Sahlin Faculty Excellence Awards
Recognizing outstanding achievement
Sahlin Awards honor faculty members who epitomize the highest level of excellence in the pursuit of the University’s goals. Four awards recognize accomplishments in the following areas of faculty performance:
Carolyn F. Ross
Professor, School of Food Science
Professor Carolyn Ross combines theory and practice in her courses to equip students for professional success. She draws upon her food industry experience and research to share real-world challenges and solutions. Her Sensory Evaluation of Food and Wine lecture and lab boast one of the largest enrollments in the department. Ross keeps the course lively by updating its content with new food examples. Upon finding that the Food Chemistry lab course frustrated students, Ross updated the curriculum to create a course they enjoy. She delivered the keynote address at the 2018 United States Agricultural Information Network conference, describing methods of integrating information literacy principles into the classroom. Students find Ross to be genuinely interested in their well-being. After graduating, they still contact her to seek advice.
Under Ross’ direction, the WSU Sensory Science Center has earned national recognition. It offers students hands-on experience conducting research, working with industry clients, and participating in sensory evaluation studies
Greg Crouch
Career Track Professor, Department of Chemistry
Career Track Professor Greg Crouch’s service to WSU has been extensive. In 2020 he served on ten different University committees, councils, and task forces. He is the associate chair for undergraduate studies in the Department of Chemistry. He previously chaired the Academic Affairs Committee and represented the College of Arts and Sciences on the Faculty Senate, serving as Faculty Senate chair in the 2019-20 academic year.
Crouch revamped the Faculty Senate website to facilitate system-wide communication. He embraced Zoom, increasing participation and equity in Senate proceedings. He guided updates to the Faculty Manual. When COVID-19 struck, Crouch participated in developing online faculty and student surveys to gather information. He also helped modernize instructional delivery and course management. He helped pilot test technologies such as Canvas, which have been adopted systemwide. He has advanced options to help faculty transition to and manage online learning, as well as to help remove barriers to student success.
Ka'imi Sinclair
Associate Professor, Institute for Research and Education to Advance Community Health (IREACH), College of Nursing
Associate Professor Ka’imi Sinclair works to ameliorate health disparities among underserved minority populations through outreach, engagement, public service, and research. She is the first investigator ever awarded funding from the National Institutes of Health to address obesity and diabetes among American Indian men. She is also the first to engage Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in health research in Washington—studies enabled by her partnerships with community organizations. She teams with the Spokane Regional Health District to target high rates of diabetes and hypertension among local Marshallese people. She informs her research by conducting health needs assessments at community events and by partnering with community-based organizations to meet the needs of underserved populations and increase health equity.
Sinclair serves on many state and national boards, where she informs policy decisions and advocates for underserved populations. Her work has made WSU a trusted name with minority populations nationwide. She has also served on boards and study groups for research, government, and charitable organizations in Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.
Hans P.A. Van Dongen
Professor, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine
Director, Sleep and Performance Research Center
Professor Hans P.A. Van Dongen is an internationally recognized researcher and director of WSU’s Sleep and Performance Research Center. He maintains a comprehensive research program on human sleep and circadian science and investigates the impact of sleep deficiency on performance, behavior, and health outcomes. His work has increased awareness of the importance of sleep and has led to policy and regulatory changes that improve public health and occupational safety..
Van Dongen is an elected member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Association of Psychological Science. He is sought nationally and internationally as a keynote speaker, and was named an NIH STEM Research Exemplar for professionalism and integrity in research. He has published 150+ peer-reviewed articles and holds two US patents. Nearly 200 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty have been trained in his laboratory.
Previous recipients
Instruction
| 2019-2020 | Erika Gudrun Offerdahl |
| 2018-19 | Anita Vasavada, chemical engineering and bioengineering, integrative physiology and neuroscience |
| 2017-18 | Ray Sun, history |
| 2016-17 | Julie A. Kmec, sociology |
| 2015-16 | Charles Munson, finance |
| 2014-15 | Kristen A. Johnson, animal sciences |
| 2013-14 | Charles Pezeshki, mechanical and materials engineering |
| 2012-13 | Catherine A. Elstad, pharmaceutical sciences |
| 2011-12 | Lori M. Carris, plant pathology |
Leadership
| 2019-2020 | Stephen Bollens |
| 2018-19 | Lori Wiest, music |
| 2017-18 | Marvin Pitts, mechanical and materials engineering |
| 2016-17 | Craig Parks, psychology |
| 2015-16 | John Roll, WSU Spokane |
| 2014-15 | Vicki A. McCracken, economic sciences |
| 2013-14 | Debra Inglis, plant pathology |
| 2012-13 | Amy S. Wharton, sociology |
| 2011-12 | Robert E. Rosenman, economic sciences |
Outreach and engagement
| 2019-2020 | Cheryl B. Schultz |
| 2018-19 | Dale A. Moore, veterinary clinical sciences |
| 2017-18 | Joe Harrison, animal sciences |
| 2016-17 | Douglas Walsh, entomology |
| 2015-16 | Carol Black, entomology |
| 2014-15 | Kim D. Patten, horticulture, WSU Extension |
| 2013-14 | Sue B. Clark, chemistry |
| 2012-13 | Clayton J. Mosher, sociology |
| 2011-12 | Gary G. Grove, plant pathology |
Research, scholarship & arts
| 2019-2020 | Gregory W. Yasinitsky |
| 2018-19 | Susmita Bose, mechanical and materials engineering |
| 2017-18 | William M. Hamlin, English |
| 2016-17 | Douglas R. Call, veterinary medicine |
| 2015-16 | Diane Cook, electrical engineering and computer science |
| 2014-15 | Kenneth L. Nash, chemistry |
| 2013-14 | Thomas Besser, veterinary microbiology and pathology |
| 2012-13 | Kerry W. Hipps, chemistry |
| 2011-12 | Wendy C. Brown, veterinary microbiology and pathology |