PULLMAN, Wash. Educator and humanitarian Johnnetta Cole will receive an honorary doctoral degree in humanities and deliver an address during
A former WSU faculty member and administrator, Cole is president emerita of
Presiding at the event — the seventh fall commencement ceremony in the university’s history will be Elson S. Floyd, who became WSU’s 10th president in May of this year.
Almost 800 students about 750 undergraduate students and 50 graduate students are expected to participate in the WSU ceremony in
In the most recent year for which official figures are available (from fall semester 2006 to summer semester 2007), WSU produced 5,886 degrees statewide. This includes 4,813 undergraduate degrees and 1,073 graduate and professional degrees, according to WSU Institutional Research.
During the ceremony, WSU President Elson S. Floyd will highlight these graduates:
Kim Y. Anderson,
Degree: Bachelor of Science in
Other Colleges:
Career Goal: Work as a Pediatric Nurse and return to school in the near future to pursue a master’s degree
Parents: Yoeun Hang, Tacoma
Bio:
Kim Anderson grew up in the
After enrolling in college and exploring possible career paths, her enthusiasm toward nursing grew stronger and she decided to enroll in
Contact:
Renae Richter, Academic Coordinator, 509/334-7337, richre@wsu.edu
Kim Y. Anderson, 253/376-1738, hangya529@gmail.com
Maite Andrea Chauvin, Pullman
College: Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
Department: Food Science & Human Nutrition
Degree: Doctoral degree in Food Science
High School: Colegio La Dolorosa, Quito-Ecuador, 1994
Other Colleges: Universidad San Francisco de Quito,
Career goal: Become a professor working as a liaison with the food industry in development of new product ideas for identified consumer segments, sensory profiling on specific attributes of food products and their positioning in the market. Other areas of sensory science she would like to study are the development of methods and theory for sensory eval
uation of foods and other products with sensory properties. Cross-cultural studies on taste and consumer behavior regarding food quality are other areas of interest. In addition, she would like to work as a consultant for a non-profit organization to help less fortunate communities.
Parents: Maite Perez and Vicente Chauvin
Bio: From
After earning that degree, Chauvin returned to
She is now a
A President’ Honor Roll student and scholarship winner at WSU, she has been a research and teaching assistant at WSU. A former WSU Food Science Club member, her honors include receiving a Puget Sound Institute of Food Technologist “Outstanding Student Award,” a “Scholastic Award” and a Northwest Food Processors Association Award. She has been a member of an award-winning student food product development team. She is former president of the WSU Dairy Products Team, which took part in a national competition in
After completing her doctoral research and dissertation on the standardization, multidimensional standardization of the textural perception of foods. Chauvin gave birth Nov. 25 and, if everything goes well, she hopes to attend commencement with her family.
Barry Swanson, interim chair and professor in the WSU Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition, said, “Andrea is a very enthusiastic and empathetic people person as well as a persistent student of food science. She is looking forward to a rewarding and prosperous professional career.”
Contact:
Barry G. Swanson, Food Science & Human Nutrition, 509/335-3793, swansonb@wsu.edu
Andrea Chauvin, 509/338-0800, chauvin@mail.wsu.edu
Teresa L. Coons, Clarkston
College:
Degree: Bachelor of Science in civil engineering, with an emphasis in environmental engineering High School:
Career Goal: Plans to attend graduate school at the
Parents: Diane and Alan Coons, Clarkston.
Bio:
Teresa Coons, a native of Clarkston, became interested in environmental engineering in high school. “I didn’t want to be stuck in an office all day,” she said. “With environmental engineering, I thought that at least I’d be doing testing outside.”
The more she studied it, the more it increasingly fit in with her life goals and interests. “Basically, I like to help people and get in there and work with my hands,” she said. “[Environmental engineering] provides me a way to do that.”
Coons, who graduates in December with a bachelor of science in civil engineering, is not the stereotypical engineer sitting in a cubicle designing widgets. Coons has demonstrated during her time at WSU that she will use her engineering degree to give back to the community, make a difference and improve living conditions for others.
She has spent a large amount of her time at WSU traveling from
After returning to WSU, she worked over the summer helping to process data. Her work with the Laboratory for Atmospheric research also took her to
Coons plans to attend graduate school at the
Contact:
Tina Hilding, Communications Coordinator –
Teresa L. Coons, tlcoons@gmail.com, 509-432-1701
Jaclyn C. Gotch, Pullman
College:
Degree: Master of Education in educational leadership and counseling psychology.
High School:
Career Goal: After taking some time off after her first child is born she hopes to find a student advising position in higher education.
