The College of Professional Programs recognized Excellence Award winners at the fall retreat held on Friday November 1st. With 9 award categories covering faculty, staff, and community partners, 19 nominations were received! Thank you to all who submitted nominations, and congratulations to our nominees and award recipients!

2024 CPP Excellence Award Recipients

• Classified Employee Excellence Award
  • Jeni Lutey, Education
• Exempt Employee Excellence Award
  • Stephanie Lauritzen, Education
• Faculty Excellence in Scholarly & Creative Activities Award
  • Rajeev Dwivedi, Business
• Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
  • Jeffrey Culver, Business
• Faculty Excellence in Service Activities Award
  • Kevin Criswell, Psychology
• Campus Partner Excellence Award
  • Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis (IPPEA)
• Community Partner Excellence
  • Spokane Teachers Credit Union (STCU)
  • Canvas Church in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
• Team Excellence
  • Office of Field Experience, Education

“Educator Preparation Programs, like the one at Eastern Washington University, work with prospective teachers to prepare them for a future career. Program orientation sessions offer opportunities for candidates to learn more about the profession, the program of study, and others with similar interests. Orientation practices to boost connection are transferable to a successful start of any professional learning collaboration or classroom community.”

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Eastern Washington University partnered with Spokane Public Schools to launch the EWU Reading Club at Grant Elementary. This special collaboration aims to improve reading skills and foster a love of reading among elementary students.

Throughout the year, EWU education majors meet weekly with students from 1st to 6th grade at Grant Elementary, working together to enhance literacy. This initiative not only helps young students develop essential reading skills but also provides valuable hands-on experience for future educators.

The Reading Club recently hosted an event to promote literacy at Grant Elementary, demonstrating the positive impact of this partnership. The EWU faculty point of contact for the Reading Clinic is Ashley Lepisi, who can be reached at alepisi@ewu.edu.

Career Readiness & Apprenticeship Coordinator

I’ve dedicated 17 years to my career in education, with a special focus on Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the last 12 years. As the Career Readiness and Apprenticeship Coordinator at NEWTECH Prep in Spokane, WA, I spent 11 years helping students align their education with their career goals by connecting them to employers, job shadows, and internships in their chosen field.

Currently, I’m furthering my education, working towards a master’s in education and a CTE Director Certification at EWU, while serving as the CTE Facilitator for Spokane Public Schools. My commitment to CTE stems from its transformative impact on students in secondary education. It’s deeply fulfilling to guide students toward careers that not only match their career aspirations but also equip them with the vital technical and employability skills needed for success after high school. There’s no greater feeling than seeing a student’s passion and motivation for their future career sparked by the work done with and by CTE teachers and their programs.

One of the main projects at SPS and NEWTECH Prep is the Healthcare Academy in partnership with Providence Health Systems. 21 students from NEWTECH Prep’s health science courses are participating in paid internships at Sacred Heart and Holy Family Hospitals, as well as three Providence clinics. The students will perform their internships in the areas of CNA, Sterile Technician, Medical Assisting, and Pharmacy Technician. These students gain experience in their chosen fields by working directly with healthcare professionals, patients, and applicable equipment in their field.

My role has been to support and facilitate the relationship between Providence and SPS, providing project tasks and flow to gain access to qualified students, supporting the student selection process, and ensuring students obtain employability coaching and support throughout their internship experience this spring. Students began their internships on February 12th and will complete them at the end of the semester.

April’s EWU Teacher of the Month was Mrs. Kimberly Taylor, a teacher from Sacajawea Middle School in Spokane. She was nominated by her student Loona, who said she is the best teacher they have ever had! STCU is proud to sponsor this program.

Winners are chosen by EWU. You can submit a nomination here: https://www.khq.com/teacherofthemonth/

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