25 WSU Undergraduates receive awards from the Office of Undergraduate Research
MEDIA: Shelley Pressley, Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-0014, spressley@wsu
Emma Epperly, Communications and Marketing Junior Assistant, WSU Undergraduate Education, 509-335-9458, emmaepperly@wsu.edu
PULLMAN, Wash.—Twenty-five Washington State University students at Pullman, Tri-Cities, and Vancouver have received two types of awards from the Office of Undergraduate Research, part of WSU Undergraduate Education.
These students will work with faculty mentors throughout the 2016-17 academic year on research, scholarly, and creative projects, advancing or creating new knowledge in a specific field, said Shelley Pressley, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research.
“Each award is typically $1,000 and helps to ease financial stress so awardees can focus more on their research,” said Pressley “We are fortunate to have generous alumni and friends whose gifts have enhanced the academic experience of hundreds of students.”
She said, “Supporting undergraduates in their research aligns with our land-grant university’s key emphases. Awardees will share their results at the sixth annual Showcase for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (SURCA) on March 27, 2017.”
Carson and Auvil awards
The Scott and Linda Carson Undergraduate Research Endowed Excellence Fund was established in 2013. The Carson’s are WSU alumni who have supported the university with their service and numerous financials gifts. The Carson award is the first to give preference to student researchers who are in their junior and senior grades.
The Auvil Scholars Fellowship began in 2006 with a gift from the estates of Grady and Lillie Auvil, Wenatchee tree-fruit entrepreneurs. These awards are available to undergraduate researchers from all majors, in all grades, across all WSU campuses. More than 200 WSU undergraduates have received this award since its beginning and become Auvil Fellows.
Carson Fellows for 2016-17
- Holly Lane, an organic agriculture systems and agricultural biotechnology major mentored by Michael Neff
- Brett Merritt, a mechanical engineering major at WSU Vancouver mentored by Hua Tan
Auvil Fellows for 2016-17
- Madison Armstrong, a biology major mentored by Mark Dybdahl
- Sierra Bishop, a chemistry and material science engineering major mentored by Cliff Berkman
- Andrew Cannon, a physics major mentored by Jeffrey McMahon
- Grace Carrell, a microbiology major mentored by Alan Goodman
- Zachary Croft, a physics major mentored by Jeffery McMahon
- Casandra Evans, a mechanical engineering major mentored by Jacob Leachman
- Joseph Hall, a bioengineering major mentored by David Lin
- Zachary Howard, a genetics and cell biology major mentored by Alan Goodman
- Ashley Huynh, a biology and Spanish major mentored by Omar Cornejo
- Brennan Hyden, an agricultural biotechnology major mentored by Amit Dhingra
- Estifanos Kassa, a microbiology major mentored by Rey Carabeo
- Elizabeth Magill, a zoology major mentored by William Snyder
- Marina Martin, a biochemistry pre-medicine major mentored by Alan Goodman
- Jonathan Moore, a materials science and engineering major mentored by Michael Kessler
- Lysandra Perez, a psychology major mentored by Monica Johnson
- Elizabeth Rice-Reynolds, a genetics and cell biology major mentored by Michael Griswold
- Mia Ryckman, a biology major mentored by Carrie Cuttler
- Seth Schneider, a genetics and cell biology major mentored by Anthony Nicola
- Allegra Sundstrom, a biology major mentored by Joanna Kelley
- Mitchel Wagner, a biological sciences major mentored by Jim Cooper
- James Whitbread, a mathematics major mentored by Shiv Karunakaran
- Essence White, a zoology pre-veterinary medicine major mentored by Erica Crespi
- Heather Young, an animal sciences and Spanish major mentored by Amber Adams-Progar
Students seeking undergraduate research awards for fall 2017 can apply on the Office of Undergraduate Research website until Feb. 1, 2017.