December 2025 was a wild month for weather across Washington.An atmospheric river dumped historic amounts of rainfall on northwest Washington in early December, leading to flooding, landslides, and power outages.  A few days later, a windstorm swept across eastern Washington. Gusts of 83 miles per hour were recorded in Pullman, accompanied by an unusual winter thunderstorm. In this episode, Josh Ward and Jon Contezac discuss significant weather events of 2025. They are field meteorologists for Washington State University’s <a href='https://weather.wsu.edu/'>AgWeatherNet</a>.The past year was the third hottest on record for the planet. It was the fourth hottest on record for the United States. However, damage costs from extreme weather events were lower than previous years.The year started with fires that razed 58-square miles around Los Angeles. Thirty-one people were killed and more than 16,000 structures burned during the January fires. Tornados killed 43 people in the central United States last year. In the Pacific Northwest, the Bear Gulch Fire in Olympic National Park burned from July to November. Meanwhile, an unusually warm fall and early winter has hampered the region’s snowpack accrual. <a href='https://weather.wsu.edu/'>AgWeatherNet</a> at Washington State University<a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/">Support the show</a>______________________________________________________________________________ Want more great WSU stories? Follow Washington State Magazine: <ul> <li> LinkedIn <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'>@Washington-State-Magazine</a> </li> <li> Bluesky <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'>@wastatemagazine.bsky.social</a> </li> <li> X (formerly Twitter) <a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'>@wsmagazine</a> </li> <li> Facebook <a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> Instagram <a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> YouTube <a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> <a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'>Email newsletter</a> </li> </ul> How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'>Let us know</a>. <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'>Give to the magazine</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;December 2025 was a wild month for weather across Washington.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An atmospheric river dumped historic amounts of rainfall on northwest Washington in early December, leading to flooding, landslides, and power outages.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A few days later, a windstorm swept across eastern Washington. Gusts of 83 miles per hour were recorded in Pullman, accompanied by an unusual winter thunderstorm. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Josh Ward and Jon Contezac discuss significant weather events of 2025. They are field meteorologists for Washington State University’s &lt;a href='https://weather.wsu.edu/'&gt;AgWeatherNet&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The past year was the third hottest on record for the planet. It was the fourth hottest on record for the United States. However, damage costs from extreme weather events were lower than previous years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The year started with fires that razed 58-square miles around Los Angeles. Thirty-one people were killed and more than 16,000 structures burned during the January fires. Tornados killed 43 people in the central United States last year. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the Pacific Northwest, the Bear Gulch Fire in Olympic National Park burned from July to November. Meanwhile, an unusually warm fall and early winter has hampered the region’s snowpack accrual.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://weather.wsu.edu/'&gt;AgWeatherNet&lt;/a&gt; at Washington State University&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;______________________________________________________________________________&lt;br/&gt;Want more great WSU stories? Follow &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; LinkedIn &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'&gt;@Washington-State-Magazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Bluesky &lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'&gt;@wastatemagazine.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; X (formerly Twitter) &lt;a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'&gt;@wsmagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Facebook &lt;a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Instagram &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; YouTube &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'&gt;Email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'&gt;Give to the magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

December 2025 was a wild month for weather across Washington. An atmospheric river dumped historic amounts of rainfall on northwest Washington in early December, leading to flooding, landslides, and power outages.   A few days later, a windstorm swept across eastern Washington. Gusts of 83 miles per hour were recorded in Pullman, accompanied by an unusual winter thunderstorm.  In this episode, Josh Ward and Jon Contezac discuss significant weather events of 2025. They are field mete...

