Faculty Awards
Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards
The President’s Faculty Excellence Awards for Instruction, Leadership, Outreach and Engagement, and Research, Scholarship and the Arts were first presented at the 1983 Commencement to demonstrate the University’s high regard for meritorious faculty service. In 1994, three awards became part of the Washington State University’s President’s Excellence Awards Program and were named the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards in Instruction, Public Service, and Research, Scholarship and Arts. In 2008, a fourth award in Leadership was added to these awards. The naming honors Washington State University benefactors Lee and Jody Sahlin.
Washington State University, in establishing the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards, wishes to recognize in a tangible way the truly outstanding accomplishments and exceptional individual achievements of its faculty. The Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards are designed to honor those faculty members who epitomize the highest levels of performance and excellence in the pursuit of the University’s goals and thereby in the fulfillment of its mission.
All regularly appointed tenured or tenure-track members of the Washington State University faculty (half time or greater) at the time of election are eligible for this award.
Application Process
Nominators are asked to submit the nomination form, a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and a narrative of 1000 words or less, stating why the nominee meets the award criteria and is deserving of the award.
The Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards are highly coveted and receive numerous applications each year. As such, the narrative is a crucial component of each application. Kindly explain the nominee’s contributions and how broadly the nominee has impacted their discipline and other disciplines by these achievements (e.g. has the nominee launched new avenues of inquiry that did not exist before; did their contributions solve a critical problem that allows the discipline to advance; has their work been influential in public policy?). Additionally, you may choose to explain how the breadth of the nominee’s impact translates into the lives of an average person.
Please do not submit additional information during the initial phase. At a later date, for those nominees moving forward for secondary consideration, the nominator(s) will be asked to provide additional supporting information. Representative examples of additional information may include:
- A brief description of the nominee’s position at Washington State University for the past five years and the approximate percentages of assignment to instruction, public service, and research, scholarship or arts.
- An interpretive evaluation of the nominee’s contribution in relation to the award, including a summary of major accomplishments and evidence of impact on the nominee’s field and students. An assessment of the role of collaborators such as graduate students and co-workers should be included. In the evaluation, please directly address the criteria for the award (i.e. exceptional effective instruction, organizing or conducting new courses or programs of study, revitalizing existing courses or programs of study, and establishing a national reputation as a leader in instruction).
- Up to three letters of endorsement from individuals who can evaluate the nominee’s contribution relevant to the award.
- A list of honors or recognitions received.
- A list of invited addresses and other honors related to the nominee’s contribution.
- A list of graduate students for whom they served as major professor.
- A recent summary of teaching evaluations, courses taught (going back five years, and including, if available, response rates and college average) and class sizes.
Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction
The Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Instruction is presented to a member of the faculty in recognition of truly outstanding accomplishments in the establishment of excellence in the instructional programs of Washington State University. Activities encompassed by this award may be either outstanding singular accomplishments or a record of excellence over a period of years including:
- Exceptionally effective instruction;
- Organizing or conducting new courses or programs of study;
- Revitalizing existing courses or programs of study; and
- Establishing a national reputation as a leader in instruction.
2023 recipient Corey Johnson
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2022 recipient Jesse Spohnholz
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2021 recipient Carolyn Ross
2020 recipient Erika Offerdahl
2019 recipient Anita Vasavada
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2018 recipient Ray Sun
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2017 recipient Julie Kmec
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Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Leadership
The intent of the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Leadership is to recognize the outstanding performance by a Washington State University faculty member in leadership activities that serve the university and/or the academy. Leadership is defined as any activity that sets the direction of, advances, or benefits a group such as the department, college, university or academy. Activities that primarily benefit the public are more appropriate for the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Outreach and Engagement.
Activities encompassed by the present award may be either outstanding singular accomplishments or a long record of excellent leadership. In either case, a record of merely serving on committees is not sufficient for the award. Instead, the candidate must have actively directed the activities of the committees on which they served and the committee’s activities must have had an important impact on the group being served.
