The College of Veterinary Medicine’s Distinguished Alumni Awards honor outstanding alumni for their significant contributions to biomedical research, medicine, public health, education, and veterinary medicine. Each year, recipients are selected by a college committee from nominations submitted by classmates, colleagues, peers, and family.
This year, the event took place on March 22, 2025, at the Elson S. Floyd Cultural Center, celebrating the achievements of those who continue to make a lasting impact in their fields.
Distinguished Alumni Awards
- Internationally renowned infectious disease researcher and WSU regents professor Dr. Terry McElwain (’86 PhD) earned the Graduate Alumni Award.
- Veterinarian Dr. Duane Wolverton (’77 DVM), who practiced in Kamiah, Idaho, for 47 years, was recognized with the college’s Outstanding Service Alumni Award.
- Board-certified psychiatrist and University of Washington professor Dr. Jennifer Erickson (’06 BS Neuroscience) earned the Undergraduate Alumni Award.
- Veterinary professors and researchers Dr. Peter Anderson (’81 DVM) and Dr. Paul Morley (’86 BS, ’87 BS, ’89 DVM) earned the Excellence in Teaching and Research Award.
- Pathologist and researcher Dr. Loren Koller (’65 DVM) received the WSU Alumni Association’s Alumni Achievement Award.
Dr. Terry McElwain
Dr. McElwain earned his DVM from Kansas State University in 1980 before completing an NIH fellowship and residency at WSU, where he received his PhD in infectious diseases and immunology in 1986. A diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists, he joined WSU’s faculty in 1989, becoming a regents professor in 2013 and retiring in 2016 after 32 years. He served as director and executive director of the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, interim dean of the college, and co-founded the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health. An expert in global disease surveillance, he helped establish the National Animal Health Laboratory Network and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2009.
Dr. Duane Wolverton
Dr. Wolverton graduated from WSU with his DVM in 1977 before returning to his hometown of Orofino, Idaho, where he has dedicated his life to serving both animals and people. With over four decades of offering discounted spays, neuters, and a sanctuary for pets awaiting new homes, he has been a pillar of compassion and care in his community. Nominated multiple times for the Rotary Citizen of the Year award, Dr. Wolverton is known for putting the needs of others above his own. He has also sponsored local 4-H programs for decades and consistently provided care for rescue animals, often without compensation.
Dr. Jennifer Erickson
Dr. Erickson graduated from WSU with a B.S. in neuroscience in 2006 before completing osteopathic medical school in California at COMP in 2011, a psychiatry residency at the University of New Mexico in 2015, and a fellowship in New York in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry in 2016. She is now an assistant professor at the University of Washington, where she’s an expert in the collaborative care model and the medical director of the Traumatic Brain Injury-Behavioral Health ECHO program. She is board-certified in psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry, brain injury medicine, and neuropsychiatry-behavioral neurology. She supports the education of the next generation of psychiatrists as one of the associate program directors for the Adult Psychiatry Residency Program.
Dr. Paul Morley
Dr. Morley earned B.S. degrees in animal sciences and veterinary science in addition to a DVM at WSU. He now serves as a professor and director of research for the Veterinary Education, Research, and Outreach (VERO) Program at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and is a renowned epidemiologist, animal scientist, and veterinary internal medicine specialist who is recognized internationally for his expertise in infectious diseases. Dr. Morley has 30 years of distinguished service on the faculty at premier institutions, including Ohio State University, Colorado State University, University of Colorado, and Texas A&M. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed scientific articles and acquired more than $21 million in research funding during his career.
Dr. Peter Anderson
Dr. Anderson earned his DVM from WSU and is a professor of pathology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine. After veterinary school, he completed a residency and fellowship in human pathology at UAB, later earning a PhD in experimental cardiovascular pathology. Since joining the faculty in 1986, his research on cardiac hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and stents has led to over 100 publications and six patents. A leader in medical education, he co-created the PEIR website for digital pathology resources. His teaching excellence has earned numerous awards, including the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award, and he was named a fellow of the Association of Academic Pathology in 2023.
Dr. Loren Koller
Dr. Koller earned his DVM from WSU in 1965 and a PhD in pathology from the University of Wisconsin in 1971. He served as the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University from 1985 until 1995. A pathologist and researcher, he has contributed to pathology, toxicology, immunology, and carcinogenesis, pioneering immunotoxicology since the early 1970s. Before OSU, he was associate dean at the University of Idaho (1978–1985) and held positions at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He has published extensively, served on editorial boards, grant review panels, and National Academy of Sciences committees, and held leadership roles in professional organizations, including the Society of Toxicology.