Joan Kingrey Joins WSU Spokane Faculty

SPOKANE, Wash. — Joan Kingrey, a long-time educator and school administrator, has joined the faculty in educational administration at Washington State University Spokane.

Kingrey will serve as director of education programs at the Spokane campus and as a project coordinator for community outreach in the College of Education’s Center for Educational Partnerships.

“The education programs based at WSU Spokane do a tremendous job of developing school administrators statewide, allowing people to make a career change into teaching, and preparing people to serve as school psychologists,” Kingrey said. “As a lifelong Cougar, I feel as if I’m coming home by joining WSU Spokane.”

Kingrey’s father, Lloyd Urdal, headed the WSU College of Education for a number of years.

She received a doctorate in educational administration from WSU and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university. Her research interests focus on educational leadership and its role in school improvement and educational reform, and on grade retention and its impact on student achievement.

Before coming to WSU Spokane, she was the community liaison for the School of Education at Gonzaga University, following a stint as associate superintendent for the Mead School District. She spent 19 years as an administrator in the Spokane and Mead school districts and taught high school English.

In announcing the appointment, interim chancellor Nicholas Lovrich said, “Dr. Kingrey has been dedicated to public education throughout her career. Her extensive experience and expertise will allow us to build on the program’s past successes, and she makes a great addition to the fine faculty already in place.”

About the College of Education at WSU Spokane
WSU’s College of Education offers several programs at WSU Spokane. Field-based programs in principal and superintendent certification allow working educators to pursue administrative credentials while continuing to work. They come from around the state for intensive two-day seminars in Spokane, and have professional mentors in their home districts. Courses in the programs may also be applied to the WSU doctor of education degree.

A post-master’s certification in school psychology—one of only 3 such programs in the nation—is offered in collaboration with Eastern Washington University. It allows people with master’s degrees in counseling or education to move into school psychology. The WSU Master in Teaching program, designed to enable people to make a career move into teaching and become certified for grades K-8, offers courses at Spokane and Pullman.

About WSU Spokane
WSU Spokane is the university’s urban campus, a land-grant research university founded in 1890 that is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top public research universities in the nation. The campus features advanced studies in health sciences, the design disciplines, education and criminal justice. WSU is ranked by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as a research extensive and doctoral-granting university.

Web sites:
Education at WSU Spokane: www.education.spokane.wsu.edu
WSU Spokane: www.spokane.wsu.edu