Eastern Magazine | Fall/Winter 2023-24

Fall/Winter 2023-24

BRIGHT FUTURE,

CLEAR PATH

At Her Formal Investiture, Eastern’s President Envisions a Transformative Tenure p. 16

Windows On Science: Eastern’s Science Building, completed in 1962, had long been due for an overhaul. David Bowman, dean of the College of STEM, memorably described it to Eastern magazine last year as “Sputnik-era building designed for Sputnik-era science.” Now well over a year into its $110-million makeover, work towards the building meeting its 2025 completion target is moving along quickly. Most of the ongoing, research-friendly renovations are hidden away in its interior. One big upgrade that isn’t? A highly visible set of energy-efficient new windows, each designed to help the 61-year-old structure achieve the sustainability standards reached by its skywalk-connected sibling — the Interdisciplinary Science Center — located next door.

Photo by Luke Kenneally

TAKING FLIGHT

Towards a Bright, EWU Future

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uring her inspiring investiture speech, Dr. McMahan spoke about leading our university’s students — both present and future— along a “clear path to a bright future” (our cover story on Page 16), it immediately brought to mind memories of my own journey to Eastern.

For me, that path wasn’t all that clear. But, like so many other young people who end up at Eastern, I was at least hopeful that my future would be bright.

It’s not that I didn’t think college was in my future. My mom especially had always urged me to take academics seriously. At Medical Lake High School, I had great teachers that pushed to bring out the best in me and my classmates.

As a serious athlete who worked hard to excel in both football and baseball, there were plenty of distractions. But with the urging and support of my family, I managed to do well in the classroom. By the time graduation rolled around, I felt ready for college — both academically and athletically — and I was hopeful of becoming a scholarship student athlete playing football at EWU.

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In fact, the scholarship offers came.

Just not from Eastern. I considered signing with another school, but just couldn’t see myself as anything other than an Eagle.

In fact, the scholarship offers came. Just not from Eastern. I considered signing with another school, but just couldn’t see myself as anything other than an Eagle. So I put my college ambitions on hold, and instead signed a contract to play ball with the Kansas City Royals.

Playing AA baseball in the Royals’ system was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. But when a career in baseball didn’t work out, I knew for sure that it was time to take the path leading back to Eastern. Many of you know my football story at EWU — a running back twice named to the All-Big Sky team and later honored as a member of the EWU’s 2000-2009 All-Decade Team. You may not know that in the classroom, I had a professor and

mentor, Stu Steiner, who believed that I had the right stuff to be an electrical engineer. With hard work, and his guidance, I made it happen, later adding a Master of Business Administration degree. Today, I work for Avista as a director in generation production and substation support.

It’s a job that I love.

As the new chair of the EWU Foundation Board, I feel like I’ve come full circle: Back at Eastern and in a position to help a new generation of students find their own “path to a bright future,” even if that path is as circuitous as my own.

Go Eags!

Alexis Alexander ’08, ’14

EASTERN MAGAZINE FALL/WINTER 2023-24 EDITOR Charles E. Reineke ART DIRECTOR Ryan Gaard ’02

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CONTRIBUTING DESIGN Emily Ausere ’22

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Taking Flight

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Eastern Etc.

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Features

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Top Eagle, Full Invested

Dr. Shari McMahan outlines her vision for EWU during a formal investiture ceremony replete with traditions, both ancient and modern.

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Class Notes

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In Memoriam

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Back Story

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dave Meany Melodie Little ’91 PHOTOGRAPHY Luke Kenneally VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT Barb Richey ’92, ’99 DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Kelsey Hatch-Brecek ’21 MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD Joseph Haeger ’10 Nick Lawhead ’07 Lisa Leinberger ’98 Brian Lynn ’98 Kelly Naumann ’10 Robin Pickering ’97, ’03

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LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

The Spokane Transit Authority, an agency rich with EWU alumni talent, boasts a distinguished history of hauling Eagles. The best may be yet to come.

WRITE

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Eastern magazine is published twice each year by University Advancement and is mailed free to alumni and friends in the United States. View this and previous issues of Eastern online at ewu.edu/magazine.

EMAIL easternmagazine@ewu.edu

People Movers

Music and Vision

A “data-to-music” researcher at Eastern is changing the way scientists explore the unseen.

Eastern Magazine 102 Hargreaves Hall Cheney, WA 99004-2413

On the Cover: Shari McMahan, Eastern’s 27th president, enjoys a December snow day on the Cheney campus.

Photo by Luke Kenneally.

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Photo by Luke Kenneally

Return Trip Eastern celebrates 100 years of coming home.

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It’s off to the bed races for members of Cheney's Touchstone Real Estate Group. From left: Danielle Labar, Amy Ryan, and Ali Pomeroy.

t was a Homecoming celebration a century in the making.

This year’s 100th anniversary edition of Eagle Family Homecoming, a must-attend happening that included both timehonored traditions and exciting new events, kicked off on Oct. 16. Before concluding a week later with a victorious football tilt against Weber State, the celebration brought Eagle Pride home for thousands of EWU students, alumni and friends.

Kelsey Hatch-Brecek ’21, director of EWU Alumni Relations, called it a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to indulge in all things Eastern. The EWU community was happy to seize that opportunity; hanging banners, painting windows and decking out campus classrooms and offices with red and white. Among the new events was a speculator, donor-funded fireworks extravaganza after the football game, and a “Lighting of the Water Tower” that permanently spotlighted the logo on Eastern’s iconic 102-foot-tall water receptacle. Transformed into a beacon of Eagle pride — one visible to the campus community and passing aircraft alike — the tower will now, say Eric and Denise Clements, the donors who made the lights possible, become an even more unambiguous landmark.

After the lights flooded the tower, attendees were invited to walk down the hill to join Eagle student athletes at Reese Court for “Eagle MadNest,” another new event. MadNest featured members of the EWU women’s, men’s and wheelchair basketball teams, each of whom participated in skills contests, mingled with visitors in meet-and-greets, and offered insights into their upcoming seasons.

Certainly no Homecoming would have been complete without the tried and true old favorites. In 2023, these included the annual president’s breakfast, decoration competitions, an evening pep rally and bonfire, and, of course, downtown bed races.

A particularly poignant feature of the 100th Homecoming Anniversary celebration was a walk-though exhibit mounted by the Alumni Association and the JFK Library Archives. The “Walk Through the Decades” exhibition, held in the beautifully restored Hargreaves Hall Reading Room, used photographs, video and memorabilia to document EWU’s development since 1923.

“We anticipated a big group of alumni and community members turning out to celebrate,” says Hatch-Brecek. “They did, and it was truly a once-in-a-century example of Eagle pride.”

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The Mars Sample-Retriever Lander, as envisioned by NASA.

Life Among the Martians Dillon Dalton, a recent computer science graduate, joins the space race.

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or recent Eastern graduate Dillon Dalton, not even the sky’s the limit. Dalton, a 23-year-old computer science alumnus, is currently part of a NASA team working on the Mars Sample Return project. The goal? To bring rock and atmospheric samples from the Red Planet back to Earth.

Dalton’s team, an elite group of seven, works specifically on the cameras that will guide a Sample-Retrieval Lander as it makes its way through Mars’ notoriously thin atmosphere. “The cameras are pretty instrumental in navigating the spacecraft,” Dalton says. “They also generate the data which give you more information on different geographical features of Mars, like its topography and map products.”

The cameras are just one part of a complex system designed to help guide the lander during its six-month collection sojourn. When completed, a capsule containing the surface stuff will be launched toward an Earth Return Orbiter circling the planet. The orbiter will then snag the samples and prepare them for their journey home. The mission will take an estimated five years. Launch is expected to happen as soon as 2028.

Dalton’s work takes place at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) in Pasadena, California. “We have something called the Mars Yard,” he says, “which is essentially just dirt and rocks that look like Mars, where they do testing for the different spacecraft.”

JPL is a world-renowned center of robotics, the facility where former NASA space greats such as Voyager, Curiosity and Perseverance were built. “If it is in some way robotic, JPL has had a hand in that,” Dalton says. “There’s a lot of history here.”

One piece of JPL’s history, however, is a tradition based not at all

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If it’s in some way robotic, JPL has had a hand in it,” Dillon Dalton says.

“There’s a lot of history here.

on science. “We have lucky peanuts,” Dalton explains. “It’s a tradition at JPL to have peanuts on hand when there’s something crazy going on, like a landing or launch.” Lucky peanuts, he adds, have already been passed around among his colleagues — colloquially known as “Martians” — in preparation for their lander’s mission.

Uprooting his life and moving to California has been quite the experience for Dalton, who says he’s had a “fascination with space” since childhood: “To walk into some of the clean rooms —which is where they build the spacecraft — and to see the process of things getting assembled was an incredible experience.”

Dalton says he still can’t quite believe he’s now working among scientists he once watched in documentaries. Getting on board wasn’t easy: the application process lasted two months and involved nearly 10 interviews.

Undaunted, Dalton made the grade and started work in October 2022.

He credits Eastern for helping to make it happen. “I don’t think being from a smaller school was a hindrance,” Dalton says. “I had the skills and experience they were looking for.”

Flying High ROTC’s Frank Cantu is the latest Eagle “Instructor of the Year.”

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rank Cantu, a senior military science instructor for the Eastern Washington University ROTC program, was recently named as the U.S. Army Cadet Command Instructor of the Year for 2023. It is the fourth time in five years that a member of EWU ROTC’s cadre has been so honored.

