College of Arts and Sciences Staff Awards

Mid-Career Achievement

Ryan Rice, a biochemist by training, manages the technical and pedagogical aspects of the chemistry learning laboratories at WSU Pullman. He coordinates hiring of teaching assistants to lead more than 150 chemistry lab sections for more than 1,500 students each year. He is also the department’s primary consultant for laboratory safety, addressing potential concerns and proactively engaging students about safety protocols. Rice’s input was key to successfully transitioning the printed 100-level lab manual to an online resource, and he developed a popular series of pre-lab videos to demonstrate critical laboratory tasks. Amid the challenges to instruction posed by the pandemic, he created flexible lessons and videos to help maintain educational standards. An integral part of the instruction team, Rice is a consummate professional, dedicated to consistently improving the student experience and the value of a WSU degree.

Feature written by CAS Communications