2023 recipient M. Grant Norton
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2022 recipient Jill McCluskey
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2021 recipient Gregory Crouch
2020 recipient Steve Bollens
2019 recipient Lori Wiest
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2018 recipient Marvin J. Pitts
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2017 recipient Craig Parks
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Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Outreach and Engagement
The intent of the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Outreach and Engagement is to recognize the outstanding performance by a Washington State University faculty member toward fulfilling the University’s public service mission, mainly by outreach and engagement into the state or nation. The award serves to honor truly exceptional accomplishments through activities directed toward extending instruction, research, and supporting resources to a broader public. Activities encompassed by this award are either outstanding singular accomplishments or a record of excellence in outreach and engagement including:
- Enhancing the public’s appreciation of Washington State University;
- Having direct and significant impact on the public through a program or project;
- Having an indirect impact on Washington State University’s ability to provide public service;
- Engaging in public service in the state that is “above and beyond” one’s normal job responsibilities; and
- Relating those outreach and engagement activities to the individual’s discipline orientation.
2023 recipient Girish Ganjyal
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2022 recipient Eric Johnson
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2021 recipient Ka’imi Sinclair
2020 recipient Cheryl Schultz
2019 recipient Dale Moore
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2018 recipient Joe Harrison
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2017 recipient Douglas Walsh
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Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Research, Scholarship and Arts
The Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Research, Scholarship and Arts is presented to a member of the faculty in recognition of excellence and outstanding accomplishment in research, scholarship or arts. The award will be given for a major research or creative contribution or series of contributions completed at Washington State University. The contribution can be empirical, theoretical, or artistic, but must be widely recognized as highly meritorious and must have had a significant impact. Specific evaluation criteria include the following:
- To what extent is the contribution novel or creative;
- What is the impact of the contribution on the field;
- How significant is the contribution;
- How would the contribution compare to contributions of faculty members at comparable institutions;
- What honors and other recognition have come to the nominee for the contribution; and
- What is the stature of the nominee in the field?
2023 recipient Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe
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2022 recipient Olusola Adesope
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2021 recipient Hans Van Dongen
2020 recipient Greg Yasinitsky
2019 recipient Susmita Bose
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2018 recipient William M. Hamlin
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2017 recipient Douglas Call
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Year | Recipient | Title | Category |
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2023 | Corey Johnson | Instruction/Assessment Librarian, Libraries | Instruction |
Grant Norton | Dean, Honors College | Leadership | |
Girish Ganjyal | Associate Professor, School of Food Sciences | Outreach and Engagement | |
Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe | Regents Professor, Department of Psychology | Research, Scholarship, and Arts | |
2022 | Jesse Spohnholz | Professor, Department of History | Instruction |
Jill McCluskey | Regents Professor, School of Economic Sciences | Leadership | |
Eric Johnson | Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning | Outreach and Engagement | |
Olusola Adesope | Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology | Research, Scholarship, and Arts | |
2021 | Carolyn Ross | Professor, Food Science | Instruction |
Gregory Crouch | Professor, Chemistry | Leadership | |
Ka'imi Sinclair | Assistant Professor, Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health | Outreach and Engagement | |
Hans Van Dongen | Professor, Medical Education and Clinical Sciences | Research, Scholarship, and Arts | |
2020 | Erika Offerdahl | Associate Professor, School of Molecular Biosciences | Instruction |
Steve Bollens | Professor, Director of Multi-Campus Planning and Strategic Initiatives | Leadership | |
Cheryl Schultz | Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences | Outreach and Engagement | |
Greg Yasinitsky | Regents Professor, School of Music | Research, Scholarship, and Arts | |
2019 | Anita Vasavada | Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering | Instruction |
Lori Wiest | Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences | Leadership | |
Dale Moore | Director, Veterinary Extension; Clinical Professor; Director, Continuing Veterinary Medical Education | Outreach and Engagement | |
Susmita Bose | Herman and Brita Lindholm Endowed Chair, Professor, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2018 | Ray Sun | Associate Professor, History | Instruction |
Marvin Pitts | Clinical Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Leadership | |
