President’s Employee Excellence Awards

For administrative professional and classified employees

These awards recognize outstanding contributions to the University by employees statewide.

Jennifer C. Anderson

Coordinator, Collaboration for Interprofessional Health Education Research & Scholarship (CIPHERS) 

Jennifer Anderson is a role model in positive professionalism, always eager to step up and help, no matter how difficult or time-consuming the task at hand. In 2020-21, she enthusiastically stepped in to help with the College of Medicine’s Transition to Residency Course when the program was short-staffed. This included coordinating with other medical schools, whose materials she helped adapt for use by WSU students, as well as learning a new simulation platform. Constantly willing to learn new skills and train others, she not only mastered the platform herself but helped 30 colleagues navigate the unfamiliar platform. She also helped develop challenge cases, efficiently collecting answers and providing personalized feedback to students.

With Anderson’s tireless work, talent for organization, and passion for helping both instructors and students succeed as a catalyst, the instructional innovations developed at the College of Medicine have been presented at national meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. Anderson is also highly respected for her interpersonal skills and kindness, bringing a “Cougar pride” attitude to everything she does.

Neal S. Burke

Scientific Laboratory Manager, Veterinary Clinical Sciences

WSU Pullman

Neal Burke is a key contributor to the University’s reputation as an international leader in pharmacogenetics. A leader by example and a dedicated teacher, his laboratory expertise has helped advance the careers of numerous students and veterinary residents in his 20+ years at WSU—and has saved the lives of thousands of family pets. Many drugs used to treat dogs and cats, especially anti-cancer drugs, can cause severe or fatal adverse reactions if the patient has the MDR1 gene mutation, so pet owners from around the world send genetic samples to Burke’s genotyping center in the College of Veterinary Medicine, relying on the efficient assays he has developed to tell them if a medication is safe for their pets.

The innovative technologies developed in Burke’s labs (in collaboration with Dr. Mealey in the Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Lab (VCPL)) bring millions of dollars in licensing royalties to the University.

Min Kuang

Fiscal Analyst 3, College of Arts & Sciences

Since 2017, Min Kuang has served as the sole fiscal analyst for the largest academic unit on the WSU Vancouver campus. With a wide range of responsibilities, from budgeting to accounting, Kuang seamlessly oversees more than 300 accounts and more than $12 million in core/non-core/gift funds and $14 million in grants. Good at working independently, Kuang is known for being highly organized, as well as a fast and efficient learner. In 2020, amid the challenges of a pandemic, Kuang not only learned how to navigate the newly implemented Workday platform, but also worked tirelessly to teach faculty, staff, and students, how to use it, ensuring a smooth transition.

Kuang is also passionate about promoting WSU’s mission of inclusivity and fostering a welcoming and positive atmosphere. During the pandemic, Kuang started “The Silver Lining,” an email series offering encouragement to her colleagues in uncertain and trying times. In her spare time, Kuang also collaborated with WSU faculty on short films to increase awareness of discrimination against Asian Americans. Her attention to detail and ability to see the big picture have contributed to the university’s financial success, while her care and consideration for others help to create a community where all feel welcomed and valued.

Robert Lentz

Information Systems Coordinator, School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering

With 45 years of experience assisting with research and teaching labs at WSU, Robert Lentz has been an invaluable support for colleagues and students alike. His expertise with testing equipment has made him the go-to problem solver when equipment or experiments go awry. Lentz has helped establish and support new programs and has also made the most of limited resources by repurposing existing equipment to develop new capability in existing and new experiments.  When the pandemic hit, Lentz put his expertise to work creating instructional videos to allow students to do lab assignments remotely.

A dependable team player, Lentz isn’t afraid to step in wherever help is needed. He has provided training for teaching assistants and taught summer sessions when no graduate students were available. Having a passion for education and student welfare, Lentz offers support that reaches far beyond his department, assisting student clubs and extracurriculars and lending a compassionate ear to struggling students.

Jeremy Watson

Graduate Program Coordinator, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication

Jeremy Watson provides advising for over 125 graduate students, guiding them towards success and keeping them on track towards their degrees. Watson has proved a dependable and invaluable resource to students. Many have written expressing their appreciation for his guidance, describing him as a reliable and skilled resource while also being patient, personable, and always willing to listen. Students who enter an advising session feeling frustrated leave feeling validated and encouraged to succeed. His commitment to student success has helped many struggling students get back on their feet and finish their degrees.

Watson’s attention to detail and rigorous work ethic have also made him invaluable to his department. Skilled with procuring data, he compiles accurate metrics on student success, maintaining compliance with Graduate School assessment standards. Through his work with students and his extensive procedural knowledge, Watson has become an outstanding ambassador for WSU.