Kat Odell (She/Her)
CAHNRS For All Committee Chair
Manager, CAHNRS Operations
Kat Odell has worked for WSU since the fall of 1990. She moved to CAHNRS in 2017. Kat’s word of the moment is arbejdsglæde – a Danish word meaning happiness at work – which she experiences in her current role with CAHNRS Operations. Kat’s primary area of focus is handling the Real Property process for the college, including the Land Legacy Endowment Farms. She also assists with the CAHNRS Safety program and is the CAHNRS Risk Management liaison. When not at work, Kat enjoys reading, traveling, and sharing time with her family and friends.
Kat Tsatsomeros (She/Her)
CAHNRS For All Committee Vice Chair
Administrative Assistant, CAHNRS Dean’s Office
Kat is a proud Coug from a very young age. In addition to her bachelor’s in Apparel Design (AMDT) and a minor in Music at WSU, she studied in South Korea for Korean language school and a master’s degree in marketing at Korea University. Her master’s thesis focused on Crisis Management, particularly brand apology statements following a controversy related to marginalized groups. As an Administrative Assistant in the CAHNRS Dean’s Office, she is honored to be able to assist in different facets of academia, including furthering her passion for advocating for students and employees. She is particularly passionate about supporting disability awareness and accommodation at WSU, and building an environment for neurodivergence to thrive in academia. She has been on the CAHNRS For All Committee for two years, and is excited to now serve as Vice Chair.
In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, doing nail art, designing costumes, and doing interior design projects.
Bernardita Sallato Carmona (She/Her)
Regional Specialist E-2, Prosser R&E Extension
Bernardita Sallato Carmona became a WSU Regional Extension Specialist in 2018, two years after immigrating from Chile, her home country. Her work focuses on helping growers to improve efficiencies and quality in tree fruit production systems, emphasizing sustainable practices on soils and plant nutrition. She works towards broadening education opportunities for underrepresented communities.
Yini Chen (She/Her)
Assistant Professor, Apparel, Merchandising, Design, and Textile
Dr. Yini Chen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Apparel, Merchandising, Design and Textile. She obtained a Ph.D. in individual interdisciplinary in 2022 and an M.S. in apparel, merchandising, and textiles in 2018 from Washington State University. She also obtained an M.A. in organizational leadership in 2015 from Gonzaga University. Further, she obtained a Bachelor of Business in international business in 2012 from the University of Technology, Sydney. Her research focuses include omnichannel retailing, lifestyle retailing, digital retailing, sustainability, and consumer behavior. Dr. Chen likes traveling and cooking traditional Chinese cuisine in her leisure time. She has been to sixteen different countries.
Nancy Deringer (She/Her)
Associate Dean of CAHNRS Student Success and Academic Programs
Dr. Nancy Deringer is the Associate Dean of Student Success and Academic Programs in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resources Sciences (CAHNRS) at WSU. Nancy is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator (PI) on many USDA NIFA grants focused on STEM Agricultural Pathways. She has acquired over $30M in grants and contracts from foundation, state, and federal sources. Nancy was the State Director for the Washington 4-H Youth Development Program from 2018-2022. Prior to WSU roles, she was a faculty member in the University of Idaho’s School of Family and Consumer Sciences for ten years; a national USDA-NIFA CYFAR Coach; and the statewide evaluator for the USDA NIFA’s CYFAR grantees. Nancy was Associate Director for the UI Center on Disabilities and Human Development (CDHD), a University Center on Excellence for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Nancy’s outreach focus is reaching and engaging youth and families through innovative programming. Nancy’s research area of interest is examining financial stress and retention among college students.
Clara Hill (She/Her)
Research Coordinator, IMPACT Lab
Clara is a research coordinator in the IMPACT lab in the Department of Human Development, on the Pullman campus. She coordinates multiple research and evaluation grants and contracts projects relating to substance use prevention and health promotion, and has additional research interests in early childhood development and wellbeing. Her undergraduate degrees are in English Literature and Psychology, and she has a Master’s degree in Public Health. Her passions include travel, spending time with her family, playing outside, and reading.
Miguel Inzunza (He/Him)
Director of Recruitment and Retention
Miguel Inzunza is the Director of Student Recruitment and Retention for the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) at Washington State University (WSU). With a 20-year professional career in higher education and student service, he was previously the recruiter for WSU Carson College of Business and the College of Veterinary Medicine. In both roles, he directed all recruitment efforts, student ambassador programs, and spearheaded creative retention initiatives. Miguel’s diverse experiences range from working in remote Alaska as a high school teacher to working in financial aid in a community college setting. His career focus has been helping students in all areas of student services including grant funded programs such as the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP), Professional-Technical Education recruitment, Native-American and Minority Student Services.
