U of I Announces Awards for Excellence to Faculty, Staff

MOSCOW, Idaho — April 24, 2020 — The University of Idaho is pleased to announce the University Awards for Excellence for 2019-20 to faculty and staff.

The winners, their departments, colleges and awards include:

• Ralph Budwig, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Donald Crawford Faculty Mentoring Award. Budwig is the director of the Center for Ecohydraulics Stream Laboratory at University of Idaho Boise.
• Natasha Wingerter, Water Resources, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award. Wingerter, a doctoral candidate in Water Resources, is an aquatic ecologist studying how resource waves affect the growth of juvenile steelhead.
• Mohammadreza Khani, Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, Outstanding Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Award. Khani, a postdoctoral fellow, is head of the Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling Group at Neurophysiological Imaging and Modeling Laboratory.
• Sanford Eigenbrode, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Post-Doctoral Mentoring Award. Eigenbrode, entomology professor, conducts his primary research on chemical ecology, landscape ecology and management of pests, beneficial insects and insect vectors of plant pathogens affecting crops.
• Gang Zhao, Chemistry, College of Science, Outstanding Post-Doctoral Scholar/Fellow Award. Zhao is a postdoctoral fellow of Distinguished Professor Jean’ne Shreeve's team and a chemist of energetic materials and agent defeat weapons.
• Ken Cain, Fish and Wildlife Services, College of Natural Resources, Research and Creative Activity Excellence Award. Cain has been associate director of the Aquaculture Research Institute since 2002. His research focuses on defining the immune system in fish and developing vaccines to combat fish diseases.
• Stacey Doumit, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Faculty Excellence in Advising Award. Doumit, an instructor since 2011, advises more than 70 students, coordinates the AVS Peer Leader Program, advises the U of I polo and rodeo clubs, teaches equine science and management and issues in animal agriculture and serves on committees across the university.
• Teresa Cavazos Cohn, McCall Field Campus, College of Natural Resources, Excellence in Teaching Award. Cohn is director of the University of Idaho’s Taylor Wilderness Research Station, a research associate professor and a co-founder of the Confluence Lab.
• Nathan Schiele, Biological Engineering, College of Engineering, The Hoffman Award in Teaching Excellence. Schiele teaches the introductory course in biological engineering and upper-level courses in tissue biomechanics and tissue engineering. His research focuses on understanding the mechanical, biochemical and cellular factors that regulate tendon formation to advance treatments for tendon injuries.
• Romuald Afatchao, International Studies, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, GSSP Faculty Internationalization Award. Afatchao is a clinical professor and the associate director of the Martin Institute and Program in International Studies. He is a founding director and president of the Institute for Community Partnership and Sustainable Development.
• Lysa Salsbury, Women’s Center, Office of Equity and Diversity, Dr. Arthur Maxwell Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award – Staff. Salsbury has worked at the Women’s Center since 2005, leading collaborative outreach and engagement efforts around women’s and gender issues. She serves on institutional and local committees that focus on promoting diversity and inclusion at U of I and on the Palouse.
• Kristin Haltinner, Sociology and Anthropology, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, Dr. Arthur Maxwell Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award - Faculty. Haltinner, an associate professor, directs the diversity and inclusion certificate program and the Africana Studies minor. Her research focuses on political sociology, right wing ideology, racial formation, social inequality and critical pedagogy.
• Gordon Murdoch, Jason Karl, Mohamed Hefeida, Karen Launchbaugh, virtual fence research team, Interdisciplinary Award. Launchbaugh, professor of rangeland ecology, is director of the Rangeland Center that addresses management issues. Murdoch has been an Animal and Veterinary Science faculty member 2006. Hefeida is a clinical assistant professor with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Karl is the Harold F. and Ruth M. Heady Endowed Chair of Rangeland Ecology in the Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences. Karl’s research and teaching focuses on management and monitoring of natural resources.
• Lori Wahl, Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Outreach and Engagement Excellence Award. Wahl is an instructor in Apparel, Textiles and Design in the Margaret Ritchie School of Family and Consumer Sciences where she teaches design, apparel technology and industry-aligned courses.
