Regents Make Distinguished Alumnus Award to Phyllis Campbell

PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State University Board of Regents named Phyllis Campbell, a former board member who is president and CEO of the Seattle Foundation, as this year’s recipient of the Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award.

The regents voted on the honor during their Friday meeting on the Pullman campus.

“Phyllis Campbell is the perfect choice for this award,” said WSU President V. Lane Rawlins. “She has a distinguished career and gives back to society and WSU in exemplary ways.  This award recognizes the most distinguished and accomplished alumni.  Phyllis belongs in this class.”

The Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award is the university’s highest honor granted to WSU alumni. Campbell will be the 36^th recipient. Other recent awardees have been Irwin “Ernie” Rose, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; John N. Abelson, a distinguished molecular biologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences; and Sherman J. Alexie Jr., award-winning poet, author, screenwriter and film director.

Campbell served as president of US Bank of Washington from 1993-2001. She was a member of the WSU Board of Regents from 1991-2003. In 2003 she took on her current roles with the Seattle Foundation.

She earned a WSU business administration degree in 1973 and an MBA from the University of Washington Executive MBA program. Her civic efforts have focused on education and human services issues. She is scheduled to receive her award during the next regents’ meeting scheduled for Sept. 15 in Seattle.

In other action, the Board of Regents gave preliminary approval to the 2007-2009 operating and capital budget requests to the state legislature.

The operating budget request focuses on “resizing” Washington’s research universities – Washington State University and the University of Washington – to increase the state’s capacity to do research in agriculture, health, technology and bio-science and to educate students in high-demand areas, including engineering, the sciences and the health professions.

The request is a collaborative effort with the University of Washington. It includes an initiative to increase state and regional economic development by growth in programs on WSU’s regional campuses; expansion of programs to produce doctors and other health care professionals; and research initiatives focused on agricultural and bioproducts development.

The top priority in WSU’s capital budget request is $58 million to complete the proposed Life Sciences Building on the Pullman campus, which was partially funded by the Legislature in the last session.

During the meeting, the regents also approved:

— Service and activity fee rates and allocations for all WSU campuses for the 2006-2007 academic year. The rate will be $455 for all students; that represents a 6 percent increase from this year’s rate. How that money is allocated is determined by committees on each campus.

— The merger of the Department of Geology and the Department of Environmental Science and Regional Planning into a School of Earth and Environmental Science.

— A $25 per semester fee for students on the Pullman campus to fund part of the renovation of Martin Stadium. The fee was approved by students in a March vote.

— The schematic designs for Phase I and II of the renovation of Martin Stadium. Major work is scheduled to begin on that project after the conclusion of the 2006 football season. Details of the project are available at http://www.cpd.wsu.edu/CPDProjects/Default.aspx

— The selection of Kenneth Alhadeff of Seattle as chair of the board and Connie Niva of Everett as vice chair for one year beginning May 15.