Faculty members with research or expertise areas related to a student center's mission or goals hold regular office hours and collaborate on center programming. Formal agreements are created between the faculty member's department and MSS.

Previous & Current Faculty-in-Residence

Vanessa Delgado, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sociology

Fall 2025-Spring 2026; Fall 2024-Spring 2025 with Multicultural Student Center (MSC)

• Research areas involve immigration impacted communities within Washington
• Topics overlap with the special populations focus of the Multicultural Student Center (MSC) that includes education around immigration impacted students
• Holds weekly office hours within the MSC
• Has occasional meetings with students that interact with the MSC to discuss personal experiences

Steven Mejia, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Sociology

Fall 2024-Spring 2025 with the Chicanx/Latinx Student Center (CLSC)

• Research areas involve immigration impacted communities within Washington
• Topics overlap with the population focus of the CLSC that includes education around Chicanx/Latinx students
• Holds weekly office hours within the CLSC
• Has occasional meetings with students that interact with the MSC to discuss personal experiences 

The LGBTQ+ Center has helped to support the creation and growth of the living learning community (LLC) connected to gender inclusive housing (GIH). This partnership with Housing and Residence Life allows our university to be responsive to the living environment on campus for students that is needed/requested. A key component of the LLC is the connected course offering that is led by the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) academic department.

Current Faculty Partnerships

 M.A. Miller, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English and WGSS

Fall 2025; Fall 2024

•  Research areas involve gender, sexuality studies as well as Queer/Trans and Feminist Theory
  • Areas overlap with the education interests of the LGBTQ+ Center
• Two events hosted at the LLC during the semester

Various Student Centers host “meet and greet” events where faculty get a chance to share more about their personal experiences, journey in higher education, and their research. These events provide opportunities for students to develop a sense of belonging through their connection to similar experiences/or interest in the faculty member’s research and academic interests.

Some of this year’s programmatic series:

Pláticas 

Chicanx/Latinx Student Center (CLSC)

The CLSC hosts feature approximately four faculty, staff, and alumni presenters at the CLSC during the semester. Speakers interact with students to discuss their own experiences as a Chicanx/Latinx individual or a specific topic related to their work.

Noontime Chats

African American Student Center (AASC)

Noontime Chats include eight different faculty, staff, and alumni presenters at the AASC during the academic year. These sessions are held during the middle of the day, with food provided, as guests share their experiences as former students, as professionals, and offer insights to help students persist.

Talk Story

Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) Student Center 

 The APIDA Student Center hosts casual interactions with various faculty, staff, and alumni presenters, providing students with an opportunity to learn more about university professionals. Presenters can answer questions from students about their experiences that allow students to understand their experiences better.

There are various opportunities for collaboration with MSS, student centers, and programs with faculty and academic units. Depending on the nature of the event or activity, partnering for greater impact and efficacy is necessary. Here are examples of these partnerships:

Reproductive Health Awareness Week 

The Women*s Center worked with faculty members to host a film screening and panel related to menopause research. In connection with the Women*s Center’s mission and goals, faculty members were able to participate in a panel in connection to a film showing during this recognized week. Special events like the awareness week offer co-hosting of events that draw in students and the larger campus community. 

Disability Symposium

The Disabled Student Center (DSC) collaborated with Student Accommodations and Disability Resources to present on current issues affecting the disabled community. It involved three presenters who promoted awareness around the experiences of members of the disabled community, along with opportunities for addressing access in higher education in connection to societal barriers.

Student Centers with MSS have affiliated student organizations that align with the Center's or MSS’s mission or goals. They have been integral to the Student Centers, as they also provide a sense of belonging, foster community building, and offer education about underrepresented communities. There are some unique opportunities for faculty working with them that can be supported by MSS.

Advisors

Various faculty members have served as advisors to student organizations, whether their direct research or academic area overlapped with the group. Advisors provide mentorship and leadership development to the group as well as individual members.

Direct Involvement

There are faculty members who are direct participants with student groups. An example is Dr. Darryl Singleton with the School of Music. Darryl, or “Doc D” as he is known, participates in a couple of student groups, where he plays music with them and advises them.