McNair Staff

Welcome! As a first-generation, low-income scholar, my journey to a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (specializing in statistics and research design) from Washington State University was paved by resilience and a passion for discovery. Born in Alaska and proud of my Tlingit heritage, I moved to Washington with my twin at age five, grew up in Spokane, and lived across the United States before returning home to be near family. My dedication to higher education is deeply personal: my father built a career from his military service after leaving high school early, and my mother courageously returned to college decades later, just as I was finishing my doctorate. My own academic path crystallized during my undergraduate psychology studies, where I discovered that while others excelled as subject-matter experts, my strength lay in statistics and research design. I quickly realized my calling was to provide the rigorous scientific and administrative support needed to bring their vital research to life.

Today, I bring that exact passion to the EWU McNair Scholars Program. Over the years, I have dedicated myself to helping researchers navigate the complexities of data and methodology, and nothing is more rewarding to me than seeing a student’s eyes light up when discussing their scholarly pursuits. My goal is to demystify the research process and provide the steadfast scientific support our scholars need to successfully complete their projects. I am thrilled to help the next generation of McNair scholars find their research opportunities, transition from a student framework to a scholar framework, and confidently prepare for the rigors of graduate school.

Gunalcheesh!!!