WSU Vancouver Expands Food Access Through New Partnership With Clark County Food Bank - 09/24/26

Vancouver, WA — Washington State University Vancouver has officially been approved as a partner agency within the Clark County Food Bank network, marking a significant expansion of support for students experiencing food insecurity.

The Clark County Food Bank serves as a central hub for food distribution throughout the region, connecting partner agencies to resources that strengthen local food systems. By joining this network, WSU Vancouver aligns its student support efforts with a broader community strategy to reduce food insecurity.

“This partnership represents a transformational step forward in how we support students’ basic needs,” said Eric Scott, senior director of engagement and well-being at WSU Vancouver. “Food insecurity continues to be a persistent barrier to student success, and expanding our capacity through the Clark County Food Bank network allows us to meet that need more effectively and consistently.”

The Cougar Food Pantry opened a larger space in spring 2025 to address the increasing demand for food assistance on the WSU Vancouver campus, where the upward trend continues. Data from the Cougar Food Pantry’s most recent end-of-year report showed that:

• More than 40% of the student body accessed pantry services during the academic year.
• Shopping visits increased by 89% from the 2024/25 to the 2025/26 academic year, going from 1,539 visits to 2,923 visits.

“These numbers reflect what we see every day—students are working hard to balance school, work and life, and many are struggling to meet basic needs,” said Esmeralda De Jesus Castaneda, the student Cougar Food Pantry lead. “Being part of the Clark County Food Bank network will help us provide more consistent support, so students don’t have to choose between food and their education.”

These trends reflect broader challenges facing college students nationwide, where rising living costs and limited financial resources contribute to food insecurity that directly impacts academic performance, retention and well-being.

Access to the Clark County Food Bank network will allow the Cougar Food Pantry to increase the volume and consistency of available food while reducing operating costs. The reduction in food costs will create greater flexibility to expand available pantry offerings while allowing the program to scale services to meet rising student demand.

“This partnership is about more than food—it’s about ensuring students have the resources they need to focus on learning and achieving their goals,” Basic Needs Navigator Carmen Herrera said. “By joining the Clark County Food Bank network, we are expanding our capacity to serve students while continuing to build a campus where they feel supported and can thrive.”

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WSU Vancouver Launches Fall DocArts Series Featuring Films, Artists And Public Intellectuals (Photo) - 09/18/26

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Washington State University Vancouver has launched a new season of DocArts talks, bringing together film and video screenings, artist talks and community conversations throughout the fall term. The series is jointly sponsored by The Collective for Social and Environmental Justice and Native American Programs and is made possible through the generous support of the Ronni S. Lacroute Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.

The fall series began Sept. 18 with “Global South Solidarities: Digital Anarchiving,” presented by Bibhushana Poudyal, a Nepali scholar, feminist rhetorician, anti-colonial public digital humanist and assistant professor in the Department of English.

The next event in the series will take place at noon Sept. 23 in Dengerink Administration Building, Room 110 and feature WSU Vancouver alumna Courtney Bosworth, Class of 2025. A CSEJ organizer, Bosworth traveled to Hiroshima in August with a delegation from Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility to document and participate in commemorative events marking the 81st anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The DocArts Initiative is an outgrowth of decades of justice-oriented multimedia production and creation by WSU faculty. DocArts works to integrate multimedia production across the curriculum while creating content for local, national and international platforms.

The series features a diverse group of multimedia artists, activists and public intellectuals, including community organizers, documentary filmmakers, songwriters, comedians and hip-hop performers. Events are free, open to the public and available on Zoom.

The complete lineup is available at labs.wsu.edu/csej/1617-2/ or by contacting van.csej@wsu.edu.

About WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations.

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver and is accessible via I-5, I-205 and C-TRAN bus service.

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Real Business Growth. Real Student Experience. Real Community Impact. (Photo) - 09/14/26

VANCOUVER, Wash. –  What if your business could receive a semester's worth of consulting support from a team of dedicated business students, guided by experienced faculty and seasoned business leaders, at no cost?

That is exactly what happens through Washington State University Vancouver's Business Growth Mentor & Analysis Program. For organizations looking for fresh perspectives, data-driven recommendations and actionable growth strategies, the opportunity can be transformative.

A Win-Win for Businesses and Students

The Business Growth MAP program pairs regional businesses and nonprofits with teams of Carson College of Business students who serve as consultants throughout the semester. Student teams work alongside faculty and volunteer business mentors to analyze challenges, identify opportunities, conduct research and develop strategic recommendations tailored to each client.

For students, the experience provides hands-on consulting work with real organizations. For businesses, it delivers professional-quality analysis and recommendations without consulting fees.

The impact is significant. During the 2025/26 academic year:

• 16 businesses participated in the program.
• 100% of clients said they would recommend participating.
• 100% of clients indicated they would implement at least one recommendation from their student consulting team.

Since 2011, Business Growth MAP students have provided approximately 175,000 hours of pro bono consulting support to more than 415 small businesses and nonprofit organizations, helping generate more than $18.5 million in new revenue.

