The 黑料社 Tri-Cities School of Engineering & Applied Sciences has just launched the December 2023 edition of the newsletter Momentum.

An all-female team from student organization won second place in the novice division at the 11th annual Washington State University Crimson Code Hackathon event held in February in Pullman, Washington. The team developed an application to help people connect with each other by trying new activities together.

The Crimson Code Hackathon event is 黑料社鈥檚 first-ever and only programming event organized by students, for students. The goal of the 24-hour event is to create an environment that allows participants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to collaborate, innovate, and learn.

According to an in the 黑料社 Insider, this year鈥檚 event drew more than 300 young programmers from local high schools and universities to try their hand at developing applications from scratch. Participants made up 51 teams that were divided into two tiers -advanced and novice- based on their experienced. Teams were challenged to come up with an application that fit the theme 鈥淭ry Something New鈥� while incorporating other elements such as creativity, originality, and innovation.

Team Flamingo

The team from 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Flamingo, was made up of four friends: Razan Osman, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering with a minor in environmental science; Elizabeth Garcia-Mitchell, a junior majoring in environmental science and minoring in biology; Jessica Lopez, a junior studying for a bachelor鈥檚 in mechanical engineering; and Manuella Tossa, a junior majoring in electrical engineering and minoring in computer science. On the way to the competition, the girls were listening to each other鈥檚 music and ended up liking one of the songs, 鈥淔lamingo鈥�, by Kero Kero Bonito so much they decided to use it as their team name.

Osman, president of Women in STEM and vice president of the Black Student Union, was responsible for pulling the team together. 鈥淚 was able to convince my friends, Manuella, Lizzy, and Jessica to team up with me for the Crimson Code as I thought it would be fun to team up with my friends and create something!鈥� she said.

A challenging and fun experience for all

The inspiration for their idea started in the brainstorming session when they each listed things they had never done before but wanted to try. The list ranged from going to a pumpkin patch to riding a horse. Next, they discussed what prevents them from going out and doing those things. They concluded that doing new things by themselves was intimidating. Their app prototype 鈥淣EW2YOU鈥� was designed to bridge that gap and help people connect with like-minded locals who have the same desire to try something new. 鈥淭he hope is that this app would work as a travel companion so that as you visit a new place, you can find things to do in your area and connect with a local who may or may not have experience doing that activity,鈥� said Garcia-Mitchell.

While the competition was challenging, team members said the best part of the competition was being surrounded by so many like-minded people, challenging themselves, creating something using the skills they have acquired and bonding as friends. 鈥淢any people I met were passionate about coding, and others had little to no experience, like me. I went because I wanted to challenge myself and learn something new. I had so much fun participating in the 24-hour coding challenge, and my team was amazing at working together,鈥� said Garcia-Mitchell.

Creativity, innovation and communication were the keys to success

Osman attributes their second-place finish to the variety of skills they each brought to the team. 鈥淟izzy was really good at communicating our idea and explaining it to the judges; Manuella was really good on ensuring that we made progress with our app throughout the day; Jessica researched how we could make the app a reality through coding; and I was able to tell the team what we needed to do to be able to present our idea and what resources were available to use,鈥� she said.

Lopez said it was their vision for the application and that it had potential to expand beyond the scope they presented that helped their team win.

Tossa said creativity, innovation and the ability to communicate effectively helped them score high marks. 鈥淲e won because our idea followed the theme, was innovative, original, and practical, and our prototype worked fine when we did the demo. Also, we could express our thoughts and answer the jury satisfactorily while defending our project,鈥� she said.

The Associated Students of Washington State University Tri-Cities allocated funds for 黑料社 Tri-Cities Coding Cougs to participate in the event. 鈥淭his event gives students the opportunity to try new things, network with large companies and other 黑料社 campuses,鈥� said Evelyn Martinez, 黑料社 Tri-Cities director of student engagement.

The Coding Cougs club focuses on career development and extracurricular coding events. According to the , they also assist students who are on the computer science path navigate their classes. The club meets every Thursday from 3-4 p.m. in the Student Union Building in room 120N.

MEDIA CONTACT(S)

Leslie Streeter, Office of Marketing and Communication, 509-372-7333,听leslie.streeter@wsu.edu

The 黑料社 Tri-Cities School of Engineering & Applied Sciences has just launched the first edition of the newsletter Momentum. It will be distributed biannually to students, campus, professional societies, alumni and communities to communicate accomplishments to date and goals for the future.

