2026

Many members of the Washington State University community have reached out over the past few days asking about colleagues, students, friends, and family in the Spokane region. We are grateful for your concern and for the many offers of support. It is a powerful reminder of what it means to be Cougs Helping Cougs. If you have been impacted by the fires or know someone who has, WSU has assembled a centralized collection of support resources, including information for students, faculty and staff on emergency assistance, food resources, counseling, and other services.

Catherine “Katie” Cooper has been selected as Washington State University’s next vice provost for faculty affairs and development, following a comprehensive internal search. Cooper currently serves as associate dean for faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences and as an associate professor in the School of the Environment, receiving full professorship this summer. She will succeed outgoing senior vice provost Doug Call, who announced plans to return to the faculty this spring.

Vice Provost Romando Nash has stepped into the leadership role overseeing student affairs in Spokane. Following further assessment and consultation with campus and university leadership, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management have moved to separate reporting structures under Romando and Saichi Oba (vice provost for enrollment management), respectively. This alignment allows us to better leverage the distinct expertise within each area while maintaining strong collaboration across teams.

As many of you may have seen in the update from President Cantwell, WSU is starting the new year with the anticipation of further significant reductions as outlined in the proposed state budget. While this news is not what we had hoped for, we are actively engaged with our academic deans and chancellors to develop budgets and prepare for our annual budget hearings that will be held in March. As promised in my end‑of‑year message, I’m writing to share an update on a few key initiatives the Provost’s Office will be prioritizing this spring. I’ve asked my team to keep their attention on three core goals: enhancing and modernizing the student experience, strengthening our support and recognition of faculty, and increasing our operational efficiencies.

We’re back in full swing and excited for the spring 2026 semester. Last week, we welcomed 70 nursing students to the Spokane campus and had the privilege of meeting them during orientation. Hearing their stories about why they chose Washington State University to pursue their nursing education was truly inspiring. These interactions remind us how fortunate we are to work for a land-grant institution that values access and opportunity and is committed to serving the entire state of Washington. Despite the changes we navigated last semester, our mission remains clear: serving the state’s healthcare needs, celebrating successes, and communicating the impact of our graduates on communities and the economy. Our community-based health sciences enterprise is unique—and irreplaceable.