SEATTLE, WA – The Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) is excited to welcome three new members to its board of directors and one returning member who will each serve three-year terms and a new treasurer who will serve a two-year term. The board guides the implementation of WSAS’s mission, sets its strategic priorities and provides oversight.

Nathan Baker, Product Lead of Azure Quantum Elements at Microsoft, Brian French, Regents Professor and the Berry Family Distinguished Professor in the College of Education at Washington State University (WSU) and Kristi Morgansen, Boeing-Egtvedt Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics at the University of Washington (UW), will join the board effective September 30. Current board member Susmita Bose, Westinghouse Distinguished Professor at Washington State University, was re-elected for a second term.

Baker was elected to WSAS in 2020 for his technical expertise and leadership in signature discovery research, including projects in machine learning, decision support, risk analysis, and signal processing with applications in bioforensics, soil microbiomes, and nuclear non-proliferation. He previously held positions as Division Director and Laboratory Fellow at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Distinguished UW-PNNL Faculty Fellow at the University of Washington. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and currently serves on WSAS’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and Canvassing Committee.

Said Baker, “I am honored to join the WSAS Board and look forward to helping WSAS broaden its membership to reflect the diversity of Washington State’s scientific community so that it can best fulfill its mission as an independent and authoritative voice of science in our state.”

French was elected to WSAS in 2021 for his pioneering work in the development and application of psychometric methods for validation of test scores and the use of simulation to strengthen statistical models for test development. He currently serves as a Co-chair for the Educators of Measurement Committee with the National Council on Measurement in Education, as a member of the ETS Graduate Education Advisory Council and Chair of the GRE Research and Technical Advisory Committee, as a member of the American Psychological Association Fellow Selection Committee-Division 15 & 5, and as a member of WSAS’s Education and Canvassing Committees.

Said French, “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the WSAS Board and look forward to identifying new opportunities for WSAS members to serve and give back to Washington State.”

Morgansen was elected to WSAS in 2021 for significant advances in nonlinear methods for integrated sensing and control in engineered, bioinspired, and biological flight systems, and for leadership in cross-disciplinary aerospace workforce development. She is currently the Director of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium, co-Director of the UW Space Policy and Research Center, Fellow of AIAA and Chair of the AIAA Aerospace Department Chairs Association. She is also a member of the WSAS Education Committee.

Said Morgansen, “I am excited to serve on the WSAS board and work with WSAS members to leverage and grow WSAS’s impact by identifying new opportunities for WSAS to collaborate and partner with the state in addressing the state’s needs.”

Jonathan Yoder, Distinguished Professor for Sustainable Development in the School of Economic Sciences at Washington State University, was elected by WSAS members to serve as Treasurer.

“WSAS is in an exciting period of growth thanks to the effort and success of the WSAS staff, board of directors, and members,” said Yoder. “As treasurer, I will help to manage and promote the fiscal health and growth of WSAS.”

“Congratulations to our new and returning board members,” said John Roll, WSAS president and chair of the board. “I look forward to working together to continue growing WSAS’s visibility and impact across our great state.”

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