by Emma Prophet

The 2025 CPP Fall Retreat was an insightful, energizing, and memorable experience that brought together faculty and staff as well as community members for a time of learning, reflection, and connection. The retreat has been an important tradition for the CPP college. It provides a strong sense of unity and thoughtful conversations.

Throughout that time, faculty and staff were able to step away from their busy routines and focus on growth in a more intentional way. Whether talking through ideas with new faces or reconnecting with familiar ones, everyone seemed genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to slow down and be present with one another. The retreat served as a reminder of how valuable it is to have dedicated time to gather, share perspectives, and build supportive relationships.

Each year, the CPP Excellence Awards recognize individuals who exemplify exceptional dedication, leadership, and service within the College of Professional Programs. Recipients of this award consistently demonstrate a commitment to elevating the student experience, advancing the mission of the college, and contributing meaningfully to their departments and the broader campus community. Their contributions strengthen our programs, inspire those around them, and highlight the remarkable talent and dedication present throughout CPP.

The 2024-2025 CPP Excellence Award Winners are:

● Faculty Service Activities: Ashley Lepisi, Education

● Faculty Teaching: Clive Gary, Education

● Faculty Scholarly & Creative Works: Rajeev Dwivedi, Business

● Classified Staff: Christi Wavada, Education

● Classified Staff: Christine Davies, Psychology

● Exempt Staff: Jill Stinson, Education

● Campus Partner: Margie Scammell-Renner, Advancement

● Community Partner: Matt and Candie Chew, Champions Retreat

● Community Partner: Bob Cole

● Team: Family Resource & Training Center (FRTC)

● Alumni: Alvaro Figueroa Garcia

● Alumni: Mary Beazer

One of the most anticipated moments of the event was the keynote presentation delivered by Cimone Wright-Hamor. Cimone’s message was powerful, engaging, and deeply thoughtful. She spoke with clarity and authenticity about leadership, the impact of faculty and staff on students’ lives, and how universities should navigate the information age. Her ability to connect with the audience through personal stories, practical insights, and genuine passion, made her presentation one of the defining highlights of the entire retreat. Attendees left feeling both inspired and challenged in the best possible way.

As the retreat concluded, the sense of community was amplified. Many participants expressed how refreshing it was to be in a space where learning, encouragement, and meaningful conversation were at the center of the day. The blend of educational content, supportive interactions, and Cimone Wright-Hamor’s outstanding keynote presentation, all created an environment that felt uplifting and restorative. Overall, the 2025 CPP Fall Retreat was a wonderful success!

By Brynne Irish

Student Recipient of the U.S. State Department’s Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship

The College of Professional Programs is excited to congratulate Bryce Drager on receiving the U.S. State Department’s Gilman Scholarship! Bryce is a passionate first-generation student, majoring in Psychology at 51������ and is expected to graduate in 2027. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, he has had the opportunities to be a guest speaker several times in lifespan development classes along with being a presenter on topics such as sensory development in children and changes in older adulthood focusing on hearing loss.

Originally, Bryce decided to attend 51������ for the Social Work program with an interest in being a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. However, he changed from Social Work to Psychology after learning the breadth of study and research areas in Psychology available to him. Drager was interested in mental healthcare and had developed a passion for research combined with an interest in foreign languages and cultures. “I was truly inspired to do this when I studied abroad for the first time in Japan where I met a psychologist there that integrated Traditional Japanese Tea Ceremonies with his therapeutic practice. Learning about what he did made me want to learn more and led me to where I am today” he stated.

Bryce first studied abroad in Japan in 2024, where he connected to international professionals in his field which ignited a passion for psychology in a non-Western context. He was unsure if he would enjoy living somewhere else for a long period of time, which led him to do a short-term program. After that first trip, Bryce was all in. “I had to do everything I could to propel myself forward to doing a full-length study abroad program, and Gilman was part of keeping that idea going.” Drager expressed how it was not just about getting the scholarship itself, but it was about the journey towards applying for it, as he used it to reflect on what he wanted to gain from study abroad. The U.S. State Department’s Gilman International Scholarship Program supports low-income students to study or intern abroad. This program offers young Americans the experience to gain the professional skills, language abilities, and knowledge of the world needed for successful careers.

