In addition to the universitywide awards bestowed by Washington State University each year, various colleges and units also present annual honors to outstanding faculty, staff and graduate students. Below are listed those awardees whose names were submitted at the request of WSU Today. Photos are used as available and as space allowed.
Some colleges and units had not yet named all honorees when WSU Today went to press. We regret any omissions and welcome e-mails with contact information so we can notify your unit for inclusion in this list next year.
WSU Spokane
Paul H. Schimpf, associate professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, WSU Spokane Faculty Excellence Award for teaching excellence in academic and/or community settings.
WSU Tri-Cities
The awards announcement was scheduled too late for WSU Today’s deadline.
WSU Vancouver
Clayton Mosher, associate professor of Sociology, Research Excellence Award recognizing outstanding scholarly achievement over the past year.
Paul Thiers, associate professor of Public Affairs, Students’ Award for Teaching Excellence.
Jake Mater, graduate student in biology, Science Program Ambassador representing the WSU Vancouver Science Program at recruitment events.
College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
John P. McNamara, professor of Animal Science, Excellence in Advising Award.
Kim K. Kidwell, associate professor of Crop and Soil Sciences, the R.M. Wade Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
B.W. (Joe) Poovaiah, professor of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, the Faculty Excellence in Research Award.
Annabel R. Kirschner, professor and demographer in Community and Rural Sociology, the Excellence in Extension Award.
Frank L. Younce, manager of the Food Process Pilot Plant, the Excellence Award for Administrative Professionals.
Gary Shelton, research technician in Crop and Soil Sciences, the Classified Technical Staff Award.
The “Thermometer Team” — four faculty from WSU, one from the University of Idaho and three graduate students — received the Team Excellence Award for a project to reduce the incidence of food-borne illness due to undercooked meats by increasing use of food thermometers. WSU members were Val Hillers, Extension food specialist, Miriam Edlefsen and Dong-Hyun Kang, both assistant professors of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Elaine Mayes, state coordinator for Extension’s Food $ense program, Sun-Young Lee, a graduate student, and Zena Edwards and Masami Takeuchi, both former graduate students.
College of Business and Economics
Tom Tripp, associate professor, Management and Operations, WSU Vancouver, Outstanding Faculty Award in Teaching.
Dogan Gursoy, assistant professor, Hospitality Business Management, and Tim Baker, assistant professor, Management and Operations, WSU Tri-Cities, Outstanding Faculty Awards in Research.
John Cullen, professor, Management and Operations, Outstanding Faculty Award in Service (external) and Stergios Fotopoulos, professor, Management and Operations, Outstanding Faculty Award in Service (internal).
Sandra Boyce, administrative assistant, Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, Outstanding Staff.
Emily Huang, Finance, Outstanding Graduate Student in Teaching.
Brian Kulik, Management and Operations, and Manjula Salimath, Management and Operations, Outstanding Graduate Students in Research.
Joe Harris, business development specialist, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Dean’s Special Contribution Award.
CBE Teaching Innovation Grant Recipients: professors Sung Ahn, Joe Cote, Robert Rosenman, Richard Toolson; assistant professors Mauricio Featherman, Kristine Kuhn, John Nofsinger, Len Trevino; associate professors Mike McNamara, Suprateek Sarker.
Dean’s Excellence Fellows: professors John Cullen, Stergios Fotopoulos, Jean Johnson, Gene Lai, Dave Lemak (WSU Tri-Cities), Darrel Muehling, Debra Sanders, Richard Toolson, Patriya Tansuhaj, Joe Valacich; associate professors Ken Butterfield, Mark Fuller, Ken Kendall, David Sprott; assistant professors Joan Giese, Traci Hess, Dennis Reynolds, Nancy Swanger, John Wells.
CBE International Business Research Award Recipients: professors Joe Cote, Jerry Goodstein (WSU Vancouver), Robert Rosenman; assistant professors Donna Paul, Dennis Reynolds, Saonee Sarker, Len Trevino.
