Administration
Howard D. Grimes--Dean of the Graduate School
Vice
President for Research and Dean of the Graduate
School, Professor Howard Grimes has served in a number
of positions and committees in the Graduate School
including the Evaluation Committee for Summer Graduate
Research Assistant Awards, Graduate Studies Committee,
co-chair and chair of Graduate Studies Committee, and
chair of the Associate Dean of the Graduate School
Search Committee.
Grimes is a professor at the
School of Molecular Biosciences and Chair of the
molecular plant sciences program. His research focuses
on the biochemistry of membrane transport proteins and
the structure, function, and regulation of
lipoxygenases--enzymes involved in lipid metabolism and
in the generation of a wide array of signaling
molecules. Both of these areas directly impact plant
productivity and are important targets for genetic
manipulation. Grimes earned his master's in plant
pathology from the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst, and his doctorate in botany from North
Carolina State University.
Phone: 509-335-6412; Fax: 509-335-1949; grimes@wsu.edu
Lori Wiest--Associate Dean
Lori Wiest is Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Coordinator of the Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program. Her primary role is to establish communication plans, published materials, and to oversee the Graduate School Web site. Additional duties within the Graduate School include reviewing program issues as they relate to policy and procedures, petitions, committee approvals, and extensions; organizing Graduate Teaching Assistantship Workshop Series and Graduate Student Orientation, “Getting Connected;” and leading projects related to recruitment and application for admission.
As a faculty member in Music since 1991, Wiest maintains an active teaching role conducting the WSU Concert Choir and Madrigal Singers and teaching courses in conducting as well as teaching interdisciplinary courses for the Graduate School. Under her direction, Wiest's ensembles have been invited to perform in Italy, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Russia, as well as at professional conferences, in addition to their annual outreach performance tours. Recipient of a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, she developed WSU’s American Choral Music Festival in 2008 in collaboration with the Festival of Contemporary Art Music to celebrate the diversity and rich heritage of American choral music. Wiest continues to present workshops and clinics at national, division, and state conferences and has served as guest conductor across the country and in Australia. She earned her bachelor’s in Music Education and Piano Performance from North Dakota State University, master’s in Choral Music from Arizona State University, and doctorate in Choral Conducting and Music Theory from University of Arizona.
Phone: 509-335-7619; Fax: 509-335-1949; lwiest@wsu.edu
Pat Sturko--Associate Dean
Pat Sturko is an Associate Dean involved with graduate program evaluation and outcomes assessment, enrollment management, and professional development for graduate students. In addition, she supervises the Graduate School Admissions staff, programs, and information technology staff.
Sturko has worked in higher education management and administration for more than 15 years. She has a PhD in education with a focus on adult and organizational learning, BA and MA degrees in English, and additional graduate credits in the area of management. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the Society for Human Resource Management, and has presented workshops at the Colleges and Universities Professional Association (CUPA) regional and international conferences. In her administrative experience, Sturko has provided leadership on programs assessment and evaluation, organization design, change management, and human resource planning for several restructuring initiatives within the university setting.
Phone: 509-335-7718; Fax: 509-335-1949; psturko@wsu.edu
Debra Sellon--Associate Dean
Debra Sellon is an Associate Dean responsible for interdisciplinary graduate education. She is a professor of equine medicine in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her preveterinary and veterinary education at Louisiana State University. After a one-year internship at Texas A&M University, she practiced veterinary medicine on a large Standardbred breeding farm in Central Kentucky.
After leaving private practice she completed residency training in Large Animal Internal Medicine at North Carolina State University and received a PhD in virology with a minor in biotechnology from the same institution. Sellon is a Diplomate (clinical specialist) and past President of the Specialty of Large Animal Internal Medicine in the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Her research interests include the pathogenesis of equine infectious diseases and development of new strategies for management of acute and chronic pain in horses. She is a senior editor for two textbooks published by Elsevier: Equine Internal Medicine and Equine Infectious Diseases.
Phone: 509-335-6424; dsellon@vetmed.wsu.edu
Tori Byington
Director, Graduate
Planning and Assessment Assistant Director, Summer
Fellows Program
Phone: 509-335-3701; byington@wsu.edu
Administrative Staff
Joe Merrill--Administrative Assistant to Dean Grimes
Schedules appointments for Dean Grimes; coordinates
Graduate Student Orientation and Graduate Catalog
revisions; Summer Doctoral Fellows, Jack Kent Cooke
Scholarship Program,
ARCS Foundation; ADA rep.