Cantu, a master sergeant, infantry, with 16 years of experience, was selected from among a pool of 500 instructors working at more than 247 institutions nationwide. “His tireless efforts in shaping the next generation of military leaders have earned him this prestigious recognition,” says Lt. Col. Benjamin Van Meter, professor of military science at EWU. As the primary Military Science III instructor at EWU, Cantu’s role is to help cadets become creative and adaptive leaders, says Van Meter, adding that Cantu’s work enhances cadet readiness for future roles as U.S. Army officers.

“Cantu is renowned for his mentorship abilities. He has been instrumental in the personal and professional development of dozens of EWU ROTC cadets, instilling in them the values of discipline, honor, and selfless service,” he says.

One of those cadets is Kristen Buckingham, a 24-year-old senior from Kirkland, Washington. Buckingham, an interdisciplinary studies major, credits Cantu with much of her success as a leader of Eastern’s Cadet Corps. She says his work helping prepare students like her for Advanced Camp — the summertime national training event that assesses Cadets on their ability to conduct officer leadership tasks — was

especially beneficial: “We all felt really confident going into summer.”

Cantu makes every effort to help cadets succeed, Buckingham adds. “He is always willing to spend the extra time outside of class if we drop by his office with whatever questions we have. If we want to go over anything extra, he’s always willing to help,” says Buckingham, who plans to work as an Army signal officer after graduation.

Beyond his exemplary teaching and leadership, Cantu is also known for actively engaging with local community members to foster a spirit of goodwill, organizing community service events and encouraging cadets to participate.

The award is not merely an acknowledgment of these and other outstanding achievements, Van Meter says: “It is a celebration of the selfless dedication, mentorship, and leadership that he brings to the ROTC program.”

Signing Off Eastern’s 75-year-old radio station confronts a “changing media landscape.”

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astern announced earlier this fall that its long-running noncommercial jazz radio station, 89.5 KEWU-FM, has transitioned to DJ-free, “pre-loaded” jazz as part of a phase-out plan that could eventually result in the university ceding ownership.

The decision to potentially offload the station did not come lightly, EWU officials said. The move, they added, had the support of program faculty and university administrators who recommended that Eastern would be best served by looking at new broadcasting opportunities in the future.

“KEWU has provided quality entertainment

as well as classic and contemporary jazz to the Inland Northwest for nearly 75 years, and we are proud of that accomplishment,” says Jonathan Anderson, provost and vice president for academic affairs at EWU: “With how dynamically the media landscape is changing, there will be new opportunities for the university to explore.”

KEWU’s long history began on April 7, 1950, when KEWC (as it was originally named) first hit the airwaves. It operated as a free-form student station until 1986, when it increased its transmitter output from 100 watts to 10,000 watts. At that time the format changed to straight-ahead jazz — such as big

band, swing and bop — as well as modern and smooth contemporary jazz. Over the years KEWU has also hosted local artists in the studio to showcase their music.

Elizabeth Farriss, who joined the station as program director in 2004, was twice named Best Small Market Jazz Programmer

by Jazz Week Magazine. The same publication named KEWU “best small market station” two different times.

“Elizabeth Farriss’ expertise and dedication over the years established KEWU as a leader in jazz programming and a well-respected ambassador of the university,” says Pete Porter, an EWU professor of film, the academic program which currently administers the station: “Eastern was fortunate to have someone of her caliber at the helm of its flagship radio station for so many years.”

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Future STEM stars, from left: Ava Miller, Parker Hebert, and Joanna Jackson.

Lab Girls A new summer event aims to sell kids on STEM.

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espite making tremendous professional progress over the past several decades, women are still distressingly under-represented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. According to the National Science Board, last year they represented only 26 percent of the college-educated workforce in STEM occupations.

One key to improving these numbers, science educators say, is giving girls an early introduction to the allure and excitement of hands-on STEM activities.

Hence the creation of EWU’s new Girls+ STEM summer camp, a fast-paced, two-day romp that saw girls (and boys) in grades 3-5 growing colonies of microbes, calculating Barbie doll bungee jumps, and creating wetlands in a bottle — all activities designed

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Lynch says she particularly enjoyed to get campers, especially the girls, psyched a session on the chemistry of making lip about science. balm: “It was fun because we had to get the Organizer Melissa Graham, an EWU ingredients at just the right number.” senior lecturer and CSTEM faculty fellow Other exercises involved using a compass for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice, to solve a scavenger hunt, creating chemical said the camp was made possible by a reactions to tie-dye shirts and etch jewelry, $2,000 Diversity Initiative Grant from the building a circuit board to EWU Board of Trustees. power a light, and swabbing Seven Eastern STEM various surfaces to collect and faculty members — all with advanced degrees— If I could go again next identify interesting-looking volunteered their time. year I would go. But I microbes.

Graham started recruiting Students paid just $20 can’t because I’ll be a faculty members to help each to join the instructors at Eastern’s Interdisciplinary sixth-grader,’ says Grace with Girls+STEM back in February. Planning sessions Science Center during the Lynch, 10. began in March.

August camp. Although it The experience for was designed with girls in participating kids was a great mind, the camp was open to “first-foot-in-the-door to Eastern,” says all students, regardless of gender.

Graham, who adds that she considers year “I think that it was a great experience. one a resounding success. “What I wanted If I could go again next year I would go, them to take away is that they can be but I can’t because I’ll be a sixth-grader,” scientists, and that there are lots of different says Grace Lynch, 10, a student at Betz ways to do it,” she says.

Elementary School.

Ale to the Eagles In collaboration with No-Li, Eastern’s craft brewers make their mark internationally.

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niversities, EWU among them, are more typically associated with the consumption, rather than the production, of malted beverages. For the past year Eastern’s innovative program in craft brewing has been working to change that. Now the whole wide world of beer is taking notice.

The Craft Beer Industry Professional Certificate at EWU, according to program director Chris Cindric, is designed “to educate and enhance the knowledge and practical skills of students, and to provide professional development for the greater community in craft beer.” Part of this mandate includes introducing students to local craft-brewing professionals, who, through activities such as guest lectures, facility tours and internships, generously share their experiences and expertise with aspiring Eagles.

Spokane’s No-Li Brewhouse and its owners John and Cindy Bryant have been among the most supportive of these community partners. Not only did the Bryant’s make a significant cash contribution to help the certification program get rolling, they’ve committed members of their No-Li team to working with program students on a variety of projects.

Perhaps the most consequential of these — certainly the most tasty — has been a recent collaboration that has produced a distinctively Eastern brew.

The beer produced by the partnership, a Belgian-style dubbel, or “double” ale, is appropriately named “E Dubbel U.” The malty brown

tipple, replete with the fruity esters so prized by traditional Belgian brewers, was a big crowd-pleaser at the No-Li Brewhouse this summer. More recently it made an even bigger splash on the other side of the world, scoring a bronze medal at the prestigious Asia International Beer Competition held in Singapore.

The honor represents the first time a collaboration between a collegiate program and a professional brewer has been so honored internationally, says No-Li’s John Bryant.

“Winning an International Brewing Medal in collaboration with Eastern Washington University is a testament to not only the brewing talent in Spokane, but the brewing education that the region provides,” Bryant says. “This award gives validation that students participating in the Eastern Washington University brewing program can get their brewing certificate and create world class beer.”

Economical Education Money magazine weighs in on why Eastern is a high-value performer.

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ere in Washington, it’s no secret that Eastern is a premier destination for top-notch instruction at value-conscious prices.

Now, thanks to a recent ranking from Money magazine, students around the nation can appreciate the bang-for-your-buck benefits that come with being an Eagle.

As part of its annual higher education assessment, Money analyzed more than 700

of the nation’s colleges and universities to determine “quality and affordability.” Their assessment measured dozens of data points in areas such as graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid and alumni salaries.

Eastern received four stars, reflecting “high performance.”

“We are incredibly pleased that Money magazine has recognized Eastern Washington University for providing a quality education at

a more affordable cost,” said EWU’s president, Shari McMahan, in a statement issued after the magazine released its findings this fall.

More than 2,400 colleges were part of the value appraisal. To make Money’s initial cut, a college had to have more than 500 enrolled students; provide reliable data to be analyzed; be free of financial distress; and have a graduation rate that was at, or above, the median for its institutional category.

Eastern had no problem meeting those criteria, McMahan said. EWU has great data, is financially sound and graduates an average of 2,000 students each year. More to the point, she added, a significant portion of these graduates are first-generation students whose lives will be forever changed by their Eastern experience. For them especially, “earning a degree is even more transformative,” she said.

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Movement Researcher A scholar of global migration is named EWU’s Chertok Endowed Professor.

This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me. As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.

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assahun Kebede, an a s s o c i a t e p ro f e s s o r of sociology at EWU whose work on immigration and refugees has attracted international acclaim, was honored in October as Eastern’s n e w J e f f e r s W. C h e r t o k Memorial Endowed Professor.

Kebede, who has served as an instructor and researcher in both Ethiopia and the U.S., is a noted scholar who has also provided expertise to prominent international organizations including the World Bank, USAID, and OXFAM-America.

His contributions include providing crucial insights into the realities of rural lives and livelihoods in his former homeland of Ethiopia, a nation where conflict and climate change have made desperately needed development initiatives difficult to sustain.

The Chertok Professorship was established to honor the life and legacy of Jeffers W. Chertok, a cherished EWU professor and administrator who died in 2004. It is funded through gifts from private donors, including the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation, and a match from the state of Washington. It is focused on supporting Chertok’s predominant area of scholarly interest: classic social science

theory with an emphasis on the origins of thought.

At EWU, Kebede helps students engage with issues related to rising levels of cross-border migration, medical sociology and anthropology, while teaching courses that grapple with “social problems on a global scale.”

During his two-year term as Chertok Professor, Kebede says he intends to focus on initiating meaningful discussions related to the often highly fraught issue of immigration and refugees. He also plans to work with administrators to establish an EWU migration research and outreach program.

