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Institute for Watershed Studies
Make a difference for students today!

The Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) supports a wide variety of interdisciplinary projects that provide exciting opportunities for students to engage in relevant watershed research and make important contributions to the community. One example of this is the Northwest Lakes Monitoring Project, a community service project that provides water quality data and other information for over 60 lakes in our region. This project was instrumental in Western Washington University being awarded the National President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction Award in 2013 and 2015. Your donation to the Institute for Watershed Studies will help ensure the continued success of this and other student projects that benefit our local community.

The Institute for Watershed Studies supports student research by providing hands-on learning opportunities, as well as exposure to cutting-edge scientific techniques and analytical equipment.  Many graduates from our institute have gone on to use these skills in professional careers and graduate school.  


MEET THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM YOUR GENEROSITY


Payton Bovee (she/her) is an undergraduate in her senior year studying environmental science with a freshwater and terrestrial ecology emphasis. Originally from New Mexico, Payton came to Western Washington University for the Secondary Education Program but quickly changed majors after taking an evolution and ecology class where she fell in love with the interdisciplinary aspect of Environmental Science. She joined the Institute of Watershed Studies in the summer of 2024 where she and a fellow student visited and collected water quality and algae samples from 60+ lakes throughout northwest Washington as part of the Northwest Lakes Monitoring Project. She then analyzed these samples for a variety of water quality parameters, including alkalinity, dissolved oxygen levels, pH, and chlorophyll to characterize and understand land-use impacts on water quality.
 
Payton says her involvement with the Institute for Watershed Studies cemented her desire to pursue a career related to watershed studies, exploring the interactions between freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. This experience allowed her to build valuable skills in both a lab and field setting as they pertain to water quality assessment. Payton says she feels equipped with the skill set and knowledge to pursue other scientific research opportunities and graduate school in the coming years.



Evelyn Carroll (she/her) is an undergraduate in her senior year studying Environmental Science with an Environmental Toxicology emphasis. Originally from Eastern Washington, Evelyn moved to Bellingham to study Environmental Science. She joined the Institute for Watershed Studies in the summer of her junior year and had a wonderful experience doing field work at numerous delightful small lakes. Learning about the impact of land use on water quality parameters and algae gave her a sense of the beauty and value of our northwest freshwater lakes.

 

Working on the Northwest Lakes Project gave Evelyn her first experience as a paid research assistant and field technician, allowing her to build lab and field skills. The Institute for Watershed Studies helped her gain a greater understanding of how scientific research is done and prepared her well for graduate school and other future jobs.



$500
500th Donor Challenge!
Congratulations to IfeOluwa Akinrinade, our 500th donor who unlocked an additional $500 to the Eunice Segilola Akinrinade Scholarship!!
Completed
$500
1500th Donor Challenge!
Congratulations to Felix Gonzalez, our 1500th donor who unlocked an additional $500 to WWU Racing (Formula SAE)!!
Completed
$1,000
10th WWU Give Day. 10 donors. 10:10 pm.
Our first 10 donors starting at 10:10 pm on our 10th Give Day unlocked $100 each towards the area they chose to support. OUR WINNERS ARE: 1. Rene Vasa -- unlocked $100 for The Rage Magazine 2. Kathryn Hemmen -- unlocked $100 for Alpha Kappa Psi 3. Mackenzie Gerlach -- unlocked $100 for Women's Varsity Crew 4. Elena Korch -- unlocked $100 for Women's Ultimate 5. Joel Reitz -- unlocked $100 for Men's Rowing 6. Anonymous -- unlocked $100 for Alpha Kappa Psi 7. Perry Olix -- unlocked $100 for Men's Rowing 8. Sarina Freudmann -- unlocked $100 for Alpha Kappa Psi 9. Alexis Clark -- unlocked $100 for Women's Varsity Crew 10. Anonymous - unlocked $100 for Men's Rowing
Completed
Leaderboard
Breakfast of Champions!
Thank you for participating! Final results are in! Congratulations to: Marketing Concentration, Western Welcome Scholarship and Western Hub of Living Essentials (WHOLE) Food Pantry!
Rank Prize Breakfast of Champions! Donors
1 $1,000 Marketing Concentration 17
2 $500 Western Welcome Scholarship 12
3 $250 Western Hub of Living Essentials (WHOLE) Food Pantry 11
4 Student Emergency Fund 7
5 AS Alpha Kappa Psi 6
Ended
Leaderboard
Twilight Giving
Thank you for participating! Final results are in! Congratulations to: Ice Hockey, WWU Racing (Formula SAE) and Sociology!!
Rank Prize Twilight Giving Donors
1 $1,000 Ice Hockey 30
2 $500 WWU Racing (Formula SAE) 23
3 $250 Sociology Department 21
4 Men's Rowing 20
5 Western Hub of Living Essentials (WHOLE) Food Pantry 9
Ended
$500
1000th Donor Challenge!
Congratulations to Tami Bloom, our 1000th donor who unlocked an additional $500 to Men's Rowing!!
Completed
$1,000
10th WWU Give Day. 10 donors. 10:10 am.
Our first 10 donors starting at 10:10 am on our 10th Give Day unlocked $100 each towards the area they chose to support. OUR WINNERS ARE: 1. Ryan Mueller -- unlocked $100 for Men's Rowing 2. Shelley Jepson -- unlocked $100 for Men's Soccer 3. Anonymous - unlocked $100 for Marketing 4. Victoria Steed - unlocked $100 for Marketing 5. Faye Witulski - unlocked $100 for Water Skiing 6. Anonymous - unlocked $100 for Hockey 7. Jennifer Trainum - unlocked $100 for the Donnellan Scholarships 8. Stephanie Grimm - unlocked $100 for the Behavioral Neuroscience Program 9. Reagan Billingsley - unlocked $100 for Men’s Rowing 10. Anonymous - unlocked $100 for the Sailing Team!
10 / 10 Donors
Completed
Leaderboard
CENV Green Guardians Challenge!
Final results are in, and the ranking stands! Congrats to Environmental Science, the Institute for Watershed Studies, and the Environmental Studies Department!
Rank Prize CENV Green Guardians Challenge! Donors
1 $500 Environmental Sciences 6
2 $250 Institute for Watershed Studies 4
3 $100 Environmental Studies Department 4
4 Sustainability Pathways 3
5 Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Program 2
Ended
Leaderboard
Lunchtime Crunchtime!
Thank you for participating! Final results are in! Congratulations to: Western Symphony Orchestra, Ice Hockey, and Men's Rowing!
Rank Prize Lunchtime Crunchtime Challenge! Donors
1 $1,000 Western Symphony Orchestra 51
2 $500 Ice Hockey 28
3 $250 Men's Rowing 26
4 AS Alpha Kappa Psi 9
5 Sailing Team 7
Ended
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Or you can contact us at forwestern@wwu.edu.