WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin
Issue 2004-5 (March 3, 2004)


IN THIS ISSUE

Underline

Do the math: LORETA-FOCUSS

Paul Schimpf, associate professor of electrical engineering, with students in the microelectronics labLORETA, of course, as every layperson knows, is low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography, a particular 3D, discrete, distributed, linear solution to the inverse EEG/MEG problem. And FOCUSS, naturally, is the Focal Undetermined System Solver algorithm for vector selection.

Thank heavens for Google, which makes it possible to begin to translate the significance of mathematical research conducted by Paul Schimpf, associate professor of electrical engineering. His work, funded by the National Science Foundation, may someday result in improved diagnostic capabilities for medical equipment.

Schimpf, with co-author and postdoctoral student Hesheng Liu, has several publications forthcoming in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, a high-quality journal for articles that focus on theory and algorithmic techniques in biomedical engineering.

Schimpf describes the significance of his findings: “Many possible arrangements of brain activity can produce the same EEG recording. Algorithms that try to deduce brain activity from the EEG must somehow choose among the many possible solutions. One approach that has been suggested for cases where the primary activity is highly localized is to repetitively solve the problem in a way that gradually shrinks an ellipsoid region containing the solution, thereby focusing in on the region of primary activity.”

One example of the application is an epileptiform EEG, that is, an EEG used to identify the focus of seizure activity in the brain.

Think of this as a series of increasingly focused attempts to find the target site within the brain, using mathematical calculations performed by the computer to search for the most spatially concentrated region of activity that can explain the EEG signal.

Schimpf’s first paper examines the performance of such an algorithm in a realistic 3D head model with various levels of noise in the EEG.

“Noise” is usually defined as any unwanted signal, including highly random experimental instrument noise, as well as background activity in the brain (neurons contributing signals other than the ones the researcher or practitioner is really interested in). The particular algorithm addressed in this first paper did not produce a particularly strong performance.

Schimpf is publishing more papers with better algorithms of his own design. The second to run in the IEEE publication describes an algorithm that outperforms several other popular methods for a wide variety of different configurations of brain activity.

The LORETA algorithm produces blurred (low resolution) images of brain activity, but the regions of activity are correctly located in the brain. FOCUSS, on the other hand, can produce a high resolution image of local activity, but there may be errors in locating these areas of activity, and it is computationally “expensive” (requiring large computer resources).

Schimpf says, “This represents a sort of Heisenberg uncertainty principle for inverse EEG problems: You can get good local detail, or precise location, but not both at the same time.”

He proposes an algorithm that balances the strengths of these two methods. It uses LORETA to provide a good (but blurry) initial guess at the solution. It then modifies FOCUSS in a way that makes it more robust to errors in the initial guess and at the same time less computing-intensive.

Eventually, patients will benefit from the increased knowledge of brain activity made possible through these intensive computational processes. Better living through mathematics and computer science!

(For more on the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, see http://www.aip.org/history/heisenberg/)Return to the Top of the Page

Substance abuse scientist joins WSU Spokane

Roll named assistant director for addictive disorders research

A researcher with a track record in funding from the National Institute for Drug Abuse, an NIH agency, is joining the faculty at Washington State University Spokane. John Roll has been named assistant director of substance abuse and other addictive disorders research at the Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research and Training, housed at WSU Spokane.

Roll describes his research as addressing both basic and applied questions about drug use. On the basic science side, he examines behavioral pharmacology: how drugs, the organism and the environment interact to influence how the drug is used and how dependence develops.

On the applied side, he examines the effectiveness of behavioral therapies that get drug users to replace drug use with other behaviors that are more rewarding, also known as contingency management. He has studied behavioral treatments for smoking in teens, and for use of drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine, including an evaluation of behavioral therapy in combination with drug court procedures.

Read more in the news release online.Return to the Top of the Page

Nursing Research First Friday March 5

Grant Writing and Funding Support for Faculty

Presented by Jessika Satori, MBA, EdD, Faculty Support Coordinator, Office of Grant and Research Development, Washington State University.

Date: March 5, 2004
Time: 3:10-4:30pm
Location: SIRTI, Rm. 310
for more information: Kathy Bridwell, (32)4-7258, bridwell@wsu.edu

Wine and refreshments will be served.

