Science Pub: “Inside the Vault: Two Case Studies of WSU’s Native Collaborations”
April 25th, 2023 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Sip your favorite brew, while you learn a thing or two! Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about interesting topics in an informal atmosphere. Just bring your curiosity and a thirst to learn!

There are 2 ways to be at this event:

1. In Person – Paradise Creek Brewery will be seating indoors at 100% capacity and the pub talk will be broadcast/projected on a the large projection screen in the pub/restaurant area.
2. On Zoom – Register for the Zoom Talk HERE. Place a food/drink order for pick up at Paradise Creek Brewery’s Downtown Restaurant – 245 SE Paradise St, Pullman. Local delivery is also available. Tip: Place your order early so it’s ready by Pub talk time.

See the Facebook event here

This month’s speakers:

Join Kristin Becker, Trevor Bond and Michael Holloman on April 25th for their pub talk, “Inside the Vault: Two Case Studies of WSU’s Native Collaborations“.

“Inside the Vault” will highlight two examples of WSU collections—one from the Washington State University Libraries and one from the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art—working with native communities from around the state and beyond to better incorporate tribal voices in the interpretation of the material. Kristin Becker will highlight the importance of outreach and education in relationship to these collections and WSU’s commitment as a land grant institution.

Trevor James Bond will speak about the McWhorter Collection held at WSU, which includes a wealth of unique information on the Plateau Tribes of central and eastern Washington. In 1907, Lucullus V. McWhorter met and befriended Yellow Wolf (hímiin maqsmáqs), who had fought in the 1877 Nez Perce War. Over the next three decades, McWhorter and Yellow Wolf collaborated on Yellow Wolf: His Own Story, which told the Nez Perce version of the conflict. It was the first published military account of the Nez Perce War from an Indian perspective. McWhorter was a well-known authority on Indian history in the Pacific Northwest. During his lifetime, he developed a large research collection related to the Nez Perce Tribe and other Plateau Communities. Trevor will share the story of how the McWhorter Collection came to WSU and the decades of curation of the collection since then, including recent collaborative work between the Nez Perce Tribe’s Cultural Resources Program and Washington State University Libraries.

Michael Holloman will speak about former WSU faculty member and renowned Abstract Expressionist painter Clyfford Still (1904-1980), who spent three summers with the Colville Confederated Tribes in northeastern Washington at the Nespelem Art Colony, which he co-founded with then-WSU Fine Arts department chair Worth D. Griffin. Still and Griffin brought students from all parts of the country to paint tribal portraits and regional landscapes in the arid backdrop of the nearby construction of Grand Coulee Dam. Paintings by Griffin from this time are part of the permanent collections at the Schnitzer Museum WSU, and have played a key role in an on-going relationship between Holloman and the Clyfford Still Museum (CSM) in Denver, CO. The 2022 CSMYou Select exhibition was seen as a launchpad to initiate conversations with the larger Colville tribal community, and a visit in May 2022 to WSU Pullman and Nespelem was a first by CSM staff. Michael Holloman will address how this visit helped to build upon the connections to the Colville Confederated Tribes that Still engaged with in nearly a century prior.

Kristin Becker is the Curator of Education & Programs at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU. She taught in WSU’s Digital Technology and Culture program from 2010-2021, where she was passionate about using the museum’s exhibitions and collections in her teaching every semester: Now she is eager to help other faculty, students, and community members see the educational potential of the museum. In her museum role, Kristin continues to teach occasional classes for the Honors College and the Department of Art. Kristin’s teaching is informed by her training in printmaking, photography, and graphic design. She holds an MFA from Indiana University and a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited at galleries throughout the United States as well as at the International Print Center New York. Her most recent creative challenge is the rearing of two small children, which she attempts with her wonderful husband in Moscow, ID.

Dr. Trevor James Bond graduated from San Diego State University and received his Master’s in Library and Information Science and a Masters in Ancient History at UCLA. In 2017, he completed a Ph.D. in Public History at Washington State University. He is an Associate Dean in the Libraries and the Director of WSU’s David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities. Trevor is the author of “Coming Home to Nez Perce Country: The Niimíipuu Campaign to Repatriate Their Exploited Heritage.” WSU Press, 2021, which was a finalist for the 2022 Washington State Book Award for non-fiction. He is currently working on an IMLS grant in collaboration with the Nez Perce Tribe’s Cultural Resources Program and three Nez Perce students at WSU. In addition to his library work and research, Trevor loves playing tennis, skateboarding, making clear ice, and baking bread.