“There are a lot of misconceptions about refugees and immigrants — particularly refugees. So, this professorship will provide a chance to really dispel some of those misconceptions and misunderstandings about global population movements,” says Kebede, who himself immigrated to the United States as a young adult.

Kebede earned his doctoral degree at Syracuse University in 2012, and became a faculty member at EWU three years later.

Given his own background, he says being honored as the Chertok Memorial Endowed Professor is particularly gratifying and meaningful.

“This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me,” he says. “As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.”

Elder Eagles, Fully Engaged For many faculty and staff retirees, students still come first.

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or members of the Eastern Washington University Retirees Association, the commitment to Eastern and its students never ends.

EWURA is perhaps best known for keeping its members fully engaged with each other and the university community. Monthly meetings typically feature lively discussions related to university issues and events, and often include current faculty members sharing their expertise on topics ranging from Middle East politics to the history of America’s National Parks.

Members also enjoy a variety of fun events, among them concerts, golf outings, holiday parties and an annual breakfast with Eastern’s president.

A lesser known — but perhaps more impactful — function of the association involves making an ongoing difference in the lives of students,

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chiefly in the form of scholarships. Over the years the EWURA Golden Eagle Scholarship Fund, now endowed with close to $125,000, has provided more than 40 awards to help hardworking undergraduates meet their education-related expenses. “Eastern retirees understand that many Eastern students are first-generation college students, which often comes with financial need,” says Wendy Repovich, a retired professor of exercise science who serves as EWURA’s current president.

Among the more recent scholarship awardees is senior mechanical engineering major Kevin Uyekawa, who received $3,100 earlier this year.

The funds, says the 41-year-old single, working father of one, will help him continue his path to graduation with a little more breathing room.

“I just want to say thank you,” Uyekawa wrote in a note to EWURA members. “It really helps boost my confidence in that I’m doing the right thing. It’s huge, getting support from people who believe in me.”

Photo by Dean Davis

Restoration, Repurposed

“The hardest thing about this project,” Allen told visitors at the ribbon cutting, “was explaining to the people of McKinstry that Spokane’s historic SIERR building sees new life as a we wanted to make a real impact in health education. And that to make a difference in rural high-tech center for the health sciences. health equity, we needed to leave our building.”

For Eastern students and faculty (who are joined at SIERR by programs from UW and n its day, the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad was among the most popular Gonzaga) being under one roof will indeed regional “interurbans” in Washington, using its electric rail cars to connect provide great opportunities to collaborate, said thousands of passengers to points between Spokane and Moscow, Idaho.

Lindsay Williams, an EWU lecturer and off-site Cars eventually doomed the service. But its gorgeous, expertly restored rail-repair placement coordinator. “Our classrooms are facility remains in downtown Spokane, a red-brick landmark that — thanks in part to fantastic — and our technology EWU’s participation — is now home to new forms of community service. works all the time. I also like Earlier this fall EWU’s new School of Nursing, along with its that we are all together,” she Department of Communications Sciences and Disorders, set up shop in said. the building, officially known as the Spokane and Inland Empire Railroad To make a difference David Bowman, dean of the building, or SIERR. For both programs, the move promises to up the ante in rural health equity, College of Science, Technology on collaborative learning experiences.

An Oct. 24 ribbon cutting and open house event brought together we needed to leave our and Mathematics and interim many of those responsible for both the SIERR restoration and Eastern’s building,” Dean Allen dean of the College of Health Science and Public Health, move to the facility. Among them was Dean Allen, chief executive officer told visitors. thanked political leaders for of McKinstry Co. their support, while emphasizing Allen — a visionary health-care advocate and developer of energy the impact Eastern’s nursing efficient buildings — was the force behind turning the 70,000-square-foot graduates will have in the region. building into, first, an LEED-certified office space and, now, a state-ofAnd yet, he said, SIERR, and the work happening the-art health science education center. He had long championed the redevelopment of there, will be much bigger than one program or the aging SIERR structure. McKinstry purchased it for its own Spokane home in 2006, even one university. and it soon became a model of efficiency, demonstrating that historic buildings can, as “The vision for this building is really Allen says, “be gentle on the environment and serve as exemplars for others to follow.” interprofessional,” he said. “It is truly a place More recently, Allen said he was determined to move his company’s operations out for collaboration.” of the building to make way for a health-sciences focused “innovation hub.”

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Close Games, Tough Moments Despite a disappointing 2023, Eagle Football appears poised to bounce back big next year.

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t didn’t start out like a season to forget. Yes, there were a couple of tough losses on the road; one to perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, another to FBS mid-major stalwart Fresno State. But the home campaign began with real promise: a decisive win over 19thranked Southeastern Louisiana, followed by a 3-point triumph over Big Sky Conference rival UC-Davis — a victory that saw Coach Aaron Best’s squad return to the familiar territory of an FCS Top-25 ranking.

Sadly, that week-four ranking marked the high point of an autumn that saw an Eagle team play hard, play close, but too often come up short. By the time the Eagles dropped their home finale to Northern Arizona, the win-loss tally stood at a dismal 4-7 overall, 10th in the Big Sky Conference.

Still, there were high points, among them a big win over Weber State that put an exclamation point on an inspiring 100th Homecoming celebration. Perhaps more to the point for Eagle fans, the team’s gritty

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play showed plenty of reasons for optimism as it retools for next year.

Athletics director Tim Collins perhaps summed it up best in a postseason interview with The Spokesman-Review. “I would challenge people to say we didn’t show improvement from last year,” Collins said, adding that “especially next year, I think we’re set up for success.”

One reason for Collins’ optimism was the play of Efton Chism III, a junior wide receiver who racked up stats not seen since the days of Eastern superstar Cooper Kupp.

Chism spent the 2023 season ranked among conference and national leaders in just about every receiving category. He ended on a particularly high note, with a 3-touchdown effort against Northern Arizona, a performance that anchored a season with 84 catches for 934 yards and 8 touchdowns. Chism now ranks third on EWU’s all-time career receptions list. His achievements made him a unanimous choice for first

NOMINATE AN EAG! 2024 Alumni Award nominations are officially OPEN! We are honoring seven alumni who are making a difference in their communities.

Submit your nominations by Friday, February 8.

team All Big Sky Conference honors. Chism was joined on the first team All-Conference honor list by redshirt senior Marlon Jones Jr., a standout defensive back who wraps up his EWU career with 40 career games played, 158 total tackles and 9 interceptions. Redshirt senior tight end Blake Gobel and junior kick returner Michael Wortham, meanwhile, were named to the All-Conference second team, while starting quarterback Kekoa Visperas, a redshirt sophomore, snagged an honorable mention.

Conference honors aside, Head Coach Aaron Best told Learfield’s Eagle Flight podcast that the lack of wins was difficult to take — as was a season where, despite his team’s very real effort, the Eagles just couldn’t seem to turn the corner. “There were a lot of close games, a lot of tough moments, throughout the course of the season,” Best said. “We overcame some of them, but not enough of them. But I was proud of those guys — especially the way they ended the season — even without the win.”

Photo by Trevor Bowens

Nomination forms can be found at

ewu.edu/nominations

At her formal investiture, Eastern’s president envisions a transformative future.

Photo courtesy of Jim Orr/NBCUniversal.

Eastern’s Top Eagle, Fully Invested

An ancient ceremony marks the installation of Shari McMahan as Eastern’s 27th president.

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uring an investiture ceremony replete with academic pomp and regalia, EWU formally recognized Dr. Shari McMahan as its new leader.

McMahan was selected by EWU’s Board of Trustees to serve as the university’s principal administrative officer in February 2022. She began her service four months later. Prior to coming to EWU, McMahan served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at California State University, San Bernardino.

Presidential investiture is a tradition that Eastern shares with a number of universities across the nation. Its origins date back to the early Middle Ages, when the Latin term investituram was adapted to describe a ceremony in which a new leader was formally “clothed” in the symbolic vestments of governance.

Eastern’s Oct. 23 event carried echoes of those ancient traditions. It began at the historic One-Room Schoolhouse, where the building’s antique bell tolled over an assembly of faculty luminaries — each gowned in full academic regalia — who then marched in procession to Showalter Hall.

At the Showalter Auditorium, the ceremony began with a solemn acknowledgement from Margo Hill, an associate professor of urban and regional planning, that Eastern resides “on the unceded lands of the Spokane People.”

“As we work together making decisions that will benefit all — all of our students, our faculty, our staff, our Eagle community — may we also do so with one heart, one mind and one spirit,” said Hill, a member of the Spokane Tribe and a nationally prominent advocate for Native women. “We are grateful to be on the shared lands of the Spokane people. And we ask for the support of their ancestors and all their relations.”

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee joined the ceremony via a video-taped congratulatory message, using the occasion to remind audience members that he has an Eag in the family.

EWU, the governor said, “has brightened minds and built leaders since 1882. More than 116,000 Eagle alumni live all over the world, with more than 87,000 still doing great work in our state. I take this as evidence of the lasting connections and sense of community that has been built at Eastern.”

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Addressing President McMahan directly, Inslee smiled and the communities we serve.” reminded her that “you are in a really important role, doctor, and After praising the many alumni, faculty and community donors I’m confident that you and every Eagle will soar even higher in the whose financial support, she said, is crucial to helping EWU fulfill its years to come.” mission, McMahan next referenced the ongoing “strategic planning A series of short speeches from EWU luminaries followed, before process” that will help leverage such support going forward.

