John Korsmo, Ph.D.

He/Him/His, Associate Dean for Student Services, Professor of Human Services

About

John Korsmo is the Associate Dean for Student Access, Success, and Outreach for Woodring College of Education and Professor of Human Services in the Health and Community Studies Department. Dr. Korsmo is an applied scholar, whose work has been instrumental in supporting the development of the field of youth work and supporting community development efforts regionally and nationally. His scholarly and teaching interests are situated within family culture and wellbeing, in the context of culturally sustaining and honoring pedagogy. His work is particularly related to youth and family efforts to deal with and depart from cycles of poverty and violence. Included here is attention to college access and attainment for low income and first-generation college goers. Having worked in numerous capacities in under-resourced neighborhoods in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Washington, John’s related experiences range from primary school P.E. teacher, high school coach, counselor, and youth worker to Executive Director of two organizations, consultant, professor, and more (and unrelated, but just as important: berry-picker, farm-hand, janitor, paper ‘boy’, landscaper, construction crew, laundry mat manager, and more. These many non-academic roles hold as important place for him as his academic roles).

His dedication to supporting low income and first-generation students has been central to his work at Western. His teaching is inspired by more than two decades of practice in the human services sector – primarily working with children, youth, and families experiencing poverty, systemic racism, oppression, and marginalization.

John has published in numerous journals such as Educational Leadership, International Child and Youth Care Network, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, International Schools Journal, Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, and Qualitative Inquiry among others. Additionally, John has authored a variety of book chapters, position papers, periodicals and curriculum guides that have been used to serve thousands of students across the US and abroad. John has provided leadership consultation and professional development for more than 100 programs and organizations throughout the United States and has conducted hundreds of presentations in 34 states and six countries outside the US. In his work in communities he has collaborated to raise tens of millions of dollars for a range of human services, education, community building and arts and culture endeavors through grants, contacts, and private donors.

John’s motivation comes from his own experiences in poverty and as a 1st-generation college graduate, and is sustained through his family, friends, community partners, and students. He has received awards and distinctions for his organizational leadership, scholarship, community engagement, and teaching including being awarded Western Washington University’s Excellence in Teaching Award in spring, 2021.

Degrees

Ph.D., Urban Education, emphasis Multicultural Education: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

M.S., Educational Psychology, Community Counseling: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

B.S., Social Studies: Portland State University

A.A., Psychology: Portland Community College