SHANNON POINT RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, MATH, AND ENGINEERING MENTORING

In a White House ceremony on March 18, Dr. Steve Sulkin, SPMC Director, accepted the award on behalf of the Shannon Point Marine Center. Shannon Point was one of six institutions in the nation the President honored for achieving "remarkable" increases in "participation of minorities, women, and disabled students" in scientific fields. Dr. Brian Bingham, director of the Minorities in Marine Science Undergraduate Program, for which Shannon Point received the honor, also was recognized for his work in promoting diversity. In a ceremony at the US Capitol, he received the Walter B. Jones/NOAA Excellence Award for Promoting Diversity in Coastal and Ocean Resource Management.

The mission of the Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC) is to increase understanding of the coastal marine environment and resources of the Puget Sound basin through research and education. SPMC's academic programs support Western Washington University's undergraduate and graduate marine science curricula and special programs that target undergraduate students nationwide.