Seven faculty members got the good news last week that they have earned tenure and/or promotion. Plan to honor these faculty members at the Faculty Recognition Program and Campus Update at 4 p.m. April 2 in the Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110.
Mike Berger, College of Arts and Sciences, promoted to senior
instructor
Cory Bolkan, department of human development, tenured and promoted to associate professor
Wayne Cochran, School of Engineering and Computer Science, promoted to clinical associate professor
Cynthia Cooper, College of Arts and Sciences, tenured and promoted to associate professor
Dene Grigar, College of Arts and Sciences, promoted to professor
Alberto Sa Vinhas, Carson College of Business, tenured and promoted to associate
professor
Steven A. Weber, College of Arts and Sciences, promoted to professor
Following the faculty presentations, Chancellor Mel Netzhammer will give a campus update. Come to listen and ask questions. Guests are invited to a reception following the presentations in the Dengerink Administration Building, Rooms 129/130. Please RSVP to Beth Cozzi at 6-9535.
Researchers discover how memory may reinforce drug use
Researchers at WSU Vancouver have found a mechanism in the brain that facilitates the powerful role of memory in drug addiction. Their discovery opens a new area of research for targeted therapy that could make drug addiction less compulsive.
Barb Sorg, professor of neuroscience, along with graduate student Megan Slaker and others, studied the role of structures called perineuronal nets in reinforcing memory.
Barb has long hypothesized that memories that become associated with drug use may make the drug harder to resist and contribute to relapse. They tested cocaine use in two groups of rats, one with perineuronal nets removed and one with intact perineuronal nets, and found those without the nets had poorer memories. The procedure probably did not erase the drug memory, Barb said, but blunted its emotional power. The finding opens the possibility of developing a way to target, for example, a protein of the perineuronal nets, to counteract cocaine’s influence over memories.
Megan and Barb published their findings in the March 11 Journal of Neuroscience. Co-authoring the paper are
WSU colleagues Lynn Churchill, Ryan Todd, Jordan Blacktop, and researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University and the University of Wyoming. Funding came from the National Institutes of Health and NASA.
Look at In the News in this publication to see all the places these finding were published last week.
Spring Break brings schedule changes
The Bookie: Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; closed Friday for inventory
Dengerink Administration Building Café:
Monday – Wednesday 7:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., closed March 19 – 20
There are two electric car charging stations on campus. Both are in the Orange Lot behind the Facilities Operations Building.
Get an up-close view of the mace
The WSU Vancouver mace will be on display at two locations this spring prior to commencement. Look for it in the Library now through April 2. From April 3 – 30 it will be exhibited in the lobby of the Student Services Center. Last year WSU Vancouver commissioned its own mace. In the past, WSU Pullman’s mace was presented at commencement by the leader of the Faculty Senate. 2014 was the first time WSU Vancouver’s commencement was on the same day as Pullman’s, making sharing impossible. The mace was also created to recognize the launch of WSU Vancouver’s yearlong 25th
anniversary celebration.
A mace is a custom-made piece of art often crafted from historic campus relics. Typically each component of the mace’s design is symbolic. The purpose of the mace is ceremonial, and carrying it is an honor reserved for a distinguished faculty member, an outstanding student or the university marshal. This year the mace will be carried in commencement by Susan Finley, chair of the FOEC.
The Professional Writers Series presents Kevin Sampsell
7 – 9 p.m. March 24
Library, Room 240
Kevin Sampsell is an editor (“Portland Noir”), publisher of Future Tense Books, and author of a short-story collection and a memoir. His stories and essays have appeared in Salon, McSweeney’s and elsewhere, and have been included in “Best Sex Writing 2012” and “Best American Essays 2013.” He will give a talk titled, “Writing Across Genres.
Business Growth MAP Alliance hosts forum on forecasting
8:30 – 10 a.m. March 25
Second-floor conference room at 805 Broadway St., Vancouver
Forecasting—or looking forward—is critical to sound decision-making and the sustainability of a business. The next Business Growth MAP Alliance forum will introduce business strategy techniques, and a proven forecast and modeling process. This process will help business owners predict how their business will evolve, enabling them to manage any expected gaps or shortfalls.
The presenter will be
Doug Steck, executive in residence. Doug teaches entrepreneurship, management and marketing courses. He has more than 20 years of executive experience, having held CEO, COO, CFO, CIO and sales positions in companies ranging from IBM to small startups, across multiple industry sectors and with international responsibility.
To attend, register online at business.vancouver.wsu.edu/bgmap/ and click the link under “Upcoming events.” The meeting is free and open to all.
Diversity Faculty Fellow to lecture on Civil Rights
WSU Vancouver will celebrate 33 women who have made a difference for others at the annual Women of Distinction event. All nominees for the 2015 awards will be recognized for inspiring, mentoring and empowering others. Three Distinguished Woman awards will be announced at the event—high school student, WSU Vancouver student and community member. Learn more about the nominees
online. The event is free and open to all registered guests.
There will be a collection bin at the event for the Dress-A-Coug Clothing Drive. New or used business attire may be donated to benefit students.
Come see the work of artists Jane Cote and Erin Dengerink. They, along with help from Joan Dengerink, Jan Johnson and Dale Strouse, have created a 5.5 x 17-foot fused glass tile mural. The piece was commissioned by the Children's Center
for installation in its new building this May. Enjoy a reception in Multimedia Classroom Building’s second floor mezzanine. For more information, contact Dale Strouse.
MBA Stakeholder Speaker Series will focus on collaborating for public safety
7 p.m. April 1
Undergraduate Building, Room 1
Representatives of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and Clark County Public Health will speak at the spring MBA Stakeholder Speaker Series. Sy Johnson, CEO of PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center; and Dr. Alan Melnick, director of Clark County Public Health, will discuss “Doing the Right Thing: Collaborating for Public Safety.” Their joint investigation into a possible hepatitis C exposure served as a model of public/private collaboration. Learn how the two organizations worked together to achieve the best outcome for the common good.
Join Art Blume, professor of psychology and Diversity Faculty Fellow, for “The Experience of Microaggressions on Campuses.” A roundtable will share perspectives on campus climate experiences related to stereotypes and implicit bias.
Sign up to run for Cougs
10 a.m. April 4
Firstenburg Family Fountain
Runners are invited to the Run for Cougs 5K. The entry fee is a donation of 10 nonperishable food items to benefit the Cougar Food Pantry. Register as a runner or a volunteer
online. Strollers are not permitted on the run course.
The rats learned to associate their home with cocaine and memories of those experiences—something humans do, too, says study author Barbara Sorg, a professor of neuroscience at Washington State University Vancouver.