My teaching and research interests focus on the dynamic tensions of environmental science and democratic politics in a variety of arenas including community-based environmental protection, environmental justice, and international conservation projects. Currently, I am a collaborating partner in the Duwamish Community Action for Clean Air project that focuses on identifying and remedying the air pollution challenges faced by the two South Seattle communities of Georgetown and South Park. My students and I are supporting the project through a participatory mapping and action research approach that combines interactive mapping with crowd-sourced pollution data collection that can support community-based solutions that improve air quality.

A place I love in Western Washington (since I don't live in Whatcom County): Elliott Bay between Seattle and Bainbridge

I am an assistant professor in the Engineering & Design Department at Western since September 2014. My research focuses primarily on systems/process improvement (Lean Six-Sigma) and applied operations research & modeling for various domains/systems including manufacturing, health care, and education. My teaching philosophy is mainly focused on student-centered learning by creating an interactive learning environment in the classroom. I have a vision to help Western engineering students to be global engineers who are capable of working in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams and to empower them to become leaders in engineering discover, engagement, and learning.

A place I love in Whatcom County: I absolutely love Marine Park! It is my escape after a long tiring day! It is a very calming and quiet location.

My research is in the field of consumer behavior and judgment and decision making.  My overall goal is to conduct research that has a positive impact on society, specifically improving consumer and community well-being. As a newcomer to Bellingham, I am very interested in making connections with local businesses and organizations that benefit both the firms and the students. 

A place I love in Whatcom County: The Family Interactive Gallery at the Whatcom Museum

I am currently affiliated with both Woodring College of Education and the College of Fine and Performing Arts where I am the Director of the CREATE Program. My career spans over three decades of educational reform and school improvement primarily working with migrant and indigenous populations. My current research in Arts Based Leadership and Social Artistry has lead me to co-create and teach educational leadership programs at the YMCA International University of Social Sciences, Germany and currently at the University of Aruba, Aruba. I am working with the Arhuacan peoples of the Sierra Nevada Santa Martas and the Colomian government to develop a new model of indigenous education K-20 where Western Curriculum and Indigenous teachings will be integrated.

A place I love in Whatcom County: My favorite place in Whatcom County is Artist Point overlooking Mt Shuksan

I serve as the Director of Service Learning at Northwest Indian College supporting student leadership, empowerment and civic engagement.  I teach courses in student leadership, psychology, sociology, “growing garden connections” and eco-psychology.  I received my M. A. in psychology from Antioch University.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Inspiration Farm

My research interests focus on Environmental History and community, place-based education. My work as a researcher trained me to do site inspection and map interpretation for liability apportionment and resolution.  In the classroom, I’ve put these skills to use by summarizing events spatially and chronologically. This past year, I’ve been working with students at Whatcom Community College to develop a multimedia history project to enrich our community's understanding of the Waterfront's century of change from a natural shoreline to an engineered landscape. I recently partnered with mulitple local campuses and community organizations to write an NEH grant to organize a day-long event titled Bellingham’s Waterfront Heritage Day.

A place I love in Whatcom County: My morning run to Squalicum Beach on the Bay to Baker Trail.

I’m a medical anthropologist and research chronic disease prevention in partnership with Latino and American Indian peoples. I’m working on several projects including a critique of translational health theories, long-term wellness planning with an American Indian tribe, an evaluation of culturally appropriate care training-curricula for primary care physicians, and a global examination of the health and safety of anthropologists & biologists while in the field. I was born in Ciudad Juárez, México, and my mother and father are from Mexico and Cuba, respectively. In my free time I enjoy competitive sailing and walking Aengus, my Irish Wolfhound. Learn more about me at http://SeanBruna.com or via Twitter @SeanBruna.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Bellingham Bay and the view of campus while on the water

I have been teaching Japanese and History at WCC for 22 years. I received a doctorate in Education from the University of Washington. My research interests include multicultural education, moral education, civic education, international education, global education, and Japanese language and culture. I am engaged in community work enhancing a global understanding and honoring diversity by serving for the boards of Bellingham Sister Cities Association (BSCA), Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Washington Chapter, and Assumption Catholic School Education Commission. I look forward to learning more with you as my colleagues to enlarge our circle this coming year.  