Richard Reed, professor, Management and Operations, James Huber Chair in Entrepreneurial Studies.
Harry Turtle, associate professor, Finance, Omer L. Carey Endowed Chair in Financial Education.
Eric Spangenberg, associate dean, Maughmer Freedom Philosophy Endowed Chair.
David Sprott, associate professor, Marketing, Gardner O. Hart Faculty Excellence Distinguished Professorship.
Terry Umbreit, professor, Hospitality Business Management, Taco Bell Distinguished Professorship in Hospitality Business Management.
John Nofsinger, assistant professor, Finance, Insurance and Real Estate, Nihoul Fellowship.
Traci Hess, assistant professor, Management Information Systems, Furman Fellowship.
Joan Giese, assistant professor, Marketing, Redmond Fellowship.
Jean Johnson, professor, Marketing, Dean’s Faculty Fellowship.
College of Education
Linda Holloway, assistant professor in Teaching and Learning, Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching.
Cathy Claussen, associate professor in Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology, Faculty Excellence Award for Service.
Helen Berry, educational program coordinator at WSU Tri-Cities, Staff Excellence Award.
Ed Helmstetter, chair of Teaching and Learning, Meritorious Faculty Award, which has been awarded by the college only twice before, to Sherry Vaughan and Sue Durrant.
College of Engineering and Architecture
Hal Westberg, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Outstanding Research Faculty.
Reid Miller, professor of Chemical Engineering, Outstanding Teaching Faculty.
Eric Biesen, research assistant, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Outstanding Teaching Assistant.
Robert Duncan, manager, Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory, and Tina Hilding, college communications coordinator, Staff Excellence Awards.
Karla Kalasz, drafting technician supervisor and instructor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Employee of the Year.
College of Liberal Arts
Gregory W. Yasinitsky, professor of Music and Theatre Arts, Distinguished Faculty Award.
Cornell Clayton, professor of Political Science, College Fellows Award in support of an ongoing academic, scholarly, artistic or teaching project.
Lance T. LeLoup, professor of Political Science, and Yasinitsky, Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professorships for exceptional performance in pursuit of WSU’s goals and fulfillment of its mission.
Jacqueline Beckman, college finance/budget coordinator, and Laurie Heustis, program supervisor in Foreign Languages and Cultures, Outstanding Staff Awards.
Samantha Swindell, research associate in Psychology, and L. Keating Johnson, deceased associate professor of Music & Theatre Arts, William F. Mullen Excellence in Teaching Award.
Trevor Bond, WSU Libraries, Alumni and Friends Distinguished Achievement Award honoring those who have achieved the highest levels of success in their personal and professional lives and who have shared that success through their involvement in the university or community.
Jeanne Johnson, acting chair of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Timothy Kohler, acting chair of Anthropology, Rory Ong, acting chair of American Studies, and Roger Schlesinger, chair of History, Chairs Service Recognition Awards.
John E. Kicza, associate dean, Dean’s Office and History, and Andrea Chosch-Pittenger, program coordinator, Theatre, 25-year service awards.
Alex Hammond, associate professor and vice-chair of English, Alice Spitzer, librarian, WSU Library, Marcel Wingate, professor emeritus of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and John (Jay) Wright, professor of Psychology, 30-year service awards.
John Bodley, professor of Anthropology, Edwin Garretson, associate professor of History, Randy Kleinhesselink, associate professor of Psychology at WSU Vancouver, Richard Law, director of General Education and English, and Charles Madison, professor of Speech & Hearing Sciences at WSU Spokane, 35-year service awards.
Virginia Hyde, English, Thomas Faulkner, English, H. James Schoepflin, Music, John (Jack) Dollhausen, Fine Arts, Patrick Siler, Fine Arts, and Neal Robison, Communication, honored as new retirees.
College of Nursing
Margaret “Meg” Jones, instructor and psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner, the Jan Holloway Excellence in Clinical Instruction Award.
