WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin
Issue 2004-14 (August 5, 2004)


IN THIS ISSUE

Underline

Top researcher joining WSU Spokane
Community introduction August 18

Gregory Belenky, MD, joining Washington State University Spokane as director of the sleep research initiative under the Spokane Alliance for Medical Research, 2004.Please join us Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2004, 2-3 p.m., to welcome Gregory Belenky, MD, to WSU Spokane.

Washington State University has selected Dr. Belenky to serve as the director of the sleep research program for the Spokane Alliance for Medical Research. Congressman George Nethercutt will join the event, which is open to the public.

Date: Wednesday, August 18, 2004.

Time: 2-3 p.m.

Location: Auditorium, Phase I Classroom Building, Washington State University Spokane, 668 N. Riverpoint Blvd., Spokane. Light refreshments will be served. Open to faculty, staff, and the public.

Parking: Available on the south side of Trent, with easy access across the street to Phase I, and parking fees in that lot are waived for this event. (Note that parking in the main lot is affected by construction of the Academic Center Building.)

RSVP: Lorri Bays, baysl@wsu.edu, (35)8-7626

Dr. Belenky has most recently held the rank of colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, and served as director of the Division of Neuroscience at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. During his stewardship at WRAIR, the program grew in national and international stature, producing groundbreaking research and publications in the areas of brain imaging in sleep and sleep deprivation, the performance effects of stimulants and sleep inducing drugs, and the effects of chronic sleep restriction on performance. Return to the Top of the Page

See the flyer (PDF) available for you to print and post.

Pharmacy faculty member receives national award

Steven Setter, assistant professor of pharmacotherapy, Washington State University SpokaneA pharmacy professor at Washington State University Spokane has received recognition for his work with Alzheimer’s disease from a national professional pharmacy journal.

Stephen M. Setter, assistant pharmacotherapy professor at WSU Spokane, was one of four pharmacists recognized by U.S. Pharmacist in their third annual Pharmacy Recognition Award for human healthcare. Setter won the Community Pharmacy category. Return to the Top of the Page

News release online: http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=4658  (July 21, 2004)

HOPE school to open for young children with hearing loss

Open House set for August 12

The Hearing Oral Program of Excellence (HOPE), an educational program for children with hearing loss ages birth to 5, will open its doors in September, 2004 at the Riverpoint campus.

The public is invited to an open house Thursday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. to tour the facility in the Health Sciences Building, 310 N. Riverpoint Blvd., and learn about the program.

There are still spaces available for this fall. The cost varies, with a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay. Parents interested in the program may contact Doreen Nicholas, (509) 358-7597, evansd@wsu.edu.

The preschool, located in the University Hearing and Speech Clinic, will offer a comprehensive program for those families who want their children to learn to talk. Children will benefit from a language-enriched environment that will maximize their communication and academic potential.

More in the news release online: http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=4672 (August 4, 2004)Return to the Top of the Page

New degrees approved by HECB

The Higher Education Coordinating Board, at its July 22 meeting, approved two new undergraduate degrees to be offered at WSU Spokane--the BA Professional Development and the BS Exercise Physiology and Metabolism.

These degrees are designed so that students may complete their first two years at WSU Pullman and then relocate to WSU Spokane (co-located) or complete their first two years at SFCC or another community college and then transfer to WSU Spokane.

At the end of the academic year 2004, the WSU Faculty Senate approved these degrees to be offered under two new administrative umbrellas specific to WSU Spokane. The campus is designating responsibilities for coordination of the newly approved programs and degrees as follows:

  • Program in Health Sciences: Director, Sally Blank, associate professor of exercise science
  • BS Exercise Physiology and Metabolism: Coordinator, Sally Blank, associate professor of exercise science
  • Program in Professional Development: Director, Paul Schimpf, associate professor, electrical engineering/computer science
  • BA Professional Development: Coordinator, Kenn Daratha, assistant professor, management information systems

Senior associate dean Jo Ann Thompson, in announcing the approval of the two degrees, noted the contributions of a number of people--Rom Markin, Sally Blank, Carolyn Johnson, Janet Beary, Linda Massey, Paul Schimpf, and Kenn Daratha—“for their work and continued dedication to the success of these degree programs.”

