WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin
Issue 2004-15 (August 18, 2004)


IN THIS ISSUE

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Campus kickoff Aug. 19

A reminder of an event that should already be on your calendar: The annual WSU Spokane campuswide meeting for faculty and staff!

Start the semester off right with the company of your colleagues, some munchies, and information you can engage with to understand the campus’s growth and direction.

Location: Health Sciences Building, Rms. 110 ABCD
Date: Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004
Time: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.
RSVP for lunch from Luigi’s: Debbie Reeves, 8-7550, dreeves@wsu.edu

Top sleep researcher recruited to WSU Spokane

$3.5 million federal funding earmarked for new initiative

Washington State University today introduced Gregory Belenky, MD, to the community as the new director of a sleep and performance research initiative created in partnership with the Spokane Alliance for Medical Research. Gregory Belenky, MD, research professor at Washington State University Spokane, is nationally recognized for his research on sleep and performance (2004 photo).

U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt joined university leaders in Spokane to announce $3.5 million in grant funds from the Department of Defense that will support Dr. Belenky’s work. The grant funds will support applied research at WSU Spokane designed to link fundamental research into brain structures and sleep conducted at WSU Pullman with the clinical base of practitioners and patients in Spokane.

The funding is in addition to an initial $50,000 earmark from the Department of Labor, $20,000 from INTEC, and a $1.5 million earmark from the Department of Defense already committed to the effort.

Dr. Belenky said, "We are on the verge of an absolute explosion in scientific and commercial exploitation in sleep research. When we start to take a new look with a new tool (the Sleep Watch and a Palm Pilot-based performance test), we open up new worlds."

He added, "The funding levels we have now, with the federal investments, put us on a level playing field with the three other labs doing work in this field. A research team is a small start-up: it needs talent and capital. We have that here, with the superb basic science in Pullman and sleep clinicians in Spokane, and the federal funding being devoted to this effort."

James Krueger, professor, veterinary and comparative anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology, WSU Pullman, joined the announcement. He described just three possible translational applications in which Dr. Belenky can work with Pullman-based colleagues: mathematical modeling of the brain, noninvasive optical imaging of the brain, and his own area of sleep chemistry, which might someday allow a simple measure of one's chemical profile and how it relates to sleep and performance.

A day in the life: Laboratory Operations Manager Jennifer Hogan

Meet Jennifer Hogan, AKA “Lab Queen”: the laboratory operations manager of the Health Research and Education Center at WSU Spokane.

Whether it’s dealing with a researcher who stops by her office because their water distillation unit is flooding the floor below, or answering the requests of researchers--“Do we have a particular item (I am halfway through my experiment and didn't check to see if we have this piece of equipment on hand) or do you know where I can find one?”--Hogan does it all.

Hogan’s job Jennifer Hogan, laboratory operations manager at Washington State University Spokane, 2004.requires extensive knowledge and quick problem solving. She has cataloged 841 pieces of equipment into an inventory database and has a rough working knowledge of most of those items. Hogan is the one researchers turn to when something goes wrong, and she can often be found with a piece of lab equipment taken apart in her office while she tries to fix it.

A large part of Hogan’s job is ensuring that everything in the lab is running safely in order to avoid hazardous problems. If problems do happen, Hogan has to be able to problem solve quickly in order to keep everything safe.

“We have a lot of pieces of equipment that can produce all sorts of issues, and because of the biological, chemical and radiation safety issues it is easier to just handle the situation without calling in other individuals that aren't familiar with laboratory hazards,” she says.

When asked about her biggest accomplishment, Hogan responds, “My biggest
accomplishment is the fact that every single facility, custodial and maintenance staff member knows who I am, and when I call they come running. I couldn't do most of my work without them.”

That’s not Hogan’s only accomplishment. Her list of accomplishments in her position is long, and these are just a few:

  • Created and keeps current a quick reference chemical inventory database, currently for 602 hazardous materials. This database provides researchers an electronic copy of the MSDS, and the required SOP, which she has also written. This information is web available, interactive and allows the researcher to easily add specific procedural information to the SOP.
  • Developed a comprehensive safety program for HREC, making it useful and accessible, and provides program management and coordination
  • Established hazardous waste management program for HREC researchers, through procedures, training, recordkeeping and paperwork, designations, and maintenance of the 90-day storage facility.
  • Developed and manages effective training program with database tracking and web based training resource for users. Coordinates training needs and provides necessary training materials to trainers/researchers. This also includes access to the WSU and location Accident Prevention and Safety Plans.