A place I love in Whatcom County: My favorite place is Boulevard Park, especially for boardwalk in the evening to see sunset.

I have made it a mission of mine to bring my music and my teaching to places that would not otherwise hear that type of music.  This year I toured Cuba with a musical quintet, the first in at least 50 years.  I also worked with another music faculty member, Jen Weeks, to present classes about our "endangered species" of instruments (the instruments that students don't typically choose) through her nonprofit organization "Making Waves" at area middle schools.  I also traveled to the Tri-City area to work with students from Hanford High School, and also to Mount Vernon to work with students from Mount Vernon High School.  It would be great to collaborate on these trips with other department faculty as well as students and bring a touring contingent of WWU community to interact with younger students in the state.
 

A place I love in Whatcom County: Semiahmoo Park.  Just one mile from Canada, the park sits on a spit surrounded by ocean water on three sides.  It is also home to two resident bald eagles that often perch on two tall tree trunks that are easily viewed from the walking trail.  A favorite trail for me, my wife, and our baby.

From undergrad to my PhD, my academic orientation has always been in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, but my focus has always been on how the way we tell histories shapes the present. I teach about sexuality, race, and gender in US history, armed conflict, and globalization, while my research focuses on sexuality and militarization in the post-Cold War United States. I’ve been an activist and organizer since my teenage years, working for LGBTQ and reproductive justice, prison abolition, and accessible public education.  As a new arrival to Bellingham, I’m hoping to work alongside local Indigenous people to better fulfill my responsibilities as a non-Native visitor on Coast Salish land.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Wildcat Cove in Larabee

I have been the Director of the Center for Service-Learning at Western Washington for the past 9 years. Previously, I worked in the nonprofit sector in areas related to HIV/AIDS, Hospice and child welfare. In 1987, I went to the first meeting of ACTUP, the first HIV/AIDS activist organization in the world.  In memory of all women, men, and children who died or live with HIV/AIDS, I founded Slum Doctor Programme, an international NGO that brought HIV treatment and education to impoverished areas of Kenya and Uganda. The Center for Service-Learning’s Rwanda and Kenya study abroad programs spring from my dedication to the transformative power of cross cultural relationships through shared living, love, and labor. 

A place I love in Whatcom County: My home. It doesn't remind me of anywhere else.

I am an assistant professor and Director of Composition in the English Department. I teach and do my best to better understand (i.e. research) questions that are entangled with the kind of writing that surfaces and shifts inside workplaces as varied as auto repair shops, digital design firms, and hiking trail organizations. I work with students and other scholars to get at the hopeful and challenging relationships among New Media, Storytelling Practices, Issues of Agency, and Pedagogical Theory. I’m convinced that the contemporary questions emerging from Rhetorical Theory can help us take reflexive stock of our own position and engagement with the worlds in which we act, which are, in fact, sustained by change. And I love my job.

A place I love in Whatcom County: The running/hiking trails all through the Chuckanuts

I am the Education Programs Manager at Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood, and an adjunct instructor at WWU who regularly teaches a K-8 Health Education course for Woodring students. I received my B.S. in Community Health from Western Washington University, and a M.Ed. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Oregon. I’ve worked in the field of sexuality education since 1999, and for the past 8 years I’ve facilitated and supervised numerous youth development programs, gaining considerable experience with best practices for effective and inclusive youth programs and services. Recently I’ve been focusing my learning on resiliency, community-building and the social determinants of health, and my mind is wide open.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Boulevard Park - every time I walk across the boardwalk and share that gorgeous view with all the other happy people out and about, I feel so lucky to live here!

