RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Individuals will have the opportunity to meet with a variety of regional employers from across the Tri-Cities and inquire about current and future jobs and career opportunities as part of the Virtual Columbia Basin College/黑料社 Tri-Cities Career Fair that takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

The career fair will take place from 10 a.m. 鈥� 2 p.m. online via a platform called Handshake. To attend, 黑料社 Tri-Cities students should register at . Members of the public should register at .

The career fair is free and open to the public.

More than 30 employers are registered to participate. Individuals will have the opportunity to meet with those employers via individual virtual rooms. Attendees can jump from room to room to explore a variety of career opportunities.

For more information, contact AJ Andrade at aandrade@columbiabasin.edu or 509-543-1449.

 

Media contacts:

Jay Frank, Columbia Basin College assistant vice president for communications and external relations, 509-544-2038, jfrank@columbiabasin.edu

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities director of marketing and communication, 509-372-7333 (office), 619-403-3618 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� School is back in session at Washington State University Tri-Cities on Monday, Aug. 23, with in-person classes and COVID-19 requirements in place. Among many updates, the campus features a new academic building, renovations to an existing space to allow for a new learning commons for students and an expanded Veterans Stories Memorial.

鈥淲e are thrilled to welcome students back to campus after over a year-and-a-half of offering virtual learning.鈥� Chancellor Sandra Haynes said. 鈥淲e have safety measures in place for students, employees and visitors and we look forward to a fantastic fall semester. Students and the community will find the new spaces particularly welcoming.鈥�

In-person learning

With the exception of a few classes, 黑料社 Tri-Cities classes will be offered in-person and at normal capacity.

Updated COVID-19 requirements

Starting Aug. 23, students, employees and visitors will be required to wear masks while indoors at all 黑料社 locations, per the new mandate announced this week by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Employees must declare their vaccination status via an internal 黑料社 process by Aug. 23, and be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or file for a religious or medical exemption by Oct. 18, per the state mandate.

Students must provide proof that they have initiated or completed the vaccination process or must request an exemption for medical, religious or personal reasons by Sept. 10. After any of the three currently approved vaccines receive full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, personal exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be an option. Students will have 45 days following the FDA approval date to provide proof of vaccination (or initiation of the vaccination) or file for a medical or religious exemption.

New and renovated facilities

Construction for Collaboration Hall, 黑料社 Tri-Cities鈥� new academic building, is complete and will host classes beginning Monday. The building features a range of state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, classrooms and collaboration spaces 鈥� including the addition of a grandstand staircase ideal for presentations and an outdoor amphitheater that seats 100 individuals. A grand opening celebration for Collaboration Hall will be held from 4 p.m. 鈥� 6 p.m. on Sept. 22.

The 黑料社 Tri-Cities library was renovated this year to house expanded study spaces and support resources for students. The traditional library was moved upstairs and a range of student services, study spaces and collaborative areas are now hosted downstairs in the learning commons where students can access academic support such as tutoring, writing assistance, academic advising, career services, and TRIO Student Success Programs.

Thanks to generous donations from Cliff Thorn Construction, several subcontractors and Eric and Susan Schmieman, the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Veterans Stories Memorial was expanded to feature raised flags for each of the military branches with lighting for evening times and a seating area.

New Crimson Coug Cart courtesy of STCU 鈥� press reveal event 12:30 p.m. on Monday

STCU has generously donated a $25,000 Coug-branded golf cart, named the 鈥淐rimson Coug Cart,鈥� to 黑料社 Tri-Cities that will be unveiled at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 23, at Collaboration Hall as part of a press event. The golf cart will be used for a variety of purposes around campus – from events, to campus tours and more.

With the golf cart, STCU will host random acts of kindness days sporadically throughout the year where they will offer prizes to individuals on campus, in addition to supporting a range of campus events.

Week of Welcome activities and events sponsored by STCU

Throughout the first week of school, students will enjoy a range of celebratory events and activities sponsored by STCU that will welcome them to campus. For a full list of activities as part of the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Week of Welcome sponsored by STCU, visit .

 

Media contacts:

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities director of marketing and communication, 509-372-7333 (office), 619-403-3617 (cell), maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Addy Hatch, 黑料社 News

Among their work in a busy 1989 legislative session, Washington lawmakers created a state Honeybee Commission, scrubbed the term 鈥渨orkmen鈥� from state laws in favor of 鈥渨orkers鈥� 鈥� and called for five branch campuses to be created around the state.

