PULLMAN, Wash. – Faculty and staff of Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences and WSU Extension were honored Saturday (April 4) at the 50th annual CAHNRS’ awards banquet
Derek McLean, assistant professor of animal sciences, assistant animal scientist and associate director of the Center for Reproductive Biology, received the R.M. Wade Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. McLean emphasizes critical thinking and experiential learning in the classroom. His laboratory activities expose students to state of the art technologies as they answer important questions.
Patricia Fischer, a senior instructor in apparel, merchandising, design and textiles, received the CAHNRS Excellence in Advising Award. She is regarded a model for an undergraduate faculty adviser. From 2000 through 2008, she advised 900 undergraduate students. In addition, she has served as a Summer Alive adviser for the Student Advising and Learning Center and developed an internal departmental workshop on advising for new faculty.
Stephen Jones, a molecular cytogeneticist and wheat breeder in the crop and soil sciences department, received the CAHNRS Faculty Excellence in Research Award. He has developed six successful wheat varieties in 12 years. One is the most widely grown hard red wheat in the Pacific Northwest. Another is the most widely grown club wheat. In 2008, he was the only U.S. scientist to be included in a $9 million European Union grant to improve nutrient efficiency in crops. Jones’ research has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and many other popular publications.
Catherine Daniels, director of the WSU Pest Management Resources Service, received the CAHNRS Faculty Excellence in Extension Award. She provides information that is used annually by thousands of stakeholders across the state and elsewhere as well as by university extension research and extension personnel. She actively publishes in peer-reviewed outlets, makes numerous presentations and coordinates the Pacific Northwest Agriculture IPM Workgroup.
Stephanie Clark, associate professor in the WSU-University of Idaho School of Food Science, received the Individual Integrated Award. The award is presented to an eligible faculty member for high-quality scholarly accomplishments that demonstrate the integration of teaching, research or extension programs. Clark conducts research, teaching and extension in dairy chemistry, microbiology, processing, product development and sensory evaluation, working with WSU and UI faculty and students in food science, animal sciences, biological systems engineering and nutrition.
Michael Derie, a scientific assistant in the vegetable seed pathology program at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center at Mount Vernon, received the Administrative Professional Staff Excellence Award. Derie has demonstrated tremendous skills, aptitude and leadership in over 20 years at WSU.
Vida Jones, an information technology specialist 3 in the Computing and Web Resource Unit of the Extension Communications and Educational Support Department, received the Classified Technical Staff Excellence Award. Since 1997, she has supported the computer and hardware software needs of approximately 1,500 faculty, staff and students both on and off the main campus.
Trudy Kenny, a fiscal specialist 2 in the CAHNRS and WSU Extension Business and Finance Office, received the Classified Clerical-Fiscal Staff Excellence Award. While her main assignments are related to payroll, personnel and budgeting for Extension’s county employees, the whole college benefits from her tireless efforts to input and submit mass salary increases, proofread salary increase letters and test computer systems for central administration.
The Urban Integrated Pest Management and Pesticide Safety Education Team led by Carol Ramsay, extension pesticide safety education specialist in Pullman, received the CAHNRS Team Interdisciplinary Award. The award is presented to a team of faculty staff and, or students who have made significant contributions through application of interdisciplinary scholarship in research, teaching and, or extension. This team, representing five academic disciplines, provides science-based education for management of plant diseases, insects, and weeds.
The other team members are Carrie Foss, urban IPM coordinator; Rebecca McGuire, extension coordinator, Arthur Antonelli, extension entomologist and scientist; Jenny Glass, diagnostic plant pathologist, all at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center; Todd Murray, director of WSU Skamania County Extension; Allan Felsot, professor, scientist, and extension specialist at the WSU Tri-Cities Food and Environmental Quality Laboratory; Timothy Miller, extension weeds specialist at WSU’s Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center; Joseph Yenish, associate agronomist and extension specialist on the main campus; and Robert Parker, extension weed scientist at the WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center.
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