My work is driven by three goals: 1) To teach my students to think critically about environmental and social issues, while providing them with tools for moving forward in their lives and careers, 2) To conduct research that helps explain why and how we as a society end up with conditions of environmental and social injustice, and 3) To connect this work to relevant stakeholders to improve the condition of communities in which I teach and conduct research. Recent projects include an ethnographic study of low-income vegetable gardeners in Western Pennsylvania to understand the role(s) gardening plays for these households and a photovoice project that reveals how youth in assisted housing view their environments.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Bellingham Bay -- both for its industrial history and natural beauty

I earned my doctoral degree from Florida State University and am currently an associate professor of Audiology and Director of the Audiology Clinic within the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Washington University. My teaching, research, and clinical interests are in the areas of hearing loss and auditory processing deficits as well as auditory rehabilitation.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Zuanich Point Park and Boulevard Park

A graduate of WWU's Adult and Higher Education post-graduate program, I am an ardent community advocate with a penchant for engaging adult learners in transformative experiential learning. In my first year teaching I facilitated over 2,100 hours of service-learning including the development of the #WeAreWWU scholarship campaign, earned the Carl H. Simpson Bridging Award for community engagement, and was selected for WWU's Innovative Teaching Showcase for my work on empathy as a conduit for curricular diversity. 

A place I love in Whatcom County: Pieces of my heart live along WA-542E. Silver Lake, Nooksack Falls, Artist Point, Horseshoe Bend... the unfurling ferns, the smell of moist earth, the feel of the mountainous air enveloping me--each place has captured pieces of me over the years and I am content never to ask for them back.

I serve as the Director of Orchestral Studies at WWU, where in addition to leading the Western Symphony Orchestra, I teach courses in music theory, history, and conducting. I’m a Western alum (2004), having recently returned to Bellingham after time spent working and studying in Kansas City, New York, and Los Angeles. While my primary professional and academic focus is on the performance of classical music, I am also deeply committed to making this art form accessible and relevant to new audiences by giving concerts in non-traditional settings, speaking informally from the stage, and creating interdisciplinary, mixed-media presentations.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Excelsior Pass

I am an assistant professor and speech-language pathologist with clinical and research interests in stuttering. The goal of my research is to better understand how virtual and non-virtual speaking environments impact speech motor behavior, autonomic nervous system response, and psychosocial aspects of stuttering. One goal of my clinical work is to increase interaction among people who stutter to facilitate self-help and peer-support.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Anywhere surrounded by trees or with views of the water

My main areas of scholarly interest have focused on adult communication disorders, such as people with brain injury or aphasia. I examine how brain injuries impact comprehension of linguistic and non-linguistic cues in communication, with the ultimate goal of developing more comprehensive assessment and treatment protocols. In the last year I have become interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning and the importance of learning in context. I have begun a new study examining how the implementation of situated learning principles in course design increases knowledge and skill acquisition and student engagement in graduate-level CSD coursework.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Lake Padden

I am a tenure-track Nursing Faculty at Whatcom Community College. I am new to the educator role and everything is new to me. I have assisted with curriculum development and course materials for the current nursing courses. To keep my skills up, I also work at the local hospital as a staff nurse. I have served on the board for the PTA at my children's school the last several years. In my spare time, I try to be out by the water in some way, shape or form.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Anywhere near water

For 30 years my interests have revolved around visual storytelling and the ever-changing media climate. I am intrigued how we document people and cultures over time. I moved to Bellingham in 2014 to join the journalism faculty at Western where I teach photojournalism, digital media, and visual journalism. Being a relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest, I am continually learning about its rich history and witnessing the passion people have for the area. I look forward to observing, documenting, and becoming more engaged with the community.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Lake Padden Park

I am interested in learning, from two distinct angles. The first is what happens in our minds/brains as we acquire new knowledge and skills. I'm less interested in straight factual knowledge, and more with problem solving and learning to think like an expert. The other angle is trying to figure out what a socially just education looks like. I'm happy if students experience personal growth through their education, but what really lights my fire is considering how their education can sustain, enrich, and transform their communities.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Any place that's at a high elevation and requires sweat and tears to get to

I have experience in print and broadcast news, and I am an adjunct instructor in the Department of Journalism where I teach critical news literacy and feature writing. Most of my research has focused on the use of GIS as a computer-assisted reporting tool, but I have also given presentations on GIS and a variety of social issues, including human rights and IDEA-mandated transition services, and on GIS as a tool for teaching critical thinking. I have written and directed grants to expand the use of GIS across disciplines and to use GIS to promote greater access to transition services.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Squalicum Harbor, where I live on my 27 foot sailboat, Akularak