Parents: Carol and Tom Clark,
Bio:
After spending one year at
Once her husband completed his degree, he accepted a position at WSU, and Gotch began her graduate program at WSU.
While working on her graduate degree, Gotch has managed to balance different roles, including her assistantship with Lenoar Foster as an editorial assistant for “The Bulletin,” the official journal for the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
Gotch worked hard for her classes and for different professors, but she still managed to make time for her peers on a regular basis. “During my pregnancy she helped me stay on track with my own coursework,” said Kellie Murphy. “Simply put, Jaclyn is always there for us.”
Currently, Gotch is taking better care of herself as well. She is expecting her first child in April.
Gotch said her education has come in full circle. “Provost Bates was the dean of my college while I was at Virginia Tech; his signature is on my diploma. And now that I am graduating from WSU, he will be officiating at the ceremony. What a small world we live in!”
Contact:
Douglas Pierce, Director of the Office of Student Services, Douglas_pierce@wsu.edu, 509/335-4855
Jaclyn C. Gotch, jgotch@wsu.edu, 509/332-2690
Lissette Jimenez, Walla Walla
College: Veterinary Medicine
Department: Neuroscience Program
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Bachelor of Science in Psychology
High School:
Career Goal: Finish medical school to become a primary care physician
Parents: Felicitas and Francisco Jimenez, Walla Walla
Bio:
As a first generation college student, Lissette Jimenez was born in
When she came to WSU she never expected that she would work in the lab of a world-renowned sleep researcher, Dr. Jim Krueger. She also never imagined that her own WSU-sponsored sleep research would lead her to summer research opportunities at
Jimenez remembers her first day in the Krueger lab. She knew nothing about lab work, from pipettes to chemicals, but everyone in the lab helped guide her. Now, she is able to mentor other undergraduates in research and has gained the knowledge and developed the confidence to work as a teaching assistant in an organic chemistry class and a senior-level neurophysiology course.
Jimenez is currently in the process of applying to medical schools around the country, with the hope that she will begin the next step in reaching her life-long goal.
Contact:
Sandi Brabb, Assistant Director, 509/335-2190, brabb@wsu.edu
Lissette Jimenez, 509/301-7479, liss_jim22@yahoo.com
John A. Leraas, Olympia
College: Sciences
Department: Physics
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Physics
High School:
Career Goal: To manage an innovative technology-based company
Parents: Susan and John Leraas, Olympia
Bio:
John Leraas came to WSU in the fall of 2003 as a Distinguished Regents Scholar and a member of the
Leraas credits Todd Thedell, his high school physics teacher, with giving him inspiration in his fascination with physics. Leraas has also worked with important mentors within the WSU Physics faculty. They include Regents Professor Tom Dickinson, professors Steve Allen, Matt McCluskey, Steve Langford and Fred Gittes, and all of the WSU Department of Physics and Astronomy staff members. Leraas’ interest in mathematics was deepened by working with professors Duane DeTemple and V.S. Manoranjan.
Leraas has shown impressive achievements for an undergraduate by having published his research in the Journal of Applied Physics and Applied Surface Science and by presenting his research at a national meeting of the American Vacuum Society this year.
He is also an expert fly fisherman. He was given a how-to video by his father and started tying his own flies at the age of five. Leraas won an award in high school for his display of fly casting virtuosity in a talent contest.
Contact:
Fran Meserve, Office Sup
port Supervisor-College of Sciences, 509/335-5549
John A. Leraas, 509/432-4939, jleraas@yahoo.com
Chuk-Wing Ng,
College: Business
Department: Marketing and International Business
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with dual majors, marketing and international business
High School: Jockey Club Ti-I College, Fo Tan, Hong Kong, China, 1999
Others Colleges:
Career goal:
Short-term: Be a professional marketer in a multinational firm
Mid-term: Be in top management within seven years
Long-term: Be a success in business and/or a professor
Parents: Sau-Lin Hui and Tao-Hung Ng
Bio:
After high school in her hometown of
Ng studied at the Utah State University Hong Kong campus. Despite a heavy work load, studying and community volunteering, she earned a 3.5 grade point average in college and her beauty shop increased net profits 200 percent during a six month period.
Focusing on her education, she transferred to WSU and began classes in
Instructor Aditya Simha of
Not only is Ng successful as a student, but she also helped other students by being an International New Student Orientation assistant and serving as an International Student Center peer mentor aiding new students in challenges they face academically and socially.
Contact:
Aditya Simha, instructor, College of Business, Dept. of Management and Operations, 509-335-3073, aditya_simha@wsu.edu
Chuk-Wing Ng, 509-338-5227, cherrywsu@yahoo.com