I have learned is […]