 I came to WWU to teach in 2005. Formerly I was a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group, a modern dance company from NYC and Brussels. I graduated from Mill College, and I have taught at NYU Tisch School for the Arts, Singapore’s Nanyang Academy and several schools in Denmark. My research is choreography, from very musical work in opera and ballet, to experimental modern work. I teach dance technique, and a GUR called Movement and Culture. I am currently beginning work with two South Indian dancers on an evening length work that will include Bharat Natyam (classical dance form) and modern dance. I choreograph for opera (WWU opera, and Skagit Opera currently) and also for dance companies in Seattle:  ARC Dance and Karin Stevens Dance, as well as many original works for WWU dancers. My recent professional leave was in Chennai, South India to study the Natya Shastra, an ancient Sanskrit text on the performing arts at a Sanskrit college. Looking forward to meeting with colleagues! 

A place I love in Whatcom County: Horseshoe Bend Trail near Glacier

My work critically explores the world of cities and of urban life.  I am currently interested in informal everyday city-making practices that tend to be overlooked, neglected, and marginalized.  Even though often unsanctioned, these practices are nevertheless critical to forming and sustaining vibrant genuine urban spaces.  My other areas of interest are social justice in post-disaster recovery, urban design, and urban planning history and theory.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Bellingham's downtown

My research interests are in stochastic signal processing, distributed communication systems, and computational art history. I have taught courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and I have a strong interest and experience in project-based learning. Prior to my arrival at Western, I advised numerous service-learning projects in Massachusetts, Hong Kong, and Melbourne. In my first year at Western, I have had the chance to advise students working with Bellingham Community Radio, and in the coming year I hope to advise student projects that interact with the community through local makerspaces and other informal learning environments.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Secret mushroom-gathering spots that I won't reveal

I am currently an Adjunct Faculty at Whatcom Community College’s Computer Science Department. I am also in the process of completing a master’s in computer science from Western Washington U. At WCC I have developed curriculum and course materials for the CS courses being offered. My areas of interest are computer programming, database management, data mining and artificial intelligence. I have been actively involved in the community through mentoring students, participating in diversity programs and volunteering at animal shelters.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Peace Arch State Park in Blaine which straddles the US-Canadian border. My dog absolutely love the peace and awesome beauty of that park and I get to see both sides of the border without having to go through the agony of paperwork.

This is my first year teaching at Woodring School of Education. My research focuses on parent and community engagement. More specifically, I explore how parents and communities can support public schools with large population of under-served students by providing resources, sharing knowledge, and building capacity. I am also interested in the operations and funding structures of non-profit organizations and the increasing roles private foundations play in the education sector.       
 

A place I love in Whatcom County: Lake Padden

My interests, research, and teaching relate to challenges that human beings face regarding living well with each other and on earth, as well as the vital role of intercultural and intergenerational learning, commitment to the commons, humane borders, and the potentials inherent in collective wisdom.  Much of my time is devoted to promoting common sense, rights, and fairness in an age of unprecedented capacity for changing the very climate and future of Earth.  This includes affirming ecocultural understandings - the array of cross-cultural principles and practices that foster social and environmental wellbeing.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Camping atop Tomyhoi Peak, Copper Ridge, or many other high places in the Cascades.

I am a woman who plays many roles as a professional because being pigeonholed is not my thing. One of these roles is as an English and Humanities Instructor at Whatcom Community College, where, pedagogically, I am researching and applying multiple student-centered and collaborative teaching strategies to my classrooms. One of my other roles is as a Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) certified Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning and Horse Instructor at Animals as Natural Therapy, a local nonprofit. I also work one to two day(s) a week at Old World Deli, a local “Mom & Pop” independent business in downtown Bellingham, and do small freelance editing and writing work with my partner, Chas Hoppe.

A place I love in Whatcom County: All the places that I work, which is a good thing!