Financial support for Research First Fridays is provided by donors to the College of Nursing’s Research Committee Fund and by Delta Chi Chapter-At-Large, Sigma Theta Tau.Return to the Top of the Page

Student profile

Doug Orr, PhD candidate and Spokane Police Department 2003 Officer of the Year

Brody (left) and Orr (right)Doug Orr has been named 2003 Spokane Police Department officer of the year. Doug is a PhD student in political science (ABD) and a detective with the police department. He has done most of his course work in Spokane, and associate professor of criminal justice David Brody serves as the chair of his dissertation committee.

Orr received this award for his work on investigating the case a woman charged with killing and then abandoning her infant. Orr spoke with experts nationwide and came to the conclusion that woman was telling the truth when she said the baby was stillborn and was abandoned out of confusion and trauma. Without his work an innocent, traumatized woman would have been prosecuted and possibly convicted.

Brody says, “It is good to see the police rewarding a dedicated officer going the extra mile to uncover the truth, even if it shows no crime was committed.”

We asked Orr why he’s pursuing the PhD, and where he’ll go from here.

Orr described his 1994 pursuit of a suspect with a prior criminal record who ended up taking his own life at the end of the pursuit, as he hid in a dumpster.

He said, “Immediately following the incident, I began to question my effectiveness and how I was impacting society. Was I going to spend the rest of my life using the criminal justice system to chase people into dumpsters?”

Orr stresses the value of police work, but adds that he felt “a personal responsibility to see that the system touches everyone, citizens and criminals, in the most effective manner possible.”

This quest led him to earn his master’s in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University, then to the WSU Ph.D. program in political science. While less than thrilled about the need to trek to Pullman for course work, he did have a flexible work schedule that allowed him to keep up—and to put 240,000 miles on his Toyota.

Orr has passed his prelims and is working on his dissertation. Nicholas Lovrich, professor of political science and director of the Division of Governmental Studies and Services, included him in the Project Safe Neighborhood Research Team. This led Orr to take on the issue of gun violence in the community, with research utilizing GIS data to look at gun ownership and its spatial effects on crime.

Orr adds, “Being here in Spokane afforded me the opportunity to interact with the city and the police department utilizing the most up-to-date crime analysis tools available. Living in Pullman would have placed me at a disadvantage in that respect.”

Orr plans to finish out his career as a police officer, doing some reading, publishing, and perhaps adjunct teaching, then look for a university position. He thanks David Brody, associate professor of criminal justice, who chairs his committee, for his investment of time and commitment to student success, as well as associate professor Mike Smith.

Doug Orr has been with the Spokane Police Department since 1996. Prior to that, he spent four years as a trooper with the Idaho State Patrol, five years with the Greenville, SC, Police Department, and three years with campus police at Bob Jones University.Return to the Top of the Page

WSU students know how to impress

At the February 19 career fair sponsored by Career Services at WSU Spokane in partnership with Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University, and Whitworth College, WSU students proved that the term “World Class” really does apply.

The 10th annual Partnership in Employment Career Fair was held at the Red Lion Hotel at the Park in Spokane. Nearly 600 students and alumni attended, including some students from WSU Spokane and others from WSU Pullman. Over 75 employers participated, representing both the private sector and government.

Many employers attending career fairs hire a wide range of majors. Company or agency names by themselves do not always indicate opportunities available for jobs and internships, so program faculty should encourage students to attend the fairs and explore the options.

Two of the largest employers at the fair this year were Walt Disney World and the US Department of State. The US Department of State was looking for graduates/interns in over 36 majors, including engineering, geography, and interior design, among others. Walt Disney World presented their special College Program, which offers graduates in all majors the chance to learn about next-step opportunities within the Walt Disney Company.

WSU Spokane counselor Jack Severinghaus, one of the fair's organizers, had the opportunity to receive feedback from employer representatives in attendance. He received glowing comments regarding WSU students.

Three recruiters spontaneously stated they have been consistently impressed with WSU graduates attending the Partnership Fair and the fall and spring fairs. According to Severinghaus, employers said WSU students are “well prepared for the fairs with resumes,” are “knowledgeable and capable,” and “present themselves well and do well on the job, once hired.”

For further information on WSU career fairs and attending employers, log on to www.careers.wsu.edu and click on Career Fairs and Events.Return to the Top of the Page

Welcome to campus!

Joel Lohr joins WSU SpokaneWelcome Joel Lohr! Joel joins WSU Spokane as a Maintenance Specialist in the Facilities Operations department. He is responsible for maintaining HVAC equipment by setting up a preventative maintenance program for the Spokane campus, diagnosing heating and cooling problems, and understanding and working with building computer controls and equipment.