Phone: 509-335-6412; joem@wsu.edu
Paul Weed--Area Finance/Administrative Officer
Principle financial consultant to the Dean and Vice President for Research, Manager for overall financial and personnel administrative functions. Establishes and maintains area fiscal compliance/audits/reporting. Dean and VP Assistant for Initiatives/Programs; Program and Infrastructure Research Support; Commitments, Graduate Assistantships and Waivers; Personnel Actions; Scholarships; and Scholar Awards; GPSA Financial Advisor. Phone: 509-335-7618; pweed@wsu.edu
Rita Whitcomb--Fiscal Specialist
Fiscal Specialist I - General Fiscal Support including: Travel Grants, Budget Tracking, McNair Grant Tracking, Graduate Appointment Processing; Travel Purchase; Budget Reconciliation. Phone: 509-335-5165; rwhitcomb@wsu.edu
Admissions
Jenny V. Saligumba-Graham--Academic Coordinator Senior
Academic Coordinator Senior; International Transcript; Evaluator Domestic Credentials Evaluation, International Credentials Evaluation, Admission Coding, I-20s or immigration issues, Admission Certificates, Denial Letters, Residency, International Transfer Credit, Graduate Certificates, Commencement, Summer Session, Change of Major Card.
Admission to PHD card, Fees Refund, WSU Transcript Update, Fulbright and other international programs, Special Projects, Back up for Reenrollment and Grad to Undergrad Cards, Back up to Class Code changes for New Admits, Back up to WICHE program, Special Projects. Phone: 509-335-1446; saligum@wsu.edu
Jean E Whittaker--Academic Coordinator
Academic Coordinator; Domestic Credentials Evaluation, International Credentials Evaluation, Admission Coding, Class Code Code changes for New Admits, Coordinates Minority Applications (Project 1000, McNair), Reenrollment, Special Projects. Phone: 509-335-1446; whittakerje@wsu.edu
Sandy Boone--Academic Coordinator
Academic Coordinator; Domestic Credentials Evaluation, International Credentials Evaluation, Admission Coding, Class Code Code changes for New Admits, Coordinates Minority Applications (Project 1000, McNair), Reenrollment, Special Projects. Phone: 509-335-1446; sboone@wsu.edu
Samantha Riebold--Office Assistant III
Office Assistant III; Download applications,
Application Processing, Dept Rec Processing, Denial
Letter Processing, Admission Cert Processing, Mail
Processing, Transcript
Verification, Receptionist, Special Projects. Phone:
509-335-1446; sriebold@wsu.edu
Academic Programs
Donna Blacker--Academic Coordinator Senior
Academic Coordinator Senior:Thesis/dissertation
acceptance (drafts and finals); exam scheduling
(preliminary and final); final degree clearance;
miscellaneous: deficiencies, reinstatements, petitions,
reduced course load, reserving graduate
credit, programs of study, program and committee
changes, application for degrees, and exception to
policies. Phone: 509-335-1337; blacker@wsu.edu
Mary Ohnemus--Academic Coordinator
Academic Coordinator; Programs of study; program and committee changes; applications for degree; final degree clearance; miscellaneous: thesis/dissertation acceptance (drafts and final), exam scheduling (preliminary and final), deficiencies, reinstatements, petitions, reduced course load, reserving graduate credit, and exception to policies. Phone: 509-335-1218; mohnemus@wsu.edu
PR/Marketing/Communications
Cindy Hollenbeck--Public Relations/Communications Coordinator
Develop communication plans, news releases, etc., for Howard Grimes, Web Manager for Office of Research and the Graduate School, create print and Web-based publications, writer/editor; Social Media, advertising/marketing. Phone: 509-335-1056; cjhollenbeck@wsu.edu
Jennifer Hobson--Professional Writer
Writing and editing print and Web content. Recruitment.
New media research. Graduate student interviews.
Phone: 509-335-1056; jnhobson@wsu.edu
Information Technology
Wendy Woods--Application Systems Analyst
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Application Systems Analyst -Application development; support, maintenance and analysis of systems within the Graduate School with a current emphasis on recruiting and imaging. Phone: 509-335-4825; woodsw@wsu.edu
Jon Heywood--Computer Systems Administrator
Computer Systems Administrator Phone: 509-335-7687; heywood@wsu.edu
Diversity and Recruitment
Deidra Lockhart--Recruitment/Retention Specialist
Recruitment and retention specialist--Recruit underrepresented students for graduate study; assist with planning and implementation of a strategic recruitment and retention plan; Assist in the planning and implementation of special recruitment events/visitations for prospective graduate students; provide academic advising for potential graduate students; Participate in national and other off-campus recruitment fairs and events. Phone: 509-335-7026; dlockhart@wsu.edu
Howard Grimes' Research
A Garden of Hope: Plants Hold Key to Treating a Variety of Diseases
Dr. Grimes on YouTube: A Garden of Hope
Contact Information
Graduate School
Washington State University
French Administration, Room 324
Grimes and Stadium Way
PO Box 641030
Pullman, WA 99164-1030
Phone: 509-335-6424
Fax: 509-335-1949
email: gradsch@wsu.edu