Student Perspective: Emma Hayes

By Gary Hyatt, WSU Honors College, gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu

Name: Emma Hayes

Year: Senior

Hometown: Bellingham, Washington

Major: Biology

How has The Honors College impacted your time at WSU?

The Honors College has challenged me to grow as a student, researcher, and leader during my time at WSU. Through small class sizes combined with unique coursework, I feel that I have truly become a well-rounded individual with much knowledge to apply in my future endeavors. The Honor’s College has also provided a community of both fellow students and faculty mentors that have branched into my STEM courses, supporting academic success beyond the Honor’s curriculum.

Most impactful Involvement/Leadership/Research you have engaged in and what each entail:

During my time at WSU, I worked for the WSU Athletic Department as an Academic tutor. This position strengthened my leadership skills and directly applied my scientific expertise to helping others. I also completed my Honor’s Thesis with the help of Dr. Michael Konkel on the topic of H.pylori and inflammatory disease correlated to microbiome dysbiosis.

Career Goal/ Future education plans:

Following graduation, I plan to attend additional schooling to become a Medical Laboratory Scientist. I hope to specialize in microbiology and work in a diagnostic setting.

Favorite Honors Course and why?

My favorite Honor’s course has been Honor’s 370, Crime in the Making, A Sociological Perspective. This course was unlike any class I had taken at WSU as it involved sociology and criminal justice topics. I found it interesting to have a course that broadened my perspective beyond Biology based instruction.

Advice for an incoming Honors student?

Connect with faculty mentors and ask questions. The growth you experience during your time within WSU Honors is individually driven. Pursue your passions and challenge yourself to grow as both a learner and individual.

Have you ever received financial support from the Honors College? If so, how did that impact your academic journey?

I received an academic scholarship for one year during my time at the Honors College. As a student independently funding my academic journey it helped relieve stress and allowed me to focus my efforts on my academic goals.

Lastly, what are some things outside of your academic journey you enjoy doing?

Outside of academics I enjoy spending time running, being with family and friends, and coaching young athletes in gymnastics/cheer.

Honors College Students Recognized at WSU Distinguished Scholars Celebration

By Gary Hyatt , WSU Honors College – gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu

Washington State University honored some of its most exceptional students at the annual Distinguished Scholars Celebration on November 7,

2025. The event highlights the hard work, academic excellence, and extraordinary dedication required to earn nationally competitive awards. This year, several students from the WSU Honors College were celebrated for earning some of the nation’s most prestigious scholarships and fellowships.

During the program, guests were welcomed by April Seehafer, Director of Distinguished Scholarships, followed by remarks from Chris Riley-Tillman, Provost and Executive Vice President. Mary Sánchez Lanier, Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement, recognized each of the scholars for their achievements, with closing remarks delivered by Bill Davis, Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement.

Among the honorees were six outstanding students from the Honors College whose accomplishments represent years of intellectual curiosity, determination, and service:

• Hollen Foster-Grahler, Fulbright U.S. Student Program
• Joan Castaneda Gonzalez, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
• Eva Rickard, Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
• John Bussey, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
• Suzanne Gelston, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
• Aarya Bajaj, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

Each of these awards is highly competitive at the national level and reflects exceptional academic performance, research excellence, and a strong

commitment to global engagement and service. Being selected as a Fulbright Student, Goldwater Scholar, NSF Graduate Research Fellow, or Gilman Scholar is not only a tremendous individual honor but also a testament to the depth of mentorship, academic rigor, and community support found within the WSU Honors College.

The Honors College expresses deep gratitude to the faculty and staff who support students throughout the application and advising process. In particular, we extend a heartfelt thank you to Assistant Dean Robin Bond and Dean M. Grant Norton, whose leadership, encouragement, and unwavering commitment to student success play an integral role in preparing scholars for these elite opportunities. Their guidance helps students refine their ideas, strengthen their applications, and envision their future impact.

For more than a century, WSU students have been named among the nation’s most accomplished scholars. The Distinguished Scholars Gallery in the CUB now features the names of more than 350 WSU students and alumni who have received prestigious, nationally competitive awards, an inspiring reminder of the legacy these students join.

This year’s Honors College awardees continue that tradition with distinction. We congratulate them on their remarkable achievements and look forward to seeing the ways they will shape their fields, communities, and the world.

Honors Students Shine at National NCHC Conference in San Diego

By Gary Hyatt , WSU Honors College – gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu

Three Honors College students Michael Fasci, Anita Valdez, and Jo Castaneda Gonzales proudly represented Washington State University at the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference held November 6–9 at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. Assistant Dean Dr. Robin Bond accompanied the students as they presented their undergraduate research among peers and faculty from across the nation.

This year’s conference theme, “Celebrating 60 Years – Charting Partnerships and Collaborations to Inspire Honors,” marked a milestone anniversary for NCHC and brought together 1,335 attendees from 753 institutions, including both honors programs and honors colleges. The gathering emphasized the essential role of collaboration, innovation, and community in shaping the future of honors education.

Michael, Anita, and Jo participated in the highly competitive Poster Presentation Session, where student researchers present their work during a two-hour interactive format. Throughout the session, presenters engaged with faculty judges and conference attendees, discussing the significance, methodology, and impact of their projects.