• Karla Eitel, McCall Outdoor Science School, College of Natural Resources, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Eitel is director of the McCall Field Campus and a research associate professor of place-based environmental education.
• Bruce Godfrey, University of Idaho Library, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Godfrey is an associate professor and a geographic information systems librarian.
• Dan Hickman, Economics, College of Business and Economics, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Hickman is an associate professor of economics. His research uses data from the markets for higher education and sports to explore topics in labor and behavioral economics.
• Diane Kelly-Riley, English, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Kelly-Riley is associate professor of English and associate dean for Research and Faculty Affairs in CLASS. She researches issues of assessment, validity and fairness using empirical inquiries into local contexts.
• Christine Parent, Biological Sciences, College of Science, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Parent is an associate professor whose research program uses island systems to understand how species adapt and diversify in the face of changing or novel conditions.
• Arash Rashed, Entomology, Plant Pathology and Nematology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Rashed has been involved in grants and contracts totaling $4.7 million, with more than $1.3 million in spending authority. His research has been communicated through more than 50 journal articles, book chapters and proceeding books.
• Alexandra Teague, English, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Teague, an associate professor, is the author of three poetry collections — “Or What We’ll Call Desire,” “The Wise and Foolish Builders” and “Mortal Geography” — and the novel “The Principles Behind Flotation.”
• Ata Zadehgol, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, 2020-22 University Mid-Career Award. Zadehgol’s research interests include computational electromagnetics and its applications in low frequency to THz electronics.
• Lee Vierling, Natural Resources and Society, College of Natural Resources, University Distinguished Professor Award. Vierling is recognized as an international leader through his laboratory’s research on plant growth, animal habitat and other vital ecological topics using images collected from aircraft and space.
• Leonard Garrison, Lionel Hampton School of Music, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, University Distinguished Professor Award. Garrison, a professor of flute and associate director in the music school, is a flutist in the Northwest Wind Quintet, the Walla Walla Symphony and The Scott/Garrison Duo.
• Scott Slovic, English, College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, University Distinguished Professor Award. Slovic, professor of English with an affiliated appointment in Natural Resources and Society, is an international leader in the environmental humanities and has presented lectures throughout the world.
• Barbara Warnick, University of Idaho Foundation, Lawrence C. McBride Award (for exempt staff). Warnick joined U of I as a technical records specialist in 2001 and began working on scholarships in 2004. She continued to serve students and scholarship committees as scholarship advisor and associate director for scholarships until 2016 when she transitioned to the U of I Foundation.
• Chuck Hatfield, Facilities Services, Outstanding Administrative Assistant. Hatfield was nominated for outstanding customer service and being an exceptional team player.
• Linda Liou, IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence, Outstanding Non-Faculty Exempt. Liou is the evaluation director and co-program administrator for Idaho INBRE, a National Institutes of Health-funded statewide biomedical research network based at U of I.
• Betsy Delph, McCall Outdoor Science School, College of Natural Resources, Outstanding Service/Maintenance. Delph is the food systems and sustainability manager of the science school.
• Greg Dahmen, Facilities,  Outstanding Skilled Trades. Dahmen, an HVAC and refrigeration mechanic, repairs and maintains equipment.
• Jon Patton, Gary Thompson, Beth Kochevar, Leslie Dorsey, Betsy Delph, Holly Coleman, Sacha Jackson, Greg Fizzell, Darrell Stout, McCall Field Campus and Outdoor Science School,  Outstanding Team.The school offers science programs on a 14-acre campus to more than 2,500 K-12 students from across Idaho every year on the shores of Payette Lake. They coach more than 20 graduate students and also support undergraduate programs.
• Laurel Meyer, Department of Student Involvement,  Outstanding Technical/Professional. Meyer was nominated for exceptional work with students and programming.

For more information on the winners and awards, visit the University Excellence Awards website.

—

Media Contact

Brian Walker
Communications Coordinator
208-699-4562
bwalker@uidaho.edu