Business Beat

Education

Washington State University has named seven faculty members to the second cohort faculty fellows for the university’s Honors College. The cohort, who will begin their three year appointments in May, are: Phyllis Erdman, an associate dean in the College of Education; Roschelle “Shelly” Fritz, an assistant professor at WSU Vancouver’s College of Nursing; Lydia Gerber, director of the Asia Program and a clinical associate professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences; Janessa Graves, an assistant professor at WSU Spokane’s College of Nursing; Philip Gruen, director of the School of Design and Construction and an associate professor in the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences; Babu John Mariadoss, an associate professor in the Department of Marketing and International Business; and Julie Padowski, a clinical associate professor for the Center for Environmental Research, Education and Outreach.

Two groups of Washington State University students have won state community service awards from Campus Compact, a national organization promoting community service from students and employees in higher education. Tram Huong Pham, James Kent and Natalie Tucker, all pharmacy students, organized mumps vaccination clinics during the recent mumps outbreak in conjunction with the Spokane Regional Health District. Washington state’s chapter of Campus Compact has awarded $7,500 to be divided between the three students, WSU and the health district for Outstanding Service. Pham, Kent and Tucker will donate their share to the WSU chapter of the American Pharmacists Association. Kira Miller and Shannon Gaston have been selected for Presidents’ Leadership Awards. Miller works with children with diabetes and heart disease and helps at Spokane’s Women and Children’s Free Restaurant. Gaston opened and operates a campus pantry for fellow students and is involved with the Greater Spokane Dietetics Association. Both Miller and Gaston are students in the Nutrition and Exercise Physiology program at WSU.

Insurance

Spokane insurance company Moloney + O’Neill has announced a number of moves within its Commercial Lines Department. Chisa Uka has been promoted to Assistant Account Manager. Jon Grau has been hired as an Account Assistant. Brenda Hatch has been promoted to Account Manager. Darcy Swanson has been promoted to Account Manager, while Tiah Scarlett has been promoted to Account Manager in the department’s Small Business Unit.

Law

Witherspoon Brajcich McPhee P.L.L.C. has announced Levi E. Liljenquist has joined the firm. Liljenquist’s areas of practice are estate planning, probate, taxation and business law.

Real Estate

Windermere North Spokane L.L.C. has announced Greg Bade has been hired as a broker. Bade comes to Windermere from Full Circle L.L.C. and served in the Air Force for 22 years.

Social Work

Katie Evermann Druffel has been awarded Washington State’s “Social Worker of the Year” by the National Association of Social Workers. Evermann Druffel is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and works at Pullman Regional Hospital as Director of Social Work & Care Coordination. She has worked at Pullman Regional Hospital since 2006, when she was hired as the Hospital’s only social worker.