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A Quarlerly Newsletter WINTER 2013A Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2016: Issue N°9

Message from the Executive Director:It’s commencement season at our colleges and universities. This is a time when we congratulate our students on all that they have accomplished; then revel with amazement at how our alumni better the world around us through their entrepreneurship, innovative spirit, creativity, and commitment to solving today’s great problems and challenges. Best wishes to the Class of 2016!

The 2016 legislative session ended in April (check out our legislative report). Over the next eight months we will be leading a review of some critical issues in higher education, welcoming a number of new presidents and provosts to our state, and looking toward how we can partner with policymakers to increase Washington’s economic prosperity.

COP staff will also be visiting campuses to get critical updates on new campus initiatives as well as continue to learn about the outstanding institutional teaching and learning efforts sector wide. Just last week, for example, I was at Central Washington University and learned about their remarkably successful efforts to increase the number of underrepresented students in critical STEM fields through their SOLVER Scholars Program.

Finally, I would also like to recognize Washington Student Achievement Council Executive Director Dr. Gene Sharratt for his many years of dedicated service to our state. Gene’s career has been driven by an unwavering sense that education changes lives and communities. He has been an outstanding collaborator with COP over his tenure with the Achievement Council. Best wishes to Gene and his entire family in the next stage of their lives.

Paul Francis Executive Director, Council of Presidents

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 2

Two University of Washington undergraduates have won a $10,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for gloves that can translate sign language into text or speech.

The Lemelson-MIT Student Prize is a nationwide search for the most inventive undergraduate and graduate students. This year, UW sophomores Navid Azodi and Thomas Pryor — who are studying business administration and aeronautics and astronautics engineering, respectively — won the “Use It” undergraduate category that recognizes technology-based inventions to improve consumer devices.

Their invention, “SignAloud,” is a pair of gloves that can recognize hand gestures that correspond to words and phrases in American Sign Language. Each glove contains sensors that record hand position and movement and send data wirelessly via Bluetooth to a central computer. The computer looks at the gesture data through various sequential statistical regressions, similar to a neural network. If the data match a gesture, then the associated word or phrase is spoken through a speaker.

They honed their prototype in the UW CoMotion

MakerSpace — a campus space that offers communal tools and equipment and opportunities for students to tinker, create and innovate. For Azodi and Pryor, that meant finding a way to translate American Sign Language into a verbal form instantaneously and in an ergonomic fashion.

“Many of the sign language translation devices already out there are not practical for everyday use. Some use video input, while others have sensors that cover the user’s entire arm or body,” said Pryor, an undergraduate researcher in the Composite Structures Laboratory in the Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics and software lead for the Husky Robotics Team.

“Our gloves are lightweight, compact and worn on the hands, but ergonomic enough to use as an everyday accessory, similar to hearing aids or contact lenses,” said Pryor.

The duo met in the dorms during their freshman year and discovered they both had a passion for invention and problem solving. Azodi has technical experience as a systems intern at NASA, a technology lead for UW Information Technology and a campus representative for Apple. His long history of volunteer work gave motivation to build a device that would have real-world impact.

“Our purpose for developing these gloves was to provide an easy-to-use bridge between native speakers of American Sign Language and the rest of the world,” Azodi said. “The idea initially came out of our shared interest in invention and problem solving. But coupling it with our belief that communication is a fundamental human right, we set out to make it more accessible to a larger audience.”

UW duo wins $10,000 Lemelson-MIT student prize Undergraduate team chosen for gloves that can translate sign language into text or speech.

Navid Azodi (left) and Thomas Pryor (right) refine their SignAloud system in the UW CoMotion MakerSpace, where they developed the award-winning technology.University of Washington

April 12, 2016Jennifer Langston

UW News and Information

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 3

UW Bothell best value in college education in statePayscale.com ranks University of Washington Bothell top 50 in the nation for its return on invest-ment.

University of Washington Bothell ranks among the top colleges and universities in the nation -- and first in the state -- in a listing that compares their return on investment.

PayScale.com ranks UW Bothell No. 42 for in-state students and No. 76 for out-of-state students. (Public institutions are ranked twice because of the difference in tuition for in-state and out-of-state tuition, but private institutions are ranked once because in- and out-of-state students pay the same.)

There is no school, public or private, in the state of Washington that ranks higher than UW Bothell.

