Student Success and Retention Conference 2025

Katie Forsythe is a Scholarly Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development (HD) on the WSU Pullman campus, and coordinator of the Department’s undergraduate internship degree requirement. For over seven years, Forsythe has supported WSU student success initiatives, namely as first director of the system-wide Transformational Change Initiative, and academic experiential learning efforts through the HD professional preparation and internship curriculum. Her approach to working with others is collaborative, strengths-based, and collegial. Students note Forsythe’s commitment to their learning and engaged teaching style. According to one student’s course evaluation, “some strengths of Katie Forsythe as an instructor are that she constantly shows enthusiasm for the course, relating it to her own life, but also asks engaging questions followed by group discussion to remain open–minded and gives students the ability to apply their own experiences and knowledge about the topic being discussed while hearing from others and being exposed to different perspectives, encouraging critical thinking. This made the class extremely engaging and enjoyable, explaining how it can be applied to my own life and experiences.” Forsythe also serves as President of the WSU Association for Faculty Women during the organization’s 50th year anniversary. Her work with the Transformational Change Initiative is ongoing as a faculty leader of the LAUNCH program and LIFT Faculty Fellow. She began her career at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business developing undergraduate curriculum improvements. Notable contributions during her time at Michigan include managing the BA 200 guest speaker series and advocating for representation for diversity, equity, and inclusion in student summer reading materials. Katie Forsythe enjoys her work at WSU and the many experiences she has had since arriving in 2017.