Environmental Science (ESCI) Departmental Awards

The Outstanding M.S. - MESP (Marine and Estuarine Science Program) Graduate award is for excellence in graduate research, service, and mentorship of undergraduate students.

2023-24: Holly Suther

Holly Suther will receive her M.S. in Environmental Science, Marine and Estuarine Science Program this summer. Her work includes measuring PFOS (forever chemicals), PCBs, and other compounds, understanding temporal patterns in contamination, understanding variation in contamination in different species, using passive samplers to predict seaweed contamination, and more. After receiving her M.S., Holly will join Ocean Associates Inc. as a Senior Analyst-Pesticide Consultation Support Specialist. 

Holly says, “Entered grad school liking seaweed, leaving grad school loving seaweed!” 

Faculty members from each academic department and program choose graduate(s) to honor as the year’s Outstanding Graduate. Criteria include grades, research and writing, campus and community service, and future promise.

2023-24: Joey Lane

In their nomination, his professors noted how Joey brings curiosity, critical thinking, and an exceptional work ethic to everything he does. “Not only is he clearly passionate about diverse topics related to the environment, but he asks insightful questions and supports his fellow students along the way. In his coursework, Joey excelled at interweaving the quantitative and qualitative sides of Environmental Science, finding ways to let his excitement shine through, even in data analysis.”

“Thank you to my faculty, who worked tirelessly to provide top-tier education and forge relationships that extended beyond the classroom,” said Joey. “Special thanks to Dr. John McLaughlin for his work to provide students research opportunities and support personal and professional growth like no other.”

Joey graduates Spring quarter with a B.S. in Environmental Science and is working as a full-time intern at the environmental science and engineering consulting firm Anchor QEA in Bellingham this summer, where he hopes to expand his knowledge of ecosystem restoration. Joey is a passionate outdoorsman interested in studying the ecological effects of climate change on fragile Northwest ecosystems. Beyond this summer, he plans to continue consulting and hopes to return to school for a master’s degree in environmental science within the next five years. 
 

The ESCI Community Service Award is a College of the Environment honor for one student in each department who has proven scholastic achievement and service to the College of the Environment, Western, and the community.

2023-24: Sorelle Thompson

“Sorelle’s done a tremendous amount of work for the department in her role as the community engagement coordinator,” said Professor Manuel Montaño in his nomination of Sorelle for this award. “She has been a regular fixture on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee and has put in considerable work into how to build a sense of belonging and community in our department.”

This year, Sorelle continued and expanded a program designed by now-alum Elena King in 2023 to build community among people of color in ESCI. She says, “I am glad that for the last year, I got to work with the DEI committee and Shalini Singh to further Elena King’s mission of making the environmental science department a more inclusive and community-driven place!”

Sorelle Thompson graduates Spring 2024 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. After graduation, she’s heading to Forks, Washington, to do fish habitat assessments for the Department of Natural Resources. 

The Ming-Ho Yu Award for the Best Outstanding Student in Environmental Toxicology was created in 2005 and named after Dr. Ming-Ho Yu, whose love of teaching and inspiring students continued even after he retired in 1997. Dr. Yu played a crucial role in developing the environmental toxicology program in the early 1980s and again when creating the Institute of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry in 1989. Dr. Yu passed away in 2020. This award is granted each spring quarter to an undergraduate who excels academically and shows leadership and research skills that promise an outstanding advanced education and career. 

2023-24 Brianna Benner

We are pleased to announce Brianna Benner as the recipient of the 2024 Ming-Ho Yu Award for Best Outstanding Student in Environmental Toxicology. Named in honor of Professor Yu and his legacy in developing the environmental toxicology program at WWU, this award annually goes out to one student from the ESCI Toxicology emphasis who demonstrates strong academic, scholarly, and leadership qualities in the field of environmental toxicology. Brianna was selected by the faculty to receive this award based on her success in both the classroom and laboratory, as well as her impressive achievements in guiding her Honors thesis project.

Brianna received a B.S. in Environmental Science with a toxicology emphasis and minors in Chemistry and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies in Spring 2024. After graduation, she will stay at Western to pursue a master’s degree. As an undergrad, Brianna conducted research on the use of soil amendments to mitigate nanopesticide leaching. As she shifts towards her master’s, she is excited to stay in the nano realm and branch into new research projects. 

The Outstanding M.S. Graduate award is for excellence in graduate research, service, and mentorship of undergraduate students.

2022-23: Haley Sefi-Cyr

Haley Sefi-Cyr received her M.S. in Environmental Science and also has a B.S. in Environmental Science with an Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry emphasis from Western. “I have worked with Haley in multiple capacities throughout her academic career, starting as a student in my classes and then moving into the lab as an undergraduate researcher and a graduate student,” says Dr. Manuel Montaño. “At every turn Haley has impressed with her scientific acumen, work ethic, and continued desire to improve her community through science.”

The ESCI Community Service Award is a College of the Environment honor for one student in each department who has proven scholastic achievement and service to the College of the Environment, Western, and the community.

2022-23: Elena King

Elena King received a B.A. in Environmental Sciences with minors in Leadership Studies and Sustainability Studies and a certificate in Climate Leadership. “We nominate Elena for the community service award for her contributions to making ESCI a more inclusive place where more of us feel like we belong,” said Dr. Froylán E. Sifuentes, on behalf of the ESCI DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Committee. “Elena’s efforts in setting up a sustained model of community building through faculty-student interaction will pave the way for continued work in making ESCI the most welcoming place we all strive for it to be.” Through an independent project, Elena designed “Creating Community for Underrepresented Students in the ESCI,” a program to build community among people of color (POC) in ESCI by connecting students with each other and with faculty and helping to open doors to mentorship opportunities. She received a $20,000 Sustainability, Equity & Justice Fund (SEJF) grant through WWU's Sustainability Engagement Institute to fund quarterly community-building events for three years, beginning in Spring 2023.

The Ming-Ho Yu Award for the Best Outstanding Student in Environmental Toxicology was created in 2005 and named after Dr. Ming-Ho Yu, whose love of teaching and inspiring students continued even after he retired in 1997. Dr. Yu played a crucial role in developing the environmental toxicology program in the early 1980s and again when creating the Institute of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry in 1989. Dr. Yu passed away in 2020. This award is granted each spring quarter to an undergraduate who excels academically and shows leadership and research skills that promise an outstanding advanced education and career. 

2022-23: Ashlyn Lee

Ashlyn Lee grew up in Lake Stevens, Wash., and always planned to study chemistry. She was inspired to learn about toxicology after watching the movie “Erin Brockovich” and shifted to a toxicology emphasis after taking Prof. Ruth Sofield’s Intro to Toxicology course. Her studies included a study abroad trip to Eleuthera, Bahamas, to work on several research projects ranging from fisheries sciences to artificial reefs. “Ashlyn has consistently proven herself to be an exceptionally motivated student who is always seeking out opportunities to dive deeper into science,” said Dr. Manuel Montaño, Ashlyn’s research mentor. “Her current research project in my lab is developing protocols to study the environmental and biological degradation of plastic material using Raman spectroscopy.”