2012 Awards and Honors
Click Year to Expand View of
Earlier Awards
Faculty
Students
- Jenny Browning was awarded the Karen Depauw
leadership award (1/6/2012).
- Scholarship winners named at the Spring
Poster and Student Recognition Event include
Matthew Landowski and Amanda Feeney (Peter A.
Zornes Memorial Scholarship) and Shelby Weeks
($500), Michelle David ($500), and Drew Neyens
($1,000) who earned Neuroscience Endowed
Scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.
- Graduating Neuroscience Seniors Rachel Wanty
and Omar Bayomy were given the two academic
achievement awards for WSU during the Big Ten
Seniors Barbecue (May 3, 2012).
-
Other student awards
Staff
Team
Faculty
- Newbrey Teaching Scholars
for the Fall Semester are
Patricia Talcott, Sunshine
Lahmers, Leslie Sprunger and
Patrick Wilson. This award is
given to faculty members who
score in the top 20th percentile
of the CVM "Rate the Instructor"
query.
- Yanhua Huang has been
notified that her K99 proposal
(from NIH) has been selected for
funding. This is a very
prestigious award for a talented
young investigator.
- Jaak Panksepp $200,000 over
2 years (Hope for
Depression--1/11)
- Yan Dong $100,000 over 2
years (Hope for Depression
--1/11)
Students
- Poncin Awards ($23K) have
been awarded to Neuroscience
Graduate Students Brad Winters
and Zach Gallaher (6/3). The
awards are for the
7/1/2011-6/30/2012 year.
- Neuroscience Endowed
Scholarships were awarded to
Erik Larson, Jonathan Stewart
and Stephenie le'Von McCray on
(photo).(4/8).
- Rachel Wanty was awarded the
Peter A Zornes Memorial
Neuroscience Scholarship, (photo
right; 4/8)
- Rachel Wanty (Krzysztof
Czaja, advisor) took first place
in the Cellular, Molecular and
Chemical Biology Poster Exhibit
(3/28).
-
Other student awards
Staff
- Bobbi Sauer was awarded her
5-year service award at the CVM
annual picnic (8/10/11)
- Darrel Nelson passed the
Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG)
exam (2/22/11) and is now one of
only a few at WSU to be
recognized as a certified LATG
by the American Association for
Laboratory Animal Science.
Team
RESEARCH FUNDING:
- James Clinton
and
Adam Lesiak
were each awarded a 2010 Poncin
Fellowship. Steven Ford
was also offered this
honor, but accepted the American
Heart Award in its place.
- Heiko Jansen and Barb Sorg:
$33,000 equipment grant (ADA
Program)
- Fellowship Awards have been
presented to graduate students
Brian Lee (NIH F31 Ruth
Kirschstein): $41,380 and to
Steven Ford (American Heart
Regional Fellowship) $45,544
- Joe Harding, CVM Intramural
Funding, $20,000
- Krzysztof Czaja, CVM
Intramural Funding, $20,000
- Yan Dong, ADA Funding,
$8,750 (continuation)
- Ruth Newberry received an
NRCEF $1,200 award to help fund
graduate student Heidi Keen
(6/24)
- Heidi Keen, graduate student
in the lab of Ruth Newberry, has
been selected to receive $1,200
from the NRCEF Foundation.
Funding will begin during the
Summer of 2010. (6/10)
- Brian Lee has been awarded
an F31 Fellowship ($41,380 per
year), which will run from July
2010 through June 2013. (6/10)
- Steven Ford was given a
Regional American Heart
Fellowship in the amount of
$45,544 to support his on-going
research. The award will be
paid over two years (7/2010 to
6/2013) (6/10)
Dr. Leslie
Sprunger has
been named the
new IPN
Associate Chair
in charge of
developing a
Teaching
Academy.
This academy
will develop and
assess
improvements to
the veterinary
curriculum.
Jaak Pansepp's Animal Well Being (power
behind play) research is featured in WSU today
video.
Kids
Judge! and
David Rector
featured in
Science
Striker, one of the PATH horses, has been
named
Equine of
the Year (November 2010)
(See all Path horses)
Laura Kinslow and Sue
Jacobson
have been given CVM Staff Employee Excellence
Awards for 2010 (see
story)-Aug 10, 2010.
Morton
earns promotion
Becky Morton earns "Team Player" designation
(presentation
photo)
Jeanne Jensen has been presented
the 2010 grants service award. The award
was formally presented July 15 at the RAC
gathering.
Jaak Pansepp's Animal Well Being (power behind
play) research is featured in WSU today
video.
Kids
Judge! and
David Rector
featured in
Science
James Krueger Earns:
Barb Sorg
Path Program recognized for its benefits,
featured in July 2010
American Psychological Association Newsletter
Path Program benefits listed (video)
(6/10)
Several in IPN recognized for
contributions to undergraduate education.