Joe Harrison | Animal Scientist and Extension Specialist | Outreach and Engagement | |
William Hamlin | Professor, English | Research, Scholarship and the Arts | |
2017 | Julie Kmec | Professor, Sociology | Instruction |
Craig Parks | Assistant Vice Provost | Leadership | |
Douglas Walsh | Professor, Entomology | Outreach and Engagement | |
Douglas Call | Professor and Associate Director, Research and Graduate Education | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2016 | Charles Munson | Professor, Finance and Management Science | Instruction |
John Roll | WSU Spokane | Leadership | |
Carol Black | Pesticide Safety Education Specialist, Extension Specialist, Entomology | Outreach and Engagement | |
Diane Cook | Professor, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2015 | Kristen A. Johnson | Professor and Scientist, Animal Sciences | Instruction |
Vicki A. McCracken | Professor, Economic Sciences | Leadership | |
Kim D. Patten | Professor, WSU Extension ANR | Outreach and Engagement | |
Kenneth L. Nash | Professor, Chemistry | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2014 | Charles Pezeshki | Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Instruction |
Debra Inglis | Professor, Plant PathologyWSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center (Mount Vernon NWREC) | Leadership | |
Sue B. Clark | Regents Professor, Chemistry | Outreach and Engagement | |
Thomas Besser | Professor, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2013 | Catherine A. Elstad | Clinical Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Associate Dean, University Honors College | Instruction |
Amy S. Wharton | Professor, Sociology and Director, College of Arts and Sciences, WSU Vancouver | Leadership | |
Clayton J. Mosher | Professor, Sociology, WSU Vancouver | Outreach and Engagement | |
Kerry W. Hipps | Professor and Chair, Chemistry | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2012 | Lori M. Carris | Associate Professor and Associate Plant Pathologist, Plant Pathology | Instruction |
Robert E. Rosenman | Professor, Economic Sciences | Leadership | |
Gary G. Grove | Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology, WSU Prosser Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center | Outreach and Engagement | |
Wendy C. Brown | Regents Professor, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2011 | Richard S. Zack | Associate Professor, Entomology and Director, M.T. James Entomoligical Collection | Instruction |
Denny C. Davis | Professor, Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and Director, Engineering Education Research Center | Leadership | |
Susan Finley | Associate Professor, Teaching and Learning, WSU Vancouver | Outreach and Engagement | |
B.W. "Joe" Poovaiah | Regents Professor, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2010 | Thomas M. Tripp | Professor, Management and Operations Department | Instruction |
Mary Sanchez Lanier | Clinical Associate Professor, Molecular Biosciences and Associate Dean, College of Sciences | Leadership | |
Timothy J. Smith | Extension Educator, WSU Extension | Outreach and Engagement | |
Gustavo V. Barbosa-Canovas | Professor, Biological Systems Engineering | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2009 | Carol Anelli | Associate Professor, Entomology | Instruction |
Kenneth L. Casavant | Professor and Scientist, Economic Sciences | Leadership | |
Terry F. McElwain | Executive Director, Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Professor, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology | Outreach and Engagement | |
W. Sue Ritter | Professor, Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology | Research, Scholarship and Arts | |
2008 | Guy H. Palmer | Regents Professor, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology | Research |
| Kathy A. Beerman | Professor, Food Science and Human Nutrition | Instruction |
| David M. Granatstein | Area Extension Agent and Sustainable Agriculture Specialist, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, Tree Fruit Research Extension Center | Outreach and Engagement |
| Kenneth A. Struckmeyer | Associate Professor, Horticulture and Landscape Architecture and University Ombudsman | Leadership |
2007 | Duane W. DeTemple | Professor, Mathematics | Instruction |
J. Daniel DolanProfessor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Public Service | ||
Lai-Sheng Wang | Professor, Physics | Research |
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2006 | J. Thomas Dickinson | Regents Professor, Physics | Instruction |
| Richard H. Dougherty | Food Science Specialist, Food Science and Human Nutrition | Public Service |
Michael K. Skinner | Director, Center for Reproductive Biology | Research |
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2005 | Lisa J. McIntyre | Associate Professor, Sociology | Instruction |
| Scott C. Matulich | Professor, Economic Sciences | Public Service |
Victor Villanueva | Professor, English | Research |
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2004 | Roger Schlesinger | Professor, History | Instruction |
| Kenneth L. Casavant | Professor, Agriculture and Resource Economics | Public Service |
John A. Browse | Professor, Biological Sciences | Research |
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2003 | Thomas Brigham | Professor, Psychology | Instruction |
| Alice Spitzer | Humanities/Social Sciences Librarian | Public Service |
Gerald Edwards | Professor, Biological Sciences | Research |
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2002 | Ron Mittlehammer | Professor, Agricultural Economics | Instruction |
| John Paznokas | Associate Professor, Biological Sciences | Public Service |
Frances McSweeney | Professor, Psychology | Research |
