WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin
Issue 2006-1 (January 11, 2006)


IN THIS ISSUE

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Building Momentum

A Message from Chancellor Brian Pitcher

The new year and spring semester offer an opportune moment to reflect on the lessons learned and accomplishments over the past year. I hope you have seen the holiday card WSU Spokane distributed to the community with the theme “Celebrating Progress.”(To download a PDF copy of the card, double-click on the image below).

I feel excitement about the past year and challenged, yet optimistic, about 2006. I must emphasize that we need to generate and accelerate momentum focusing on excellence and growth to meet needs and respond to opportunities.

Simply stated, organizational capacity will increase as we:

  • Clarify, focus, and align combined efforts on a shared vision and strategy for growth of the campus and university system.
  • Mobilize increased resources and apply them effectively
  • Organize ourselves through policy, practice, and delegation to reduce the natural gravity of working in bureaucracies.

Vision and Strategy—President Rawlins has assigned us to have a five-year plan that defines what it will mean to be the research university for Spokane. We have been visiting with academic units across campus and with the college deans to gather input.

At our spring semester kickoff last week, we continued this discussion about the type of campus community we wish to become through our academic program priorities, our sense of community and collegiality, our engagement with the greater Spokane region, and the physical place that supports these.

Those who attended shared thoughtful input and important ideas that the administration will draw on as we draft plans and bring them back for further clarification and implementation. This plan is critical for framing and mobilizing our best combined efforts.

Mobilizing Resources—Increased resources come from more and better students; more grant, state, and private funding; stronger faculty and staff; better facilities; and synergistic relationships. We must continue to do what we can to support student recruitment and development, external grant funding, and private gifts. We continue to work with the university budget office on the structure of our campus budget—to adequately support viable programs and increase incentives for growth. I am leading the administration's significant efforts to strengthen connections with other WSU campuses, especially Pullman; our colleague higher education institutions in Spokane; and Spokane legislators and civic and business leaders.

Organization—As we clarify and commit to a shared purpose and strategy, with competitive resources, we will move ahead. This progress will go more smoothly if we are organized and supported by effective policy. I am participating under President Rawlins’ leadership on focused work redefining WSU system roles, relationships, and policies. This includes assignments I have to lead the Health Sciences Implementation Team and to plan the Economic Development Initiative for the university.

I have delegated significant responsibility for internal affairs on this campus to vice chancellors Jo Ann Thompson and Dennis Dyck. We are reorganizing and revitalizing several campus committees. My sense is that governance for WSU Spokane and for the Riverpoint campus has been in need of clarification; therefore we are making some changes in that process as well, and we will need to evaluate this further.

All of these efforts are to help us focus on our purpose—teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and engagement.

As we communicate regularly, I plan to update you on these efforts, answer questions, and ask for your ongoing input.

I thank all for your excellent effort. Our challenges are daunting, but I am impressed by the talent on this campus, in this university, and in the community. I wish you every success in 2006. 
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Lovrich Kicks Off Third Friday Seminar Series

Following the success of Research First Fridays, the Office of Research and the Health Research and Education Center are introducing the Third Friday Seminar Series. The series' first lecture will take place on Friday, January 20, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Health Sciences Building, room 110A. Wine and cheese will be served. The inaugural speaker will be political science professor Nicholas Lovrich, who will present "What Accounts for the Adoption of 'Sustainability' Policies and Programs in American Cities?"

Lovrich's presentation is based on a Spring 2005 joint graduate seminar in environmental science and political science, in which 10 graduate students (including Barb Chamberlain) investigated the three rival theories of creative class, social capital, and political culture to examine why US cities would adopt sustainability-promoting policies, programs, and practices.

In their investigation, the students made the first formal use of the Leigh Stowell & Co. digital archive of psychographic data from large-scale RDD CATI surveys conducted in most U.S. major media markets between 1989 and 2003. The Stowell data sets, which can be accessed through WSU Libraries, were donated to the university in 2002 by Leigh Stowell, the founder of a Seattle-based proprietary market research company (see news release). They form an invaluable research resource for WSU students, faculty, and researchers, who can use it to develop and test a range of key hypotheses about social and political change in North America over the last decade.

