Faculty & Staff spotlight http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6 en-US hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Faculty spotlight: George Mariz http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_george_mariz&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2009-01-15T17:38:06Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Courtesy of George Mariz | WWUGeorge Mariz, a professor in Western’s History Department and the director of the Honors Program at WWU, poses in front of College Hall on campus. Name: George MarizTitle: Professor of History and director of the Honors ProgramHobbies: Music (classical), architecture, travel and cross-country bicyclingFavorite Restaurant: BusaraFavorite Books: Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” many Shakespearean plays, Greek tragedy, William Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom!” and “The Sound and the Fury” and works by Dostoevsky, Kafka and AustenFavorite Movie: “Citizen Kane”[...] Read more!
Courtesy of George Mariz | WWU
George Mariz, a professor in Western’s History Department and the director of the Honors Program at WWU, poses in front of College Hall on campus.

Name: George Mariz

Title: Professor of History and director of the Honors Program

Hobbies: Music (classical), architecture, travel and cross-country bicycling

Favorite Restaurant: Busara

Favorite Books: Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” many Shakespearean plays, Greek tragedy, William Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom!” and “The Sound and the Fury” and works by Dostoevsky, Kafka and Austen

Favorite Movie: “Citizen Kane”

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]]> Getting to know Barbara Lechtanski http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=getting_to_know_barbara_lechtanski&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-12-11T00:01:24Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Lechtanski by Matthew Anderson | WWUSometimes, jobs just seem to fall from heaven. At least, it seems that way for Barbara Lechtanski, who fell  into her job in public records  and policy at Western earlier this year.“I thought, ‘Wow, it’s almost like they wrote this job for me’,” she says with a laugh.[...] Read more!
Lechtanski

by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Sometimes, jobs just seem to fall from heaven. At least, it seems that way for Barbara Lechtanski, who fell  into her job in public records  and policy at Western earlier this year.

“I thought, ‘Wow, it’s almost like they wrote this job for me’,” she says with a laugh.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Devlin O'Donnell http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staff_spotlight_devlin_o_donnell&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-12-10T23:57:07Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Courtesy of Devlin O'Donnell | WWUDevlin O’Donnell, the Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services coordinator at WWU, stands at the top of Raptor Ridge, one of her favorite hikes in Bellingham. Name: Devlin O’Donnell.Title: Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services (CASAS) Coordinator, Prevention & Wellness Health Educator.Hobbies: Watching political events, sporting events and “Lost” with friends. Dancing, camping, spending time outside in quiet places and drumming when no one is watching.Favorite Book: “Lamb,” by Christopher Moore.Favorite Movie: “Friday Night Lights.”Favorite Restaurant: This week? Supon’s Thai Restaurant.Favorite Place in Bellingham: Wherever my friends are. Also, the cliff on the Marine Drive turnoff.Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Taking my little sister to the batting cages. [...] Read more!
Courtesy of Devlin O'Donnell | WWU
Devlin O’Donnell, the Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services coordinator at WWU, stands at the top of Raptor Ridge, one of her favorite hikes in Bellingham.

Name: Devlin O’Donnell.

Title: Crime and Sexual Assault Support Services (CASAS) Coordinator, Prevention & Wellness Health Educator.

Hobbies: Watching political events, sporting events and “Lost” with friends. Dancing, camping, spending time outside in quiet places and drumming when no one is watching.

Favorite Book: “Lamb,” by Christopher Moore.

Favorite Movie: “Friday Night Lights.”

Favorite Restaurant: This week? Supon’s Thai Restaurant.

Favorite Place in Bellingham: Wherever my friends are. Also, the cliff on the Marine Drive turnoff.

Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Taking my little sister to the batting cages.

=> Read more!

]]> WWU staffer appears in Fall Into Dance, which opens tonight on campus http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=wwu_staffer_appears_in_fall_into_dance_w&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-12-04T18:49:54Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWUWestern alumna and current staff member Kate Stevenson is among the dancers performing in the annual student-choreographed Fall Into Dance program, which runs through Dec. 6 in the Performing Arts Center on campus. by Matthew Anderson | WWU Western alumna Kate Stevenson is among three former students in the WWU Dance Program who'll be performing in this season's Fall Into Dance, which opens tonight on the Performing Arts Center Mainstage.The student-choreographed performance has been a fun one in which to participate, says Stevenson, who received her bachelor's degree in exercise science from WWU.Stevenson works in Student Activities at WWU, managing events and space reservations in the Viking Union. She also teaches two sections per quarter of PE 102. [...] Read more!
Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU
Western alumna and current staff member Kate Stevenson is among the dancers performing in the annual student-choreographed Fall Into Dance program, which runs through Dec. 6 in the Performing Arts Center on campus.

by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Western alumna Kate Stevenson is among three former students in the WWU Dance Program who'll be performing in this season's Fall Into Dance, which opens tonight on the Performing Arts Center Mainstage.

