News Feed

Graduate Faculty Orientation Workshop Offered

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 09:09:22

Are you a new graduate faculty member, new to sitting on a graduate student thesis committee or, you would like a refresher on how to assist graduate students? The School of Graduate Studies and Research will be holding an orientation/workshop to go over Graduate School policies and procedures, important student and faculty deadlines, necessary forms and to answer all of your questions regarding the responsibilities of graduate faculty. Staff members who assist with graduate student programs are encouraged to attend.

Please come join us in Black Hall Room 151 – Wednesday, October 12, 2022 – 2:00 – 3:00 PM

Dale & Mary Jo Comstock Distinguished Thesis Award Winners 2022

Thu, 09 Jun 2022 09:02:42

The School of Graduate Studies and Research is proud to announce that the Dale and Mary Jo Comstock Distinguished Thesis Award generously supported two recipients for 2022.

Jessica Coffey, MS, Cultural and Environmental Resource Management, Summer 2021 and Kaelen Sauriol, MA, History Spring 2022 were the two winners; each receiving a monetary award of $1,500 plus an opportunity to have their thesis nominated for the Western Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award.

Ms. Coffey’s thesis, “Rock Glacier Hydrological Significance in a Warming World Across a Geoecological Transect in the North Cascades, Washington” was nominated by her thesis committee chair Dr. Karl Lillquist who wrote that he nominated Jessica based on the fact that “her thesis is one of only five documents focused on Cascade rock glaciers. As such, Jessica is one of a small group of researchers worldwide who have used ground penetrating radar (GPR) on rock glaciers.” Dr. Lillquist stated that over 27 years of mentoring and working directly with graduate students that “Jessica’s thesis is the best I have seen in terms of the incorporation of cutting edge technology, breadth and depth of scientific research, the climate change implications, involvement of student assistants, and societal relevance to our region in a time of environmental change”.

Ms. Sauriol was nominated by her committee chair, Dr. Roxanne Easley for her thesis, “Russian Women Emigres after the Revolution”. Dr. Easley said that “Kaelen is that kind of graduate student we all hope to work with: bright, curious, and engaged. Her thesis topic was complex, requiring mastery of a large and detailed historical context, much of which was new to her. Many of the émigré women writers she foregrounded are not well known, either in Russia or the West, and so she had relatively little scholarly criticism (or even translations) to draw on. The subjective experience of women immigrants is a timely issue, and Kaelen offers a fresh and insightful approach to this global topic. It is wonderful to see her hard work recognized with the Comstock Award.”

Ms. Sauriol will be honored at the Graduate Student Hooding Ceremony on June 10. Ms. Coffey was unable to attend the ceremony.

The Dale and Mary Jo Comstock Distinguished Thesis Award is funded through an endowment created by Dr. and Mrs. Comstock. The Comstocks both graduated from Central Washington University and went on to work at the university until retirement. It is through their kindness that deserving graduate students, are honored each year.

Primate Behavior Fulbright Scholar from Madagascar will start Ph.D. in the fall

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 09:42:22

Fulbright Scholar Eliette (Noro) Noromalala is busy wrapping up her Graduate Career at CWU in the Primate Behavior Program. She is researching the black-and-white ruffed lemur, a critically endangered species.

Noro is studying the parasite patterns in black-and-white ruffed lemurs and how this may be affected by climate and feeding behaviors. She performed careful analyses in the lab to identify and count parasites present from samples collected in Madagascar. She also mentored an undergraduate student who will be continuing this work. She has presented this work at the 2022 Northwest Anthropological Conference and is preparing a journal article for submission. Noro's thesis committee chair, Dr. April Binder said that she is an outstanding and thoughtful student who will be continuing her education and start working on her Ph.D. at the University of Texas – Austin this fall. The Graduate School sincerely wishes her the best as she continues her journey of research and learning.

