Western Washington University recently honored several faculty and staff members for faculty leadership, diversity achievement, bridging and community engagement. Classified and professional staff members along with an interdepartmental team also received awards.
The faculty leadership and diversity achievement awards included $1,500 stipends for research, teaching equipment and supplies or professional enhancement. The bridging award recipient received $1,000.
Angela Harwood received the outstanding faculty leadership award. Harwood is a professor of Secondary Education at Woodring College of Education and is beginning her 20th year of teaching at Western. Harwood is working with a team of people to support Latino and Latina students and families. She is the co-creator of the Service-Learning Faculty Fellows program and has been recognized nationally for her work. She graduated from the University of Utah with dual degrees in English and political science. She earned her master’s and Ph.D. in educational leadership from Emory University.
Joan Ullin was awarded the diversity achievement award. Ullin is the coordinator of academic support at Western’s Student Outreach Services office. She has cultivated partnerships between Northwest Indian College and Western’s College of Science and Technology and will soon introduce a Western chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Hispanics, Chicanos and Native Americans in Science. Ullin also is president of Western’s Minority Employees Council.
Cher Carnell received the Carl H. Simpson bridging award. Carnell is the associate chair of theatre and dance as well as dance coordinator. She has been teaching at Western since 1996 and currently teaches two courses on dance history and ballet technique.
June Fraser Thistle received an award for outstanding classified staff. Fraser Thistle manages the Residence Life office where she works with students in leadership roles at Western’s residence halls. She previously supervised in the Student Accounts department where she improved Western’s customer service and guided students through financing their education.
Devlin O’Donnell was awarded the professional staff award for excellence. O’Donnell is the Coordinator of Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services. She has worked in violence prevention in the county since 2001 and with Western since 2006. She trains students on bystander intervention tips, how to recognize abusive behavior and how to support survivors.
Korry Harvey received the community engagement award. Harvey is a senior instructor in the Department of Communication and assistant director of Western’s debate program. He is a founding member of the Whatcom Progressive Grassroots Network, known as Solidarity.
The teach recognition award went to the Institutional Scholarship and Waiver Streamlining Project. The team designed, wrote, tested and implemented software to effectively provide critical informational scholarships and tuition waivers. Team members include Aspen apGaia, systems analyst; Tom Baldridge, information technology specialist in financial aid; Clara Capron, director of financial aid; Margie Conway, assistant director of admission and information systems; Karen Copetas, director of admissions and enrollment planning; Donna Janigo, director of advancement records and reports; Lisa Keene, fiscal specialist in the Western Foundation; Jim Kelly, systems analyst; Lori Larkin, admissions information technology specialist; Jean Meyer, manager of student financial aid systems; Carole Morris, administrative services manager in Woodring College of Education; Dina Murphy, manager of the Scholarship Center; Linda Norman, systems analyst; Jaime Prada, systems analyst; Bob Schneider, director of administrative computing services; Stephanie Wanne, administrative services manager in the College of Business and Economics; Billie Watts, manager of application systems; Patricia Woehrlin, former senior director for the Western Foundation and Patricia Wood, information technology specialist in the graduate school.