Becca Darling successfully
defended her PhD thesis on May 20.
Congratulations to undergraduate Neuroscience
majors Derick En'Wezoh, Audrey Jensen and Alan
Emanuel for winning the
Campus Involvement, Community Service, and
Visual/Performing Arts Big Ten Senior Awards
for 2010. (5/10)
Drs. Eva Szentirmai
and Jonathan Wisor, Sleep
Research Colleagues at WSU Spokane, both landed
prestigious awards from the Sleep Research
Society. Dr. Szentirmai received the best
publicaiton award for young faculty for her
stellar manuscript in PNAS. Dr. Wisor (and
Hans VanDongen
received the SRS Weitzmann grant. Both
awards are difficult to attain and, as far as we
know, this is the first time both awards have
gone to the same institution. (April 2010).
Dr. Jay Wright, Professor of Psychology and
long-time colleague of IPN faculty members has
been awarded the Regents Professor designation
(4/2010).
Sorg Research featured nationally
(4/10)
Rebecca Morton has been promoted (4/10)
Jansen bear research featured on WSU Today
Online. (3/10)
David Rector has been
promoted to
Full Professor, and Dr. WenJi Dong received
tenure and promotion to Associate Professor.
(2/10)
Spokane Sleep Center featured in Spokane
News. (2/10)
Dr. James Krueger was given the highest
possible Faculty Honor by being selected to
receive the Eminent Faculty Award. (2/10)
Dr. Barb Sorg was selected for outstanding
mentorship. This is an award that goes to
faculty members nominated by their students.
(see middle of linked page for details.)
Interviews with BBC on her research can be seen
here.
Alan Emanuel, a
senior in the Neuroscience Program, has won a
prestigious NSF Graduate Fellowship and will be
attending Harvard in the fall of 2010 to pursue
a PhD in Neuroscience.
Jansen bear research has been featured on
WSU Today Online. (3/10)
Steven Ford, Ph.D.
candidate in Dr. Murali Chandra's lab, has once
again been selected to receive the NASA Space
Grant Fellowship in Science and Engineering. The
$2,500 award is in recognition of his
outstanding academic achievements and is
intended to facilitate his continued success in
research at WSU. (2/11/2010)
Fan
Liao, graduate student in IPN and the
Neuroscience Program, presented her final
defense seminar "Cortical Invovlement of
GHRH-GHRHR in Sleep Regulation," January 21.
Her committee chair/mentor is Dr. James Krueger.
(Photo left: the new Dr. Liao and mentor, James
Krueger.) (1/10)
Adam Lesiak
graduate student in IPN and the Neuroscience
Program, (faculty mentor, Dr. Gary Wayman)
passed his preliminary PhD defense January 12,
2010. The topic was "Regulation of the Neuronal
Actin Cytoskeleton in the Formation of Dendritic
Spines: Possible Defects Underlying Depression.
(1/10)
Congrats to Gianne Souza who
received a (November) 2009 Auvil Scholar Award.
She is completing her Honors Thesis on influenza
H1N1 virus and the influence that immunization
has on viral localization in the brain.
Congratulations to Neuroscience students
Alan Emanuel
and Eddie Rooney. These
students were awarded the 2009 Auvil Scholar
Awards. The Office of Undergraduate
Research selected 22 students to receive the
$1,000 scholarship award, which is to help fund
their research. (November 9, 2009)
Brian Lee, graduate student in IPN and
the Neuroscience Program, successfully passed
his preliminary defense titled "Neurocircuitry
Plasticity after Cocaine Exposure". His
defense was Monday, November 3, 2009, and his
committee co-chairs are Drs. Barb Sorg and Yan
Dong, both of IPN.
Ranganath Mamidi, graduate student in
IPN and the Veterinary Science Program,
successfully passed his preliminary defense
titled "Role of the N-terminal Domain of
Troponin T in Cardiac Muscle Contractile
Activation" on October 16, 2009. His
committee chair is Dr. Murali Chandra of IPN.
Steven Ford, graduate student in IPN and the
Neuroscience Program, successfully passed his
preliminary defense titled "Role of Interacitons
Between Helical Regions of Troponin T and
Troponin I in Regulating Cardiac Myofilament
Activation on October 13, 2009. His
committee chair is Dr. Murali Chandra.
On October 15, 2009, Jasmine Ware, graduate
student in IPN and the Neuroscience Program,
successfully passed her preliminary defense
titled "Endocrine and Behavioral Indices of
Seasonality in the Grizzly Bear: A
Multi-Dimensional Approach." Jasmine's
committee chair is Dr. Heiko Jansen.
