At his core, Wilusz is a passionate RNA biologist and honored virologist, whose ongoing viral RNA research has resulted in 122 publications, nearly 100 trainees, and over $13 million of research funding at CSU alone. He received an Oliver P. Pennock Distinguished Service award in 2020.

A dedicated contributor to the scientific community at large, he has been recognized for his continued involvement and committed leadership in multiple professional societies, editorial boards, and grant review panels.

Wilusz has served on numerous department, college, and university committees over the years, and is well-known on campus for committing his extensive research experience to mentor other scientists, as well as the humor with which he does all these things in just 21 years.

In his own words

We asked Wilusz to reflect on what matters most to him:

“This might sound crazy, but the ‘average person’ doesn’t exist. We are all individual data points along a spectrum of strengths and weaknesses/likes and dislikes ­‑and teaching to the hypothetical average person simply doesn’t get the job done. Personalized education and extracurricular help are key to student success, particularly at the graduate student level as the scientific playing field is particularly demanding.

“Two things come to mind that have been exceptionally motivating for me over the years in establishing my educational philosophy. The first has been to completely shun the statement that I heard early in my career that ‘I taught my students everything they know, but not everything I know.’ Learning the hard way by trial and error is not an option in today’s competitive scientific environment. We need to give all of our CSU students everything they need to succeed. Thus I never hesitate to share any aspect of my knowledge/professional experience with students. Second, seeing graduates struggle to find a job in their chosen profession to me is just unacceptable. Hence I do and will continue to do everything in my power to ensure thorough and practical training – including in terms of professional development – to place our graduates’ resumes at the top of the pile.

“I strive to share my intense passion and love for all things RNA with my students. Even if they don’t ‘see the light’ and want to become RNA biologists, scientific passion in and of itself is infectious and motiving.

“Impact is a buzz word at all levels of the scientific enterprise – and it’s something that we all strive for on a daily basis. While research publications are one measure of impact, in my humble opinion, training early career scientists to be able to accomplish what they are capable of is by far the most impactful thing we can do as faculty. While research papers tend to have a one-off impact, the impact/reach of effort expended in graduate education is exponential as the trainee positively affects the field with the skills that they learned.

“I honestly feel that I’ve never worked a day in my life – I love what I do and I thoroughly enjoy doing it. I have a habit of instilling humor (or unsuccessful attempts at it) into all aspects of my teaching and personal interactions. I’m honestly not sure why – maybe it’s just a way to relax and try to connect with people in what can be stressful situations. So if we ever have the honor to meet, be prepared for some inane quips and one-liners – and I truly hope that they enhance (aka my underlying intention) rather than derail the conversation.”