October 2025
Join the Foley Institute as we welcome Olyvia Christley, assistant professor of political science at WSU. She will discuss the rise and mainstreaming of right-wing parties into governments across Europe.
The Department of Physics and Astronomy invites you to a colloquium featuring Artur Widera, Professor, Individual Quantum Systems, Rheinland-Pfalzische Technische Univeritat. Dr. Widera’s talk, “Shaping Quantum Matter in Time: Floquet Engineering of Feshbach Resonances” will be held Thursday, October 2, at 12:10pm in Webster B11.
The Solstice Wind Quintet will perform Summer Music by Samuel Barber, Suite by Gunther Schuller, Postcards from Native America by Charles Shadle, and “Najdorf” by Max Heyck. These works highlight the many musical styles found in the United States over the last 100 years.
Fridays in October—October 3, October 10, October 17, October 24
The David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities is organizing its First-Generation Graduate Students Seminar Series for Fall…
Jordan Slaughter, a Junior Flute Performance Major and Elena Panchenko, piano will be performing a recital of works for flute. Slaughter will perform works by Bernhard Romberg, Anna Bon, Ian Clarke, and Otar Taktakishvili. This recital includes a preview performance of Movement III of Bernhard Romberg’s Concerto for…
Ivan A. Popov received his B.S. and M.S. with honors in chemistry from RUDN University, Russia, Moscow. In 2011, Ivan moved to the United States to pursue his education under the supervision of Prof. Alexander I. Boldyrev at Utah State University, where he obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physical Chemistry. Ivan joined Theoretical Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory in June 2017 as a Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow, and later in February 2018, Ivan was awarded J. R. Oppenheimer Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship. In 2021, Ivan started his independent career as an Assistant Professor at the University of Akron (UA), where he spent three years before joining the Department of Chemistry at Washington State University (WSU). In 2023, Ivan received federal funding from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to work in the Transuranic Chemistry Center of Research Excellence (TRUCoRE) to elucidate the electronic structure of actinide compounds in extreme oxidation states and transuranic hydrides. Ivan has also been recognized at the department levels receiving the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences Early Research and Creativity Award at the UA and Meyer Early Career Launch Fellowship at WSU.
Anantya: An Evening of North Indian Classical Magic
Immerse yourself in the soul-stirring world of North Indian classical music and dance in a mesmerizing concert that celebrates tradition, rhythm, and artistry. Join us for an unforgettable evening featuring the intricate melodies of the sitar, the dynamic pulse of the tabla,…
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This is followed by a fulldome video presentation.
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This is followed by a fulldome video presentation.
Development of Robust, Sustainable Chemical Processes for the Rapid Delivery of Drug-Linkers Keynote: Dr. Rajappa Vaidyanathan, Head of Chemical Process and Analytical Development, Pfizer Inc.
Presentation: This talk will describe the development of innovative chemical processes that can reliably produce large quantities of Drug-Linkers to support clinical trials as…
Dr. Rajappa Vaidyanathan is a scientific and business leader with 20+ years of diverse experience in CMC aspects of drug development. Vaidy is currently the Head of Chemical Process and Analytical Development at Pfizer Inc, based in Bothell, WA. In this role, he leads the Process Chemistry, Analytical, and Engineering functions tasked with developing synthetic processes and analytical methods for Drug-Linkers (Linker Payloads) used in Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs).
Vaidy started his industrial career at Pharmacia in Kalamazoo, MI, and subsequently moved to Pfizer in Groton, CT where he held positions of increasing responsibility, and had the honor of developing commercial processes for multiple new chemical entities that are now commercialized as approved drugs (e.g. Xeljanz, Sutent, Bosulif). Subsequently, Vaidy established and headed the Chemical Development and API Supply group for Bristol-Myers Squibb at Bangalore, India. He assumed additional responsibilities of leading the overall Pharmaceutical Development (CMC) organization at Bristol-Myers Squibb, India, where he gained cross-functional experience in drug development.