The student-choreographed performance has been a fun one in which to participate, says Stevenson, who received her bachelor's degree in exercise science from WWU.

Stevenson works in Student Activities at WWU, managing events and space reservations in the Viking Union. She also teaches two sections per quarter of PE 102.

=> Read more!

]]> ‘Professor stereotype’ leaves after 38 years http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=professor_stereotype_leaves_after_38_yea&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-26T17:57:39Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWURudi Weiss, a professor of German and linguistics at WWU, is retiring in December after more than 38 years of service to Western. Weiss, who says people often tell him he looks like Albert Einstein and Kurt Vonnegut, attended WWU in the early 1960s on a music scholarship, graduating in 1963 with degrees in music education and German. He returned to his alma mater in 1970 to teach, and he's been here ever since. [ Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect the correct age of Rudi Weiss. ] by Matthew Anderson | WWURudi Weiss knows that others see him as the stereotypical professor. His hair is long and wild. He’s absentminded and forgetful—every day, almost without fail, he misplaces his keys (ask him sometime; he'll tell you of the time he lost his keys in the snow and the time he locked them inside a sonograph machine). He also has the gift of gab, something he says no professor should be without.But there’s much more to his legacy at Western than just that, he says. What Weiss really is most proud of in his time at Western is the number of people he’s seen succeed, both students and fellow faculty members.“I’ve taught thousands and thousands of kids, and that’s really rewarding,” he says. “And then as chair (of the Modern Language Department), being able to hire good faculty members. Watching both students and faculty members succeed has been very rewarding for me.”[...] Read more!
Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU
Rudi Weiss, a professor of German and linguistics at WWU, is retiring in December after more than 38 years of service to Western. Weiss, who says people often tell him he looks like Albert Einstein and Kurt Vonnegut, attended WWU in the early 1960s on a music scholarship, graduating in 1963 with degrees in music education and German. He returned to his alma mater in 1970 to teach, and he's been here ever since.

[ Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect the correct age of Rudi Weiss. ]

by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Rudi Weiss knows that others see him as the stereotypical professor. His hair is long and wild. He’s absentminded and forgetful—every day, almost without fail, he misplaces his keys (ask him sometime; he'll tell you of the time he lost his keys in the snow and the time he locked them inside a sonograph machine). He also has the gift of gab, something he says no professor should be without.

But there’s much more to his legacy at Western than just that, he says. What Weiss really is most proud of in his time at Western is the number of people he’s seen succeed, both students and fellow faculty members.

“I’ve taught thousands and thousands of kids, and that’s really rewarding,” he says. “And then as chair (of the Modern Language Department), being able to hire good faculty members. Watching both students and faculty members succeed has been very rewarding for me.”

=> Read more!

]]> Faculty spotlight: Kate McLean http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=title_16&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-26T17:32:14Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Kate McLean, right, an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Western Washington University, sits with friend Rebekah Krell at Oyster Dome. Name: Kate McLeanTitle: Assistant professor, psychologyHobbies: Hiking, cooking, gardening, playing/listening to music, reading fictionFavorite Book: This is a very hard question, so I will say that my favorite book (in the last year) was “The Road,” by Cormac McCarthy.Favorite Movie: Again, very hard, but “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” is always a winner.Favorite Restaurant: Duarte’s (in Pescadero, Calif.)Favorite Place in Bellingham: Anywhere with a view of the water and the mountains.Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Mallard Ice Cream.[...] Read more!
Kate McLean, right, an assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Western Washington University, sits with friend Rebekah Krell at Oyster Dome.

Name: Kate McLean

Title: Assistant professor, psychology

Hobbies: Hiking, cooking, gardening, playing/listening to music, reading fiction

Favorite Book: This is a very hard question, so I will say that my favorite book (in the last year) was “The Road,” by Cormac McCarthy.

Favorite Movie: Again, very hard, but “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” is always a winner.

Favorite Restaurant: Duarte’s (in Pescadero, Calif.)

Favorite Place in Bellingham: Anywhere with a view of the water and the mountains.

Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Mallard Ice Cream.

=> Read more!

