Award honors WSU Professor

Washington State University Vancouver faculty member Jane Cote was named the 2004-2005 recipient of the Athena Award in a Sept. 15 ceremony.

The Athena Award is a nationwide program designed to honor women who strive toward their highest level of accomplishment and leadership, not only excelling in their chosen fields, but also creating paths for others to follow. Locally, the award is presented by Women in Action and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

“I was truly surprised when my name was announced,” Cote said. “The group of women who had been nominated was extraordinarily talented and committed to the community in so many ways.”

Cote is associate professor of accounting at WSU Vancouver. As a faculty member, she has provided students a number of opportunities to develop professional and leadership skills and was instrumental in forming the Student to Professional Mentor Program. The program involved alumni as mentors and students and mentees. In the last two years, the program has had more than 30 mentors each semester advising more than 50 students.

Cote is a member of the YWCA of Clark County Board of Directors and served as president in 1999. She is a member of the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington, American Red Cross, National Association of Investors Corp. and the American Accounting Association.

The Athena Award includes a trip to the Athena conference on leadership next April in Chicago.

WSU Vancouver offers 15 bachelor’s degrees and eight master’s degrees in 35 fields of study. The campus is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave., east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205.