In his lecture, Lovrich will present his graduate students' analysis as a demonstration of how these data sets can be used to promote interesting research and involve students in active exploration of an untapped resource. It will also show how Spokane—one of the media markets included in the Stowell data sets—fits into the findings.

As one outcome of the graduate seminar, the International City Management Association is contracting with the WSU Division of Governmental Studies & Services for a formal survey of sustainability policies and practices in 1,300 U.S. cities, with support from the WSU Program in Environmental Science & Regional Planning.

For more information about the event, contact Sylvia Oliver by e-mail or at 509-358-7635. 

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Garrison Appointed Assistant Dean for Student Services for College of Pharmacy

The College of Pharmacy recently appointed Mark Garrison, associate professor of pharmacotherapy, as assistant dean for student services for WSU Spokane.

In this role, Garrison will provide third-year doctoral pharmacy students with a campus orientation, as part of the general WSU Spokane orientation; help pharmacy students address personal and academic issues that arise during their training in Spokane; serve as the college's liaison with WSU Spokane's Student Services office; and work with the Spokane campus administration to address the academic needs of the pharmacy program.

"I have unofficially served many of the responsibilities associated with this role since the third year of our pharmacy program moved from Pullman to Spokane three years ago," Garrison said, noting that he was happy with the recognition his new title brings.

Larry Cohen, professor and chairman of the Department of Pharmacotherapy, confirmed Garrison's history of service to the college's students. "One of Dr. Garrison’s strengths is the relationships he builds with our students. This is essential in a program like ours, which requires students to move from Pullman’s close-knit campus community to the urban commuter campus in Spokane to complete their degrees," he said.

Garrison, who has been on the College of Pharmacy's faculty since 1989, will continue to fulfill his existing teaching responsibilities, which includes serving as the instructor of record for the Pharmacotherapy II course and contributing lectures to the Pharmacotherapy I, Clinical Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmaceutical Care Laboratory courses. This past May, he was recognized by the College of Pharmacy as a “2004–2005 Teacher of the Year,” an award given by the college's students.

Garrison will also carry on his research in the area of in vitro pharmacodynamic modeling and infectious diseases. He maintains a laboratory at Deaconess Medical Center, where—in addition to doing research—he precepts fourth-year doctoral pharmacy students during their Advanced Practice Experience training. He also lectures on antimicrobial agents to students enrolled in the MEDEX Northwest program, UW's Physicians Assistant Program, in Spokane.

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WSU Health Policy and Administration Grad Program Receives High Marks

The graduate program in health policy and administration at Washington State University received high marks from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) in its recent review of the program’s performance on accreditation standards.

CAHME, which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and by the Department of Education as the only accrediting agency in the field of health services administration, granted a six-year reaccreditation—double the minimum period of three years—to the WSU program.

The review team noted several strengths of the program:

  • An academic coordinator works directly with students throughout their time with the program to advise and support them.
  • Focused and effective course syllabi lay out objectives and performance expectations so students understand exactly what is required for successful completion of each class and the degree.
  • The program includes comprehensive coverage of health care finance and accounting, taught by nationally recognized expert Joseph Coyne.
  • The program emphasizes the development of analytical skills essential for success as health care administrators and health policy analysts.

The WSU health policy and administration program is one of only 72 CAHME-accredited programs in North America. In addition, it is the only CAHME-accredited program admitted to the Western Regional Graduate Program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, placing it among the top four health administration programs in their 14-state Western region.

WSU Spokane in the News

If you've kept an eye on the news media recently, you should know that WSU's world-class academic and research programs are getting some well-deserved attention. Take last Sunday's edition of the Spokesman-Review for example, which featured two stories on sleep researchers Greg Belenky and Hans Van Dongen, both on the front cover and on the cover of the business section.

Any time you're interested in seeing what's being written about WSU Spokane programs, faculty, and staff, just go to our News Coverage page, which lists abstracts of news stories with links to the online publication. If you know of a published story that mentions a WSU Spokane program or employee but does not yet appear on this page, please provide the details of the article to Laura Scholtens by e-mail. Happy reading!

