I am an assistant professor in the Biology Department at Eastern Washington University. The research conducted in my lab and courses that I teach focus on genomes, fungi, plants, lichens, and conservation. Much of my work as a scientist in the past has included outreach and education for the general public, such as guiding walks and giving talks and courses, to raise awareness of the incredible botanical diversity found all around us. I look forward to continuing that work here at in Spokane, and to including my students in outreach and partnership opportunities.

As an avid connoisseur of good bread, one of my favorite places in Spokane is the Grain Shed.

I am an Associate Professor in the Geography & Anthropology Department at Eastern Washington University. My research, broadly speaking, is situated around the ways in which people respond to changing social, political, economic, and environmental conditions. In terms of community engagement, recent research has focused on how geographic information systems (GIS) technology can be deployed to enhance the civic participation and political empowerment of historically marginalized population groups in urban centers. My interest in community engagement is rooted in a drive to make positive and lasting impacts in the world by ‘putting theory into practice’. Much of critical social theory is aimed at bettering the lives of socio-economically marginalized population groups in the world; yet, actually reaching and impacting this population in meaningful ways has notoriously proven difficult. Lastly, I am always considering new and innovative ways of incorporating students in community engagement projects, as part of classroom projects or MA theses.

My wife and I are lovers of the outdoors and one of our favorite things to do is go hiking on any of the wonderful hiking trails that the Spokane region (and beyond) has to offer.

I am the Recreation Director for the City of Cheney, and community engagement is my whole life! My goal is to help put Cheney on the map as a destination to enjoy local businesses, beautiful parks, and exciting community events. I work with all age groups and programs, but my favorite thing to do is plan community activities. This allows me the opportunity to collaborate with local businesses, utilize volunteers from EWU, and partner with the school district and other local organizations. I am looking forward to volunteering as a mentor for refugee women through World Relief. In my free time I enjoy backpacking and traveling with my husband, Trevor, and our dog, Whiskey.

A place I love close to where I live: I live right next to Riverside State Park and I enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and biking. I love anything outdoors!

I am the Activity Director, Social Service Designee, Discharge Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator for the Cheney Care Center. Currently I sit on the governing board for the Washington State Activity Professional Association, Spokane Chapter as their secretary. I have been with the Cheney Care Center for over 14 years where I discovered my passion for working with the elderly. I pride myself on being a champion for my residents and an advocate for change. I have helped to open the eyes of many of our younger generation and helped them discover that the elderly are a very valuable population with a wealth of knowledge to share. Volunteers have learned about the past from those who lived it. My goal is to provide as many opportunities to my residents to improve their well-being by enriching them both physically and mentally. I continue to expand my volunteer program not only to EWU and WSU students but also the pre-school thru High school, as well as a variety of other organizations throughout Cheney and Spokane. My goal is to continue to introduce new and exciting programs like iN2L, Evergrow and music and memories within our facility to better meet the needs of our population and to allow them to evolve with society and the many change that have occurred over the years.

When not working I like spend time with my husband and our Boston terriers. My favorite place to go weather permitting is Airway Heights raceway to race my Camaro. In the winter my favorite place is curled up on the couch with a good book and my fur babies.

I am professor and program director of Visual Communication Design and in my 20^th year of teaching at EWU. Our program works with community partners in most of our classes and our students have created visual messaging for many local and regional partners including Spokane Transit Authority, Women Helping Women Fund, Growing Neighbors, Toolbox, Bremerton Naval Shipyard, WA Dept of Corrections, SCRAPS, PJALS, and WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife. I work with a great group of VCD faculty and, in addition to community engagement projects, we love to collaborate with other programs and faculty on campus.

A local place I love is Schweitzer Mountain. I’m there skiing almost every weekend in the winter and hiking and biking in the summer.

I am entering my 6th year at EWU as assistant professor of exercise science. Currently, my senior capstone students go to local retirement homes and senior centers to promote physical activity. Depending on the specific population, they do this through movement-promoting games or structured exercise. The students have been able to see how physical activity can powerfully and positively influence both physical and emotional health, the latter being especially true when you are physically active with your friends. I look forward to seeing this program grow! When I am not working at EWU, I am cleaning my house or being walked by my two crazy Australian shepherds!

A place I love near where I live - Sanders Beach on a hot sunny day!