Hogan’s achievements in her position earned her the Star Achiever Award from the Washington State University Environmental Health and Safety Department. Hogan was honored at the annual health and safety conference hosted by EH& S on August 17 in Pullman.

Next time you see her calmly sitting at her desk, surrounded by the motivational sayings posted on every wall, know that any minute a mini-disaster could occur, and Hogan will be on the move again.Return to the Top of the Page

EDA funding announced for
Center to Bridge the Digital Divide, University District, SIRTI

A $212,605 grant from the Economic Development Administration to the Center to Bridge the Digital Divide at Washington State University will help build telecommunications capacity in rural areas to aid in workforce and economic development.

The center’s Rural Telework Program has been selected by the EDA as one of three recipients of funding for projects in Washington state. David Sampson, assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, joined U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt today in making the presentation to Bill Gillis, the center’s director.

Global connections:
Value of education highlighted in Iran

For five days in May, Mimi Salamat, assistant professor in speech and hearing sciences, experienced the immense value placed on higher education in Iran. Salamat, who is originally from Iran herself, presented and participated in the International Congress on Neurotology, Neuro-audiology, and Skull Base Surgery in Tehran.

Mimi Salamat, assistant professor, speech and hearing sciences, Washington State University Spokane, and a graduate student, 2004.While in Iran, Salamat had the opportunity to interact with students from Iran who treated her like a national hero. “After I finished speaking, students would crowd around me asking detailed questions and soaking up every word I said,” she said.

In Iran, higher education is viewed as a privilege rather than as a commodity. Students study for a couple of years in order to prepare for the national university entrance exam. Passing the university entrance exam is such an achievement that the students who pass get their name placed in the newspaper.

Students are assigned to a university based on their score on the entrance exam. The higher the score, the more prestigious the university the student gets to attend. Often students are given money by the university to cover their cost of living while they go to school. Once into the university, students take their studies very seriously and are dedicated to what they are studying.

“Students in Iran are very inquisitive, demanding, and enthusiastic for information. They have such limited equipment, facilities, and experts that students take any opportunity they can to learn more,” said Salamat.

Salamat presented two lectures on vestibular evaluation, the evaluation of the balance system. She practices vestibular evaluation in the clinic, but her research expertise is in the area of late auditory evoked potentials at the cortex and sub cortical level, evaluating cognitive processing.

Salamat presented two posters on her research area as well, and 13 posters that graduate students in speech and hearing sciences had created on techniques, applications, and process in auditory brain stem responses and otoacoustic emissions. The student posters were very popular; upon the request of a few professors all of them were given to other professors in audiology and otology to take back to their universities for use as examples.

She uses a specific paradigm that is distinct from the traditional method because it evaluates both electrophysiological activities and behavioral activities while testing cognition. Her research won the 1997 best research award from the American Academy of Audiology for development of a new approach to testing the brain's response to auditory stimulus.

Salamat’s research involves evaluating different clinical populations such as attention deficit disorders, auditory processing disorders, language disorders, Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism, sleep disorders, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenic patients before and after medication or treatment.

When asked if she would do the Iran trip again, Salamat said, “As much as I immensely enjoyed my interactions with the students, scientists and intellectuals, I have to admit that this was a very long and tiring trip. Facing all the devastating changes that have happened in my country and experiencing all the restrictions and oppression that the government imposes upon people made me very sad and disillusioned. I need a few years to get mentally and emotionally prepared before I do it again.”

BA Professional Development
opens many doors

In today’s society, the average person makes three or more career changes in his or her lifetime; therefore, more people are looking for broad college degrees that teach a variety of skills useful in a wide range of professions. Washington State University Spokane’s new BA Professional Development prepares students for many futures, and is enrolling students for fall semester 2004.