Note:  Viewing archived articles in the Spokesman-Review requires a paid subscription.

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Beatin’ the Blues—Depression Screening Day and Workshop on January 17

For many of us, winter and the holidays are a real emotional and motivational challenge. We may find our moods edging towards sadness or even depression.

Recent research indicates that an estimated 6% of the U.S. population develops seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter months. SAD is considered a true form of depression, a psychological and biological illness that is both clinically recognizable and—fortunately—treatable. Common symptoms of SAD are similar to those of general depression and include low energy, mental sluggishness, decreased concentration, a sad or depressed mood, weight gain, and tendencies towards social isolation and withdrawal.

If you're interested in learning more about seasonal and general depression, attend the "Feeling Up When The Temperature's Down" workshop on Tuesday, January 17, from 12:10 until 1 p.m., in the Health Sciences Building, Room 110A. Staff Psychologist Jack Severinghaus, from WSU Spokane Counseling Services, will present and answer questions on self-help or helping a friend or family member who is experiencing depression.

The workshop is open to the public and there is no fee. Those who RSVP to Jane Kinkel by noon on Monday, January 16, will receive a lunch provided by Spokane Teachers Credit Union.

The depression workshop is part of WSU Spokane's Depression Screening Day. Other services offered during the January 17 event include an information table—located inside the east entrance to the Health Sciences Building— where WSU students, faculty, and staff can get brochures on depression and related issues. They may also pick up and complete a brief depression screening questionnaire, which they can bring to Counseling Services, room 125A, for review and discussion with a psychologist. This service is provided free of charge to WSU students, faculty, and staff.
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Sleep Over for Science—January 27

Showcasing WSU and EWU health science programs to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, EWAHEC's second "Sleep Over for Science" will be held on the Riverpoint campus on Friday, January 27. The program will start in the evening, with the youngsters going home on Saturday morning.

The purpose of the program is to excite and educate students about choosing a career in health care. In addition, they will learn about the educational choices they need to make to prepare themselves for the demands of high school and college.

A registration fee of $15 applies, which includes all supplies, snacks, breakfast, and a t-shirt. For more information, contact Bonnie Wagner, program coordinator for EWAHEC, by e-mail or at 509-358-7644.

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Spring Into Motion with the Campus Wellness Collaborative

Not to be trite, predictable, or clichéd, but the new year does bring with it the tendency to reflect on how we’ve spent our time during the past year, and what positive changes we may want to make as we focus our energies on the year that lies ahead.

If you plan to dedicate more of your time to supporting your own well-being, or that of the community, the Campus Wellness Collaborative is here to help!

Formed in August 2004, the collaborative (no, we’re not a committee, because higher ed has enough of those already) includes representatives from both WSU and EWU.

Our definition of “wellness” includes:

  • Physical fitness
  • Nutritional health
  • Psychological/emotional health
  • Community health
  • Socio-environmental vibrancy and stability

The group’s work is guided by the interests of its members, so if you join, you help determine what we work on next. We meet monthly to plan our efforts to promote and champion a culture of wellness on the Riverpoint Campus through educational and information-sharing events and wellness-related activities.

The collaborative’s projects to date include the March 2005 Walking & Wellness Fair and the October 2005 Healthy Fare; a showing of “Super Size Me!” with a nutrition discussion by Janet Beary, faculty in exercise physiology & metabolism and a registered dietitian; and Bulletin articles highlighting chances to participate in community movement events, among other activities.

Hoping to create some campus traditions that help build our sense of community, we’re planning the second annual spring exercise and movement fair, to be held Tuesday, April 11. We will also be rolling out a walking participation program. So mark your calendars and prepare to move, Riverpoint!

Kelly LaGrutta, education, WSU Spokane, coordinates the collaborative's meetings. Our current volunteers include Glynis Hull, Teresa Krueger, Sicco Rood, Jennifer Hogan, Diane Wick, Barb Chamberlain, Dee Rogers, Janet Beary, and Lisa Martin of WSU, along with Susan Lopez and Michelle Pingree of EWU.

