Executive Director

Trip Leader & Community Activist

Nepal Program Manager

Faculty, Rwanda Program

Rwanda Program Manager

Western Washington University Faculty, Nepal Program

Western Washington University Faculty, Thailand Program

Medical Advisor

University of Da Nang Faculty,
Vietnam Program

Ladakh Field Coordinator

Hiroshima Jogakuin University Faculty, Vietnam Program

Western Washington University Faculty, Rwanda Program

Thailand Project Coordinator

Western Washington University Faculty, India Program

Thailand Trip Coordinator

Program Administrator, College of Urban & Public Affairs - Portland State University

As a lifelong learner, it is my passion to connect classrooms and communities to align pathways to sustainability. Public service has been the core tenet of my work, first as a City Planner in Florida and now as a Public Administrator based in the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia Gorge was my first home in Oregon where I supported community development projects through the Resource Assistance in Rural Environment (RARE) Program. Through Portland State University (PSU) I earned my Masters in Urban and Regional Planning in 2010 and have since led applied research and projects in collaborative governance and education in Oregon and abroad as part of the Hatfield School of Government and the Vietnam Oregon Initiative. I joined the InPlace board in 2020 to work with our network of community partners to build connections to and expand our understanding of unique communities around the world.

Program Director,
La'akea Village

In 2009 I traveled to Thailand and India with InPlace, which instilled a lifelong passion for traveling, learning, and seeking new experiences to expand my awareness and understanding of the world we live in. I value so much the community-based approach that is at the heart of InPlace and the shared learning that arises from asking questions, listening, collaborating, and supporting communities to further initiatives and programs that are important to them. I am the Program Director at La’akea Village, a life-sharing community for adults with disabilities based in Maui, Hawaii. When I am not working or traveling, I love cooking, dancing, practicing yoga, and hiking in the woods.

Therapist,
Brigid Collins Family Support Center

I am a Clinical Social Worker / Children's Mental Health Therapist working for a local non-profit here in Whatcom County. My relationship with InPlace (formerly Institute for Village Studies) dates back to 2008 when I traveled as a student on a study abroad program in Thailand, India, and Bhutan. That first experience awoke my appetite for international study and experiential learning, and invigorated interests in Child Welfare and Social Justice Advocacy that have remained with me to this day. My experience paved the way toward opportunities for deeper independent study; as a 2010-2011 recipient of the Adventure Learning Grant, I embarked on a 16-month exploration of childhoods and child development in the Himalayas. I have been privileged to return to Asia as staff and have served on its Board of Directors since 2011.

Faculty, Institute for Global Engagement
Western Washington University

I cannot remember a time when I wasn't fascinated and curious about how individuals, families, communities, and cultures are shaped and impacted by global dynamics and the complexities of the human experience on this planet. These interests have fueled my career trajectory and personal passions for connection, exploring, community and social justice. Work, study, and life have allowed me to build relationships with incredible people and places, including Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Tonga, Mexico, and Israel. Time spent learning alongside individuals and with communities has offered endless humbling lessons about human nature, resilience, and kindness as well as how power and privilege operate in this world. I have been a community college and university educator for over twenty years. My instructional interests center on multidimensional poverty, gender and family, transnational migration, and global justice. I love watching my students explore ideas and issues together as we consider how social change happens. The mission of InPlace excites me and is what this kind of work and experience should be.

Project Manager, MIG

My family and I arrived from SE Asia to the Seattle Metro Area in the mid 80’s after two years in camps. grew up in poverty and limited access to resources. At an early age, I understood that I lived in a world of have and have-nots. Using the inequality I experienced as motivation, I pursued urban planning after a professor said that a community that excludes any one group of people is a failure of the urban planner. After this, I decided that I would use my education, live experiences and create opportunities that give back to the community and help lift up youth of color and women. I have seen the devastation of assuming professionals know better than the people that live in communities and also the rich and outcome-driven solutions that come with collaborative and shared learning opportunities. The latter is what InPlace facilitates and I am so excited to be on the Board of this organization that cultivates such thinking, here in the states and abroad.