Jay Manning, chair of the EWU Board of Trustees, placed a gold That process, she said, “will set goals, strategies and investments medallion around McMahan’s neck and administered the oath of in order to close equity gaps in graduation rates, increase our regional office. The assembled crowd of guests and visitors cheered. impact, and ensure all students — whether they’re first-generation “What an honor it is to stand before you today,” McMahan said or part of a family tradition — find success and a sense of belonging as the applause died down. “And it is my honor to serve as the 27th as Eagles.” president of Eastern Washington University.”

The strategic resource allocation process, initiated in the months In subsequent remarks, McMahan described her first days on after McMahan’s accession to the president’s office, will likely come the job as a whirlwind of conversations and meetings — including to be regarded as an important milestone in her tenure — as well as numerous heads-up about the coming winter. “When I started in the future of the institution as a whole. here a year and a half ago,” she recalled, “I had just moved from In its initial phase, the process involved asking each of EWU’s California. When I arrived, many people warned academic programs and services to complete an me about the winters, preaching caution when evaluation of how their current expenditures align driving on icy roads and encouraging me to stock “to meet regional workforce needs, and… ensure up on gloves, scarves and warm coats. ‘And don’t the student experience is meaningful and campus I was immediately forget to layer!’” resources are efficient and effective.” embraced as part of Through it all, she added, one thing stood That phase was completed earlier this fall. out: “I was immediately embraced as part of the The data gathered were then reviewed by two the Eastern Eagle Eastern Eagle family. And what an amazing family task forces comprised of EWU faculty and staff. family.

And what it is — supportive, welcoming, gracious and, above On Dec. 6, task force members submitted a an amazing family all, proud of the institution that has stood strong report outlining recommendations to the Board for over 140 years.” of Trustees, one that placed EWU programs it is — supportive, McMahan, a first-generation college graduate, and services into one of five funding-decision welcoming, gracious next recalled how her parents had enthusiastically categories — “invest, maintain, streamline, and, above all, proud transform and disinvest.” supported her academic ambitions, urging her to pursue a university degree. Their confidence of the institution that McMahan and the co-leaders of the SRA in her, she said, set her on the path that led to process, EWU Provost Jonathan Anderson and has stood strong for Mary Voves, vice president for business and Eastern’s top job. “The decision to attend college required a great amount of courage, and has finance, emphasized that the reports are purely over 140 years. provided more opportunities than I could ever recommendations, and that McMahan and her have imagined,” she said. executive leadership team will make final decisions McMahan went on to thank the many family only after a feedback period involving listening, members, friends, and academic mentors and colleagues whose careful review of impacts, and communications with the campus support made possible her success as a faculty instructor, researcher community. and administrator. She cited in particular an undergraduateThe entire process will take time— perhaps as long as several research experience at the University of California, Irvine, where years, they said. her work with a faculty investigator involved using human hair In the end, McMahan said, decisions related to resource samples to track potentially harmful lead exposures. allocations, like all of her leadership choices at Eastern’s helm, will be The project’s findings, she recalled, indicated that disadvantaged intensively focused on student success, and that her work with, and communities were at greatest risk from lead poisoning, a result that for, Eagle students will serve as the lynch pin of her legacy as EWU’s helped to open her eyes to the potentially transformative power of president. “Students need EWU to be its best every day — and we a life in academe. need to ensure that our next strategic plan, and our next 140 years, “It was because of that research and personal growth that today, continues to deliver on our promises,” she said. as an administrator in higher education, my passion is working with “In closing,” McMahan added, “I can’t express enough my first-generation and underserved students, to propel them forward gratitude and honor to serve as president of Eastern Washington and create opportunities for their transformation,” McMahan said.

University. We have a bright future, a clear path and a community “For these humble, kind and hardworking students, it not only of support that will continue to propel us forward.” changes their lives but also positively impacts their families and

— Charles E. Reineke

18 EASTERN MAGAZINE

A N N U A L E W U F O U N D A T I O N 2022-23

REPORT

///

// ///// // /

I N V E ST M E N T R E P O R T AND

CO M PA R AT I V E E N D OW M E N T P E R F O R M A N C E AS OF JUNE 30, 2023 ENDOWMENT POOL

VALUE

ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE

Funds in the EWU Foundation endowment are managed as a single investment. Like an individual who invests in a mutual fund, an endowed fund purchases units in the endowment pool and participates in a per-unit allocation of investment pool earnings and distributions. This investment and comparative endowment performance report illustrates the performance of the pooled investment for the fiscal year July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023.

$35M

$30M

$25M

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND OVERSIGHT The EWU Foundation manages the investment pool with direct oversight provided by the EWU Foundation Investment Committee.

The committee actively works with Northern Trust Institutional Investment Services to select asset allocations and achieve a welldiversified asset mix that balances maximum return with acceptable risk over time. Northern Trust, founded in 1889, has core principles of service, expertise and integrity.

$20M

$15M

INVESTMENT AND DISTRIBUTION PERFORMANCE FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1, 2022 TO JUNE 30, 2023

$10M

$5M

• EWUF endowment value: $31.3 million • The endowment fund distributed $2.0 million in support of

735 scholarships to EWU. • Endowment received designated gifts totaling more than $1.6 million.

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

TOTAL SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT $2,100,000

$1,800,000 COMMODITIES 7.2%

$1,500,000

CASH 4%

REAL ESTATE 4.8%

$1,200,000

$900,000 FIXED INCOME 27.6%

$600,000

EQUITY 56.4%

$300,000

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

ALLOCATION RANGE

FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES $2,700,000

n 2022 n 2023

$2,400,000

$2,100,000

$1,800,000

$1,500,000

This scholarship relieved stress.

I will have less loan debt when I begin my career as a math teacher.

$1,200,000

$900,000

- Jayden Beckham (Junior, Mathematics Education, EWU

MANAGEMENT FUNDRAISING UNIVERSITY & GENERAL & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SUPPORT

Club Volleyball) Fox Family Education Scholarship Recipient

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

P E R F O R M A N C E BENCHMARKS The Foundation endowment investment goal is to match or exceed the return of a benchmark consisting of public market indices weighted to asset allocation targets.

EWU ENDOWMENT RETURNS COMPARED TO BENCHMARKS All figures represent returns net of fees 25% EWUF ENDOWMENT RETURN

20%

EWUF ENDOWMENT RETURN, BLENDED BENCHMARK

15%

NACUBO-COMMONFUND* STUDY OF ENDOWMENTS

10%

*An industry standard, the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments is based on data received annually from over 800 U.S. college and university endowments and affiliated foundations.

5% 8.58 8.77

7.6

2018 COMMODITIES 5.4%

FIXED INCOME 21.8% INTERNATIONAL EMERGING 3.5%

7.62

2019

5.5

4.45 5.97

1.8

2020

27.6

25.9

2021

27.3

2022 -12.78 -12.26 -10.66

9.9

9.7

TBA

2023

PRIVATE EQUITY 1.8% CASH 4%

REAL ESTATE 4.8% HIGH YIELD 5.8%

7.15

U.S. CAP 35.8%

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPED 17.1%

ACTUAL ASSET ALLOCATION

EWU.EDU/GIVE

EWU’S 2023 PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR, PROFESSOR BILL YOUNGS, has been serving the university — and the larger Eastern community — for more than 50 years. Scan this code to learn more about his inspiring story.

F O U N D AT I O N F I N A N C I A L

THE EWU FOUNDATION

HIGHLIGHTS FY23

has a responsibility to be accountable to our constituencies; to our board of directors (who serve without remuneration and at their own expense); to EWU and its leadership, faculty, staff and students; to our donors; to our volunteers; and to the advancement staff.

2023

2022

Cash and cash equivalents Certificates of deposit Promises to give, net Accounts receivable Other assets Property and equipment, net Assets held under split-interest agreements Beneficial interest in charitable trusts held by others Beneficial interest in perpetual trusts Investments

$7,360,261 5,064,561 8,491,891 254,273 655,797 449,737 2,187,971 31,751,270

$8,026,893 2,263,465 9,727,588 189,607 1,050 257,927 650,089 430,130 2,167,370 28,844,518

TOTAL ASSETS

$56,215,761

$52,558,637

Accounts payable Program support payable Liabilities under split-interest agreements

$113,140 3,500,000 422,969

$13,721 4,182,075 461,034

CLAUDETTE KENMIR

TOTAL LIABILITIES

$4,036,109

$4,656,830

JAY KIRKPATRICK

ASSETS

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

With donor restriction TOTAL NET ASSETS TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

REVENUE, SUPPORT AND GAINS Contributions Net investment return Marketing revenue Gross special events revenue Less cost of special events Net special events revenue Other revenue Support provided by EWU Change in value of split-interest agreements held by the Foundation

Distributions from and change in value of beneficial interests in assets held by others Net assets released from restrictions

TOTAL REVENUE, SUPPORT AND GAINS

$1,042,968 140,033 1,183,001 50,996,651 52,179,652 $56,215,761

$833,000 129,720 962,720 46,939,087 47,901,807 $52,558,637

ROB DIETZ CURTIS GRIFFIN KRISANN HATCH (EWUF Immediate Past Chair) SEAN HOAGLAND (EWUF Treasurer) MARC HUGHES

RICHARD MOUNT MIKE MUMFORD JEFF STANNARD STU STEINER (EWUF Vice-Chair) TOM TIFFANY VIN VU KAREN WEIS

$5,746,266 3,078,210 606,741 105,812 (75,852) 29,960 42,012 2,030,573

$4,943,317 (4,190,234) 459,277 130,368 (144,507) (14,139) 13,337 1,631,833

83,983

(100,978)

LUCAS FRYE (ASEWU President)

83,642

(415,015)

WADE ROMINE (ASEWU University Advancement Council Representative)

-

-

$11,701,387

$2,327,398

EXPENSES

Program services expense Support provided to/for EWU Support services expense Management and general Fundraising and development

ALEXIS ALEXANDER (EWUF Chair)

RICHARD MARLL (EWUF Secretary)

NET ASSETS

Without donor restriction Undesignated Designated by the Board for endowment

EWU FOUNDATION FY23 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

$4,685,679

$2,502,188

1,178,991 1,558,872

1,249,833 1,150,429

TOTAL SUPPORTING SERVICES TOTAL EXPENSES

2,737,863 $7,423,542

2,400,262 $4,902,450

CHANGE IN NET ASSETS NET ASSETS, BEGINNING OF YEAR

4,277,845 47,901,807

(2,575,052) 50,476,859

NET ASSETS, END OF YEAR

$52,179,652

$47,901,807

EWU FOUNDATION | 102 HARGREAVES HALL | 616 STUDY LANE CHENEY, WA 99004-2413 | 509.359.6252 | EWU.EDU/GIVE

BRETT WRIGHT EX-OFFICIO (voting) STACEY RASMUSSEN (EWUAA Representative) DICK DONLEY (EWURA Representative)

EX-OFFICIO (non-voting) DR. SHARI MCMAHAN (President, EWU) BARB RICHEY (Vice President, University Advancement and Executive Director, EWU Foundation) VICKI WILSON (EWU BOT Representative)

SCAN THE QR CODE TO GIVE TODAY.