My long career has been multi-faceted. Beginning as a middle school French teacher, I then received my M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. I was a Marriage and Family Therapist and worked in child protection and crisis counseling. Then I was Assistant Director of Counseling Services at St. Mary’s College of Maryland for 11 years. Always an adventurer, I left to run a B&B and have a private practice in Mexico for 7 years. Now I serve at Northwest Indian College, teaching a leadership course and Introduction to Student Success for first-year native students, empowering them with the skills they need to succeed in college and in life.
 
A place I love in Whatcom County: Inspiration Farm permaculture farm and teaching center

I teach and write about literature, theory, and pedagogy and am particularly interested in the exploration of justice and injustice in literature, theory and education. I’ve been at WWU since 1995 after teaching in the Deep South for three years and getting my doctorate in the Midwest. I left a piece of my heart in both places though the chance to return to the Pacific Northwest, where I grew up, seemed a dream realized. Here, I’ve taught in English, Honors, and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.  I am also a mother of two, a partner of longstanding, a lover of film and an active outdoors person.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Gailbraith Mountain and the Chuckanut trails

I have degrees in sociology and global health and love to explore topics related to social justice, equity, ethics/values, and activism. I’ve been in the Sociology Department at Western for 8 years, which is the longest I’ve ever worked in one place. About 10 years ago, I co-founded a non-profit called Just Health Action and continue to be inspired by the health equity curriculum we developed, which has kept me and my students engaged in local communities. I am also super passionate about international service learning and have been leading study abroad trips for the past 6 years to Kenya, Rwanda, and India. I am driven to find more ways to connect students to real people doing inspiring work, and I appreciate how much meaning this brings to all of us.  

A place I love in Whatcom County: Tomyhoi Peak, up the hill beyond Yellow Aster Butte.
 

I teach environmental studies and environmental policy courses in Huxley College of the Environment. I am particularly interested in the roles science and technology play in political and policy processes surrounding environmental issues, as well as the roles we expect them to play. My research specifically confronts science policies – at the university, state, and national level – that influence scientists’ ability to work with potential knowledge users in order to conduct useful research. This work engages the structural barriers researchers face in their efforts to engage with communities, governments, and other potential users of knowledge.

A place I love in Whatcom County: The trails in the Chuckanut Mountains

I am an associate professor in the department of Communication Studies. I am fascinated with innovative ways of teaching students. I focus on the scholarship of teaching and learning, interpersonal relationships, and critical organizational communication. Most recently I have taught in the Bahamas and completed a documentary with a focus in community development and critical cultural consciousness. In Bellingham, I have developed a social justice project to learn more about our homeless community. Cultural diversity is at the center of all my service-learning projects.

A place I love in Whatcom County:

I am an Associate Professor, Director of the Aural Rehabilitation Clinic, and Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. I earned my doctoral degree in 2001 from the University of Connecticut and have been teaching at Western since the fall of 2002. My clinical expertise includes communication and cognitive development in infants, children and adults who are deaf and hard of hearing. My research focuses on language, executive functioning and social cognitive development in children who are deaf and hard of hearing. Specifically, I am interested in the interactions between family environment, language ability, executive functions, and social cognition in children who use cochlear implants and hearing aids. I also have conducted research on the benefits of service learning for undergraduate students in speech-language pathology and audiology.

A place I love in Whatcom County: The Chuckanuts

 I teach and learn at Northwest Indian College.  I feel so fortunate to be able to teach geology and other environmental science courses that are passions of mine.  I love my work at NWIC and have much gratitude for being able to learn from my students about history, different ways of knowing, and many other things. Much of the course content is place-based and utilizes current events. Another passion is horses. I volunteer at Northwest Therapeutic Riding Center that specializes in providing riding lessons to children and adults with physical, developmental, or emotional challenges. I see the amazing benefits that horses provide in empowering youth and adults with a different view of the world in being mobile, verbal, and many more personal growth experiences that come with a special relationship with a big, beautiful animal.  

A place I love in Whatcom County: Home. I also love many, many other places to be outdoors enjoying the natural world - and with my dog, horses, and friends.

The engaged scholarship of my research is on the constitution of The Public and The Commons for the flourishing of human lives – all life – on our Earth. Education as a means of liberation and freedom for thinking and living together in sustainable ways, in peace, has and continues to be the passionate center fueling the work I do in partnering and collaborating with schools and educators locally and abroad who share a like vision. I believe that the purpose of education is for the flourishing of life on Earth, living in harmony and sufficiency and connection. 

