| Date: |
|
February 17, 2015 |
| Contact : |
|
David Mance, Media Relations Coordinator, 509-865-0731 or mance_d@heritage.edu |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Heritage University Invited to Join Prestigious Consortium of Leading Research Universities
Toppenish, WA — Heritage University is now a member of the Leadership Alliance, an elite group of 42 leading research and liberal arts colleges in the country. Membership in this alliance will afford Heritage students the opportunity to study under professors at “Research 1” universities across the country including the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University, without having to leave the Yakima Valley. Heritage is the only University in the Pacific Northwest to be a member of the Alliance.
For more than two decades, the Leadership Alliance has been mentoring students who are the next generation of leaders and role models. These students are those who intend to earn their PhDs and serve in the highest ranks of academia. The primary purpose of the Leadership Alliance is to provide quality one-on-one mentoring for students, which has proven to be a critical component of academic and professional success.
Membership in the Leadership Alliance complements Heritage University’s involvement as an affiliate of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF), another program which allows HU students to continue their educations, earn doctorate degrees and become college professors. By being invited to join the Leadership Alliance, Heritage University will be able to expand the scope of opportunities available to students that were heretofore unavailable without leaving the Valley.
Winona Wynn, associate professor of humanities and coordinator of the Leadership Alliance program at Heritage, says she’s thrilled that our students will have access to a program of this caliber. “It is a great honor and privilege to be a member of the Leadership Alliance. Heritage will have the chance to bring world-renowned faculty members from the country’s top Research 1 institutions to Toppenish, where they’ll collaborate with faculty and students on a wide array of cutting-edge projects.”
In addition to the ongoing instruction from world class researchers Heritage students will also participate in summer research internships at the larger Alliance membership universities. Said Wynn, “During those eight weeks they’ll work under the guidance of top-notch faculty, and network with research mentors. The students will present their projects at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium. Upon their return, they will share what they’ve learned with their fellow students, inspiring their peers to excel.”
For more information, contact Winona Wynn at (509) 865-8633 or wynn_w@heritage.edu.