CORPORATE & FOUNDATION RELATIONS
CONTACT OUR CORPORATE & FOUNDATION RELATIONS TEAM
|
In Pullman: |
In Seattle: |
|
|
Anson Fatland A native of the Pacific Northwest, Anson makes his home in Seattle with his wife and two children. According to his wife she has three kids, and often times he agrees. When not at work they can be found on skis, bikes, the soccer pitch, or on the sidelines cheering their kids in lacrosse, soccer, or gymnastics (but not all at once). |
 |
Kelsey Knutson In February 2013, Kelsey Knutson accepted the role of Administrative Assistant for the office of Economic Development and External Affairs. In this position, she is responsible for providing office support for the Associate Vice President and his initiatives in Seattle and throughout Washington State. Kelsey recently graduated from WSU, with a B.S. in Business Management, Entrepreneurship. While in school she became a Research Analyst for the WSU Innovation Assessment Center, a US Economic Development Association funded initiative to provide research and analysis for new ideas and innovations. In August 2012 she was promoted to Director and continues to hold that position in Seattle. Combining both roles, as assistant and director, Kelsey is able to create a lasting economic value for Washington State. |
 |
Karin Neuenschwander As director, Karin’s role is to guide the CFR office in achieving its goal to create a bridge for partnerships and collaborations with corporations and foundations in support of WSU programs and research. Karin is based in Pullman and has worked in CFR since February 2004. She learned about fundraising working for many years at a community action agency and has done marketing and market research in corporate positions in the US, China and Sweden and also taught English at schools and universities abroad. Karin received her M.S. in Business and Public Law from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She is a proud “adopted Cougar” and a member of CASE and PSGA. Traveling is her passion; she met her husband, Bob, on a ship from Shanghai to Hong Kong in a typhoon many years ago. |
 |
Esther Pratt As an Assistant Director, Esther’s role at CFR is to serve as a liaison; identifying and fostering partnerships between private foundations whose missions align with WSU research expertise and vision. Esther focuses primarily on supporting faculty in proposal writing efforts for private, corporate and foundation grants. With CFR in Pullman since May, 2012, Esther has over 14 years of business marketing, graphic design and proposal writing experience in both private business and for federal research funding. Prior to CFR, Esther worked as Research Development Coordinator for WSU’s Office of Grants & Research Development. Born and raised in Papua New Guinea, Esther graduated from Cal-Poly Pomona with a B.S. in Applied Anthropology. She enjoys backpacking and bike riding with husband of 23 years and her two teenagers, who will soon graduate and may turn her into “Coug-mom” in the next few years. |
 |
Joyce Robertson Based in Seattle at WSU West, Joyce is the lead for key corporate relationships, especially in the Puget Sound region. Her portfolio includes companies such as those with alignment to WSU-wide priority initiative areas, inter-disciplinary programs, clean energy, technology, and sustainable outcome areas. Joyce provides entre for companies into WSU research and workforce development areas and for faculty into commercial/industry research contacts. Prior to joining WSU, Joyce worked with global healthcare through directing the capital campaign and corporate relations program for University of Washington’s School of Pharmacy. Other experience includes leading the corporate gifts-in-kind organization for World Vision U.S. After earning an MBA from UC Berkeley, Joyce worked for many years in global business, product marketing and plant operations management in Mexico. She lives in the downtown area of Seattle and can be found on ferry boats, outdoor excursions, and involved in her community as often as possible. |
 |
Jana Fischer As the Development Coordinator for the Corporate and Foundation Relations team, Jana’s role is to research funding opportunities, coordinate and submit proposals, and provide writing and editing support for faculty in their efforts to secure grants from corporations and foundations. Prior to working at WSU, she became familiar with the unique research and funding needs of higher academia while teaching freshmen composition at two research universities and later working for an investment management firm managing liquidity portfolios for university foundations. She received her M.A. in English Literature from Boise State University and has completed work towards a Ph.D in Philosophy and Literature at Purdue University. |
 |
Scott Newell Since joining the Washington State University Foundation as a student employee in 1991, Scott has seen development research evolve from microfiche, library visits, and thermal FAX paper to our current age of smartphone applications, end-user database queries, and social media. He currently serves as the primary liaison for not only the Corporate and Foundation Relations team, but also the Cougar Athletic Fund and College of Engineering & Architecture development units. He specializes in researching corporate and foundation trends, programmatic solutions for new development ventures, and grant contract data queries using a variety of online and relational database sources. Scott and his wife, Kelly met in Pullman during their undergraduate studies at WSU. Shepherding their twin 5-year old boys and the occasional golf ball takes up the rest of his resources. |
 |
Francesca White As the Program Assistant for the Corporate and Foundation Relations team, Francesca’s role is to provide office support and assist with development program activities. She is a recent graduate of WSU College of Sciences (now College of Arts and Sciences) with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. While a student, Francesca was involved in several student organizations where she gained experience in fundraising, marketing and event planning. She plans to eventually pursue graduate studies with a special interest in STEM education and program development for underrepresented students in science and technology. Spending most of her time with her fiancé Steven (another Coug) and son Isaac, Francesca enjoys research, attempting to cook foods from all over the world, and laser tag matches with her family. |
