Dear Eagle Family and Friends:
As we race into the last weeks of 2019, I’m reflecting on the many individuals who make a difference for Eastern. We have so much to be thankful for: the students who bring their wide array of talents, passions, and experiences; the significant work we do together to help students be successful in college and after they graduate; the thousands of alumni and friends who are vital to the continued success of our university.
Here are a few outstanding examples:
Students
ROTC Cadet James P. Dutton recently received a Randy Van Turner ROTC Scholarship. Cadet Dutton is a double major in environmental science and biology. The scholarship supports his full tuition over the next year so he can focus on ROTC and pursue his dream of becoming a pilot and a wildlife biologist.
Serena Dewey, graduate student in occupational therapy, joined a multidisciplinary team of graduate students who created Halloween costumes for kids in wheelchairs. “Empowering a child in a wheelchair to successfully and confidently do something like trick-or-treating is exactly what occupational therapy is all about,” she says.
Computer Science students Tyler Rettkowski, Luke Mattfeld, Emilio Campos, Evan Sanford, Kayla Foremski and Daylyn Hoxie competed in CyberForce, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy at national laboratories across the country. More than 100 college and university teams competed against each other to defend a simulated cyber-physical infrastructure from professionally executed cyber attacks.
Faculty and Staff
Music faculty member Jody Graves was named to the Steinway Hall of Fame. Amanda Reedy, associate professor and director of the School of Social Work and Grace Creasman, senior lecturer and program director of our Addiction Studies Program, received a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Grant to integrate substance use disorder education into healthcare and health services education programs. College business officer Bill Shaw and custodian Carla Messal received our highly prestigious 2019 Distinguished Service Awards.
Donors, Alumni, and Community Members
So many individuals donate their time, talent, and treasure as well as their experience and wisdom to Eastern. We just recently received tremendous support for our new parasport wheelchair basketball team and for campus food pantries. Additionally, in the past few weeks, donors made planned gifts totaling $3 million in support of mechanical engineering, technology, education, and honors. The EWU Music Department also received an amazing gift of beautiful hand-made instruments.
I’m so grateful to so many people! Many thanks to all of you. And best wishes for the Holiday Season and the New Year.
Mary Cullinan
President, Eastern Washington University
