Ruth Gregory recognized as the College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Member by WSU Provost

By: Max Ciot

On February 24th, 2020 DTC Director of Undergraduate Studies Ruth Gregory (far left in the photo above) was honored in the Provost’s Featured Faculty Virtual Recognition event which recognized one outstanding faculty member per college for their significant and exemplary contributions to WSU.

In the words of Todd Butler, the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences: “Ruth is more than just one of our most technologically savvy faculty at heart she is an educator in the best and deepest sense of the word someone who is dedicated to not only her field and her craft but also and more importantly to the students and community.”

Ruth is now in her sixth year in the DTC department and grateful to have found a home at WSU. “It is a joy to teach in a department like Digital Technology and Culture” and the WSU community is more supportive than any other University community she has been a part of in the past. Not only does Ruth bring her powerful and up-to-date expertise to the courses she teaches, but she also serves as the DTC department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies and Chairs the Curriculum Committee. In the past, Ruth has advised the Digital Media Club, led the DTC internship department, and even organized a spring seminar on video games called “Multiplayer: Critical Perspectives on Video Games and Online Environments” that coincided with the 2017-2018 common reading book Ready Player One.

Most recently, Ruth collaborated with the United Way of Whitman County and Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, to provide students with an opportunity to use the multimedia skills they’ve developed in DTC to benefit the local community. This continues Ruth’s work providing students with service-learning opportunities in courses. To date she’s collaborated with over 15 different regional nonprofits in her course partnerships.

Truly committed to the department and the students she teaches, she “meets students where they are and at the same time inspires them to imagine all of the things they could be,” and works towards allowing the expansion and further accessibility of the department and its opportunities to students of all backgrounds. Ruth regularly advocates for students who may not have as many resources or privileges and mentors LGBTQI+ students and students of color.

In the eyes of DTC Director Dr. Kim Christen, “Ruth’s work inside and outside the classroom brings into sharp view what practicing inclusion and a fierce commitment to access looks like on the ground. I’m honored to be Ruth’s colleague and to recognize her as a featured faculty member.”