News

Derek Moscato, an assistant professor of journalism and public relations at Western Washington University, has published a new article in the Journal of Public Interest Communication. The study, “Clearcut Persuasion? Audience Cognition of Mediated Environmental Advertising through the Lens of the Elaboration Likelihood Model,” analyzed the outdoor billboard campaign by Oregon Wild to limit the practice of clearcut logging on Oregon’s publicly-owned lands. The campaign’s contentious advertisements, which were banned from Portland International Airport, garnered significant media coverage.

“A promise is a promise” as the saying goes, and for young students in Honduras a promise will be kept this summer, when Western’s Tara Perry returns to their classroom.

Last summer while on a direct service project where her main goal was to serve, teach, and learn from the community, she found it difficult to communicate with her students because she was not fluent in Spanish, so she set out to change that.

Professor and former chair of the Anthropology Department, Daniel Boxberger is retiring after fall quarter, but he said he plans to stay busy and will continue to focus on his research and advocacy work with Native American tribes. 

Boxberger, who has taught at Western since 1983, said when he came to Western’s campus in 1971 as an undergraduate student, he never imagined he would have stayed for so long or that he would become a professor.

“I never had a goal to be a professor, I kind of just fell into it,” Boxberger said.

The Psychology department is hosting their annual PsychFest on Friday June 8th from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.  This event is a celebration of student research and scholarship.

In particular, they are pleased to announce their keynote speaker, Melissa Tehee, an alumna from Western’s Psychology graduate program, who will be presenting on Understanding and Addressing Trauma in a Cultural Framework.

For more information, you can find the event and a full schedule of activities listed on the department's website:

Liberal Studies' Lynn publishes three articles on early modern Inquisitions

Kimberly Lynn (Associate Professor and Department Chair, Liberal Studies) had two articles published in one edited collection: “Judges and Shepherds: Inquisitions,” and, with Gretchen Starr-LeBeau, “Tribunals and Jurisdictions: Inquisitions,” in Judging Faith, Punishing Sin: Inquisitions and Consistories in the Early Modern World, ed. Charles H. Parker and Gretchen Starr-LeBeau (Cambridge University Press, 2017), 52-65 and 116-27. 

Kimberly Lynn (Associate Professor and Department Chair, Liberal Studies) had two articles published in one edited collection: “Judges and Shepherds: Inquisitions,” and, with Gretchen Starr-LeBeau, “Tribunals and Jurisdictions: Inquisitions,” in Judging Faith, Punishing Sin: Inquisitions and Consistories in the Early Modern World, ed. Charles H. Parker and Gretchen Starr-LeBeau (Cambridge University Press, 2017), 52-65 and 116-27. 

Join us for a Burger Bash at the Filling Station in support of National Aphasia Awareness Month!

Western Washington University Professor of English Laura Laffrado has successfully completed her campaign to raise funds for a bronze bust of celebrated Pacific Northwest author, Ella Rhoads Higginson.

After spending over a decade in the concert industry touring with bands like The Toadies and Reverend Horton Heat as a tour manager and guitar technician, Texas native Wes Solem felt an overwhelming desire to challenge himself to find a new path — a path he found at Western doing neurodegenerative disease research.

Now, the senior Behavioral Neuroscience and Molecular Cell Biology major has been awarded a $4,000 stipend for the Donald A. King Summer Fellowship that will sponsor his 10-week research project studying Huntington’s disease.

Retirement Reception for Lucky Tedrow and Jay Teachman

Friday, June 1 at 4:00 pm

Miller Hall Collaborative Space

Please join us for cake and drinks as we celebrate the careers of Lucky Tedrow and Jay Teachman.

Byambakhand Chuluundorj, associate professor of Mongolian Language and Linguistics at the National University of Mongolia, is the Henry J. Schwarz visiting instructor this quarter. She is teaching a beginning course in Mongolian Language and Culture in the East Asian Studies program in support of Western’s strategic partnership with her home institution.

Western Washington University graduates and students have received five Fulbright Scholarships for the 2018-19 academic year, making Western one of the top producers of the prestigious award.

“I’ve always believed Western students can compete with the best around the country,” said Tom Moore, director of Western’s Fellowships Office. “Fulbright application readers know what they’re looking for in students.”

The final Queens’ Vernacular screening of the academic year will take place next Tuesday, May 15, at 6:30pm. We’ll be screening Jeffrey Schwarz's award-winning documentary Vito, about Vito Russo. 

WWU FACULTY: Are you preparing for summer field work? Taking a group of students abroad? Working on topical research in an interesting place or with interesting people? If so, the Office of Communications and Marketing would love to know about it, so we can tell everyone about the fascinating work you and your students are doing. Drop us a line at news@wwu.edu and let us know what you will be working on!

Lasers, 3D printers and million-year-old fossils are bringing together high tech and ancient creatures in a digitization project by Assistant Professor of Geology Robyn Dahl.

Dahl uses laser scans to make 3D computer models of the specimens from the department’s fossil collection. Those scans can then be input into 3D printers so students can have tangible items for study, while the 3D models are viewable online in what Dahl calls “the YouTube of digital fossil scans.”          

Kate McLean, a professor of Psychology at Western, is conducting a study about personal development in romantic relationships and is seeking participants.

Participants in this study will be asked to participate in from 2 - 5 online survey sessions. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon voucher for each session completed and will be entered for a chance to win an additional $50 at each session.

Participants must be 18 or older, and currently be in a romantic relationship for at least 6 months and no longer than two years.