]]> Faculty spotlight: Tara Perry http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_tara_perry&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-13T17:58:05Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Courtesy of Tara Perry | WWUOn a mission trip in Mexico, Tara Perry, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Western Washington University, helped add a roof to the house of a man named Jose. Here, Perry poses with Jose’s son. Name: Tara PerryTitle: Assistant professor, Department of CommunicationHobbies: I enjoy spending time with my mother, going for walks with friends, hanging out with my small group, watching movies, scrapbooking, jogging, dancing and communicating with people on a regular basis.Favorite Movies: “The Sound of Music” and “Grease”Favorite Restaurant: Mambo Italiano in FairhavenFavorite Books: “Savage Inequalities,” by Jonathan Kozol; “Too Busy Not to Pray,” by Bill Hybels; “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” by Richard Carlson; and “Black Looks: Race and Representation,” by bell hooks.Favorite Place in Bellingham: Fairhaven and Boulevard ParkFavorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Walking in the parksFavorite Quote: "If you want help, help others. If you want trust, trust others. If you want respect, respect others. That’s how it works." —Dan Zadra; and "You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." —Charles BruxtonMost Memorable Vacation: Week-long mission trip to Mexico [...] Read more!
Courtesy of Tara Perry | WWU
On a mission trip in Mexico, Tara Perry, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Western Washington University, helped add a roof to the house of a man named Jose. Here, Perry poses with Jose’s son.

Name: Tara Perry

Title: Assistant professor, Department of Communication

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my mother, going for walks with friends, hanging out with my small group, watching movies, scrapbooking, jogging, dancing and communicating with people on a regular basis.

Favorite Movies: “The Sound of Music” and “Grease”

Favorite Restaurant: Mambo Italiano in Fairhaven

Favorite Books: “Savage Inequalities,” by Jonathan Kozol; “Too Busy Not to Pray,” by Bill Hybels; “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” by Richard Carlson; and “Black Looks: Race and Representation,” by bell hooks.

Favorite Place in Bellingham: Fairhaven and Boulevard Park

Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Walking in the parks

Favorite Quote: "If you want help, help others. If you want trust, trust others. If you want respect, respect others. That’s how it works." —Dan Zadra; and "You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." —Charles Bruxton

Most Memorable Vacation: Week-long mission trip to Mexico

=> Read more!

]]> A drive to help others http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=a_drive_to_help_others&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-11-12T18:07:31Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU Randy Senf, who works in the WWU Foundation office at Western, recently retired from the U.S. Navy. In 1998, while serving in the Reserves, he spent time in the Balkans with the Defense Logistics Agency.While there, Senf met a woman working in a children’s library and later determined to collect books to donate to the library. This June, Senf and his wife went back to that library to visit.[...] Read more!
Photo by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Randy Senf, who works in the WWU Foundation office at Western, recently retired from the U.S. Navy. In 1998, while serving in the Reserves, he spent time in the Balkans with the Defense Logistics Agency.

While there, Senf met a woman working in a children’s library and later determined to collect books to donate to the library. This June, Senf and his wife went back to that library to visit.

=> Read more!

]]> Faculty spotlight: Michael Karlberg http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_michael_karlberg&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-10-30T17:02:16Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Courtesy of Michael Karlberg | WWUMichael Karlberg, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Western, demonstrates the art of rock balancing on a recent hike in a gorge outside of Ithaca, N.Y. Name: Michael KarlbergTitle: Associate Professor, Department of CommunicationHobbies: I enjoy playing acoustic finger-style blues guitar, woodworking (including guitar building) and traveling.Favorite Book: Hmm … that’s a tough one. … I would say it’s a three-way tie between “The Lorax,” “The Sneetches” and “Yertle the Turtle,” all by Dr. Seuss. I rediscovered them when my kids were young. Who knew Dr. Seuss was such a radical, prophetic and insightful social critic?Favorite Movie: I don’t have a single favorite, but the range of my favorite films would include films such as “Life is Beautiful,” “The Commitments,” “Schindler’s List,” “Bulworth,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “Fargo,” “Gandhi,” “American History X,” “Memento” and “Bebette’s Feast.”[...] Read more!
Courtesy of Michael Karlberg | WWU
Michael Karlberg, an associate professor in the Department of Communication at Western, demonstrates the art of rock balancing on a recent hike in a gorge outside of Ithaca, N.Y.

Name: Michael Karlberg

Title: Associate Professor, Department of Communication

Hobbies: I enjoy playing acoustic finger-style blues guitar, woodworking (including guitar building) and traveling.

Favorite Book: Hmm … that’s a tough one. … I would say it’s a three-way tie between “The Lorax,” “The Sneetches” and “Yertle the Turtle,” all by Dr. Seuss. I rediscovered them when my kids were young. Who knew Dr. Seuss was such a radical, prophetic and insightful social critic?

Favorite Movie: I don’t have a single favorite, but the range of my favorite films would include films such as “Life is Beautiful,” “The Commitments,” “Schindler’s List,” “Bulworth,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “Fargo,” “Gandhi,” “American History X,” “Memento” and “Bebette’s Feast.”

=> Read more!