Celebrating Outstanding Client Projects

Each year, the program recognizes exceptional student consulting engagements. This year's Outstanding Team Project Awards were presented to teams serving MOTOCO and Mortons Barbecue & Catering

MOTOCO: Strengthening Operations for Growth

Washougal-based MOTOCO, a motorcycle parts, service and accessories company, partnered with a student consulting team that tackled everything from market analysis and customer research to inventory management and operational efficiency. The team surveyed customers, benchmarked competitors, identified operational bottlenecks and helped streamline inventory, customer relationship management and financial systems.

"The students were able to focus deeply on our areas of concern as well as bring to our attention some other issues that we did not understand the implications of," said owner Sandy Adams. "They quickly found our problem areas and diligently worked to find solutions, all of which are utilized today."

Mortons Barbecue & Catering: Building a Roadmap for Sustainable Growth

The spring award recipient, Mortons Barbecue & Catering of Vancouver, worked with a student team that conducted extensive primary research to identify opportunities for long-term expansion. Their recommendations included implementing a catering management system, launching a retail product line, creating winery partnerships and developing strategies to increase corporate business.

Owner Eric Morton credited the students' adaptability and commitment to understanding his business.

"I have already connected with a number of wineries based on the work of the students and we have many potential opportunities pending," Morton said. "The students genuinely wanted to help grow my business, and I am so thankful for them and the work they did."

Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of the program's greatest strengths is the collaboration among students, faculty, mentors and business owners.

During 2025/26, 17 volunteer mentors contributed more than 100 hours of expertise to help guide student teams through real-world consulting engagements.

Students consistently describe Business Growth MAP as one of the most valuable experiences of their academic careers because it allows them to apply classroom knowledge to complex business challenges while building skills in communication, leadership, analysis, teamwork and client management.

Looking for Business Partners

WSU Vancouver accepts applications from businesses that would like to participate in upcoming projects year-round.

Small businesses, growth-stage companies, and nonprofit organizations that are facing strategic, operational, marketing, financial or growth-related challenges are especially encouraged to explore the opportunity.

Participating organizations gain access to fresh thinking, market research, strategic recommendations and implementation planning while helping prepare the next generation of business leaders.

That is the power of Business Growth MAP: businesses receive valuable consulting support, students gain meaningful real-world experience, and the entire region benefits from stronger, more successful organizations.

Learn more about becoming a Business Growth MAP client online. 

About WSU Vancouver

WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations.

WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver and is accessible via I-5, I-205 and C-TRAN bus service.

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Re-Imagined Radio’s “In Progress” Invites Listeners To Create Stories Through Sound (Photo) - 09/08/26

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Re-Imagined Radio continues its experimental soundscapes Workshops series this month with “In Progress,” premiering at 1 p.m. on Sept. 21.  
 
This installment invites listeners to become active participants, creating their own stories and meanings from a carefully curated collection of sounds gathered from North America and beyond. The episode weaves together recordings of industry, weather, travel, technology and everyday life, from the clanging of a pile driver on a waterfront pier in Victoria, Canada, to the strange, melodic sounds of electromagnetic radiation captured by spacecraft exploring our solar system. 
 
Part of Re-Imagined Radio’s ongoing Workshop series, the episode encourages active listening and explores how sound alone can inspire imagination, reflection and storytelling. Listeners are invited on an auditory journey designed to inspire, refresh and spark new ways of hearing the world around them. 

The theme and title for the episode was inspired by the work and philosophy of avant-garde composer John Cage, whose famous composition “4:33” challenged audiences to listen more closely to the sounds around them and consider everyday noise as part of the listening experience. 
 
“The performer is instructed to sit at an instrument without playing a single intentional note for the duration of the piece,” said John F. Barber, producer of Re-Imagined Radio and faculty member in the digital technology and culture program at Washington State University Vancouver. “The ‘music’ of the performance is the ambient, accidental sounds occurring in the room at the time of the ‘performance.’” 
 
As with the previous Workshop episode, Barber begins with an imagined scene designed to spark listeners' creativity. He describes townspeople gathering at sunrise in a festival tent for a shared meal before inviting audiences to continue the story themselves through the sounds that follow. The episode encourages listeners to imagine their own narratives and discover meaning within a rich tapestry of sounds from distant places, everyday environments and unexpected sources. 
 
About Re-Imagined Radio 

Created in 2013 by Barber, Re-Imagined Radio explores sound-based storytelling across genres including drama, comedy, documentary and sound art. Through performances, broadcasts, streaming, podcasts and social media, the program reimagines radio storytelling for contemporary audiences. 

New episodes premiere on the third Monday of each month. Re-Imagined Radio episodes air on KXRW-FM (99.9) in Vancouver, KXRY-FM (91.1 and 107.1) in Portland, and KNOM-AM (780) in Nome, Alaska. Listening links and an archive of past episodes are available at reimaginedradio.fm, which also features Re-Imagined Radio EXTRA, offering additional sound-based storytelling between monthly episodes. 

About WSU Vancouver 

WSU Vancouver is one of six campuses of Washington State University and the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington. The campus offers undergraduate and graduate programs that support workforce development, innovation and economic growth through strong partnerships with businesses, industries and community organizations. 

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