Staff and faculty play a crucial part in WSU’s work and the university each year recognizes employees for their contributions, including milestones in their time at Washington State.
“Employee recognition is a vital part of the WSU experience and we’re proud to honor their service and commitment,” said Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Theresa Elliot-Cheslek. “Recognizing and supporting the contributions of our employees is critical to fulfilling the university system’s land-grant mission.”
As part of the Employee Recognition Program, WSU employees receive length-of-service awards starting at five years of service and then every five years after that.
In 2021, James Evermann, Michael Griswold, and Fred Loaiza celebrated 45 years at WSU.
James Evermann
Evermann is a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and section head of immunodiagnostics at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab (WADDL). He has worked at WADDL his entire career with WSU, beginning in the late 1970s with diagnosing viral, bacterial and chlamydial infections in livestock, llamas, alpacas, horses, cheetahs, domestic cats and dogs.
In 1990, he took a sabbatical for a year at the genetics lab at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Frederick, Maryland, to work on persistent coronaviral infections and comparison of bovine leukemia virus with the bovine (BIV) and human lentiviral (HIV) infections. Aside from that year, Evermann worked at WADDL on animal disease research, biosecurity and diagnostics.
“I am most thankful for the CVM deans that I have served with over the years, especially Dr. Leo Bustad, who had faith in me,” Evermann said. “I have also been blessed with great lab managers, in particular Alison McKeirnan, and with the lab staff and colleagues who were always there to assist, help edit manuscripts, and spend the weekends checking viral plates and reading test results.”
Michael Griswold
Griswold, Regents Professor and director of the School of Molecular Biosciences, joined the WSU faculty in 1976 as a biochemist.
He served terms as chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics and dean of the College of Sciences. Griswold gave the WSU Distinguished Faculty address in 1994, received the Sahlin Award for research in 1999 and the WSU Eminent Faculty award in 2009. His research focuses on spermatogenesis with an emphasis on the function of Sertoli cells. His work provided fundamental and groundbreaking insights into Sertoli cell-germ cell interactions and the crucial role of vitamin A during spermatogenesis. The NIH has continuously funded Griswold’s research since 1977, with nearly $30 million in total funding. One grant is currently in its 43rd year.
Fred Loaiza
Loaiza is the animal care facilities manager at the College of Veterinary Medicine and large animal supervisor.
He has managed over 250 students working for the animal care program. Some of them have been second generation students whose parents also worked for Loaiza.
“I appreciate the opportunity to have been part of something great, especially while working for the College of Veterinary Medicine. I have learned so much, met so many people, and over the years made lifelong friends,” Loaiza said.
Employee recognition events and awards are managed by Human Resource Services. At each length-of-service milestone, employees receive a letter of congratulation, a certificate of service, a lapel pin, and an award selected by the employee.
All 2021 length-of-service awardees are listed on the HRS website.