New agreement helps students save on costs

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities signed a new agreement on Monday, Nov. 16, that creates a seamless pathway for students to complete their first two years at CBC and transfer to 黑料社 Tri-Cities, which saves students costs.

Students significantly save on costs, as students in the program do not pay for the transfer application to attend 黑料社 Tri-Cities, do not pay for the cost of their transcripts to transfer, and tuition is also frozen from their first semester enrolled at 黑料社 Tri-Cities. In other words, if tuition rates increase anytime while enrolled at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, students continue to pay the tuition rate from their first semester at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

Students also benefit from one-on-one support throughout their educational journey from both CBC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities from their first term in the program. They work directly with academic advisors from both institutions to solidify complete programs of study. This helps to ensure that students complete their degree programs on-time and reduce the likelihood of taking courses unnecessarily that won鈥檛 directly transfer.

Close partnership a win for all students

黑料社 Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes said she is excited to sign a new agreement with CBC, as it helps reduce the complications and cost to students who wish to first attend a community college and then transfer to a four-year university.

鈥淥ur two institutions work together to create seamless pathways so that students can get the most out of their educational experience and graduate on-track,听on-time and career-ready,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ith 黑料社 Tri-Cities serving freshman, transfer, first-generation, low-income and non-traditional students, we are opening more doors to meet students where they are,听today.鈥�

Woods said CBC is also excited to strengthen its partnership with 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

鈥淢any of CBC’s graduates choose to become Cougs, while staying right here in the Tri-Cities,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his agreement smooths that transition. Whether a student chooses to pursue a four-year degree at CBC, 黑料社 Tri-Cities, or any other institution, we are committed to helping each student find their best path forward.鈥�

Students see direct benefits

Dawn Hughes, a current 黑料社 Tri-Cities education student and alumna of Columbia Basin College, said transferring from CBC to 黑料社 Tri-Cities provided a great local and affordable option that was a best fit for both her and her family.

鈥淚 moved to Tri-Cities in 2006 and was raising a family,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I decided to go back to school, it fit our budget and our busy schedule. It was also convenient because I could take classes in-person, locally.鈥�

Hughes said she received tremendous support from both her instructors at CBC and 黑料社 Tri-Cities. When she started school, her sister was diagnosed with cancer. She served as her sister鈥檚 bone marrow transplant and was going to have to miss some school.

鈥淢y professors were so supportive through that,鈥� she said. 鈥淧rofessors from both programs are that way. They want you to succeed.鈥�

Apply to Bridges

Applications are open now for the Bridges Program. For more information and to apply, visit tricities.wsu.edu/bridges. To qualify for the Bridges Program, students must apply in their first year at CBC and complete the 鈥淒eclaration of Intent鈥� form. Have questions or want to meet with someone about your options? Email tricities.bridges@wsu.edu.

For more information about CBC, visit . For more information about 黑料社 Tri-Cities, visit tricities.wsu.edu.

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri鈥慍ities will now offer in-state tuition rates to students in Umatilla County,听Oregon, through a new program called the 鈥淚鈥�82听Advantage.鈥�

鈥淲ith our proximity to听Oregon, just across the Columbia River, it only makes sense to provide greater access to an excellent university education in such close proximity,鈥� 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities Chancellor Sandra听Haynes听said. 鈥淭his program applies to all prospective students who reside in Umatilla County.鈥�

The program will save residents from Umatilla County thousands in tuition costs. By paying in鈥憇tate rates, tuition will cost $11,144 per year, compared to the $26,087 that an out-of-state student would pay for non鈥憆esident tuition.

Those interested in attending 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities for spring听2021 are encouraged to apply by Nov.听15. Individuals interested in attending 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities in fall听2021 are encouraged apply by Jan.听31.

Applications can be completed online at听.听After completing the application for admission, prospective students from Umatilla County should complete the 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities I鈥�82听Advantage application to qualify for in鈥憇tate tuition rates.听Apply for the I鈥�82听Advantage program at听.

Students applying to 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities should also make sure to complete the 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities scholarship application by Jan.听31 at听.

For more information about the I鈥�82听Advantage program, visit听tricities.wsu.edu/admissions/i82advantage.

