Courtesy Steve Yingling, Western Nevada College
Three Western Nevada College faculty members were granted tenure by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents at their virtual quarterly meeting March 4 and 5.
Biology Professor Dr. Smriti Bhattarai, Biology Professor Rachelle Bassen and Psychology Professor Dr. Rebecca Bevans were awarded tenure after being recommended for the honor after teaching at WNC since 2017.
“We are very proud of our newly tenured faculty members whose tenure was approved by the NSHE Board of Regents,” said WNC Provost Dr. Kyle Dalpe, who also serves as the college’s vice president of finance. “Academic tenure is a five-year pathway in which each pursues and perfects teaching and service to the college and its students. With this accomplishment, each is now a tenured professor at WNC and will continue to serve out students in the coming years.”
Dr. Bhattarai, who earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University, has played an important role in teaching a variety of biology courses to students since 2017. She’s also been leading Nevada INBRE research at Carson campus that involves students in different research projects.
“Education has significantly altered the trajectory of my life,” she said. “I want to help others receive education to change their lives. The satisfaction I get from playing a part in students’ achievement of their personal and professional goals is highly rewarding for me.”
Dr. Bevans has become one of students’ favorites in the psychology department in the past five years. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology (Cognitive and Brain Sciences) at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“Teaching is exciting to me!” Dr. Bevans said. “Students arrive with questions and we work on finding answers. I love assisting them in their acquisition of knowledge. My students don’t only learn about psychology, but they also learn more about themselves.”
She’s also very active with students on campus, serving as adviser for the Psychology Club and Nerd Herd, as well as coordinator for the Homeschool Academy.
Bassen completed both her bachelor's and master's degrees in biology at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M. Her department’s facilities have undergone a variety of changes in the past couple of years with a modern Biology Lab constructed in Aspen 212, including the addition of a resource not often found on college campuses — the Anatomage Table. Bassen has helped facilitate these changes and has been involved with students’ INBRE Nevada research projects.
“I really care about the well-being of others and teaching allows me to live that every day,” Bassen said. “I enjoy learning how to be more creative, flexible and open enough to engage and work with all students, making sure that they have the tools they need to be successful.”
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