By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Chris Meiers, vice chancellor for student affairs and deputy Title IX officer at Washington State University Tri-Cities, was recently selected as one of 38 fellows for the American Council on Education where he will have the opportunity to be temporarily placed at a university to learn and grow his executive leadership skillset.

黑料社 ACE Fellowship

Since its inception in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program has prepared more than 2,000 faculty, staff, and administrators for senior positions in college and university leadership through its distinctive and intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model. Of the fellows who have participated to date, more than 80 percent have gone on to serve as chief executive officers, chief academic officers, other cabinet-level positions, and deans following their fellowship.

The program combines retreats, interactive learning opportunities, visits to campuses and other higher education-related organizations, and placement at another higher education institution to condense years of on-the-job experience and skills development into a single year.

During the placement, fellows observe and work with the president and other senior officers at their host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest. Fellows also conduct projects of pressing concern for their home institution and seek to implement their findings upon completion of the fellowship placement.

Meiers’ goals with the fellowship

Meiers鈥� placement process begins this summer.

鈥淚t is truly a privilege and honor to be selected as an ACE Fellow,鈥� Meiers said. 鈥淚 am humbled to be able to participate in a program that includes many leaders in higher education that I admire.鈥�

Meiers said his project will involve implementing cooperative education programs with practical work experiences with community partners. Additionally, he will visit universities with strong industry partners.

鈥淭his is a key component of the campus鈥� strategic planning efforts to meet the ongoing workforce demands of the mid-Columbia region,鈥� he said.

At the conclusion of the fellowship year, Meiers will return to 黑料社 Tri-Cities and work with the campus and 黑料社 system leadership teams on implementing an academic cooperative program that integrates practical work experiences while attending school.

鈥淚 am most excited to soak in the opportunity to learn, be challenged and implement a project that could be transformational for students in our community, 黑料社 Tri-Cities, and the 黑料社 system,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hank you for the support of Chancellor Sandra Haynes, a fellow ACE Fellow, my great staff and my colleagues across the 黑料社 system for the support.鈥�

Haynes said she nominated Meiers for the fellowship because of his potential to benefit from such an intensive professional development experience.

鈥淚 believe developing staff is vital to the type of high-functioning team 黑料社 Tri-Cities needs and Chris is ready to take on this type of in-depth learning experience,鈥� she said.

黑料社 Meiers

Meiers has more than 20 years of experience working in higher education. His administrative roles have included more than 10 years at the University of Kansas Medical Center where he served in many capacities working his way up to the associate vice chancellor and clinical assistant professor level. He also has had administrative roles at Fort Hays State University (Kansas) and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He joined 黑料社 Tri-Cities as vice chancellor in 2014. Meiers also currently serves as a region director of NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education association.

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RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� Washington State University Tri-Cities will host a variety of diversity and inclusion events in recognition of 鈥淥utober,鈥� a reframing of October in observance of the 30^th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

Outober raises awareness of issues pertaining to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and other underrepresented populations.

鈥淔or the past three years, the office of student affairs and the Associated Students of 黑料社 Tri-Cities have joined to together to celebrate Outober and to promote visibility and support of our LGBTQ+ students,鈥� said Katie Banks, 黑料社 Tri-Cities鈥� instructor of politics and chair of the 黑料社 President鈥檚 Commission for Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation.

Banks said these events present an excellent opportunity to learn more about diverse populations and serve to highlight resources and community that are beneficial for all demographics.

The following events will occur throughout the month of October:

• Raising the Pride Flag
  • 8:45 a.m., Monday, Oct. 8, outside the entrance to Floyd
• Diversity and Inclusion in the Classroom (faculty development workshop)
  • 3 p.m. 鈥� 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 10, in Floyd 239
• LGBTQ+ 101 and Community Panel
  • 3:30 p.m. 鈥� 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 11, in Student Union Building 120N
• Second Annual (register at )
  • 9 a.m. 鈥� 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 13, in Student Union Building 120
• Using Power and Privilege for the Greater Good (staff and faculty development workshop)
  • 3 p.m. 鈥� 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 17, in Floyd 239
• Student Leadership and Diversity: Taking Action on Campus and Beyond (by invitation only)
  • 10 a.m. 鈥� noon, Saturday, Oct. 20, in Student Union Building 120
• – The ABCs of LBGTQIA+ in the Workplace (by invitation only)
  • 9 a.m. 鈥� 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the Red Lion Hotel

For more information, contact Banks at 509-372-7119 or k.banks@wsu.edu.