EWU.EDU/GIVE

HOMETOWN: DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA (Los Angeles County)

1ST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT, University of California, Irvine

PROVOST AND VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS AT CAL STATE, SAN BERNARDINO. FIRST WOMAN PROVOST IN CSUSB’S HISTORY.

EWU'S 27TH PRESIDENT 2023 EWU'S OPERATING BUDGET: $316 MILLION AUTHORED MORE THAN 50 PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS AWARDED MORE THAN $5 MILLION IN EXTERNAL GRANT FUNDING FIRST PUBLIC EVENT AS PRESIDENT: HOOPFEST ZUMBA AND STEP AEROBICS INSTRUCTOR FALL/WINTER 2023-24

19

PE

MOV

Photo by Luke Kenneally

OPLE

ERS

Riding along with the Spokane Transit Authority, a forward-looking agency that’s rich with Eagle talent.

By Melodie Little

A new outdoor shelter at The Plaza is one of a series of recent, rider-friendly service improvements by STA.

B

eginning winter quarter 1970, a new transportation option debuted at EWU, one that, even at the moment of its inception, was widely acknowledged as a gamechanger for thousands of Eastern students.

“Bus Service Begins,” read the headline in the Jan. 13, 1970 issue of The Easterner. “Winter quarter has traditionally been a miserable quarter, especially for commuters who must fight not only the traffic but the snow to make it to their early morning classes,” the story read. “Beginning today, however, this will no longer be necessary. Instead of grumbling to himself about the miserable weather and the folly of even trying to get to the campus on time, the commuter now may leisurely drive into a parking lot in Spokane, board a bus and let someone else fight the weather for him. And he can save money in the process.”

These days, after more than half a century of moving commuters to Cheney and back, the EWU route — soon dubbed the “Magic Bus” by grateful students (with a nod to The Who’s 1968 hit) — remains a fixture of Eagle life.

Today’s commuting students, in fact, typically talk about the bus in terms that echo The Easterner’s long-ago enthusiasm.

Aimee Brooks, a creative writing graduate student from Lubbock, Texas, is one of them. “I’m a huge fan of the park and ride,” she says. “It saves so much time, and the routes are usually on time and consistent, with mostly student passengers.”

“Taking public transportation,” Brooks adds, “is one of the best things an individual can do for the environment. I started to feel like it was silly to drive everywhere when the Eagle Card [includes] a free bus pass. Now I’ve realized how much money I’ve saved and it’s amazing. Cheney is 14 miles away from my house, and cutting down those trips has cut my monthly gas cost in half.”

Just in the previous year, according to data provided by STA, commuters like Brooks have logged close to two million passenger miles on EWU-specific routes, with another 3.2 million miles traveled on the EWU-friendly Cheney route.

Eastern’s new Eagle Station, meanwhile, a custom shelter that can accommodate 1,000 daily riders, also came on line last year. The station, decked out with Eagle red and boasting covered, heated waiting areas, was, not coincidentally, dedicated for service on April 22, 2022 — Earth Day. On that sunny morning an Eagle alumna, Susan Meyer ’80, ’89, was among the dignitaries on hand to cut a ceremonial ribbon. Meyer, who holds a bachelor degree in psychology and FALL/WINTER 2023-24

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a master’s in business administration from EWU, wasn’t just a casual supporter. Since 2005, she has served as chief executive officer of the Spokane Transit Authority, helping — along with a host of other Eagle alumni at the authority — to build a transit system that’s become a national model for performance and affordability.

“It’s a beautiful day to celebrate our region’s collaboration on this amazing facility,” Meyer told the crowd. “It is an iconic, functional and beautiful station to bring to the students, the faculty and the staff at Eastern Washington University, and to the City of Cheney.”

The birth of public transit in Spokane roughly tracks with Eastern’s own founding. It began in the 1880s with a slew of companies selling rides in horse-drawn street cars. After a rough-and-tumble era of intensely competitive electric-streetcar and interurban-rail operations, the rise of automobiles and motorized coaches (precursors to today’s buses) led to a period of retrenchment and consolidation. A taxpayersupported, city-administered Spokane Transit System was born in 1968. It became the regional Spokane Transit Authority 13 years later.

These days, in addition to those serving Cheney and Eastern, STA offers 50-plus routes covering some 248 square miles. In 2022, according to its annual performance report, the transit authority as a whole carried more than 6.5 million passengers, a 25 percent increase over 2021, as ridership continues to bounce back from Covid-related declines. Much of the agency’s recent success can be attributed to Meyer and her team, say local observers, among them Meyer’s fellow Eastern alum Gordon Budke ’63, a prominent accountant, community leader and EWU benefactor.

Budke says that back when Meyer took on STA’s top job, the road Susan Meyer leads a host of Eagle alumni at forward was anything but clear. Beset by fiscal uncertainties, a bruising the Spokane Transit Authority. fight over the downtown commuter hub at the Plaza and a general lack of vision for the future, the authority was desperate for positive “He ran the City Line project from beginning to launch,” Meyer leadership. Meyer stepped in and provided it. says, “The planning, the design and the $92.2 million budget was “She and her team – and she has a great team – took a look at largely in his authority.” this whole map of greater Spokane and said, ‘How do we best serve Over the course of the project, STA officials our patrons and customers?’” says Budke. say state and federal funding was crucial, “She was able to, from my view, see the end beginning with an initial $3.5 million for game. The end game was to provide public transportation at a reasonable price and She’s seen what Eastern has planning and engineering services. Later, with Meyer, Otterstrom and their local allies not at the additional cost to the taxpayer of been able to accomplish by pushing hard, the Legislature approved $15 borrowed money.” educating people and I’m million for construction costs. Four years Perhaps no project better illustrates Meyer’s view of the “end game” than one sure she’s picked some of the after that, in April 2019, the Federal Transit Administration announced the largest single of her more recent triumphs, construction cream-of-the-crop of Eastern commitment to the project, a grant of $53.4 of Spokane’s new City Line. The all-electric alums to be part of her team million. route features sleek, street-car-like buses that Otterstrom began his work with STA in glide along a dedicated, 6-mile-long corridor 2009. At the time, he says, transit authority connecting downtown to Brown’s Addition leaders were just beginning to put such and Spokane Community College. It was 15 years in the making. transformational projects on the table.

“Some people wanted a light rail or streetcar — but that was “There was talk of doing an electric trolley bus at the time, unaffordable. We built something right sized for Spokane,” says Meyer, something to really step it up — the evolution of that is today’s City who credits fellow Eagle Karl Otterstrom ’02, STA’s chief planning Line,” he says. “It was an interesting time, because in 2009 it was clear and development officer, for doing the heavy lifting that made the by mid-year that not only were we in a recession, we were in a deep City Line a reality.

22 EASTERN MAGAZINE

Photo by Nathan Mauger, Spokane Transit Authority

recession. Even though we were still planning for a bigger vision, we also needed to dial in and cut costs near-term.”

STA didn’t have a comprehensive plan in place at the time, he recalls. Meyer, nevertheless, was intensely focused on keeping projects such as the City Line alive while dealing with the reality of budget constraints: “How do we frame up the future service, but to do it in a way that we are also building in the future?” she asked.

“It was a big challenge,” Otterstrom says. “A lot of long days and sleepless nights — and a lot of engagement.”

This last part, the engagement piece, meant connecting with stakeholders in commerce, government, transportation planning, economic engagement, environmental advocacy and, of course, everyday bus riders. In the end, it all paid off as the City Line inched closer to reality. The icing on the cake, Otterstrom says, was learning of the success of the $53 million grant on his 41st birthday. “There’s not one person who owns all this vision,” he says. “It’s all sorts of people working together inside and outside of STA that bring their part of the vision together.”

The July 18 ribbon-cutting for City Line was front-page news. It featured entertainment provided by a band made up of STA employees, free swag and inaugural bus rides. Community leaders, local and state lawmakers, and neighbors turned out for the celebration.

For her part, Meyer remembers being pretty psyched. “That was the happiest day,” she says. “Probably my happiest day — other than my daughter’s birth.”

Federal transit officials, in town for the ceremony, were happy too. The City Line delivered as promised and, in spite of pandemicfueled supply issues and a year-long delay, came in some $14 million under budget. “They said there isn’t another project like this that has come in under budget,” Meyer says. Local savings from the City Line, meanwhile, are going toward a $200 million Division Street rapid bus route project, which recently received a $50 million state grant. “So, we’re off to the races again. It’s very exciting,” Meyer says.

