PULLMAN — Roger O. McClellan, a pioneering researcher in the fields of inhalation toxicology, comparative medicine and human health risk analysis, will receive the Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award at 2 p.m. Friday in Kimbrough Concert Hall on the Pullman campus.The award is the highest honor the university grants to one of its alumni.
Following the award presentation, which will be made by WSU President Elson S. Floyd and Board of Regents’ Chair Francois Forgette, McClellan will speak on “Science and Public Policy: An Uneasy Relationship.”
“This award recognizes a WSU graduate who has gone on to make a significant difference in the world. By that measure, Dr. McClellan is a most worthy recipient,” Floyd said. “As an outstanding researcher and recognized expert in inhalation toxicology and human health risk analysis, his work continues to teach us much about the world around us. And, through it all, he has been a great friend and advocate for our university.”
“Dr. Roger McClellan is the archetype of a WSU veterinary alumnus,” said Warwick Bayly, acting provost and dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “His unmatched dedication to the university, his professional competency, and his personal drive are legendary among all the great alumni that were trained in Pullman and left to take on the world and make it a better place.”
McClellan is a 1960 doctor of veterinary medicine graduate from WSU. Research conducted by McClellan and his colleagues has expanded the knowledge base for understanding and assessing the adverse health effects of environmental and occupational exposure to radiation and chemicals, and greatly influenced regulatory decisions.
He has received numerous awards and honors for his research and expertise and he frequently serves as a scientific advisor to public and private organizations, both national and international, regarding the evaluation of human health risks.
He currently is, or has been, an adjunct faculty member at 10 major research universities. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to improving human health. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Toxicology and a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences, Society for Risk Analysis and American Association for Aerosol Research.
“I have had the good fortune of a supportive family, dedicated teachers, superb fellow students and colleagues from whom I have learned a great deal. These relationships all enriched my life,” McClellan said. “Most of all, I had wonderful mentors, starting in high school and continuing at WSU and beyond, who guided me without constraining me. They instilled in me confidence in my abilities and enthusiasm for taking on new challenges in science, management and the public policy arena.”
The Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award honors alumni “who shall have made a truly distinguished contribution to society, or who, through personal achievement, shall have brought distinction to WSU.”
McClellan is the 39th recipient of the award. Previous winners include broadcaster Edward R. Murrow, author Sherman Alexie, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, cartoonist Gary Larson, astronaut John Fabian, sports broadcaster Keith Jackson and wheat researcher Orville Vogel.
For more information on the award, see http://regents.wsu.edu/distinguished-alumni/