鈥淲e are thrilled to be able to offer this cost-saving option for local students in Umatilla County,听Oregon,鈥澨鼿aynes said. 鈥淲e continually try to identify ways where we can meet students where they are. The COVID鈥�19 pandemic presents additional financial challenges for many local families. We do not want it to prevent students from achieving their dream of attending college that will help in setting them up for success for their future.鈥�

黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities will also continue to offer what is known as the Border听Bill program. The State of Washington鈥檚 Border听Bill allows听Oregon residents听who live in specified counties, or who have recently moved to Washington from those counties, to attend 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities听part鈥憈ime (8听credits or less per听semester) and pay resident tuition rates. The specific Oregon counties whose residents are eligible for this benefit are: Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Gilliam, Hood听River, Morrow, Multnomah, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Washington. The application to apply for that program is located at听tricities.wsu.edu/finaid/tuition-waivers.

For those with concerns about COVID鈥�19 and returning for any in鈥憄erson learning, all 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities classrooms are now equipped to offer virtual instruction, regardless of whether a class is offered in鈥憄erson or virtually.

ACT and SAT听scores are also not being used as a factor for admissions decisions through spring semester听2022.

For more information about 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities, visit听.

 

Media contacts:听

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities assistant director of marketing and communication, 619-403-3617 (cell),听maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Lori Nelson, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. – KJ Galvan fell in love with computer science early.

Growing up,听she听was the go-to person听in her family听for computer help. In grade school, a听teacher听in Prosser听noticed Galvan鈥檚 troubleshooting skills and recruited her for a special听补肠补诲别尘颈肠听辫谤辞驳谤补尘听where students provide听technical assistance to computer users. She helped provide technical solutions in the classroom and other areas. It helped show her that working with computers could be a viable career option.

鈥淚 still keep in touch with that teacher,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ig thanks to Mr. Smith and the Prosser School District.鈥�听

When exploring her college options, Galvan knew she wanted to stay close to home, but attend an institution that would provide her with great opportunities to grow her knowledge and background in computer science. After attending Columbia Basin College for her first two years, she transferred to Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The small class sizes, she said, were preferable, and she liked the fact that through the small school setting she could easily get to know her instructors and fellow peers.

Additionally, Galvan said she particularly liked the quality of the courses in computer science at 黑料社 Tri-Cities and the professors were also great at connecting students with other opportunities, which helped her get connected with internships beyond her initial expectations.

Award-winning Coding Cougs leads to prestigious jobs

In her first year at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Galvan became involved in the Coding听Cougs Club听at 黑料社 Tri-Cities where she now serves as the group鈥檚 career development听officer.

In their few-year history as a club, the student organization has gone on to win several top awards at hackathons where they competed against hundreds of participants.

Galvan said in addition to the real-world, practical experiences that she gains from the club, she also values the opportunity to mentor younger students. Helping her female peers, she said, is particularly rewarding, as computer science is typically male-dominated.

Galvan听recruited three other women, all new to computer science, to join her on a听team for听DubHacks,听a听hackathon听held at the University of Washington. At the competition last year, the group worked together to develop a solution for a real-world issue that pertains to women.

鈥淲e formed a team around a cool idea that we had for scanning hair products to see if they are good for curly hair,鈥� she said.

The app they developed, Curl Code,听won first place in the 鈥淏est听use听of听Google Cloud鈥�听category at the competition.

The win also put the women on the radar of Google. The judge, a Google employee, encouraged them to apply for summer internships. Galvan jumped at the opportunity. After an extensive interview and skill demonstration process, Galvan was offered an internship with Google. She completed the internship virtually this summer, due to COVID-19.

Local internships unique to Tri-Cities

Beyond her opportunities that connected her with Google, Galvan said one of the benefits about attending 黑料社 Tri-Cities is the local access to prestigious internships.

While attending 黑料社 Tri-Cities and before getting her internship at Google this summer, she听interned听at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory听for two years.听In her first summer internship, she helped with development of a website for a PNNL application.

鈥淲hen I first started there, I knew nothing,鈥� she said.听鈥淚 didn’t have any real–world experience and I was afraid I would fall flat on my听face,听but they’re听actually used听to that.听I learned a lot in that summer to be able to actually contribute.鈥�

Her internship supervisors saw Galvan鈥檚 potential for additional growth and at the end of the summer,听they听suggested she continue during the school year.听After successful interviews for a year-round internship, Galvan was put on a team.听

Galvan said her time at PNNL was critical for building her skills in computer science, which served as a perfect mix with what she was learning in her courses.

