Fall 2021 News & Briefs

Nellams is the director of the Seattle Center, where he manages a staff of 240 full-time employees and more than 650 intermittent staff. Conner is the former vice chairman of The Boeing Co. He graduated from CWU in 1979 and joined the BOT in 2018. He currently sits on the board of directors of Alaska Airlines and for Adient, a global supplier of seats to the automotive and aerospace industries.

••••••

Governor Appoints Paige Hall as Student Trustee

Governor Jay Inslee named Paige Hall as CWU’s student trustee for the 2021-22 academic year. Hall, a 22-year-old Renton High School graduate, will be a senior during her term and is majoring in family and child life with a specialization in child development. She is also pursuing a minor in Africana and Black Studies. Additionally, she serves as student initiative coordinator at CWU’s Diversity and Equity Center and is active with the Black Student Union.

••••••

Educational Opportunity Centers Receive $2.67 Million

Central’s goal of reaching more prospective students from underrepresented communities around the state received a major boost this fall when the U.S. Department of Education approved two Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC) program grants worth $2,672,960 over the next five years. This year alone, the EOCs will receive $534,592 combined, with more than half of the funding—$302,542—going to CWU’s existing TRIO EOC, housed at Yakima Valley College.

••••••

Revered ‘Nick on the Rocks’ Program Collects Pair of Emmy Awards

CWU won two Emmy Awards this summer from the Northwest Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts and Sciences for the popular geological sciences program Nick on the Rocks. The show—which aired on PBS through last year and is still available on YouTube—was recognized for the “Teanaway Tropics” episode in the category Environment/Science, and for the episode “Saddle Mountains Buried in Ash” in the category Informational/Instructional. The Emmys were presented to Linda Schactler, executive producer; Nick Zentner, host/writer; and Chris Smart, producer/photographer/editor.

••••••

NSF Names Johansen as Section Head of Atmospheric Sciences

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has appointed CWU Professor of Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Anne Johansen as section head of atmospheric sciences. Johansen has been working with the NSF as acting section head since November 2020. With this appointment, she steps into a more official, long-term role with the agency. The purpose of the NSF is to review and fund promising research in science, engineering, and education.

••••••

Need Creates Demand for Master’s in STEM Leadership

CWU has begun offering the state’s first and only Master of Education specialization in STEM Leadership. The 48-credit hybrid program, introduced this fall, is geared toward the needs of K-12 teachers, allowing them to attend classes in the summer without having to manage their daily teaching responsibilities. The degree, open to all elementary through 12th-grade teachers, typically takes two years to complete and is designed for those who want to improve STEM offerings at the school and district levels.

••••••

Spanish-Language Math Program Earns National Diversity Award

A CWU-sponsored math program has been recognized with the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award by INSIGHT into Diversity magazine, the oldest higher education diversity publication in the U.S. The Círculo de Matemáticas en Español—also known as Kittitas Valley Spanish Language Math Circles, or KVMC—is hosted by Spanish-speaking CWU undergraduates, and invites elementary and middle school students to engage with math exercises in their native language, through non-traditional teaching methods. Students create art, play games, and discuss complex, real-world mathematical problems with their mentors, without the roadblocks a language gap can cause. cwu.edu/math/KVMC-Espanol

••••••

CWU-Des Moines Offers New Computer Science Program

Capitalizing on the long-standing partnership between CWU and Highline College, CWU-Des Moines is launching a new undergraduate Bachelor of Science computer science program in January 2022. Designed to address the strong demand for computer science professionals in the greater Seattle area, the new program seeks to prepare more CWU students for careers in the Northwest technology industry.

••••••

Vaccinated Students Receive $10,000 in Scholarships

CWU awarded five scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each to Central students who were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The scholarships were funded by the Governor’s Office and were part of the state’s “Shot of a Lifetime” program, which incentivized vaccinations among Washington college students. The scholarship winners were Niki Abaglo, Law and Justice major; Jenny Hart, Business Administration, Human Resources Management major; Angela W. Park, undeclared; Unouna Pauu, Psychology major; and Catherine Wotherspoon, undeclared.

••••••

Food and Agribusiness Management Program Launches

The College of Business has rolled out a new minor/certificate program in food and agribusiness management and marketing. The program was established in response to the workforce and education needs identified around the region, along with increasing employer demand from the state’s food and ag industries. It focuses on preparing students for careers in the food and ag sectors, specifically in the areas of marketing and management, human resources, operations management, food service management, and product management.

••••••

New Fashion Marketing Specialization First in the Region

The Apparel, Textiles, and Merchandising (ATM) department now offers a fashion marketing specialization that is designed to take advantage of growing demand across the region. As the only program of its kind in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, the new specialization is designed to educate future leaders in the fashion marketing industry by providing them with knowledge and skills they will need to start their careers—and make an immediate impact.