Welcome to the 2022-23 academic year! I hope you enjoyed a sun-filled summer with family and friends. One of my highlights was throwing out the group First Pitch at Coug Night at the Mariners! While the beautiful Pacific Northwest summer weather remains, let’s move into the fall semester with a sense of focus and purpose. With every day that goes by, remember that you are one step closer to achieving your goals.
In addition to our new and continuing bright, creative EverCoug students joining us for face-to-face classes, our staff is growing. We are delighted to welcome the following people to the Everett campus: Lynne Szymanski, Engineering Program Advisor; Dr. Sergey Lapin, Associate Director of our new Data Analytics program; Christina Myers, Data Analytics Program Assistant; and LaRea Sylvester, IT Technician.
The Everett campus prides itself on connecting our students with exciting and rewarding careers. There is no greater example than our alums who are doing great and inspiring things! Lyss Gorrell, Class of ’22, has accepted a job as a Communications Professional at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We are proud that Lyss will join the effort to advance sustainable energy. Sumit Karn, Class of ’20, completed a summer research program at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, returning to Teacher’s College at Columbia University in the fall. Congratulations to Lyss, Sumit, and all of our exceptional graduates!
Our commitment to WSU’s land-grant mission has never been stronger. We continue to make higher education more accessible in our region by creating new programs—for example, in Cybersecurity—and building partnerships in leading industries like renewable energy. Our students deserve support in every aspect of their academic life, and I’m proud of our record-breaking fundraising efforts that will go to supporting scholarships. It is a great time to earn a bachelor’s degree at WSU Everett.
This year is also a celebration of Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s 10th anniversary at WSU Everett. Our first class of Mechanical Engineers graduated in 2014. Graduates like Jennifer Johnson contribute to the workforce in our region and strengthen the local economy. Jennifer finished her degree at WSU Everett, started as a Mechanical Product Engineer for Synsor Corporation in Everett, and continues her upward trajectory as a Systems Engineer at Boeing.
Exciting times lie ahead for our campus, students, faculty, and staff. We made history when we opened doors to bachelor’s degrees in the Puget Sound region. With each new academic year, we continue to build unique opportunities for education, research, and experiential learning. You, the EverCoug community, give us purpose, motivate, and inspire us. Together, we’re changing the world.
Go Cougs!
Dr. Paul Pitre, Chancellor
WSU Everett & Everett University Center
Photo: Chancellor Paul Pitre and Coach Dickert representing OneWSU at July’s Coug Day at the Mariners in July.
