Class of 2020 | Education

Grad Profile: Jon Montero

Posted on May 24, 2020 443 views
WOU senior Jon Montero is standing in front of large rock structures. Jon is wearing a black Adidas shirt and glasses.
Jon Montero is a graduating student from Seattle, Wash., who is completing a degree in Exercise Science. Why did you choose WOU? I chose WOU because I was excited about the hands-on experience you receive when taking the courses. In the first year you practice teaching to your peers and in the second year you [more…]
Academics | Education

T.H. Gentle Professor of Education for 2021

Posted on May 23, 2020 316 views
Richard Woodcock Education Center
When she was a middle and high school teacher in rural China, Western Oregon University Associate Professor Xiaopeng Gong observed many of her students struggled with various social and emotional challenges. “As a teacher, there were so many questions that I wanted to find an answer to but did not have a means to do [more…]
Class of 2020 | Education

Grad Profile: Maddie Hannah

Posted on May 20, 2020 254 views
Graduate student Maddie Hannah smiles in front of bright pink flowers, with a pink flower in her hair. She is wearing a light gray WOU sweatshirt.
Maddie Hannah will be graduating from WOU’s Master of Arts in Teaching program. Originally from Rome, Georgia, she graduated from WOU with a major in Humanities and a minor in Linguistics, and has worked as a graduate assistant for the Writing Center. Are you a transfer student? What has the experience been like? I transferred [more…]
Academics | Class of 2020 | Education

Grad Profile: Kailee Goodrich

Posted on May 17, 2020 489 views 7 comments
Person smiling, standing in front of blooming trees
Kailee is graduating with degrees in both American Sign Language (ASL) Studies and ASL/English Interpretation Major, and she has also earned a minor in health. She is from Livermore, California, where she attended Las Positas Community College and completed her Associate in Arts degree before transferring to WOU. As an outstanding student and member of [more…]
Academics | Class of 2020 | Education

Grad Profile: Camryn Skari

Posted on May 13, 2020 686 views
Camryn Skari smiles for a photograph. Her hair is up, she is wearing red lipstick, and she is wearing and off-the-shoulder white shirt.
Camryn Skari will be graduating with a Masters in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling this June. In addition to being a graduate student, Camryn has worked with the WOU Foundation Phonathon team for the past three years, and has been the lead caller for two years.     What has it been like working for the [more…]
Academics | Education

Late WOU Professor Recognized for ‘Historic’ Contributions to the Field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Posted on May 10, 2020 250 views
A red bike rack that spells the name "Hank"
The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities announced in early April that it was honoring the late College of Education Professor Hank Bersani in its National Historic Recognition Project 2000-2020. Bersani, a professor of special education who passed in 2012, was named a National Honoree in the project, which seeks to recognize the key [more…]
Academics | Alumni | Education

Recent InfoTech Graduate Helps Educators Navigate Emergency Shift to Online Learning

Posted on April 20, 2020 549 views 1 comment
Person in a WOU sweatshirt standing outside in front of tall rocks
By Anthony Rimel Kaitlin Lucas graduated from WOU’s Information Technology M.S.Ed. program in December 2019. And just a few months later she would be on the frontlines of one of the biggest moments in the history of educational technology: the unprecedented shift to online learning following the global outbreak of COVID-19. Lucas, who also earned a certificate [more…]
Education | Spring/Summer 2020 | Western Edge magazine

I Love You Emoji Began at WOU

Posted on April 14, 2020 572 views
Wolfie surrounded by hearts
For anyone who has texted the “I love you” handshape emoji, please thank CM Hall and Chad Ludwig. Hall, the co-project director of DeafBlind interpreting, and Ludwig, the director of RRCD, petitioned Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit that regulates the coding standards for written computer text that includes emojis to have the “I Love You” handshape [more…]
Academics | Education | Spring/Summer 2020 | Western Edge magazine

WOU Continues to Lead Nation in American Sign Language Education and Advocacy

Posted on April 3, 2020 811 views
Two people in a class
Western Oregon University’s Division of Deaf Studies and Professional Studies (DDSPS) is nationally known to be consistently at the cutting edge of innovation and excellence in its academic programs. Mark Girod ’94, dean of the College of Education, attributes the programs’ success to a dedicated faculty who are committed to access, equity and inclusion for [more…]
Academics | Arts & culture | Education

Lessons in the lessons: English and General Education

Posted on March 26, 2020 1662 views
Sundial next to pink flowers
There are lessons within the lessons taught in biology to literature to philosophy classes at Western Oregon University. And each lesson can provide us with guidance, insight and knowledge during this uncertain time. Today at WOU asked faculty to share with students and employees some perspective from their subject matter to help us navigate our [more…]