American Studies Program Ranked 8th in the Nation for Faculty Research

Faculty members in the American Studies Program have been ranked eighth in the nation by the Chronicle of Higher Education for their research productivity.

Along with WSU, the top-ranked American studies programs included Yale University, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities, University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Maryland at College Park, University of Southern California, Brown University, George Washington University, Indiana University at Bloomington, and the College of William and Mary.

Founded in 1962, the American studies program at WSU plays a unique role in the College of Liberal Arts and the University by bringing together more than 30 faculty members from anthropology, communication, comparative ethnic studies, education, English, digital technology and culture, fine arts, history, philosophy, political science, sociology, and women's studies to compare knowledge and gain perspectives on the United States in a global context.

The Chronicle of Higher Education's "Top Research Universities Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index" judges Ph.D. program faculty members from 375 different institutions on as many as 5 factors—including books published, journal publications, citations of journal articles, federal-grant dollars awarded, and honors and awards—over a 4-year time period ending in 2006.

Dean Erich Lear said, "The excellence of our faculty across disciplines in the College of Liberal Arts is reflected in the American studies program ranking. It is a testimony to their dedication and exceptional research of far-reaching impact."

American studies at WSU is the only program in the Pacific Northwest authorized to offer all undergraduate and graduate degrees, from the B.A. to the M.A. and Ph.D.