The new campuses of Washington State University and the University of Washington were to offer only upper-level and graduate programs, targeting older and part-time students and community-college transfers. The campuses were also envisioned to play an economic development role in their communities of Spokane, Vancouver and the Tri-Cities for 黑料社, and Bothell and Tacoma for UW.

Thirty years on, the campuses are fulfilling those goals and more.

黑料社鈥檚 three original branch campuses now enroll more than 7,000 students. Their mission has expanded to include a wide range of programs to undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Importantly for a land-grant university dedicated to educational access, the campuses serve a big percentage of first-generation and minority college students as well as military veterans.

The economic impact has been significant. Together they employ about 1,700 full- and part-time workers and the total value of construction projects for new classrooms, laboratories and offices over time has been in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

鈥淭he Washington Legislature鈥檚 action positioned 黑料社 to better serve residents across the state,鈥� said 黑料社 President Kirk Schulz. 鈥淚t was a novel solution at the time, but it worked. Students have been able to access a top-tier education near their homes, families and jobs, and the campuses have become economic drivers for their communities.鈥�

黑料社 the campuses

Though they share the rich Coug tradition and are co-equals under the One黑料社 strategy, each of the three original branch campuses has a distinct identity:

黑料社 Health Sciences Spokane

• Vice President and Chancellor 鈥� Daryll DeWald
• Enrollment 鈥� 1,685
• 黑料社 Spokane is now 黑料社 Health Sciences after the Board of Regents designated it the university鈥檚 center of health sciences education in 2010. The College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine all are based there.

 

黑料社 Tri-Cities

黑料社 TRI-CITIES

• Chancellor 鈥� Sandra Haynes
• Enrollment 鈥� 1,813
• 黑料社 Tri-Cities has close partnerships and research collaborations with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the region鈥檚 wine industry, among other programs. Its campus includes the state-of-the-art Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Wine Science Center and the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory established with the help of PNNL.

 

黑料社 Vancouver

• Chancellor 鈥� Mel Netzhammer
• Enrollment 鈥� 3,585
• 黑料社 Vancouver is the only four-year research university in southwest Washington. It offers bachelor鈥檚 to doctorate degrees in a picturesque setting, with the 350-acre campus featuring miles of recreational trails and mountain views.

 

The campuses are also cultural centers, offering enrichment programs, recreation space and volunteers for events and civic boards. Last summer some 20,000 people visited 黑料社 Vancouver to view a rare, blooming corpse flower on campus. In the Tri-Cities, 黑料社 leads a coalition of agencies in the Hanford History Project, an effort to document, preserve and archive the history of the region. And in Spokane, students are credited with vaccinating hundreds of kids and adults each year at free immunization clinics held in schools, libraries and health fairs.

Just in time for the 30^th聽anniversary, a new benefit: third-year medical students from the 黑料社 Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine arrived on the campuses for clinical training in local hospitals and clinics. It鈥檚 a model that鈥檚 expected to attract much-needed doctors to rural and community settings.

The success of these first branch campuses 鈥� which have since dropped the 鈥渂ranch鈥� from their name 鈥� served as a blueprint for development of 黑料社 Everett, and for the robust Global Campus that encompasses 黑料社鈥檚 online education.

Said Schulz, 鈥淲e鈥檒l continue offering a high-quality 黑料社 education to students how, where and when they want it. We can thank the visionaries who called for the branch-campus expansion 30 years ago for starting us down that road.鈥�

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Educators are invited to attend a workshop on how to develop and foster positive learning environments for diverse students on April 5 at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

During the workshop, titled 鈥淒isrupting Deficit Narratives Through Equity-Minded Practice,鈥� participants will have an opportunity to:

• Reflect on how the educator mindset affects perceptions and shapes institutional culture
• Assess campus climate and understand conditions needed to foster a positive learning environment for diverse students
• Practice AVID culturally-responsible strategies, which can be used in the curriculum and co-curriculum to support all students

The workshop is put on by AVID for Higher Education, which provides professional learning opportunities and wrap-around support intended to positively affect students鈥� persistence and completion in college.

The workshop costs $150 and includes lunch and the book 鈥淎VID for Higher Education Engagement Practices for Teaching and Learning.鈥� Individuals can register to attend by visiting .

