Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Dear Eagle Family and Friends:
I love the rhythms of the academic year. We gear up with anticipation each fall as students fill our classrooms with their energy and enthusiasm; we end the year with graduation ceremonies and celebrations of student achievements.
In the middle of the academic year, we celebrate the actual New Year, which generates reflections and resolutions, memories and forecasts.
As 2019 ended, I looked back at wonderful fall events welcoming new faculty and new students and honoring faculty and staff who have been with Eastern for twenty years or more. We celebrated the topping out of the Catalyst Building, which observed the completion of a crucial phase of the building process.
This fall, also, I was delighted to share information with a large group of university presidents about our Catalyst initiative on a panel with Paul Hawken from Project Drawdown. I spoke on a panel at the annual conference for Women Leaders in College Sports and NCAA Office of Inclusion and facilitated a conversation organized by the Spokesman-Review at the Bing Crosby Theater on “Making Life Work on Your Own Terms,” pictured below.
I was energized by our inaugural Eastern Edge event, which focused on our work to support more women going into (and staying in) STEM fields. And, over Thanksgiving weekend, I attended the annual Encanto concert organized by the Iñiguez family in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, a wonderful event celebrating Eastern and our commitment to Hispanic students.
In November, I also met with the governor and a number of legislators in preparation for the 2020 legislative session. I continue to be so grateful for their support of Eastern over the years.
So many events! It was a busy and productive fall. Now, as the annual rhythms of the academic year lead us into winter and spring terms, I look forward to our new Interdisciplinary Science Center emerging as a valuable addition to our Chaney campus and the Catalyst becoming our center for tech and business in Spokane.
And I look forward to the continued inspiring work of EWU faculty and staff as they transform our students’ lives.
Best wishes to you all for a very Happy 2020—
Mary Cullinan
President, Eastern Washington University