Rain, Wind, Heat: 2025 Weather in Review

When Gary Chastagner was a kid in the 1950s, his parents typically displayed their Christmas tree for about a week. The tree went up on December 24—often after he went to bed—and came down after New Year’s Day.Now, consumers want fresh-cut trees that can be displayed for weeks without losing their needles. Chastagner, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at Washington State University, has spent more than 40 years helping Northwest Christmas tree growers improve their product. For his work, Chastagner earned the nickname “Dr. Christmas Tree.” In this episode, Chastagner talks about working on solutions to Swiss needle cast disease in Douglas fir and visiting tree lots in the Southwest to improve the hydration of displayed trees. He’s also visited other countries to scout out new Christmas tree varieties. Chastagner was honored with a <a href='https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/lifetime-award-honors-industry-impact-of-wsus-dr-christmas-tree/'>lifetime achievement award</a> from the National Christmas Tree Association in 2018.He retired in April 2025 from the <a href='https://puyallup.wsu.edu/'>WSU Research and Extension Center in Puyallup</a>, where he also worked on ornamental flower bulb, cut flower, and nursery stock research. The <a href='https://puyallup.wsu.edu/documents/2025/10/dr-gary-chastagner-endowed-chair-plant-pathology-brochure.pdf/'>Dr. Gary Chastagner Endowed Chair</a> in Plant Pathology has been created and is raising money to continue research with the Christmas tree and horticultural industries. Read more<a href='https://www.nwpb.org/local/2025-12-02/northwest-growers-test-new-tree-varieties-as-droughts-threaten-christmas-crop'>Northwest growers test new tree varieties as droughts threaten Christmas crop</a> (NWPB, Dec. 2, 2025)<a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2022/10/28/oh-christmas-trees/'>Oh, Christmas trees!</a> (Washington State Magazine, Winter 2022)<a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/web-extra/talkin-around-the-christmas-tree/'>Talkin’ around the Christmas tree: Stories, history and tips</a> (Washington State Magazine, Winter 2022)<a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2013/10/25/ask-mr-christmas-tree/'>Ask Mr. Christmas Tree</a> (Washington State Magazine, Winter 2013)<a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/">Support the show</a>______________________________________________________________________________ Want more great WSU stories? Follow Washington State Magazine: <ul> <li> LinkedIn <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'>@Washington-State-Magazine</a> </li> <li> Bluesky <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'>@wastatemagazine.bsky.social</a> </li> <li> X (formerly Twitter) <a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'>@wsmagazine</a> </li> <li> Facebook <a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> Instagram <a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> YouTube <a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> <a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'>Email newsletter</a> </li> </ul> How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'>Let us know</a>. <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'>Give to the magazine</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;When Gary Chastagner was a kid in the 1950s, his parents typically displayed their Christmas tree for about a week. The tree went up on December 24—often after he went to bed—and came down after New Year’s Day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Now, consumers want fresh-cut trees that can be displayed for weeks without losing their needles. Chastagner, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at Washington State University, has spent more than 40 years helping Northwest Christmas tree growers improve their product. For his work, Chastagner earned the nickname “Dr. Christmas Tree.” &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Chastagner talks about working on solutions to Swiss needle cast disease in Douglas fir and visiting tree lots in the Southwest to improve the hydration of displayed trees. He’s also visited other countries to scout out new Christmas tree varieties. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chastagner was honored with a &lt;a href='https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/lifetime-award-honors-industry-impact-of-wsus-dr-christmas-tree/'&gt;lifetime achievement award&lt;/a&gt; from the National Christmas Tree Association in 2018.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;He retired in April 2025 from the &lt;a href='https://puyallup.wsu.edu/'&gt;WSU Research and Extension Center in Puyallup&lt;/a&gt;, where he also worked on ornamental flower bulb, cut flower, and nursery stock research. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href='https://puyallup.wsu.edu/documents/2025/10/dr-gary-chastagner-endowed-chair-plant-pathology-brochure.pdf/'&gt;Dr. Gary Chastagner Endowed Chair&lt;/a&gt; in Plant Pathology has been created and is raising money to continue research with the Christmas tree and horticultural industries. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Read more&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.nwpb.org/local/2025-12-02/northwest-growers-test-new-tree-varieties-as-droughts-threaten-christmas-crop'&gt;Northwest growers test new tree varieties as droughts threaten Christmas crop&lt;/a&gt; (NWPB, Dec. 2, 2025)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2022/10/28/oh-christmas-trees/'&gt;Oh, Christmas trees!&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Winter 2022)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/web-extra/talkin-around-the-christmas-tree/'&gt;Talkin’ around the Christmas tree: Stories, history and tips&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Winter 2022)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2013/10/25/ask-mr-christmas-tree/'&gt;Ask Mr. Christmas Tree&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Winter 2013)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;______________________________________________________________________________&lt;br/&gt;Want more great WSU stories? Follow &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; LinkedIn &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'&gt;@Washington-State-Magazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Bluesky &lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'&gt;@wastatemagazine.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; X (formerly Twitter) &lt;a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'&gt;@wsmagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Facebook &lt;a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Instagram &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; YouTube &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'&gt;Email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'&gt;Give to the magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

When Gary Chastagner was a kid in the 1950s, his parents typically displayed their Christmas tree for about a week. The tree went up on December 24—often after he went to bed—and came down after New Year’s Day. Now, consumers want fresh-cut trees that can be displayed for weeks without losing their needles. Chastagner, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at Washington State University, has spent more than 40 years helping Northwest Christmas tree growers improve their product. For his wor...

The Christmas tree doctor is in.