“This is another ranking that not only shows the quality of University of Washington Bothell graduates but the value the University adds to students and to the communities where they spend their productive careers,” said Chancellor Wolf Yeigh.

PayScale.com is a Seattle-based company that analyzes salary databases to provide employees and employers with compensation information. Its data are used as part of other rankings, such as Money magazine’s. PayScale’s best value college report is online.

The ranking is a factor of expected costs, expected 20-year return on investment and graduation rate. With college graduates burdened by significant loan

debts, students, their parents and policymakers need to understand the value of the college education in the job market, PayScale says.

For in-state students at UW Bothell, the 20-year return on investment is $648,000 from a four-year cost of $106,000. For out-of-state students, the 20-year return on investment is $572,000 from a four-year cost of $182,000.

The University’s students who receive loans graduate with an average debt of $20,600. That’s about $9,000 less than the national average, according to a report by the Institute for College Access & Success. But half of UW Bothell students graduate with no debt.

Total student loan debt in the United States has topped $1 trillion, and some underemployed grads are waiting longer to get married and buy a house, PayScale says.

This new ranking is supported by recent figures from the state Education Research & Data Center. The figures showed that a year after leaving the University of Washington Bothell, bachelor’s degree graduates are earning more on average than those from all other public colleges and universities in Washington.

For 2013, the UW Bothell median earnings (half are higher, half lower) were $49,474 for UW Bothell, compared with $37,900 for all public Washington four-year institutions.

UW Bothell: Ranked No. 1 in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest on Money magazine’s list of best colleges, UW Bothell provides access to an exceptional University of Washington education for students of tremendous potential. Offering more than 45 undergraduate and graduate degrees, options, certificates and concentrations, UW Bothell builds regional partnerships, inspires change, creates knowledge, shares discoveries and prepares students for leadership in the state of Washington and beyond.

April 28, 2016Lisa Hall

UW Bothel, News

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 4

WSU Mars rover team advances in international competitionTeam accepted into the competition from the pool of more than 60 other teams.

For 13 months, Engineering Club students at Washington State University Everett have spent countless hours designing, building, testing and rebuilding a Mars rover meant to be able to work alongside human explorers on the surface of the Red Planet.

This week, representatives of the University Rover Challenge announced in a video that the WSU team is one of 30 advancing to the semifinal round of the competition, which will take place June 2-4 at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah.

The 20-member WSU Everett club is in its second year of existence – a newborn in comparison to some of the teams in the competition, and much smaller.

Preparing for Utah

According to the University Rover Challenge website, on the first day teams will race for the fastest time in a “short course” event that tests rover maneuverability and dexterity and team scientific knowledge.

The top 15 teams will advance to the Ares Finals and compete in a variety of tasks for the top spot. The remaining teams will advance to the Phobos Finals competition.

The WSU Everett team is working hard to prepare.

“We plan on testing at our five-acre test track in Arlington within the next couple of weeks, simulating the competition as closely as possible,” he said. “That testing will tell us a lot about how we will be able to perform, while giving us plenty of time to make revisions before the competition, if needed.

“We hope to show off our engineering skills and make all generations of Cougars proud.”

An investment by the community

Designing and building the Mars rover was expensive and requires some very specific materials. Local industries such as, Boeing, Janicki, Everett Steel, Metal Supermarkets, Protocase, Pacific Power Batteries and Dassault Systemes. and have been generous.

The team also received start-up contributions from the WSU Foundation, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture and the Bruce and Barbara Wollstein Endowment in Engineering.

The long road to Mars

Before they can compete, the students need to get to Utah, which will require more funding – about $4,000 for additional parts, travel and lodging, Liukko estimated.

“The team has put hundreds of hours into the design, testing and manufacturing of this rover, and the fact that we know now that we will compete against 29 other universities from seven different countries is a tremendous honor,” Liukko said.

For more information, contact Engineering Club advisor Xiaopeng Bi at xiaopeng.bi@wsu.edu.

March 2016Randy Bolerjack

WSU News, WSU North Puget Sound at Everett

Blaine Liukko, president of the Engineering Club, with the rover.

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 5

Kirk Schulz, president and professor of chemical engineering at Kansas State University, was unani-mously selected by the Washington State University Board of Regents as the university’s 11th president. One of three previously unidentified finalists for the post, Schulz confirmed his willingness to accept the presidency during a phone call with Regent Michael Worthy, chair of the presidential search committee.