I am EWU’s Sustainability Coordinator and lead the Office of Sustainability which seeks to serve as a source of sustainability-focused initiatives, a central hub of information for sustainable practices at EWU, to engage with community members to promote sustainability in the Inland Northwest, and establish EWU as a leader in sustainability. Currently I am working on a project to restore EWU farmland to native Palouse habitat and preserve natural land on campus that will foster research and educational opportunities, increase biodiversity, and provide recreational space on multi-use trails. Community involvement is a key component to this project and I am actively engaging with community partners to get their input and help in developing this great new resource for our region.

I am a huge of fan the entire Spokane region. There are so many great opportunities to get outside and play around here!

In my current role I serve as the Director of the Office of Community Engagement at Eastern Washington University. A lifelong educator, I have served in a variety of roles including professor and high school social studies teacher. Currently I serve on the board of the Northeast Community Center, Excelerate Success, and Partners in Campus and Community Engagement. Having been at EWU for just over a year, I am excited to see how community engagement is already growing and the direction it appears to be going. When I am not working I am loving spending time with my amazing wife, Nika, and our newborn daughter, Grace.

A place I love in my home region: The Flying Goat. I love pizza and theirs is the best!

I am the new Community Prevention Coalition Coordinator for the communities of Cheney and Airway Heights. Our community is one of 82 communities statewide participating in the Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative (CPWI). The Initiative supports our new coalition in partnering with parents, youth, educators, health professionals, law enforcement, faith leaders, businesses and local government to prevent underage use of alcohol and other drugs. TALK 2 Healthy Choices Community Coalition is working together to identify the highest prevention needs, plan and implement evidence-based strategies, leverage local resources and evaluate the impact of selected programs.

I currently serve on the following boards; West Plains Support Network, Partners Advancing Character Education and Partners in Campus and Community Engagement. In my spare time I am a volunteer youth soccer coach and manager for the Storm Soccer Club. My husband and I live on in the country with our three kind and funny kids, 2 goats, 2 ducks, 2 dogs, 1 cat and 9 chickens.

My family and I love to boat, fish and beach camp at Lake Roosevelt. We also love to hike in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. I wish I could be there always! We enjoy the outdoors and are so blessed to live in the PNW.

I coordinate academic service-learning at Whitworth University. In addition to this I get to spend a lot of time out in the community building relationships and getting to know different non-profits. The one I am most active in, and occasionally even do work without outside of my professional role, is the West Central Development team, which is working on affordable housing.

I absolutely adore Winco. I've never lived so close to place with such a wide variety of food selections that also gives you the ability to buy small quantities.

I am a Cheney High School graduate and went to Brigham Young University shortly after graduation. I married my high school crush and embarked on a 25-year adventure as a military spouse. Together we have raised five amazing boys and one fireball of a girl. Over the years I have served in various leadership positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Boy Scouts Troops, PTO/PTA Boards, and Military Spouse Clubs. While at the United States Military Academy at West Point, I served on the Senior Leadership Advisory Council and as the School Board President. Since returning to Cheney in 2014, I helped form West Plains Arts Academy and have been actively working to increase the availability and affordability of arts programs in our community. I am also currently serving on the board of the West Plains Support Network and Talk 2 Healthy Choices Community Coalition.

Our family's go-to place is the Fish Lake Trail, which my kids call the "The Frog and Snake Trail". When we would come home to visit grandparents we would always take the kids and let them chase frogs and snakes along the trail. We have made many happy memories with our kids and extended family along that trail.

I have the great honor and pleasure of teaching Introductory Biology to a highly diverse group of students - many of whom find that they have an unexpected interest (and increasing aptitude) for science in what is typically one of their very first college science courses. I also teach Microbiology for Pre-Health majors, and Bio Ethics for Bio/Biol Ed majors.

I am passionate about science outreach both on and off EWU's campus, and also participate in the coordination of Spokane-Cheney area Science Cafés for interested scientists/non-scientists/kids off all ages. I am a collector of fossils, fungi, and creepy-crawlies of all sorts - many of which travel with me during outreach events.

My idea of a perfect morning is an early paddle and wildlife watch down the Little Spokane River with my family, followed by lattés and people watching at Atticus Coffee.