Joel worked for Goodale and Barbieri in downtown Spokane as a Building Maintenance Engineer for the past 15 years. He was in charge of numerous buildings and has dealt with a diverse array of systems in the downtown core. He holds an AAS degree in HVAC&R from Spokane Community College, a Stationary Engineer license, a Gas Heating Mechanic 1 license, a Universal Refrigeration license, and an Electrical Maintenance 07 license.

Joel enjoys working on this campus and with his department. He says it is a nice change of pace from his previous employment location and he looks forward to meeting many new people at WSU Spokane.

If you have questions for Joel, contact him at 358-7994 or via email at joellohr@wsu.edu. 

Welcome Linda Ehnes! Linda joins WSU Spokane as the MESA Middle School Coordinator. She is responsible for arranging field trips and guest speakers for teachers in District 81 MESA classrooms.

Linda previously worked as a science and math teacher for the Seattle School District, and as a part time teacher for Spokane Public Schools. She holds a BS in Zoology and teaching certificate from the University of Washington and a MBA from City University.

Linda is active in the community through her involvement with the Manito United Methodist Church. She enjoys working with adolescents and has worked in after-school programs and volunteered with various other programs. She also has a passion for animals and loves cats.

If you have questions for Linda, contact her at 358-7968 or via email at ehnes@wsu.edu Return to the Top of the Page

Did you know...there are showers on campus

With the advent of sunshine (it will be back!), you may be motivated to use alternative modes of transportation for the daily commute. As roads slowly lose their blankets of snow and gravel, now is the time to dig the bike or walking shoes out of storage and put the pedal to the metal. The campus facilitates your options with a variety of supports.

If it's fear of sweat that's stopping you, there are some options to alleviate that anxiety and keep your co-workers happy with your commitment to Commute Trip Reduction.

Each building on campus has showers:

  • Phase I Classroom Building: Multiple showers in the men's and women's restrooms in the basement;
  • Health Sciences Building: An individual shower/restroom in the basement, in the hall leading to the loading dock.
  • SIRTI Building: An individual shower in the basement;  Ad Annex: Showers in the first floor restrooms.

Bicycle racks are located at SIRTI on the south side in parking lot Red A, at each of the two openings to Phase I, and on the east side of HSB (sorry, no racks inside).

For the traditional mass transit user there are bus stops along Riverpoint Blvd. The two outgoing (pick-up) stops are covered. Incoming bus routes stop in front of the HSB and just short of the Phase I building, along the sidewalk.

Staying late and stranded? There is also a guaranteed ride home program in place that is set up to provide a ride home in case of an emergency. Contact Cy Parker at 358-2285 and Susan Lopez 358-2234 of EWU, Sandi Baldwin at 8-7994 and the Parking Office at 8-6999 (all in Phase I Building). Any one of them can help you, no matter which campus institution you work for.

What would you like to learn about in "Did You Know"? Send your ideas to Renee DeWees, dewees@wsu.edu, who will track down the answer for a future Bulletin article.Return to the Top of the Page

Personnel and staffing changes

Comings
Lorna Walsh, Associate Director of Development, 3/1/04 (watch for a profile in the next Campus Bulletin)

Goings
Zongren Wang, Research Associate, Health Research & Education Center, 3/31/04

Searches
Research Professor, Sleep Research Initiative, Health Sciences, position is open until filled
Clinical Assistant Professor (3 positions), Pharmacotherapy, positions are open until filled
Chancellor & Vice Provost for Health Sciences, WSU Spokane, position is open until filled
Business Development Specialist, Small Business Development Center, apply by 3/19/04
Academic Coordinator Upward Bound Program, Student Services, apply by 3/19/04

Return to the Top of the Page

Meet the neighbors: Loulou's Ski Chalet

428 East Pacific Ave
509-624-2422
Owner: Mike King

Many claim Spokane is the center of sport in the Inland Northwest, with an abundance of parks, ski opportunities, lakes and trails all within one hour of the city boundaries, Spokane is a nature enthusiast’s paradise.

For over 30 years, the people at Loulou’s Ski Chalet, located blocks away from the Riverpoint campus, have been taking advantage of all the region has at hand by offering high quality goods and exceptional service. Loulou’s is the only shop this side of the Cascades recognized as one of the top 50 ski shops in the nation, an award they have received 7 times.

Dedicated to the sport of alpine skiing, and with a very talented group of award-winning individuals on staff. including World Cup ski racing, a freestyle skiing World Champion, numerous US Masters Champions and six certified master boot fitters, the staff at Loulou’s are passionate about what they do. Loulou’s is one of only 30 stores and the only ski shop in the northwest to carry the exclusive Rossignol Race Center brand, truly cutting-edge technology of World Cup and Junior Race products.