Workshop presenters

Robin Withers, an AVID program specialist for teaching and learning, has more than 35 years of experience in education spanning from elementary to higher education, and from student success and multicultural services to school administration. Withers earned a bachelor鈥檚 of science in secondary education from Chadron State College in Nebraska, as well as a master鈥檚 in special education with an emphasis in severe affective, and an education specialist degree with acknowledgements in educational leadership and policy studies, both at the University of Denver.

Yvonne Ortiz, an AVID program manager, has more than 23 years of higher education experience in both the public and private college and university settings featuring a range of demographics. She has worked with universities and colleges of varying sizes at predominantly white, historically African American, urban, secular and religiously-affiliated institutions. She received her bachelor鈥檚 in urban studies from New York University and a master of education degree in educational administration from Rutgers University. Prior to joining AVID, Ortiz served as the dean of student affairs at Houston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, and as assistant dean for campus life at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Family is core to who Geoff Schramm is as a friend, a person, but especially as a father and husband.

It鈥檚 the reason why he decided to go back to school at Washington State University Tri-Cities in his late 30s – a decision that led to many people asking him, 鈥淲hy?鈥�

鈥淚 had a lot of people questioning why I would put this on my family,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a significant investment and time commitment not only for myself, but especially for my wife and my kids. But this is and was for them. In the long-term, I knew that this would put me on the right track so that I could make them proud and provide them with a life they deserved.鈥�

Finding his path

After graduating high school at 18, Schramm had started to attend college in Walla Walla, but as the story goes, he met a girl.

Both dropped out of school so that they could start and raise a family. Eventually, he worked his way into a job at an assisted living facility, which developed into successful career. But the stress of his industry started to take a toll on his physical and mental health.

鈥淚 was doing really well at my job, so I would get recruited to help these struggling facilities,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y job took me from facility to facility. Often times, through these positions, I would have to get up in the middle of the night to help solve problems. The hours were really draining on me, and my wife and family started to notice.鈥�

Post recession, he realized that he was going to need a college degree to help secure a stable life for himself and his family. Upon examining schools to attend, 黑料社 Tri-Cities made sense.

For one, the average age of student was slightly older than that of other universities. And for another, they had an environmental science program that Schramm knew would take him places in life.

In January 2011, with his wife鈥檚 hand in his, he walked up the steps to the 黑料社 Tri-Cities campus to start his first day of school.

鈥淎ttending 黑料社 Tri-Cities is probably one of the best decisions I鈥檝e ever made,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he connections I鈥檝e made here, the mentors I鈥檝e had, the external family that I鈥檝e now gained as part of the 黑料社 Cougar community, is priceless. I couldn鈥檛 be more grateful for the amazing opportunities I鈥檝e had and people I鈥檝e met through my experience at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.鈥�

Developing as an individual and future scientist

Through his science courses, Schramm learned the fundamentals of science experimentation, procedures and more. He also developed a mentor relationship with Dick Pratt, the head of the environmental science program at the time.

鈥淗e really helped define a path for myself and what I wanted to achieve through my degree,鈥� he said.

While attending classes full-time, Schramm earned a job with the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Career Development office as a career coach, which was followed by a position as a student mentor. He also got involved with several student clubs, and served as a member of TRIO, which provides support services for students who are first-generation, disabled or economically disadvantaged.

As a result of connections he made through school, he completed several internships. His first was with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, which was followed with an internship with Mission Support Alliance doing biological monitoring. He also completed a six-month internship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

And prior to the end of his senior year, he decided to pursue a master鈥檚 program in environmental science because he knew it would be required for advancement in his career field. But while he said earning his undergraduate degree was for his family, his master鈥檚 degree was for him.

鈥淚t was the hardest thing I鈥檝e ever done in my life, bar none鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it was so worth it.鈥�

When he walked across the stage at graduation to get hooded as a master鈥檚 graduate, which brought tears to his eyes, he knew he had made it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to look back on this long road and the thought that I鈥檝e accomplished this all for myself and my family is so incredible,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ow, my kids are talking about how they want to go to college. I couldn鈥檛 be more proud.鈥�

Living the dream

Now, Schramm works as an environmental quality engineer at Washington River Protection Solutions at the Hanford Site, developing procedures and monitoring data for the site.

And as an interesting turn of events, his wife, Trisha, is now pursing her bachelor鈥檚 degree at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

鈥淭his university continues to change our lives,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his school has challenged and validated me the whole way. I am so grateful to 黑料社 Tri-Cities for what they have given to me and my family.鈥�

For more information on the 黑料社 Tri-Cities environmental science program, visit聽.

