Administration
Howard D. Grimes
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 co-chair of the plant physiology 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 degree 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;
E-mail: grimes@wsu.edu
Steven R. Burkett
Steve Burkett is Associate Dean of the Graduate School. He came to the Graduate School in 1985. He is involved with graduate student recruitment and retention, the TA training program, enrollment management, and academic records and reports. He is also Director of the WSU Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This program prepares promising low-income, first-generation college students and underrepresented students for eventual graduate doctoral study. Currently he serves on the Council of Graduate Schools/Council of Opportunity in Education Joint McNair Committee as one of two CGS appointed representatives. He is past Chair of the Western Name Exchange, a consortium of twenty-six western doctoral granting universities. He is also a past member of the Services Committee of the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) Executive Board, and member of a Council of Graduate Schools task force on models and resources for minority student recruitment and retention. He is Associate Professor of Sociology where his research and teaching interest focus on juvenile delinquency, adolescent alcohol and drug use and abuse. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.
Phone: 509-335-1056; Fax: 509-335-1949;
E-mail: sburkett@wsu.edu
Lori Wiest
Lori Wiest is Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Coordinator of the Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program. Lori’s primary role is working with Marketing Communications in establishing communication plans, published materials, and the Graduate School Website. 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, Lori maintains an active teaching role at Washington State University 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, Lori'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, Lori 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. Lori 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;
E-mail: lwiest@wsu.edu
Pat Sturko
Pat Sturko recently joined the Graduate School as an Associate Dean involved with graduate program evaluation and outcomes assessment, recruitment and enrollment management, and professional development for graduate students. In addition, she supervises the Graduate School Admissions staff, programs, and information technology staff.
Pat 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, B.A. and M.A. 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 program 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
E-mail: psturko@wsu.edu
Debra Sellon
Debra Sellon joined the Graduate School in January 2007 as 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.
Judith Minton
Director of Development
Graduate School
Washington State University West
Phone: 206-448-1330
E-mail: jminton@wsu.edu
As Director of Development for the Graduate School, Judith's primary responsibility is to identify, build and sustain relationships that will result in sources of private support for the mission and work of the Graduate School; its students, faculty and programs. She serves as the primary liaison for WSU to the ARCS Foundation and the ARCS Fellows. Judith works out of the WSU Foundation office in Seattle.
Judith came to WSU via the University of Washington, School of Public Health and Community Medicine and University of Michigan Health System. She has more than 30 years experience as a businesswoman and is a Family Life Educator and professional speaker. She earned her degree in Family Life Education at Spring Arbor College in Michigan.
Tori Byington, Ph.D.
Director, Graduate Planning and Assessment
Assistant Director, Summer Doctoral Fellows Program
Graduate School
French Administration 122
Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164
Phone: 509-335-3701
Email: byington@wsu.edu
Administrative Staff
Joe Merrill
Administrative Assistant - Schedules appointments for the Graduate Dean; coordinates Graduate Student Orientation and Graduate Catalog revisions; contact for Summer Doctoral Fellows Program, Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Program, ARCS Foundation; ADA representative. Phone: 509-335-6412; E-mail: joem@wsu.edu
Paul Weed
Interim Finance Officer - Graduate Assistantships, Personnel Action Forms/Tuition Waivers, Graduate School Scholar Awards, Travel Grants, and other financial matters. Phone: 509-335-7618; E-mail: pweed@wsu.edu
Rita Whitcomb
Fiscal Specialist I - Travel Grants, Budget Tracking,
McNair Grant Tracking, Graduate Appointment Processing,
Graduate School Scholar Awards, Travel Purchase.
Phone: 509-335-5165; Email: rwhitcomb@wsu.edu
Donna Blacker
Academic Coordinator Senior
Domestic Transcript Evaluator
Phone: 509-335-1446
E-mail: blacker@wsu.edu
Jenny V. Saligumba-Graham
Academic Coordinator Senior
International Transcript Evaluator
Phone: 509-335-1446
E-mail: saligum@wsu.edu
Brooke Feider
Academic Coordinator, Senior
Phone: 509-335-1446;
E-mail: wolfb@wsu.edu
Troy Hullin
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Academic Coordinator;
Phone: 509-335-1446;
E-mail: tshullin@wsu.edu
Jean E Whittaker
Academic Coordinator;
Phone: 509-335-6424;
E-mail: whittakerje@wsu.edu
Sandy Boone
Academic Coordinator;
Phone: 509-335-3536;
E-mail: sboone@wsu.edu
Samantha Riebold
Office Assistant III;
Phone: 509-335-5239;
E-mail: sriebold@wsu.edu
Michelle O’Reilly
Office Assistant II;
E-mail: moreilly1@wsu.edu
Academic Programs
Programs approves all aspects of degree progress, Programs of Study and degree completion, including applications for degree, extension requests, Thesis and Dissertations, and final degree clearance for graduation. Programs also schedules written and oral exams, processes petition forms, deficiencies, and undergraduate reserve credits.
Mary Ohnemus
Academic Coordinator;
Thesis Acceptance;
Exam Scheduling;
Phone: 509-335-1218;
E-mail: mohnemus@wsu.edu
Marketing Communications
Cynthia J. Hollenbeck
Public Relations/Communications Coordinator -
Future Students, Recruitment, Content Manager
for the Graduate Web site, Printed materials.
Phone: 509-335-2346; E-mail: cjhollenbeck@wsu.edu
Information Technology
Wendy Woods
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; E-mail: woodsw@wsu.edu
Jon Heywood
Information Systems Coordinator
Phone: 509-335-7687; E-mail: heywood@wsu.edu
Crono Chiu
Technical Assistant
Assists personnel with computer issues;
Web site maintenance;
Phone: 509-335-1716; E-mail: crono@wsu.edu
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