]]> Faculty spotlight: Garth Amundson http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=garth_amundson&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-10-30T16:56:48Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Courtesy of Garth Amundson | WWUGarth Amundson, an associate professor in Western’s Department of Art, stands at his opening reception at Universidad Latina De America in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico. Name: Garth AmundsonTitle: Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Arts-PhotographyHobbies: Collecting (I've been using collecting, collating, indexing and classifying as source material for artwork for the last 10 years).Favorite Book: “Speaking for Vice: Homosexuality in the Art of Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, and the First American Avant-Garde,” by Jonathon Weinberg, Yale Press (I was introduced to this book in a methodologies class in graduate school. It continues to have a huge impact on the direction of my artistic work).Favorite Movie:Historic: Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin” (This film informs how I make art and how I teach. Montage editing is critical to still photography).Comedy: Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” (The concept of chocolate fudge being good for you still makes me laugh).Foreign: Carlos Diegues’ “Bye Bye Brasil” (I saw the premier of this film while I was living in Brazil doing a foreign exchange. It established my appetite for travel).[...] Read more!
Courtesy of Garth Amundson | WWU
Garth Amundson, an associate professor in Western’s Department of Art, stands at his opening reception at Universidad Latina De America in Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico.

Name: Garth Amundson

Title: Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Arts-Photography

Hobbies: Collecting (I've been using collecting, collating, indexing and classifying as source material for artwork for the last 10 years).

Favorite Book: “Speaking for Vice: Homosexuality in the Art of Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, and the First American Avant-Garde,” by Jonathon Weinberg, Yale Press (I was introduced to this book in a methodologies class in graduate school. It continues to have a huge impact on the direction of my artistic work).

Favorite Movie:

  • Historic: Sergei Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin” (This film informs how I make art and how I teach. Montage editing is critical to still photography).
  • Comedy: Woody Allen’s “Sleeper” (The concept of chocolate fudge being good for you still makes me laugh).
  • Foreign: Carlos Diegues’ “Bye Bye Brasil” (I saw the premier of this film while I was living in Brazil doing a foreign exchange. It established my appetite for travel).

=> Read more!

]]> Staring down the rapids http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staring_down_the_rapids&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-08-21T17:59:38Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Photo courtesy of Rochelle Parry | WWURochelle Parry, a graphic designer and Web developer with Academic Technology at Western, rides her riverboard in the White Salmon River in southern Washington during the Gorge Games in late July. Here, Parry is competing in the freestyle surfing event, in which competitors attempt to do tricks on a standing wave. by Matthew Anderson | WWUYeah, of course it’s dangerous. But so what?Myriad scars and scrapes crisscross Rochelle Parry’s knees and ankles. Thirty years of surfing and bodyboarding will do that to you.Parry, a graphic designer and web developer with Academic Technology and User Services at Western, recently has taken up riverboarding, a relatively new sport that takes the concept of bodyboarding inland. Enthusiasts compete by riding boards through the rapids—and over the falls—of some of the area’s mightiest rivers.[...] Read more!
Photo courtesy of Rochelle Parry | WWU
Rochelle Parry, a graphic designer and Web developer with Academic Technology at Western, rides her riverboard in the White Salmon River in southern Washington during the Gorge Games in late July. Here, Parry is competing in the freestyle surfing event, in which competitors attempt to do tricks on a standing wave.

by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Yeah, of course it’s dangerous. But so what?

Myriad scars and scrapes crisscross Rochelle Parry’s knees and ankles. Thirty years of surfing and bodyboarding will do that to you.

Parry, a graphic designer and web developer with Academic Technology and User Services at Western, recently has taken up riverboarding, a relatively new sport that takes the concept of bodyboarding inland. Enthusiasts compete by riding boards through the rapids—and over the falls—of some of the area’s mightiest rivers.

=> Read more!

]]> On summer vacation, Finch experiences foreign culture http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=on_summer_vacation_finch_experiences_for&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-08-21T17:48:14Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Photo courtesy of Suzann Finch | WWUSuzann Finch, left, a program coordinator in the Financial Aid office at Western Washington University, stands next to her sister, Trish, while on a visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this summer. by Matthew Anderson | WWUSome things, she admits with a smile, would be easier about life as a woman in Saudi Arabia, covered head to toe by her abaya and hajib.“I think I could get used to it,” says Suzann Finch, a program coordinator in the Financial Aid office, who traveled to that country this summer to visit her sister. “I blended in with everybody else. It didn’t matter what I was wearing or what my hair looked like that day.”But overall, life truly is different, and often a serious challenge, for women living in a country that affords them few rights.[...] Read more!
Photo courtesy of Suzann Finch | WWU
Suzann Finch, left, a program coordinator in the Financial Aid office at Western Washington University, stands next to her sister, Trish, while on a visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this summer.

by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Some things, she admits with a smile, would be easier about life as a woman in Saudi Arabia, covered head to toe by her abaya and hajib.

“I think I could get used to it,” says Suzann Finch, a program coordinator in the Financial Aid office, who traveled to that country this summer to visit her sister. “I blended in with everybody else. It didn’t matter what I was wearing or what my hair looked like that day.”

