February 2, 2021
The new Ruth Wylie Head House, slated to open in spring 2021, supports research into soil health and improved practices for agriculture in Northwest Washington.
Washington State University alumna Ruth Wylie broke new ground in public service as Skagit County’s first woman commissioner and county treasurer.
A new support facility opening this spring at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (NWREC) at Mount Vernon is being named for Wylie, built through a donation from her daughter, Nancy Kercheval (1979, B.S., Agricultural Economics).
The new Ruth Wylie Head House serves as a workspace and research hub for discoveries improving soil health and regional agriculture. It was partly funded through a $150,000 gift from Kercheval.
Matthew Bumpus
Life transitions are of huge interest to Matthew Bumpus, and now the Human Development professor will experience one of his own.
Bumpus, who has been at WSU for 17 years, takes over as chair of WSU’s Department of Human Development on Jan. 1.
“Taking on a leadership role will be a challenge,” Bumpus said. “But I have worked with excellent chairs over the past several years. I think I’m prepared and I know the faculty and staff in our department are fantastic.”
“Matt will be a great leader for the Human Development department,” said André-Denis Wright, dean of WSU’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. “He knows his colleagues and cares deeply about their success. I’m excited to work with him in his new leadership role.”