Also approved at the HECB board meeting was the Doctor of Audiology program, which is designed to replace the current master’s degree in audiology option within the master of arts in speech and hearing sciences. Return to the Top of the Page

Congressional staff to visit campus August 18

Staff from the Washington, DC offices of our congressional delegation are visiting WSU Tri-Cities, Pullman, and Spokane, for an up-close look at a variety of programs. The visit is coordinated by the WSU Office of Federal Government Relations and Office of Research.

Around a half-dozen staff people, accompanied by faculty and staff from Pullman and Spokane, will be on our campus Wednesday, August 18, 1:30-3 p.m. They’ll spend time in the Health Sciences Building and will meet with faculty to learn about the Child and Family Research Unit, WIMIRT, WSU Spokane CityLab, and Nursing. Return to the Top of the Page

Sleep research lectures August 19-20

Hans Van Dongen, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Sleep and Chronobiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, will give two invited lectures on sleep research Thur., Aug. 19 (Pullman), and Fri., Aug. 20 (Spokane).

Faculty, staff, students, and the public are invited to attend either or both.

Prof. Van Dongen has done pioneering work on the effects of chronic sleep restriction on human performance and investigated individual variability in response to sleep restriction and sleep deprivation. He has been active in creating mathematical models to predict performance from sleep/wake history and in adapting these models to make accurate predictions for given individuals.

Pullman lecture, Thur. Aug. 19: "Individual differences in cognitive deficits from sleep loss"

Date: Thursday, Aug. 19
Time: 4-6 p.m.
Location: Wegner Hall, Rm. G1, WSU Pullman

This lecture will focus in on the evidence from his work on the nature of individual differences, and that these individual differences appear to be trait-like rather than state-like. Van Dongen may address adapting mathematical models using Bayesian techniques to accurately predict a given individual's performance.

Spokane lecture, Fri. Aug. 20: "On performance impairment from sleep deprivation and sleep restriction"

Date: Friday, Aug. 20
Time: 10-11 a.m.
Location: Health Sciences Building, Rm. 110B, 310 N. Riverpoint Blvd., WSU Spokane Return to the Top of the Page

A general review of his work and that of others on performance in sleep deprivation and sleep restriction.

Fall semester kickoff August 19

Join us Thursday, August 19, in the Health Sciences Building Rms. 110ABCD. The agenda is still being finalized—details to come.

Three reasons to come for sure:

  • Learn more about new programs already approved, and others to be developed.
  • Get your brand-new WSU Spokane lanyard, fresh off the loom, to wear with Cougar pride.
  • Meet new co-workers, including interim chancellor Nicholas Lovrich, and learn something new about those long-time cubicle pals, in our traditional round of introductions.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

Spokane MESA High School team 2nd @ Nationals

MESA Staff and Students
National Engineering Design Competition June 25 - 27, 2004, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Spokane MESA students finished in a strong second place. They did a project that tested different models of mouse trap cars/multi-purpose vehicles.

Congratulations to our Spokane MESA staff and their students. 10th grade MESA students DeAndra Kenoly (North Central), DJ May (North Central) and Jennifer McGlothen (Lewis & Clark) were mentored by our high school coordinator, Kirk Reinkens, and represented Washington MESA at the 2004 MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition in Albuquerque, NM.

The challenge: Design, build, test, improve and report on a Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) powered by a single mousetrap. The team scored points in MPV performance, technical paper, academic display & oral presentation.