Michael Holloman is a registered member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation, and an associate professor in the Department of Art at Washington State University. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Native American art history and the studio arts, while maintaining duties for the department as the drawing coordinator. From 2010-2014 he was the director of the WSU Plateau Center for American Indian Studies. Currently he is the Coordinator for Native American Arts Outreach and Education for the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior he was the director of American Indian exhibits, collection management and educational programming at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture in Spokane, WA. Michael is a proud parent, an exhibiting artist, an advocate of Native American arts and culture and a mediocre, yet passionate golfer.

Image on poster, caption: SAC’ÁSNIIN SÁM’X (MAN’S HIDE SHIRT) NEZ PERCE NEPE

You are invited to attend the EFA Social at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center at WSU Pullman on Thursday, March 30th, 5 – 6:30 PM, featuring WSU President Kirk Schulz and Provost and WSU Pullman Chancellor, Elizabeth Chilton, who are kicking off the EFA fall events beginning for 2023.

Come enjoy a drink, light hors d’oeuvres, and learn about our EFA Speaker Series, Pub Talks, and EFA Nights at the Museum social series. All are welcome to join us! Come to meet like-minded peers and network with people who can support your initiative and advance your efforts.

Please RSVP here

Science Pub: “Beyond Bed and Bath: Creating a Circular Textile Economy”
March 7th, 2022 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Sip your favorite brew, while you learn a thing or two! Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about science in an informal atmosphere; no scientific background necessary! Just bring your curiosity and a thirst to learn.

There are 2 ways to be at this event:

1. In Person – Paradise Creek Brewery will be seating indoors at 100% capacity and the pub talk will be broadcast/projected on a the large projection screen in the pub/restaurant area.
2. On Zoom – Register for the Zoom Talk HERE. Place a food/drink order for pick up at Paradise Creek Brewery’s Downtown Restaurant – 245 SE Paradise St, Pullman. Local delivery is also available. Mention Science Pub and you’ll be sent a link by text or email to join the event. Tip: Place your order early so it’s ready by Science Pub time.

See the Facebook event here

This month’s speakers:

Join Hang Liu and Patricia Townsend on March 7th for their pub talk, “Beyond Bed and Bath: Creating a Circular Textile Economy “.

Clothing and textiles play a vital role in human life from clothing, to bedding, upholstery, and stuffed toys. With increases both in world population and living standard, clothing and textile consumption has grown steadily. Currently, most textile waste is incinerated or put in landfills, causing environmental issues and waste of natural resources. WSU’s Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles and WSU Extension seek to mitigate the environmental impacts of clothing and textile over-consumption and waste by creating new opportunities within Washington’s circular economy to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Our research suggests that hotels, with their extensive use of cotton linens (sheets and towels), might offer a starting point for reducing textile waste. We are investigating why hotels decide to discard their linens, where they send them, and whether they have economically viable secondary uses. Our goal is to extend the lifespan of linens, minimize the massive production of virgin cotton fibers, and reduce the volume of cotton textile waste ending up in landfills. Dr. Hang Liu will share how discarded linens can be recycled into new fibers with textile engineering.   

Dr. Hang Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles at Washington State University. She has a textile science and engineering background and conducts research on developing biobased textile materials for enhanced environmental sustainability and monitoring for human health. One research project Dr. Liu has focused on in the past several years is recycling post-consumer cotton waste to produce new fibers for high-quality textiles using an environmentally friendly and economically viable technology. 

Dr. Patricia Townsend is an Associate Professor and Environment and Community Outreach Specialist with WSU Extension. She is passionate about finding solutions to complex environmental problems including climate change and plastic pollution. Dr. Townsend is interested in sustainability and uses her experience as a former fashion designer and bioeconomy educator to help build a circular textile economy. She collaborates on research and education projects across WSU and is leading the new Washington State Naturalist Certification program.

Science Pub: “On Composting Humans: Biology and Bioethics”
Feb 7th, 2022 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Sip your favorite brew, while you learn a thing or two! Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about science in an informal atmosphere; no scientific background necessary! Just bring your curiosity and a thirst to learn.

