PULLMAN, Wash. – Laura Lavine, assistant director of the Agricultural Research Center (ARS) and associate professor in entomology, is the winner of the 2015-16 Samuel H. Smith Leadership Award from the Washington State University Association for Faculty Women (AFW).
She will be acknowledged during the Celebrating Excellence Recognition Banquet on March 25, part of WSU’s annual Showcase celebration of faculty, staff and student excellence. Showcase reservations are being accepted at http://showcase.wsu.edu through March 18.
The award recognizes “an AFW member whose leadership has advanced the role of women in the WSU system and/or who has demonstrated leadership in higher education, the community or her profession at the local, state, regional, national or international level.” It was established in 2000 to show AFW’s appreciation to former President Smith for his leadership in advancing the role of women at WSU.
Active in ADVANCE, Lavine talked to more than 40 faculty candidates during their visits to WSU about promoting better work conditions for women faculty in STEM disciplines and about the faculty friendly policies already in place. ADVANCE supports efforts to increase the number of female faculty in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
She has established a successful and well-funded research program that involves understanding the biological mechanism for growing massive weapons and ornaments in beetles. She has trained or contributed to the training of high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs and visiting scholars as well as high school teachers in her laboratory.
Lavine is frequently asked to serve on National Science Foundation grant review panels and she reviews research manuscripts for over 30 different journals. She helps with decisions on promotion and tenure in her department, the university and other institutions.
She has served as an officer in the AFW for five years.
In addition to the March 25 banquet, WSU Showcase includes the Distinguished Faculty Address (March 24); the Academic Showcase display of faculty, staff and student work (March 25) and other events. See http://showcase.wsu.edu.