Research – The Daily Evergreen

Students prepare for 3-Minute competition

February 28, 2020

Discussing a power system that shifts electricity into a consumer service like Uber or Airbnb is complex for a graduate student, even more so when it needs to be discussed in only 180 seconds. Monish Mukherjee, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science graduate student, said he and other stud...

Research team makes batteries safer

MADYSEN MCLAIN, Evergreen reporter

February 27, 2020

A WSU research team has created a way to make a high-energy battery which forgoes the safety issues found in lithium-ion batteries. Min-Kyu Song, WSU School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering assistant professor, led the research project. He said the research team developed a formula that prot...

Antibiotics fail against resistant germs

JAKOB THORINGTON, Evergreen reporter

February 26, 2020

Growing up in Kenya, Sylvia Omulo had two guarantees: falling and infectious diseases. “I really liked to play,” she said. “Some of my favorite games involved speed and falling was a consequence of that — the other thing I was prone to was infectious diseases.” Omulo, clinical assoc...

Bacteria can be used to make nitrogen

TJ YOCKACHONIS, Evergreen reporter

February 25, 2020

Some bacteria transform nitrogen in the air, which is useless to all life, into useful nutrients for plants and animals. The importance of these “nitrogen-fixing” bacteria was the focus of the McCarter Seminar Series “Hierarchical regulation of nitrogen fixation in bacteria associated wi...

Frozen leaves cause unusual taste in red wine

BROOKLYNN HILLEMANN, Evergreen reporter

February 20, 2020

Unusual floral notes found in red wines are caused by frozen and dead leaves, according to a WSU professor. Jim Harbertson, associate professor of enology for WSU’s Wine Science Center, specializes in the study of wines. He said he was tasked by Washington wine producers with explaining why re...

‘It’s always a Monarch’

TJ YOCKACHONIS, Evergreen reporter

February 20, 2020

Public citizens flutter and swarm to help WSU scientists discover the migration path of Western Monarchs between the months of February and May. The community-science project “The Western Monarch Mystery Challenge” began Feb. 14 and will continue until April 22. Due to the unkno...

Student finds way to make concrete green

ALANA LACKNER, Evergreen reporter

February 18, 2020

A WSU graduate student discovered fly ash can replace large amounts of cement in concrete, which makes the concrete cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Sen Du, a doctoral student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has won an award for his research from the International Ass...

Engineering school secures $500K for research

KAITLYN TEJERO, Evergreen reporter

February 18, 2020

Three researchers in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science have received CAREER Awards from the National Science Foundation. One of the award winners, Anamika Dubey, is an assistant professor at the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. “This award is given...

A ‘berry’ important research project

LAUREN ELLENBECKER, Evergreen reporter

February 14, 2020

WSU researchers are examining ways to alter genetic traits and breed berries in order to grow better, tastier varieties. Lisa DeVetter, WSU Department of Horticulture associate professor, said the Vaccinium Coordinated Agricultural Project (VacCAP) was created to develop DNA-based tools whic...

Local agencies prepare for COVID-19

MADYSEN MCLAIN, Evergreen reporter

February 14, 2020

While cases of the novel coronavirus continue to increase, several public health officials and medical providers on the Palouse are preparing for the outbreak. Previously known as the novel coronavirus, the new strain of the virus was renamed COVID-19 two days ago by the World Health Organization....

Reshaping stream structure to improve habitats

LOREN NEGRON, Evergreen reporter

February 13, 2020

The Palouse Conservation District (PCD) held a presentation about stream structure on Wednesday in the Paradise Creek Brewery Trailside Taproom. Randy Stevens, PCD conservation coordinator, said changing stream structure can produce diverse habitats, which can help address drought and flooding. ...

Faculty candidate talks about particles

SYLENA HARPER, Evergreen reporter

February 13, 2020

Michael Pretko, WSU faculty candidate for theoretical physics, spoke about particles called fractons on Tuesday during the Physics and Astronomy’s colloquium. A fracton is a new type of particle which could be applied to building quantum computers, Pretko said. Pretko said a fracton’s mov...