In the Media

Western Washington University is being recognized for its large number of alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers.

The university comes in second among medium-sized colleges and universities in the 2012 rankings.

For more than 30 years, the men and horses of the Bellingham Coal Mines toiled beneath the city, using dynamite and muscle power to carve a labyrinth of passageways through a thick coal seam. Over their heads was a ceiling of crumbly slate rock, held up— if all went well— by log timbers and pillars of coal itself.

Bill Wegley, 82, was among the last of the Bellingham coal miners, working in the Bellingham Coal Mines for three weeks just before the operation shut down in 1955. As an Alaska gillnetter and part-time longshoreman, Wegley was no stranger to a hard day's work, but he found mining a bit much.

"It caved in three times in those three weeks. The last time it buried me clear up to here in coal," Wegley said, holding a hand to his waist.

Engineering students from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. are working on a recycling project to help earthquake victims in Haiti rebuild homes from plastic waste, according to recent news reports.

Nikki Larson, an associate professor of engineering technology, and six of her students are researching to find the best way to create small homes from the plastic waste that litters the earthquake-ravaged island, according to an article published on Monday by The Bellingham Herald.

The battle over public access to federally financed research is heating up again. The basic question is this: When taxpayers help pay for scholarly research, should those taxpayers get to see the results in the form of free access to the resulting journal articles?

Actions in Washington this month highlight how far from settled the question is, even among publishers. A major trade group, the Association of American Publishers, has thrown its weight behind proposed new legislative limits on requiring public access, while several of its members, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's press, have publicly disagreed with that position.

What could be the ultimate recycling project is under way at Western Washington University. Students hope to build houses for the homeless of Haiti from the mounds of garbage littering the landscape. KING 5's Eric Wilkinson reports from Bellingham.

A familiar face is returning to Western Washington University as Greg Brisbon has been named associate head coach for the men's and women's soccer teams, beginning Feb. 6. Making that announcement was Travis Connell, head coach for both programs.
The 37-year-old Brisbon served seven seasons as an associate head coach and 11 years overall as an assistant coach for both squads at WWU before leaving in January 2011 to work for Crossfire Premier Soccer Club in Redmond.

The president labeled "No Drama Obama," often in frustration by supporters, laid it on the line Tuesday in an election year State of the Union speech that left friends and foes in no doubt about the message.
By his own definition a skilled wordsmith, Obama mixed conciliation and optimism -- "America is back" -- with confrontation -- "With or without this Congress, I will keep taking actions that help our economy grow".

Trustees and regents from the state’s colleges and universities spent Tuesday at the Capitol urging lawmakers to prevent further cuts to higher education.

Twenty-eight regents and trustees met with members from the House and Senate higher education committees and Marty Loesch, Gov. Chris Gregoire’s chief of staff, among others.

Lawmakers cut $500 million from higher education last year, and Gregoire has proposed an additional $160 million cut to help deal with the state’s budget deficit.

A Western Washington University alumnus has been nominated for an Oscar for his documentary about an inner-city high school football's team run for a playoff game - and respect.
Seattle native and Western alum T.J. Martin was nominated, along with fellow filmmakers Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas, in the best documentary feature category for "Undefeated."

Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics will host George Bowen as part of its Strategic Management Executive Strategy Speaker Series.

Bowen, executive vice president and chief banking officer of Whidbey Island Bank, graduated from Western with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1970 and a master's degree in 1983. He will speak during the series at 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 in Communications Facility Room 115 on the Western campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.