WSU Tri-Cities chancellor sees more work to be done at branch campus. What’s next for her
Chancellor Sandra Haynes says she still has more work to do at Washington State University Tri-Cities.
That’s why the Richland campus leader has signed an extension to lead for another four years. She first arrived in 2018.
“Because of our closeness to research infrastructure like Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the vast energy and agriculture resources of our region, we have tremendous opportunities to make an impact here in the Mid-Columbia region and far beyond,” she said in a release announcing her extension.
Haynes said in the announcement that WSU Tri-Cities will play a major role in further nuclear research and workforce development as part of the region’s effort to wane off carbon-emmitting energy sources.
The recently opened Institute for Northwest Energy Futures in the Tri-Cities will serve as a “virtual hub” for clean energy solutions for some of the country’s most pressing green energy challenges.
Her tenure so far has seen research partners expand and new facilities constructed while withstanding enrollment headwinds.
The campus deepened its ties with PNNL and its joint research in the Bioproduct Engineering Sciences Laboratory, and also opened one of the only open labs for sustainable aviation fuel testing in the world.
In 2021, WSU Tri-Cities opened the first state-funded academic building in 30 years — Collaboration Hall — which features state-of-the-art science, research and teaching facilities.
In August, WSU Tri-Cities’ total fall headcount grew 3% thanks to a record-busting 16% increase in first-year students, despite higher costs to attend collect and the bungled, frustrating roll out of a new federal financial aid application.
Haynes attributes student growth to bringing recruitment efforts in-house and reaching out to students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education.
WSU Tri-Cities’ total student enrollment is about 1,500 students, about half of whom come from diverse backgrounds. The campus offers more than 20 bachelor’s degrees and 30 graduate degrees.
‘Effective leader’
The seventh WSU Tri-Cities chancellor, Haynes holds a PhD in experimental neuropsychology and re-spacializing in counseling psychology. She also holds a faculty position in WSU’s Department of Psychology.
Before her current position, she served as a senior administrator at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She has more than 20 years of administrative experience and holds expertise in research-intensive institutions.
Haynes’ annual salary for 2023 was listed at $412,100, according to Washington’s database of employee salaries.
WSU President Kirk Schulz says Haynes has done an “exemplary job” leading the Tri-Cities campus.
“From navigating the perils of the COVID-19 pandemic to overseeing the continued development of the campus’ research and academic infrastructure, Sandra has proven herself to be an effective leader in the community. I’m confident she will continue to guide the campus through the full optimization of our system structures and beyond,” he said.
The branch campus was established in 1989 from the Joint Center for Graduate Studies.
This story was originally published December 15, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
