Asaph Cousins to serve as director for School of Biological Sciences

Asaph Cousins, former associate director of research, has been appointed to serve as director for the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) as of Aug. 16, 2024. The teaching and research mission of SBS focuses on life science, including molecular, cellular, and physiological processes, evolution, ecology, and global systems.

"SBS and the College of Arts and Sciences play an integral role in the research, teaching, and outreach mission of WSU, and I am excited to work with our faculty, staff, and students to further promote our contributions," said Cousins.

Cousins has been with SBS as a professor of plant physiology and photosynthesis since 2008. He has held various leadership positions, including associate director of research in SBS and coordinator of the WSU and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Distinguished Graduate Research Program.

Professor Cousins' active research program focuses on relationships between plant traits and photosynthetic efficiency across diverse species in both natural and managed environments. He is involved with an international consortium of researchers as part of a Gates Foundation sponsored project to supercharge photosynthesis in rice to help address the world's growing food needs. An additional area of research, funded through the US Department of Energy and Agriculture, investigates enhancing photosynthesis and resource-use efficiency in key crops grown in marginal soils and under drought.

"As a leading researcher whose work holds global scale implications, Cousins' role as director is of great service to SBS, his colleagues, and students. His foundation as a dedicated educator and collaborative researcher positions him to lead the next chapter for SBS," said Courtney Meehan, College of Arts and Sciences interim dean.

Professor Cousins earned a BS in botany from California State University Chico and a PhD in plant biology from Arizona State University. Prior to WSU, he was a postdoc at the University of California Davis and an NSF International Postdoc Fellow at the Australian National University. He succeeds Patrick Carter, who served seven years as the SBS Director.