Over the years, STA has grown from 500 to more than 700 employees. Meyer, at age 66, says that as she begins to consider retirement she finds herself thinking more and more about training, mentoring and positioning members of this growing STA team for success. “Whenever I leave, whether it’s because I won the lottery or I retire, I want to be sure the organization is ready,” she says.

Three of Meyer’s top administrators are EWU alumni. In addition to Otterstrom, Brandon Rapez-Betty ’09, who serves as chief operating officer, and Carly Cortright ’09, chief communication and customer service officer, also graduated from Eastern. Budke says he isn’t surprised. “She’s seen what Eastern has been able to accomplish by FALL/WINTER 2023-24

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Photo by Nathan Mauger, Spokane Transit Authority

STA’s Leading Eagles, from left: Karl Otterstrom ’02, Brandon Rapez-Betty ’09, Susan Meyer ’80, ’89, and Carly Cortright ’09,

educating people, and I’m sure she’s picked the cream-of-the-crop of Eastern alums to be part of her team,” he says.

Meyer’s rise to prominence is its own Eastern story, one that illustrates a deep connection to EWU’s long history of empowering local and regional talent. The daughter of entrepreneurial parents — her folks owned and operated the Beehive restaurant downtown, and also ran Eastern’s Student Union — Meyer spent her early childhood immersed in Cheney. “My parents had a long connection with what is now EWU. I got to work there, I got two degrees there. It was a wonderful experience,” she says.

After her parents divorced, Meyer moved to Davenport, Washington, where her mom owned and operated three upscale clothing shops. Years later, Meyer would return to Cheney, this time The Magic Bus, reborn. as an EWU student. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she began work on an MBA and soon earned a fellowship with Phillip Beukema, former dean of the School of Business. Together they worked to peer review from the American Public Transportation Association, develop new methods of fundraising for various university-support a trade group. The association sent APTA staff and executives from programs. That work eventually turned into a full-time job for Meyer, transit agencies in Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis to spend a couple who first served as an assistant director, then director, of external days riding buses and inspecting stations. Their report, while mostly relations for the university. positive, found STA needed to take better care Eager for new challenges, Meyer left EWU of its buses, hire more drivers and mechanics to use her growing professional skill-set to and improve the aesthetics of Park-and-Ride help a number of prominent community She loves to be in the mix with stations. The report convinced Meyer she players on a variety of fund-raising projects. needed someone with a deep understanding transit. For her, transformation of transit planning to help. Otterstrom, with She next took on a leadership role at Pacific is not just a vision. It’s also Gas and Electric, then worked as a consultant his bachelor’s degree in urban and regional for Telect, a telecommunications equipment planning from EWU — and recent experience momentum and velocity. manufacturer. Her success there led her up with King County Metro — seemed perfect. “I the corporate ladder, and she soon found said, ‘You are going to be the decision-maker herself in Telect’s C-Suite as vice president on our transit projects. You are going to lead of human resources and corporate communications. “They built an the development of our vision and our future,’ ” Meyer says. executive team and the company just went gangbusters — until the And that’s pretty much how things went. After a rough ride during telecommunications market tanked,” Meyer recalls. Within months, the Great Recession, including a failed ballot measure aimed at Telect downsized a quarter of its employees. Meyer was forced to lay expanding services and facilities, Meyer, Otterstrom and their team off staff. Then her own job was eliminated. pitched — and prevailed in — a 2016 ballot initiative to fund its Moving A professional connection who served on the STA Board of Forward campaign. After the successful ballot measure, Meyer says, Directors reached out to Meyer, encouraging her to apply for STA’s “we started expanding service, building new Park-and-Ride lots and chief executive officer position. started the conversion to zero-emission buses.”

At the time, the transit organization had garnered intense criticism Though he knows Meyer is planning for an STA with new for building a pricey bus hub in the heart of downtown Spokane: The leadership, Otterstrom says he’s certain that Meyer has plenty more Plaza project, initially projected to cost $12 million, had ballooned to give. She is, he says, as driven as ever: “She loves to be in the mix to $20 million, according to a Jan. 29, 1995 story in The Spokesmanwith transit. For her, transformation is not just a vision. It’s also Review. The article pointedly referred to it as a “money pit.” momentum and velocity.”

A decade later, the reputational damage lingered, and Meyer And how might that vision play out for Eastern? STA officials say accepted STA’s CEO position knowing the agency needed to turn a the most visible form of “momentum and velocity” will be a flock corner. She got the ball rolling by asking Budke to deploy his accounting of new Eagle coaches that will put the “magic” back in the EWU expertise in an informal audit of STA’s books. In spite of the criticism buses. Beginning in 2025, seven new, three-axle double-decker around overspending on the plaza, Budke found STA had actually done buses will begin plying the oft-trod path between Cheney and an impressive job of managing its finances. The agency had zero debt Spokane. According to their American manufacturer, AC Transit, and operated in an above-board, transparent manner, he found. His these Enviro-500 coaches, marvels of efficiency, will accommodate chief recommendation? Set aside reserves. close to 80 seated Eagles with a new level of comfort. “We’re pretty Having assessed STA’s financial status, Meyer then requested a excited about it,” Otterstrom says.

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Music

and Vision

By Charles E. Reineke

EWU’s Jonathan Middleton explores the potential of “data-to-music” algorithms.

W

hat if listening allowed you to “see” something otherwise invisible? To hear, for example, a change in the structure of a protein? A replication error in a strand of DNA? And what if the sound signal you heard — this audible insight into things unseen — was wonderfully musical? A beautiful harmony indicating, say, the health of your submicroscopic life? Or, alternatively, an atonal indication that something was amiss?

Jonathan Middleton, a composer and professor of music theory at EWU, has long been intrigued by the possibilities of what researchers call “data-to-music,” or D2M, technologies — computer algorithms that allow users to turn data sets into musical compositions. Now, he’s among the world’s most influential figures in this small but growing branch of data analytics.

At its core, data to music is an application of what researchers call “sonification,” the process of translating numbers into auditory images.

“For decades we’ve been relying on visual displays of data — graphs, pie charts, tables— and that seems to be the go-to,” says Middleton. “It’s pretty much proven that it works, and there are a lot of fancy ways of doing visual displays now. But over the past, say, two decades, what’s emerged has been something called ‘auditory display’ of data, and this allows scientists, people in business and others to actually hear their data, rather than just see it.”

Middleton composes music that not only provides auditory visualizations, but also interpretive insights.

Over the course of his own two decades of exploration, his sonification journeys have included numerous compositions drawn from unlikely data sources, perhaps most memorably the DNA of a downed Rosewood tree.

For many of those years, the seemingly esoteric nature of Middleton’s investigations consigned his findings to relative obscurity. That has changed. These days, he’s attracting the attention of a growing cadre of international scientists and entrepreneurs who, in the case of the former, see D2M as a means for analyzing and interpreting molecular-level physical phenomena and, in the latter, a vehicle for making complex industrial processes more apparent and accessible.

The heart of the matter is information management.

Thanks to advances in digital processing and storage, it’s now easy to amass vast troves of data. Making sense of these data, however, is much less straightforward.

Faculty researchers at universities, along with corporate scientists in the private sector, typically deploy analytic techniques such as relational databases, machine-learning algorithms and the aforementioned graphic visualizations to interpret and act on information gleaned from their investigations. While effective, these tools aren’t always enough, particularly when applied

FALL/WINTER 2023-24

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to large, complex, “unstructured” data caches — think molecular biology, global weather patterns, the birth and death of stars, or even the behavior of shoppers at the mall.

Among the first scientists to recognize the potential of D2M, or more generally, the idea of sonifying big data, was Robert Bywater, a now retired chemical biologist from the Francis Crick Institute in London. Middleton’s early work on musical algorithms caught Bywater’s attention as something that might provide a new way to interpret the notoriously opaque activity of amino acids, the allimportant building blocks of proteins.

“It’s like Alan Turing solving the enigma codes,” he told The New York Times in a 2016 article. “You get a message. You do not understand it. You have to convert it to something you do understand.”

That something, for Bywater, was music. And Jonathan Middleton, with his experience in DNA-data compositions, was just the man for the job. In a paper that Bywater and Middleton later published in the journal Heliyon, the two demonstrated that by assigning numerical values to amino acids’ twists and turns within select proteins — then converting these numbers to notes— they could create a kind of “protein song” that allowed listeners to easily distinguish important structures and processes.

More recently, in a paper published by the journal Frontiers in Big Data, Middleton has demonstrated that similar techniques in sonification could be a gamechanger for all sorts of data-intensive interpretations, including those that go well beyond the biological.

THAT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED over three years with researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Group at Finland’s Tampere University. Middleton, its lead author, says he and his co-investigators were chiefly concerned with showing that a custom-built D2M algorithm could enhance engagement with additional sets of complex data points (in this instance those collected from Finnish weather records) that were usually rendered in other forms.

Pertti Huuskonen, one of Middleton’s co-authors, is a senior research fellow with the TAUCHI Research Center at Tampere University. He and his colleagues at TAUCHI focus on “human-computer interactions,” or HCI, exploring how such interactions can be optimized in real-world settings. They count a number of Finnish businesses as their clients.

“One goal is to find new ways to convey data to users — not just via displays and the occasional beep or buzz from the phone in your pocket,” he says. “Humans are pretty good at hearing sound: Almost everyone with normal hearing can distinguish loudness, pitch or direction.

28 EASTERN MAGAZINE

OK Computer: Middleton works with music technology major Kenia Flavius, 19, in EWU’s recently upgraded Music Technology Studio.