Professor of Sociology,
Western Washington University

I have always had a passion for travel that centers on place: building relationships, learning and sharing experiences with a community. My first deep dive was through the Peace Corps, where I was a health & gender equity volunteer in northern Cameroon for three years. Upon return to the states, I pursued a master’s degree in global public health and a PhD in sociology at the University of Washington. In 2007 I became a sociology professor at Western Washington University, and my activism, teaching and research focus on the social, political and structural determinants of health. At WWU, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to build study abroad programs and have led eleven student trips to five countries, including Kenya, Rwanda, India, Nepal and Costa Rica. I am honored and excited to be on the board of In Place because we strive to walk the talk and continually ask hard questions, focus on social justice, and grow into the answers.

Executive Director,
La’akea Village

I am a lifelong student dedicated to learning from the people and places worldwide, sharing their wisdom of heritage, culture, language, and community development. I live in Maui, Hawaii, on Kanaka Maoli lands, raising my son in a land-based community and working as the Executive Director at La’akea Village, a life-sharing community that includes adults with special needs. Being in the wilderness is where I am most content. Working collaboratively, learning, sharing, and listening, like here at In Place, keeps me engaged, motivated, and inspired to live life with purpose and passion.

Alum - Ladakh 2015
Lead Teacher – School-Age Program, Hillcrest Kids Early Learning

I have been involved with InPlace since 2015 and am excited to collaborate with the board, students and global partners to work toward a more equitable and sustainable future. I traveled to Ladakh with InPlace in 2015 and it was there I first recognized the power of community-driven change. I’ve spent the last few years working as a literacy and ELL tutor in schools locally and abroad and am currently working toward obtaining a Masters in Teaching. I like to read, swim, watch soccer games, go to new places and eat ice cream!

Alum - Nepal 2019, WWU Student

In 2019, I traveled with to Nepal with the InPlace Biocultural Diversity Program to gain experience in sustainable development and effective global equality work. The education I received through InPlace gave me the necessary tools to participate in our international community to build a more equitable future. Since my travels, I have spent my time on fundraising efforts for children’s education in Nepal. I am passionate about the power of having open-hearted connections with others to create a better tomorrow. I love acting, the beach, and finding new and exciting ways to get active!

Alum - Kenya 2018,
Facilitator - Girls Inc of Orange County

I went to Kenya with InPlace in 2018. The program centered the intersections of global health and social justice and helped me realize my passion in public health. I am excited to work with all relevant stakeholders as we move towards creating programs that are more inclusive and accessible. In my spare time I love to read, cook new recipes and go to trivia nights!

Alum & Mentor Vietnam 2016-2019; Marine Program Assistant, Pacific Environment

I first participated in the Vietnam program in 2016 and have since been a student mentor. This was a formative experience for me as a university student at the Vietnam National University, where I studied International Relations. After graduation, I took a position at an eco-tourism cooperative in the coastal village of Go Co as part of an effort to create the Quang Ngai Province UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. I now work as a Marine Program Assistant to reduce plastic pollution and Vietnam. In my spare time, I continue to advocate for asset-based approaches to community development and opportunities for experiential education for students locally.

WWU Alum

In 2020, I started working with InPlace as an intern on projects in central Vietnam. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 was never able to travel to SE Asia. I am hopeful to one day meet fellow students, alums, educators, and community stakeholders surrounding this work in a future program. My studies with InPlace have catalyzed my passions for community organizing, conservation efforts, and global health equity. I am excited to serve on the LEAD board to explore innovative intercultural learning programs that are more accessible, inclusive, and responsive to climate change. In my spare time I love to play guitar for my cat, cook delicious foods, roller-skate, and kayak.

Community Outreach Coordinator

University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City Faculty, Vietnam & SE Asia Programs

Western Washington University Faculty,
SE Asia Program