Doreen Keller Named Sue Chandler Endowed Professor in Education
Keller has been in the education field for more than 25 years. She came to Whitworth as a visiting professor in 2013 and two years later became a part of the university’s permanent faculty. She has taught in the MIT program for more than a decade and has extensive experience in secondary teaching and learning. Keller is known for encouraging her teacher candidates to be leaders in pedagogy, practicing cultural responsiveness, empathy and care with their students.
As the Sue Chandler Chair, Keller says she will focus on MIT curricular upgrades including making the program more culturally sustaining, trauma-informed, place-based and AI-forward. She will also create a new MIT teacher-leader alumni network where she will call on the university’s most recent graduates who are now teachers in Spokane and whom she believes have the potential to impact practice, inform policy and help her recruit new, passionate teachers to the profession.
John Pell, interim provost, says Keller exemplifies everything this endowment represents.
“This recognition speaks to her unwavering dedication to student success and her drive to shape the future of education with a mind-and-heart lens,” Pell says. “I am confident Professor Keller will continue to push the boundaries of excellence in teaching, furthering the mission of our institution and helping us maintain our standing as the best education program in the Pacific Northwest.”
The Sue Chandler Endowed Professorship in Education was established by Scott Chandler ’84, a member of Whitworth’s board of trustees. It’s named in honor of his wife, Sue ’85, who has been an instrumental force for improving education in her community of Littleton, Colo.
Keller’s appointment will begin July 1, 2025, and run for four years.
About Whitworth University:
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Contacts:
Trisha Coder, associate director of media relations, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu.
