The mission of the Research Advisory Council (RAC) is to actively foster a campus culture that supports all forms of scholarship broadly defined (à la Boyer’s Model of Scholarship). The RAC will also serve as a consultative body to provide guidance, input, and advice to the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and the Office of University Student Research (OUR) on such things as strategic planning, new initiatives, mentoring students involved with research, and policies and procedures pertaining to research. While the RAC may address a wide variety of matters relating to improving the overall campus research environment, normally it will select one or two major projects to address each year. 

​ Goals: The Research Advisory Council (RAC) will: 

• Increase communication regarding research and scholarly activities across the campus. 
• Nurture a campus culture of scholarship to promote collaboration and support. 
• Serve as a centralized council anyone can come to with general research-related questions or concerns. 
• Ensure that research policies and procedures support and encourage diversity and inclusion.  

Members of the Advisory Council

• Co-Chair*: Ruth Jeffries, Director of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Co-Chair*: Brandy Wiegers, Director of Office of University Student Research (OUR)
• College faculty representatives
  • College of Arts and Humanities (CAH): Dr. John Neurohr, Music. 2021-2024
  • College of Business (CB): Dr. Han Donker, Accounting. 2021-2024
  • CWU College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS): Dr. Amy Claridge, Child Development & Family Science. 2021-2024
  • College of the Sciences (COTS): Dr. Carey Gazis, Geology. 2021-2024
  • Graduate Council 
• Douglas Honors College*: Dr. Allyson Rogan-Klyve, DHC Upper-Division Curriculum Coordinator
• CWU’s McNair Scholars Program*: Dr. Pamela Nevar, Director of McNair
• University Libraries: Ping Fu, 2020-2024
• University Academic Administration: Dr. Rebecca Lubas, Libraries and Graduate Studies. 2021-2024.
• 2 student representatives:
  • Graduate Student:
  • Undergraduate Student
• At-large representatives:
  • Sandy Martinez, Admin for Human Subjects 
  • David Leder, Public Affairs Coord Writer

Previous Members of the Advisory Council

• College of Business (CB): Dr. Sayantani Mukherjee, Marketing. 2020-2021
• College of the Sciences (COTS): Dr. Lori Sheeran, Director of Institutional Animal (IACUC). 2020-2021 
• University Academic Administration: Dr. Martha Kurtz, Associate Dean of COTS. 2020-2021