Dear Eagle Family and Friends,
Our June commencement ceremony is still a few weeks away, but we got a taste of what it’s like to be back “in person” for graduation as we awarded diplomas to our semester students on May 6. The semester ceremony at Spokane Convention Center was truly special; it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces together in the same big room. I hope you’ll take a moment to visit our photo album from the event, or watch a replay of the festivities.
I’m pleased to say that preparations for our June 18 commencement ceremony, where we expect to see 2,175 undergraduate and graduate students take the stage to collect their diplomas, are going well. As in days before Covid-19, this year we expect the Spokane Arena to be full of happy graduates and their families. Please join us if you can.
All this talk of graduation is another reminder that we are indeed in the final stretch of the academic year. I don’t need to tell you it’s been a challenging ride. We started the year still under pandemic restrictions, and we are ending it in mostly normal operations, though we remain mindful of the public health concerns. This return of “near normal” has occasioned an especially busy spring, as various campus organizations and departments have hosted many terrific events.
Sustainability Week, for example, kicked off with an Earth Day ribbon cutting for our beautiful new Eagle Station bus plaza. A few days later, the university hosted a thought-provoking conference focused on climate change, food autonomy and related environmental issues. The “Sovereignty Through Sustainability” gathering brought together experts from regional tribes, state and local government, and our own faculty experts for a full day of dialogue on critical issues that will impact our future way of life. Special thanks to Margo Hill, associate professor of urban and regional planning, for coordination of this great event.
Later in the week, Eastern was privileged to host Gov. Jay Inslee. During his time on campus EWU faculty and students introduced him to a wide array of EWU sustainability efforts.
All this came on the heels of another engaging Diversity and Inclusion Week, one which featured a variety of events that celebrated Eastern’s commitment to fostering a culture of respect, integrity and inclusiveness. We also saw the rousing, in-person return of Get Lit!, our annual festival of literary art and culture.
Not to be outdone, the second week of May saw many of our students showcase their participation in important scientific and scholarly investigations at the annual Student Research and Creative Works Symposium. Congratulations to everyone who participated in this impressive academic showcase.
Speaking of students, our friends at BECU created a video to share its enthusiasm for the three Eastern students who were supported through the Black Entrepreneur Fellowship Program, which BECU has graciously funded over the next four years. This speaks to the overall great success of the EWU Entrepreneurship Program.
Please take a moment to watch the video, and we will visit one more time in June!
David May, PhD
Interim President
Eastern Washington University