But overall, life truly is different, and often a serious challenge, for women living in a country that affords them few rights.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Kirsti Charlton http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=for_charlton_it_s_the_students_who_ve_ma&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-06-11T23:34:10Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight by Matthew Anderson | WWU Before she got a job here, Kirsti Charlton graduated from Western Washington University with her teaching certificate and, later, with her master's degree.Now, she's leaving Western after 29 years of employment with the satisfaction of knowing that she's helped hundreds of students successfully navigate the same halls of learning that she once travelled.[...] Read more! by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Before she got a job here, Kirsti Charlton graduated from Western Washington University with her teaching certificate and, later, with her master's degree.

Now, she's leaving Western after 29 years of employment with the satisfaction of knowing that she's helped hundreds of students successfully navigate the same halls of learning that she once travelled.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Lynn Bell http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=after_30_years_at_western_bell_plans_to_&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-06-11T22:59:09Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight by Matthew Anderson | WWU Lynn Bell, the administrative services manager at Western's Facilities Management, is leaving this month after more than 30 years on the job.She began her Western career with a short stint as the campus postmistress back in 1967. From her booth in the school's bookstore, Bell processed and mailed letters and cashed checks for faculty, staff and students. There was no Cashier's Office on campus at the time.Bell left the education world in 1968 to dive into the private sector as owner of her own small business. She did that for a decade before returning to campus in 1978 as a program assistant in Continuing Education.[...] Read more! by Matthew Anderson | WWU

Lynn Bell, the administrative services manager at Western's Facilities Management, is leaving this month after more than 30 years on the job.

She began her Western career with a short stint as the campus postmistress back in 1967. From her booth in the school's bookstore, Bell processed and mailed letters and cashed checks for faculty, staff and students. There was no Cashier's Office on campus at the time.

Bell left the education world in 1968 to dive into the private sector as owner of her own small business. She did that for a decade before returning to campus in 1978 as a program assistant in Continuing Education.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Kay Reddell http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=hats_off_to_you_kay&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-06-11T22:33:51Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight by Dave Wheeler | WWU intern Kay Reddell might be everywhere at once. Currently the administrative assistant to the chair and advising coordinator in the Theatre Arts Department, she has spent 23 years at Western. After nine years advising at Huxley College, Reddell has spent the past 14 years in Theatre. She has served as president of the Staff Employees Council, advocating for her colleagues, and was a two-term regional representative for the National Academic Advising Association, where she helped plan major conferences and at least four advising workshops. [...] Read more! by Dave Wheeler | WWU intern

Kay Reddell might be everywhere at once. Currently the administrative assistant to the chair and advising coordinator in the Theatre Arts Department, she has spent 23 years at Western.

After nine years advising at Huxley College, Reddell has spent the past 14 years in Theatre. She has served as president of the Staff Employees Council, advocating for her colleagues, and was a two-term regional representative for the National Academic Advising Association, where she helped plan major conferences and at least four advising workshops.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Chris Roselli http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staff_spotlight_chris_roselli&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-05-29T17:57:18Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Chris Roselli poses for a photo with his wife and daughter in Skagit County during the Tulip Festival. Name: Chris RoselliTitle: Assistant Director of Young Alumni and Student Programs (The Western Alumni Association)Hobbies: Mountain Biking, gardening, spending time with my wife and daughterFavorite Book: "The Brothers K"Favorite Movie: "Field of Dreams"Favorite Restaurant: Burgerville (in Southwest Washington) and Peter Luger in Brooklyn, N.Y. In Whatcom County I love The Steak House and Mambo ItalianoFavorite Place in Bellingham: My back yard, Zuanich Point, Whatcom Falls ParkFavorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Walk on our city's amazing trail system with my family.[...] Read more!
Chris Roselli poses for a photo with his wife and daughter in Skagit County during the Tulip Festival.

Name: Chris Roselli

Title: Assistant Director of Young Alumni and Student Programs (The Western Alumni Association)

Hobbies: Mountain Biking, gardening, spending time with my wife and daughter

Favorite Book: "The Brothers K"

Favorite Movie: "Field of Dreams"

Favorite Restaurant: Burgerville (in Southwest Washington) and Peter Luger in Brooklyn, N.Y. In Whatcom County I love The Steak House and Mambo Italiano

Favorite Place in Bellingham: My back yard, Zuanich Point, Whatcom Falls Park

Favorite Thing to Do in Bellingham: Walk on our city's amazing trail system with my family.

=> Read more!