Trained professionals can focus on dozens of aspects of from companies we were collaborating with.” sound simultaneously — think of a symphony orchestra The experimental piece, adds Middleton, was conductor. Because such sounds are a parallel channel essentially an exercise in confirming auditory display’s to human brains, one different from visuals, this makes real-world feasibility. “First,” he says, “I had to validate it worth studying in HCI.” our work with a perceptual study. The main angle was Since the Finnish researchers had already pursued user experience: the idea that if people heard their data several sonification-related with musical sounds, they might be projects, Middleton reached out to more engaged, spend more time them with an offer to collaborate. with it, or have deeper connections Huuskonen says the TAUCHI team and unique perspectives.”

When I arrived in quickly took him up on it, and Measuring user experience soon had secured funding from involved collecting survey data Finland, my first the Finnish government to pursue question to them was, from 72 participants. During the investigations that led to the listening sessions at a computer, ‘Don’t you just want Frontiers findings. Middleton’s the study subjects were asked to background in musical composition complete tasks such as determining to use any sounds?’ made him a particularly attractive whether the sounds they heard Because that really guy to work with. represented sunshine or clouds. widens the field of “We thought that a professional Other sonification exercises elicited composer would bring valuable responses to more complicated possibilities when wisdom on how to deliver sound patterns, including melodic information through sound, while hearing data. They said, interludes corresponding to wind still having it pleasant to listen ‘Oh no, no! We want to speeds. to,” Huuskonen says. “And so it Finally, study subjects were hear data with music.’ happened that Jonathan arrived to asked to evaluate their responses I thought, ‘Wow, work with us for quite some time.” to these musical data points using For his part, Middleton says that’s amazing.’ They a variety of engagement criteria. the aesthetic sensibilities of his Analysis of the responses was don’t just want the most Finnish colleagues — their passion led by a study co-author, EWU’s for making D2M sonifications efficient way of hearing Jeffrey Culver, a professor of “pleasant to listen to”— was a big their data, they want business, and his Eastern students part of what made the three-year back in Cheney. The results, says the full thing. gig so attractive.

Middleton, “were very promising.”

“When I arrived in Finland,” “The paper sets a foundation Middleton says, “my first question for others to build sonifications of to them —was, ‘Don’t you just want data with musical characteristics,” to use any sounds?’ Because that really widens the field he says. “It provides a path that begins to show of possibilities when hearing data. They said, ‘Oh no, which characteristics are meaningful within certain no! We want to hear data with music.’ engagement factors.”

“I thought, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ They don’t just “The International Community for Auditory want the most efficient way of hearing their data, they Display needs a paper like this to move forward,” want the full thing. That’s when I realized that design Middleton adds, referencing the organization that and aesthetics were huge to them.” promotes research in sonification and related areas.

“There has been a gap between those who think THE WORK THAT BECAME the Frontiers paper sonification can include musical traits and those who was undertaken with the participation of five Finnish think music is problematic,” he says. corporations, each with an interest in potential D2M Middleton, as a composer and artist, is insistent solutions. that music is not at all problematic; that instead, in The key themes, says Huuskonen, involved “finding both form and function, it is a perfect means of making useful techniques for transforming data into musical auditory display an even more powerful scientific tool. structures — such as melodies, rhythms, compositions “We humans,” he says, “see improved functionality — and applying these techniques with industrial data in things that are attractive.”

FALL/WINTER 2023-24

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ON THE ROAD

1. On a day that seemed not-at-allterrifying, Matt ’80 and Linda Portch ’80 visited Romania’s Bran Castle, the foreboding, 13th-century fortification that author Bram Stoker famously depicted in his novel Dracula.

Where will Eastern magazine be spotted next? Share a photo of you, our latest issue and the details of where your travels have taken you. We'll print as many as we can, with extras appearing on our website. Send to easternmagazine@ewu.edu.

2. During a trip to Germany in August, Danielle Kilian, ’00 and David Kilian ’02 took time out to admire Schamil Gimajev’s “Wir Sind Ein Volk” (We are One People), a mural that makes up part of an art friendly, 1300-meter section of the Berlin Wall.

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3. Even though he’s not a golfer, Kevin Hasslinger ’98 brought his appropriately themed Eastern magazine along to Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland, a world-class resort and golfing destination.

3 4. On a cold, cloudy day this summer, Greg ’86 and Sharla Austin ’86 took a tram from Zermatt, Switzerland to experience the spectacularly glaciated peaks surrounding the Matterhorn.

5. Paul Stredwick ’79 spent part of his November perusing his magazine at a resort in Negril, Jamaica. “Two weeks on a beach, in a hammock, with people bringing food and drinks all day,” he said. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be!”

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6. In September, Ayla DeLaat ’13 and Mitchell Nelson ’14 enjoyed two weeks of travel in Japan, where, among other highlights, they visited the Himeji Castle in Hyōgo Prefecture.

7. Members of the Estrellado family (pictured from left to right), Marcie ’89, Benji ’87, Jon ’88, Jose ’86 and Tracy ’87, display their Eagle pride on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

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CLASS NOTES

1960s ’65 Roberta (Bobbi Joy) Brown, BA physical education, is the proprietor, with her alumnus husband, Chris ’65, of a digital photography business.

The couple have recently returned to Eastern Washington after living on the western side of the state.

1970s ’75 Edmond Bruneau, BA journalism, recently published Sip & Savor – Poems for a Perfect Pairing, his fifth book of poems. A reviewer for the website Book Commentary found the wine-related works to be “a gorgeous collection of poems that read like drippings of the honeycomb.”

1980s ’85 Jacque Coe, BA radio and television, in July was elected to the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, a select group representing “professionals and educators who have made a significant impact on the public relations and communications profession.” ’86 Wayne Havrelly, BA radio and television, in August retired from his position as a weekend anchor with KOIN Portland. After beginning his career at KHQ Spokane, Havrelly worked in a number of major media markets, including television stations in Orlando and Seattle. ’86 Mike Poirier, BA wellness and movement sciences, in November was elected mayor of Wenatchee, Washington. Poirier, an insurance agent who previously served as a Wenatchee City Council member, will begin his new role in January.

1990s ’92 Gina Behrens, BA education, is a literacy interventionist at Spokane’s

Seth Woodard Elementary School. In July she was named 2023 Regional Teacher of the Year by the NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101. Behrens was selected for the honor based on nominations from peers, supervisors and students. ’98 Stacy Estes, BA education, BS developmental psychology, is a longserving teacher and administrator in Walla Walla and the Tri-Cities who currently serves as an assistant principal at Kennewick High School.

Earlier in the fall, he was appointed

by Gov. Jay Inslee to serve on the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs, an advisory body that advocates for Washington’s Black communities.

2000s ’00 Alicia Thompson, MA social work, in November was named administrative officer of the Spokane Regional Health District. As leader of SRHD, Thompson will establish and implement policies and programs to promote and protect the health of Spokane County citizens. She previously served as the chief operations officer of Arizona’s Chiricahua Community Health Centers. ’01 Jason Olsen, MFA, creative writing, is an associate professor of English at Utah State University and the author of Intersecting Genre: A Skills-based Approach to Creative Writing, a writing textbook that was published by the Bloomsbury Academic Press in September. His previous book was a study of writer Mark Gruenwald’s work on Captain America comics. ’04 Lou Ann Carter, MA social work, in June graduated from the University of Washington’s Guardianship

Program. She is now employed as a legal guardian for adults. ’07 Amy Ockerlander, BA interdisciplinary studies, was elected this summer to serve as the vice president of the Association of Washington Cities, a “nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation that represents Washington’s cities and towns before the state legislature, the state executive branch and with regulatory agencies.” She is currently the mayor of Duvall, Washington. ’09, ’13 Kelli Miller, BA interdisciplinary studies, MPA public administration, in September was appointed interim CEO of Frontier Behavioral Health. Prior to stepping into this role, she served as Frontier’s chief administrative officer.

2010s ’10, ’12 Cara Hernandez, BA government, MA social work, was recently named director of community care for Chaplaincy Health Care in Richland, Washington. For her previous work as director of the Meals on Wheels program in Washington’s Benton and Franklin counties, Hernandez was named 2023 Young Professional of the Year by The TriCities Area Journal of Business. ’11 Kasey Clark, BA history, on July 23, 2023 give birth to Landry Jean Clark. ’11 Jessica Garza, BA economics, is the co-founder of Gather, a firm that promotes small businesses run by women. This fall, Gather held its first Market in the Mountains event at Moose Valley Ranch in Springdale, Washington. Her efforts in creating the Market in the Mountains were cited by the Spokane Journal of Business, which named her one of its ten regional “Rising Stars” for 2023.

FALL/WINTER 2023-24

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CLASS NOTES ’11 Melissa Huggins, MFA creative writing, is the former executive director of Spokane Arts. In September, Visit Spokane presented Huggins with its 2023 Placemaker Award, an honor in recognition of her “leadership excellence in tourism.” Huggins now serves as deputy director of Whipsmart, a trade organization supporting Washington’s creative workers and businesses. ’12 Susan Ashe, BA experiential learning, recently retired from her role as head of the Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County. Earlier this year, the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research presented her with its 2023 Buster and Nancy D. Alvord Award. In its award citation, the association applauded Ashe’s “singular contribution, which has enabled Spokane to become a core research hub in the Pacific Northwest.” ’14 Kelsey Berg, BA visual communication design, is the new director of marketing for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour in Daytona Beach, Florida.

“After 12 years in the sports industry,” Berg says, “this is truly a full circle moment — a role where I will have a hand in helping to shape the future of women’s golf globally.”

INTRODUCING ALUMNI ADVENTURES We are excited to announce EWU Alumni Association’s official adventure program, Alumni Adventures! An exclusive travel program designed specifically so that our alumni can explore, discover and create lasting memories around the globe.

