WSU Tri-Cities

Academic Affairs

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

James R. (Dick) Pratt

(509) 372-7212
FAX (509) 372-7135
East 225
jrpratt@wsu.edu

Visit my OnCollege blog for recent musings and opinions.

Education

  • PhD 1984 VPI&SU
  • MS 1981 Eastern Washington University
  • BA 1971 University of Washington

Mission Statement

The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has broad responsibility for the oversight of programs and initiatives at WSU Tri-Cities. Our faculty are involved in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary teaching and scholarship. Our students go on to outstanding careers and to top ranked graduate and professional programs. Our work traverses a range of academic programs in the liberal arts (arts, humanities, social sciences) and sciences coupled to professional programs in business, education, engineering, and nursing. Our programs include important undergraduate academic programs and graduate programs focusing on both research and professional preparation.

Hallmarks of the University include a commitment to student-centered learning with senior faculty and opportunities for undergraduate research and project-based learning.  Classes are typically small, and many of our students balance education, work, and family obligations.

My administrative interests include faculty and staff development, post-tenure review, student support, and strategic planning.

Administrative Experience

  • Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Clarkson University (2004-20008)
  • Dean, College of Arts and Sciences - Idaho State University (2002-04)
  • Vice Provost, Academic Personnel and Budget - Portland State University (1999-2002)
  • Associate Vice Provost for Sponsored Research - Portland State University (1997-1999)

Teaching Interests

Undergraduate
  • Environmental Studies
  • Environmental Systems
  • Environmental Risk Assessment
Graduate
  • Environmental Toxicology
  • Restoration Ecology
  • Protists and protozoa

Research Interests

My research focuses on the use of ecological information for environmental problem solving. I am particularly interested in microbial ecology, especially the effects of pollutants on microbial communities, and in the "forgotten" microbes, the protists, including their feeding ecology, distribution, and taxonomy. Our recent work has also examined the relationship between environmental science and business-led environmental management.

Summary of research interests:

  • developing short-term, ecologically realistic toxicity assessments,
  • long-term evaluation of management practices using biological monitoring,
  • biological monitoring for planning and watershed restoration,
  • molecular, morphometric, and ecological evaluation of protozoa, especially ciliates, and
  • industrial ecology - fusing environmental science and knowledge of business and industry to enhance sustainability.

Selected Publications - Papers

  1. Balczon, JM and JR Pratt. 1996. The functional response of two benthic, algivorous cilated protozoa with differing feeding strategies. Microbial Ecol. 31: 209-224.
  2. Kepner, RL and JR Pratt. 1996. Characterization of surface-associated protozoan communities in a Lake Erie coastal wetland (Old Woman Creek, Ohio). J. Great Lakes Res. 22: 63-76.
  3. Bowers, NJ, JR Pratt, D Beeson and M Lewis. 1996. Comparative evaluation of soil toxicity using lettuce seed and soil ciliates. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 16: 207-213.
  4. Xu, Z, NJ Bowers, and JR Pratt. 1997. Variability in the morphology, ecology, and genetics of Colpoda inflata (Stokes) from five biogeographic realms. Eur. J. Protistol. 33: 136-144.
  5. Pratt, JR, D Mochan and Z Xu. 1997. Rapid toxicity testing using soil ciliates: sensitivity and bioavailability. Bull. Env. Contam. Toxicol. 58: 387-393.
  6. Pratt, JR, R Barreiro, AL Melendez, and N Bowers. 1997. Predicting the ecological effects of herbicides. Ecol. Appl. 7: 1117-1124.
  7. Barreiro, R and JR Pratt.  1998. Effect of trophic status on community response to diquat.  Arch. Env. Contam. Toxicol. 35: 404-411.
  8. Bowers, N, T Kroll, and JR Pratt. 1998.  Diversity and geographic distribution of riboprints from three cosmopolitan species of Colopoda Mueller (Ciliophora: Colpodea).  Europ. J. Protistol. 34: 341-347.

Selected Publications - Book Chapters

  1. Pratt, JR and J Cairns, Jr. 1996. Ecotoxicology and the redundancy problem: understanding effects oncommunity structure and function. In MC Newman and CH Jagoe, eds., Ecotoxicology: A Hieracrchical Treatment, Lewis Publishers, pp. 347-370.
  2. Pratt, JR, DG Mochan and NJ Bowers. 1997. Ciliate microbiotest applications: metal contaminants in waterand soil, pp. 349-357. In Microscale Aquatic Toxicology - Advances, Techniques, and Practice, Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI.
  3. Pratt, JR. 1997. Colonization and island biogeography. In OR Anderson, ed., Use of protozoa in the classroom, National Science Teachers Association.
  4. Pratt, JR. 1997. Effects of contaminants on aquatic ecosystems. In OR Anderson, ed., Use of protozoa in the classroom, National Science Teachers Association.
  5. Pratt, JR and N Bowers. 2000. Protozoa as biomonitors of pollution, in Biological Indicators of Water Quality, A Gerhardt, ed.
  6. Meyer, R and JR Pratt. 2007. The Clarkson Common Experience curriculum: graduation requirements based on outcomes. Proceedings, ASEE Annual Conference. 

Selected Publications - Reviews, Letters to the Editor

  1. Pratt, JR. 1997. High tech tools and the role of the professor, Chronicle of Higher Education, 4412: B12(14 November 1997).
  2. Pratt, JR. 1998. Funding your scholarship, Faculty Focus, newsletter of Center for Academic Excellence, Fall 1998.
  3. Pratt, JR. 2000. Review of Management Fads in Higher Education by Robert Birnbaum, AAHE Bulletin. December
Academic Affairs, 2710 Crimson Way, Washington State University Tri-Cities, Richland, WA 99354-1671, 509-372-7208, Contact Us