鈥淲e听were听treated like a听full-time staff members听and we听were听doing the same tasks,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t听was听almost as if we听were听a junior developer just starting out. My team was awesome.听They would find opportunities for me, not only to practice my technical skills, but also my soft skills.鈥�

During her internship at PNNL, Galvan听built confidence in the knowledge that she could do the job and be valued in it. It also led to confidence when working at Google.

鈥淚 was in the one of the first meetings at Google and I was on top of it,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ne of the hosts said,听鈥�You can tell KJ has been doing internships for a while now.鈥�听It just takes you to another level that stands out.鈥�

Advice for fellow and prospective students

For those looking to be successful in computer science, Galvan said there are a few things that students can do throughout their college experience to help guarantee that success.

鈥�Stay engaged in class. Talk during class, talk with the professors,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important not to hide behind your laptop screen. Everyone else is struggling with the subject matter, too. It鈥檚 not just you who鈥檚 like, what is this?鈥�

Galvan also advises students听to听join a community and stay connected, especially as classes are more likely to be distance-based in the current COVID pandemic.

鈥淢aybe jump on a call with some of your classmates, talk about the material,鈥� she said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 stay isolated because isolation is never good. Then you鈥檒l have a struggle and then you鈥檒l feel like it鈥檚 only you and you might give up.鈥�

World-class faculty rooted in real-world work

While self-motivated, Galvan听credits the computer science听faculty听at 黑料社 Tri-Cities听with preparing her for success. Nathan听Tenney,听PNNL scientist and听adjunct听faculty听in computer science, taught Galvan鈥檚 data structures class.

鈥淗e would discuss trade–offs about data structures and algorithms and he would provoke you and get everyone engaged and talking in class,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 huge because at companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, they expect you to do these technical interviews where you solve problems and you听have to听talk through what the trade-offs are. He implanted that all in my brain without me really noticing.鈥�

She also values the resident faculty who听provide听formal and informal听opportunities for learning and networking.听She said Bob Lewis,听associate听professor of听computer听science, points out different conferences students could go to or just asks how students are doing.

鈥滵r. Lewis鈥� classes are known on campus for being challenging, but he does a great job teaching it,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always available and he really loves the subject matter.鈥�

In听Luis De La Torre鈥檚听project-based class,听Galvan had the opportunity to start听developing the curly hair app听that helped land her internship听with Google, among an assortment of other hands-on activities.

Galvan said the fact that she learns from a mix of resident and adjunct faculty is a bonus.

鈥�We have these adjuncts that have full-time jobs听and they听teach us听about听their work,鈥澨�she said, 鈥�We also have [resident] professors who have this really deep knowledge about the field in general.听We get to learn not just your normal coursework. You get to learn outside of class and really pick their brains.鈥�

Galvan said听the support that students get听from the faculty encourages听students听to be involved.

鈥淐oding Cougs听went to听DubHacks听and they did a tally and 黑料社 Tri-Cities had a huge turnout,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to get into rivalries or anything, but computer science here is awesome.鈥�

Interested in pursuing a degree in computer science from 黑料社 Tri-Cities? The application is open now. View more information at tricities.wsu.edu/computerscience. Apply at .

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社听Tri鈥慍ities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� In light of the 鈥淪tay Home, Stay Healthy鈥� order by Gov. Jay Inslee, as well as K-12 schools not returning to in-person learning throughout the state, Washington State University Tri-Cities launched a new website dedicated to educational children鈥檚 activities and a new reading program where kids virtually read along with 黑料社 Tri-Cities faculty and can earn 黑料社 prizes.

The听website听features a variety of do-it-at-home activities ranging from those that pertain to 黑料社 and Coug spirit, such as creating your own Butch T. Cougar mask, to science experiments and other fun activities using supplies that most families likely already have and use in their home.

Additionally, through the new 鈥淪uper Coug Readers鈥� program in partnership with The Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, children can watch videos of 黑料社 Tri-Cities faculty reading their favorite books. Children can also earn prizes for completing a Super Coug Readers reading calendar and/or completing a 鈥淪uper Coug Readers Bingo鈥� challenge.

The project is being led by the 黑料社 Tri-Cities community engagement team in partnership with the 黑料社 Tri-Cities College of Education and The Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia.