He then moved to the Medicines for All Institute (M4All) in Richmond, VA, where he served as the Chief Operating Officer leading the organization tasked with a mission to develop innovative, cost-effective, and sustainable approaches to essential medications for Global Health. After a short stint at M4All, he was recruited by Seagen, Inc, which was ultimately acquired by Pfizer!
He is the recipient of several internal and external awards and honors, including the American Chemical Society’s “Heroes of Chemistry” Award (2015) for his contributions to the development of Xeljanz. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he served on the editorial board of Organic Process Research and Development and has edited multiple books that chronicle the discovery and development of new drug molecules.
Vaidy earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California at Irvine, and his Master’s degree in Chemistry from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, where he currently holds an Adjunct faculty position.
Tuesday,…
Vingt Dieux / Holy Cow
Tuesday October 7 Directed by Louise Courvoisier Comedy/drama – 90 min. (2024)
In Jura, 18-year-old Totone spends his carefree days with his friends Jean-Yves and Francis, filled with flirting,…
On Thursday, October 9, from 3:00-4:30 pm, join Assistant Professor Colin Criss at the museum for a teaching poet’s perspective on select works in the current exhibitions, “Color Outside the Lines” and “Anish Kapoor: Dissolving Margins”, both From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. Open…
Herman Cho is Senior Research Scientist in the Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory where he is the principal investigator of the U.S. DOE Basic Energy Sciences Heavy Element Chemistry program. He has led the development of a radiological magnetic resonance spectroscopy facility at PNNL that has reported multiple first-in-the-world advances in the analysis of highly radioactive materials.
On Friday, October 10, at 7:30pm, the WSU School of Music choral ensembles will present “Hold Fast to Dreams,” a concert exploring the theme of dreams with performances by the WSU Chamber Singers, University Singers, Treble Choir, and Concert Choir. Our choirs will perform works by Carol…
Saturday, October 11, 2025 Story Hour & Family Friendly Activities 10:00am–12:00pm Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU
Bring the family to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU on the second Saturday of each month (October 2025–June 2026*) for story time and hands-on art activities! Each month…
Dr. Jenny Zambrano, WSU SBS Pullman
Title: ‘Tree community dynamics in a changing world’
Dr. Kraig Wheeler’s research areas: research programs directed at the study of molecular engineered functional materials. Solid-state organic reactions. Design of novel cocrystalline quasiracemic compounds, noncentrosymmetric molecular assemblages and crystal engineering via molecular topology. Chemical reactions in molecular crystals. Construction of predictable molecular frameworks by exploiting strong and weak intermolecular interactions. Nanoporous materials derived from coordination polymer and robust donor-acceptor molecular architectures. Single-crystal X-ray crystallography.
VISITING WRITERS SERIES: WSU Department of English Welcomes Thomas Dai, Michael McGriff, and Alexandra Teague from the University of Idaho 5:30pm–7:00pm, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU
Join us for the WSU Department…
A Visiting Writers Series “Crosstown Classic”
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo / The Count of Monte Cristo
French film with English subtitles Directed by Alexandre de La Patellière et Matthieu Delaporte Historical action – 178 min. (2024)
This is the newest adaptation of the 1844 novel of the same name by…
Exhibition dates: October 15th – December 11th
Artist talk: Thursday October 16th, 4:30 PM with an opening reception to follow.
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WSU Big Band and Lab Band Featuring special guest Brad Linde Wednesday, October 15, 7:30 Kimbrough Concert Hall
Hailed as “the capital city’s contemporary cool king” (Giovanni Russonello, Capitalbop), Brad Linde is a saxophonist, educator, bandleader, and impresario…
Making Sense of Black Holes
The mathematical description of a black hole is quite simple, but its implications…
Join the Foley Institute as we welcome Steven Hahn professor of history at New York University. He will discuss his most recent book, Illiberal America: A History, published in 2024.
“How Much Do We Understand About Early Galaxy Formation”
The “Cosmic Dawn” of galaxy formation is one of the frontiers of modern astronomy. In the past two years, JWST has provided tantalizing clues about sources in the first several hundred million years of the Universe’s history that challenge our understanding this era, including an apparent overabundance of bright galaxies during the early phases, evidence for strong fluctuations in the star formation rate of sources, and a surprising abundance of accreting supermassive black holes. I will use a simple galaxy formation framework to describe how we can leverage these new observations to learn more abut this crucial era.