“When we did the opportunities and challenges document laying out the characteristics Cougs said they wanted in a president, well (Schulz) has them all – leadership, commitment to academic quality, administrative skills to complete the strong trajectory WSU is on,” Worthy said after the phone call with Schulz. “He was very excited to accept our offer. It was clear he really wants to lead our university.”

Regent’s Chair Ryan Durkan was given authorization by the board to negotiate the terms of Schulz’s employment with WSU.

Schulz will succeed former WSU President Elson S. Floyd, who served as WSU president for eight years and died last June following a months-long battle with cancer.

“President Schulz’s colleagues consistently praise his integrity, passion for the job, and belief in the transformative power of higher education,” Durkan said. “Those qualities, combined with his deep connection to students and commitment to the land-grant mission, make President Schulz the ideal choice to lead Washington State University into the future.”

Schulz was selected as the 13th president of Kansas State University in February 2009 by the Kansas Board of Regents. He has been credited with spearheading visionary campus-wide goal-setting intended to move K-State forward to become recognized as a Top 50 public research university by 2025.  During his tenure, Kansas State University moved up from the “very high research activity”

classification in 2010 to the “highest research activity” in 2015 in rankings by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Schulz also holds the Kansas State University Leadership Professorship. Under Schulz’s leadership, Kansas State University was selected a Friend of the Flint Hills by the Flint Hills Discovery Center Foundation in spring 2014. The award recognizes the university’s contributions to the Konza Prairie, one of the last remaining tallgrass prairies in North America. In 2015, he was recognized for his service and patriotism by the Topeka Military Order of World Wars.

Before his appointment as president, Schulz served as vice president for research and economic development, dean of engineering, and director of the Swalm School of Chemical Engineering at Mississippi State University. He has also served on the faculty at Michigan Technological University and the University of North Dakota.

Regents select Kirk Schulz of Kansas State as presidentKirk Schulz, president and professor of chemical engineering at Kansas State University, selected today by the Washington State University Board of Regents as the university’s 11th president.

Incoming Washington State University President Kirk Schulz speaks.The Spoksman Review

March 2016Robert Strenge

WSU NEWS

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 6

The Western Washington University Board of Trustees unanimously selected Sabah U. Randhawa as Western’s 14th president.

Randhawa, now Oregon State University provost and executive vice president, succeeds Bruce Shepard, who is retiring June 30 after eight years as Western’s president. 

“We are delighted that Sabah Randhawa and his wife Uzma Ahmad will be joining our Western community,” said Board of Trustees Chair Karen Lee. “Dr. Randhawa is the person that we believe will be the next great president of Western Washington University. He’s an exceptional person. He has a sense of humor. He’s highly regarded for his commitment to students, to social justice and to the academy of higher education. And he is a person of dignity and humility.”

“The first thing I would like you to know,” Randhawa said in the public forum attended by over 250 people, “I am passionate about education, about educational institutions, and really about enhancing educational institutions. As a first-generation student, I owe my career to education. One of the commitments I made when I switched careers into education from working in industry was to provide those same opportunities for others across the globe.”

Shepard said that Randhawa is a very strong choice to succeed him as president: “Dr. Randhawa has a well-deserved reputation as a higher education leader who cares about student success and academic excellence.”

Randhawa first came to OSU from Pakistan as a graduate student in the 1970s. Now as OSU’s second-ranking administrator, Randhawa is both the chief operating officer and chief academic officer, reporting directly to the president. Randhawa provides intellectual leadership to the entire university.

During Randhawa’s tenure OSU experienced a period of extraordinary growth. Student enrollment surged, the campus and educational programs expanded, and many new facilities were built, such as the Lois Bates Acheson Veterinary Hospital, the Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families, the Linus

Pauling Science Center, and the International Living Learning Center. The OSU-Cascades Campus was developed, and the university’s first comprehensive fund raising initiative, the Campaign for OSU, raised $1.14 billion.

Previous to becoming OSU’s provost, Randhawa was vice provost for academic affairs and international programs at OSU from 2001 to 2004. He was interim dean of OSU’s College of Business from 2001 to 2002. Prior to that, he was associate dean for operations in the OSU College of Engineering from 1999 to 2000 and department head of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering from 1993 to 1999.

WWU trustees select Sabah Randhawa as Western’s 14th presidentRandhawa, now Oregon State University provost and executive vice president, succeeds Bruce Shepard, who is retiring June 30 after eight years as Western’s president. 