Hours: Weekdays 9am-7 pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm (normal ski season hours; flexible after season is over)

Services: Middle of the line to high-end ski equipment. In the summer: Wake boards, water skis and kayaks.

Specialties: Quality and experience

On the Web: www.skiloulous.com

Student advantage: Lou Lou’s does not offer a student discount, but now is the time to shop the end of the season sales. March 3, the majority of items go on sale for 40% and then up to 50% off in the coming weeks.Return to the Top of the Page

Community connections

American Heart Walk April 17

Hundreds of feet are gathering at Riverfront Park to help fight heart disease on April 17, 2004 for the American Heart Walk.

According to the American Heart Association, in the year 2001, one in every five deaths in the United States was the result of coronary heart disease. The time has come to fight back, donate your feet for a day and help raise critical dollars for heart disease research, stroke research and education.

WSU Spokane is sponsoring a team, so dig those walking shoes out of the closet and sign up today, help organizers at WSU Spokane reach their goal of 15 participants.

Register on-line by clicking on the website at www.heartwalk.kintera.org/spokanewa. Choose "register" and join the Washington State University team. Team members may choose to walk a 1 or 3 mile course. The walk begins at 10 a.m. in Riverfront Park and will include entertainment, food, face painting, balloons, a magic show and prizes. Family and friends are welcome.

Each participant is asked to raise $150 for the American Heart Association. Information packets are available from team leader Diane Davis at HSB 320E, or call 358-7628.

Volunteers who raise $100 by March 17 will receive a special American Heart Association Heart Walk T-shirt. Those who raise more than $150 are eligible to receive a number of prizes, listed on the American Heart Walk Web site. Thanks for your support! Return to the Top of the Page

Rookery Block design concepts on display downtown

View potential uses of the Rookery Block in a window display at the old Hamer’s store located at Riverside and Post, as proposed by WSU Spokane students at the Interdisciplinary Design Institute.

The students began by mapping the 24-square-block area surrounding the Rookery Block, recording first and second floor plans of all buildings; sections, elevations, historical development, property use, materials, and human use patterns. The students used this information to inform their designs for potential mixed uses to occupy the Rookery Block, including retail, offices, and multigenerational housing. The designs range far beyond the Rookery Block itself, becoming ambitious urban design proposals that envision a revitalized, pedestrian-oriented downtown.

The display will run through March 31. For more information contact Matt Cohen, assistant professor of architecture, at 358-7915, cohenm@wsu.edu. Return to the Top of the Page

Science Bowl at WSU Spokane March 13

Top science and math students from local high schools and home schools will compete in the third annual U.S. Department of Energy Regional Science Bowl on March 13 at Washington State University Spokane.

Volunteers still needed! Read more online.  Return to the Top of the Page

Pharmacy students learn the CODE

Pharmacy students participated in CODE team training alongside the pharmacy staff at Sacred Heart the week of February 23. Brenda Bray describes it as “a great collaborative effort--our students are very lucky to be able to take advantage of this training opportunity!”

The CODE team is the group of people that responds to a patient experiencing a heart attack in the hospital—their job is to revive and/or keep the patient alive. Hospital pharmacists are usually on CODE Teams; they prepare medications, calculate dosages and provide guidance for medication selection.

This training was part of the Pharmaceutical Care Lab (PCL), a professional skills lab that is a required part of the Pharm.D. curriculum for 5 semesters of the program. Students learn applied skills related to their didactic coursework. Return to the Top of the Page

Breaking boundaries through theatre March 19

The GAP theatre of Seattle will present a performance of “A Mile in my Shoes,” on March 19 in the Performing Arts building at Spokane Falls Community College.

This interactive presentation will take the audience on a journey as they become the participant in a diversity training session. Audience members can voice doubts, ask questions and confront prejudices as they delve into the world of power, abuse and sexual harassment.

Beginning at 11:30 am, the performance is free and open to the public.Return to the Top of the Page

Way to go!

Send your "Way to Go!" comments to Renee DeWees at dewees@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

  • Education pages: Check out the new navigation system and splash page, designed by Denise Palmen and put into place by Sicco Rood
  • 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
  • News Releases: Recent news releases and links to news releases organized by subject.
  • Events Calendar: What's going on around here, anyway?
  • Department Overviews: Links to background information on campus units (Word documents)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. 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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