鈥淎s a public university, we saw an opportunity to provide children and their families with fun and educational activities that are safe and readily available to complete in their own homes, especially during this unusual time,鈥� said Jaime Heppler, 黑料社 Tri-Cities executive director of advancement and community engagement. 鈥淢any parents, such as myself, are looking for engaging activities for their kids. This new website and reading program provide activities that foster learning and curiosity. We are excited to offer this as a resource for our regional families.鈥�

Benefits of reading aloud with your kids

Elizabeth Barnes, executive director of The Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, said children who read for at least 20 minutes per day score in the 90^th听percentile in standardized tests, are successful in school, are more likely to graduate from college and become successful in life.

鈥淭he skills and knowledge you gain from reading or being read to from birth are astronomical,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is a very natural partnership for The Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia and 黑料社 Tri-Cities, as both organizations are trying to better the community through education.鈥�

Barnes said children reading along with 黑料社 Tri-Cities faculty presents a great way for children to be exposed to different educational opportunities and careers that are available in the regional Tri-Cities community.

鈥淲hat kind of impact could an engineering professor have on a young girl and her parents if they were to hear 鈥楻osie Revere, Engineer,鈥� for the first time?鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat kind of connections to the real world could this have on a family that may never have contemplated a life for their daughter in the sciences?鈥�

Reading with industry experts 鈥� 黑料社 Tri-Cities faculty

Sara Sorensen Petersen, a 黑料社 Tri-Cities clinical assistant professor of education and board member with the Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, said she and her fellow faculty members are excited to provide educational opportunities for regional students to learn from faculty members in a range of fields and from a range of backgrounds and cultures.

鈥淪peaking as a mom and an educator, it is great for kids to see others than mom and dad reading, as well as see professionals in their communities and learn a bit more about what they do,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have female science professors, for example, that could inspire young girls to think about a career in the sciences. It鈥檚 just a great tie-in and presents a great opportunity for our local families.鈥�

A free resource for families

The new Cougar Family Fun website听is available for free and accessible to the public.

Additionally, The Children鈥檚 Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia is supplying 黑料社 Tri-Cities with an assortment of children鈥檚 books that will be given out at the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Cougar Cupboard sponsored by Lamb Weston food pantry, in addition to food pick-up locations in Pasco and Kennewick for 黑料社 Tri-Cities students and their families.听听on pick-up locations and how to donate can be found online.

 

Media Contacts:

Jaime Heppler, 黑料社 Tri-Cities executive director of advancement and community engagement, 509-372-7207, jaime.heppler@wsu.edu

Sara Sorensen Petersen, 黑料社 Tri-Cities clinical assistant professor of education, 509-372-7395, sarapetersen@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities public relations/communication coordinator, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Several Washington State University Tri-Cities students got to see first-hand how top-tier university research can impact their local community through the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Chancellor鈥檚 Summer Scholar Program supported by Washington River Protection Solutions.

Throughout the summer, selected students worked one-on-one with a university professor and graduate students to perform research pertaining to their degree interest. Each student receives funds to support their summer research projects from WRPS.

鈥淭hrough the Chancellor鈥檚 Summer Scholar program, students pursuing a bachelor鈥檚 degree get the opportunity to be a part of intensive research that could positively influence the Tri-Cities community,鈥� said Kate McAteer, vice chancellor for academic affairs at 黑料社 Tri-Cities. 鈥淩anging from engineering, to the arts, to the sciences, there are a variety of opportunities for students to apply their skills in a real-world setting, which only further sets them up for success in their future career.鈥�

This year, 10 students were selected for the program in the areas of computer science, the arts, materials engineering, bioengineering, environmental science, electrical engineering, and biological sciences.

Students were provided with $2,250 in funding to support their summer project, with the exception of one student group, who received $2,000 as a team. Many students also continue to work with their faculty mentors during the regular school year.

Willow of the Waste 鈥� Jared Johnson and Aaron Van Morris

Students Jared Johnson and Aaron Van Morris worked with Sena Clara Creston, clinical assistant professor of fine arts, to refine and re-engineer a robotic sculpture known as 鈥淭he Willow of the Waste.鈥�

The project is an designed to look like a tree, incorporating mechanical and electrical components. The tree is animated and interactive, with the branches slowly opening, closing and pulsating light to give the appearance of a living, breathing plant. Once the viewer approaches the tree, the branches open, inviting the viewer inside. The students are applying skills in circuit design, power distribution and coding from different inputs and outputs to improve upon an existing design. The interdisciplinary project combines engineering, computer science and the arts to create an interactive sculpture that also speaks to plastic waste, as it is made from discarded plastics like water bottles and shopping bags.

