A Message from the Dean
College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences Quarterly Update | Winter–Spring 2026
One of the greatest privileges of this role is the opportunity to see, up close, the impact our students, faculty, and staff are making every day — on campus, across our state, and in the communities we serve. At Washington State University’s College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences, our work is grounded in a simple idea: when we create opportunity, we change trajectories.
This quarter, I have watched that idea come to life in ways I will not soon forget.
I have seen it in students — one hundred of them — sitting across the table from alumni and industry leaders at our Insiders’ Huddle, leaving not only with new contacts but with a clearer sense of where they are headed. I have seen it in faculty whose research continues to push boundaries, from a $2.8 million federal investment in inclusive pathways to thirty-two colleagues stepping into grant workshops to pursue the next idea. And I have seen it in a community that believes in this work enough to invest in it — more than ninety thousand dollars raised during a single giving day.
What stands out most is how connected all of it is.
Our students are not learning in isolation — they are solving real problems alongside the professionals they hope to become. Our faculty are not working in silos — they are collaborating across departments, campuses, and disciplines. And our programs are not standing still — they are evolving to meet a world that will not wait.
That is the strength of this college.
Programs like WSU ROAR remind us what becomes possible when access is paired with high expectations and meaningful support. This quarter, ROAR earned national recognition and opened a $250,000 matching-gift challenge — but the truth of the program is told in its graduates: young adults living independently, holding jobs, and contributing to the communities they call home. That is the kind of impact that defines our mission.
At the same time, we are investing in what comes next — new online pathways, stackable credentials, global partnerships, and continued leadership in research. We are also doing the harder, quieter work of becoming one college: aligning how we operate, how we tell our story, and how we hold ourselves accountable to the communities we serve.
None of this happens without community.
Whether it shows up as a gift during CougsGive, an alum who returns to mentor a student, or a colleague who stays late to get something right, that collective belief is what fuels our ability to grow and to serve.
As we look ahead, our focus remains clear: to prepare students, strengthen communities, and deliver impact in ways that reflect our role as a land-grant institution.
Thank you for being part of that work.
Karen Thomas-Brown
Dean, College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences | Washington State University