I have the pleasure of working with a large number of students, community members and businesses in the West Plains every day! I am a Volunteer Coordinator with Communities in Schools and organize a weekly, school based mentoring program for the Cheney and Medical Lake Districts. I believe mentoring relationships can change lives. It’s so fun for me to see the student’s eyes light up when their mentor arrives and witness the lasting, positive impact it has on both the mentor and the mentee! In addition to my role at CIS, I am also the West Plains PACE Coordinator. PACE (Partners Advancing Character Education) is a grassroots initiative that links arms with a variety of groups to promote, advance and recognize character achievement. We are commonly awarded for things such as academics, athletics or business successes but I believe the highest honor to be recognized for is ones character.

There are many fun spots around the area but I have to say, Chaps is my go to spot! I’ve spent many hours there over the years circled around a table, sipping coffee and chatting with my favorite people.

I am an Assistant Professor of Biology Education in the Biology Department at Eastern Washington University. My research focuses on undergraduate STEM education, specifically exploring the adoption of active learning instructional practices. I teach science teaching methods courses and introductory biology courses for non-majors and education majors. Currently I am partnering with two local schools on a grant that gets students outside learning about native ecosystems. I am looking forward to planning formative community engagement experiences for science education students.

Local place I love to visit: My wife, a fourth grade teacher at Betz Elementary, and I love watching wildlife at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

I am an Assistant Professor and Director of Outdoor Recreation Leadership in the Department of Wellness and Movement Sciences. I am extremely fortunate that my job entails taking students to remote outdoor environments for days at a time to learn about leadership, outdoor recreation management, new skill sets, the natural environment, and most importantly themselves. Currently, my students are partnering with an FYE course to provide outdoor experiences as part of the class. In past years, I have partnered with Cheney Parks and Recreation to teach recreation programming by developing recreation programs for various populations. In my free time I enjoy doing almost anything outdoors, which lately has been walking the streets of Cheney while my son pushes his truck.

When I need to get a quick fix of solitude and exercise, the Cheney Wetlands is great! If I have a bit more time, a float on the Spokane or Little Spokane River is wonderful!

I am a professor in the Biology department, and also teach courses in Environmental Science and Sustainability. I study creeks, rivers, and wetlands, and usually focus on bugs or nutrients. My students and I have assessed ecosystem health and sources of contamination for the Spokane River and watersheds on Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. I also love exploring bugs and nature with children from local schools and community organizations. This fall, students in my Freshwater Invertebrates course will conduct an ecosystem assessment of a stream restoration using human-constructed beaver dam analogs on a tributary of Hangman Creek.

A place that I love near where I live is Drumheller Springs park. It is a little bit of the Channeled Scabland in the middle of the city, with beautiful wildflowers and vernal pools, and great historic significance.

I am an Associate Professor and Therapeutic Recreation Program Director. This is my eighth year at Eastern. One of the things I love most about Community Engagement is its ability to enhance classroom content. This year my students will be working with the ISAAC Sibling Spotlight Program and Isabella House. When I am not teaching or working with students, I enjoy spending time with my husband, our daughter, our 15 year old dachshund, and our sassy house cat. In the summer I love paddle boarding, in the Fall I love cheering on EWU football and the Florida Gators, in the winter I love avoiding snow covered inclines, and in the Spring I love prepping our patio and yard for summer fun!

A place I love in my home region: Bike rides to Perry Street!

The last of my professional roles was working in various positions in the Cheney School District such as the Business Office at the High School and as the Secretary of Student Support Services.

I have been retired for about 10 years and am serving in many roles i.e. co-founding the West Plains Support Network about 3.5 years ago and continuing to serve there now; serving as the Missionary JustServe Specialist for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints missionaries in this region and as a Spokane Temple worker and women’s group teacher for this church. I also spend as much time traveling with my dear husband and playing with our 4 children and 14 grandkids!

I love leading a healthy, active life-style with swimming, gardening, bike riding, race walking and gym work outs, mostly with my awesome husband. My favorite close-by place is my peaceful home and yard. My second would be upper Priest Lake where my family would canoe in to our special camping spot.

I am in my 19^th year at EWU but my 26^th year of teaching in higher education. I am professor in the Physical Education, Recreation, and Health Department within the HLTH & Fitness program as well as the Faculty Athletic Representative. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to serve in a variety roles ranging from Program Director to Chair of the Department to a Colligate Coach to Associate Dean of the College as well as I have been actively being involved professionally in different capacities in and out of higher education.