2020s ’20 Cole Boyer, BA race and cultural studies, is the administrator of the Kalispel Leadership Academy with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. The academy, according to the tribe’s website, is committed to “engaging and developing leaders of the Kalispel Tribe through education to support their role as contributing members of a diverse community.” In July, Boyer was named one of ten regional “Rising Stars” by the Spokane Journal of Business.

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WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK!

Which Alumni Adventures locations would you be interested in traveling to?

ewu.edu/alumniadventures

IN MEMORIAM

Leader, Historian and Advocate Michael Finley, a former member of EWU’s Board of Trustees, was a champion of tribal rights and culture.

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fter a life spent in service to his Tribe and community, Michael Finley ’03, ’05, a noted historian, tribalrights advocate and leader of the Colville people, died on Aug. 9.

Finley, who held both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from EWU, was appointed to the university’s Board of Trustees in 2014 to complete the unfinished term of a former trustee. He was later reappointed by Gov. Jay Inslee, and served until November 2022.

Over the course of his career, Finley served as a three-time chair of Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, as well as president of the Colville Business Council. In these roles and others, Finley acted as a powerful advocate for the rights of the Colville people, often distinguishing himself during crucial,

2000s ’07 Jessie Burton, age 43, died Aug. 9, 2023. ’05 Callie Hein, age 40, died Aug. 20, 2023. ’04 Kathleen “Kat” NygaardKaut, age 40, died Feb. 7, 2023. ’01 Jeremiah Smith, age 45, died Aug. 18, 2023.

1990s ’98, ’00 Jody Beemer, age 79, died Sept. 28, 2023. ’98 Daniel Stewart, age 69, died Nov. 14, 2023. ’96 Joseph Lewis III, age 84, died Oct. 10, 2023.

high-stakes tribal-rights negotiations — issues ranging from the protection of fish habitat to the return of Colville Ancestors’ remains.

But it was his work as a historian, Finley’s colleagues say, that was his true passion.

Finley was a guiding presence in the Colville Tribes’ History and Archaeology Department, according to a tribute in the Tribal Tribune newspaper, and “an outstanding researcher, often finding overlooked or new data.” Finley also, the Tribune said, collaborated with noted scholars, interviewed dozens of tribal elders on cultural property matters, and served as chairman of the Colville Tribes when DNA evidence established that one of the oldest, most complete set of human remains ever discovered in North America was, in fact, an Ancient One of the Colville.

The book he co-authored with Richard Scheuerman, Finding Chief Kamiakin: The Life and Legacy of a Northwest Patriot, was hailed by reviewers as an “engrossing” exploration of a pivotal figure in Native history.

Finley was the recipient of a number of awards for these academic and professional achievements, among them EWU History’s 2011 Cecil Dryden Alumni Award for scholarship and service.

“He was an outstanding board member, an outstanding person, outstanding father, husband and leader for the Colville Tribes,” said BOT chair Jay Manning. “He was a great advocate for the Tribe and a great person to work with.” Michael Finley was 44 years old.

’95 Nelson Morris, age 54, died Oct. 14, 2023.

’84 Gregory Broecker, age 59, died Sept. 19, 2019.

’78 Lois Morris, age 79, died Aug. 30, 2023.

’92 Carol Fullmer, age 76, died May 30, 2023.

’84, ’90 Roger Olsen, age 77, died November 2023.

’77 Daniel Becker, age 68, died Nov. 4, 2023.

’90, ’94 Thomas Michael Griffiths, age 58, died Oct. 7, 2023.

’81 Larry Heinz, age 76, died Aug. 9, 2023.

’76 Warren Walker, age 70, died July 25, 2023.

’80 Walter Broecker, age 86, died Jan. 14, 2020.

’75 Cynthia Lewis, age 70, died Oct. 28, 2023.

’80 Nancy O’Neill, age 97, died July 5, 2023.

’74 Donald Glud, age 70, died July 15, 2023.

1970s

’74 Cecil Jose, age 79, died Nov. 10, 2023.

1980s ’89, Netia Pederson, age 81, died June 27, 2023. ’88, Ross Russell, age 84, died Nov. 2, 2023. ’85 Sister Margaret “Peggy” Alcorn, age 92, died Nov. 29, 2023. ’85, Harry Dziak, age 80, died Oct. 26, 2023.

’79 LuAnn Heer-Weisgerber, age 67, died Oct. 15, 2023.

’74 Thomas Muller, age 71, died Sept. 3, 2023.

’79 Kathleen O’Dwyer, age 69, died Nov. 15, 2023.

1960s

’79 Francine Wolf, age 73, died Sept. 17, 2023.

’69 Edgar V. Smith, Jr., age 85, died Nov. 13, 2023.

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IN MEMORIAM

’69 Bill Swaby, age 78, died May 06, 2023. ’68 Earl Tower, age 78, died Aug. 26, 2023. ’66 Ross Rudeen, age 85, died Oct. 26, 2023. ’63 William Henry, age 87, died Aug. 19, 2023. ’62 Al Toutant, age 86, died Sept. 26, 2023.

1950s ’57, ’69 Ray Liberg, age 92, died Oct. 18, 2023. ’54 Bob Morris, age 91, died Dec. 6, 2023. ’53 Jack Selle, age 92, died Aug. 5, 2023. ’51 Frank “Sandy” Sinclair, age 95, died Aug. 12, 2023.

1940s ’48 Ellen E Mower, age 97, died Oct. 13, 2023.

Faculty and Staff John Douglas, died May 26, 2023. During his long tenure at EWU, Douglas served as a professor of chemistry and vice provost for graduate studies and research. He retired as an emeritus professor in 1991 after 31 years of service.

Michael Finley, died Aug. 9, 2023. A noted historian, tribalrights advocate and leader with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Finley also served as a member of Eastern’s Board of Trustees. (See story Page 33).

Greg Hawkins, died Feb. 11, 2023. An accomplished musician, artist and educator, he

34 EASTERN MAGAZINE

joined the Eastern’s art faculty in 1973, eventually serving as department chair and, later, as dean of the College of Fine Arts. Hawkins was twice named Higher Education Teacher of the Year by the Washington Art Education Association. He retired in 2003 after 30 years of service.

Claude Nichols, died Nov. 5, 2023. Nichols was a professor of history who, over the course of his 35 years of service, was the recipient of two Fulbright Grants for international study.

Back in Cheney, he was known for both his dedication to his students, his volunteer work with EWU Athletics, and his love of the outdoors, especially fishing.

Kenneth (Kenny) Laughlin, died Oct. 28, 2023. Laughlin, who spent more than 25 years working on construction projects in Arizona, joined EWU’s facilities and maintenance team after moving to Washington state in 1994. He retired in 2013.

Tom Missel, died Oct. 21, 2023.

Missel was an assistant coach for the EWU football team for three seasons, first coaching defensive line, then linebackers.

Missel’s defensive line in 2000 finished the season ranked sixth in NCAA Division I-AA rushing defense, with an average of just 98.4 yards against it.

Mary Jo Van Bemmel, died July 3, 2023. In April, health issues force Van Bemmel to step down from her latest position at Eastern, secretary supervisor with EWU Mathematics, after close to 35 years of service.

PATHWAYS TO A BRIGHTER

FUTURE

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Support EWU students on their pathway to a bright future, while maximizing your tax savings.

Consider the benefits of making your charitable contributions to the EWU Foundation by: • Transferring appreciated stock through your broker (avoid capital gains taxes) • Directing your required minimum distribution from your IRA, if you are over age 73 (reduce taxable income) • Funding a charitable gift annuity to receive steady income payments for life (receive a tax deduction for gift portion)

Many grateful alumni give back to support future generations at EWU. If we can assist with your giving plans, please contact our office.

EWU Foundation | Office of Gift Planning COURTNEY SUSEMIEHL Senior Director of Gift Planning csusemie@ewu.edu 509.359.6703 Visit: ewulegacy.org

BACK STORY

Home Again: As part of the 100th Anniversary of Eagle Family Homecoming earlier this fall, EWU’s Alumni Association worked with university archivist Steven Bingo to curate an extraordinary collection of photographs, videos and memorabilia from Eastern’s long, extraordinary history. The exhibit, dubbed “Walk Through the Decades,” ended in October, but it’s not too late to share the excitement of EWU’s century of service to its students and community.

Our specially designed web feature — including this image of "yell leaders" from 1925 — lets you “scroll through the decades” in a way that’s almost as much fun as being there. Simply scan the QR code, or point your web browser to go.ewu.edu/decades.

“Yell Leaders” with a megaphone bearing the early EWU moniker, CSNS, or Cheney State Normal School .

UPCOMING EVENTS JAN. 20

ALUMNI + FAMILY DAY WOMEN’S BB VS. IDAHO STATE

JAN. 24

FIND YOUR WAY WITH EAGLE CAREER NETWORK PUB

JAN. 27

ALUMNI + FAMILY DAY MEN’S BB VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA

FEB. 13

EAGS ON THE BEACH NEWPORT BEACH, CA

FEB. 15

EAGS IN THE DESERT PALM SPRINGS, CA

FEB. 17

EWU DAY AT MT. SPOKANE MT. SPOKANE RESORT

MAR. 1

ALUMNI PRIDE RECEPTION & DRAG SHOW SHOWALTER HALL

MAR. 9-13

BIG SKY BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS BOISE, ID

MAR. 21

EWU NIGHT AT SPRING TRAINING PEORIA, AZ

APR. 27

ALUMNI AWARDS NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO

JUL. 21

EWU DAY AT THE MARINERS T-MOBILE PARK Eagles! Connect with us, near and far!

Keep up-to-date on all events:

ewu.edu/alumnievents