Flexible sensors for robotics 鈥� Mikaela Matkowski

Student Mikaela Matkowski worked with Amir Ameli, former assistant professor of engineering, to investigate the sensing behavior of 3d-printed sensors that can be used in a range of robotics.

She used a material called thermoplastic polyurethane with various weights of multiwalled carbon nanotubes to produce a material that has excellent conductive properties and reacts well to compression and stretching. She analyzed the pressure and touch sensing abilities, as well as the electrical resistance behaviors of the printed sensors. The sensors have potential application in robotics hands that, when used to touch a surface, have the ability to appropriately register contact of the hand to the object.

Refining a waste material for commercial bioproducts production 鈥� Yesenia Che

Student Yesenia Che worked with Bin Yang, associate professor of biological systems engineering and doctoral student Xiaolu Li to find a seamless and cheaper way to refine a high-value product in the biofuels creation process that is used for many commercial products.

Lignin, a primary material comprised in the cell wall of plants, is a large waste product in the biofuels creation process. Vallinin is a valuable product derived from lignin that can be used for a range of bioproducts. It is currently used in various fields, including food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The price for the material, however, tends to be unstable due to cost and complicated procedures required for producing the material from lignin. Che worked with Yang to use a bacteria that degrades lignin and allows for the easier refinement and production of vallinin that doesn鈥檛 require the use of the whole plant cell for extraction 鈥� a process known as a cell free system. This process may lead to an effective technique for the production of natural vanillin at low cost.

Identifying nutrient limitations in Cascade Mountain Range for understanding nitrogen fixation 鈥� Jeannette Lilly

Student Jeannette Lilly worked with Sarah Roley, assistant professor of environmental science, and graduate student Erica Bakker to analyze nutrient limitation in the Cascade Range that could lead to better understanding of where nitrogen fixation occurs in freshwater streams in the Pacific Northwest.

Nitrogen fixation converts nitrogen gas into a nutrient that is essential for all life. While there has been extensive research on nitrogen fixation in the open ocean, estuaries and lakes, comparatively little research has been done on nitrogen fixation in freshwater streams. Nitrogen fixation typically occurs in nutrient-poor streams like those in the Cascades. It may be critical to supporting the food web, including insects and fish, in Cascadian streams. Jeanette established the nutrient status of the study streams, which helps to predict where this process is important.

Finding ways to reduce methane production using bioengineering 鈥� Tina Tran

Student Tina听Tran听is working with Birgitte Ahring, professor of biological systems and chemical engineering, and doctoral student Supriya Karekar on the bioengineering of cow rumen microbiota by bio-augmentation with selected microorganisms to reduce methane production from the rumen.

Ruminants such as cows and sheep are major contributors of greenhouse gas coming from the methanogens inhabiting the rumen. Methane is more than 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. In the laboratory, they are working with rumen model systems and are trying to find ways to mitigate the problems of methane release by substituting methanogens with other and potentially more beneficial microorganisms. The specific focus is on homo-acetogenic bacteria, which potentially could replace methanogens in the rumen while producing beneficial products, which can promote livestock production.

Improving efficiencies of home heating and cooling systems 鈥� Arturo Gutierrez Larios

Student Arturo Gutierrez Larios worked with Mohamed Osman, professor of electrical engineering, to identify ways to increase the efficiency of home heating and cooling systems through the implementation of better temperature regulations systems.

Gutierrez Larios developed a concept based on what is known as the Internet of Things, where the internet can be extended to an infinite amount of applications through components like sensors and wireless communication between devices. His system implements multiple temperature sensors that are connected through a network, as opposed to utilizing a single temperature sensor as is common in homes today. A temperature controller receives information from the sensors in each room, and the controller sends commands to the network to adjust the airflow of each register based on comparisons made on the calculated temperature differentials. Temperature settings are managed through a smartphone app. The system helps minimize wasted energy in homes.

