2026 Rivers, Watersheds and Communities Symposium

REGISTER HERE BY APRIL 16th!

Dates: May 13-15, 2026

Location: Washington State University – Vancouver, Washington campus

Vancouver Undergraduate Building (VUB), Room 121

14204 NE Salmon Creek Avenue, Vancouver, WA

What is the NRT-RWC symposium?

Deteriorating water quality drives an invisible crisis in our rivers and streams. To address this, WSU started a graduate training program named Rivers, Watersheds, and Communities (RWC), which commits to working closely with communities to co-produce information aimed at improving water quality for human and environmental health.

We are now in the 5th year of the program. With 28 graduate students and 25 faculty mentors, we have a lot to celebrate and reflect on over the past four years of the traineeship (NRT) and our work to develop meaningful partnerships with those working on or affected by water quality issues. In attendance will be invited WSU faculty, staff, students, and community partners, so that together we can reflect on the community engaged research experiences of WSU graduate students. We will continue to develop ideas about how to co-create research that addresses the wide range of ecosystem and human health issues in the Columbia River Basin.

Symposium Objectives

  • Highlight the achievements of the RWC program and graduating students
  • Reflect on the community engaged research experiences of graduate students
  • Develop a community of RWC participants, whether as researchers or other practitioners
  • Institutionalize the RWC Program at WSU
  • Facilitate external review by the External Advisory Committee and evaluators
  • Provide opportunities to network with the RWC cohorts, researchers, and other community members

Highlights of the Symposium Agenda

Wednesday, May 13th:
  • 9:00 am: Welcome and check-in (VUB 121)
  • 9:30 am: Introductions and presentations of the RWC Traineeship and Research Themes
    • Dr. Jan Boll, RWC Program Director
    • Sam Robinson, Vice Chairman of the Chinook Indian Nation
  • 10:00 am: 2025-2026 Highlights of the RWC Program
    • Dr. Jan Boll, RWC Program Director
    • Anna James, RWC Program Coordinator
    • Dr. Dan Cronan, RWC Faculty Mentor
    • Evan Leacox, RWC Ph.D. Student
  • 10:30 am Coffee Break
  • 11:00 am – 11:40 am: Living Atlas of the RWC Program
    • Presentations by RWC faculty and students
  • 11:40 am – 12:00pm: “In-Progress” Research Talks by RWC Students
  • 12:00 – 1:00 pm: Lunch break – Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) provided for those who indicated attendance on the registration form.
  • 1:00 – 2:15pm: Research talks (VUB 121)
    • Presentations by RWC students
  • 2:30 – 4:30pm: Poster session (Hallway and lobby outside VUB 100)
  • 5:00 – 7:00pm: BBQ at Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park, 9612 NW Lower River Rd. Vancouver, WA 98660
    • We invite you to join the RWC Leadership Team, Faculty mentors, External Advisory Committee, Evaluators, RWC Students, and Guests for a family-friendly BBQ at Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park on the Columbia River.
Thursday, May 14th – WSU Vancouver Campus and Field Trip
  • 7:30 am – 8:30am: Cohort 3 meets the External Advisory Committee (EAC) for breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express – Salmon Creek
  • 9:00am: Day 2 Opening remarks and logistics (VUB 121)
  • 9:30am: Program meetings with External Advisory Committee and External Evaluators
    • 9:30-10:30am: EAC Meeting with 4th Cohort and External Evaluator (VUB 124)
    • 9:30-10:30am: RWC Faculty Mentors (VUB 225)
    • 9:30-10:30am: Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 meet with Jan, Anna, Dan Cronan, and Ken Lokensgard (VUB 126)
  • 10:30am – 5:00pm: Group field trip, including a possible visit to a beaver relocation site and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse in the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. We will stop for lunch in Ridgefield, WA at Carts by the Park, a food truck pod located in Ridgefield’s downtown.
    • Other lunch options include Shawarma Refuge (Halal Certified), and various restaurants and bakeries in downtown Ridgefield
  • 6:30pm: RWC Leadership Team, Faculty Mentors, EAC, and Evaluator meet for dinner at the Vancouver Waterfront (The Waterfront Taphouse)
Friday, May 15th – Field Trip to Mt. Hood
  • 7:30 am – 8:30am: Cohorts 1 & 2 meet the EAC for breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express – Salmon Creek
  • 9:00am: Day 3 Opening remarks and logistics (VUB 121)
  • 9:30am: Program Meetings
    • 9:30-10:30am: EAC Meeting with RWC Leadership Team (VUB 124)
  • 11:00am: Depart for Mt. Hood and field trip with non-profit organization Bark
    • Bark’s mission is to transform Mt. Hood National Forest into a place where natural processes prevail, where wildlife thrives and where local communities have a social, cultural, and economic investment in its restoration and preservation.
  • 3:00pm (approximately, exact timing TBD): Field trip concludes, and travel home begins.

Additional details:

  • Parking will be free on the Vancouver Campus May 13-15 for the RWC Symposium.
  • The RWC Program will provide transportation from the hotel to campus each morning, and back to the hotel in the evenings. We will also provide transportation for the field trips.
  • Please contact RWC Program Director Dr. Jan Boll at j.boll@wsu.edu or RWC Program Coordinator Anna James at a.james@wsu.edu with any additional questions.