News from the College of Liberal Arts at Washington State University

Harvard Sociologist to Speak at WSU Commencement

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:52:00 -0800

William Julius Wilson, WSU sociology alumnus, author, and Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor at Harvard University, will be the WSU fall 2009 commencement speaker. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 12, in the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum.

Psychology Professor Is President-Elect of Society of Military Psychology

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:14:00 -0800

Armando Estrada, assistant professor of industrial and organizational psychology at WSU Vancouver, has been named president-elect of the American Psychological Association's Society for Military Psychology. A former U.S. Marine, Estrada has studied gender and cultural differences in the perception and experience of harassment, prejudice, and discrimination in military organizations. He serves as a consultant to the Swedish Department of Defense on matters related to women in the military.

Curbing Aggressive Driving

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:03:00 -0800

There’s something about youth and speed and cars. Criminal justice doctoral student Yu-Sheng Lin tapped into it in his study of risky and aggressive driving behaviors. Surveying Washington State University students, who averaged the age of 19, he joined up with marketing graduate student Mark Mulder and associate professor Jeffrey Joireman to look at the effects of impulsivity and thrill-seeking on dangerous driving. They also examined whether the drivers considered future consequences when making their choices on the road.

History, Athletics Are Professor's Twin Pursuits

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:26:00 -0800

Dr. Brigit Farley (WSU Tri-Cities) loves both history and athletic challenge; when the two meet - so much the better. A few weeks ago, Farley slogged through pouring rain as she competed in the Tunnel to Towers Run in New York City. The run retraces the steps of firefighter Stephen Siller, who raced to the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, after finding the route blocked to vehicles.

Yasinitsky Receives Artist Trust Fellowship Award in Music

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:20:00 -0800

Greg Yasinitsky (regents professor, music) received double honors recently, including a 2009 Artist Trust Fellowship Award in Music and having one of his compositions, "By Chance," chosen for inclusion in the "60x60 International Mix" series of concerts.

Professor's Book Tackles Cross-cultural Police Training

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:06:00 -0800

When Bryan Vila (professor, criminal justice) accepted a position as police trainer in the island nations of Micronesia in the 1970s, he envisioned it as a paid vacation in paradise. But reality sank in; Vila found himself challenged to train police officers in a geographically dispersed area with six different governments, twelve different cultures, and nine different languages. His new book tells the story of his six years training police during the Micronesian Islands' transition to independence.

Confronting Bad Behavior: Is There a Payoff?

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:06:00 -0800

In "The Rewards of Punishment: A Relational Theory of Norm Enforcement," sociologist Christine Horne develops her theory that people sanction bad behavior because they want to look good to others.

NSF Funds WSU Anthropologist's Rainforest Research

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:43:00 -0800

The National Science Foundation has funded Washington State University archaeologist and evolutionary anthropologist Karen Lupo to lead a collaborative team of interdisciplinary researchers in reconstructing the past 4,500 years of ecosystem history for Northern Central Africa's rainforest. Lupo received an NSF grant of approximately $181,701 to build a longitudinal record from fossil and subfossil evidence that maps how the rainforest environment has evolved over time.

WSU Sociologist Funded to Study Environment and Public Policy

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:52:00 -0800

Washington State University sociologist Erik Johnson has received a $150,000 National Science Foundation grant to create a series of databases that will track environmental organizations in Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and Australia. Johnson and a team of WSU undergraduate research assistants will compile information to facilitate cross-national examination of environmental movements and groups engaged in sustainability efforts, natural resource and wildlife protection, and environmental health and justice advocacy.

WSU's Wilson Hall Renamed to Honor Professor

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:22:00 -0800

On Monday morning, professor emeritus James F. Short Jr. arrived at his office just like he always does, just like hundreds of faculty and staff members all over campus. But, unlike the rest of us, he now works in a building named for him.