Something in the soil was destroying Andrew Schultz’ grapevines. Naidu Rayapati, a virologist with the WSU Viticulture and Enology program, was determined to find out what.
At first, the vines, planted in a former pear orchard near Wapato, had been productive and healthy. But over time, a mysterious infection had taken hold. Rayapati discovered that the vines suffered from a damaging syndrome caused by Tobacco Ringspot Virus (TRSV), a pathogen never before seen in Washington state.
Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles gets experienced leader as new chair
Building on her long partnership with apparel faculty and research, economics professor Vicki McCracken is the new chair of the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles. McCracken, who replaces retired chair Joan Ellis, took on the four-year appointment in May.
“I am very impressed by our AMDT faculty and students,” McCracken said. “We’re growing in research dollars and impact, and in our graduate and interdisciplinary programs. We also have a strong undergraduate program. This is an exciting group of people to be around.”
Nespelem School 4-H youth learn about science and tech,
take part in Governor’s summit on career learning
Three students from the Nespelem School on the Colville Indian Reservation took part in the Governor’s Summit on Career Connected Learning, held May 31, as part of the WSU Colville Reservation Extension 4-H Youth & Families with Promise Mentoring project.
As part of their Afterschool Learning Lab, students worked with EV3 Lego Robots, learning coding and adding sensors with the Mars Space Challenge. They also explored rockets and electricity, and learned to create vinyl t-shirt transfers using special equipment like computer software, vinyl cutters and heat presses. Students presented the Governor with t-shirts they had created, and with button pins with the words “Make the Best Better,” written in their native Salish language.
Pathways to Prosperity
key partner in Gov’s summit
WSU Extension’s award-winning Pathways to Prosperity, a virtual rural economic development program, inspired 855 regional attendees at 26 locations to join the Governor’s Summit on Career Connected Learning in May. More than 35 Extension faculty and staff helped make this a successful statewide event, by working with over 70 community partners and WSU affiliates.
“Engaging with WSU Extension was critical to making this a wildly successful event,” stated the event’s Washington workforce development report to the National Governors Association. “They have links with many of the communities and a recognized brand that validated the concept and opened many doors for new sites. Extension possessed significant expertise in engaging the rural areas in messaging and marketing, and we were very fortunate to partner with them for the Summit, we all benefited from their existing network.”
The $95 course will showcase fruit wine and cider producers of the North Puget Sound, demonstrating the variety and complexity of these locally-sourced alcoholic beverages.
Learn about basic production principles, sensory science, the source of different aromas and the vocabulary for descriptive analysis. Registration includes tastings, lunch, coffee and tea. Sign up here.
Field Day to help Wash., Idaho forest owners
Experts in forest management will share ideas with landowners in northeast Washington and north Idaho at an upcoming Family Forest Field Day, Saturday, July 15, near Athol, Idaho. The day includes classes and activities in forest health, wildlife habitat, soils, fire protection and forest products.
Pear, cherry growers learn to improve sprayer performance in workshops
Efficient spraying is critical for both integrated pest management and good stewardship.
On June 12 and 13, WSU Extension hosted two workshops in Cashmere and Omak, Wash., where 48 cherry, pear and apple producers learned how to match spray patterns and air speed to their tree canopy shape—making sure every drop gets to the crop.
In a survey, every participant said they learned from the experience, and most left with a plan to put their new knowledge into action.
Instructors included WSU Extension Specialists Gwen Hoheisel and Tianna DuPont, as well as Viticulture & Enology graduate student Margaret McCoy. Sponsors included the Washington State Specialty Crop Block Grant program, the North Central Washington Fieldmen’s Association and the Okanogan Horticulture Association.
Spring canola tours
kick off at Almira
More than 55 growers, crop consultants, WSU faculty and students, and agency representatives attended a spring canola tour led by the Washington Oilseed Cropping Systems project near Almira on June 27.
Field staff from Crop Production Services showed their research variety trial featuring 16 entries, and had a specialist from Canada who offered more detailed observations and comparisons to canola production in western Canada.