]]> Faculty spotlight: Kristen Larson http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_kristen_larson&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-05-15T16:14:28Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Courtesy of Kristen Larson | WWULarson poses for a photo while backpacking on the Kepler Track in New Zealand in December 2007. Name: Kristen LarsonTitle: Associate professor of Physics and AstronomyHobbies: Gardening and Hardanger (a Norwegian pulled-thread embroidery)Most memorable vacation: Hiking the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford Tracks in New Zealand in December of 2007Favorite restaurant: My house when my husband Jeff is cookingHow many years have you been at WWU? I arrived at WWU in 1998 and have been here in my current position since 2002.How did you get involved in your line of work? I fell in love with physics when I was 13, and I've never looked back. I was looking for a summer job in college, and the first person who said she would take a chance on me was an astronomer. I was hooked! I've been involved in astronomy research ever since.[...] Read more!
Courtesy of Kristen Larson | WWU
Larson poses for a photo while backpacking on the Kepler Track in New Zealand in December 2007.

Name: Kristen Larson

Title: Associate professor of Physics and Astronomy

Hobbies: Gardening and Hardanger (a Norwegian pulled-thread embroidery)

Most memorable vacation: Hiking the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford Tracks in New Zealand in December of 2007

Favorite restaurant: My house when my husband Jeff is cooking

How many years have you been at WWU? I arrived at WWU in 1998 and have been here in my current position since 2002.

How did you get involved in your line of work? I fell in love with physics when I was 13, and I've never looked back. I was looking for a summer job in college, and the first person who said she would take a chance on me was an astronomer. I was hooked! I've been involved in astronomy research ever since.

=> Read more!

]]> Staff spotlight: Qy-Ana Manning http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staff_spotlight_qy_ana_manning&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-04-17T17:35:05Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Manning with her boyfriend, WayneName: Qy-Ana ManningTitle: Assistant director, New Student Services/Family OutreachHobbies: Running, weight training, health/nutrition, fashion, tattoos, outdoor adventure, Seahawk Sundays!Most memorable vacation: Skydiving 14,000 feet over the North shore coastline in Oahu, HawaiiFavorite joke or quote: “It’s the pleats!”Favorite restaurant: The Steak House or Diamond Jim’s, depending on the occasion...How many years have you been at WWU? Nearly fourHow did you get involved in your line of work? I worked as an Admissions Counselor at The Evergreen State College for five years prior. I met several outstanding WWU professionals, including Karen Copetas, Chris Roselli and Jeanne Gaffney, who eventually “lured” me to Bellingham.[...] Read more!
Manning with her boyfriend, Wayne

Name: Qy-Ana Manning

Title: Assistant director, New Student Services/Family Outreach

Hobbies: Running, weight training, health/nutrition, fashion, tattoos, outdoor adventure, Seahawk Sundays!

Most memorable vacation: Skydiving 14,000 feet over the North shore coastline in Oahu, Hawaii

Favorite joke or quote: “It’s the pleats!”

Favorite restaurant: The Steak House or Diamond Jim’s, depending on the occasion...

How many years have you been at WWU? Nearly four

How did you get involved in your line of work? I worked as an Admissions Counselor at The Evergreen State College for five years prior. I met several outstanding WWU professionals, including Karen Copetas, Chris Roselli and Jeanne Gaffney, who eventually “lured” me to Bellingham.

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]]> Faculty spotlight: Matthew Miller http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_matthew_miller&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-03-20T16:42:29Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight Title: Assistant Professor of Elementary EducationHobbies: Miller enjoys hiking, biking, singing and acting with the Bellingham Theatre Guild and spending time with his 7-month-old daughter, Claire.Favorite book: “Geek Love,” by Katherine Dunn, which he says is an “entertaining and scary look into the lives of a group of on-the-fringe circus performers.”Favorite vacation: Miller spent three weeks in northern Minnesota with Outward Bound on a dog-sledding expedition.[...] Read more!

Title: Assistant Professor of Elementary Education

Hobbies: Miller enjoys hiking, biking, singing and acting with the Bellingham Theatre Guild and spending time with his 7-month-old daughter, Claire.

Favorite book: “Geek Love,” by Katherine Dunn, which he says is an “entertaining and scary look into the lives of a group of on-the-fringe circus performers.”

Favorite vacation: Miller spent three weeks in northern Minnesota with Outward Bound on a dog-sledding expedition.

