The Center for Instructional Innovation's
Innovative Teaching Showcase, 2006-07 Edition

Resources for Life
Dr. Grace Wang, Department of Environmental Studies

Grace Wang, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at Huxley College of the Environment, inspires her students with her research and involvement in the human dimensions of managing natural, community-based, and cultural resources and her drive to affect federal policy. She began her career as a research social scientist at the U.S. Forest Service, and taught at the Pennsylvania State University before coming to Western Washington University in 2002.

Select the link to the Portfolio to read about her approach in her own words. To see how she infuses critical thinking into her course, select the link to Institutional Goals.

Accounting for Environmental Impact
Julie Lockhart, Department of Accounting

Julie Lockhart, professor and chair of the Department of Accounting at Western Washington University, focuses her research on social justice and environmental tax policy. During a sabbatical leave at the Center for Social and Environmental Accounting Research in Scotland, she was inspired to create a new course in sustainable accounting in which she challenges accounting students to examine topics such as environmental impact reporting, initiatives, and stewardship.

Select the link to the Portfolio to read about her approach in her own words. To see how she infuses critical thinking into her course, select the link to Institutional Goals.

The Art of Renewable Design
Arunas Oslapas, Department of Engineering Technology

Arunas Oslapas, associate professor of industrial design in the Department of Engineering Technology, infuses his passion for design principles and sustainability into his courses, projects for his students, and his own pursuit of recycled garbage art. He started his career in Chicago as an architectural space planner and draftsman and has worked for a film studio, office furniture manufacturer, and taught at Kendall College of Art & Design and Brigham Young University before coming to Western Washington University.

Select the link to the Portfolio to read about his approach in his own words. To see how he infuses critical thinking into his course, select the link to Institutional Goals.