May 13, 2022 Celebrating Successes at WSU Tri-Cities
RICHLAND, Wash. – It has been another amazing year at WSU Tri-Cities! Our Coug community accomplished so much this year, and we had the pleasure of recognizing a multitude of achievements in the final weeks of the semester!
Check out some of the highlights below!
WSU Tri-Cities Commencement
WSU Tri-Cities honored more than 375 graduating students this year. The honorees include graduates from the fall 2021 and spring and summer 2022 terms. WSU Tri-Cities 2022 Commencement Ceremony is the first in-person commencement since 2019.
Multicultural Graduation
In addition to commencement, graduating students had the opportunity to attend Multicultural Graduation on campus, hosted by the Rainbow Alliance, Dreamers Club, and Black Student Union.
Graduates were given traditional serape stoles to be worn at commencement.
Nursing Pinning Ceremony
Before commencement, nursing students attend a ceremony in which they are “pinned” by a faculty member, family member or friend – someone who has been important to them in their nursing education. The act of pinning ceremonially welcomes undergrad nurses into the profession.
The following individuals were specifically honored for their contributions to the nursing program:
- BSN Clinical Excellence Award: Emily Carlson
- Outstanding BSN Student Award: Nicholas (Tanner) Haugen
- Outstanding DNP Student Award: Theresa Mendoza
Undergraduate Research Symposium
At the Undergraduate Research Symposium, students presented their hard work to peers, family and industry professionals in the Collaboration Hall on campus.
Awards were given to the highest-scoring projects in the following categories:
- Year-Long Project for Capstone Course: ATKINS Rotating Bed Reactor Media Removal
- Ongoing Research Project: Bird-Window Collisions on the WSU Tri-Cities Campus
- Short-Term Semester Project: Prototype Low-Cost Portable Ventilator
- Complete or Near Complete Long-Term Research Project: Eco-Friendly Biodegradable Biomass Foam
- Graduate Student Project: Impact of Foliar Nitrogen Treatment on Phenolic Composition of Grapes and Wine
Order of the Engineer
The Order of the Engineer was initiated in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer.
Graduating engineering students and engineers from the Tri-Cities community gathered to participate in the ring ceremony. The Engineer’s Ring is a stainless steel ring, worn on the fifth finger of the working hand by engineers who have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer in a ring ceremony.
TRIO End-of-Year Celebration
The WSU Tri-Cities TRIO department hosted a celebration recognizing the hard work of their graduating students!
The U.S. Department of Education’s TRIO Program is a federal outreach and student services program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Faculty and Staff Awards Recognition
WSU Tri-Cities faculty and staff awards are given annually to honor those campus members who epitomize the highest levels of excellence in the pursuit of the university’s mission and goals.
Chancellor Sandra Haynes presented the following awards:
- Distinguished Teaching Award: Kersten Bergstrom, Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences
- Distinguished Employee Excellence Award: Eadie Balint, Academic Support Staff, College of Arts and Sciences
- Distinguished Research Excellence Award: Robert ‘Bob’ Bauman, Professor of History and Academic Director of Arts and Sciences
- Outstanding Adjunct Business Faculty Award: Ben Goodey, Business Adjunct Faculty, Business Law
- Outstanding Adjunct STEM Faculty Award: Nathan Tenney, Adjunct Faculty, Computer Science
Evening of Excellence
The purpose of the Student Excellence Awards is to recognize the outstanding leadership and achievements of WSU Tri-Cities’ student organizations, students, and advisors. The awards ceremony, also called the Evening of Excellence is hosted by the Office of Student Engagement & Leadership.
The following individuals were honored at the Evening of Excellence ceremony:
- Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Career in Leadership: Josiah Cantu and Nathaly Mendoza
- Student Leader of the Year: Reem Osman
- Student Employee of the Year: Anmol Hothi
- Cougar Image Award: Isaac Marroquin
- Crimson Spotlight Award: Maksim Karazhbei
- Student Organization Advisor of the Year: Stephanie Warner
- Student Organization of the Year: Critical Care Student Nurses Association
- Leaders in Action: Maker’s Club
- Student Organization Event of the Year: Dia De Los Muertos (Dreamer’s Club)
Graduation Receptions
In the week leading up to commencement, each academic college hosted a graduation reception for their graduating students and their families.
College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Seniors:
- History: Nathaly Mendoza
- Psychology: Justin Trang
- Earth and Environmental Sciences: Albert Lawver
- Humanities: Sophia Hodgson
- Social Sciences: Spencer Ramos
- Biology: David Cancino
- English: Sandra Rodriguez
- DTC: Rochelle Delacruz
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Outstanding Seniors:
- Civil Engineering: Johnathan Lund
- Computer Science: Myles DeSmet
- Electrical Engineering: Evan Wolfe
- Mechanical Engineering: Josiah Cantu
CougsGive Day
With the support of our community, WSU Tri-Cities raised $16,895 for the WSU Tri-Cities Scholars Excellence Fund and the WSU Tri-Cities First-Generation Excellence Fund! These generous gifts contribute directly to our student’s success.
Throughout the day, students shared stories on their social media accounts about those on campus who made a major impact on their lives.
