WSU professor elected to role at National Art Education Association

Washington State University Tri‑Cities College of Education faculty member Yichien Cooper has been elected higher education division director by members of the National Art Education Association (NAEA).

Cooper, a career-track assistant professor in the Teaching and Learning Department, has held various positions with the NAEA since 2017 and said the association is her “academic home.” 

“Over the years, NAEA has provided professional development opportunities to advance my study and build friendships from around the world, which further expands my interests in teaching and research,” Cooper said. 

Two years of Cooper’s four-year term will be spent as the director elect. She will then transition into the role of the director. 

Cooper will officially begin her new position on April 14 at the 2023 NAEA Convention in San Antonio.

“My decade-long experience teaching integrating arts at Washington State University Tri‑Cities enables me to continuously help pre‑service teachers see art in different light,” Cooper said. “Being an Asian American educator at a university, this is also an opportunity for me to share my culture and heritage to a broader audience, to discuss issues around equity, diversity, and inclusion beyond my classroom.”

Enid Zimmerman, professor emerita of art education and high ability education at Indiana University, offered high praise for Cooper. 

“Cooper has concentrated on visualization methods that can be used successfully in research and practice to promote equity, diversity, and inclusiveness for all art educators and art students through research and practice especially in the United States and through global organizations, K–12 schools, museum settings, and community organizations,” she said. “Her most recent co‑edited book, Teaching Chinese Arts & Culture: Content, Context, and Pedagogy, evidences her commitment to providing diverse perspectives for the field of art education.”