EVERETT, Wash. – August 11, 2015 – WSU North Puget Sound at Everett will host a live, streaming video of the memorial service honoring late WSU President Dr. Elson S. Floyd. The event will take place in Gray Wolf Hall room 156 on the Everett Community College campus from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. on Aug. 26.
“Please join us in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Elson Floyd, one of our state’s greatest leaders for higher education and a nationally respected voice for higher education access and affordability,” said WSU North Puget Sound at Everett academic dean Dr. Paul Pitre.
Please RSVP to cathy.wright@wsu.edu.
UPDATE: There will be an external live webcast of the memorial, available at experience.wsu.edu.
Live streaming video of memorial for Dr. Elson S. Floyd
Wednesday, August 26, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Gray Wolf Hall, Room 156
2000 Tower Street, MS 45
Everett, WA 98201-1390
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – August 5, 2015 – On Aug. 5, 2015, more than 70 new WSU North Puget Sound at Everett students attended orientation in advance of the first day of classes on Aug. 24.
The students come from a variety of backgrounds: community college graduates; military; college transfers; and college graduates earning a more in-demand degree. They come from as close as three blocks from campus, north of Arlington or as far south as Kent. All are taking the next step for their careers with WSU North Puget Sound at Everett.
“We are delighted to provide students with an array of hands-on baccalaureate programming that fits the needs of the North Puget Sound region,” said academic dean Dr. Paul Pitre. During the morning, Pitre told students, “We are bringing the best programs that WSU has to offer to Everett, starting with engineering, business and communications. We have an excellent cadre of faculty and staff who you see here right now.”
“I was on a bus ride to the University of Washington for class when I realized I wanted to open my own coffee shop,” said 20-year-old UW and Everett Community College transfer student Caity Kilgore, who lives in Marysville. “I love my hometown. I want to create a sanctuary for the people of Marysville in the form of a local, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. I want to give back the best that I am able to – through hospitality.”
“Over the course of a year, I transferred to EvCC and applied to WSU to learn about business. I’m so glad I made the leap and I can’t wait to start my career,” said Kilgore, who will work to earn her degree in hospitality business management.
Assistant director of Student Services Meg Onstad said, “Today we introduced our newest students to the faculty they will be learning from, showed them all of the resources available to them as WSU North Puget Sound at Everett students and welcomed them into the Coug family.” Students discovered opportunities they have as veterans and international students, chances to study abroad, resources to support their searches for internships with local businesses and connected with other students.
WSU North Puget Sound at Everett offers in-demand degree-completion programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, hospitality business management and integrated communication. Software engineering and data analytics programs are planned for fall 2016. WSU North Puget Sound at Everett is part of the Everett University Center, a consortium of seven universities offering more than 20 degree-completion programs.
Founded in 1890, Washington State University provides world-class education to more than 26,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students statewide.
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – July 29, 2015 – A resolution recognizing the service, accomplishments, and vision of late Washington State University President Dr. Elson Floyd was signed by Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson today after being unanimously approved by the Everett City Council.
“Elson Floyd was my friend and education partner who shared our vision to bring higher education opportunities to the citizens of Everett and the region,” said Mayor Stephanson. “President Floyd’s courage, commitment and action to bring Washington State University’s world-class higher education to our community will transform the lives of students and families for generations to come.”
The resolution recognizes Dr. Floyd’s impact on the decades-long campaign for a four-year higher education institution in the North Puget Sound region. “Elson Floyd crystallized the vision into a mission to serve students, families and the community through partnership, political poise, and a big-picture focus,” read the resolution.
WSU North Puget Sound at Everett academic dean Dr. Paul Pitre thanked the mayor and councilmembers for their support. “Elson S. Floyd was a remarkable leader, a giant in higher education, and an exceptional human being. The nationwide outpouring of love and support for him and his family is testimony to the impact he had on everyone he met,” said Pitre. “President Floyd would be proud to know that we are each championing the higher education dream that he dedicated his career to.”
The resolution celebrated that “[Dr. Floyd’s] influence has set the cornerstone for the City of Everett and the region for decades to come.” The resolution also urged the WSU Board of Regents to consider dedicating a university ‘commons’ designed within the campus development to Dr. Floyd as “a lasting tribute to his vision, remarkable foresight and commitment to students, families and citizens of Everett.”
The Washington State Legislature recently approved $54.6 million for a new, four-story Everett University Center building that will be administered by WSU, as well as funding for new degree-completion programs in computer science and data analytics. WSU North Puget Sound at Everett currently offers degree-completion programs in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, hospitality business management and integrated communication.
WSU will hold the official university celebration of the life of Dr. Floyd on Wednesday, August 26 in Pullman at 3:00 pm in the Beasley Coliseum.
Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson with WSU North Puget Sound at Everett academic dean Dr. Paul E. Pitre
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – July 28, 2015 – Randy Bolerjack recently joined WSU North Puget Sound at Everett in the new position of director of communications and public relations.