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Celebrating the art of playing saxophone with works by Glazunov, Charlie Parker, Paul Desmond, and more!
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Georgia Hunter and Victoria Stracener junior recital. October 17, 2025 at 4:10pm in Bryan Hall Theatre.
Featuring works by Ian Clarke, Anna Bon, Adriana Isabel, Figueroa Manas, Saint Saens, Benjamin Britten, and an original work by Georgia Hunter for Wind Quintet.
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PhD student, Evelyn Andrade, giving a talk about their research update on the speciation and structure of Uranium in molten Halide salts.
7pm, Friday, Oct 17 and 5pm Sunday, Oct 19
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This…
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Image and Reflection
Guest Artist: Curtis Pavey, piano
Works by Brodack, Ballard and Ravel
A dynamic masterclass for solo voice students with Professor Alisa Toy.
October’s Read: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for…
7pm, Friday, Oct 17 and 5pm Sunday, Oct 19
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This…
Dr. Bert Tanner, Integrative Physiology & Neuroscience, WSU
Title: ‘Effects of muscle length on myosin cross-bridge activity and muscle contraction’
L’Histoire de Souleymane / Souleymane’s Story
French film with English subtitles Directed by Boris Lojkine Drama – 93 min. (2024)
In this anguishing character study, a Paris food delivery cyclist and asylum seeker from Guinea named Souleymane (Abou Sangare) is anxiously applying for asylum…
WSU School of Music Promotes the second year of the Brazilian Jazz Festival!
After a very successful debut with a fully attended concert, Washington State University School of Music announced the second edition of the multinational Brazilian Jazz Festival to the Palouse. Spearheaded by Professor Dr. César Haas, the festival…
Join the Foley Institute as we welcome Matthew McManus, assistant professor of political science at Spelman College. He will discuss the radical right challenge to liberal democracy.
Pizza and soft…
Raising awareness about the North American bat, and how they are under theat.
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Join us Friday, October 24th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm for a peek into the university’s permanent collection of art and discover how it fuels curation, teaching, and student experience. View a varied selection of art and media, including works…
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“22 Years in The Making”
Joined by members of the WSU Percussion Ensemble and Elena Panchenko, Kendal Clifton will perform lively music in this recital, which fulfills her Bachelor of Music Education degree requirements. She would love to see you there…
Matthew Heaney, a PhD candidate in Chemistry, will present a Physical Chemistry seminar highlighting recent findings from his research on the thermal expansion behavior of uranium carbides.
7pm, Friday, Oct 24 and 5pm Sunday, Oct 26
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This…
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This year for Family Weekend the Washington State University School of Music will be presenting the 40th Annual Vocal Extravaganza – A Celebration of the Voice. The programming will consist of selections from the Opera/Musical Theatre ensembles’ upcoming production of “Music…
Join the fun on Saturday, October 25th from 9 – 11AM, at Webster Physical Sciences Building.
Swing on over to the art museum for Family Weekend and enjoy an exhibition tour led by WSU students!
A first quarter moon and the planet Saturn start the evening’s viewing . . .
7pm, Friday, Oct 24 and 5pm Sunday, Oct 26
A docent will point out night sky highlights and upcoming astronomical events. This…
BE A MUSIC MAJOR FOR A DAY!
The Washington State University School of Music would like to invite prospective students and their parents/guardians to its Fall 2025 MUSIC MAJOR FOR A DAY open house. Join us in experiencing a day in the life of a WSU music student. This event…
Anastassia Alexandrova is a Charles W. Clifford Jr. Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering in UCLA. She obtained a B.S./M.S. Diploma with highest honors, from Saratov University, Russia, her Ph.D. in theoretical physical chemistry from Utah State University, and was then a Postdoctoral Associate and an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. Anastassia joined the faculty of UCLA and CNSI in 2010. The focus of her laboratory is theory and computation for design and multi-scale modeling of functional materials: dynamic catalytic interfaces, artificial metalloenzymes, molecular qubits and their assemblies, and quantum materials. Anastassia serves as a Senior Editor of the Journal of physical Chemistry (ACS), and a reviewing editor of the Science magazine (AAAS).