Zana Higgs, professor and community health nurse, the Faculty Service Award for contributions to the college, profession and/or community.
College of Pharmacy
Mark Garrison, associate professor, Teacher of the Year in Pharmacotherapy.
Catherine Elstad, clinical assistant professor, Teacher of the Year in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
College of Sciences
Lai-Sheng Wang, professor in Physics and Astronomy, WSU Tri-Cities, Distinguished Faculty Award.
Helen Place, senior instructor of Chemistry, Faculty Advising Excellence Award.
Brian Weissbart, instructor of Chemistry, the Tom Lutz Teaching Award
Zhaohui “Sunny” Zhou, assistant professor in Chemistry, and Mechthild Tegeder, assistant professor in Biological Sciences, the Young Faculty Performance Award recognizing achievement in both teaching and research by pre-tenure faculty.
Mary Guenther, recruitment specialist in Physics and Astronomy, Outstanding Classified Staff Award.
Nancy Lira, assistant director of administrative services for Biological Sciences, Outstanding Administrative/Professional Staff Award.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Ahmed Tibary, associate professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, selected by fourth-year class.
Fernando Garcia Pereira, research assistant, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Dr. Ivor Evans Scholarship for Cancer Research, Dr. Lynn A. George Scholarship for basic research, and Outstanding House Officer Award, chosen by fourth-year students for excellence in teaching and mentoring.
Graduate School and Graduate and Professional Student Association
Juming Tang, professor/scientist in Biological Systems Engineering, and Ruth Newberry, associate professor of Animal Sciences, Graduate and Professional Student Outstanding Advisors Award.
Paul Wong, Psychology, Tina Anctil, assistant professor of Counseling Psychology, William Snyder, assistant professor of Entomology, and Hanu Pappu, associate professor/scientist in Plant Pathology, Advisor of Merit awards.
Graduate students Jennifer Adair, Molecular Biosciences; Duane Hoch, Molecular Biosciences; Kirsten McNeil, Mechanical & Materials Engineering; Eric Reimer, Pharmacy; and Noelani Reinker, Veterinary Medicine, Outstanding Service Awards.
Recipients of the GPSA Teaching Assistant Excellence Awards, which recognize and encourage excellence in teaching by graduate assistants, are:
Shantanu Agarwal, Food Science and Human Nutrition.
Amy Becker, Teaching and Learning.
Yi-Chun Chen, Communications.
John Curtis, Pharmacy.
Wen Du, Statistics.
Sarah Hentges, American Studies.
Brian Humann, Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
Marian Kennedy, Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
Guy Levesque, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.
Ragen Trudelle-Schwarz McGowan, Animal Sciences.
Muhammad Daniel Pirzada, Mechanical and Materials Engineering.
Manjula S. Salimath, Management and Operations.
Jonathan Schmidt, Animal Sciences.
Joe E. Tedescoe, Communications.
WSU Libraries
Jack Rogers, professor of Plant Pathology, Library Excellence Award for support of the WSU Libraries.
Community Service Learning Center
Nicole Werner, assistant professor in Human Development, Distinguished Service Learning Award for commitment and contribution to community-based work.
Association for Faculty Women
Awards to outstanding women in graduate studies:
Harriett B. Rigas Award, presented to doctoral students: First place Renée Prasad, Entomology, research in community ecology and conservation biological control; second place Deirdre Prischmann, Entomology, biological control of spider mites on wine grapes; honorable mentions Sunshine Lahmers, Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology, cardiovascular research, and Tanya LeRoith, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, study of vector borne diseases.
Founders’ Award recognizing master’s level students: Co-first place winners Priscilla Haryadi, Hospitality Management, and Amanda Gifford, Animal Sciences, research in animal behavior; honorable mentions Tia-Maria Hoeller, Fine Arts, and Marthe Russell-Schroeder, Foreign Languages, who studied second-language acquisition.
