Philip E. Sharpe, Jr. Community Engagement Award
The Western Washington University Philip E. Sharpe Community Engagement Award, named in honor of former WWU Board of Trustee member and active community volunteer Phil Sharpe, is given annually to a faculty or staff member (or group of Western employees) involved in outstanding community service, including outreach and engagement activities that benefit the well-being of the community at large or individual(s) in the community.
Examples of service:
- Participates in volunteer work, service organizations, or community advisory boards
- Organizes forums or community programs
- Volunteers for local non-profits or service organizations
Nominations for the 2022 award are OPEN and can be submitted through the online Philip E. Sharpe, Jr. Community Engagement Award nomination form.
Selection Criteria
- Current Western faculty, professional, or classified staff
- Minimum one year of WWU employment (this criteria is not applicable to a group nomination)
- The work they do is not a primary function of their position at Western
Award/Recognition
Award Administration
Nomination Process
2021
Britta Eschete - Career Services Center
Britta Eschete works in the Career Services Center and is celebrating 10 years of employment at WWU. Of equal importance to her job is her lifetime enthusiasm for volunteering and supporting her community. A lifelong Washington resident, she moved to Skagit County in 2000 to launch the North Sound Office of People For Puget Sound. Other volunteering highlights include volunteering at the Lincoln Theatre and RiverSong Farm for the past 20 years, and fostering the same community mindedness in her daughter Noelle. Prior to COVID, she gave her time to support many annual events, including driving golf carts at Lights of Christmas in Warm Beach, and “volunteer vacations” helping at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, NW Folklife, and Wintergrass. A graduate of Leadership Skagit, Britta is an enthusiastic supporter of WWU Community Engagement Fellows, and credits both organizations to helping her be an effective BUA rep for classified staff with Local 1381. She is currently serving on the boards of the Skagit Food Co-op, Skagit River Poetry Foundation, and Lincoln Theatre; serving on the planning team for Storming the Sound, a regional gathering of environmental educators; and she also participates in the Mount Vernon Police Citizen Program. Contribute to your place in the world!
Past Awardees
2020
David Sattler - Psychology
David N. Sattler, Professor of Psychology at Western since 2000, has a strong record of local, national, and international community service addressing environmental and educational issues. David was responsible for bringing world-renown chimpanzee expert Dr. Jane Goodall to Bellingham. Dr. Goodall inspired students, faculty, and staff at Western and local schools to make a difference in our community. He provides outreach to community groups and schools on issues of social concern (e.g., social media and youth, disaster preparedness), and produced emergency preparedness videos for Western and Whatcom Community College. In the wake of the India Ocean Tsunami, David established the International Tsunami Museum in Thailand to help promote recovery. He served as an official delegate for Tonga at multiple United Nations Climate Change Conferences. David collaborates with colleagues in Mongolia to examine how climate change is impacting the lives of nomadic herders. The Supreme Court of Washington appointed David to serve on the Washington State Bar Association Disciplinary Board. He has been a reviewer for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program for more than a decade.