PULLMAN, Wash. — Two employees of Washington State University’s College of Agriculture and Home Economics were honored Thursday at the all-college employee development conference.
Jennifer Michael, a research technician in the animal sciences department since 1992, received the college’s 2001 Staff Excellence Award. Michael has worked in three different research programs, including swine nutrition and management, beef cattle energy metabolism and immunology of various species.
She has presented six papers at professional meetings and four at producer meetings. She also represented one of the scientists she has worked with at an annual regional research meeting.
Her contributions to research are reflected in 23 proceedings papers and 18 abstracts.
Carrie Foss, who manages WSU’s pesticide education program in western Washington, received the college’s 2001 Administrative Professional Award.
Foss was hired 11 years ago to diagnose plant problems for the plant clinic at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center. She processed more than 2,000 plant and insect samples annually for researchers, extension faculty, commercial clientele, Master Gardeners and home gardeners. She also trained volunteers to help diagnose plant problems. When the university faced budget reductions in the early 1990s, she created a fee-for-service system.
Four years ago, she assumed her present duties at the Puyallup center, which include pre-license training, recertification seminars, integrated pest management workshops and urban pesticide safety education.
She develops curriculum for plant problem diagnosis and integrated plant problem management approaches for licensed pesticide applicators, county extension faculty, and Master Gardeners. She also has supervised educational research grants focused on pesticide safety, environmental protection and disease management.
She has directed production of educational manuals and has been the author or coauthor of more than 45 technical and popular articles.
Michael and Foss each received a plaque and $1,000 for professional development.
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