To apply for the Gilman Scholarship, Bryce wrote three essays of varying lengths. He also wrote a fourth optional essay specifically for programs in countries where the main language spoken is considered a critical needs language. Currently, his research is focused on psychotherapy in China, but while studying abroad in Japan, Bryce hopes to continue with similar research related to culturally relevant psychotherapies. While being in Japan, he’ll have opportunities to find the most authentic way to learn more about East Asia and psychology along with gaining a better understanding of the effectiveness in using culturally adapted psychotherapies from China on American citizens.

For other students who may be interested in 51������’s Study Abroad program, Bryce explained how leading up to going feels long and it can be possible you may experience a variety of thoughts during that process including doubts due to possible homesickness. “For me, I’ve had a few times where I thought to myself “Do I really want to do this?” and started having doubts, but that is part of the process. It’s important to work through these thoughts with an open mind because it can be stressful to think about how much your environment may change.” said Bryce. An effective method Bryce shared is to talk about these thoughts with someone you trust and to learn about homesickness. Such as, look into what it is, how it affects people, and how best to overcome it.

Thinking about your doubts can be kind of like a prelude to homesickness, but as long as you know what it is, you can overcome it.

There were two staff members who helped Bryce through this process. First is Morganne Elkins, who is his current study abroad advisor with 51������ Global. “She has done a lot to communicate with me about the process and given me feedback and encouragement through the process.” Next is Cori Jaeger from the here at 51������. “She was there as someone to encourage me to actually hit send on the applications for all the scholarships, including Gilman, and documentation for this whole process.” Additionally, he had support from the Global Studies office and the Writers’ Center to help him through the application and writing process. Bryce also shared how he was surprised that the hardest part for him while filling out applications for scholarships and study abroad was having confidence in his application, the physical motion of actually clicking the submit button, but he found it helpful to have someone there with you as you’re submitting.

As Bryce is a McNair Scholar, he mentioned how he was interested in researching the  effectiveness of using culturally adapted psychotherapies from China on American citizens. As he learned more about the topic, he discovered “an interesting quirk about how different Asian ethnic groups are referred to between the abstracts in a study and the participants.” He feels that it’s very important for anyone interested in doing research to know that you may be surprised by how the questions you have about your topic may shift as you learn more and more about it.

Being both a McNair Scholar and also studying abroad is not a common thing. But, beyond my inherent desire to take on both of these responsibilities, both are great opportunities to distinguish yourself for graduate programs or future employers.

Bryce greatly encourages others who may be interested in researching or are thinking about studying abroad to not be discouraged to do so. “There can be many barriers to achieving both of these things, but none are impossible to overcome.”

The College of Professional Programs is honored to feature and recognize Bryce Drager for his hard work in receiving the Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship. We hope he has a great time on his study abroad trip to Japan this next academic year!

Interested in Study Abroad and available Scholarships?

Contact Morganne Elkins at

51������ Global

345 Patterson Hall

global@ewu.edu or 509.359.2331

Interested in being better prepared for graduate school and graduate level research through the McNair Scholars Program?

Contact Cori Jaeger at

McNair Scholars Program

107 Monroe Hall

mcnair@ewu.edu or 509-359-6523

by Brynne Irish

Academic Writer is an online American Psychological Association (APA) Style writing platform that will soon be available to faculty and students through 51������ Libraries. Library Professor Liya Deng shared that this is a “digital teaching and learning tool that has been used by many academic institutions. It combines advanced writing and content management technology, and it is fully integrated with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, used in social sciences.” With the support from 51������’s School of Psychology, our library was able to acquire this resource for faculty and students in the disciplines that use the APA Style.

Liya Deng also highlighted the comprehensive guidance Academic Writer offers to help students master the APA style and scholarly writing in general. As a result, “faculty members now have more time to focus on teaching their core discipline in the classroom. The platform’s integration with Canvas courses allows instructors to integrate these resources directly, enabling students to learn at their own pace and apply their knowledge more effectively.”

In addition to the time-saving benefits for faculty, Academic Writer also offers student-specific tools, one of them being the “Writing Center”, which provides structured templates for the most common research paper formats. The paper templates guide students step-by-step through proper formatting of title pages, fonts, margins, and more! This will give students more time to focus on their ideas and writing itself.

Faculty member, Dr. Kevin Criswell from the School of Psychology shared his experience using Academic Writer:

I was skeptical of the use of APA’s Academic Writer when I first heard about and began using it. However, I quickly understood the great potential the platform provided to facilitate students’ critical thinking, application, and learning throughout the academic writing and research process.

