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Washington State University

2017 Faculty/Staff Excellence Awards

PULLMAN, Wash. – The College of Education has given its annual faculty and staff excellence awards.

Faculty Excellence in Diversity: Paula Groves Price, cultural studies and social thought in education.

GrovesPrice_photo

Faculty Excellence in Teaching: Katy Pietz, athletic training.

Katy Pietz

Faculty Excellence in Research: Kelly Ward, ELSSECP department chair.

Kelly Ward

Faculty Excellence in Service: Jonah Firestone, science education.

Staff Excellence: Bev Rhoades, administrative services director.

 

https://education.wsu.edu/college/facultystaffawards/

Cultural studies prof awarded Alaska Airlines travel grant

Assistant professor Johnny Lupinacci has been awarded an Alaska Airlines Travel Award.
The travel grant is given to faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students working in areas related to the university’s Imagine Tomorrow competition. As part of the airline’s three-year title sponsorship of the competition, it agreed to commit three million airline miles to WSU. The miles will be distributed over three years, with the first million starting this year.
Lupinacci is in his third year as faculty of the college’s Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education program. He researches social justice, and environmental equity.

The following are the Imagine Tomorrow research or activity categories:

  • Food, Energy and Water
  • The Boeing Aerospace Challenge
  • The NARA Biofuels Challenge
  • The McKinstry Built Environment Challenge

The travel that is award by Alaska Airlines must be for:

  • Attending external conferences, industry events or presentations.
  • Bringing an expert(s) to campus for lectures or events related to the above categories.

Counseling psychology graduate student recognized for her research

By C. Brandon Chapman

WSU’s Association for Faculty Women has named counseling psychology graduate student Aubrie Schlegel with one of its two annual Founders Award.

Schlegel – who was nominated for the award by associate professor Lali McCubbin – will receive the award on Thu., April 9.4P7A0727_adj_smaller

“It was really awesome even just being nominated for the award by my advisor,” Schlegel said.

Schlegel’s work

Along with McCubbin, associate professor Pam Bettis, and clinical assistant professor Chad Gotch, Schlegel began working on a project for her thesis that is meant to promote knowledge and dispel myths about human trafficking.

“We wanted to help spread awareness and hopefully help show people just how much we as the public really can do to help,” she said.

That work included producing a 16-minute video that provided information on trafficking, dispelled myths and provided students with resources on how they could become involved in the fight against trafficking.

In award notification, professor Laura Griner Hill who chairs the AFW Graduate Student Awards Committee, wrote: “All of us on the review committee were heartened and inspired by the amazing work done by our very best graduate students, and proud that you will represent us in your developing career. I honor the journey that you have traveled to make a positive difference in the university, in your field, and in the world at large.”

Congrats to Aubrie.

Counseling Psychology doctoral student wins “Berkeley Spot Award”

Adisa Anderson only knows one speed: 100 percent.

Look high and low and you’ll find the counseling psychology doctoral student doing good somewhere.

He’s worked with WSU’s Office of Student Standards & Accountability, with the university’s Counseling & Testing Services, as well as with WSU’s Alcohol & Drug Counseling, Assessment & Prevention Services.Adisa Anderson

And so on and so forth.

Through it all, Adisa has taken an active role in making sure his outreach efforts are heavily-weighted toward diverse student communities, especially those that are African and African-American.

And now he’s winning awards. Adisa is currently in an internship with UC Berkeley, a university well-known for its various protests throughout the years. His role is to help campus climate leaders during these protests.

In response to the issues at play, Adisa planned a program for UC Berkeley’s Black Staff & Faculty Organization, to help with racial climate issues on campus, stress management, etc. About 50 black staff and faculty attended the program put on in December, including the university’s vice chancellor and associate vice chancellor. It was well received and there has since been talk about making this a reoccurring program.

Per the UC Berkeley website: “Spot Awards are designed to recognize special contributions, as they occur, for a specific project or task. Spot Awards are generally for a special contribution accomplished over a relatively short time period. A Spot Award lets employees know that someone has noticed their noteworthy contribution. At the same time, it recognizes and reinforces the behaviors and values that are important at UC Berkeley.”

Congrats to Adisa and keep up the good work.

College of Education Graduate Assistant wins 2015 Wiley Research Exposition

By Trevor Havard – College of Education Intern

Doctoral candidate Andy Scheef won a $1,000 scholarship for his research presentation in WSU’s 2015 Wiley Research Exposition.4P7A6149cropped

Scheef is in the College of Education’s special education program.

The Wiley Research Expo is held every spring and gives graduate and professional students the opportunity to showcase their research through either oral or poster presentations, which are then judged by WSU alumni.

This year Scheef took first place in the International Research category for his oral presentation on his research endeavors in Singapore.

Scheef collected interview data last year in Singapore about the world-wide problem of the underemployment of people with disabilities, which Singapore has addressed in recent years by developing school programs to increase opportunities for youth with disabilities.

Scheef explained this problem in his presentation, along with data describing how Singapore schools develop and support relationships with businesses that provide these job training experiences for students.

“Any opportunity to share information is incredibly valuable and the potential to win an award through the process is an added bonus,” Scheef said. “The other presentations in my group were quite strong and I felt lucky to have received the 1st place award.”

Ph.D. student wins WSU Woman of Distinction Award

By Breck Smith – College of Education intern

Washington State University President Elson Floyd presented doctoral student Lynn Becerra with the annual Graduate Woman of Distinction Award on March 24, 2015.

Becerra is currently a doctoral student in the College of Education’s Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education program.Bree Berg interview stills

Becerra was nominated for this award by, Dr. Linda Heidenreich Zuñiga (Department of Critical Culture, Gender, and Race Studies) and Becerra’s fellow student Veronica Sandoval. These two women highlighted Becerra as someone who goes the extra mile in order to improve herself and others around her, regarding education.  Specifically, Becerra’s primary focus has been students who do not receive the justified representation, when achieving both bachelor and doctoral degrees. In addition to her course load, she has managed to create time to provide lectures and classroom visits, presenting information about how to translate collegiate degrees into future success. Her passion and the success regarding younger generations have made her a role model for first-generation college students, in addition to being a role model for female students. Being the primary organizer for Latino Education and Advocacy Day, she exemplified this drive to go above and beyond in helping underrepresented students become collegiate scholars.

Her exceptional leadership ability has caused a powerful social change and has inspired students to become successfully driven individuals. Within the Washington State University community she has found time to be an inspired leader for those looking to make a difference and to realize their maximum potential as people. These actions have caused students to believe that anything is possible when there is a goal and 100 percent effort towards a cause. Her consistent volunteering efforts demonstrate the type of dedication it takes to make a significant change on a relatively difficult landscape. Being selfless and assertive towards a goal, which benefits the next generation are qualities that exemplify this type of award.

Overall Becerra’s ability to benefit the people around her and be a positive role model to younger generations is why she was nominated. The countless hours of balancing her school work and volunteering in regards to representing all students throughout the collegiate landscape is something to be admired. The award represents the gratitude and admiration of all the hard work that Becerra has demonstrated over her time at WSU. She has molded her community into a more enjoyable, productive, and justified place where education will be able to thrive into the future for all generations and people to come.