Our People
Our Faculty
Dr. Patrick Jones
Dr. Patrick Jones is the executive director of the Institute; he has served in this role since the Institute’s inception in 2002. In addition, he currently serves on the council of the Washington State Data Center (advisory to U.S. Census), the board of Spokane’s Health Sciences & Service Authority, as well as the steering committee for Priority Spokane, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-honored organization. Over the course of his career, he has often served-on and chaired local, state, and national boards and panels. For his impact on the local community, Jones was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the City of Spokane in 2016. He holds a doctorate in Applied & Agricultural Economics from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Contact Dr. Patrick Jones at dpjones@ewu.edu
Dr. Kelley Cullen
Dr. Kelley Cullen is the Institute’s policy analyst and economist, who also teaches courses in economics and statistics in EWU’s School of Business. She received her PhD in Economics with concentrations in health, labor, and econometrics from Washington State University. Dr. Cullen enjoys presenting on these topics, along with sports economics through the National Economic Education Delegation (NEED).
Contact Dr. Kelley Cullen at kcullen@ewu.edu
Our Student Interns
Moon Alvarez
Hometown: Wapato, WA
Major: Double majoring in Accounting and Human Resources
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2028
Post-graduation plans: Follow big job opportunities, whether here or elsewhere!
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
My favorite thing so far is updating the indicators! I’ve always been a big numbers person. Updating indicators and seeing the way everything has changed over time is extremely interesting. There’s always something to update and it’s always satisfying when I pass a roadblock or figure out a difficult calculation.
Cameron Burns
Hometown: Spokane, WA
Major: Computer Science
Expected Graduation Date: Spring 2027
Post-graduations plans: Start a career designing computer systems!
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
My favorite part of work is how the data we use reflects real people and communities. It’s satisfying knowing the work we do goes to people who use it to make a difference!
Matthew Sandell
Hometown: Bremerton, WA
Major: Double majoring in Economics and Data Analytics
Post-graduation plans: Get a job involved with economic development and/or public policy, either local or international.
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
There are so many different puzzles to solve. My favorite part of the Trends project is rebuilding or creating new datasets. Often, we have to make judgement calls on what data is important and how to present that data. Fundamentally, we’re here to tell a story, and I love finding the most efficient way to achieve that through thoughtful and creative data organization
Malina Weigel
Hometown: Okanogan, WA
Major: Economics Major w/ a minor in business administration
Expected Graduation Date: June 2026
Post-graduation plans: I’m hoping to go to graduate school for Economics or Data Science!
After a few months of working on the Trends project, my favorite thing so far:
In the time I’ve been working here my favorite thing is definitely being challenged to learn new topics I haven’t had experience with before.