 

Media contacts:

Katherine Banks, 黑料社 Tri-Cities instructor of politics, philosophy and public affairs, 509-372-7119, k.banks@wsu.edu

Jordyn Creighton, 黑料社 Tri-Cities director of campus student support services, 509-372-7433, jordyn.creighton@wsu.edu

Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, 黑料社 Tri-Cities

RICHLAND, Wash. 鈥� It was the proximity that brought Louis Theriault to Washington State University Tri-Cities, but it has been the valuable opportunities that have made him successful as a student and so far in his goal of becoming a civil engineer.

Theriault was homeschooled for most of his life, taking courses through the Mid-Columbia Partnership offered by the Kennewick School District. So when he had the opportunity to take running start classes at the university level at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, he thought he would give it a go.

The option turned out to be a perfect fit. Theriault completed his entire general education requirements for his university degree in two years at no cost to him through running start, all before entering as a full-time student at 黑料社 Tri-Cities. Before entering as a junior standing, he applied for and was awarded the STEM Scholars scholarship, which would pay for $8,400 per year for up to four academics years in tuition. And in his remaining few years at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, he could dive right into his engineering classes.

As a result of connections he had built at 黑料社 Tri-Cities, Theriault landed an internship at the Bechtel National campus in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, this summer, which paired perfectly with what he had learned and is continuing to learn in his engineering classes.

The combination of the experiences, he said, has provided him with the foundation to be successful both in his career and as a young professional.

鈥淚鈥檝e had an amazing experience here at 黑料社 Tri-Cities,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he combination of what I鈥檝e learned through my classes, my internship at Bechtel, and even opportunities for student life activities on campus, has allowed me to stretch myself as an individual and learn lots about my path as an engineer and as a professional.鈥�

Small classes, large potential

In his courses, Theriault said he continues to learn essential engineering fundamentals and theory that applies directly to his future work as an engineer. And in conjunction with his work, his small class sizes have allowed him to really get to know his classmates, which he formed study groups with and therefore, a tight-knit peer group that he could count on.

Combining those things with getting to know his professors and their teaching styles, he has been able to excel in his engineering classes and thrive on campus.

鈥淭he personalization of the courses here and all of the individualized attention through the small classes has been really nice,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to ask our professors questions because we get to know them. And I鈥檓 in a lot of the same classes as my peers throughout my time here at 黑料社 Tri-Cities.鈥�

From course work to dream work

Through his internship this summer, he was able to apply what he鈥檚 learned and experienced in his classes to his job.

His work this summer focused on designing a support structure for a tank pertaining to the nuclear industry. He was responsible for the design, calculations to ensure that it would support the structure and for getting it reviewed and approved by his peers. By the end of the experience, he had an approximately 30-page report detailing the design. The support structure will be implemented to support a tank in the next several years.

Theriault said not only did the experience provide him with real-world, on-the-job skills in engineering, but it was an opportunity that allowed him to directly put to use all the things he had learned in his classes and more.

Theriault said he has been invited back for another summer experience next year. He hopes it will throttle him into a full-time job after graduating in the spring of 2020.

鈥淚 think that practical experience is crucial,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am going into week three in some of my courses, and I know exactly what they鈥檙e talking about before we get to that material. I鈥檝e been able to already apply some of those ideas. It鈥檚 been a big learning curve, but it鈥檚 definitely increased my knowledge, for sure.鈥�

Feeling at home through student life

In addition to his academic experiences, Theriault also formerly served as a student ambassador with the 黑料社 Tri-Cities Office of Admissions. He gave campus tours and presented to students a genuine feel for what he had experienced through 黑料社 Tri-Cities.

He also participates in many of the campus activities. Whether it be resource fairs and networking events held by the Office of Student Life and the Career Development Office, or fun activities between classes in the Student Union Building or in the Floyd Atrium as hosted by the Student Entertainment Board, he said he tries to participate in as much as he can.

鈥淚t鈥檚 these types of activities that really help students get involved and have fun on campus,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 try to go to as many of the campus events as I can. I really appreciate that they have so many options for students, in addition to the academic-based activities and events.鈥�

For more information on the 黑料社 Tri-Cities engineering programs, visit聽.