At present, seventeen MS and PhD students are conducting agricultural research and completing coursework at WSU Mount Vernon. They represent four academic departments within WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences: Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Horticulture and Plant Pathology. The research facilities at WSU Mount Vernon include a nearly 20,000 square foot building built in 2006 with office space and up to date laboratory facilities. In addition, there are approximately 6,000 square feet of greenhouse space. Field research is conducted on 80+ acres of research fields, including vineyard, blueberry and raspberry. There are 5 acres certified organic, and 7 acres in transition to organic. An additional 8 acres is maintained by volunteer groups and includes public gardens and an orchard of heritage apple varieties. Applied field research is also conducted at many on-farm locations in Northwestern Washington. Videoconference technology has allowed all departmental seminars and meetings to be attended in Mount Vernon. Some graduate level courses originating from the main WSU Pullman campus are offered at WSU Mount Vernon in addition to distance degree program curriculum. In addition, graduate level courses are beginning to be offered at WSU Mount Vernon by resident faculty.
The graduate students of WSU Mount Vernon have launched a two-part alternating event series. On even years the students hold a Harvest Seminar featuring presentations by respected scholars and innovators. On odd years the students hold an Agriculture and NW Ecosystems Symposium featuring presentations by graduate students from WSU Mount Vernon and other universities across western Washington.
Special Events
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Dr. David Montgomery speaks at Agriculture & Northwest Ecosystems Graduate Student Symposium on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center in Mount Vernon. More.
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Graduate students welcomed writer Wendell Berry to Mount Vernon in May, 2011 for lunch and a tour of the area. Pictured with Berry are students Emily Gatch and Jessica Gigot and center director Stephen Jones.
News
Mount Vernon graduate student Ana Vida (Avi) Alcala’s work on managing damping-off in organic vegetable seedlings was featured in the March 7, 2012 edition of the Green Times, a WSU publication focused on organic and sustainable agriculture news. She is shown here (L) with her PhD advisor, Dr. Lindsey du Toit (R). More…