“I am extremely excited to bring someone of Randy’s caliber to this position with WSU North Puget Sound at Everett,” said WSU North Puget Sound at Everett academic dean Paul Pitre. “His experience in communications, government affairs and public relations will serve WSU and the Everett University Center well as we continue to grow.”
That growth includes the recently approved $54.6 million for a new, four-story Everett University Center building, as well as funding for new degree-completion programs in software engineering and data analytics.
“As a native of Snohomish County, I have always had a passion for the growth and vitality of this region,” said Bolerjack. “As a Coug, I’m thrilled to put the Crimson and Gray back on to support future generations of college graduates right here in the North Puget Sound.”
Bolerjack has spent nearly a decade assisting Northwest communities and clients in higher education, economic development, biotechnology, solid waste, environmental sustainability, healthcare and K-12 education. He has worked with numerous regional and national brands, public agencies and elected officials, helping them to communicate their goals to different stakeholders and find common ground.
Bolerjack spent five years as a public affairs and government relations consultant in Edmonds and Seattle. He most recently directed communications and public relations for the Mercer Island School District, winning statewide recognition for his work. He holds a degree in Political Science from Washington State University.
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – July 15, 2015 – During the 2015 legislative session, Washington State University secured $54.6 million to begin construction on the four-story Everett University Center building on Broadway. Now the City of Everett has determined that the project will not have an adverse impact on the environment.
“This Determination of Non-Significance from the City of Everett is a major step toward realizing our vision of expanding access to high-quality four-year and graduate degree programs in the North Puget Sound region,” said WSU North Puget Sound at Everett academic dean Paul Pitre. “In the fall of 2017, incoming students will be able to enjoy a new building that will house state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories.”
The new, 95,000 square foot academic building will be located across the street from Everett Community College and will add 193 parking spaces on an adjacent lot. The building will house baccalaureate degree programs from Everett University Center partners, including WSU North Puget Sound at Everett, Western Washington University, Central Washington University, University of Washington-Bothell, Eastern Washington University, The Evergreen State College and Hope International University. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building will be announced soon.
WSU had requested $61.1 million for the building. “We do believe this is a $61 million building and we are going to do the best we can with the resources we have been entrusted with,” said Pitre.
WSU North Puget Sound at Everett currently offers degree programs in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, hospitality business management and integrated communication, and thanks to $2.4 million from the Washington State Legislature, will offer degree programs in software engineering and data analytics starting in the fall of 2016.
To find more information on the degree programs offered by all of the Everett University Center partners, visit www.everettuc.org
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – July 13, 2015 – A team of five mechanical engineering students from Washington State University North Puget Sound at Everett recently earned second place in the American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE) Student Design and Manufacturing Competition. Their work focused on harvesting electricity from rainwater.
“The students created two designs for a generator that could potentially create energy from unused water from rain gutters, washing machines, or showers,” said Xiaopeng Bi, interim program coordinator and clinical associate professor for WSU North Puget Sound at Everett. “The idea is very simple. It’s something that everyone would be able to think of, but nobody has.”
The Everett mechanical engineering program emphasizes strong hands-on training, says Bi. The students were enrolled in a manufacturing processes course earlier this year in which they created a variety of windmills. Bi initially suggested that they could enter their windmill prototypes in the competition because it called for a design of an energy-related project. The students instead challenged themselves with the new idea of a rainwater energy harvester, developed two designs, and built prototypes for a gutter system.
With limited budget, they used the low-cost materials available, including a $1 DC motor, LED lights, and simple microcontroller for their demonstration system. The team worked long hours on the project, including on weekends, to make it happen, Bi said.
Team members include John Boone, Andrew Crain, Mark Meister, Oleksander Pankovets, and Bikramjit Singh. The national competition, held in Seattle this year, was part of a three-day conference that brought student teams from various universities together to compete and learn.
Contact: randy.bolerjack@wsu.edu
EVERETT, Wash. – Completing the first year of Integrated Communication @ Everett (ICE), the inaugural class of 22 students will present its integrated marketing plan for the program to stakeholders at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 6, in Gray Wolf Hall 366. ICE is an offering of Washington State University North Puget Sound at Everett.
“As an industry professional, I think the ideas that have been shared and research done are viable and can be taken to the next level,” said adjunct instructor Corrie Wilder. Depending on the audience reception, she said using the students’ plan in ICE publicity might be explored.
“Our goal as students is to help spread the word and gain recognition for the new WSU offerings on the west side of the state,” said class member Meagan Baron.
Based in the WSU Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, ICE consists of both online and face-to-face courses held at the University Center on the campus of Everett Community College. It is a bachelor’s degree program for associate degree transfer students from area community colleges, as well as other qualified transfer students. The first class is scheduled to graduate in spring 2016.
Learn more at everett.wsu.edu/majorsdegrees/integrated-communication/.
