The LIFT Fellowship (Learn.Inspire.Foster.Transform.) is designed to support instructors in this work. We use teaching methods and modules that have been shown to improve students’ engagement, connection, and learning, to decrease course withdrawal and fail rates, and to increase retention.
Once accepted to the program, faculty fellows are engaged in an intensive learning environment as they explore and integrate evidence-based active learning and behavioral interventions in their teaching plans. We’re excited to welcome our fourth cohort of LIFT faculty this coming spring (2021) and congratulate our most recent program graduates (December 2020)! Here’s looking forward to another successful year of connection and collaboration as we forward our commitment to students’ success at WSU. Faculty fellows’ willingness to engage and practice innovative techniques demonstrates evidence of their commitment to the undergraduate experience and to excellence in instruction and student mentoring.
Learning outcomes
After participating in LIFT, faculty fellows will be able to transform their courses using methods that have been shown to increase student engagement, connection, and learning. Through participation in LIFT, faculty will:
- Increase knowledge of theory and research related to active learning approaches and brief behavioral interventions
- Apply active learning techniques and brief behavioral interventions in their classes
- Support and be supported by your colleagues who share your commitment to student success
Faculty members highlight value of LIFT
Leticia Fanucchi, DVM, PhD, WSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital
“The training program was very useful for me and I certainly learned a lot from it. The lectures and assignments were flexible and I did not feel overwhelmed by it. The team organized it really well, and gave us several opportunities to discuss our plans and activities. Also, the scholarship was much appreciated.
The highlights of the training for me were:
– Learning how to be more mindful of oneself, of the teaching (content), and more mindful of the students and their impressions/perspectives.
– Plan and gradually execute active learning without having to change your entire course overnight. You can take your time and implement one small change at a time.
– The peer observation activity was my favorite homework of the program, and I learned a lot from observing my colleague.
I highly recommend the LIFT program, not only for junior faculty, but for those who want to stay current on teaching strategies.”
Krista R.A. Nishida, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Dept. of Chemistry
“The LIFT program has gotten a lot of us in chemistry implementing and researching additional things to benefit the students and their learning, so it was a very much appreciated opportunity. Thanks, again to the LIFT team!”
Application overview
The following questions are included in the online application. Please take a moment to peruse the questions before applying. Applications are closed for 2021.
- What is the course number for the class in which you will be implementing LIFT practices?
- What is the average enrollment for this course?
- Why are you interested in participating in the LIFT Faculty Fellows Program?
- Address how you would like to transform the way you teach and/or the ways your students learn.
- What are your intended outcomes for your students’ learning?
- Address your time commitment to adopt new practices.
- What challenges do you anticipate in implementing change to the way you teach or how students learn?
LIFT training, WSU Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Everett faculty Contemplating Innovative Pedagogy LIFT Regional Trainers ’18 Pullman LIFT fellows discuss social belonging LIFT Pullman Trainers ’18
Commitment to participate in the LIFT Faculty Fellows Program
As a faculty fellow with the LIFT program, you are committing to the following meeting schedule and training requirements:
Date-specific meetings and trainings
- Attend the LIFT Cohort 4 Orientation on Wednesday, January 27, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
- Attend four behavior intervention workshops facilitated by LIFT Trainers and complete homework before and following the workshops.
- LIFT Training 1 – Connection and Social Belonging: Wednesday, February 3, 2-4 p.m.
- LIFT Training 2 – Values and Values-Based Decision-Making: Thursday, March 4, 2-4 p.m.
- LIFT Training 3 – Mindfulness and Self-Compassion: Wednesday, March 31, 2-4 p.m.
- LIFT Training 4 – Growth Mindset and Resiliency: Thursday, April 29, 2-4 p.m.
- Attend the LIFT End of Year Celebration on Wednesday, May 12, 2-4 p.m.
- Attend peer observation training session led by Bill Davis: Thursday, September 9, 2-4 p.m.
Trainings and requirements to be completed between August 23 (first day of fall term instruction) and December 10 (last day of fall term instruction), 2021.
- Attend at least two of the pedagogical trainings associated with active learning strategies offered in conjunction with AOI.
- Incorporate at least one behavioral intervention using a high-impact practice/active learning (e.g., POGIL, team-based learning, service learning) in your classroom to increase resilience/enhance applied problem-solving and increase collaborative learning.
- Conduct a classroom observation of a former LIFT faculty fellow and debrief.
- Observe and be observed in the classroom by a current, peer LIFT Fellow and debrief.
- Administer LIFT-specific pre-test and post-test assessments to students.
- Complete your own pretests, post-tests and long-term LIFT evaluations.
- Complete a final progress report.
Additional information about these requirements will be offered by the LIFT team during orientation and at subsequent times throughout the year. We work diligently to make sure you are on track and successful.
