Summer 2021 Issue of the DAESA STAR Enewsletter
Message from William B. "Bill" Davis, Interim Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement
“You are where you are today because you stand on somebody’s shoulders. And wherever you are heading, you cannot get there by yourself. If you stand on the shoulders of others, you have a reciprocal responsibility to live your life so that others may stand on your shoulders. It’s the quid pro quo of life. We exist temporarily through what we take, but we live forever through what we give.” —Vernon Jordan
 Happy Fall!
I wanted to start my first issue of the DAESA STAR with this quote from Vernon Jordan, a lawyer and powerful advocate for civil rights throughout his career. This quote resonates with me on many levels right now. Personally, I feel I am standing on the shoulders of the recently retired Dr. Mary F. Wack, who was an inspirational and strong leader for DAESA during her 15 years of service in the Provost’s Office. In my new role as an Interim Vice Provost, I am helping support the DAESA leadership and staff on my shoulders as they work to help ensure that every student who walks through the door of WSU has a fighting chance for success at achieving their dreams of obtaining a degree and a future career of distinction.
As we move into the fall semester, the people within DAESA are eager to continue our transformative work to support the students at WSU on our shoulders through our work…
Read the rest of Bill's message »
|
|
|
For 14 years, Jeannie Holt served as an esteemed resource, colleague, and can-do expert for all things large and small in DAESA. She provided wide-ranging administrative support to the vice provost; oversaw special reports, projects, and events; maintained financial, travel, personnel, and payroll records for DAESA and the Academic Success and Career Center (ASCC); supervised and trained employees; was a Modernization Initiative representative and WorkDay expert; oversaw donor stewardship; and problem-solved on personnel, technology, and process issues. She did it all with her characteristic smile.
|
|
|
A Round of Applause
Congratulations to Josefina Galvan, coordinator for Teacher Prep Student Support Services (SSS) in the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE), who received the 2021 APAC Employee Contribution Award.
The OAE Staff Excellence Award was presented in spring to Ali Bretthauer, director of College Success Programs. The award heralds the OAE team member whose exceptional contributions over the past year have advanced student success, and who exemplifies the characteristic spirit of its community.
|
|
Hellos and Farewells
New additions to the DAESA team:
Jenifer Lira, Dare to Dream coordinator in the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE); Colin Mannex, associate director for the Office of Undergraduate Research; Zachary Rost (’19 Business Administration/International Business), administrative assistant for the Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness and the University Common Requirements (UCORE) program; Omar Urbano-Rendon (’18 Criminal Justice, Political Science minor), program coordinator for the Academic Success and Career Center (ASCC); and Laura Welch, coordinator for the Transfer Center for Policy and Resources.
Best wishes for departing team members:
Lateasha Meyer, OAE STEM SSS leader, took a position at Cal State-Chico; and Cesar Munguia, OAE Cougs Rise coordinator, took a position as site coordinator for another educational program in Wenatchee.
Read the more about team changes »
|
|
Calendar/Events
Be sure to check DAESA’s calendar page for 2021-22 programming. Due to COVID-19 pandemic cautions and restrictions, some events listed may be virtual. Upcoming and recent events include:
- May: WSU’s Passport Program, in the Office of Academic Engagement (OAE), joined the nation in celebrating as National Foster Care Month.
- Scholar applications were accepted for OAE’s Passport Program, STEM Student Support Services (SSS), Teacher Prep SSS, and Veterans SSS for the 2021-22 academic year.
- June 4: Alive Advisor Training Day was organized by Ruth Ryan, ASCC assistant director.
- June into August: The Office of Undergraduate Research helped 10 programs funded by NSF and USDA grants and faculty programs to host nearly 60 summer researchers from more than 30 universities.
- Many DAESA faculty and staff served as advisors, presenters, writing assessment experts, and more at several Alive orientation sessions for new and transfer students and families.
- June 18–26: Virtual summer Dare to Dream Summer Academies was hosted by College Access Programs in OAE and led by Jenifer Lira.
- July 5–30: OAE’s Cougs Rise welcomed participants—30 high school seniors plus 30 new graduates—to WSU Pullman for in-person summer program experiences during the Coug Tracks and Bridge Program.
- July 12–start of fall classes: A summer bridge program helped the first five Motivating Innovation and Research Achievement (MIRA) students transition from high school into their academic lives at WSU as future biomedical researchers.
- Aug. 15–17: The WSU LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) program welcomes new students to campus through a summer bridge program.
- Oct 1: WSU Advising Fall Forum is designed for anyone with an academic advising role across the WSU system. Visit the Advising 411 website for more details.
- Oct. 4-5: ASCC's annual fall Career Expo & VCEA Technical Fair will cover two days, with virtual sessions for students and employers on day one, and in-person sessions on day two in Beasley Coliseum.
- Oct. 22: The Distinguished Scholarships Program's annual Celebration will recognize students who received prestigious, national awards this past year and their mentors.
- April 7–9, 2022: Planning is underway for the 2022 Pacific Northwest LSAMP conference which will be held at WSU, hosted by WSU LSAMP.
View more details about these events »
|
|
Support Our Needs
Every year, top students consider embarking on the process to apply for prestigious, nationally competitive awards, such as the Fulbright, the Goldwater, the Udall, the Rhodes, and many more. Throughout the process, great opportunities arise that entail additional expenses beyond tuition and fees that many students cannot afford on their own. In that way, their financial situation may stand in the way of them attaining impactful experiences and pursuing these awards. The Distinguished Scholarships Opportunity Fund is designed to help WSU students cover costs to help them become more qualified for top awards and acquire life-changing experiences to become more competitive for awards.
|
|
|
|