Philip Meech and <a href='https://caffelusso.com/'>Caffè Lusso</a> take people on a coffee journey around the world. A coffee roaster and entrepreneur for over 25 years, he wants coffee drinkers to slow down, taste the roasted beans and enjoy the rich variety. In this episode, Philip talks with Washington State Magazine editor Larry Clark about enjoying coffee, his lifelong love of coffee, the art and science of coffee roasting, and his journey from Washington State University to running a successful micro-roastery.Meech, a 2000 WSU business alum, also gives some tips on <a href='https://caffelusso.com/blogs/the-brew-guide'>brewing</a> and tasting coffee.Read about Meech in “<a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2025/08/07/coffee-community-calm/'>Coffee, community, calm</a>” (Fall 2025 issue of Washington State Magazine).Learn more at <a href='https://caffelusso.com/'>Caffè Lusso</a>.Check out some other coffee tasting tutorials on YouTube recommended by Meech:·       <a href='https://youtu.be/kEZZCQTSSAg?si=_F86TZC6rvPb0kda'>A Beginners Guide to Coffee Tasting</a> (James Hoffmann)·       <a href='https://youtu.be/HowtT-9tDFc?si=oDkVo_1D_E86iBeD'>HOW TO TASTE COFFEE: A Lexicon for Coffee Lovers</a> (Lance Hedrick)<a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/">Support the show</a>______________________________________________________________________________ Want more great WSU stories? Follow Washington State Magazine: <ul> <li> LinkedIn <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'>@Washington-State-Magazine</a> </li> <li> Bluesky <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'>@wastatemagazine.bsky.social</a> </li> <li> X (formerly Twitter) <a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'>@wsmagazine</a> </li> <li> Facebook <a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> Instagram <a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> YouTube <a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> <a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'>Email newsletter</a> </li> </ul> How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'>Let us know</a>. <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'>Give to the magazine</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Philip Meech and &lt;a href='https://caffelusso.com/'&gt;Caffè Lusso&lt;/a&gt; take people on a coffee journey around the world. A coffee roaster and entrepreneur for over 25 years, he wants coffee drinkers to slow down, taste the roasted beans and enjoy the rich variety. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Philip talks with &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt; editor Larry Clark about enjoying coffee, his lifelong love of coffee, the art and science of coffee roasting, and his journey from Washington State University to running a successful micro-roastery.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Meech, a 2000 WSU business alum, also gives some tips on &lt;a href='https://caffelusso.com/blogs/the-brew-guide'&gt;brewing&lt;/a&gt; and tasting coffee.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read about Meech in “&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2025/08/07/coffee-community-calm/'&gt;Coffee, community, calm&lt;/a&gt;” (Fall 2025 issue of &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn more at &lt;a href='https://caffelusso.com/'&gt;Caffè Lusso&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check out some other coffee tasting tutorials on YouTube recommended by Meech:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·       &lt;a href='https://youtu.be/kEZZCQTSSAg?si=_F86TZC6rvPb0kda'&gt;A Beginners Guide to Coffee Tasting&lt;/a&gt; (James Hoffmann)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;·       &lt;a href='https://youtu.be/HowtT-9tDFc?si=oDkVo_1D_E86iBeD'&gt;HOW TO TASTE COFFEE: A Lexicon for Coffee Lovers&lt;/a&gt; (Lance Hedrick)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;______________________________________________________________________________&lt;br/&gt;Want more great WSU stories? Follow &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; LinkedIn &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'&gt;@Washington-State-Magazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Bluesky &lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'&gt;@wastatemagazine.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; X (formerly Twitter) &lt;a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'&gt;@wsmagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Facebook &lt;a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Instagram &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; YouTube &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'&gt;Email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'&gt;Give to the magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Philip Meech and Caffè Lusso take people on a coffee journey around the world. A coffee roaster and entrepreneur for over 25 years, he wants coffee drinkers to slow down, taste the roasted beans and enjoy the rich variety.  In this episode, Philip talks with Washington State Magazine editor Larry Clark about enjoying coffee, his lifelong love of coffee, the art and science of coffee roasting, and his journey from Washington State University to running a successful micro-roastery. Meech, ...

