Staff and faculty recognized during Research Week 2020 awards ceremony

WSU cougar logo.

The Office of Research recognized staff and faculty during the virtual Research Week 2020 awards ceremony on Thursday, Oct. 15. The awards were presented by Washington State University Provost Elizabeth Chilton and Geeta Dutta, assistant vice president in the Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships.

Research Week is dedicated to celebrating achievements, building partnerships and pursuing new opportunities for WSU research. Events were held Oct. 12-16 and included sessions on women in research, artificial intelligence, quantum science and the WSU Fulbright Scholar program. Patrick Fitch, associate laboratory director for Chemical, Earth, and Life Sciences at Los Alamos National Laboratory, also presented an invited colloquium entitled “Multidisciplinary R&D to Improve COVID-19 Understanding and Response.”

“This has been a challenging year for our researchers and staff. Even in challenging times, it’s always important to recognize our researchers and celebrate the achievements of our faculty and staff. They all play a vital role in our research enterprise. Congratulations to all of our winners,” said Christopher Keane, vice president for research.

This year’s Research Excellence Awards and Research Week grant competitions winners included:

Travel Grant Competition

  • David Makin, College of Arts and Sciences Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
  • Jean-Sabin McEwen, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering
  • Julia Day, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture School of Design and Construction

Multidisciplinary Grant Competition

  • Erica Crespi, College of Arts and Sciences School of Biological Sciences
  • Julie Padowski, Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach and the State of Washington Water Research Center

RA and $10K Competition

  • Minto Michael, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences School of Food Sciences
  • Liane Moreau, College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry

Largest New Individual Grant Award

  • Rock Mancini, College of Arts and Sciences Department of Chemistry

Largest New Team Grant Award

  • Lead Principal Investigator Lonnie Nelson, College of Nursing and Community Health; other team members include Dedra Buchwald, Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health, and Clemma Muller, Community Health

Creative Activity, Research, and Scholarship Award

  • Jesse Spohnholz, College of Arts and Sciences Department of History

Pacesetter Award

  • Caren Goldberg, College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences School of the Environment

Technology with Impactful Contribution to Society Award

  • Joe Harding, College of Veterinary Medicine Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience
  • Jay Wright, College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology
  • Leen Kawas, CEO, Athira Pharma

Exceptional Service to the Office of Research Award

  • Joanna Kelley, College of Arts and Sciences School of Biological Sciences

Grant and Contract Administration Service Recognition Award

  • Colin Gulbrandsen, Sponsored Programs Services
  • Marnie Rogers, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Grant and Contract Administration Contribution Award

  • Becky Griswold, Institute of Materials Research
  • Jessica Smith-Kaprosy, Office of the Attorney General

Check out past year’s research award winners on the Research Week website.

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