WSU Spokane Announces Five New Faculty

SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington State University Spokane has hired five new faculty members to expand existing programs and develop new offerings.

Don Epley, Ph.D., comes to WSU Spokane from the Pullman campus where he taught several undergraduate and graduate real estate courses for four years. Epley will teach four real estate classes this fall at the Spokane campus. Epley received his doctorate in Regional Economics from the University of Missouri and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Wichita State University. He holds the endowed Victor C. Lyon, CCIM Distinguished Professorship in Real Estate. WSU Spokane is now offering a baccalaureate completion program to allow students to complete a bachelor’s in business administration with a focus on real estate; WSU has the only such program in the Northwest.

Sally Blank, Ph.D., joins WSU Spokane as an associate professor in exercise science and coordinator of the proposed graduate program in clinical and experimental exercise science. Blank has conducted research and taught courses in exercise physiology and exercise immunology at WSU since 1983, and is an associate of the WSU Cancer Prevention and Research Center. Blank received her doctorate in muscle physiology and biochemistry from WSU, master’s in physiology of exercise from Iowa State University, and bachelor of science in education from Illinois State University. Her research focuses on the immune system’s response to exercise. WSU Spokane is offering courses in exercise immunology and has a proposal in the works to extend the WSU master of science program to Spokane.

Jon Hasbrouck, Ph.D., comes to WSU Spokane as clinical associate professor for speech and hearing sciences. Hasbrouck is housed at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute as their Speech-Language Pathology Clinical Practice Coordinator, supervising and mentoring graduate students and coordinating clinical educational activities. He will also coordinate speech-language pathology services for St. Luke’s inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation as well as acute care patients. Hasbrouck earned his doctorate in communication disorders from the University of Minnesota, and his master’s degree in speech pathology and audiology and bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Montana. WSU Spokane offers a master’s in speech and hearing sciences; students specialize in either speech-language pathology or audiology.

Robert Keppel, Ph.D., joined the criminal justice program as a visiting assistant professor. This fall he is teaching courses in serial murder and homicide investigation. Keppel is the president of the Institute for Forensics in Seattle where he retired after 17 years as the chief criminal investigator with the Washington State Attorney General’s Office.

Keppel received his doctor of philosophy degree in criminal justice from the University of Washington. He graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in police science and administration followed by a master’s degree in police science and administration. He also holds a master of education degree from Seattle University. WSU Spokane offers the master’s degree in criminal justice.

James Howard, Ph.D., joins the education program as a clinical associate professor in educational leadership/counseling psychology. Howard will teach graduate courses in educational leadership, develop extramural funding, and advise and direct graduate student research at masters and doctoral levels. Howard obtained his doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of Oregon, and his master’s degree in school administration and bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Eastern Washington University. WSU Spokane houses programs for certification of principals and superintendents, as well as school psychologists.

WSU Spokane is the urban campus of Washington State University, a land-grant research university founded in 1890. The campus features advanced studies in business, engineering, the design disciplines, health sciences, criminal justice, and educational leadership. WSU is ranked one of the top 50 public universities in the nation by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a research extensive and doctoral-granting university.

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