PULLMAN, Wash. – The Washington State University Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture announced 2015 outstanding students, faculty and staff at the annual convocation:
Outstanding Sophomore: Devin Marcy, civil engineering, Spokane, Wash., has participated in National Science Foundation research with the WSU Laboratory for Atmospheric Research.
Outstanding Junior: Parot Victor Charoonsophonsak, mechanical engineering, Anchorage, Alaska, is an Aerospace Club officer and researcher working to develop a hydrogen economy in Washington.
Outstanding Senior: Sydnee Dieckman, civil engineering, Olympia, Wash., helped develop rubrics for siting analysis for a wood biomass to biojet fuel supply chain and has performed with the WSU Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra.
Outstanding Teaching Assistant: Sahar Vahabzadeh, mechanical and materials engineering, Tehran, Iran, helped develop a rubric for lab reports that ensured consistent grading for a class of 150 students. She made extra effort to guide new teaching assistants and teach students with “poise and firmness.”
Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher: Hussein Zbib, a world leader in dislocation dynamics theory and plasticity theory, has been part of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at WSU since 1988. A nominator said the true value of Zbib’s research lies in its contributions to the betterment of the human condition.
He directs the WSU Computational Mechanics and Materials Science Laboratory, and has received many awards, including: a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, executive member of the Lebanese Academy of Science and the 2010 Khan International Award for outstanding contribution to the field of plasticity. He has published more than 250 technical articles, edited 12 books and served as editor for a leading mechanics journal.
Reid Miller Excellence in Teaching Award for Non-Tenured Faculty: Timothy Hanshaw has taught 10 different courses at WSU, several of which he developed or redesigned. He utilizes his industry experience to emphasize theoretical concepts, which allows students to see the relationship between the classroom and careers
“Tim is teaching courses that are highly technical in a landscape of ever changing technology,” said a nominator. “He constantly strives to improve himself and his courses.” His student evaluations are significantly higher than department and college averages.
Reid Miller Excellence in Teaching Award for Tenured or Tenured-Track Faculty: Robert Richards has taught 14 different undergraduate and graduate courses and supervised nine Ph.D. and 16 master’s research projects. According to nominators, he has demonstrated exceptional dedication to find ways to help students learn more and to learn more deeply the skills, concepts and ideas that will enable them to be successful.
His student course evaluation scores are consistently among the best in the college. Several of his students and former students say that Richards had a significant impact on their learning and was their favorite instructor.
Employee of the year: Pam Loughlin, academic coordinator for mechanical engineering in Everett, has successfully promoted the program there. This included work on recruiting tours, presentations and events, brochures, student services and processes, scholarship administration and initiating contact with area high school counselors.
Employee Excellence: Suzanne Hamada, principal assistant at the Composite Materials and Engineering Center, is responsible for grant preparation, project administration, office administration, budget planning and monitoring, and personnel administration. “Suzanne understands that grant applications (no matter how last minute) are the highest priority – and she does a fantastic job in this area,’’ wrote her nominator. “She is key to the smooth functioning of the center.”
Employee Excellence: Vasiliy Bunakov, information technology specialist, helped nine new faculty members this year set up equipment and software in their offices and labs. In addition to maintaining computing facilities and providing technical support, he mentors senior design projects and maintains software packages for students. “I wish I had five employees just like him,” said a nominator.