April 2016Mary Gallagher

Western Today staff

Dr. Sabah Randhawa has been named Western’s 14th president. Photo by Rhys Logan / WWU

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 7

WWU engineering students use new process to create 3D printing filaments

The project involved students learning about the additive, its compatibility with certain plastics and how to blend the additive and plastic together.

Students in the Plastics and Composites Engineering program at Western Washington University have been using a special process this quarter to aid in 3D printing.

Using an additive called POSS, students Kacey Lloyd, Mervin Lessley and Andrew Colebrook spent their time in PCE 431 manufacturing nanocomposite 3D-printing filaments. The project involved students learning about the additive, its compatibility with certain plastics and how to blend the additive and plastic together.

The manufacturer of POSS, Hybrid, donated over $1,000 dollars of materials to the program in the hopes of educating the next generation of engineers about nanotechnologies and the challenges with manufacturing materials and products from them.

John Misasi, assistant professor in the Plastics and Composites Engineering program, first encountered POSS while completing his doctoral work at The University of Southern Mississippi, near where Hybrid is based.

“In this particular class, students learn how to use a twin screw extruder and run a series Design of Experiments to manufacture POSS and thermoplastic nanocomposite filaments,” said Misasi in a Hybrid press

release. “These DOE will also quantify the effects of processing parameters on the dispersion of POSS, understand solubility and compatibility of POSS molecules and fabricate test specimens to characterize mechanical properties.”

Hybrid President Joe Lichtenhan said in the release that the collaboration adds value to both the individual students in WWU’s program, as well as to the broader mission of fostering widespread work with POSS.

“By working with POSS, students will learn the practical benefits of using chemical additives,” said Lichtenhan. “By exposing them to this kind of nanotechnology now, I believe we will continue cultivating a new generation of problem solvers in many different industries.”

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, known as POSS, is a nano-structural chemical that bridges the gap between ceramic and organic materials to form a single molecular composition. POSS improves product performance of standard product additives. POSS can be altered to give the molecule certain functionalities that are beneficial in a variety of industries.

March 2016Western Today staff

WWU students worked with the additive POSS to create 3D printing filaments winter quarter. Image courtesy of Hybrid.

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 8

When Maria Valencia of Yakima found out she won a full-ride scholarship to CWU, the Davis High School senior says it was like winning the lottery. And the timing could not have been better for her family.

Valencia is a quiet leader and a hard worker. She gives her time to her community, whether it’s volunteering as a translator at school conferences or raising money for ill and disabled children. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society and the College Success Foundation.

So it’s no wonder Valencia was among the high-achieving students invited to put in for CWU’s merit-based Golden Ticket scholarship. With dreams of becoming a physician assistant, Valencia applied. Later that week, her family was displaced by a house fire.

The family escaped unharmed. But the house was deemed a total loss. Most of their belongings were ruined by smoke and water. The prospect of college looked unlikely.

A week after the fire, Valencia was contacted by Matthew Cziske, CWU’s assistant director of Admissions. She was one of eight students selected for the Golden Ticket scholarship. “That’s probably the best part of my job,” Cziske said about delivering the good news.

The college deans picked Valencia based on her merit. Good grades and test scores set her up for the opportunity, but her academic rigor and involvement earned her the golden ticket.

It wasn’t until a follow-up phone call with Valencia’s high school counselor that Cziske found out she had just lost her home. “Maria was feeling very fortunate because just a week before, her house was destroyed in a fire,” Cziske said. “Now her dream can really truly become a reality in the face of her family’s financial hurdles.”

The Golden Ticket scholarship covers four years of tuition, books, housing, and a meal plan— an estimated $80,000 value.

Valencia will be the first in her family to attend college.

“No one in my family has a professional job,” she said. “My dad is a butcher. Mom works in an apple warehouse.”

She’s proud of her working-class background. It’s helped her develop a strong character, taught her how to work hard.

Her folks are proud of her academic achievement and her drive to help people. Valencia wants to set a good example for her younger sister. “I want to show her we don’t have to end up like our parents. We can do better.”

Valencia was recently acknowledged in front of her peers for her academic achievement. Andres Moreno, CWU’s assistant director of Admissions, presented her with a giant check during the first-ever College Signing Day at Davis High School.

High School Senior Says Scholarship Award to CWU is Like Winning the LotteryThe Golden Ticket scholarship covers four years of tuition, books, housing, and a meal plan— an estimated $80,000 value.

