Karen Stout named to WWU’s Bowman Distinguished Professorship in Leadership

Karen Stout has been named to the Bowman Distinguished Professorship in Leadership and will be director of the Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership at Western Washington University.

“I am delighted that Karen has agreed to serve the University and our students as Bowman Professor and director of the Morse Institute. Karen is a proven leader in multiple organizations and in multiple ways, and her academic interests align perfectly with the Morse Institute’s mission. She will continue the process of making the Morse Institute a vital part of Western and the leadership community started by Joe Garcia,” said Brian Burton, associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Western.

Stout, professor of Communication Studies at Western, succeeds Garcia, who completed his five-year term as Bowman Distinguished Professorship in Leadership and as founding director of the Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership. Garcia has returned as professor in the Department of Management at Western’s College of Business and Economics (CBE). 

“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the Bowman Distinguished Professor of Leadership and the director of the Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership Studies. The prior director, Dr. Joseph Garcia, did a wonderful job in establishing the institute and Leadership Studies minor. I am excited to build on his excellent work and continue the development of the Institute,” Stout said. “Given my academic training, scholarly interests, and professional leadership experience, this position feels like the next, natural step in my career.”

Stout, who earned her doctorate in Communication from the University of Utah, has been at Western since 2000.  She has contributed to a number of scholarly publications in her areas of research, and is active in professional organizations and community service activities. She has received awards for her academic and professional achievements, including the 2012 Harry “Bud” Hazel Outstanding Service Award from the Northwest Communication Association. She recently served two consecutive terms as president of Western’s Faculty Senate.

Jack and Jo Ann Bowman endowed the Bowman Distinguished Professorship in Leadership that is dedicated to curricular innovation, teaching, and scholarship that advances the understanding and application of leadership. The Karen W. Morse Institute for Leadership is named in honor of WWU President Emerita Karen Morse.