Apply now
Upon completion of the program
We recognize that LIFT involves a substantial time commitment. For your participation, you will receive:
- A $1,200 payment in the form of faculty time card for completion of all LIFT Faculty Fellow requirements including the adoption and implementation of at least one brief behavioral intervention in an active learning style related to connection/social belonging, values/value-based decision-making, mindfulness/self-compassion or growth mindset/resiliency.
- A certificate of completion.
- A letter of thanks, copied to your department chair and dean.
LIFT trainers 2021
Joe Hewa
Human Development & Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership
I teach because I believe it has the power to change the world. When students engage new ideas and concepts from the disciplines that we know well, it can open possibilities that transform their lives and empower them to become change agents. I love watching students encounter eye-opening, perspective-changing experiences in our classes, and the LIFT Faculty Fellowship program provides practical resources and evidence-based approaches to facilitate those experiences. In fact, in LIFT we often have those eye-opening experiences ourselves as we learn together and begin to see through our students’ eyes. LIFT not only introduces concepts that promote student success, it also connects faculty with a community of practice and support where we all benefit from the collective wisdom of the group representing many disciplines across the WSU system. I look forward to working with the next cohort of LIFT Fellows as this community continues to grow.
Mary Kay Patton
Human Development & Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership
Mary Kay Patton, J.D., is dedicated to nurturing the human spirit as an essential dimension of leading a rich, full, meaningful life. In so doing, she supports LIFT faculty in taking value-based committed action from a place of presence and mindfulness. Patton is a gifted facilitator, writer, educator and advocate. She was instrumental in designing the LIFT program and is convinced that its success is in large part due to the translation of evidence-based interventions into a playful, engaging and experiential training; thus elevating and reimagining the role of quality classroom teaching at land-grant institutions.
An Idaho native, Mary Kay has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington and a J.D. from the University of Idaho.
Sammy Perone
Human Development & Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership
Anna Whitehall
Human Development & Center for Transformational Learning and Leadership
My purpose in life is supporting others in discovering and developing their best selves. My position as both a professor and LIFT trainer have allowed me to live into that purpose every day. As a LIFT Fellow and LIFT Trainer I have found the evidenced based approaches that we need to make our teaching come alive and support our students on their journey to their best selves. Social belonging, growth mindset and resilience are just some of skills we all need to be our best selves and LIFT brings those to life for faculty and their students. I find such joy in seeing students have an ah-ha moment or working with a faculty member to fit the puzzle pieces of their discipline and LIFT together. I am excited to live into my purpose with a student-centered learning community.
Kara Whitman
School of the Environment
Many students entering college have not yet fully developed their learning skills, nor gained the confidence to self-direct that learning, and propose novel ideas and solutions. Students at this stage in their education are also in a time of transition and are particularly susceptible to influences that will shape the mindset that will guide the type of learner they become, the skills that they acquire, and the experiences that they have during their time at the University and beyond. LIFT provides the evidence as well as ideas for approaches to enhance student self-confidence, sense of belonging, and provide a structured process to transform and/or enhance each student’s approach to growth, learning, and problem solving. I am very excited to be a LIFT Trainer and look forward to building a larger collaborative community of student-centered teachers!
Tri-Cities
Janet Peters
Psychology
As a teacher, I strive to engage, challenge, and spark intellectual curiosity in my students. In a perfect world, I would accomplish those goals within each course, class session, and assignment. But the reality is that teaching, good teaching, is hard. Maybe that’s why I’m passionate about it, because I like the challenge and complexity of the problem. I enjoy analyzing my classes for areas of improvement, scrutinizing my grading and course policies, developing new projects, and evaluating my own performance. But, like anyone else, I get stuck. After participating in the LIFT program as a faculty fellow, I was re-energized with fresh ideas to incorporate into my most difficult courses. Now, as a LIFT trainer, I am thrilled to be able to work with other faculty who want to positively impact their students through empirically supported interventions. I love the collaborative nature of the LIFT program and am happy to share my experiences and resources with anyone interested.
Vancouver
Caitlin Bletscher
Human Development
As an educator, I’ve completed dozens of ‘values sorting’ exercises; like clockwork, every time I find myself coming to the conclusion that connection is of vital importance to my life personally and professionally. I’ve continued to see this in my students – the ability to establish and strengthen that association between myself and the other is of prime importance for discovering new ideas, finding passion in your discipline, building relationships with your peers, and feeling like you belonging in my classroom. The skills developed in LIFT Faculty Fellowship Program provide a gateway for a stronger connection among faculty, and an equally stronger connection between faculty and their students. Especially in our current world, where students have felt increasingly isolated, segregated, and polarized, the opportunity to create the sentiment that ‘I am not alone’ and ‘I feel connected’ is beyond valuable – it’s essential.