May 2016Barb Arnott, CWU News

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 9

April 2016 Barb ArnottCWU News

Alumna named National High School Teacher of the Year by SHAPE AmericaCWU alumna Sara Russell was named National High School Teacher of the Year by SHAPE Ameri-ca (the Society of Health and Physical Educators).

CWU alumna Sara Russell was named National High School Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America (the Society of Health and Physical Educators) at its recent national convention in Minneapolis.

Russell teaches physical education at Tahoma Junior High School in Maple Valley. She earned her master’s degree in health and physical education in 2009.

“Students knowing the why behind what we do is extremely important. I want students to leave class not only being able to say, ‘This is what we did in class,’ but also, ‘This is what we learned in class,’” Russell said.

SHAPE America’s national Teacher of the Year award winners represent the best of the best in adapted physical education, dance education, health education, and physical education.

Another CWU alumna, Terri Drain, was elected to the 11-member SHAPE America Board of Directors. Drain is an elementary physical educator in the San Francisco Bay area. She earned her master’s in health and physical education at CWU in 2006.

Kirk Mathias, professor of physical education at CWU, was also nationally recognized with a SHAPE America Presidential

Citation for his breadth of activities in the realm of improving physical activity in our youth.

“CWU is doing great things to improve the physical activity status of young people. SHAPE America’s recent recognition of our alumni and faculty are well deserved. Congratulations to all,” said Ethan Bergman, associate dean of the College of Education and Professional Studies and chair of the Department of Nutrition Exercise and Health Sciences.

Stephen Jefferies, emeritus faculty in physical education, is past president of SHAPE America.

“Dr. Jefferies has focused his career on improving physical activity in people of all ages, especially youth,” Bergman said. “In his role as president of SHAPE America, Dr. Jefferies expanded his scope of influence. Also in that role, he recognized those who are making a difference among our youth.”

The annual SHAPE America national convention attracts approximately 4,000 members representing physical education, health education, coaching, dance, sport management, exercise science, kinesiology and allied fields.

CWU alumna Sara Russell

Issue N°9 2016

Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 10

An innovative agreement between Eastern Washington University and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) will facilitate the reverse credit-transfer process to ensure students earn their academic associates (AA) degree.

To make reverse transfer more accessible and student-friendly, EWU and SBCTC will leverage existing technology to share data automatically. Eastern is the only public university in Washington to opt transfer students into this program when they apply to the university.

“If students complete the coursework for a degree, they should get it,” said Dr. Joyce Hammer, SBCTC director of transfer education. “Getting a two-year associate degree is a great motivator on the way to a bachelor’s degree and adds one more credential to a resume. For students who are working their way through college, the two-year degree can make a difference in their employability right away.”

The program allows community and technical college students who transfer to EWU without first completing an associate degree to now send their Eastern credits back to their original two-year college to finish the AA degree. After the

credit information is shared, the two-year college will determine whether the student has met the requirements for an associate degree. The agreement applies to transfer students who have already completed 60 credits at a community or technical college.

Typical reverse transfer agreements rely on the student to initiate the transfer of credits back to the community college. However, many students don’t know that credits earned at the four-year institution may transfer back to the community college and count toward the associate degree. As a result, reverse transfer is widely underutilized.

Administrators believe the agreement will move Washington closer to its goal of increasing the number of adults with college credentials.

“This is all about college completion,” said EWU President Mary Cullinan. “We have a proud tradition of smoothly transferring students from community and technical colleges to Eastern Washington University. It makes good sense to allow credits to flow the other way to round out an associate degree.”

While the reverse-credit transfer agreement is a boost for students, there are clear benefits to finishing up an associate degree before transferring in the first place, according to Hammer. Associate degree completers will generally land at the junior level at the university, having already met their lower division general education requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

The agreement, which applies to 34 community and technical colleges in Washington, has been signed by both agencies and is now in effect.

New EWU and SBCTC reverse transfer planEastern Washington University and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) will facilitate the reverse credit-transfer process to ensure students earn their academic associates (AA) degree.

March 2016EWU News

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 11

After an extensive nationwide search, Eastern Washington University President Mary Cullinan has named Scott Gordon, PhD, the new Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at EWU. Gordon’s appointment is effective July 1, 2016.

