PULLMAN, Wash. Professor David Weller and program assistant Kathleen Parker have been selected to receive the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary’s Honor Award in the diversity category.They are being recognized “for developing innovative (outreach) programs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to enhance the education of and provide research training for underserved youth from reservation and other rural communities.”
Weller is the research leader and supervisory plant pathologist for the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) root disease and biological control research unit and adjunct professor in the WSU plant pathology department. Parker is the ARS program assistant.
Weller and Parker have recruited teams of scientists, faculty, staff and students from WSU, USDA-ARS and Bellevue College, as well as local health professionals, for the last five years. They have volunteered countless hours to provide novel STEM educational opportunities to Washington’s underserved grade school and high school students.
Read an earlier article about their work here.