In regarding to my Community activities I am currently engaged in, I would like to highlight my collaboration with a teacher et al at Shaw MS located in the Spokane School District surrounding an 5-6 week spring after-school program, ‘TAKE ROOT’ which we started implementing last spring in affiliation with my HLED 300 class.

A place I love in my home region: Wow! I would say, anywhere in the outdoors where I can run, paddle, hike, cycle …. but push comes to shove, I would say, Priest Lake.

As program director for the undergraduate Public Health program, I have the opportunity to connect my students with a variety of non-profit organizations in Spokane. My current community projects include aligning my grant writing students with community partners and working with Spokane’s Growing Neighbors to conduct a needs assessment for developing school-based community gardens.

One of my favorite places to visit with my dogs is the bluff off the So. Hill in Spokane. It offers easy access to nature with over twenty miles of trails to explore by bike or foot. And the sunsets are amazing.

I am a professor in the Geology Department, and director of the Environmental Science Program. This is my 11^th year at EWU. My research focuses on soil and water quality especially looking at the local occurrences and sources of heavy metals (e.g., lead and zinc). My students and I have conducted research on zinc in the Spokane River, metals in storm water, lead and arsenic in local yard and garden soils, and lead in soils exposed to trap shooting. I also teach a capstone course called environmental geochemistry in which students develop and carry out their own research projects on local environmental issues.

A place I love near where I live: running along High Drive which has great sunset views of the bluff and Latah Valley

I am the Military Family Advocate for the Medical Lake School District. In this role I represent the military connected students at the district level for their mental health, welfare, academic and social challenges. Approximately 46% of out student body is connected with Fairchild AFB or other government agency. Prior to joining the Medical Lake School District, I served in the Air Force for 22 years. Three years ago my wife, three kids and I settled in the local area to be closer to family.

I also sit on the West Plains Support Network and West Plains Partners Advancing Character Education boards. Additionally I lead the Medical Lake Community Truancy Board. With the little spare time I have, I am a volleyball coach for parks and rec and Medical Lake Middle School.

My family and I love to travel. This makes the Spokane International Airport is one of my favorite locations. We could either be on our way to a new adventure or returning home from one.

I am a Professor in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department. I taught English as a second language for many years and fell in love with it because learning about the world never stopped as my students shared information about their cultures and experiences. I then transitioned to preparing teachers to instruct English--whether that is in another country (English as a foreign language) or here in Cheney (English as a second language). I fell in love with teacher education because students constantly ask questions that cause me to rethink my own practice. I love being knocked slightly off-balance in my thinking. In my research, I chase after what those learning a language and those teaching language really desire. What are they really after? What doors do they hope the language will open for them or for their students? This is not your mother's extrinsic motivation or investment. My work increasingly looks at the emotions that play out and shape language teaching and learning including in the teaching of English for Tourism, which can be powerful tool that communities and individuals can use to attempt to change economic situations. Much of the community engagement that I do is international--and often connects my students learning to teach with those who wish to learn a specific form of English for an occupation such as in Nicaragua in the past and Mexico in the near future. But we also work with an international community right here in the region as newly-arrived immigrants and refugees strive to learn the English that they need for their new everyday lives.

A place special to me: I am a local history buff and really enjoy walking through Brown's Addition, seeing some of the original homes and important sites, and imagining what that space felt like as the city was being built.

In my current position I serve as the Operations Manager for the Biology Department at Eastern Washington University. In this role I have the opportunity to organize, support and participate in many science outreach activities in the Spokane area. We focus a lot of our efforts connecting with K-12 students and it brings me so much joy to watch the smart, curious kids in our community dig-in and delight in their learning. I am enthusiastic about inspiring others to think deeply and embrace new ideas young and old; in this vain I serve on the leadership team of a local group that focuses on science advocacy through fun social talks and activities. I also serve as mentor to an amazing local student through the SHE (Self-esteem and Higher Education Leadership Academy) Mentorship program.

I love nothing more than chasing around my amazing kids (7 & 3), going for a running date with my husband or entertaining friends and family. There are so many places I enjoy in our area, but nothing quite beats my back yard, with a book, while listening to my kids play.