A place I love in Whatcom County: Big Rock Garden Park

I am the Percussion Area Coordinator at WWU where I teach applied percussion lessons, direct the percussion ensemble, and teach non-western music. In my applied percussion teaching I emphasize the core competencies to enable my students to excel as teachers and performers in a wide range of musical pursuits. As a lecturer, I have enjoyed connecting with students from across campus in general education courses covering Music Appreciation, American Popular Music, and Non-Western Music. My scholarship and creative activity includes performing, arranging, composing, and recording music from a broad range of genres. I also seek out opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with composers, dance choreographers, and artists.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Lake Whatcom and Whatcom Falls!

I have been the director of Woodring's Ershig Assistive Technology Resource Center (E-ATRC) for nearly 20 years. The E-ATRC is a ‘hands-on’ lending library that houses hundreds of assistive devices and materials that can support learning and improve quality of life for a range of individuals with, including those with disabilities. In addition to being an Assistive Technology Professional (ATP), I am also a special education teacher (M.Sp.Ed.) and a senior instructor for the Department of Special Education.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Our home (just outside Whatcom County) is on one acre which is bordered along one side and across the back by Friday Creek, which has a beautiful little shaded, sandy beach tucked in the curve of our property. Friday Creek is a salmon stream and in the fall we are able to watch salmon spawning in the nests (redds) from the beach!

I teach and write about how Americans have experienced and made sense of the natural world at a range of scales over the last two centuries, from the movement of pathogens in and out of human bodies, to the rise of transcontinental energy systems. I have written about introduced diseases and settler colonialism in the Salish Sea region, and I’m currently interested in building an accessible history of Pacific Northwest energy production and consumption.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Arroyo Park

I have the good fortune of being part of the College of Business and Economics serving as David Cole Professor of Entrepreneurship . I also am the director of Western’s IDEA Institute (InterDisciplinary Entrepreneurship in Action), an Affiliated Faculty of the Vincent and Elinor Ostrom Workshop on Political Theory and Policy Analysis and as well as WWU’s Institute for Energy Studies. I research entrepreneurship, governance and leadership with a focus on practice and education. I have a special interest in the connection of these things to co-operative alliances, co-operative business models and sustainability. In addition to my academic work, I am an experienced entrepreneur and a member-owner of CDS Consulting Co-op through which I advise and teach co-operative leaders throughout the United States.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Top of Church Mountain!

I work on environmental and energy economics, specifically evaluating whether programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are effective and cost-efficient. I've studied the returns to energy efficient housing in Austin, Texas and am planning a new project with Sustainable Connections here in Bellingham to evaluate whether energy efficiency increases the selling price of houses in Whatcom County.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Whatcom Falls!

My research focuses on understanding cell-cell interactions in plant development, and on the biochemistry of pectins (a large indigestible carbohydrate that’s the most abundant component of your jams and jellies, besides water). I am also interested in human nutrition, sustainable agriculture, biofuels, preservation of our natural resources, and climate change. I’m a member of the local chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS), and I lead field trips for the general public to explore our native flora. Some members of WNPS, local entomologists, botanists, amateur naturalists and I have embarked on a Citizen Science project to catalog and survey pollinators of Whatcom County.

A place I love in Whatcom County: With so many alpine meadows, it’s hard to pick just one. But I’ll go with Skyline Divide, a ridge off Mt. Baker.

I joined the Economics Department at Western in September 2014, where I teach courses in Macroeconomics and Money and Banking. My research interests are in the area of Macroeconomics, with a focus on business cycles. More specifically, I am interested in understanding the role of news and expectations in driving economic fluctuations.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Lake Padden Park

I'm the Coordinator of the Parenting Ed program at WCC and the President of the Organization of Parenting Education for Washington State. Our WCC program works closely with Bellingham Schools to provide early childhood education and family support/education. When I am not sitting at my computer or in meetings, I’m teaching parenting and human development classes at WCC. I am also the WCC's Service-Learning Coordinator. Our program is new and growing, and now partners with about 30 community organizations. These folks love our students and are truly co-educators alongside the WCC faculty.

