College of Sciences Faculty, Students, Alumni and Staff Recognized

PULLMAN, Wash. — The College of Sciences at Washington State University honored its outstanding students, faculty, alumni and staff at its ninth annual recognition ceremony April 5.

The Distinguished Student Award was given to senior physics and biochemistry/biophysics major Rizal Hariadi, from Jakarta, Indonesia. Hariadi was recognized for his academic achievements as well as his research on how solutions interact with surfaces.

Adriana Parra, doctoral candidate in the School of Molecular Biosciences from Bogota, Columbia, received the Graduate Student Achievement Award for her work on the contribution bacterial nitrogen fixation makes to legume productivity.

The 2001 College of Sciences Distinguished Faculty Award went to V. S. “Mano” Manoranjan, associate dean of sciences and professor of mathematics. He was recognized for his skill at teaching undergraduate and graduate students and his mathematical modeling of phenomena from the physical, engineering and life sciences.

Gordon Hager, technical adviser and physicist with the Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, received the college’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. Hager earned a doctorate in chemical physics from WSU in 1973. He was recently named an Air Force Research Laboratory Fellow for his work on laser missile defense systems.

Mathematics associate professor Matthew Hudelson received the 2002 Thomas E. Lutz Memorial Teaching Award in recognition of his innovative teaching techniques, which include peer-led instruction and Web technology.

The Faculty Advising Excellence Award went to Michael Kahn, professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences, who advises microbiology majors and is known for encouraging students to achieve their potential.

Matt McCluskey, assistant professor in the physics, received the Young Faculty Achievement Award for teaching with real-world examples such as the sinking of the Titanic, and his productive use of infrared spectroscopy on materials under high pressures.

The Outstanding Staff Award was given to Charles Knaack, research technologist in the Department of Geology, who is noted for the quality of his support to researchers.

The Boeing Professorship in Science and Mathematics Education was awarded to John L. “Skip” Paznokas, professor of biological sciences, who has developed an extensive program of workshops and loan programs that serves K-12 teachers in more than 100 Washington schools.

The recognition event is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the college’s Board of Visitors whose members were introduced. Those attending were Kyle Armantrout, accounts manager for Third Wave Technologies; geologist Michael Broch, vice president of Erlach Computer Consulting; Anchorage cardiologist Leo Bustad; retired Bechtel executive Jack Dillon; Eric Leber of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; John Majnarich, president Bio Research Labs, Inc; Lloyd Osborn, retired director of Technology Planning for the Boeing Company; James Phillips, deputy director of Mathematics and Computing Technology for the Boeing Company; Jeffrey Quintenz, director of Pulsed Power Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories; Ruth Scott, president of the Washington Biotechnology and Biomedical Assoc.; and Katherine Tuttle, director of research at the Heart Institute of Spokane.

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