A coffee adventure

Dawn Daniels was appointed as Washington State University’s police chief in August 2025. Daniels shares her journey from WSU student to leading the <a href='https://police.wsu.edu/'>university’s police department</a>. Over the years, she has served in various WSU roles including community policing officer, sergeant, and firearms instructor. With nearly three decades of service, she reflects on <a href='https://news.wsu.edu/news/2025/08/15/dawn-daniels-sworn-in-as-wsu-police-chief/'>her career</a>, the evolving role of campus policing, and her commitment to student success and community collaboration.“I’ve always viewed policing as teaching—just in a different way,” Daniels says.She talks with Washington State Magazine editor Larry Clark about her unexpected path into law enforcement, the importance of community policing and student engagement, and memorable moments in her career.<a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/">Support the show</a>______________________________________________________________________________ Want more great WSU stories? Follow Washington State Magazine: <ul> <li> LinkedIn <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'>@Washington-State-Magazine</a> </li> <li> Bluesky <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'>@wastatemagazine.bsky.social</a> </li> <li> X (formerly Twitter) <a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'>@wsmagazine</a> </li> <li> Facebook <a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> Instagram <a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> YouTube <a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> <a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'>Email newsletter</a> </li> </ul> How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'>Let us know</a>. <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'>Give to the magazine</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Dawn Daniels was appointed as Washington State University’s police chief in August 2025. Daniels shares her journey from WSU student to leading the &lt;a href='https://police.wsu.edu/'&gt;university’s police department&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Over the years, she has served in various WSU roles including community policing officer, sergeant, and firearms instructor. With nearly three decades of service, she reflects on &lt;a href='https://news.wsu.edu/news/2025/08/15/dawn-daniels-sworn-in-as-wsu-police-chief/'&gt;her career&lt;/a&gt;, the evolving role of campus policing, and her commitment to student success and community collaboration.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“I’ve always viewed policing as teaching—just in a different way,” Daniels says.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She talks with &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt; editor Larry Clark about her unexpected path into law enforcement, the importance of community policing and student engagement, and memorable moments in her career.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;______________________________________________________________________________&lt;br/&gt;Want more great WSU stories? Follow &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; LinkedIn &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'&gt;@Washington-State-Magazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Bluesky &lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'&gt;@wastatemagazine.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; X (formerly Twitter) &lt;a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'&gt;@wsmagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Facebook &lt;a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Instagram &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; YouTube &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'&gt;Email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'&gt;Give to the magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Dawn Daniels was appointed as Washington State University’s police chief in August 2025. Daniels shares her journey from WSU student to leading the university’s police department.  Over the years, she has served in various WSU roles including community policing officer, sergeant, and firearms instructor. With nearly three decades of service, she reflects on her career, the evolving role of campus policing, and her commitment to student success and community collaboration. “I’ve always vi...