A place I love in Whatcom County: The Sehome Arboretum. I offers shade in the summer and shelter from the wind and rain in the winter. It’s our go-to spot for a walk or run.

I currently share my time between deep outdoor play and high-tech online multimedia projects. This paradoxical interest has helped form my understanding and embodiment of the human-digital-nature conundrum we currently face in our westernized social fabric. The main focus of my research revolves around the learning that occurs within outdoor childhood places (www.transformativeplaces.com), and their lasting effects on our lives, particularly of immigrants, refugees, and other displaced peoples. My PhD represented an interactive online video journey designed to combine my skills, expertise, and interests and was published as an Apple iBook. I served as the Chair of the board for the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada from 2012-2105.

A place I love in Whatcom County:  I am so new here - so I have to think about where I love to go with my 22 month old, Otis.  We love to explore - and some of the best exploring so far has happened in the Chuckanuts.

My deepest interest and deepest commitment is to the praxis of storytelling. How do we tell stories and why? Whose stories do we listen to and why? What do these stories help us to understand? What can they help us to do? My teaching, scholarship, and community work all seek to engage these questions as they relate to social movements, especially those focused on feminism, anti-racism, and solidarity with indigenous peoples. I work with students to explore how literature helps to understand, expand, and grow movements that create more democratic and just methods of relating to each other across time and space. I teach US Multiethnic and Native American literature, focusing on the historical, political, and social contexts of literary production and appreciation.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Oyster Dome, Blanchard Mountain

I am an associate professor of Journalism and this is a second career; I spent 25 years as a reporter and editor, both covering and using technology. I continue to edit and write in order to stay close to the profession, and I enjoy coaching high school journalists as well as our Western student journalists. I teach media law as well as writing courses and have worked in journalism organizations on legal issues, including First Amendment rights and government access laws. My recent research has focused on public records and “sunshine” laws to promote government transparency.

A place I love in Whatcom county: The Interurban Trail and some of its tributaries, especially the paths that oversee the Bay.

Our life paths certainly do twist and turn in some unexpected and wonderful ways. I spent a career pursuing research I found fascinating but abstract, seeking to understand the big, global trends I saw playing out in the small, local arenas where we least expect them; in places with which I had little personal connection, like Vietnam and China; tracking merchants, pirates, Buddhist missionaries and sailors at sea, where I discovered that I get seasick; then, an eccentric, wandering monk turned my head toward something that brought me closer to home. Now, I find myself trying to grasp another big trend, the globalization of Buddhism, and its manifestation right here, where I am, in places like Bellingham, where I now raise my family, edit books and write history.

A place I love in Whatcom County:  Lake Padden, midway across the lake in the very early morning, where I stop swimming for a minute to look around and marvel

I teach Creative Writing and Literature at Western, where I mentor numerous poets and nonfiction writers.  I have MFA in Poetry from Columbia University; also a Ph.D. in English literature and a B.F.A. in Painting from the University of Washington.  My latest creative project is a series of poems that meditate upon the depictions of ordinary, late 19th-century women in the art of four Impressionists: Edgar Degas, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, and Marie Bracquemond. Over the years, I’ve been engaged with the Northwest literary community in various ways, including as a reader for The Seattle Review, as Bumbershoot’s Literary Arts Festival manager and, most recently, as a co-judge for the Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Boulevard Park – in all weathers!

I am currently in my second year teaching anthropology and archaeology at Whatcom Community College.  My academic research has focused on Andean archaeology, with theoretical interests in the ways that community and identity are reconstructed following state collapse.  I also have experience working as a contract archaeologist across the United States.  One of my current interests (and my reason for participating in this Fellowship) is to help students find ways to gain hands-on experience analyzing material culture at the same time that they grow to understand the relevance of archaeology in the modern world and the contributions that archaeologists can make to the communities in which they live and work.

A place I love in Whatcom County: Really anywhere I can hike and explore the outdoors with my two small children. Whatcom Falls, Locust Beach, Bagley Lakes and other trails around Mt. Baker.