Harpreet Kaur (She/Her)
Plant Pathology PhD Student
Harpreet received her undergraduate degree from Punjab Agricultural University in Punjab, India. Agricultural sciences was her major. During her undergrad, she became really interested in studying plant diseases. Later, she was given the option to pursue a master’s degree in Agricultural Sciences (with an emphasis in Biotechnology) at Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee. Her master’s thesis focused on identifying pathogenicity factors in Erwinia tracheiphila. Her primary interests are in studying the host-pathogen interactions and bacterial genetics, therefore she contacted Dr. Youfu Frank Zhao at Washington State University for a Ph.D. Her research will primarily focus on understanding the genetics of the apple fire blight disease. She also wants to work on volunteer services, which will allow her to focus on doing something for others outside of academics.
Chantal Krystiniak (She/Her)
4-H Program Coordinator in Clark County Extension
Chantal is the 4-H Program Coordinator in Clark County and has been with Extension since 2019. She provides leadership for the 4-H Youth Development Program and efforts serving youth outside of the 4-H club system, specifically youth involved in the justice system. Chantal holds a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy, specializing in Leadership for Sustainability Education.
Jen Moss (She/Her)
Assistant Director, SNAP-Ed CTW
Jen leads the SNAP-Ed Curriculum, Training, and Website (CTW) team through WSU Extension. She has over sixteen years of WSU SNAP-Ed experience, filling almost every role including classroom nutrition educator and co-leading an Implementing Agency. CTW supports SNAP-Ed implementers across the state delivering training, curriculum support, and managing two websites. Jen is particularly interested in how SNAP-Ed and other public health initiatives can address inequities caused by structural racism and oppression. Jen studied nutrition at Bastyr University and is a Registered Dietitian. She loves being Mom to two amazing humans and sharing adventures with her partner, friends, and family.
Rae Olsson (They/Them)
Assistant Professor, Entomology
Rae Olsson is a scholarly assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, most passionate about insect education through a wide variety of lenses. Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet, and Rae believes the scientists who study them should be equally as well represented. Rae has been a Coug since 2015, and serves on a variety of service committees, including GIESO, as chair of the Entomology DEI committee, as a faculty advisor for WSU Students for Cultivating Change, and as a mentor and facilitator for the LIFT fellowship program. Outside of WSU, they are Poppy to twin toddlers, an enthusiastic gardener and knitter, a referee in the regional roller derby community.
Christina Sanders (She/Her)
Director, Division of Governmental Studies and Services
Christina Sanders is the Director of the WSU’s Division of Governmental Studies and Services (DGSS) and the Office of Emergency Management. She has been with DGSS since 2004 and her office is currently co-located with the offices of the Washington State Patrol in Olympia. Christina has a BS in Political Science and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Idaho, her areas of expertise include working collaboratively with state and local government entities, interpreting policies, codes and data for report publication and working with agency representatives to initiate and negotiate contracts.
Christina also has experience in facilitation and has worked extensively with public safety entities on a variety of projects. Christina is passionate about social justice, DEI issues, and her family. When she isn’t working Christina enjoys gardening and kayaking.
Tarah Sullivan (She/Her)
Associate Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Dr. Sullivan is currently an Associate Professor of Soil Microbiology in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences on the Pullman campus, where she teaches and conducts research into soil biogeochemistry, soil-plant-microbe interactions, and soil health. She is a member of CEREO and the Center for Native American Research and Collaborations and was recently awarded the WSU Diversity Award for her research and outreach projects to support traditionally underrepresented groups, smallholder farmers, agroforestry, and Indigenous peoples across the PNW. She chairs the CSS committee and participates in the Women in Science committee at both the University level and within her National Societies.
Outside of WSU, Tarah serves on the board of the Palouse Discovery Science Center and manages their “Grown Your Own Food” exhibit, as well as enthusiastically pursuing ceramics, gardening, and supporting her two daughters, dogs, cats, and chickens.
Alison White (She/Her)
Associate Professor, 4-H Youth Development Regional Specialist
Alison White’s program and research areas include youth empowerment, youth participatory action research, arts-integrated STEM, and organizational change. As WSU Extension faculty, she leads community-based programming tailored to local needs, primarily focused within Yakima and Kittitas counties. She enjoys creating and facilitating experiential learning programs that integrates art, design, ecology, and leadership through an empathy lens—empowering youth to explore their interests and build confidence, compassion, and connections while engaging with real-world issues. Alison is committed to place-based, culturally relevant approaches that honor students’ knowledge and lived experiences. She also serves on multiple national and state committees advancing access, opportunity, and belonging across 4-H Youth Development, Extension, WSU, and broader communities. Through collaborative leadership and research-informed practice, Alison seeks to create environments where all young people are supported in discovering their potential.