Center for Human Rights Selects Interim Director

PULLMAN, Wash. — Raúl Sánchez has accepted an 18-month interim appointment to direct the Center for Human Rights office that monitors Washington State University’s hiring practices and affirmative action efforts.  He began his appointment Jan. 3.

His previous experience includes four years as the special assistant to the president for diversity and human rights at the University of Idaho. That position was eliminated in 2003 due to budget cuts. He maintained an adjunct faculty appointment at UI’s School of Law and last fall began working part-time in WSU’s Center for Human Rights.

Sánchez is a graduate of Harvard Law School and holds degrees from Stanford and Princeton universities. He said he brings a lot of passion for human rights to WSU.  “The work that CHR does is very important, in and of itself, but to be part of a bigger evolving effort around institutional equity and diversity is very gratifying,” he said.

He said his short-term plan is to make sure CHR is performing at the highest professional level and that the center works effectively with other university offices and the broader community.

Eventually he would like people to see CHR as more than an office that conducts investigations and monitors search processes. “That traditional work will continue to be important; however, through much expanded training, educational and promotional work, I think it can become more of a resource for improving human rights practices and environments at WSU,” Sánchez said.