WSU College of Sciences Announces Annual Award Winners

PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University College of Sciences announced the winners of their annual awards at the college Recognition Event last Friday.

The first award went to sciences alumnus Bruce Gibbins, founder of Acrymed, a company based in Portland, Ore., that is a pioneer in silver antimicrobial infection control technology.  Gibbins earned WSU degrees in bacteriology, a bachelor’s in 1970, a master’s in 1973 and a doctorate degree in 1975. He recently traveled to China to train physicians in chronic wound treatment.

Two outstanding undergraduate students were honored. Distinguished Undergraduate Student Awards went to Sarah Low, a chemistry major from Kaneohe, Hawaii, and to Wendy Smith, a biochemistry major with a chemistry minor from Dillon, Mont.

Low is a member of the Chemistry Club and the Pre-pharmacy Club, and is vice president of Circle K, a service organization affiliated with Kiwanis. She is a volunteer for the Pullman child welfare Encourage Self-Esteem Project.  She plans to become a pharmacist. Smith has earned summa cum laude ranking and has been on the president’s honor roll since transferring from Cottey College in Missouri in 2004.  She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Kappa Delta honor societies.  She has been accepted into the biochemistry doctorate program at WSU. 

The Distinguished Graduate Student Award was given to Krittika Kanjilal, a physics doctoral student from Bombay, India.  A theoretical physicist, she studies interactions between atoms in two dimensions at very low temperatures. She is first author of a paper published in the journal Physical Review and has authored other papers being prepared for publication.

Professor Gerald Edwards of the School of Biological Sciences received the Distinguished Faculty Award.  He was recognized for his 30 years of research accomplishments in the field of photosynthesis. Among his many awards is the American Society of Plant Biology’s Charles Kettering Award, which is only awarded when a suitable candidate is found, 22 times in the last 40 years. Edwards is considered by his colleagues as a model for successful teaching and research and a supporter of his colleagues and graduate students.

Named Outstanding Civil Service Staff Member was Fred Schuetze of the College of Sciences Technical Services unit. Schuetze was nominated for his outstanding abilities to create challenging electronic equipment for research projects, his diagnostic skills and his unwavering patience and commitment to finding solutions.

The second staff award went to Tom Cowger, fiscal manager in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. His nominators described him as highly professional and productive. He is supportive of those he supervises and encourages them to adopt the highest work standards.

Paul Verrell, associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences, won the Faculty Advising Excellence Award. He is advisor to undergraduates in biology and zoology and shares responsibility for advising pre-veterinary students. He is highly knowledgeable about curriculum matters and often helps other advisors and faculty with difficult advising issues. He frequently meets with visiting potential students and their parents and assists them with admissions challenges.

The Thomas E. Lutz Teaching Excellence Award, which memorializes a former longtime mathematics faculty member, was given to Michael Konkel, associate professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences.  Konkel is an outstanding mentor to the graduate students, postdocs and several undergraduates in his research laboratory.  He also advises 22 other undergraduates.  Highly ranked in his student evaluations, he is considered demanding, fair and willing to make unusual efforts to ensure his students understand class subject matter.

Doerte Blume is currently assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. She received the Young Faculty Performance Award. Blume has an excellent research record in the field of cold quantum gasses and has research relationships with the top scientists around the world in that field. She recently organized a workshop that was attended by many of them. The quality and visibility of her work has attracted excellent graduate students to work in her lab, where her standards are very high.

A new award, the College of Sciences Legacy of Excellence, which honors a retired faculty who has contributed as researcher, teacher, mentor and sometimes as an administrator, was given to Glenn Crosby, professor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry.

When Crosby joined the faculty in 1967 to build WSU’s chemical physics program he was already recognized internationally as an expert in photo physics and photo chemistry.  He attracted top graduate students and refined the curriculum.  He has been recognized internationally for his research, for his pioneering teaching innovations including placement exams in math and chemistry, outreach to pre-college level teachers and students, and most famously for Cougar Summer Science Camp. He was very active with the American Chemical Society in improving science education and he is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He has received many awards, most recently the American Institute of Chemists 2006 Pioneer Award.