Student Involvement
COUG TALKS
Every spring semester, The Leadership Center brings notable speakers, advocates, artists and other inspiring individuals to campus. Events are designed to cultivate discussion of relevant topics while bringing new insight and understanding of the many paths of leadership.
Past Talks

The Stigmas Facing Female Leaders
The Cougar Leadership Team will be hosting a March Coug Talks event focused on the stigmas facing female leaders. This panel will feature several student and community leaders with varying backgrounds and stories.
Panelist:
Amy Nusbaum - D. candidate at WSU Pullman for the Department of Psychology
Jeanine Leach - Student Director of Campus Pantry @ WSU Spokane and Student Clinician for Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Program @ WSU Spokane
Kitara Johnson - Chief Development & Diversity Officer @ Excelsior Wellness in Spokane
Jene Ray - Whole Family Engagement Coordinator @ The Zone Project in Spokane
Joanne Greene - UREC Director of Programming
Mariela Frias-Gomez - DC & VIBES Co-Chair
Amanda Krieger - moderator

LEADING WHILE BLACK:
The Joys and Struggles of Being a Black Leader in America.
February 2020's Coug Talk was a discussion around the stigmas and hurdles facing black leaders in our community. Moderated by visiting professor Dr. Amir Gilmore and featured several leaders from across WSU.

Geo Quibuyen aka Prometheus Brown
Geo Quibuyen, aka Prometheus Brown, is a Cali-born, Hawaii-raised, Seattle-based 2nd generation Filipino American rapper, writer and cultural worker.
He is best known for his work as the vocalist for Seattle hip-hop duo Blue Scholars with DJ and producer Sabzi as well as being a member of Beatrock Music’s trio The Bar, along with DJ Nphared and Bambu.
Apart from his musical endeavors, Geo also delves into his interests in food and photography, starting Filipino pop-up restaurant Food & Sh*t and Seattle eatery Hood Famous Bakeshop along with his wife Chera, as well as co-founding the online photography project Rappers W/ Cameras.
Fueled by a passion for economic justice and racial equity, Geo’s cultural endeavors are informed by years of community organizing and youth advocacy. During his time as a University of Washington student, Geo became a member of Seattle's isangmahal arts kollective in the early 2000’s as well as a founding member of AnakBayan Seattle, a Filipino-led youth and student organization promoting national democracy in the Philippines, and remained active in the community after his time at UW. Today, he remains involved in issues affecting local marginalized communities and works towards bridging these struggles to communities nation- and worldwide through his cultural works.
Geo has been featured in documentaries such as "The Otherside" and he narrated the documentary, "One Generation’s Time: The Legacy of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes." He has written op-ed articles and film reviews in various publications such as Al-Jazeera, The Seattle Times, ColorLines, and City Arts Magazine. Currently, he is writing a photoessay book on how Seattle neighborhoods and history have shaped the local music scene, co-running Hood Famous Bakeshop, raising two sons, mentoring young local musicians and continuing to write and perform music.

Erin Jones
Featured in numerous TEDx Talks, Erin Jones is widely known for her culturally-responsive practices.
Jones is an independent education and systems consultant and former candidate for Washington superintendent of public instruction.
Watch: "Bridges" at TEDx University of Washington
Watch: "Passion for Change" at TEDx Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart