Six WWU Faculty Members Named Cottrell Scholars

Six faculty members from Western Washington University’s departments of Chemistry and Physics were named Cottrell Scholars by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) on April 20.

The faculty members named scholars are Mark Bussell, John Gilbertson, Jenelle Leger, Greg O’Neil, David Patrick and James Vyvyan.

This award recognizes the commitment of Western faculty members to integrate their research and teaching and the quality of their work with students.

Currently Western has more Cottrell Scholars than any other masters-granting university in the country, and the same number of scholars as Cal Tech and Columbia. 

“We are very honored here at Western to have so many Cottrell Scholars. This is a tremendous achievement and an indication of the outstanding quality of our faculty and the leading-edge research they conduct with our students,” said Catherine Clark, dean of Western’s College of Science and Engineering.

Bussell, professor of Chemistry, has spent years researching ways to improve the production of ultra-clean fuel with the development of heterogeneous catalysts.

Gilbertson, associate professor of Chemistry, focuses his research on issues dealing with global climate change and carbon dioxide utilization.

Leger, associate professor of Physics and Astronomy, has researched the use of polymers in electronics – specifically developing innovative ways to use conductive polymers to replace silicon and other inorganic semiconductors in applications such as lighting, solar-energy conversion and solid-state memory to improve performance and reduce cost.

O’Neil, associate professor of Chemistry, has focused his research on developing strategies to combine cheap, simple chemicals into important complex structures found in nature. For example, he is currently working on ways to make jet fuel from a common type of algae.

Patrick, professor of Chemistry, researches solar energy, nanoscience and electronic materials.

Vyvyan, professor of Chemistry, has researched a variety of topics in the field of synthetic chemistry, including synthesis of natural products possessing unusual structure features and developing new synthetic methods.

The RCSA has been recognizing the development of outstanding teaching in U.S. colleges and universities for more than 20 years. The Cottrell Scholar Awards support the start of long-term, sustainable programs of research and also encourages early career faculty at research universities to conduct both high-quality research and educational activities,

For more information on the Scholar Awards or award recipients contact James Vyvyan, professor and chair of Western’s Department of Chemistry, at (360) 650-2883 or James.Vyvyan@wwu.edu.