Jenni Sandstrom
Business
I participated in the LIFT program during the 2017-2018 school year and found a home within this community of engaged learners. I am looking continuously for new ways to connect with my students, and the LIFT program helped me to encourage social belonging and mindfulness in the classroom. The LIFT Fellows explore small interventions in the classroom that can be made to increase student learning and engagement, without having to implement a major overhaul to the course. I found these stealthy moves to be fun and rewarding and they sparked a positive response from my students. I am looking forward to participating in LIFT in a new capacity this year as a trainer, working with the next cohort of LIFT Faculty Fellows.
Aaron Whelchel
History
My interest in student success developed out of my experiences teaching first year courses at WSU. I was struck by the pivotal role student motivation and mindset play in successful completion of those courses and intrigued by the evidence suggesting even brief interventions can impact these factors. After participating in the LIFT program as a Faculty Fellow, I implemented some brief interventions in my classroom. Both students and I viewed these activities as engaging, relevant, and effective in fostering a sense of belonging and encouraging resilience and “grit.” Based on these positive experiences, I was enthusiastic about the opportunity to become a LIFT trainer and help promote these techniques to the wider WSU community, especially at the Vancouver campus.
LIFT Faculty Fellows 2019
Name | Campus | College | Department |
Brianna Valliere | Everett | CAHNRS | Food Science |
Corrie Wilder | Everett | Communication | Marketing & Communications |
Mark Billings | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | School of the Environment |
Blythe Duell | Pullman | CAS | Psychology |
Eman Elturki | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Sharon Fraser-Allen | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Megan Hall | Pullman | CAS | English |
Emily Harmon | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Laci Hubbard-Mattix | Pullman | CAS | Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs |
Michelle Kistler | Pullman | Communication | |
Sue Lani Madsen | Pullman | VCEA | Architecture |
Robert McCoy | Pullman | CAS | History |
Julie Menard | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | School of the Environment |
Brenna Miller | Pullman | CAS | History |
Wannaporn Phipps | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Kathleen Rodgers | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Michael Salamone | Pullman | CAS | Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs |
Eugene Smelyansky | Pullman | CAS | History |
Alexander Spradlin | Pullman | CAS | Psychology |
Raymond Sun | Pullman | CAS | History |
David Torick | Pullman | VCEA | Mechanical & Materials Engineering |
Lisa Waananen Jones | Pullman | Communication | Journalism & Media Production |
Kayla Wakulich | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | School of the Environment |
Sarah Whitley | Pullman | CAS | Sociology |
Brett Bell | Tri-Cities | CAS | History |
Shannon Calderone | Tri-Cities | Education | Educational Leadership |
Gina Cronrath | Tri-Cities | Nursing | Nursing |
Brigit Farley | Tri-Cities | CAS | History |
Rhonda Hammond | Tri-Cities | CCB | Hospitality Business Management |
Maria Moscatelli | Tri-Cities | Education | Teaching and Learning |
Meagan Lobnitz | Vancouver | CAS | English |
Mark Stephan | Vancouver | CAS | Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs |
LIFT Faculty Fellows 2018
Name | Campus | College | Department |
Jacob Murray | Everett | VCEA | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
Lucrezia Paxson | Everett | COMM | Communication |
Soobin Seo | Everett | CCB | Hospitality Management |
Caitlin Bletscher | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Shira Broschat | Pullman | VCEA | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
Chris Cooney | Pullman | COMM | Communication |
Rebecca Cooney | Pullman | COMM | Strategic Communication |
Christine Curtis | Pullman | COMM | Communication |
Lee Daffin | Pullman | CAS | Psychology |
Anne Drobish-Shahat | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Dave Evans | Pullman | CAS | Biological Sciences |
Sam Gizerian | Pullman | CVM | Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience |
Amy Heile | Pullman | CAS | English |
Matthew Hudelson | Pullman | CAS | Mathematics |
Chanmi Hwang | Pullman | CAHNRS | Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textiles |
Babu John Mariadoss | Pullman | CCB | International Business |
Michelle Mann | Pullman | CAS | History |
Ali Mehrizi-Sani | Pullman | VCEA | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
Hallie Meredith | Pullman | CAS | Fine Arts |