I am a Professor of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures My research focus on the connections between storytelling, trauma, and social change. I am looking forward to learning about community building and service learning. One of my goals is to be able to collaborate with my students in community engagement projects.

As avid wine connoisseur and amateur cook, I love experimenting with new flavors. A place I love: I love hiking and spending time outdoors.

After teaching at Eastern for 5 years, I currently teach history courses for the First Year Experience program and partner with Washington State high school history teachers for EWU's College in the High School program, both of which I love. I also work with the Spokane Symphony and the Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC), to hide nuggets of history in their family and adult programming. Currently, I am looking into the idea of sustainability in history - applying ideas from the past to improve modern times. This project has led me to have my classes work with Art Salvage and Habitat for Humanity this year, which is very exciting.

A spot close to me and to my heart is Manito Park, in particular the Duncan Gardens, which are sublime.

I am passionate about enhancing community health through healthy nutrition environments, programs, systems and policies. Over the last 25 years, I’ve had the privilege to use my public health and dietetics degrees to teach, create programs and advocate for healthier nutrition environments and policies. As the founder of Feed Cheney, a free meal and grocery distribution program that builds positive social connections, I have experienced first-hand the power and potential of community engagement. I volunteer my time at Feed Cheney, Second Harvest and the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery.

A place I love in my home region: My favorite place to jog in Cheney is the wetland area next to the Fish Lake trail head and my favorite place to get a beer after a long run or bike ride is the Barrel Tap House.

I am currently the Clinical Outcomes Analyst for Excelsior Wellness Center and also an independent consultant specializing in program evaluation and research for Community Ecology Consulting. I have held academic positions at EWU in Washington and Pacific Univeristy, Portland State, and OHSU in Oregon. I've taught courses in health care policy and law, health systems, financing, epidemiology, and research. My research experience includes rural aging, integrated care, and health policy. I am excited to embark on a new qualitative study that will study home-based services for keeping rural elders in their homes and independent. This project is an international partnership using photovoice to document aging around the world through elders eyes. The project will to generate a qualitative narrative about rural aging in rural and urban settings. I serve on the on the Board of Directors for Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels. My international work started with the Peace Corps (1995) as a Community Development and Program Manager with the US Peace Corps, where I served in Siansundu, Zimbabwe.

A place I love that is near where I live is the Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Garden in Manito Park. It is so peaceful, and free! Occasionally it is overrun with special event photographers, but mostly a place where I can think and breathe.

I’m an English Professor and a Cheney resident -- and I feel unbelievably lucky in both respects. Most of my community involvement has stemmed from my work in the English Education program at EWU (preparing future secondary teachers), which led to volunteer positions at Spokane Public Schools and Communities in Schools Spokane County (thank you, Laurie Morley, for the latter opportunity). I have a son who is senior at Cheney HS and a daughter who is an 8^th grader at Cheney MS, so that’s kept me connected to Cheney schools with all of its issues, opportunities, and activities for the past twelve years. I’m always looking for ways that my work life can make me better/smarter in my home and communities lives, and vice versa, and this group seems like a great way to enhance that pathway this year. Also, I love EWU students – I’m amazed by their smarts, skills, strength, and determination – and Brian D. makes a pretty good case that Community Engagement will make the learning opportunities I can offer them feel more relevant, significant, and lasting. I’m in.

For a favorite place, I’m out with Jennifer W. at Turnbull NWR (though I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen her out there because it’s 18,000+ acres!) I’m especially partial to walking or jogging the Car Loop backwards because I see something new and awesome every time I’m out there (and it has three convenient restroom stops).

As an Assistant Professor of Biology at Eastern Washington University, I enjoy teaching and doing research on the living world. I study organisms that you can see, such as frogs and honey bees, but also organisms that live in and on them and are invisible to the naked eye, such as bacteria and fungi. I teach a wide range of courses in the Biology Department, including introductory biology, upper-level microbiology, senior capstone, and graduate seminars. Currently, I am partnering with local and state beekeeping associations to plan a bee conference, with the goals of education and awareness to conserve these important pollinators. I love spending time in the great outdoors with my awesome husband and two amazing daughters (7 and 3). They are my inspiration!

Local place I love to visit: A hike at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, followed by a latte at The Mason Jar.