Leadership

Michael Wolcott 
Interim Vice President for Research, and Regents Professor 

wolcott@wsu.edu 
509-335-6392 

Michael Wolcott, Regents Professor in WSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was appointed interim vice president for research at WSU in 2023. He is a member of the interdisciplinary Materials Science and Engineering faculty and a researcher in the Composite Materials and Engineering Center. He also serves as the Associate Director for Research and Director of the Office of Clean Technology. In this capacity, he facilities collaborations between the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, developing Joint Faculty Appointments, a Distinguished Graduate Research Program, and Joint Institutes. It is truly an honor to celebrate 25 years at WSU.

Wolcott is an international leader in the field of bio-renewable materials and fuels. His research has led to the development of advanced materials and fuels to improve performance while reducing costs and environmental burdens. From 2011-2017, Wolcott serve as the Principal Co-Director for the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA). NARA was a $40 million research consortium with 32-member organizations and funded by the USDA National Institutes for Food and Agriculture. With a broad alliance of private industry and educational and government researchers, NARA founded a holistic approach to building a supply chain within Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana to use forest harvest residuals to produce alternative jet fuels and co-products. Prior to arriving at WSU in 2001, Wolcott was an Adjunct Professor in the College of Wood Science at Nanjing Forestry University in Nanjing, China. Prior to his appointment in China, he taught wood science in the Division of Forestry at West Virginia University. Wolcott is widely published in the academic literature. He has received numerous national and international awards for research excellence. He is a Fellow in the International Academy of Wood Science and is frequently invited as keynote lecturer at international conferences. He also holds six patents. He graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor of Science in wood science and a Master of Science in Forestry. He received his doctorate in materials engineering science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Tawni Huffman
Executive Assistant to Interim Vice President for Research

tawni.huffman@wsu.edu
509.335.5532

Tawni Huffman has worked in the WSU Office of Research since March 2018. She previously served as an Administrative Assistant II for the Office of Research and Principal Assistant for the Innovation and Research Engagement Office. Over the past two years, Tawni has been instrumental in providing direct administrative support to the Office of Research leadership team.

Dan Nordquist 
Deputy Vice President for Research for Operations, Office of Research Support and Operations (ORSO)

nordquist@wsu.edu 
509-335-7717 

Dan Nordquist serves as deputy vice president for research for operations in the Office of Research Support and Operations (ORSO). He has been involved in research administration at WSU since 1990, joining the Office of Research in 1995. In 2002, Nordquist was appointed permanent director of the Office of Grant and Research Development, now the Office of Research Support and Operations (ORSO). He was appointed associate vice president in 2015 before becoming deputy vice president for research in 2018. Nordquist oversees pre-award support, the OR Information Technology team, and  manages operational initiatives, and special projects. He plays an essential role in policy development and ensuring that WSU is compliant with federal regulations.

Kim Christen 
Associate Vice President and Associate Vice Chancellor, Pullman, Office of Research Advancement & Partnerships (ORAP)

kachristen@wsu.edu 
509-335-4177 

Kim Christen has served as the assistant vice president and associate vice chancellor for the Office of Research Advancement & Partnerships (ORAP) since 2023. She is a professor and former chair of WSU’s Department of Digital Technology and Culture, and was the founder and Director of the Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation for ten years. Dr. Christen is an internationally recognized leader in Information Sciences. She is the founder of Mukurtu CMS an open-source software platform designed with Indigenous communities globally to meet their unique information, curatorial, and data needs. She is also the co-founder of Local Contexts, a global initiative to provide digital tools and legal frameworks for stewarding digital cultural heritage and the management of intellectual property by Indigenous communities. As AVP/AVC she works with funders, and government officials, university leaders and faculty to promote and advance WSU’s research and creative activity.

Jonathan Male 
Assistant Vice Chancellor, Pullman, Office of National Lab Partnerships (ONLP)

jonathan.male@wsu.edu 
509-335-0904 

Jonathan Male serves as the assistant vice chancellor for research and director of the Office for National Laboratory Partnerships (ONLP). Male previously held a variety of research and management positions at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) from 2006-2013, including lab relationship manager for Bioenergy, management and operational detail with the Office of Biomass Program, and scientist with projects in aftertreatment catalysts, scintillators, and renewable chemicals. He rejoined PNNL in the Energy Processes and Materials Division in May 2020, and in December 2020 became an adjunct faculty in the Biology Systems Engineering Department at WSU. In June 2021, Male became the co-director of the WSU-PNNL Bioproducts Institute. In the interim, 2013-2020, Male served as the director of the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) at the Department of Energy (DOE) for over six years. He has more than 20 years of research experience in catalysts, inorganic materials, greenhouse gas emissions reduction technologies, and the production of chemicals and fuels. He has numerous publications, patents, and presentations in these fields.

Nina Woodford 
Director, Office of the Campus Veterinarian (OCV)

nwoodford@wsu.edu 
509-335-8035 

Nina Woodford serves as the director of the WSU Office of the Campus Veterinarian (OCV). She attended WSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, then completed a residency in laboratory animal medicine at the University of Michigan. She returned to Pullman in 2001 to work for the Office of the Campus Veterinarian. In 2016, she took over as director, overseeing the health and welfare of every animal in the WSU system.

Mike Kluzik 
Director, Office of Research Assurances (ORA)

mkluzik@wsu.edu 
509-335-9553 

Mike Kluzik has served as the director of the Office of Research Assurances (ORA) at WSU and worked at WSU since 2001 supporting research related safety and health.  Prior to his career at WSU, Kluzik held occupational health and safety roles in manufacturing, aerospace, and forest product industries across the country. He holds a Master of Health Science degree in environmental health engineering from The Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health from Colorado State University and is a retired certified industrial hygienist and retired certified safety professional.

Mary Boyd 
Director, Administrative Services 
mary.boyd@wsu.edu 
509-335-7618 

Mary Boyd is the director of the Office of Research Administrative Services. She has 35 years of experience in accounting and human resources in non-profit service organizations and higher education. A proud alumna of WSU, she holds a master’s degree in business administration. Boyd’s career at WSU began over 20 years ago and includes several roles in research administrative support units. In addition to her experience in accounting and human resources, her background includes experience with strategic planning, foreign exchange, and nonprofit fundraising.