Preparing for the conference required each student to carefully design a professional research poster that communicated their findings clearly, visually, and effectively — a skill that mirrors expectations at major academic conferences nationwide. Their commitment to excellence ensured that WSU Honors was represented with professionalism and pride.

For many students, NCHC is not only an academic experience but a transformative one. Following the conference, Anita Valdez shared her gratitude with the Honors College:

“I wanted to take a second and thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend such an amazing conference. I really enjoyed my time in San Diego with Michael and Jo, and I met a lot of incredible students with a wide variety of interesting projects… I especially loved listening to keynote speaker Emily Calandrelli. Growing up as a girl interested in STEM, I never really thought about how little female representation there is in science-related shows and movies, but if you had asked me to draw a scientist, I probably wouldn’t have drawn someone who looked like me. I hope she continues to serve as a great role model for activists and women in STEM.”

She added that she was “incredibly grateful to the Honors College for this experience, and proud to be a WSU Honors Student.”

The Honors College celebrates Michael, Anita, and Jo for their hard work, their dedication to research, and their outstanding representation of WSU on a national stage. Their achievements reflect the power of undergraduate inquiry and the importance of supporting students as they explore, question, and contribute to a broader academic community.

Go Cougs!

Innovation in Action: Honors Students Explore Chemical Engineering Breakthroughs

By Gary Hyatt, WSU Honors College, gary.hyatt1@wsu.edu

This summer marked the launch of an exciting new initiative for the Honors College at Washington State University: the Voiland Summer  Research Internship for Honors Students in Chemical Engineering. Thanks to the generosity of Gene and Linda Voiland, two Honors students were selected to remain in Pullman over the summer and devote themselves to full-time research in the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering. Each student received a $5,000 stipend to help cover living expenses, enabling them to focus fully on their work with faculty mentors.

Dean M. Grant Norton emphasized the significance of the program for both students and faculty, noting, “Undergraduate research enhances students’ intellectual and professional growth by fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills—abilities that are more essential than ever in an AI-powered world.”

One of the inaugural recipients, Anita Valdez, a Chemical Engineering major from Pasco, Washington, worked in the O.H. Reaugh Laboratory for Oil and Gas Research under the mentorship of Dr. Su Ha. Her project focused on the mass transfer efficiency of a carbon absorption process, using sodium hydroxide in a packed column with small springs to improve gas-liquid interactions, with the goal of optimizing parameters to make carbon capture systems more efficient. Anita described her daily work in the lab, from setting up experiments to carefully measuring flow rates and analyzing results, as both challenging and rewarding. The internship gave her invaluable exposure to the problem-solving process inherent in real-world research, as well as insight into the decisions and skills required to pursue graduate studies. She reflected that the WSU Honors College had prepared her well for this experience, providing both a strong academic foundation and opportunities to develop leadership and teamwork skills.

For Anita, the internship was also a personal growth experience. Immersed in a highly technical environment, she learned to ask questions confidently, collaborate closely with graduate students, and navigate setbacks in experimental design, all while building confidence in her abilities. “This summer helped me see what a research career could look like,” she said. “It showed me the dedication required, but also the excitement of discovering new solutions and contributing to projects with real-world impact.”

The second intern, Suzanne Gelston, recently graduated from WSU with a degree in Chemical Engineering and will continue her studies this fall as a Ph.D. student. She conducted her internship in the Biofilm Engineering Laboratory under Dr. Haluk Beyenal, working on the lab’s innovative electrochemical bandage (e-bandage). This device produces hydrogen peroxide directly at wound sites, offering continuous, antibiotic-free treatment for chronic infections. Suzanne’s research focused on optimizing the carbon fabric electrodes that drive hydrogen peroxide production, investigating how electrode surface area and preparation techniques influenced performance, and adapting the e-bandage for wounds of varying shapes and sizes.

Suzanne described the internship as a transformative continuation of her undergraduate research experience. She performed electrochemical tests such as cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, refined protocols for scaling up the device, and presented her findings to the research team. The summer allowed her to develop both technical expertise and confidence in communicating scientific results, deepening her commitment to advancing bioelectrochemical systems in her doctoral studies. “Being able to focus entirely on research this summer, without distractions, was invaluable,” she said. “It gave me the space to experiment, learn from mistakes, and see progress in real time. I also learned a lot from collaborating with graduate students and faculty mentors, which is shaping how I approach my Ph.D. work.”

Su Ha, the George Austin Endowed Director of the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, noting, “Undergraduate research provides students with the opportunity to apply the fundamental knowledge gained in the classroom to real-world problems, while also enabling faculty to offer meaningful mentorship that can positively shape students’ long-term career paths.”

Both Anita and Suzanne expressed deep gratitude to Gene and Linda Voiland for making the internship possible. For Anita, it was an opportunity to explore research as a potential career path while gaining practical, hands-on experience. For Suzanne, it was a chance to continue advancing an important project she is passionate about while preparing for her Ph.D. studies. The Voiland Summer Research Internship is already creating impact by bridging classroom learning with real-world applications and giving Honors students an early opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking work in chemical engineering. With continued support, this program promises to expand opportunities for future students and further WSU’s reputation for cultivating innovation, leadership, and excellence in engineering.