Volunteers from SIRTI (both agency and tenants), EWU, and WSU are all welcome! For more information, contact Kelly LaGrutta by e-mail or at 509-358-7942.

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Medicare Part D Assistance Extended Through February

     Pharmacy student Charlene Hoit with client
     Delores Clausen

For the last three weeks, many of WSU’s doctor of pharmacy students have been busy helping those who came to campus for help in reviewing their prescription benefit options under Medicare Part D (see last bulletin issue).

Due to the overwhelming demand, the service—which was slated to end by January 6—has been extended through February 28 for inquiries by phone, e-mail, and mail. Those interested can call student organizer Cris DuVall at 509-389-9922, e-mail her at ckduvall@mail.wsu.edu, or write to her at the following address: Cris DuVall, c/o College of Pharmacy, Washington State University Spokane, PO Box 1495, Spokane, WA 99210-1495.

Clients need to provide a list of their current prescriptions at the time of inquiry.

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EWU Announces New President

Riverpoint campus partner Eastern Washington University will have a new president as of April 1 this year. On January 9, the university's Board of Trustees announced that it had named Dr. Rodolfo Arévalo as EWU's 25th president.

Dr. Arévalo currently serves as provost at the University of Texas-Pan American, where he has been since 1998. He brings 34 years of experience working in higher education, working in both academic affairs and student affairs. Dr. Arévalo will be the first Latino president at any public four-year college or university in the state of Washington. For more information, read the press release on EWU's Web site.
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Community Connections

  • Spokane celebrates the 20th anniversary of the national Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday with a variety of events later this week:
    • Sunday, Jan. 15, 4–6 p.m.—Remembrance Program, Holy Temple Church of God in Christ, 806 W. Indiana, Spokane. Keynote address: Dr. C.B. Akins Sr., pastor of First Baptist Church Bracktown, Lexington, Kentucky.
    • Monday, Jan.16, 10 a.m.—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March, beginning in the archway of the Convention Center at the Michael Anderson statue and culminating at River Park Square. The march starts at 10:30 a.m. and is preceded by an Eagle Feather Ceremony led by Spokane Tribe member Dave BrownEagle and a recitation of  “I Have A Dream” by Rev. Happy Watkins.
    • Monday, Jan. 16, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.—Resource Fair at River Park Square. Nonprofit agencies will provide information about community resources and volunteer opportunities. For information, contact Tom Highfill, Spokane Public Schools, by e-mail or at 509-354-7327, or V. Anne Smith, NAACP, at 509-467-9793.

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  • Community-Minded Enterprises invites you to apply for a position on its Disability Initiative Advisory Committee, which seeks to understand disability issues in the Spokane region. The Advisory Committee will work closely with the Disability Initiative to provide input on new and existing projects that demonstrate how communities can eliminate environmental, programmatic, and attitudinal barriers that affect the ability of people with disabilities to participate meaningfully and equally in all aspects of community life.

    Committee members should be committed to creating a community that provides equal opportunities to those living with disabilities. They will have the opportunity to create measurable change in our community through networking, education, project implementation, and advocacy.

    Diverse representation is a goal. Community-Minded Enterprises invites applications from adults and youth with disabilities, parents with children who have disabilities, employers, small business owners, government agencies, educators, and other interested community members. For more information and an application, contact Debbie Baril by e-mail or at 509-444-3088, ext. 216. Applications must be submitted by January 27.

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  • Another community engagement opportunity offered by Community-Minded Enterprises is Project MOVE, a one-to-one mentoring program for youth with disabilities, ages 16-21, who want to move on to the workplace and/or college. The match relationship is a supportive environment in which the youth pursues his/her work or education goals by attending helpful trainings geared toward his/her success.

    After graduating from high school, youth with disabilities lose the support systems provided by the school, often proceeding with little direction. Nationally, 3 out of every 4 people with disabilities aren't employed, and only 27% successfully transition to college. Project MOVE was created to address this issue.

    As a mentor, you'll have the chance to share your experience and knowledge with a youth who is eager to make his/her dreams a reality. For more information about mentoring, contact Cathy Sacco, implementation coordinator, by e-mail or at 509-328-2310. 