Always educating: WSU Police Chief Dawn Daniels

Opioid misuse and overdoses are a serious public health crisis across Washington state and nationwide. From 2019 to 2021, the annual number of <a href='https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/washington-tracking-network-wtn/opioids'>opioid drug overdose deaths</a> in the state nearly doubled. About 55 people in America die each day from an overdose of prescribed or illicit opioids, including fentanyl and heroin.It’s crucial to get <a href='https://www.nwrotac.org/'>real information and education</a> on opioid use to communities. Washington State University faculty and staff, including assistant professor <a href='https://pharmacy.wsu.edu/about/directory/wsu-profile/nicole.rodin/'>Nicole Rodin</a> at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, have teamed up with colleagues across Washington to get accurate and useful facts out to people and try to <a href='https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/opioid-overdose-prevention'>prevent overdoses</a>. They’ve focused on rural communities hit hard by opioid use, often with limited medical facilities and support.Rodin talks with Washington State Magazine editor Larry Clark about the scope of the <a href='https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/opioids'>opioid epidemic</a>, effective education, reducing stigma, and how we can all lend our support.There’s a need to treat substance use disorders as health care, Rodin says. “It is a disorder. It is a medical condition, and we have yet to <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/contingency-management-works-so-why-isnt-it-being-widely-used/'>treat it</a> that way as a society.”Read more about <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/substance-use-and-addiction/'>WSU efforts on curbing substance use and addiction</a> in the Spring 2024 issue of Washington State Magazine.Other resources:<a href='https://www.nwrotac.org/'>Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Collaborative</a> (Northwest Region 10)<a href='https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/opioid-overdose-prevention'>Opioid Overdose Prevention</a>, Recognition, and Response (Washington State Department of Health)<a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/how-to-talk-about-substance-use/'>How to talk about substance use</a> (Washington State Magazine, Spring 2024)<a href='https://hub.wsu.edu/pear/'>WSU PEAR</a>—Program of Excellence in Addictions Research<a href='https://labs.wsu.edu/appl/'>WSU APPL</a>—Analytics and PsychoPharmacology Laboratory<a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/">Support the show</a>______________________________________________________________________________ Want more great WSU stories? Follow Washington State Magazine: <ul> <li> LinkedIn <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'>@Washington-State-Magazine</a> </li> <li> Bluesky <a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'>@wastatemagazine.bsky.social</a> </li> <li> X (formerly Twitter) <a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'>@wsmagazine</a> </li> <li> Facebook <a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> Instagram <a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> YouTube <a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'>@WashingtonStateMagazine</a> </li> <li> <a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'>Email newsletter</a> </li> </ul> How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'>Let us know</a>. <a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'>Give to the magazine</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Opioid misuse and overdoses are a serious public health crisis across Washington state and nationwide. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From 2019 to 2021, the annual number of &lt;a href='https://doh.wa.gov/data-and-statistical-reports/washington-tracking-network-wtn/opioids'&gt;opioid drug overdose deaths&lt;/a&gt; in the state nearly doubled. About 55 people in America die each day from an overdose of prescribed or illicit opioids, including fentanyl and heroin.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s crucial to get &lt;a href='https://www.nwrotac.org/'&gt;real information and education&lt;/a&gt; on opioid use to communities. Washington State University faculty and staff, including assistant professor &lt;a href='https://pharmacy.wsu.edu/about/directory/wsu-profile/nicole.rodin/'&gt;Nicole Rodin&lt;/a&gt; at the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, have teamed up with colleagues across Washington to get accurate and useful facts out to people and try to &lt;a href='https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/opioid-overdose-prevention'&gt;prevent overdoses&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They’ve focused on rural communities hit hard by opioid use, often with limited medical facilities and support.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rodin talks with &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt; editor Larry Clark about the scope of the &lt;a href='https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/opioids'&gt;opioid epidemic&lt;/a&gt;, effective education, reducing stigma, and how we can all lend our support.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;There’s a need to treat substance use disorders as health care, Rodin says. “It is a disorder. It is a medical condition, and we have yet to &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/contingency-management-works-so-why-isnt-it-being-widely-used/'&gt;treat it&lt;/a&gt; that way as a society.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Read more about &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/substance-use-and-addiction/'&gt;WSU efforts on curbing substance use and addiction&lt;/a&gt; in the Spring 2024 issue of &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Other resources:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.nwrotac.org/'&gt;Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Collaborative&lt;/a&gt; (Northwest Region 10)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/opioid-overdose-prevention'&gt;Opioid Overdose Prevention&lt;/a&gt;, Recognition, and Response (Washington State Department of Health)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/2024/02/02/how-to-talk-about-substance-use/'&gt;How to talk about substance use&lt;/a&gt; (&lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;, Spring 2024)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://hub.wsu.edu/pear/'&gt;WSU PEAR&lt;/a&gt;—Program of Excellence in Addictions Research&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://labs.wsu.edu/appl/'&gt;WSU APPL&lt;/a&gt;—Analytics and PsychoPharmacology Laboratory&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;______________________________________________________________________________&lt;br/&gt;Want more great WSU stories? Follow &lt;em&gt;Washington State Magazine&lt;/em&gt;:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt; LinkedIn &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/washington-state-magazine/'&gt;@Washington-State-Magazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Bluesky &lt;a href='https://bsky.app/profile/wastatemagazine.bsky.social'&gt;@wastatemagazine.bsky.social&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; X (formerly Twitter) &lt;a href='http://twitter.com/wsmagazine'&gt;@wsmagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Facebook &lt;a href='http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; Instagram &lt;a href='https://www.instagram.com/washingtonstatemagazine/'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; YouTube &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/c/WashingtonStateMagazine'&gt;@WashingtonStateMagazine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt; &lt;a href='http://magazine.wsu.edu/email/'&gt;Email newsletter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;How do you like the magazine podcast? What WSU stories do you want to hear? &lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/contact/'&gt;Let us know&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://magazine.wsu.edu/give/'&gt;Give to the magazine&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Opioid misuse and overdoses are a serious public health crisis across Washington state and nationwide.  From 2019 to 2021, the annual number of opioid drug overdose deaths in the state nearly doubled. About 55 people in America die each day from an overdose of prescribed or illicit opioids, including fentanyl and heroin. It’s crucial to get real information and education on opioid use to communities. Washington State University faculty and staff, including assistant professor Nicole Rodi...

Facing opioids with facts and education

We connect you to stories at Washington State University, from meaningful research to fascinating people and campus life.Each month we’ll have an episode where Cougs from all over talk with us about research and outreach, and another episode that spotlights a WSU alum or happenings on one of WSU campuses.Do you have any WSU story ideas for the podcast? We’d love to hear them. Email us or send a note through our contact form.If you like the Washington State Magazine podcast, please like us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Formerly “Viewscapes”

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