PULLMAN, Wash. – The free, public Legacy of Excellence Reception – including a lecture by 2015 Washington State University Emeritus Society Legacy of Excellence Award winner George W. Hinman – will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, in Todd Hall 125. Hinman will talk about nuclear energy issues in Washington state.
The professor emeritus will be presented with the award during WSU’s annual Showcase Celebrating Excellence Recognition Banquet on March 27. Reservations for the banquet are being accepted at the Showcase website at http://showcase.wsu.edu/schedule/.
The emeritus award is given for sustained contributions to academia, continued service to the university, community and mankind, and personal accomplishments in retirement that serve as a role model for other retirees.
Hinman came to WSU in 1969 with a background in nuclear physics, engineering and applications strengthened by his time at Carnegie Tech and as chair of physics at General Atomic. At WSU he branched out into environmental science, becoming director of the Office of Applied Energy Studies and advising the states of Washington and New Mexico on nuclear power production, use and policy.
He drew on this experience and his wealth of scientific knowledge while informing and guiding U.S. Government Accountability Office auditors through their reviews of the complex Hanford nuclear site cleanup process in central Washington.
After retiring from WSU in 1997, Hinman continued to teach the environmental policy class and advised undergraduate and graduate students. He served on graduate student advisory committees and directed and participated in environmental research projects.
In recent years, more of his time has been devoted to his wife of 62 years, Mary, for whom he is the primary caregiver.
In addition to the banquet, the Showcase celebrations include the Distinguished Faculty Address (March 26); the Academic Showcase display of faculty, staff and student work (March 27); and SURCA, the Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (March 30).