She is a recipient of numerous awards, such as NSF CAREER Award, Sloan Fellowship 2013, DARPA Young Faculty Award 2011, Fulbright Fellowship 2016, and ACS WCC Rising Star Award 2016, 2020 ACS Phys Early Career Award in Theoretical Chemistry, 2021 Max Planck-Humboldt medal, 2023 Gold Shield Faculty Prize, as well as UCLA’s Hanson-Dow award for excellence in teaching 2016, Herbert Newby McCoy award for excellence in faculty research 2016, undergraduate research mentorship award 2018, and 2019 distinguished teaching award (the highest honor for teaching given in UCLA).
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PhD candidate Tyler Dabritz will present his proposal titled Characterization of Volatile Secondary Metabolites in Sphagnum Mosses and Associated Xylaria Endophytes: Implications for Plant-Fungal Symbiosis.
Chemistry PhD student Kaylie McCracken will present a talk titled “Enhanced Aqueous Zinc-Redox Batteries Through a Synergistic Approach Utilizing Indium-Tin Oxide and Magnetic Fields.” Her presentation will explore a fundamental approach to electrode material development for use in aqueous Zn-redox batteries paired with magnetic field effects to regulate redox behaviors.
En Fanfare / The Marching Band
French film with English subtitles Directed by Emmanuel Courcol Comedy/drama – 104 min. (2024)
Acclaimed conductor Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe) has leukemia and needs a bone marrow donor. Learning he was adopted, he finds an older brother (Pierre Lottin),…
The WSU percussion ensemble returns for their fall program featuring Dr. Fabio Menchetti on piano and senior music major Kendal Clifton on solo xylophone! The program will feature works by David Gillingham, Johanna Beyer, George Hamilton Green, and more!
The Department of English at WSU invites you to its Fall 2025 Webinar entitled “Black Prisoners’ Caucus at WSU.” The Black Prisoners’ Caucus (BPC) community group members and scholars will explore the history and ongoing work of the Caucus and highlight…
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Program: Link will open in a new tab.
The Calvin and Jean Long Distinguished Lecture in Mathematics brings internationally renowned mathematics scholars to the WSU campus to discuss research and current topics. A public lecture geared toward community members and members without a deep mathematical background is paired with a more in-depth colloquium with faculty and students. The lecture honors Calvin Long, professor emeritus (1956–92) and former department chair (1970–78) and his wife, Jean. This year’s Long Lecture titled “Functional Neuroimaging in the Era of Big
Data and Open Science” will be delivered by Dr. Nicole Lazar. Dr. Lazar is a Professor and Department Head of the Pennsylvania State University Department of Statistics.
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Calby Van Hollebeke’s graduate recital will feature Elena Panchenko on piano and harpsichord. Their recital will highlight works for oboe by female composers including Ruth Gipps, Thea Musgrave, and Isabella Leonarda.
The Calvin and Jean Long Distinguished Lecture in Mathematics brings internationally renowned mathematics scholars to the WSU campus to discuss research and current topics. A public lecture geared toward community members and members without a deep mathematical background is paired with a more in-depth colloquium with faculty and students. The lecture honors Calvin Long, professor emeritus (1956–92) and former department chair (1970–78) and his wife, Jean. This year’s in-depth Long Lecture colloquium titled “Jackknife After Bootstrap: Detecting Influential Actors in a Network” will be delivered by Dr. Nicole Lazar. Dr. Lazar is a Professor and Department Head of the Pennsylvania State University Department of Statistics.
PhD candidate MD Zaman Wahad will present a seminar on recent developments in bulk and nanostructured strontium titanate (SrTiO₃) and its Ruddlesden–Popper derivatives, focusing on their applications in photocatalysis and environmental remediation.