Every summer, a few dozen University of Washington faculty members climb aboard a bus and get away from the I-5 corridor. For many, it’s their first chance to visit rural communities. This year’s tour included several eastern Washington stops, including Spokane.
Two of the participants were Samantha Reznik and Philip Womble.
Reznik came to the University of Washington a year-and-a-half ago from Houston, Texas. Reznik is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
“In Texas, I had the opportunity to evaluate our programs for best practice in early psychosis, which is my specialty. And so I traveled all around the state and got really familiar with these communities and their areas, what they needed, how they needed to adopt the programs," she said.
Reznik says she’s eager to get that same type of information about her new state.
“I think for me actually driving through some rural areas in eastern Washington and particularly stopping over near Odessa, Washington, was very eye-opening because I work with a lot of individuals in communities in rural Washington that are less than 1,000 people," she said.
"I serve patients all across the state of Washington via telehealth. It's very different to talk with someone on telehealth versus actually see their community and learn from them in person what their lives are like.”
Reznik says there’s another benefit to the trip. Faculty members got face time with President Robert Jones and Provost Tricia Serio.
“I think her commitment in time to this endeavor shows how much she believes in this and really wants to make sure that faculty are not just doing world class research, but also connecting with the Washington community and serving the citizens of Washington," Reznik said.
Also on the trip was Philip Womble, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and Governance.
“A lot of my work focuses on water rights and water management in the western United States, and then more broadly, natural resources policy issues," he said.
Womble came to Washington from the University of North Carolina.
“I think Washington has some of the most interesting water issues anywhere in the world. But I'm pretty new to the state, so this field tour has presented an opportunity to see a bunch of different geography across the state. See how water and natural resources are crucial to the state. And not only learn about the resources themselves, but also interact with and be in the communities that depend on and rely on those resources," he said.
Womble, Reznik and their colleagues were in Spokane for an event at the Health Partnership Building that the UW shares with Gonzaga, the facility where medical students start their training. The faculty members mingled with incoming freshmen.
“I've had the opportunity to work on research with several outstanding undergraduate research assistants in my two years now at UW. I've been really impressed by their capabilities. Some of these undergraduates are performing at a graduate level early on. And so I'm excited to meet these new students and talk with them about how they might engage once they arrive on our campus," Womble said.
The eastern Washington leg of their tour also featured stops in the Tri-Cities for a tour of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, the farm of Ritzville state Senator Mark Schoesler and Grand Coulee Dam.