Gordon comes from the University of Southern Indiana (USI), where he has served as the Dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education since 2005. He has a comprehensive track record in all aspects of academic administration, including student recruitment and retention, core curriculum development, faculty recruitment, fiscal planning and strategic planning.

“I am thrilled to have Dr. Gordon join the EWU team, and I look forward to a strong partnership that will focus on student success,” says President Cullinan. “Dr. Gordon’s energy and values align with EWU’s vision of access and a student-centered education. His leadership will also help EWU continue to build strong bridges in all the communities that we serve.”

Gordon was one of three exceptional candidates who visited the Cheney and EWU Spokane campuses for a series of interviews as part of the search process.

“I am truly excited for this wonderful opportunity to serve as provost at Eastern Washington University,” says Gordon. “I look forward to working with President Cullinan and EWU faculty to embrace and strengthen the university’s long legacy of providing high quality academic programs.”

A native of Malone, New York, Dr. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from the State University of New York at Cortland and his master’s degree and Ph.D. in Botany/Mycology from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Before he begins his appointment in July, Gordon will visit EWU campuses to meet with faculty and staff in each College and learn more about how he can best serve the university.

Gordon named EWU ProvostScott Gordon, PhD, comes from the University of Southern Indiana (USI), where he has served as the Dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education since 2005.

February 2016EWU News

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 12

Woody will be Oregon’s eighth poet laureate since 1921.

Born on the Navajo Nation reservation in Ganado, Arizona, Woody has made her home in the Northwest for most of her life. An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, she has published poetry, short fiction and essays. She is also a visual artist. She holds a BA in Humanities with an emphasis on English from The Evergreen State College.

“The energy of Elizabeth Woody’s words bring to life the landscapes, creatures and people who make Oregon special,” Brown said. “As Poet Laureate, she will be a great asset to our state, using vivid storytelling to help us understand who we are as a larger community.”

“It was a real pleasure to watch the selection committee coalesce around the recommendation of Elizabeth Woody,” said Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities, who administers the Poet Laureate program on behalf of the Oregon Cultural Trust. “Committee members from all parts of the state pointed to the power of Elizabeth’s poetry, the energy and dignity she would bring to the position, and the resonance of her voice,” Davis added. “Her love of this place should find a perfect outlet in the position of Poet Laureate, and the position of Poet Laureate will be honored by having her in the role.”

Woody received the William Stafford Memorial Award for Poetry from the Pacific Northwest Bookseller’s Association in 1995 and was a finalist in the poetry category for the Oregon Book Awards for 1994. She is an alumna of the first Kellogg Foundation’s Fellowship through the AIO Ambassadors program, and was selected for the J.T. Stewart Fellowship from Hedgebrook. She has written several books, taught writing workshops and lectured throughout the country.

Evergreen graduate named Oregon Poet LaureateOregon Governor Kate Brown has named Evergreen graduate Elizabeth Woody, ‘91 of Warm Springs and Portland to a two-year appointment as Poet Laureate of Oregon.

March2016Evergreen News

Elizabeth Woody

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Council of Presidents | Spring 2016 13

There are 13 Geoducks currently volunteering worldwide. In 2015, Evergreen ranked No. 20.

“The Peace Corps is a unique opportunity for college graduates to put their education into practice and become agents of change in communities around the world,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Today’s graduates understand the importance of intercultural understanding and are raising their hands in record numbers to take on the challenge of international service.”

Greg Mullins, dean of the library at Evergreen, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya from 1986 to 1987 was happy to learn of the ranking. “I’m glad to learn that our graduates continue to serve in high numbers,” Mullins said. “The Evergreen-Peace Corps connection is a perfect fit. Both Evergreen and the Peace Corps attract creative, entrepreneurial people who want to make the world a better place than they found it.”

Alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961, including 236 alumni from Evergreen. Seven Washington schools rank as Top Colleges, earning the state of Washington the unique distinction of being among only 15 states and the District of Columbia with three or more ranked schools.

In 2015, Washington also ranked No. 3 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers. There are 319 volunteers currently serving worldwide, and more than 9,300 Washingtonians have served in Peace Corps since 1961.

The Peace Corps ranks its top volunteer-producing colleges and universities annually according to the size of the student body.

Peace Corps names Evergreen No. 4 Top small school for volunteerismOn February 18 the Peace Corps announced that The Evergreen State College ranked No. 4 among small schools on the agency’s 2016 Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities list.

February 2016Evergreen News