WSAS announces new members, leadership on board of directors

The Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) announced two new members of its board of directors and its newly elected President-elect and secretary.

Susmita Bose, Westinghouse Distinguished Professor at Washington State University, and Terry McElwain, Regents Professor Emeritus at Washington State University, will join the board effective September 12.

Said Bose, “I am honored to be joining the WSAS board and look forward to creating new opportunities for WSAS to embody its mission of science in service of Washington State.”

Bose was elected to WSAS in 2017 for her contributions to advancing research on 3D-printed bone scaffolds, implant materials, and drug delivery vehicles. She is a fellow of multiple scientific societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and a strong advocate for interdisciplinary education.

McElwain was elected to WSAS in 2008 and to the National Academy of Medicine in 2009. He currently serves as Chair of the WSAS Education Committee and has previously served as a member of the membership committee.

“I am excited to continue my service to WSAS as a board member and look forward to working with WSAS members to better understand how WSAS can help support Washington State STEM education efforts in collaboration with partners throughout the state,” said McElwain.

Allison Campbell, current WSAS treasurer, was elected by WSAS members to be the next president-elect. In addition, current board member Doug Call was elected to be secretary.

“There are many opportunities and issues facing Washington State where WSAS is well-positioned to have a significant impact,” said Campbell. “As president-elect, I am excited to help grow WSAS’s reach and impact and look forward to engaging and diversifying our membership so that we can continue to build WSAS into a strong and sought-after voice of science within our state.”

“Washington State needs access to unbiased cutting-edge information that can be trusted and that is actionable,” said Call. “WSAS has already demonstrated the capacity to serve this role, but it is crucial to grow our contributions more than ever. As secretary, I will do my best to maintain the highest standards of transparency and accuracy to ensure that the collective efforts of the Board and the Academy are not delayed in any manner.”

Several members of the board were also re-elected. They include:

Ann Bostrom, Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor of Environmental Policy, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, University of Washington

Howard Frumkin, Senior Vice President, Trust for Public Land, and Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health, University of Washington,

Patricia Hunt, Regents Professor in the School of Molecular Biosciences at Washington State University

Lee Huntsman, President Emeritus, University of Washington

“Congratulations to our new and returning board members,” said John Roll, WSAS president and chair of the board. “It will be a pleasure to work together to bring scientific expertise to the many important policy questions that face the State of Washington.”