There are 2 ways to be at this event:

1. In Person – Paradise Creek Brewery will be seating indoors at 100% capacity and the pub talk will be broadcast/projected on a the large projection screen in the pub/restaurant area.
2. On Zoom – Register for the Zoom Talk HERE. Place a food/drink order for pick up at Paradise Creek Brewery’s Downtown Restaurant – 245 SE Paradise St, Pullman. Local delivery is also available. Mention Science Pub and you’ll be sent a link by text or email to join the event. Tip: Place your order early so it’s ready by Science Pub time.

See the Facebook event here

This month’s speakers:

Join Lynne Carpenter-Boggs and Bill Kabasenche on February 7th for their pub talk, “On Composting Humans: Biology and Bioethics”.

In 2019 Washington State became the first to legalize Natural Organic Reduction, or the use of composting for human funerals. Behind the legal process was WSU research and a process of research assurances. We’ll look at the ethics of new research, how NOR developed, and where these processes came together to support a change in the funeral industry.

Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs is a Professor of Soil Science and Sustainable Agriculture in the WSU Department of Crop and Soil Sciences. She directs the WSU Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Agriculture. Her background in soil microbiology, alternative agricultural systems, and livestock mortality composting supported the development of natural organic reduction.

Dr. Bill Kabasenche is a professor of philosophy in the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs and the Ethics Education Director in the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University. He is also a Fellow in the Center for Reproductive Biology. His research focuses on a variety of ethical issues in the sciences and biotechnology and in health care.

Science Pub: “Air Bubbles and Huckleberries: Water Across Scales from Cells to Ecosystems”
Nov 15th, 2022 | 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Sip your favorite brew, while you learn a thing or two! Science Pub is an opportunity to enjoy learning about science in an informal atmosphere; no scientific background necessary! Just bring your curiosity and a thirst to learn.

There are 2 ways to be at this event:

1. In Person – Paradise Creek Brewery will be seating indoors at 100% capacity and the pub talk will be broadcast/projected on a the large projection screen in the pub/restaurant area.
2. On Zoom – Register for the Zoom Talk HERE. Place a food/drink order for pick up at Paradise Creek Brewery’s Downtown Restaurant – 245 SE Paradise St, Pullman. Local delivery is also available. Mention Science Pub and you’ll be sent a link by text or email to join the event. Tip: Place your order early so it’s ready by Science Pub time.

See the Facebook event here

This month’s speakers:

Join Mark Swanson and Andrei Smertenko on November 15th for their pub talk, “Air Bubbles and Huckleberries: Water Across Scales From Cells to Ecosystems”.

“Water is a key resource for plants, especially in arid ecosystems. Water-related processes that affect plants and their survival operate at scales from individual cells up to the scale of landscapes.  In this talk, Dr. Andrei Smertenko and Dr. Mark Swanson discuss how plants, water, and the physical environment interact, with outcomes relevant far beyond the plants themselves. Dr. Smertenko will give the audience insight into plant-water relations at the scale of cells and tissues, using stunning microscopic photography techniques, while Dr. Swanson will discuss research on how even dead trees can keep much needed water for plants (trees and shrubs) attempting to recolonize disturbed sites. In a time of climate change, an understanding of the fascinating relationship between plants and water is key to interpreting what is happening in ecosystems, and devising strategies for mitigating impacts of drought on humans.”

Dr. Mark Swanson is Associate Professor of Landscape Ecology and Silviculture and is the Forest Ecology and Management Program Leader in the School of the Environment and the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. Mark’s research interests include: compositional, structural, and function attributes of early succession on forest sites in the Pacific Northwest, the ecology of native large mammals,
forest disturbance processes, including fire and volcanic eruption and he regularly participates in agricultural and horticultural research with partners within WSU

Dr. Andrei Smertenko is Associate Professor in the Institute of Biological Chemistry, He received his Ph.D at the National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine. The Smertenko lab studies the role of cellular architecture in the regulation of life and death processes in plants. They combine diverse techniques including advanced live-cell imaging, genetics, biochemistry, modelling and cell biology to address fundamental questions of plant biology. Current research projects in the lab focus on: Structural proteins of microtubules and actin filaments, regulation of cytoskeletal organization and dynamics, mechanisms of cell division, terminal differentiation and programmed cell death, alteration of cytoplasm architecture in response to stress.