The multi-purpose vehicle designed by the Spokane MESA team took 2nd place at the national competition, 2004.Their MPV performed nearly as expected. In the speed task their MPV covered 10 meters in 4.6 seconds. In the power task their MPV climbed a 30-degree ramp 70 cm. And in the accuracy task their MPV stopped within 1.5 meters of a 5 meter target. Their MPV performance combined with their strong 1st, 2nd & 2nd place finishes in academic display, technical paper and oral presentation respectively to bring them to 2nd place overall.

Take me out to the ball game

Spokane Indians Baseball is a city tradition dating back to the 1890’s. Whether you have never made it to a game or you are a diehard fan, WSU Spokane employees and their families can enjoy the experience August 20, during the official WSU Spokane night with the Spokane Indians. The Indians will be rivaling the Boise Hawks at Avista Stadium starting at 6:30 p.m.

WSU employees are invited to attend for $4 a ticket. There will be hot dogs, sodas, and ice cream all evening priced at $1 each and employees and family members will also be able to purchase raffle tickets for the group raffle.

Reserving tickets is easy. Bring cash or check (payable to Spokane Indians) for the number of tickets you want to purchase by Friday, August 13 to:

  • Deanna Vannice, Ad Annex
  • Kristi Wardrop, Phase I Building
  • Student Services, Health Sciences Building

Pre-ordered tickets can be picked up Thursday August 19, from these designated contacts.

If you have any questions or would like more information about this event, please contact Deanna Vannice at 358-7540 or vannice@mail.wsu.edu. You can also log onto www.spokaneindiansbaseball.com. Return to the Top of the Page

Correction

Our apologies to Jeannie “Two Ns” Norton, whose welcome/bio appeared in the July 14 issue, for misspelling her name.

Community connections

Art exhibit: "The River and the new Great Gorge Park"

August 6-September 25, 2004, the Lorinda Knight Gallery, located at 523 West Sprague, will host “The River and the new Great Gorge Park.” An opening reception for the artists will take place on Friday, August 6, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. with live music. Reception and exhibit free and open to the public. The gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Sixteen artists respond to the idea of connecting the community to the Spokane River through the Great Spokane River Gorge area extending down the river from the upper falls. A park concept for the Gorge was first proposed by the Olmsted Brothers in 1908. As "Friends of the Falls" moves toward completion of a strategic master plan for increasing access to the river, the sixteen local artists in this exhibit create works based on their personal responses to the river passing through the heart of downtown Spokane.

Artists exhibiting: Andrew Bohl, Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli, Kathleen Cavender, Lanny De Vuono, Michelle Forsyth, Caren Furbeyre, Keiko Hara, Melissa Lang, Tom McClelland, Wendy Franklund Miller, Rik Nelson, Kay O'Rourke, Nancy Peterfreund, Peter Presnail, Rita Robillard, and Larry Schmidt.

For questions please contact Lorinda Knight (509-838-3740). Return to the Top of the Page

Inland Northwest LGBT Health Summit: Call for abstracts

Faculty/staff interested in presenting at the Oct. 9 Inland Northwest Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Health Summit, scheduled to be held on the Riverpoint campus, are invited to submit abstracts to be considered for workshop presentation.

Particularly welcome are submissions for workshops on health and nutrition, health screenings, legal and ethical issues, meditation/relaxation, sexual health, substance use and abuse, body image, and tobacco use. They encourage presentations that are led by at least two people; presenters will also facilitate discussions.

For more information and a copy of the proposal form, contact Russ Hemphill, 509-455-8993, russh@san-nw.org.

Submission deadline: Monday, August 16. Fax to 509-455-9743, mail to SAN, 905 S. Monroe, Spokane, WA 99204, or submit electronically to russh@san-nw.org

Personnel and staffing changesReturn to the Top of the Page

Coming:
Sara Hoerner, HREC, effective 7/16/04

Searches:
Chancellor, WSU Spokane, position is open until filled
Assistant/Associate Professor, Criminal Justice, position is opened until filled Return to the Top of the Page

Way to go!

"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

  • 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 and staff 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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