Studying jaw protusion in fish for insights into evolutionary changes in organisms 鈥� Ellie Barber and Danielle Ringo

Students Ellie Barber and Danielle Ringo are working with Jim Cooper, instructor of biology, to study why jaw protrusion does or does not occur during the development in fish that could lead to insights into how organisms evolve and when.

Fish develop different feeding biomechanics in their lifespan that determines their economic feeding niche and where they fall on the food chain. Using high-speed filming techniques, the team is working to pinpoint the precise phase during metamorphosis in which the feeding biomechanics of young fish begin to resemble that of adult fish with protrusile jaws. By using gene expression labelling and transcriptome comparative analysis, they hope to gain a clearer insight as to exactly how and why these morphological changes occur in the wild.

Determining impact of fungi on tomato plants 鈥� Javier Chavez Lara

Javier Chavez Lara is working with Tanya Cheeke, assistant professor of biology, to determine the impact of a type of fungi on the growth of tomato plants, specifically comparing highly-bred tomato plants with less-domesticated wild type varieties.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi forms symbiotic relationships with most plant species by colonizing plant roots to provide the plants with nutrients and water in exchange for carbon. Plants grown in conditions of high fertilization and other agricultural practices reduce the ability of the fungi to colonize their roots. Chavez Lara hypothesizes that the less-domesticated wild-type varieties will have a greater growth response with the fungi than the highly-bred tomato plants. The project will allow for the development of a model system to test mechanisms that regulate the level of the fungi colonization in plant roots.

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri-Cities undergraduate students will display semester and course research and art projects as part of the Undergraduate Research Symposium and Art Exhibition April 30 – May 3.

Sessions will take place from noon 鈥� 1 p.m. each day, Tuesday through Friday, in Consolidated Information Center (CIC) 120. The fine arts session will also take place noon 鈥� 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, in the 黑料社 Tri-Cities art gallery in the CIC.

“Throughout the symposium and art exhibition, students have the opportunity to share their research and art projects, and to practice communicating their work to people outside their area of study,鈥� said Allison Matthews, clinical assistant professor of psychology and coordinator for the symposium.

鈥淭his event also highlights the development of research and creative skills through their coursework, as well as undergraduate student involvement in 黑料社’s larger research initiatives to advance knowledge and pursue discovery,鈥� she said.

Academic areas highlighted during the symposium include: anthropology, sociology, political science, English, biology, digital technology and culture, fine arts, computer science, history, psychology and engineering.

Some of the projects featured during the event include:

• Investigating the Effects of Nutrient Addition on Mycorrhizal Colonization of Grassland Plants
• The development of a Solid Liquid Interface Monitor (SLIM) 鈥� the design, of which, has potential to one-day be implemented at the Hanford Site to create three-dimensional scans of waste in Hanford tanks
• A remote-controlled, small-scale airplane that was entered into the SAE Aero Design Competition
• The design of an application that visualizes location-enabled cabs in a map interface, selects the trips from a common list and assigns them to the perfect driver or car to maximize a driver鈥檚 profit
• An empirical assessment of an undergraduate teaching assistant training program
• Advanced drawing and sculpture projects from throughout the spring semester

For more information, contact Matthews at 509-372-7146 or almatthews@wsu.edu.

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri-Cities will confer 352 degrees at its commencement ceremony beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, at the Toyota Center, 7000 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick.

Doors open at noon. The event is free to the public and tickets are not required.

Among those degrees, 308 bachelor鈥檚 degrees will be conferred, 32 master鈥檚 degrees and 12 doctoral degrees.

Washington state Sen. Sharon Brown will present the keynote address.

Chancellor Sandra Haynes will present the welcome address and introductions and recognitions. Zachary Harper, president of the Associated Students of 黑料社 Tri-Cities, will present the graduate greeting. Kathleen McAteer, interim vice chancellor for academic affairs, will conduct the presentation of graduates.

Six students were selected to carry gonfalons, which are colorful banners that represent each of the academic colleges, based on their academic excellence. Those students include:

• Alex Arteritano, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
• Megan Brauner, College of Arts and Sciences
• Ivan Chavez, Carson College of Business
• Olga Maria Sandoval Zazueta, College of Education
• Danielle Young, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
• Megan Christie, College of Nursing

Kayla Stark, 黑料社 Tri-Cities alumna, will sing the national anthem.

黑料社 Tri-Cities鈥� commencement ceremony will also be livestreamed on YouTube at .

For more information, visit .