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2001 | Steve Parish | Professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences | Instruction |
| Jay Brunner | Entomologist and Director, Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee | Public Service |
James Krueger | Professor, Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology, and Physiology | Research |
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2000 | Shelli Fowler | Associate Professor, English and Comparative American Cultures | Instruction |
| Christine Sodorff | Director, Teacher Education Student Services | Public Service |
Philip Marston | Professor, Physics | Research |
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1999 | Denny Davis | Professor, Biological Systems Engineering | Instruction |
| Charles Gaskins | Associate Professor, Animal Sciences | Public Service |
Michael Griswold | Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics | Research |
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1998 | Stephen A. Hines | Associate Professor, Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology | Instruction |
| R. Alan Black | Associate Professor, Botany and Program in Biology | Public Service |
Clayton Crowe | Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Research |
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1997 | Joe Ayres | Professor, Communication | Instruction |
| Arthur Antonelli | Extension Entomologist, WSU Puyallup | Public Service |
Michael J. Smerdon | Professor, Biochemistry & Biophysics | Research |
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1996 | Richard W. Crain | Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering | Instruction |
| Kelsey Gray | Extension Specialist, Cooperative Extension | Public Services |
Peter W. Kalivas | Professor, Veterinary and Comparative Anatomy, Pharmacology and Physiology | Research |
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1995 | Phillip L. Senger | Professor, Animal Sciences | Instruction |
| Raymond W. Wright, Jr. | Professor, Animal Sciences | Public Services |
Don A. Dillman | Director, Social and Economics Sciences Research Center and Professor, Departments of Sociology and Rural Sociology | Research |
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1994 | Kenneth Carper | Professor, School of Architecture | Instruction |
| Margaret Viebrock | Area Extension Agent, Home Economics, Douglas and Chelan Counties | Public Service |
Yogendra Gupta | Professor, Physics | Research |
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1993 | Larry E. Davis | Assistant Professor, Geology | Instruction |
| George J. Pinyuh | Area Extension Agent, Horticulture, King and Pierce Counties | Public Service |
J. Thomas Dickinson | Professor, Physics | Research |
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1992 | Richard S. Williams | Associate Professor, History | Instruction |
| John C. Little | County Extension Agent, 4-H | Public Service |
Rodney Croteau | Professor and Fellow, Institute of Biological Chemistry | Research |
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1991 | Everett L. Martin | Associate Professor and Associate Animal Scientist | Instruction |
| Nicholas P. Lovrich | Professor, Political Science | Public Service |
Bruce A. McFadden | Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics | Research |
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1990 | John P. Reganold | Associate Professor, Soil Science | Instruction |
| Ardis Armstrong Young | Chair and Professor, Adult and Youth Education | Public Service |
Philip D. Gollnick | Professor, Physiology | Research |
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1989 | John W. Crane | Associate Professor, Biology and Zoology | Instruction |
| Glenn A. Crosby | Professor, Chemistry and Chemical Physics | Public Service |
Ralph G. Yount | Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry | Research |
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1988 | Gerald L. Young | Chair, General Biology | Instruction |
| Thomas L. Barton | Professor, English | Public Service |
Linda L. Randall | Professor, Program in Biochemistry/Biophysics | Research |
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1987 | William R. Rayburn | Professor, General Biology | Instruction |
| R. Keith Campbell | Professor, Clinical Pharmacy | Public Service |
James F. Short, Jr. | Professor and Scientist, Sociology | Research |
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1986 | Calvin T. Long | Professor, Mathematics | Instruction |
| David M. Baumgartner | Extension Forester | Public Service |
Jack D. Rogers | Professor, Plant Pathology | Research |
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1985 | Robert J. Jonas | Professor, Biology, Wildlife Biology and Zoology | Instruction |
| Sue N. Butkus | Specialist E-4 and Professor of Food Science | Public Service |
George Duvall | Professor, Physics | Research |
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1984 | Glenn A. Crosby | Professor, Chemistry | Instruction |
| William H. Funk | Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director, Washington Water Research Center | Public Service |
Clarence "Bud" A. Ryan | Professor, Biochemistry | Research |
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1983 | D. Leroy Ashby | Professor, History | Instruction |
| Donald W. Bushaw | Professor, Mathematics | Instruction |
| Thomas W. Maloney | Professor, Materials Science | Public Service |
P.E. Kolattukudy | Professor, Biochemistry, and Director, Institute of Biological Chemistry | Research |
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| Milton Rokeach | Professor, Sociology and Psychology | Research |