Jenny Browning, graduate student in IPN and
the Neuroscience Program, successfully passed
her preliminary defense titled "Uncovering the
Photoperiodic Modulation of Reinstatement of
Drug-Seeking" on September 24, 2009.
Jenny's mentor is Dr. Heiko Jansen.
Heather Cochran, Academic Coordinator in the
Neuroscience Program, was given the Crimson
Spirit Award in September 2009.
James Clinton, graduate student in IPN and
the Neuroscience Program, successfully presented
and defended his Preliminary Exam defense
seminar, Thursday, September 3, 2009. The
seminar was titled "Activity-dependent
production of sleep regulatory substances: The
role of the P2X7 receptr in sleep." His
committee chair is Dr. James Krueger.
Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award
Dr. Sue Ritter, professor in the Department
of IPN, has been named the winner of the annual
Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Research,
Scholarship and Arts. She was honored at
the University Showcase banquet on March 27,
2009.
Dean Slinker named Fellow for AAAS. (2009)
Lauri Kramer was given the Grants and
Contracts Contribution Award (5/2009).
(view)
Becky Morton was honored by WSU President
Floyd with one of the 2009 WSU Employee
Excellence Awards for WSU (5/2009).
Jeanne Jensen and Stewart Bohnet both
achieved their silver anniversary at WSU this
year (2009). Each was made a Quarter
Century club member and were honored with gifts
to commemorate the event.
Adie Wilson, graduate student in the
Neuroscience Program, successfully presented her
Preliminary Oral Examination Seminar on
Thursday, February 19, 2009. Her committee
chair is Dr. Michael Morgan, IPN/Psychology, WSU
Vancouver. (2/09)
Dr. Robert Ritter was selected to present at
the Chancellor's Seminar Series on February 13,
2009. His presentation was titled "Gut
Feelings: How the Gut Tries to Tell the Brain to
Stop." (2/09)
Bea O'Neill was awarded her 20-year service
award, and Becky Morton and Thu Dinh each earned
a 25-year award. (2008)
Fellows of the
American Association for Advancement of Science
Dr. Bryan K Slinker (former IPN Chair and acting
Dean of the CVM) is among 486 individuals
nationwide to be named Fellows of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS) this year "because of their
scientifically or socially distinguished efforts
to advance science or its applications (December
2008).
David Rector given
GPSA Excellence Honor in Advising
(2008) and was awarded a
Pfizer Research Award.
Laura Kinslow was honored
with the Crimson Spirit Award (July 2008)
This award is presented to individuals who go
"above and beyond" in performing job duties.
Governor Selects Neuroscience Student as Regent:
Washington State's Governor Gregoire has
appointed Derick En'Wezoh of Pullman to the
2008-2009 Student Regent post for Washington
State University. His appointment as student
regent was effective July 8, 2008 and will end
June 30, 2009. En’Wezoh is a student in the
College of Veterinary Medicine, majoring in
neuroscience with a pre-med emphasis. He will be
a junior during the 2008–09 academic year. He
was a member of DECA and the National Honor
Society while in high school. At WSU, he served
as Associated Students of Washington State
University senator in his sophomore year and
volunteers with several organizations, including
Relay for Life, the American Red Cross and the
Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. He is
also a volunteer with senior citizen
organizations in Pullman. The board of regents
serves as the governing body for Washington
State University. Student regents serve a
one-year term.
Mentor Award
Becky Morton was the winner of the AP Mentor
of the Year award given in 2008 as part of the
Women in Leadership Forum (see
related information). Also nominated (from
IPN) were Sandi Brabb (AP), Pam Colbert (AP),
and Barbara Sorg (Faculty).
Congratulations to all of these selfless
mentors.
Becky also received the 2008
Grant and Contract Administration Award.
CVM Award
Jeanne Jensen received one of the CVM Employee
Excellence Awards announced at the annual Dean's
CVM barbecue in 2008 (see
related story)
NSF Grant:
Anita Vasavada, assistant professor of
bioengineering and IPN, recently received an NSF
Career grant to examine postural stability of
the head and neck. See
related article.
Auvil
Congratulations to five neuroscience students
who were announced as 2008 Auvil Fellow award
winners. Thirty-one students were selected
for the award and each will receive $1000 to
help fund their research. Neuroscience award
winners include Rachelle Edwards (mentor
Catherine Ulibarri); Stephen Houmes (mentor
Barbara Sorg); Stephanie Leggett (mentor Michael
Varnum; Timothy Lyons (mentor Michiyo
Hirai-psychology); and Amy Van Nortwick (mentor
David Rector). For additional information:
http://undergraduateresearch.wsu.edu/newsevents/news/auvilawards10-08/
