Faculty Emeriti Recognition Heather R. McKean
Diane Marie Norell
After a 34-year career, Heather McKean, senior associate faculty member in EWU’s Department of Biology and Eastern alumna (’75, ’83), will retire this spring. McKean’s legacy at EWU includes developing a wellrespected science education program, organizing Science Olympiad competitions, generating more than $2.8 million in grants to support students and science education, and classroom contributions that advanced the educations hundreds of biology teachers. Her own career began as a secondary science teacher. Using that experience, at EWU McKean developed the BAE in biology/secondary science education for future high school teachers, and the BAE in natural science for future elementary and middle school teachers. Both programs are premised on the idea that science teachers must have a strong foundation in their subject. As a supervisor for regional, state and national Science Olympiad competitions, McKean has brought these competitions to Eastern every other spring. In 2000, she brought the National Science Olympiad to EWU. More than 3,000 students participated in this event. McKean has also been a successful in attracting extramural funding. She was instrumental, for example, in securing for EWU the Noyce Scholarship National Science Foundation grant in both 2010 and 2017; funding that increased the number of quality science teachers in low-income schools. In addition, McKean has to her credit numerous publications, workshops, presentations and consulting projects. She has been a member of the National Association of Biology Teachers, National Science Teachers Association, Washington State Science Teachers’ Association, Washington State Science Olympiad, Regional and State Board of Directors, Teachers of Teachers of Science.
Diane Norell ’s career with EWU spanned more than twenty-five years, beginning in 1994 as a Faculty Field Instructor in the School of Social Work, and continuing in the Department of Occupational Therapy, as semester faculty, academic fieldwork coordinator, lecturer, and senior lecturer. For fifteen years, her position was a joint appointment between EWU and Washington State University; as a faculty with Eastern and a Research Associate with WSU’s Washington Institute for Mental Health Research and Training, (WIMHRT). Norell received a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy (1974) from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Social Work (1982) from Eastern Washington University. Her practice area in both fields has been in public mental health and substance use/misuse systems of care. The dual role and unique lens of both occupational therapy and social work enabled her to specialize in psychiatric rehabilitation and provide an emphasis on inter-professional education to occupational therapy students. Norell’s passion and experience enabled her to create a strong curriculum in the occupational therapy practice area of mental health. She had an innovative and effective teaching style with a desire to energize, inspire and motivate students. The use of humor, and open, collaborative dialogue resulted in consistent positive student’ responses. Beyond teaching, Norell served as an academic fieldwork coordinator. She collaborated with a vast number of regional fieldwork instructors in placement and engaged in the supervision of students during clinical internships. Her commitment to developing student placements in rural healthcare assisted the expansion of occupational therapy services to those areas. Norell was a productive scholar during her tenure. She was a key author in several peer-reviewed journal articles; co-authored a book chapter and manuals regarding engaging clients and families in rehabilitation related to mental illness, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury; and participated as a presenter at local, national, and international conferences.
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