Regents to Present Abelson with Distinguished Alumnus Award

PULLMAN, Wash. — Molecular biologist John N. Abelson will be honored at the Oct. 22 meeting of the Washington State University Board of Regents as the 34^th recipient of the Regents’ Distinguished Alumnus Award.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Lighty Student Services Building, Room 405, on the Pullman campus. 

Abelson is a pioneer in determining how the information in DNA is translated into the language of proteins and is co-founder of the company that developed one of the first three drugs that slashed the death rate among AIDS patients in the mid-1990s.

In other action, the regents are expected to consider:

·         Approval of design documents for a $34.6 million nursing building on the WSU Spokane campus and a $26.4 million bioproducts, sciences and engineering laboratory on the WSU Tri-Cities campus. Both projects are part of the university’s capital budget request for the upcoming legislative session.

·         Approval of design documents for the construction of an 18-hole golf course to replace the current 9-hole course on the Pullman campus. Total project cost is estimated at $8.4 million.

·         Granting the administration authority to select a consulting firm for the proposed renovation of Martin Stadium. Total project cost is estimated at $55 million.

Purchase of Adams Mall, an adjacent building and parking lot located on N.E. Colorado Boulevard and N.E. Monroe Street in Pullman for $1.5 million.

Committees of the Board of Regents will meet Thursday in the Lighty Student Services Building.