Douglas R. Call, associate professor in WSU's Veterinary
Microbiology and Pathology department, is the first
recipient of the
Caroline Engle Distinguished Professor in Research on
Infectious Diseases. Dr. Call's distinguished
professorship will span four years.
"It's always an honor when colleagues recognize the value of
our work," says Dr. Call, a molecular epidemiologist who
specializes in antibiotic resistance research. "Our lab will
use the awarded funds to conduct pilot studies and to
support graduate education and recruitment."
Dr. Call is a nationally recognized scholar who, in addition
to his work on antibiotic resistance, has an active research
program in food and water-borne diseases and salmonid
aquaculture.
"Dr. Caroline Engle wanted to give something back,"
explained Dr. Call. "She was involved in early research on
retroviruses and cancer, and she wanted to show her support
for disease research."
Dr. Engle passed away in February 2008, and had been working
with the college's development team and college
administrators for several years to provide her remarkable
gift of $595,000 after her death.
Dr. Engle (WSU DVM'67) established the Distinguished
Professorship in Research on Infectious Diseases to advance
infectious disease research making a perfect match for Dr.
Call's efforts.
"Receiving the distinguished professorship is a testament to
the extraordinary research done by Dr. Call," says Dr. David
Prieur, chair of the department. "Dr. Engle's wonderful gift
will have a substantial impact on the department's major
research for the control of infectious diseases of animals
in the years ahead."
After receiving her DVM in 1967, Caroline Engle was a
post-doctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania where
she conducted research under a grant from the National
Cancer Institute. Her research on feline leukemia formed the
foundation for a cats-only clinical practice she founded in
Vancouver, Wash. After retirement, she joined the Peace
Corps and spent eighteen months in Ecuador translating
veterinary information into Spanish at the University of
Loja.