“The creation and implementation of the BA of Professional Development centers around one key question, ‘What should people in our society know?’” said program coordinator Kenn Daratha. The human development core of this degree centers on the theme that people successful at both the professional and personal level have a strong understanding of how people work and interact with one another. The core is composed of human development, sociology, and psychology courses that explore the lifespan development of human beings.

Many of the courses in the program may be appropriate as electives in other programs, in particular the technical/professional writing course, English 402, being offered this fall. Faculty advisors and academic coordinators are encouraged to review the course offerings in the BA Professional Development, and to recommend appropriate coursework to their students as electives. See the fall course highlights page for course descriptions.

All students in the Professional Development program are required to complete the human development core in addition to specific courses specified by their chosen concentration. Students can choose one of the following concentrations.

  • Liberal and Social Studies in Contemporary Life: Prepares students for leadership roles in various venues drawing upon a broad-based educational foundation. This curriculum explores the ideas, concepts and constructs of the social sciences and liberal arts including social psychology, motivational theory and personal development.
  • Strategic Studies in Life, Work, and Organizations: Focuses on the student's contributions to an organization. This curriculum includes coverage of concepts and techniques of the marketplace and the basic functional areas of business of finance, marketing and management.
  • Real Estate Markets and Management: Designed for employees who aspire to management positions within the real estate industry. In addition to core life skills of human development, sociology, communication and liberal arts, students in this program study the specific body of knowledge related to real estate markets and management. This includes multiple disciplines including economics, law, finance, management and marketing.

The faculty involved in teaching each of these courses are a mix of tenured and part time. Below is a list of the outstanding faculty currently involved in teaching courses for the BA of Professional Development in fall 2004.

  • Randy Barcus, MS Finance
  • Laurie Carlson, PhD, English
  • Donald Epley, PhD Real Estate
  • Massimo Gallotti, MBA Business
  • Randy Knuth, PhD, Human Development
  • Linda A. Kelly, MS, Sociology
  • Frederick Peterson, PhD, Education
  • Melinda Spohn, PhC, Psychology

For further information contact Kenn Daratha at 358-7769, kdaratha@wsu.edu.Return to the Top of the Page

Campus Health & Wellness Committee forming

A campuswide Health & Wellness Committee is forming to promote well-being for everyone on campus: EWU, WSU Spokane, and SIRTI. The idea, suggested at an all-campus staff meeting in August, immediately met with enthusiasm and volunteers.

Kelly LaGrutta, education, WSU Spokane, is serving as the committee’s first chair. Other volunteers to date include, from WSU Spokane, Cathi Lamoreux, Exercise Science and Nutrition faculty represented by Susan Kynast-Gales, Glynis Hull, Teresa Krueger, Larry Cohen, Jennifer Hogan, and Diane Wick; from EWU, Donna Shaffer.

Volunteers welcome! Contact Kelly, lagrutta@wsu.edu, 358-7942. Return to the Top of the Page

Students can take the
"Public Service Challenge"

U.S. News & World Report and Vibrant Institute invite students to participate in the first ever Public Service Challenge: a national online competition open to all U.S. undergraduate and graduate students.

The Public Service Challenge is an exciting online simulation game designed to expose students to the challenges of managing the operations of a government program.

By accepting the Challenge, one assumes the role as the head of a government agency responsible for battling the spread of infectious diseases.

Students across the country will compete to protect the public and save lives, while learning valuable business and management skills that are transferable to any professional career.

The Challenge is free and open to any U.S. undergraduate or graduate student regardless of major or field of study. The Challenge starts on August 15, 2004, and ends on October 10, 2004. Return to the Top of the Page

Adams and Baumgartner to assume duties in Extension associate dean’s office Ed Adams, interim associate dean and associate director, Washington State University Extension

Effective September 1, 2004, Linda Kirk Fox will be the Interim Dean and Director, Washington State University (WSU) Extension. She replaces Michael J. Tate, who has accepted the position of Interim Vice President for Equity and Diversity. Fox will be assisted in the administrative duties by two WSU Extension faculty.

Ed Adams will be the Interim Associate Dean and Associate Director, and continue his role as Program Director, Agriculture at WSU Spokane. David Baumgartner will be the Interim Program Director, Natural Resources in a partial administrative assignment. Baumgartner is an Extension Forester and Professor at WSU Pullman.

