Saint Martin's hosts Puget Sound Student Affairs Colloquium

January 26, 2010

Lacey, Washington — On Tuesday, January 26, Saint Martin’s University will host the annual Puget Sound Student Affairs Colloquium at the University’s Norman Worthington Conference Center. Over 250 student affairs professionals, with representatives from all four-year colleges and universities in Washington state, will be attending. Part of the goal for this annual conference is to allow participants who work in similar functional areas in higher education to collaborate with other student affairs professionals and exchange best practices.

This year’s keynote speaker, Jason Kilmer, Ph.D., will discuss "Lessons Learned and Future Directions: Responding to Mental Health Issues and Substance Use of the College Campus." Dr. Kilmer has done extensive research, grant writing, and publishing in the field of substance abuse in higher education. He is a Research Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Assistant Director of Health and Wellness for Alcohol and Other Drug Education in the Division of Student Life at the University of Washington. He also maintains an appointment as the Substance Abuse Prevention Program Coordinator for Saint Martin’s University. For ten years, he worked as an Addictive Behaviors Specialist in the Counseling Center at The Evergreen State College.

Dr. Kilmer was the 2004 recipient of the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional Award for Region V of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), was named a Research Fellow in 2005 by MOST of Us at Montana State University, and was named a Senior Scholar in Prevention in 2006 by Outside the Classroom.

“Given the realities of our economy, this is a great opportunity for student affairs personnel throughout the state to collaborate on professional development and collectively bring national resources when individually it would be more challenging,” said Melanie Richardson, dean of Student Services at Saint Martin’s University. “We are also appreciative of the funding assistance from NASPA to support of this event.”

For more information about the colloquium, contact Mary Maselli at 360-438-4367 or mmaselli@stmartin.edu.

Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year, Catholic, coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 18 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business, education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250 students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main campus, and 650 more to its five extension campuses located at Fort Lewis Army Post, McChord Air Force Base, Olympic College, Centralia College, and Tacoma Community College.

For additional information:

Genevieve Canceko Chan
Director of communications & marketing
Saint Martin’s University
360-438-4332
gchan@stmartin.edu
www.stmartin.edu