Media Contact:
Libby Siebens, community relations executive director, 509-682-6436 (Mon.-Thurs.)
Carli Schiffner, vice president for instruction and Omak, 509-682-6605

A program director and retention specialist have been chosen for the new MESA program at Wenatchee Valley College.

The MESA program recruits underrepresented and minority students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. It is designed to provide academic and support services to MESA students. In addition, the MESA grant will also fund outreach efforts to recruit underrepresented high school students into STEM programs and career pathways. Wenatchee Valley College was one of six community and technical colleges selected in fall 2017 to receive a MESA grant.

Dr. Karina Vega-Villa is the new MESA program director at Wenatchee Valley College. She is currently an adjunct faculty member at WVC in the biology department. Dr. Vega-Villa is an Ecuadorian-American scientist and educator. She earned a bachelor of science at the University of Idaho in 2004 and a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences from Washington State University in 2009. Dr. Vega-Villa is interested in science communication projects that reform the culture of communication within science and focus on improving collaboration, discovery, education and public policy in STEM. 

Dr. Bobbi Johnson is the retention specialist for the new MESA program. Dr. Johnson currently serves as the STEM specialist for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) at WVC. She earned a bachelor of science in wildlife and fisheries science from South Dakota State University in 2010 and a doctorate in biology from Washington State University in 2016. Dr. Johnson is interested in the relationship between self-concept and academic attainment.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, www.wvc.edu.