Phyllis Morris

College of Nursing

Phyllis Morris, MN, RN, CRNI, serves as the Regional Academic Director of Washington State University Intercollegiate College of Nursing, based at WSU Tri-Cities for 2008-2009. Phyllis is responsible for the d doversight of the Basic RN, RN to BSN, and MN programs on the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla campuses.

Prior to joining WSU Tri-Cities, she worked in area hospitals and held several management positions. Phyllis holds a Master’s degree in Nursing Education, has more than 20 years of nursing experience, and specializes in intravenous therapy. She is an active member of several community based committees and boards, including the advisory boards for the WSU Intercollegiate College of Nursing and the Columbia Basin College Nursing program.

Thought about WSU Tri-Cities:
The WSU Tri-Cities campus is providing a much needed service to the community by investing in nursing education. The student-to-instructor ratio and the collaboration with area healthcare facilities promotes a learning environment that affords an excellent educational experience for students.

Sharon Ballidis Holden

Director of Advancement and Regional Development

Sharon joined WSU Tri-Cities in August 2008, bringing about 30 years of experience in fundraising and development.

Sharon formed The Ballidis Group in 1992 in Wilomar, Calif., working with nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. on major gifts, audits, campaign feasibility studies, campaign counsel, board development, and volunteer and staff training. She managed capital/endowment campaign portfolios totaling more than $500 million — experience that is especially valuable with our campus growth and as WSU prepares to enter a capital campaign.

Her long list of clients includes California State University Long Beach, Discover Science Center, Laguna College of Art & Design, Los Angeles Harbor College, Polytechnic University, Pretend City: The Children’s Museum of Orange County, the San Diego Jewish Academy, and the Whale Conservation Institute. Sharon also served on the faculty of the University of San Diego’s Graduate Program in Nonprofit Leadership & Management, and on the University of California San Diego and UC Irvine’s certificate programs in fundraising, teaching entry-level through advanced fundraising and nonprofit management classes.

Sharon earned her bachelor’s degree from Long Beach State University, a Certificate in Executive Management Program from the UC Irvine Graduate School of Business, and has been a Certified Fund Raising Executive since 1988 through the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Dr. Robert Bauman

Interim Academic Director of Liberal Arts
and Associate Professor Department of History

Robert Bauman is an Associate Professor of History at Washington State University Tri-Cities and Interim Director of Liberal Arts.  He received his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  His research and teaching interests are in 20th Century U.S., social policy and race and the American West.  He published Race and the War on Poverty: From Watts to East LA with the University of Oklahoma Press in December 2008.  His article, “Jim Crow in the Tri-Cities, 1943-1950” won the Charles Gates Award for the best article published in the Pacific Northwest Quarterly in 2005.

Elizabeth (Liza) Nagel, Ph.D.

College of Education
Interim Academic Director of Business

Elizabeth (Liza) Nagel, Ph.D., arrived in Spring 2008 from the University of New Mexico where she served in many capacities: Associate Professor of Health Education, Accreditation Coordinator for the College of Education, and Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.

She has an active research agenda that includes the study of youth risk-taking behaviors and stress management. A former member of the state advisory board for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, she assisted that organization in significantly decreasing the rates and impact of drunk-driving in the state of New Mexico. Prior to her tenure at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Nagel served as the Director of the Institute for Substance Abuse Prevention Studies at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Her Project EDAHOE received the 1989 National Exemplary Drug Prevention Award designation by the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. Nagel received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development at California State University. She earned her master’s degree in Family Relations and Ph.D. in Higher Education at Washington State University.

Melissa O'Neil Perdue

Marketing & Communications Manager

Melissa O'Neil Perdue joined Washington State University Tri-Cities in March 2007 as the Marketing and Promotions Manager.

She previously worked at the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Wash. She was a reporter from 1991 through 2000 covering city government, K-12 education and business. Melissa transferred to the Herald's marketing department in spring 2000, where she handled the newspaper's promotions, community relations, branding and events.

Melissa grew up in Portland, Ore., and graduated magna cum laude from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., with bachelor degrees in communications (print journalism) and business administration. She is on the Leadership Tri-Cities board of directors and a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities Class IX (2003-04), and previously served on the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation board.

James R. (Dick) Pratt

Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
College of Sciences, interim academic director

James R. (Dick) Pratt joined Washington State University Tri-Cities as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on Aug. 1, 2008.

Previously, Dick was founding Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology at Clarkson University in New York. His experience also includes Idaho State University’s Dean of Arts and Sciences and Portland State University’s Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Budget in the Office of Academic Affairs.

Dick has served on national and international committees on environmental pollution, environmental indicators, and environmental restoration. He has been extensively published on the topics of environmental toxicology, environmental restoration, and microbial ecology. He also taught science at the middle school and high school levels for 10 years.

Dick received his doctoral degree in zoology from Virginia Tech, his master’s of science in biology from Eastern Washington University, and his bachelor’s of arts in biology from the University of Washington. He graduated from Kennewick High School in 1968.

Dick’s thought about WSU Tri-Cities: This is an exciting time to be at WSU Tri-Cities. I’m looking forward to helping grow enrollment and to increase the diversity of programs that serve the region.  Additionally, WSU Tri-Cities has excellent people ready to advance our research agenda, especially through work with our many community partners.

Lori Selby

Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration

Dr. Lori Selby has spent the past seven years in various administrative positions at research universities. Most recently, she served as the executive director of administration in the Business and Finance Office at Utah State University. Previously, Dr. Selby provided leadership to the Washington State University Department of Sponsored Programs Services as the director. She joined the WSU Tri-Cities campus in August 2007 as the interim director of the Education programs and was reassigned to Vice Chancellor in December 2007.

Dr. Selby earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from WSU in 2001, her Master’s in Education from Eastern Washington University in 1990, and her Bachelor’s in Education from Eastern Washington University in 1983.  Her 18 years of experience as an educator includes teaching elementary, middle school, high school, and community college classes, plus undergraduate and graduate level courses at a research university.

Carol Wilkerson

Interim Director of Student Affairs