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Professor Environmental Sciences Robin Matthews’ Retirement Party will be held from 2:30-4 p.m. on Wednesday,  Dec 11 in Parks Hall 441.  All are welcome. 

Matthews has more than 34 years of history with ²ÝÁñÉçÇø. In 1985 she started at Western as a Research Associate for the Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS).  The following year she was named acting director of IWS and a Lecturer for Huxley College of the Environment. In 1990 she was named Assistant Professor. Advancing quickly, she was granted tenure with promotion to associate professor in 1992 and professor in 1995. Matthews was named director of IWS in 1994.

Through the years, she has served as advisor for 50 graduate students and provided research opportunities for hundreds of undergraduate students.  Currently she is finishing up her last quarter teaching with the Department of Environmental Sciences and apprising the new director of IWS, Angela Strecker, on the current state of the Institute.

In her 25 years as director, Matthews has taken the institute to a whole new level as Principal Investigator of The Lake Whatcom Monitoring Project through the City of Bellingham.  Matthews, along with project team including Michael Hilles, Joan Pickens, Robert Mitchell and Geoffrey Matthews, worked collaboratively with the City of Bellingham in Environmental Monitoring of Lake Whatcom, one of the city’s most precious resources. 

All the best and a huge thank you to Robin Matthews for all that she has given to the community of ²ÝÁñÉçÇø and the solid bridges she has built between the university and the city of Bellingham.