WSU awards and honors

Bindler

First Cougar Gold Scholar Award presented
Ruth Bindler, professor for the College of Nursing, will have additional time to focus on her research on childhood obesity thanks to a WSU Cougar Gold Scholar Award.

 
The new award program, established by the Office of the Provost, gives leading scholars the opportunity for extended and concentrated scholarly work over a period of three academic years.
 
Bindler will be released from half of the usual obligations of teaching, advising and service in order to devote more time to her research. For nearly two years, she has led a multidisciplinary team of WSU researchers in a fight against childhood obesity. This project, scheduled for completion in February 2011, will be one of many she hopes to focus on during her award period.
 
She also plans to lead the establishment of an interdisciplinary partnership of university and community health science professionals who will define collaborative topics and interventions in the area of pediatric obesity.
 
Martin Luther King Awards announced
Winners of the 2009 WSU Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award for promoting equity and diversity are:
 
+ Betsy Fradd, media relations and event planning specialist at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center, employee category. She led her WSU Extension 4-H Youth Development colleagues in organizing a pajama and book drive to help local underserved children last fall.
 
+ Gail Gleason, Ph.D. candidate in the College of Education and learning specialist for the Athletic Resource Center, student category. She spearheaded efforts to supply school materials to New Orleans children following Hurricane Katrina and created a non-profit organization matching teachers from that city with mentors from Washington.
 
+ WSU Health Advocates, group category, for promoting and maintaining the wellbeing, health and safety of WSU students and the community. The group coordinated display of the AIDS quilt on the Pullman campus and facilitated two productions of the Vagina Monologues, fundraiser for efforts to prevent violence against women and girls.
 
Chris Bruce, above, director of the Museum of Art at WSU Pullman, as been recognized as the Northwest Curator of the Year by art critic Regina Hackett of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper. Since 2006, the museum has organized three exhibitions that have traveled to 13 museums in eight states.
 

Terriff

Colleen M. Terriff, a clinical associate professor in the College of Pharmacy, recently received the Bill Mueller Outstanding Mentor Award from the Washington State Pharmacy Association. Mueller is a past director of pharmacy services at the University of Washington Medical Center.

 
Jeff Kallestad, ag research tech 3, recently was named 2008 classified staff employee of the year by the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center. A new award, administrative professional employee of the year, went to Vernene Scheurer, computer systems administrator.
 
Birgitta Ingemanson recently was awarded a certificate of appreciation from the U.S. consulate general in the Russian Far East for promoting mutual understanding between the United States and the Russian Federation. She published a book of letters telling the story of an American family in Vladivostok at the beginning of the 20th century. A museum in the city is hosting an exhibit this winter based on her research.

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Exhibit explores queer experience on the Palouse

An opening reception for “Higher Ground: An Exhibition of Art, Ephemera, and Form” will take place 6–8 p.m. Friday on the ground floor of the Terrell Library on the Pullman campus.

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