Adams’s role as program director for agriculture programs will continue. Ed will assume the duties for the federal annual report of accomplishments, the plan of work, and the WSU strategic plan implementation and benchmarking activities. Return to the Top of the Page

Academic Center event August 25

Remember to RSVP for the Academic Center event: communications@wsu.edu, (35)8-7540. This will help us with the count for chairs, so if you want to sit, tell us your seat is coming!

When: Wednesday, August 25, 2004
8:00-9:00 a.m. (Program starts PROMPTLY at 8:15)

Where: Riverpoint campus, on the grounds between the Phase 1 Classroom Building and the Health Sciences Building

RSVP: By Friday, August 13, to (35)8-7540, communications@wsu.edu

Public Parking: Parking for the event is free. We recommend parking in the blue lot on the south side of Trent for easy access to the event site.

This event is open to all faculty, staff, students, and friends of the campus. See the flyer available for you to send to people you’d like to invite. Return to the Top of the Page

Meet the Neighbors:
Community Building Child Care

Director: Anita Morgan
35 West Main
Spokane, WA 99201
509/777-0857

Photo courtesy of Community Building Child CareCommunity Building Child Care (CBCC), is planning an open house Wednesday, August, 18th from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This non-profit organization has been developing children, families, and staff through its unique environment for 2 ½ years. CBCC describes itself as one part school, “one part home and one part museum”.

Director Anita Morgan relates that the best way to understand the overall experience is to come and tour the facility either by coming to the open house or setting up a personal tour. There will be tasty treats made by the children and parents and staff will be available Wednesday night to share their thoughts about CBCC.

Hours of business: Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., year around

What We Do: Their philosophy of a highly creative and experiential environment is inspired by Reggio Children, a group based in Reggio Emilia, Italy. This Italian group also moved them to create a setting that shows that children and their work are valued and appreciated. Morgan explains that with a 1:4 child to staff ratio it is easier to give them one on one time and observe the children’s’ development. This ratio also allows them time to develop the adults who are key in the children’s’ lives.

Community connections

University District community workshop set for Sept. 27

The third in a series of community workshops on the development of a University District concept has been set for the evening of Monday, Sept. 27, at the Avista Auditorium, 1411 E. Mission.

Tom Reese, city economic development advisor, said that a draft plan for the University District will be presented and workshop participants will be encouraged to provide feedback.

“The draft plan will reflect the ideas about University District projects and sites gathered through the first two workshops,” Reese said. Participants will hear about the core planning principles and economic analysis for the University District, as well as input received from neighborhood councils.

“Comments gathered through this workshop will be used to hone the final draft, which will be presented at a final public meeting, currently scheduled for October 21,” Reese said. Following that, the final draft of the University District plan will be presented to the Plan Commission and City Council with the goal of it being adopted in December.

Daniel Iacofano of San Francisco-based Moore Iacofano Goltsman (MIG), Inc., will facilitate the September 27 workshop. Iacofano is a nationally recognized award-winning urban planning specialist. He is familiar with Spokane’s downtown renaissance through his work on the Downtown Plan, the Davenport Arts District Plan, the Riverfront Master Plan and more.

Free parking for the workshop is available in the lots adjacent to the Avista headquarters building. Attendees should use the front entrance to the building. From there, they will be directed to the auditorium. Return to the Top of the Page

Health Improvement Partnership conference on collaborations Nov. 8-9

"Community-Minded Enterprises: How to Build Powerful Collaborations for the Common Good." Conference offered November 8 and 9, 2004, by the Health Improvement Partnership (HIP).

More and more, as people who care about their communities seek to make a difference, they are doing so via partnerships. Designed for community-minded people from all sectors, backgrounds, and disciplines, the Community-Minded Enterprises conference will teach the art of effective collaborative enterprise and promote a support system for community-based collaborations across the Northwest.

For more information, visit www.hipspokane.org and click on the Community-Minded Enterprises conference page, or call 509-444-3088 ext 246.

