As one of the nation’s leading research universities, Washington State University has faculty engaged in thousands of research projects, with more than $330 million of grant awards in the 2024 fiscal year alone. Research spans all the disciplines of the University’s 10 colleges, from sustainable agriculture to nuclear chemistry, from computer chips to public health. WSU’s Office of Research helps researchers find the resources and support they need for every step of the research lifecycle, from identifying funding opportunities to commercializing the results.
This summer, the Office of Research (OR) launched its redesigned website, research.wsu.edu, with a completely new look, restructured navigation, and streamlined content designed with researchers in mind. New and revised sections focus on ways the OR can help researchers; detail the University’s research strengths; explain the capabilities of WSU’s numerous facilities, centers, and institutes across Washington state; and share guidelines and policies for adhering to the complex legal, financial, and ethical aspects of research. The site also promotes the University’s research through an expanded news section.
The new site was a team effort among many Office of Research staff. However, central to the team were two faculty from the Digital Technology and Culture (DTC) Department. Dr. Kim Christen, the associate vice president and associate vice chancellor (Pullman) for the Office of Research Advancement & Partnerships, spearheaded the site redesign project. Christen is an internationally recognized leader in Information Sciences, and is a professor and former chair of DTC. Joining her on the project as a Faculty Fellow for the Office of Research, Tor de Vries is an award-winning designer with decades of professional experience in corporate and nonprofit design and communications. As a DTC professor, he teaches design courses online through WSU’s Global Campus. De Vries developed the strategy behind the new Office of Research website, and then implemented the visual redesign and content restructuring.
There is more on the horizon for the Office of Research, as the new site is the first step in the multi-phase strategy to promote WSU’s research. Meanwhile, the site has already garnered praise from researchers and administrators across the University and beyond.