What would “the Notes” be if I didn’t let you know what was happening in the Palouse. Well, there is beauty. And in this case, the beauty is in the form of a fox that chose to den on the hill behind our house and now we have two kits, one red, one black, and yet more reasons to smile and wonder.
Spring brings new — new ideas, new people, new jobs. This past year or two we have had some very significant college leaders retire, the kind of people that when they retire, you realize that all they have done cannot be replaced by just one person. But of course, when excellence retires, succession planning and team building are part and parcel of that process. So, programs not only continue to flourish but they reshape in ways that you didn’t foresee. Things best seen with fresh eyes.
Dr. Guy Palmer retired and the people who lead the Paul G. Allen School for Global Health programs continue to prosper. We just celebrated the 10-year anniversary of our Global Health-Kenya program, and the deep commitment of our staff and faculty to sustaining long-standing programs and pursuing new areas of excellence was beyond clear. It was a wonderful celebration.
Dr. Leslie Sprunger retired, and we hired a new associate dean of Professional Programs who is new to the Pacific Northwest and to land grant institutions. Leslie pretty much singlehandedly assured us our successful re-accreditation, so, there are big shoes to fill. Dr. Arno Werners has brought a plethora of new ideas, including a new view of clinical rotations, clinical and professional skills, scheduling, peer learning groups, and academic coaching. He sees, he implements, and he has taken a strong team and re-inspired with newness.
And we have a not-so-new director of Administrative Services, Tricia Fiscus, who joined us almost two years ago. Her focus on best practices in business processes, personnel management, and professional development and training has really helped us with accountability and alignment between units and with central campus. A lot of stretch, but also a lot of transparency.
New can be a lot of work, but it helps clarify issues that were formerly obscure. And that makes me smile and wonder … why didn’t I think of that?
If you’d like to know more, you can always read the latest stories from our college on our news page. For even more content, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Be safe, healthy, happy, and stay hopeful. As I said on my first day on the job, the future is bright.
Take care and Go Cougs!