Personnel and staffing changesReturn to the Top of the Page

Coming

Fevzi Akinci, Assistant Professor, Health Policy & Administration, 8/16/04
Randy Barcus, adjunct faculty, Professional Development, 8/16/04
Greg Belenkey, Spokane Alliance for Medical Research, Director, Sleep Research Institute, 9/1/04
Laurie Carlson, adjunct faculty, Professional Development, 8/16/04
Linda Kelly, adjunct faculty, Professional Development, 8/16/04
Joan Kingrey, Education Director and Project Coordinator for Educational Partnerships, 8/1/04
Randy Knuth, adjunct faculty, Professional Development, 8/16/04
Michael Myers, Research Associate, WIMIRT, 9/1/04
Melinda Spohn, adjunct faculty, Professional Development, 8/16/04

Transferring

John Turpin, Associate Professor, Interior Design, Interdisciplinary Design Institute, transferring from Pullman to Spokane
Brent Albertson, Clinical Assistant Professor, Pharmacotherapy, transferring from Yakima to Spokane

Recruitments

Media Assistant III, ICN/College of Nursing, closing date is 8/23/04

Searches

Chancellor, WSU Spokane, position is open until filled
Assistant/Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, position is opened until filled

Promotions

Joyce Harbison, Principal Assistant, Pharmacotherapy, 6/1/04Joyce Harbison, principal assistant, department of pharmacotherapy, Washington State University Spokane.








Joanna Moznette, Secretary Senior, MESA, 7/1/04 Joanna Moznette, secretary senior, Spokane MESA program, Washington State University Spokane.






Way to go!

Joan Menzies would like to thank the following folks for helping with Unity in the Community on Saturday, August 7. A big thanks to Kaarin Appel, Barb Chamberlain, Jane Kinkel, Lisa Martin, Doug Menzies, Sicco Rood, Jane Rudd and Liz West for blowing up balloons, stamping kids with Cougar tattoos and generally supporting the community celebration of diversity in Liberty Park on Saturday, August 7th. Thanks too, to the department of pharmacotherapy and Patty Kraft for staffing a display on research efforts and diabetes.

"Way to go" is the place for you to recognize a co-worker's extra effort, outstanding contribution, or all-around good nature that makes your work day go a little more smoothly.

Send your “Way to Go!” comments to Deanna Vannice, vannice@wsu.edu, and watch for your thanks to be published in an upcoming issue of the Campus Bulletin!Return to the Top of the Page

Find it on the Web

  • BS Exercise Physiology & Metabolism: Check out the sharp new page design by design goddess Denise Palmen and Web maestro Sicco Rood.
  • Spokane Alliance for Medical Research: WSU Spokane hosts the Web site for the SAMR, an alliance of public and private colleges and universities, health care providers and institutions, and manufacturing, research, and economic development organizations in Spokane and the Inland Northwest. The alliance works to build significant competitive federal funding and lead research designed to promote human health and economic benefits for the region.
  • News Releases: Recent news releases and links to news releases organized by subject.
  • World Class Faculty: Check out the online profiles featured as links from our home page. The images rotate randomly on the home page, but the profiles are always available from this central profile page. You can also navigate to this page by choosing "About WSU Spokane" from the home page, "People" in the lefthand navigation, and "Profiles" in the lefthand navigation there.
  • Bulletin archives: Links to past issues of the Campus Bulletin from Oct. 2003 forward.
  • In the News: Media coverage of campus programs and people
  • Events Calendar: Find out what's going on around here (and if your event isn't listed, tell Kaarin! , 8-7528)Return to the Top of the Page

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The Bulletin is usually published on Wednesday biweekly during the academic year, every three weeks during breaks and summer session. Publication date may shift due to holidays. Deadline is Monday of the week of publication.
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The Bulletin covers news of interest to the faculty, staff, and friends of Washington State University Spokane, and associates on other WSU campuses and on the Riverpoint campus.

Regular columns cover personnel changes, upcoming events, professional accomplishments, opportunities for involvement in the campus community and the Spokane community, notices of new developments on campus, and other news.

The Bulletin also serves as a source of information for external communications directed to alumni, future and current students, and friends of Washington State University Spokane. You'll read it here first!

Editorial staff

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