Sarah Penney

Sarah Penney, an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho, holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Child Development and Family Studies from South Dakota State University and a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Idaho. Ms. Penney is currently the Diversity, Outreach, and Communications Coordinator for the Idaho EPSCoR Program – a program funded by the National Science Foundation which is designed to increase the number of underrepresented students in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics).

Ms Penney has grant writing experience as well as extensive experience working within higher education. Her most recent experience includes serving as Director for the Office of Recruitment and Retention at Washington State University. She has also served in various capacities at UI including Director of the Teacher Recruitment Program, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs, and Associate Director of Northwest Nations Educational Opportunity Center, a federal TRIO Program which is specifically designed to provide service delivery to students from low-income and first-generation backgrounds. She also conducts workshops and trainings for UI, WSU, and other constituencies on topics such as college transition for underrepresented populations, understanding the culture of higher education, and working with students and families from low-income backgrounds.