This month's issue of Provost Perspective: Welcome our incoming provost Mitzi Montoya; Faculty land OER grants; Neuilly to lead faculty training; Knodler lands Burroughs Wellcome Fund award

June 2019

Provost Perspective

Closeup of Mitzi Montoya and the WSU cougar head logo.

Welcome our incoming provost
Mitzi Montoya

Mitzi Montoya was named WSU’s next provost and executive vice president in May. Montoya brings extensive leadership experience from land‑grant institutions across the United States. She currently is the Sara Hart Kimball Dean of the College of Business at Oregon State University and will begin her new duties at WSU August 1. She replaces Dan Bernardo, who is stepping down after more than five years to work on special projects for president Kirk Schulz.

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Faculty land OER grants

WSU faculty continue to expand open educational resources for their courses, saving students significant sums in textbook costs. Using grant funding from the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, and ASWSU, 17 faculty members are developing or revising course materials throughout the summer. The projects are also supported by the Office of Academic Outreach and Innovation and the WSU Libraries.

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Neuilly to lead faculty training

Melanie Neuilly began in her new role as interim associate vice provost for faculty development last month. An associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, Neuilly brings great experience to the position and has served as an advocate for faculty at all levels for many years. Neuilly will organize and lead faculty training workshops and events throughout the fall.

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Knodler lands Burroughs Wellcome Fund award

Leigh Knodler, assistant professor in the Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, is joining a cohort of 10 outstanding researchers from around the country as 2019 Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease funding. The program, supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, provides opportunities for early career investigators to bring multidisciplinary approaches to the study of human infectious disease.

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College Highlights

Lloyd Smith, professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, was named a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The appointment recognizes “exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession” and has been awarded to about 2 percent of more than 130,000 ASME members.

Melody Rasmor, clinical assistant professor in the College of Nursing at WSU Vancouver, will be honored by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners with the Nurse Practitioner State Award for Excellence. Rasmor is being honored for her career accomplishments in the state of Washington, including her more than 20 years as a WSU faculty member.

Margaret Viebrock, director of Chelan and Douglas County Extension, will be honored with the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences’ 2019 Distinguished Service Award. Viebrock began in 1970 as an Extension educator in North Central Washington and has dedicated her career to serving farm families, women in agriculture, and food-service workers in the state.

Office of the Provost, Washington State University
PO Box 641046, Pullman, WA 99164‑1046, provosts.office@wsu.edu