CWU's Armstrong Named To 'Humanities Washington'

May 9, 2005

Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/Fax 509-963-2301/E-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Through May 28, the Kittitas County Historical Museum will host "Yesterday's Tomorrows: Past Visions of the American Future." The "Humanities Washington" traveling exhibit offers a unique history of popular expectations and beliefs about the shape of things to come.

Humanities Washington, formerly the Washington Commission for the Humanities, is dedicated to providing humanities programs that nurture creativity, promote dialogue and spark critical thinking.

Dr. Liahna Armstrong, dean of the Central Washington University college of arts and humanities, was recently appointed to a four-year term on the organization's 24-member board of trustees.

"I'm really delighted to have been selected," says Armstrong, who is also a member of the university's English department faculty. "It's quite an honor and a valuable asset for CWU and Ellensburg to have a trustee from our region on the board, since Humanities Washington is such an active and productive organization."

Founded in 1973, Humanities Washington is a non-profit organization funded through private contributions and National Endowment for the Humanities matching grants.

TIt sponsors traveling exhibits, like the one now on display in Ellensburg, for small museums and community organizations in rural Washington, along with a variety of educational programs, and provides professional cameras for low-cost rental or free use to documentary filmmakers and community organizations.

Armstrong, who joined the CWU academic administration in 1996, is past president of the national Popular Culture Association and co-editor of the multi-volume reference work, "The Guide to U.S. Popular Culture." She is now working on a book-length project about Alfred Hitchcock's American films and researching the portrayal of romance in contemporary Asian cinema.

Armstrong holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles.