PULLMAN, Wash. – Forty students are receiving awards this fall in support of their research, scholarship and creative activities, collectively known as “research.”
“The field of applicants this year was exceptional, and those reviewing the applications faced real challenges in evaluating and recommending which proposals should receive funding,” said Shelley Pressley, director of undergraduate research, a program of the University College at WSU. “We are pleased to be able to present funding to these 40 students and look forward to when many more awards will be possible.”
The awards come through the Washington State University Office of Undergraduate Research from four funds: Auvil Scholars Fellowships, 36 students; James A. Weir Undergraduate Research Fellowship, one; Norma C. Fuentes and Gary M. Kirk Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, two; and the DeVlieg Foundation Grant, one.
Fuentes-Kirk Award, created by Norma C. Fuentes and Gary M. Kirk, members of the University College Campaign Steering Committee: Deven Lynn Tokuno, a senior in English and the Honors College mentored by Doug Call, and David Wyrick, a senior in physics mentored by Tom Dickinson.
Weir Fellowship: Christina Ann Miller, a junior in zoology mentored by William Snyder.
DeVlieg Foundation Grant, awarded to students within the College of Engineering and Architecture who are pursuing research in renewable energy: Craig Owen, a senior mentored by Grant Norton.
Auvil Scholars Fellowship – begun with the estate gift of WSU supporters Grady and Lillie Auvil, Wenatchee tree-fruit entrepreneurs – by college:
Veterinary medicine
Fiorella Carla Grandi, a junior in the Honors College mentored by Wengfeng An; Nicole C. Clark, senior, James Pru; Matthew Stephen Galliher, junior, Clifford Berkman; Yixuan Ren, junior, Chengtao Her; Elizabeth Mae Graham, senior, Honors, Gary Wayman; Matthew Edmond McFaul, junior, Subra Muralidharan; Patrick Andrew Joyce, senior, John Alderete; Kathleen Gardner Judd, senior, Brian Kemp; Mayumi Holly, senior, Michael Konkel; Cristal Reyna, senior, Hector Aguilar-Carreno; Michelle Raji David, sophomore, Honors, Krzysztof Czaja; Miles Linde, sophomore, Honors, Gregory M.K. Poon; Katherine Martucci, senior, Honors, Samantha Swindell.
Fiorella Carla Grandi, a junior in the Honors College mentored by Wengfeng An; Nicole C. Clark, senior, James Pru; Matthew Stephen Galliher, junior, Clifford Berkman; Yixuan Ren, junior, Chengtao Her; Elizabeth Mae Graham, senior, Honors, Gary Wayman; Matthew Edmond McFaul, junior, Subra Muralidharan; Patrick Andrew Joyce, senior, John Alderete; Kathleen Gardner Judd, senior, Brian Kemp; Mayumi Holly, senior, Michael Konkel; Cristal Reyna, senior, Hector Aguilar-Carreno; Michelle Raji David, sophomore, Honors, Krzysztof Czaja; Miles Linde, sophomore, Honors, Gregory M.K. Poon; Katherine Martucci, senior, Honors, Samantha Swindell.
Arts and sciences
Evelyn Quezada, a senior in the Honors College mentored by Olusola Adesope; Rosalinda Godinez, senior, Monica Johnson; Mikko Stuart McFeeley, senior, Honors, Michael J. Gaffney; Sabrina Marie Gonzales, senior, Honors, Lisa Fournier; Shauna Marie Taff, senior at WSU Vancouver, Michael M. Morgan; Courtney Mariah Perez, senior at WSU Tri-Cities, Matthias Hess; Daryl Robert DeFord, senior, Bill Webb; Emily Martin, senior, Honors, Jeb Owen; Marea Cobb, senior at WSU Vancouver, Cynthia Cooper; Thomas Martin Sexton, sophomore, Honors, Asaph Cousins.
Evelyn Quezada, a senior in the Honors College mentored by Olusola Adesope; Rosalinda Godinez, senior, Monica Johnson; Mikko Stuart McFeeley, senior, Honors, Michael J. Gaffney; Sabrina Marie Gonzales, senior, Honors, Lisa Fournier; Shauna Marie Taff, senior at WSU Vancouver, Michael M. Morgan; Courtney Mariah Perez, senior at WSU Tri-Cities, Matthias Hess; Daryl Robert DeFord, senior, Bill Webb; Emily Martin, senior, Honors, Jeb Owen; Marea Cobb, senior at WSU Vancouver, Cynthia Cooper; Thomas Martin Sexton, sophomore, Honors, Asaph Cousins.
Engineering and architecture
Jessamyn Dahman, a senior mentored by John Schneider; Chad Alan Nixon, senior, Jacob Leachman; Pedro Guajardo Jr., junior at WSU Tri-Cities, Xiao Zhang; Serah Wambui Njau, sophomore, Grant Norton; Abdelrhman Mohamed, junior, Honors, Haluk Beyenal; Laurel Graves, junior, Honors, Brenton Sharratt.
Jessamyn Dahman, a senior mentored by John Schneider; Chad Alan Nixon, senior, Jacob Leachman; Pedro Guajardo Jr., junior at WSU Tri-Cities, Xiao Zhang; Serah Wambui Njau, sophomore, Grant Norton; Abdelrhman Mohamed, junior, Honors, Haluk Beyenal; Laurel Graves, junior, Honors, Brenton Sharratt.
Agricultural, human and natural resource sciences
Melissa Marie Knudson, a senior at WSU Vancouver mentored by John Bishop; Jorge A. Zavala, senior, Brenda K. Schroeder; Michele Reinelt, sophomore, Honors, James Pru; Ryan Wayne Christian, senior, Honors, Amit Dhingra.
Melissa Marie Knudson, a senior at WSU Vancouver mentored by John Bishop; Jorge A. Zavala, senior, Brenda K. Schroeder; Michele Reinelt, sophomore, Honors, James Pru; Ryan Wayne Christian, senior, Honors, Amit Dhingra.
Communication
Russell Walsh, a freshman mentored by Erica Austin; Veronica Puente, senior, Alex Alvarez.
Russell Walsh, a freshman mentored by Erica Austin; Veronica Puente, senior, Alex Alvarez.
Education
Reilly Miles Costello, a senior mentored by Sarah Ullrich-French.
Reilly Miles Costello, a senior mentored by Sarah Ullrich-French.
Since 2006, nearly 200 undergraduates have received $1,000 Auvil awards. This year, 110 students applied; of the awardees, 22 are female and 14 male, one is a freshman, two study at WSU Tri-Cities and three at WSU Vancouver, 14 are members of the Honors College at WSU, and eight received an Auvil award last year as well.
The 36 winners represent the seven colleges from which students applied: veterinary medicine (13); arts and sciences (five sciences and five liberal arts and social sciences); engineering and architecture (six); agricultural, human and natural resource sciences (four); communication (two); and education (one).
All who accept the Auvil are required to participate in the all-WSU Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA), set for March 29, 2013.
For more information about the awards and what each student is researching, visit the website at http://UndergraduateResearch.wsu.edu.