Getting to Know You: Michael Dunn
#FacultyFriday with Michael Dunn — October 22, 2021
Faculty role: Associate professor of Special Education
Location: WSU Vancouver
Why did you choose to do what you do?
I grew up in a family where disability was present. My father’s having scarlet fever at age 12 in 1930 left him with complete hearing loss. My mother and two older sisters saw and experienced how disability can impact lives. My father had a really strong work ethic. I feel that I too have that and have applied it to learning through school and wanting to help others in their learning. After 11 years of teaching in publicly-funded schools near Toronto, Ontario, I sought a new experience of teaching at the university level and research strategies to help people improve their literacy skills. I focus on helping people become better writers using technology tools in my current projects.
What has been your favorite thing about WSU, as well as the College of Education?
WSU is a research-extensive/Carnegie institution. Research that helps people in the local community, region (WA State), and beyond is its mission. I like and identify with that. Similar to COVID, research is the most effective way to help people improve. The College of Education works to people develop teaching skills, which need to be grounded in research/evidence-based practices. I like how teaching, learning, and research integrate to help pre-service and in-service teachers develop their skills in a process where we are all learning from the research process and its published findings.
What responsibility comes with working for a land-grant university? Why is being a land-grant special?
Engagement, conversations, making contacts, visiting with people in the local community, region (WA State), and beyond is really important. Researchers and course instructors need this collaboration for developing research ideas, participation in research, and courses in university programs.
If you could improve one thing about WSU, what would it be?
I would like WSU to have more partnerships with he community. School districts, community groups, businesses are welcoming when we initiate contact; but I would like more integration with what WSU does. For example, I would like giants like Microsoft and Apple to have regular meetings and projects with WSU faculty. Technology should be a bigger part of what we do and how we, together, can help it offer more to the people we serve.
What makes you an Agent of Change?
I want to create and offer strategy ideas to help people improve their writing skills. My initiative, work ethic, professional manner, and commitment help me be an agent of change as I collaborate with others.
Favorites:
Food: Seafood (e.g., salmon, halibut, mussels)
Restaurants near WSU Vancouver: McMenamins (Vancouver’s Columbia River waterfront location). A beautiful place on a summer’s day
Book: Love is Eternal: A Novel about Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln, by Irving Stone
Band: Great Big Sea (Newfoundland, Canada)
Song: Boston and St. John’s (by Great Big Sea)
Movie: Dave (comedy about a comedian who is needed to impersonate the President)
TV Show: Cheers
Favorite Coug Sport: Football is the team I hear most about, but I’m not a big sports fan
Hobby: Taking nature walks
Vacation spot (you’ve been to): Chambery/Chamonix, France (French Alps area near Switzerland)
Dream vacation spot (somewhere you’d like to go): Loire Valley, Bordeaux regions of France. I speak some French; I like talking to the locals :).