Margaret Mount | Pullman | International Programs | Intensive American Language Center |
Holly Neibergs | Pullman | CAHNRS | Animal Sciences |
Samanthan Noll | Pullman | CAS | Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs |
Somava Pande | Pullman | COMM | Communication |
Sammy Perone | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Karen Phoenix | Pullman | CAS | History |
Jenni Sandstrom | Pullman | CCB | Hospitality Management |
Michael Thomas | Pullman | CAS | English |
Raven Weaver | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Jennifer Lodine-Chaffey | Tri-Cities | CAS | English |
Robin Ebert Mays | Tri-Cities | CAS | English |
Lodi Nelson | Tri-Cities | CAS | Biological Sciences |
Jodi Rosso | Tri-Cities | CAHNRS + CAS | Geology |
Gunjan Gakhar | Vancouver | CAS | Biological Sciences |
Kristin Huggins | Vancouver | COE | Administration and Supervision |
Liz Reilly Gurocak | Vancouver | CAHNRS | Economic Sciences |
Kimber Saville | Vancouver | CAS | Psychology |
Praveen Sekhar | Vancouver | VCEA | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science |
Nanette Thrush | Vancouver | CAS | Fine Arts |
LIFT Faculty Fellows 2017
Name | Campus | College | Department |
Paul Buckley | Pullman | CAS | Chemistry |
Lisa Carloye | Pullman | CAS | Biology |
Sandra Cooper | Pullman | CAS | Math |
Asaph Cousins | Pullman | CAS | Biology |
Leticia Fanucchi | Pullman | CVM | Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience |
Michael Finnegan | Pullman | CAS | Chemistry |
Erin Gallagher | Pullman | COMM | Communication |
Mark Gibson | Pullman | CAHNRS | School of Economic Sciences |
Deborah Handy | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Hanjo Hellmann | Pullman | CAS | Biology |
Joseph Hewa | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Leeann Hunter | Pullman | CAS | English |
Jennifer Johnson | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | Environmental Science |
Allyson King-Beall | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | Environmental Science |
Lyudmyla Kompaniyets | Pullman | CAHNRS | School of Economic Sciences |
Krista Nishida | Pullman | CAS | Chemistry |
Anna Plemons | Pullman | CAS | English |
Donelle (Dee) Posey | Pullman | CAS | Psychology |
Alejandro Prera | Pullman | CAHNRS | School of Economic Sciences |
Marsha Quinlan | Pullman | CAS | Anthropology |
Judy Schultz | Pullman | COE | Sport Science |
Jihyeong Son | Pullman | CAHNRS | Apparel, Merchandising, Design & Textiles |
Sam Swindell | Pullman | CAS | Psychology |
Paul Verrell | Pullman | CAS | Biology |
Kate Watts | Pullman | CAS | English |
Elizabeth Weybright | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Anna Whitehall | Pullman | CAHNRS | Human Development |
Kara Whitman | Pullman | CAHNRS/CAS | Environmental Science |
Srinivas Allena | Tri-Cities | VCEA | Civil and Environmental Engineering |
Katherine Banks | Tri-Cities | CAS | School of Politics, Philosophy, and Public Affairs |
Jesus Bravo | Tri-Cities | CCB | Management |
Vanessa Cozza | Tri-Cities | CAS | English |
Sena Clara Creston | Tri-Cities | CAS | Fine Arts |
Gibran Escalera | Tri-Cities | CAS | English |
Jonah Firestone | Tri-Cities | COE | Science Education |
Mark Mansperger | Tri-Cities | CAS | Anthropology |
Byron Marlowe | Tri-Cities | CCB | Hospitality Business Management |
Allison Matthews | Tri-Cities | CAS | Psychology |
Sarah Newcomer | Tri-Cities | COE | Literacy Education |
Janet Peters | Tri-Cities | CAS | Psychology |
Elsa Silva Lopez | Tri-Cities | CAS | Chemistry |
Sara Sorensen Petersen | Tri-Cities | COE | Special Education |
Elly Sweet | Tri-Cities | CAS | Biology |
Cynthia Cooper | Vancouver | CAS | Molecular Biosciences |
Dale Fortin | Vancouver | CVM | Neuroscience |
Brenda Grell | Vancouver | CAS | Digital Technology and Culture |
Adam McKee | Vancouver | CAS | Sociology |
E. Regina McMenomy | Vancouver | CAS | English and Women Studies |
Wendy Olson | Vancouver | CAS | English |
Cynthia O’Rourke | Vancouver | CAS | Biology |
Michael Rabby | Vancouver | CAS | Digital Technology and Culture |
Aaron Whelchel | Vancouver | CAS | History |
Debra Wilmington | Vancouver | CAS | Biology |
Acronyms: College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS), College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), College of Education (COE), College of Veterniary Medicine (CVM), Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture (VCEA), Carson College of Business (CCB)
In the news: LIFT inspires WSU Everett colleagues to go above and beyond in support of student success
EVERETT, Wash. – Jan. 24, 2019 – Engineering, communication and business students are working together at WSU Everett under a merged coursework project launched this spring by three faculty members exploring greater opportunities for interdisciplinary studies. Full story…