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� For student Lian Jacquez, finding the ideal university fit was a bit of a challenge – that is, until he arrived at Washington State University Tri-Cities.

Originally from eastern Oregon, he attended a university located in his home state, but found that the decision was an expensive one and more based on impulse than it was in finding a good fit for where he was at in his life.

But after his parents moved to the Tri-Cities, he decided to move back in with them so he could save money, but could also find a university that would allow him to pursue his passions. He decided to attend 黑料社 Tri-Cities and it ended up being one of the best decisions he has made to date.

Whether it be interacting and learning from his professors through tight-knit classes, to participating in a variety of clubs, to participating in student government, to finding the perfect job on campus, Jacquez said he feels like he has found a home at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

鈥満诹仙� Tri-Cities is a hidden gem,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are located in an area that offers great opportunities without a lot of the competition that one might experience at a much larger university. And the people who work here 鈥� our faculty, administration, staff and everyone behind the scenes 鈥� are here to make sure we all succeed. We, as students, aren鈥檛 just a number or another name on the roster.鈥�

Majoring in digital technology and culture 鈥撀� a focus on the creative

Jacquez found his ideal major at 黑料社 Tri-Cities after taking the MyMajors Quiz on the university website. He was recommended to study digital technology and culture, elementary education and psychology.

鈥淥ut of the three, digital technology and culture, or DTC as we call it, resonated with me and made me the most excited to pursue, and I always imagined doing something in design,鈥� he said.

Through the digital technology and culture program, Jacquez is learning about graphic design, photography, video production, sound production, media and technical writing and much more in the creative sphere. With his experience in the program, he said he initially wanted to pursue a career as a graphic designer. But after working more with individuals on campus and speaking with people in similar creative industries, he realizes he now wants to pursue a career as a creative director or program coordinator.

鈥淏eing the person creating the work is fun, but being able to establish a concept, all of its components and tracking it from beginning to end is more appealing,鈥� he said.

Jacquez said he loves the creative freedom that he and all the other students in the DTC program have.

鈥淭here are guidelines and requirements, but we have creative reign to create something that is an extension of ourselves,鈥� he said.

Varied campus experiences to fit every student

In addition to his experience in the DTC program, Jacquez is a student ambassador for the office of admissions on campus, is director of diversity affairs for the

Associated Students of 黑料社 Tri-Cities (student government), is vice president of the World Research Club on campus, in addition to serving as a member of the Queers and Allies Club.

He said since coming to 黑料社 Tri-Cities, he feels he can really make his academic and student life experience his own.

Through his experiences with the student clubs, he is able to truly connect with his peers and organize programming and events to benefit his fellow students. Through his role with student government, he is able to extend and create initiatives so that all students on campus feel connected with the resources to make them successful. And through his role as a student ambassador with the office of admissions, he is able to communicate and inspire prospective students who express an interest in attending 黑料社 Tri-Cities, giving them a genuine look into what his life as a student on campus looks like.

As director of diversity affairs with AS黑料社TC, he said he values opportunities created on campus that directly benefit students, including a range of student resources: access services, counseling, a student pantry called Cougar Cupboard, the veteran center and being able to connect with the international student coordinator 鈥� both to see about options for studying abroad and to connect with international students. Another example is the UndocuQueer Conference that is being held this year on the 黑料社 Tri-Cities campus.

鈥淚 am really excited to learn more about the intersections of the LGBTQ and undocumented communities and the people who are affected by them,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his will be my first time attending the conference.鈥�

Career connections

In addition to his job in the admissions office on campus, Jacquez said there are also a variety of resources to help students connect with prestigious internships at 黑料社 Tri-Cities and in the community.

Last spring, after participating in the campus Career Development Etiquette Dinner where students are connected to professionals for an evening of networking through dinner, he met an an internship coordinator who connected him with an internship at the National Park Service. He now works as an interpretive specialist for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

He also hopes to land another internship before he graduates, which he aims to get connected with through 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

The connections at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, he said, are truly what has allowed him to get involved with many of these opportunities on campus.

鈥淚 love how incredibly diverse the campus is and the fact that not everyone is a stranger, thanks to the size of 黑料社 Tri-Cities,鈥� he said.

For more information on the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Digital Technology and Culture program, visit聽tricities.wsu.edu/dtc.