He also expressed that “the platform can take students from the very beginning of asking important questions about an area of research they are interested in, using open-ended prompts within Academic Writer. From there, students can take their own answers to prompts, develop more specific research questions, and funnel that work into an APA style paper that they can connect their responses directly to.”

With the integration of Academic Writer into 51������’s Library resources, both students and faculty gain a valuable tool that simplifies the academic writing process. Faculty will now have more time to focus on their core teaching, while students will benefit from structured guidance in mastering APA style and conducting research. The introduction of Academic Writer will soon be a significant step toward supporting academic excellence at 51������ and beyond.

51������ Libraries is currently offering one-hour, online workshops for faculty. Workshops geared toward student use will be offered in spring quarter 2025.

On Wednesday April 3rd, 2024, 51������ will be celebrating Giving Joy Day!  This annual event is an opportunity for new and returning gifters to give to programmatic and scholarships funds at any financial level, supporting student success and providing opportunities for current and future Eagles!

• In 2023-2024, 103 CPP students received 51������ scholarships totaling nearly $312,000.

Here are testimonial videos from our students on the impact of receiving scholarship funds:

Explore funding opportunities by scholarship or program by clicking the button below.

]]> /cpp/news/the-human-library-coming-april-2023/ Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:32:21 +0000 /cpp/?post_type=stories&p=17404 Do you have a lived experience unlike others you know? Do you sometimes feel misunderstood, stereotyped, or marginalized? Are you interested in sharing your story in a series of casual conversations, in a safe, supportive, and meaningful way? Learn more about becoming a Human Book in our Human Library event, part of 51������’s Diversity and Inclusion...]]>

• Do you have a lived experience unlike others you know?
• Do you sometimes feel misunderstood, stereotyped, or marginalized?
• Are you interested in sharing your story in a series of casual conversations, in a safe, supportive, and meaningful way?

Learn more about becoming a Human Book in our Human Library event, part of 51������’s Diversity and Inclusion week, coming in April 2023.

The Human Library® is designed to build a positive framework for conversations that can challenge or address stereotypes, prejudices, stigma, or taboo topics through dialogue.

‘Human Books’ are 51������ students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who have volunteered to share their stories to break down barriers based on race, religion, sexual orientation, class, gender identity, lifestyle choices, disability or other aspects of life.

The Human Library provides the opportunity for our campus community to share and understand the experiences of others.

51������’s first-annual Human Library event will take place during Diversity and Inclusion Week in April 2023.

This event is made possible by 51������’s Libraries and Learning Commons, and the Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, with support from Counseling and Wellness Services.

Students! Did you know you can upload your symposium work to the 51������ Digital Commons?

/library/stories/upload-your-symposium-work-to-the-ewu-digital-commons/

Join us for this 51������ Diversity and Inclusion Week Event!

Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: JFK Library Lobby

Speed Relating is an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to connect over free Thomas Hammer coffee and have open conversations with a variety of individuals representing diverse identities, professions, and/or interests.

The featured speakers for Speed Relating are 51������ students, faculty, staff, alumni, and/or community members who will share their experiences in a series of 10-minute, small-group conversations helping to break down barriers based on identity, profession, or other aspects of life.

Speed Relating is sponsored by 51������ Libraries & Learning Commons, , , and

Recognizing the need to offer greater access to required textbooks, the School of Libraries has received an Eagle Grant to pilot an effort to grow the course reserves textbook collection.

51������ instructors are encouraged to identify textbooks required for spring quarter courses by March 4, and, if they possess spare copies, consider placing them on reserve for student use.

Many thanks and congratulations to librarians Ielleen Miller and Qing Stellwagen for their efforts in envisioning this pilot, crafting the proposal, and securing the funding. 

Students! Improve your research papers using APA 7th edition citation style!

Sign up for the 51������ Libraries’ 2-hour APA 7th Edition – Unplugged Workshop, led by Professors Milton, Deng, and Victor.

• Create better papers using APA formatting.
• Learn the basics of in-text and reference citations.
• Learn to cite journals, books, and web sites.
• Hone your skills with hands-on practice exercises with immediate feedback.

Winter quarter 2022 session dates:

• Wed., Jan. 26, 3-5 pm, JFK L23
• Fri., Feb. 4, 1-3 pm, via Zoom
• Thurs., Feb. 10, 3-5 pm, JFK L23
• Wed., Feb. 23, 3-5 p, via Zoom

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