Regents Professor
Over the course of the past 31-plus years, Michael D. Griswold, professor of molecular biosciences and dean of the College of Sciences, has seen a lot of changes at WSU.
“Because Pullman was so isolated, it used to be tough to get good people to come here,” he said. “Now WSU is a destination university because of things like the Internet.”
Due in part to this recently named Regents Professor; the College of Sciences has increased the strength and success of its research, while at the same time providing meaningful experiences for its students from the classroom to the laboratory.
“I’ve trained more than 30 graduate students and 30 post doctoral fellows since I’ve been here,” said Griswold. “That’s probably been my biggest contribution to science.”
In addition to training the scientists of tomorrow, Griswold maintains a continuously funded research program, which is recognized as one of the premier programs in male reproductive biology, specifically the role of the sertoli cell in sperm development.
He also received a MERIT award from the National Institutes of Health and served as president of the Society for the Study of Reproduction. Griswold is no stranger to WSU awards either; he received a Sahlin Award for Research, Scholarship and Arts in 1998-99.
“The job of funded professor is the best job in the world; it becomes all-consuming,” said Griswold.
While he admittedly loves his work so much that he would “do it for free,” he also enjoys spending time outdoors fishing, hunting and taking wildlife photography.
On his desk sits an impressive shot of an elk taken on Moscow Mountain — conveniently from his kitchen window.
“I like the environment here,” said Griswold. “It’s exactly what I was looking for: a rural area, but a big enough program to do the research I want to do.”
About the awards
The Regents professor promotion honors the highest level of international distinction in the discipline that raises university standards through teaching, scholarship and public service.