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]]> Faculty Spotlight: John Rybczyk http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=faculty_spotlight_john_rybczyk&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2008-01-02T23:30:20Z Matthew Anderson Faculty Spotlight John RybczykName: John RybczykTitle: Associate professor of Environmental ScienceHobbies: Rybczyk owns a number of boats and loves to spend time on the water, and he could not live in the Northwest without skiing. Cooking also is a treasured hobby.Favorite book: “The Cadillac Desert,” by Marc Reisner, which Rybczyk says is one of the best environmental books he has ever read.Favorite vacation: The Big Island of Hawaii. Rybczyk also enjoys traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula for the good food and culture.How he got into environmental science: Growing up in Hawaii, Rybczyk was close to the water, and that exposure spurred his interested in coastal issues and climate change.Reason he began teaching: Rybczyk got into the university system because he likes to teach and being able to do research. For Rybczyk, the best part about teaching is getting students involved in studying and researching. Environmental Science 101 is one of his favorite classes to teach, and it’s also among the largest on campus. Rybczyk says he likes this class because through it a lot of students find they are interested in science.[...] Read more!
John Rybczyk

Name: John Rybczyk

Title: Associate professor of Environmental Science

Hobbies: Rybczyk owns a number of boats and loves to spend time on the water, and he could not live in the Northwest without skiing. Cooking also is a treasured hobby.

Favorite book: “The Cadillac Desert,” by Marc Reisner, which Rybczyk says is one of the best environmental books he has ever read.

Favorite vacation: The Big Island of Hawaii. Rybczyk also enjoys traveling to the Yucatan Peninsula for the good food and culture.

How he got into environmental science: Growing up in Hawaii, Rybczyk was close to the water, and that exposure spurred his interested in coastal issues and climate change.

Reason he began teaching: Rybczyk got into the university system because he likes to teach and being able to do research. For Rybczyk, the best part about teaching is getting students involved in studying and researching. Environmental Science 101 is one of his favorite classes to teach, and it’s also among the largest on campus. Rybczyk says he likes this class because through it a lot of students find they are interested in science.

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]]> Staff Spotlight: Sylvia G. Tag http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=sylvia_g_tag&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2007-12-06T19:24:16Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight Sylvia G. TagName: Sylvia G. TagTitle: LibrarianHobbies: Taking long walks, knitting just about anything, cooking pots of rich soup and thick stew, traveling to visit family and friends.Favorite book: “New and Selected Poems,” by Mary OliverFavorite movie: Well this is difficult because I enjoy all kinds of film. Over time I would say it’s between “Harold and Maude”—a formative film from my youth—and “Babette’s Feast,” a film that is tightly based on the short story by Karen Blixen.Favorite restaurant: In Bellingham, my own kitchen. Around the world, a little restaurant in the Latin Quarter of Paris called Chez Paul.Favorite place in Bellingham: I don’t think I have a favorite place per se. What I enjoy most about Bellingham is that it is a walking town and I find myself walking everywhere—through neighborhoods, on trails, or by the bay.Favorite quote: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” -Plato[...] Read more!
Sylvia G. Tag

Name: Sylvia G. Tag

Title: Librarian

Hobbies: Taking long walks, knitting just about anything, cooking pots of rich soup and thick stew, traveling to visit family and friends.

Favorite book: “New and Selected Poems,” by Mary Oliver

Favorite movie: Well this is difficult because I enjoy all kinds of film. Over time I would say it’s between “Harold and Maude”—a formative film from my youth—and “Babette’s Feast,” a film that is tightly based on the short story by Karen Blixen.

Favorite restaurant: In Bellingham, my own kitchen. Around the world, a little restaurant in the Latin Quarter of Paris called Chez Paul.

Favorite place in Bellingham: I don’t think I have a favorite place per se. What I enjoy most about Bellingham is that it is a walking town and I find myself walking everywhere—through neighborhoods, on trails, or by the bay.

Favorite quote: “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” -Plato

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]]> Staff Spotlight: Douglas Salkeld http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=salkeld_is_a_man_of_power&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2007-11-20T23:51:10Z Matthew Anderson Staff Spotlight On campus: Douglas Salkeld is an electrician in Facilities Management, working primarily on maintenance and tenant improvements in Western Washington University’s many buildings.Off campus: Douglas is a whole lot of things. For starters, he’s a father—five times over. He and his wife have five children, three of them biological and two adopted. They’re fairly young, too. With kids still in high school, junior high and elementary, Salkeld, whose daughters are into horse riding, is hard-pressed to keep up with them all. Free time: To hear him tell it, there’s not much of that around. An electrical junkie, Salkeld for years has had as a hobby and side business the installation of solar panel systems. "I do mostly off-grid systems for small residences and cabins," says Salkeld, 60. "Lately, I’ve been trying to do less and less work. I still have a young family. The older I get, the more I realize that time is limited. Work gets in the way." A longtime fan of alternative forms of energy, Salkeld says the business is more about helping others than making money. "I probably don’t charge as much as I should," he says. "I’d like to make it more affordable to people."[...] Read more!

On campus: Douglas Salkeld is an electrician in Facilities Management, working primarily on maintenance and tenant improvements in Western Washington University’s many buildings.

Off campus: Douglas is a whole lot of things. For starters, he’s a father—five times over. He and his wife have five children, three of them biological and two adopted. They’re fairly young, too. With kids still in high school, junior high and elementary, Salkeld, whose daughters are into horse riding, is hard-pressed to keep up with them all.