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  • The Spokane City Council is seeking applicants to fill a council vacancy from District 3, Northwest Spokane. The vacancy was created when council member Joe Shogan was unanimously appointed to the position of council president on January 3. Shogan succeeds Dennis Hession, who was sworn in as mayor earlier that day.

    The person appointed to the council will complete the balance of the unexpired term of Position 1, District 3, serving through December 31, 2007. For more information and to download the application, go to the City of Spokane Web site. You may also contact Mary Franklin, chief executive assistant to the Spokane City Council, at 509-625-6255. The deadline for submitting applications is 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 12.

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Personnel & Staffing Changes

Goings:

  • Ron Jemelka, Research Associate, WIMIRT, effective 12/15/05
  • Whitney Wiltshire, Program Assistant, Institutional Review Board, Health Research & Education Center, effective 12/31/05

Searches:

  • Research Associate/Research Scientist, Washington Institute for Mental Illness Research & Training, review of applications has begun
  • Assistant/Associate Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, review of applications began 10/15/05
  • Clinic Services Manager, WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing People's Clinic, review of applications began 10/21/05
  • Assistant Professor, Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, review of applications begins 01/17/06
  • Clinical Assistant Professor (3 positions, two in Spokane, one in Yakima), Pharmacotherapy, College of Pharmacy, review of applications begins 01/17/06
  • Assistant/Associate Professor, Architecture, review of applications begins 1/1/06
  • Assistant/Associate Professor, WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, review of applications began 10/01/05
  • Associate Professor/Associate Dean, WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, review of applications began 10/01/05
  • Events Manager, Campus Advancement, review of applications began 11/21/05
  • Business Development Specialist, Small Business Development Center in Yakima, review of applications begins 01/16/06
  • Finance Manager, Business Office, WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing, applications due by 1/20/06

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Way to Go!

"Last week's spring semester campus kickoff meeting rested on the contributions of people from all over campus who deserve recognition and another round of applause: Vivian Knapp and the FacOps crew for the set-up—You always make sure everything is ready to go when we walk in the door; the presenters—Greg Belenky, Hans van Dongen, Matt Melcher, and Suzie Snowdon. Fascinating work you’re all doing—thanks for sharing!; facilitators and scribes—Nancy Clark Brown, Matt Cohen, Janetta McCoy, John Turpin, Sandie Baldwin, Patti Petersen, Debbie Reeves, and Pat Rossini. You kept the conversations flowing and captured the record of what matters to our campus community; information resource people (“the listeners”)—Nancy Blossom, Barb Chamberlain, James Dalton, Dennis Dyck, Mel Haberman, Nick Lovrich, Joan Menzies, Brian Pitcher, Ryan Ruffcorn, Jon Schad, Bruce Thompson, Jo Ann Thompson, Lorna Walsh, and Diane Wick. And many thanks also to all who attended, engaged, and contributed!" (from Barb Chamberlain)

Here's where you make someone's day a little brighter by extending your thanks for a job well done. Send your “Way to Go!” comments to Laura Scholtens, scholtens@wsu.edu, and watch for your thanks to be published in an upcoming issue of the Campus Bulletin!

Find It on the Web

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The Bulletin is usually published on Wednesday biweekly during the academic year, every three weeks during breaks and summer session. the exact publication date may shift due to holidays. If you have an item that you'd like us to include, send it to us by Friday in the week before publication.
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The Bulletin covers news of interest to the faculty, staff, and friends of Washington State University Spokane, and associates on other WSU campuses and on the Riverpoint Campus.

Regular columns cover professional accomplishments, opportunities for involvement in the campus community and the Spokane community, notices of new developments on campus, upcoming events, personnel changes, and other news.

The Bulletin also serves as a source of information for external communications directed to alumni, future and current students, and friends of Washington State University Spokane. You'll read it here first!

Subscribers welcome! Send an e-mail to Judith Van Dongen, jcvd@wsu.edu, to request the WSU Spokane Campus Bulletin.

Editorial staff