Students, faculty, and staff in Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine were recognized for their academic achievements and contributions to the fields of veterinary medicine and biomedical sciences at the Dr. Winfred A. Jordan Awards.
The event, in its second year, is named after the college’s first Black graduate who graduated in 1920 with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and honors those resilient in the face of adversity, many of whom come from underserved communities.
“Dr. Jordan did something that is special. He graduated from our college in the 1920s, more than 40 years before he could even legally vote in the United States. His story deserves to be told to remember our Cougs of the past while also using his triumph as a guiding light for the Cougs of the future,” said Maurice Cottman, organizer of the event.
Dr. Jordan graduated in the 1920s, more than 40 years before he could even legally vote in the United States. WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine uses his triumph as a guiding light for future Cougs.
This year’s event celebrated the “real wild west” and honored Black cowboys, who made up an estimated 25% of all cowboys in the U.S. around the turn of the 19th century and whose contributions to the American West are often overlooked.
“Black cowboys and their contributions to the American West are often overlooked but what many people don’t know is the word ‘cowboy’ actually has a negative and racial connotation that goes back to the time of slave owners referring to them as ‘boy,’” Cottman said. “As a land-grant institution on the West Coast, I felt it is important to educate others on what the West was — before, during, and after the time of Dr. Winfred A. Jordan.”
Jordan and the Black cowboys before him weren’t the only ones to be acknowledged, as students throughout the college were also recognized.
Some of the night’s highest honors included the Stewardship and Servant Leadership Award, the Legacy of Equity Award, the Student Organization of the Year Award, and distinguished awards for faculty, staff, and students, as well as the college’s Top Seniors, adopted from the university’s Top Ten Seniors model.
Fourth-year veterinary student Samantha Amey-Gonzalez and first-year veterinary student Anjelica Bautista received the Stewardship and Servant Leadership award, which honors a college affiliate whose stewardship and servant leadership efforts have measurably and significantly improved the lives of animals through engagement with industry or other elements of institutional advancement.
Bautista, along with chemistry and biochemistry double major Jo Felipe Castaneda and graduate student Siena Glenn, each received the college’s Distinguished Student Award.
Associate professors Drs. Nicolas Villarino and Bert Tanner both received a Distinguished Faculty Award, while the college’s veterinary program assistant, Zakary Moreno, and the college’s communications team earned Distinguished Staff awards.
Top seniors recognized for outstanding dedication to academic excellence and service to the college and their communities included Amey-Gonzalez, Maddy Boehland, Arielle Gomez-Ramirez, Christopher Ibarra Gervacio, Andrew Myers, LeeLa Robinson, Tovah Yenna, Linda Wong, and Regina Meeks.