CWU Retirees Association Graduate Student Scholarship

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 09:31:50

Please help get the word out regarding this competitive scholarship

The CWU Retirees Association Graduate Student Scholarship provides $1,500 to one student per year who holds an earned bachelor’s degree from CWU and who is admitted to or currently enrolled in a master’s degree program as a full time student at Central Washington University for the purpose of defraying all or part of the student’s unmet financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Letters of application are due April 15 Click here for more information. Information is also available via the Scholarship Central website http://www.cwu.edu/scholarships/

CWU Alum chosen as Great Basin Region Resource Manager

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 10:36:24

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation announces the selection of Adam Nickels as the Resources Manager for California-Great Basin Region’s Division of Resources Management. Nickels graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology in 1998 and a Master of Science in Resource Management, also from Central Washington University in 2002. This division provides inter-disciplinary services for the region and its area offices, including expertise on water rights, water service contracts, Reclamation Reform Act, Native American Affairs, real estate, land resources management, irrigation and drainage, Geographic Information Systems and land classification. See full article here: News

M.Ed. Graduate in Curriculum and Instruction designs Spanish/English Early Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning Resources

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:35:17

Congratulations to Lisa Kusick for successfully defending her M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction Final Project: "Spanish/English Early Literacy and Social-Emotional Learning Resources for Librarians and Preschool Teachers!" Lisa's project was designed to support elementary teacher librarians and preschool teachers in improving the literacy and social-emotional skills of 4- and 5-year-old preschoolers. She created a 12 lesson unit using English-Spanish picture books, discussions, and follow up classroom activities designed for collaboration between the school librarian and the preschool classroom teacher. The goal was to combine literacy instruction with social-emotional learning, specifically self-awareness and social awareness, aligning with the Washington State Early Learning and Development Guidelines, the Washington State Learning Pathways in Early Literacy (OSPI, 2016), the Washington Social Emotional Learning Standards, and the American Association of School Library Standards. We are excited to see these resources adopted more widely within the school community!

2021 Winners of the Dale and Mary Jo Comstock Distinguished Thesis Award

Fri, 18 Jun 2021 11:12:42

The CWU Graduate School proudly announces the co-recipients of the Dale and Mary Jo Comstock Distinguished Thesis award for 2021.

Each student will earn $750 and their thesis will be nominated for the WAGS Regional Thesis competition in the fall. The recipients are:

Morgan Rodriguez, (MS) Chemistry

Thesis title: “Selective Synthesis of Trans-fused Lactam-Lactones by Vicinal Difunctionalization of Readily Affordable Allylic Lactams”.

Thesis chair: Dr. Timothy Beng, Chemistry department

Henry Jennings, (MA) History

Thesis title: “Sport, Kul’turnost, and Physical Culture in the Khrushchev Era Soviet Union, 1953-1964”

Thesis chair: Dr. Roxanne Easley, History department

Please join us in congratulating these outstanding students and their faculty.

Former Master's Student in Geological Sciences highlighted in L.A. Times Article

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 16:20:55

Kim Blisniuk (formerly Le), who earned her master's degree in Geolgicial Sciences from Central Washington University in 2004, was recently highlighted in an article on the San Andreas fault in the L.A. times. Blisniuk is now a professor at San Jose State University. See full article here.

Graduate Student Research Support Awards and Summer Fellowships Now Available

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 11:20:03

The School of Graduate Studies and Research is opening the following funding opportunities for graduate students:

Graduate Student Research Support Award
- An award for up to $1,000 for supplies, equipment, and/or non-retroactive travel designed to assist students with completing their thesis or creative project.
- Deadline for submission: April 28, 2021
- Click here for application instructions.

Graduate Student Summer Fellowship
- A taxable award of $3,500 paid during the summer to assist students so they can focus on their thesis or creative project.
- Deadline for submission: April 28, 2021
- Click here for application instructions.

CWU Retirees Association Graduate Student Scholarship

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 10:26:04

Please help get the word out regarding this competitive scholarship!

The CWU Retirees Association Graduate Student Scholarship provides $1,500 to one student per year who holds an earned bachelor’s degree from CWU and who is admitted to or currently enrolled in a master’s degree program as a full time student at Central Washington University for the purpose of defraying all or part of the student’s unmet financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Letters of application are due April 15 Click here for more information. Information is also available via the Scholarship Central website http://www.cwu.edu/scholarships/