Free time: To hear him tell it, there’s not much of that around. An electrical junkie, Salkeld for years has had as a hobby and side business the installation of solar panel systems. "I do mostly off-grid systems for small residences and cabins," says Salkeld, 60. "Lately, I’ve been trying to do less and less work. I still have a young family. The older I get, the more I realize that time is limited. Work gets in the way." A longtime fan of alternative forms of energy, Salkeld says the business is more about helping others than making money. "I probably don’t charge as much as I should," he says. "I’d like to make it more affordable to people."

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]]> Staff Spotlight: Petra S. Fiero http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staff_spotlight_lfont_color_lightskyblue&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2007-09-19T22:34:35Z henderl6 Staff Spotlight Name: Petra S. FieroTitle: Associate professor of GermanHobbies: Reading, hiking, biking, water aerobics, traveling and playing the pianoFavorite Book: “Anna Karenina,” by Leo TolstoyFavorite Movie: “Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire),” by Wim WendersFavorite Restaurant: Busara Favorite Place in Bellingham: Clayton BeachFavorite Quote: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” --Martin LutherMost Memorable Vacation: A trip to Northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon where we visited the Tarahumara Indians.Greatest Accomplishment: I just finished writing a book on German-Jewish writer Barbara Honigmann and I thought that after the dissertation I would not be able to write another book.Number of years at WWU: 12Awards/Honors: Sabbatical, academic year 2003-04; Participant of TrainDaF (Transatlantic Intercultural Program to Sponsor Teachers of German as a Foreign Language), sponsored by the American Association for Teachers of German, the Goethe-Institute and the German government (2002-03); Fulbright German Studies Seminar: “History and Memory: Jewish Past and Present in Germany,” Summer 2000; Honorary Member of Golden Key National Honor Society (2000). [...] Read more!

Name: Petra S. Fiero

Title: Associate professor of German

Hobbies: Reading, hiking, biking, water aerobics, traveling and playing the piano

Favorite Book: “Anna Karenina,” by Leo Tolstoy

Favorite Movie: “Himmel über Berlin (Wings of Desire),” by Wim Wenders

Favorite Restaurant: Busara

Favorite Place in Bellingham: Clayton Beach

Favorite Quote: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” --Martin Luther

Most Memorable Vacation: A trip to Northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon where we visited the Tarahumara Indians.

Greatest Accomplishment: I just finished writing a book on German-Jewish writer Barbara Honigmann and I thought that after the dissertation I would not be able to write another book.

Number of years at WWU: 12

Awards/Honors: Sabbatical, academic year 2003-04; Participant of TrainDaF (Transatlantic Intercultural Program to Sponsor Teachers of German as a Foreign Language), sponsored by the American Association for Teachers of German, the Goethe-Institute and the German government (2002-03); Fulbright German Studies Seminar: “History and Memory: Jewish Past and Present in Germany,” Summer 2000; Honorary Member of Golden Key National Honor Society (2000).

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]]> Staff spotlight: Troy Abel http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&title=staff_spotlight_troy_abel&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 2007-08-22T22:37:16Z John Thompson Staff Spotlight http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&p=26&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more26 Name: Troy AbelTitle: Assistant Professor of Environmental PolicyHobbies: Mountain biking, fishing, barbecuing, espresso, hiking and Noon Basketball Association (NBA)Favorite Book: “Ecotopia Emerging” by Ernest CallenbachFavorite Movie: Blues BrothersFavorite Restaurant: D’Anna’s Café ItalianoFavorite Place in Whatcom County: Tuesday night trivia at UisceFavorite Quote: “Imagination is more important than knowledge” – Albert EinsteinMost Memorable Vacation: Driving from Northern California to Baja California for whale watching in Scammon’s Lagoon with my brother.My greatest accomplishment: Co-authoring a 2000 publication critically assessing the limits of civic environmentalism.[...] Read more! http://onlinefast.org/v4/index.php?blog=6&p=26&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#more26

Troy Abel

Name: Troy Abel

Title: Assistant Professor of Environmental Policy

Hobbies: Mountain biking, fishing, barbecuing, espresso, hiking and Noon Basketball Association (NBA)

Favorite Book: “Ecotopia Emerging” by Ernest Callenbach

Favorite Movie: Blues Brothers

Favorite Restaurant: D’Anna’s Café Italiano

Favorite Place in Whatcom County: Tuesday night trivia at Uisce

Favorite Quote: “Imagination is more important than knowledge” – Albert Einstein

Most Memorable Vacation: Driving from Northern California to Baja California for whale watching in Scammon’s Lagoon with my brother.

My greatest accomplishment: Co-authoring a 2000 publication critically assessing the limits of civic environmentalism.

=> Read more!

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