System update from the president

December 9, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

As the end of 2024 approaches, I am pleased by the progress we’ve made and excited for the future that lies ahead. This year has been a productive one on many fronts. Across the system, we’ve broken ground on new buildings, torn down old ones, and laid the foundation for future success at the campus, college, and unit level. From increasing our first-year enrollments to initiating an academic and administrative program optimization process, we’re actively working towards a future we all can be proud of.

As I wrap up my final fall semester as president of this great university, I am immensely proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and I hope you are too. Below, you’ll find updates highlighting some of the incredible work happening across our system — further proof of what we can achieve through shared purpose and a commitment to collaboration.

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of WSU. I hope you have a rejuvenating holiday season and enter 2025 ready for another great semester.

Go Cougs!
Kirk

Kirk H. Schulz
System President
Washington State University

WSU Pullman

Scott Stevison ’24 has long dreamt of doing research. “I like solving problems, and research allows me to do that over and over again,” he says. He didn’t, however, expect to jump into genetics research his first year at WSU Pullman. Nor did he expect to co-publish a paper on how UV radiation damages DNA and causes skin cancer in PNAS, a prestigious scientific journal, by his third year.

WSU Spokane

The WSU College of Medicine enrolls more than 10 times as many medical students with military experience as the national average. At WSU, 25 of 320 current medical students are veterans, or 7.8%. Nationally, only 0.72% of the more than 90,000 students who have matriculated into medical school in the past four years are veterans, according to Association of American Medical Colleges data.

WSU Tri‑Cities

This fall, an elementary school in West Richland and two in Pasco were designated as “Washington State University Tri‑Cities College of Education Teaching Laboratory Schools.” The College of Education forged the unique partnership with Maya Angelou Elementary, Rosalind Franklin STEM Elementary, and Tapteal Elementary, giving student teachers exposure to more classrooms and teaching styles during their practicum experiences.

WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service to combat illegal timber trade, a transnational crime with environmental, economic, and national security impacts. Leveraging WSU Vancouver’s expertise in stable isotope chemistry and geochemistry, the campus will develop advanced methods to trace the origins of wood and support sustainable forestry. This collaboration creates exciting research and educational opportunities for students while boosting the market potential of U.S. forest products.

WSU Everett

This November, WSU Everett welcomed over 100 6th–12th grade students to Girls Explore STEM, a free event sparking interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. During the day-long event, participants enjoyed hands-on workshops guided by WSU student mentors and faculty exploring real-world challenges in STEM fields. Highlights included a keynote address from retired NASA astronaut Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf and a chance to connect with WSU admissions during a lively morning check-in.

Laptop computer, headphones, notepad, and pen.

WSU Global

This fall, WSU Global Campus, in collaboration with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, offered a brand-new media innovation major — entirely online. Modeled after Murrow’s Journalism and Media Production program on the WSU Pullman campus, the media innovation major is designed to address technological advancements in the modern media environment.

Letters spelling WSU inside an outline of the state of Washington.