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Meet Our Donors: Dominique Mesick (’11)

April 19, 2013 Clint Young

A WSU education was Dominique Mesick’s destiny.

“I bleed Crimson,” she declares, adding that she always intended to follow in the footsteps of her mother, father, and sister—all Cougars. It was receiving a Crimson Opportunity Scholarship that helped to ease the financial burden of pursuing her studies at WSU and gave her an extra boost of confidence. “This scholarship showed me that not only do I want to be at WSU, but WSU wanted me to be there as well. It was nice knowing they wanted me to succeed.”

Strengthened by the skills she developed during her time as a student, Dominique (’11 Lib. … » More …

Meet Our Donors: Sandy Saffell (’67)

April 18, 2013 Clint Young

Her crimson heart brimming with Cougar Pride, Sandy Saffell (’67) is helping today’s students follow her lead to a successful and satisfying future with a degree from Washington State University.

Sandy’s journey is still unfolding; the word retirement is missing from her vocabulary. As she continues to make the most of her WSU education, she is changing the lives of today’s students through her support as a President’s Associate and her volunteer service to WSU. » More …

Solar car donation accelerates renewables education

April 12, 2013 charles.dillon2

Talk about recycling and reusing.

An electric car that became a Washington State University student project in solar power for Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) is finding new life with its donation to WSU for use in a renewable energy course.

“We’re grateful to SEL for this generous donation,’’ said Behrooz Shirazi, Huie-Rogers chair and director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “It’s wonderful to see how our current and future students will benefit not only from SEL’s generosity but also from the hard work of our previous students.’’

Sponsored by SEL, a group of students in 2009 worked on the car as … » More …

Building A Better Future

April 1, 2013 Clint Young

Mary Crowell and Xyan Neider are building a better future for their families and themselves through the degrees they pursue at Washington State University.

As single moms, Mary and Xyan are immersed in busy lives and hectic schedules. They must strike the right balance between responsibilities at home and on campus. And they must find the appropriate financial balance to avoid burdensome debt while paying for their WSU education.

The Debbie T. Killinger Scholarship, administered through the College of Education, provided some of the needed balance in their lives and turned their financial stress into financial security, say Mary and Xyan.

Xyan loves learning … » More …

Meet Our Donors: Jim (’70) and Cathy (’71) Oliver

March 27, 2013 Clint Young

“You need to give back to what gave to you.” This is the attitude that Jim Oliver (’70 Comm.) has lived by and together, with his wife, Cathy (Hartoon) is sharing with WSU through their 36 years of giving.

Grateful for their rewarding and life-changing experiences at WSU—including meeting in the marching band 45 years ago—Jim and Cathy (’71 Ed.) are making sure that the University will continue to provide quality education and life-enriching experiences for students in today’s tough economy. » More …

Gift Funds Scholarships and Building Technology in the College of Business

February 10, 2013 charles.dillon2

A generous gift from Walter and Phyllis Roenicke is supporting undergraduate business scholarships and programming, and technology maintenance in the atrium of WSU’s College of Business.

The $100,000 donation will create two endowments named after Phyllis’ father, Claude E. Hayfield, a well-known pioneer banker of Whitman County.

Seventy-five percent will be designated toward The Claude E. Hayfield Endowed Scholarship in Business, which will award tuition scholarships for undergraduate business students from the Palouse, including north Idaho counties. Twenty-five percent will be designated to The Claude E. Hayfield Endowed Excellence Fund in Business, which … » More …

Washington Cherry, Stone Fruit Growers Invest in WSU Research, Extension

February 6, 2013 charles.dillon2

Cherry and stone fruit growers throughout the state have agreed to make a $5 million investment over the next eight years to support research and extension at Washington State University Centers in Prosser and Wenatchee. This investment builds on a similar measure passed by apple and pear growers in 2011 to galvanize the partnership between the Washington tree fruit industry and WSU.

“The close partnership between Washington’s tree fruit industry and Washington State University continues to be transformational,” said WSU President Elson … » More …

Meet Our Donors: Ron Fowler (’69)

February 5, 2013 Clint Young

You’re probably familiar with the new high-resolution scanner (the Zeutschel Omniscan 14000 AO) that is helping The Libraries at WSU to preserve historical documents. But do you know the story about how The Libraries were able to purchase such an advanced piece of equipment? » More …

Preserving the Past

December 17, 2012 charles.dillon2

With the help of generous donors, the WSU Libraries has secured a highly technical new gadget—the Zeutschel Omniscan 14000 AO—that will help to digitize thousands of historical documents, including oversized books, newspapers, and maps, and make them broadly accessible via the Internet.

“This remarkable equipment allows us to share WSU’s big ideas with the world,” says Anna Wheatley, assistant director of development for The Libraries at WSU. “The possibilities for preserving and creating unique digital collections from WSU’s holdings are now unlimited.”

The scanner is a critical investment as many irreplaceable documents within the Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections department are showing the wear of … » More …

Meet Our Donors: Ed Little (’76)

December 14, 2012 Clint Young

In Vancouver, Washington there’s a high school principal’s office heavily adorned in crimson and gray flags, photos, pom-pons, and other WSU novelties. It is the office of Ed Little. Ed’s spirited décor undoubtedly shows that he loves the Cougs. But what the walls cannot fully convey is his deeply personal connection to WSU.

“I’ve never forgotten how WSU supported me at a time when I had no money and didn’t know where to turn,” he says. “They stepped in and I got a wonderful education.”

Ed’s story began in 1974 along the sidelines in Eugene’s Autzen Stadium as he cheered with his fellow Cougar Yell … » More …