PULLMAN, Wash.The Washington State University College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) announced award-winning faculty, students and staff at the annual convocation ceremony last week. They include:
Haluk Beyenal, of the Gene & Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering & Bioengineering, the Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award:
Beyenal earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering at Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. Before coming to WSU in 2006, he was an assistant research professor in the Center for Biofilm Engineering at Montana State University.
Beyenal received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER award to advance understanding of how to control electron transfer processes in microbes.
In recognition of his significant scholarly achievements, he was promoted to the rank of associate professor two years ahead of the usual time schedule.
Beyenal has been an essential contributor to instructional programs. As part of the CAREER funding, he will develop an education module about microbial fuel cells that he created for his classes in the past year. The module allows students to learn about fuel cells in an integrated way, covering material from a wide variety of disciplines – from life sciences to engineering.
He has collaborated with colleagues at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the Craig Venter Institute, Montana State and the University of Washington. He was involved in a project, “Microbial fuel cells to power submerged electronic devices,” funded by the Office of Naval Research.
The Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award was created by the CEA advisory board, friends and alumni to honor Bose for his service to the college as dean. To acknowledge his support of faculty scholarship and his internationally renowned reputation for research, the award annually recognizes and rewards the top faculty researcher in the college.
Jennifer Adam, of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Reid Miller Outstanding Teaching Faculty Award:
Adam is an assistant professor who joined the WSU faculty in 2008. Her areas of expertise are water resources and environmental engineering. She holds three degrees in civil engineering: a B.S. from the University of Colorado in Boulder and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
She is an author on 13 peer reviewed publications which have been cited 642 times over the last eight years. Since joining WSU faculty, she has been involved in securing nearly $8 million in external research funds.
Adam is passionate about interdisciplinary research, according to her nominators, and actively collaborates with faculty in biological systems engineering, chemical engineering, earth and environmental sciences, geology, atmospheric sciences, economics, political science, computer science and biology.
In 2009, Adam participated in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Excellence in Civil Engineering Education Teaching Workshop, an intense six-day practicum. Selection for attendance is highly competitive.
Adam continually adjusts techniques in response to feedback from course evaluations. She encourages students to seek her outside of the classroom and uses this time to strengthen conceptual understanding rather than merely give tips and hints on how to solve homework problems. She treats each student with respect and is able to resolve problems in a way that the students feel is kind, fair and consistent.
The Reid Miller Excellence in Teaching Award was created by the advisory board to honor Miller for his long and distinguished career in CEA, both as a faculty member and as dean.
Staff Excellence Awards:
* Kirk Reinkens, recruitment and retention specialist, Undergraduate Student Services
* Patricia Arnold (no photo), undergraduate advisor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
Gayle Landeen, administrative manager for the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Employee of the Year:
Landeen puts forth extra effort to create an atmosphere of confidence and competence. Her unobtrusive manner hides remarkable efficiency. Her knowledge of administrative procedures and her willingness to perform administrative inquiries on behalf of the faculty in very short time frames have earned her the reputation of a miracle worker.
Her contribution and service go beyond the school. She is consistently called upon by staff members and administrators throughout the college to help and give advice on many aspects of administrative and budgetary issues.
Student awards:
Outstanding teaching assistant: Vladimir Borisov, of Pullman, Wash., has assisted with several upper division courses in bioengineering. He wants to help bridge the gap between commerce and academic research.
In his personal statement he said: “Teaching is a universally applicable skill” and sharing knowledge is one of the greatest of virtues.
Outstanding sophomore: Gage Pepin is a civil engineering major from Stanwood, Wash. He is the sophomore representative to the WSU chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He tutors fellow classmates in math, science and engineering courses.
He recently earned his civil engineering certification, to begin taking upper level civil engineering classes, with a 4.0 GPA.
Outside of engineering, Pepin volunteers in activities at his residence hall, Stimson, as well as in nursing homes in his hometown.
Outstanding junior: From Bonney Lake, Wash., Heather DeWitz, a civil engineering major, is a Washington Scholar and Distinguished Regents Scholar. She is a member of the Honors College and is activities coordinator for the Society of Women in Engineering.
Outstanding senior: Kaori Graybeal, from Walla Walla, Wash., is recipient of several awards, including two Boeing scholarships. She is a Washington Scholar and will be a Provost’s Fellow at Tufts University, where she will pursue a doctorate in bioengineering. She is an accomplished, published undergraduate researcher.