At a different field, WSU and USDA-ARS faculty, graduate students and canola industry representatives walked attendees through a large-scale spring canola variety trial and a plant population study. Presentations included information about insect pests and beneficial insects, weed control, fertilizer source and placement, disease scouting, and formation of a northwest canola association. Faculty and students included Tara Burke, Isaac Madsen, Rachel Olsson, Tim Paulitz, Karen Sowers and Dale Whaley. Learn more at www.css.wsu.edu/oilseeds, on their Facebook page, or contact ksowers@wsu.edu.
4-H to host college prep camp for Air Force teens
A summer camp hosted by Washington 4-H and the U.S. Air Force will help Washington teens from air service families fuel their minds for college success.
At the Fuel Your Future College Prep Camp, July 17-21 at Cheney, Wash., teens can learn about college opportunities and university life with former 4-H members who now attend college.
New distilled spirits analysis earns WSU team top honors in poster contest
A team from WSU Tri-Cities took home top honors in the research poster competition at the Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, for research on a technique typically used to evaluate the characteristics of wine.
The team, which consisted of wine science postdoctoral researcher Caroline Merrell, associate professor of enology Jim Harbertson, and assistant professor of wine science Tom Collins, decided to analyze distilled spirits using the same process.
“It started off as ‘let’s see what happens when we apply this technique to a product other than wine,’” Collins said.
Dirt, rolly-pollies part of award-winning gardening program
Worms and rolly-pollies work great at getting kids interested in gardening, and digging for these critters in a box of dirt is a big hit.
That’s one lesson the Spokane County Master Gardeners have learned over the past 11 years of their Garden in a Box program, which will receive the International Search for Excellence Award at the International Master Gardeners conference in July.
Garden in a Box sends volunteers to elementary after-school programs throughout Spokane Public Schools to teach kids about gardening and raising plants.
$800K grant helps address childhood trauma, school impact
To help address childhood trauma and its impact in schools, the WSU Extension Child and Family Research Unit has received an $800,000, three-and-a-half-year grant from Kaiser Permanente’s Northwest division.
Starting in December, the unit, led by director Chris Blodgett, will work in four demonstration schools in southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.
For the past 12 years, the Child and Family Research Unit has developed an intervention model that helps educators and schools understand the impact of adverse childhood experiences as a public health challenge.
Kaiser has been addressing school success as a health promotion strategy, because educational attainment has direct impact on lifelong health status. Now, they are facing childhood trauma as part of a multi-state effort, because adverse childhood experiences are an important social risk factor for health.
The award was presented by Rich Koenig, interim department chair.
Crow supports Lind research and extension programs through Crop and Soil Sciences and Washington Oilseed Cropping Systems. She prepares materials for publications, organizes the annual Lind Field Day, and edits the annual Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Dryland Field Day Abstracts.
National award for Extension’s positive ripple map program
The WSU-created REM tool collects the untold stories and behind-the-scene activities that ripple out from community programs and activities.
Debra Hansen, director of WSU Stevens County Extension; Rebecca Sero, evaluation specialist and assistant professor at WSU Spokane; Lorie Higgins, WSU Extension adjunct and extension specialist, associate professor at the University of Idaho, along with colleagues from the University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University, were presented with the 2017 Joint NACDEP–CDS Team Award at the national conference on June 14.
The award exemplifies the society’s principles of good practice as well as the vision of NACDEP, and recognizes the team’s creation, refinement, and work using REM across five states. The team was recognized for their generosity in sharing the technique, and for the benefits it provides for communities.
Interior Design students on winning teams in NeoCon Charette
Two interior design students from the School of Design and Construction were on winning teams at the Student Design Charette at NeoCon, June 13 in Chicago.
Twelve teams with five students from different interior design programs across the country took part in the challenge. Only three awards are given at the event.
Senior Alex Scott’s team won People’s Choice, voted on by conference attendees. Senior Jocelyn Camacho’s team won second place, voted on by competition judges.
Scott’ team crated “Ripple,” a holistic work environment for a team of graphic designers, meant to instill group collaboration and success.
Camacho’s team created “Defile de Mode,” a fashion design and Art Deco-inspired workplace that included spaces for receptions, formal and informal meeting areas, breakout spaces, individual work stations, tailoring, trying on clothing, and more.
Evan Craine, a doctoral student in Crop and Soil Sciences, was awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
The fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, helping ensure the vitality and diversity of the human resource base of science and engineering.