Leong is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Microbiology who worked at OSU from 1975-2002, concentrating on viruses. While in Corvallis, she developed successful treatments for viral diseases afflicting regional trout and salmon using techniques including vaccines created from recombinant DNA.
Frazier joined Oregon State’s Horticulture Department in 1949, coming from the University of Hawaii. At Oregon State, he worked on breeding new varieties of vegetables with his student and fellow faculty member Jim Baggett. They are known for the developing a bush variety of the Blue Lake green bean, which enabled farmers to mechanically harvest this popular variety. Frazier also developed the Willamette tomato, one of the first varieties developed for the Willamette Valley and still popular with home gardeners.
The Administrative Services Building opened in 1972, replacing the temporary Camp Adair buildings that had been used for the previous 25 years. The building housed almost all of OSU’s administrative and student services, including the president’s office, as well as the State System of Higher Education’s Controllers’ Division. It was renamed the Kerr Administration Building in 1996.
The Gladys Valley Gymnastics Center is housed within the former Mitchell Playhouse. It has been the training space for OSU gymnastics since 1992. Funding for restoring and refurbishing the space came from the Wayne and Galdys Valley Foundation.
Menken earned First Team All-American status in 1981 and played on the Olympic gold medal winning 1984 United States women’s basketball team. She played for OSU from 1979 to 1981 and set several school records, some of which still stand.
Lunch was well known for his political commentaries and analysis on Oregon Public Broadcasting, which began in 1988. He was often heard on OPB’s Oregon Considered radio program and the Seven Days television program. He was a faculty member in OSU’s Political Science Department from 1984 to 2011, and served as department chair his last eight years.
This award is granted annually by the OSU Womens Center. Helen Berg (center) was a statistician at OSU and the first woman mayor of Corvallis, serving from 1994-2006.