Alumna, longtime staffer Nancy Grayum to retire from WWU; reception is 3 p.m. April 30

Nancy Grayum, ATUS manager of Classroom Services, is retiring from Western at the end of April after 23 years of outstanding service. An open house to congratulate her will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. April 30 in Academic Instructional Center West Room 412.

Grayum is a native northwesterner who grew up near Puget Sound enjoying its beaches, boating, swimming and hiking opportunities. She first came to Western as a student in 1965 and received her bachelor's degree in English with a K-12 teaching certificate in 1969. She taught grades two through five for the Ferndale School District from 1969 to 1979. Upon leaving teaching, she worked as a freelance editor and later at St. Joseph Hospital supervising the communications department, where she first encountered the then-"new" personal computer.

Nancy returned to Western to pursue graduate studies in 1987, and in 1990 she received her master's degree in school administration/instructional technology. Her career at Western began in 1987, when she started working with Joan Hayes in Western's Computer Center as coordinator of university computer labs. Nancy was busy the next few years as new computer labs were built, supervising the student consultants in the terminal rooms and labs and learning about new software on several emerging brands of personal computers.

Then, in 1994, after Academic Computing joined the newly formed Academic Technology and User Services (ATUS) organization, Nancy shifted her attention to Media Services and guided its metamorphosis into Classroom Services. Here, she also supervised students who delivered technologies (including overhead and slide projectors) to classrooms. She became deeply involved in the renovations of Western's classrooms into "smart classrooms." She has steadfastly recommended new approaches, thoroughly tested each new classroom before deployment and developed online support materials and orientation sessions for faculty. She has built a large loan pool of technology equipment for students and faculty including the latest in digital photography and video equipment.

Grayum is a big supporter of the professional organizations in her field, including NW/MET, CCUMC and Educause. She has also been the longtime editor of the ATUS Newsletter.

Nancy's future plans include enjoying many of the same things that she enjoyed growing up here, such as the beaches, hiking and travel.

Those wishing to thank Nancy Grayum for her dedicated, professional, thoughtful and friendly years of service to WWU are welcome to attend the open house from 3 to 5 p.m. April 30 in Academic Instructional Center West Room 412.