Faculty Spotlight: Kim Hales

Statewide Senior Lecturer Kim Hales has been an influential part of the English Department. Through community engagement, charity collaboration, and a dedication to preserving writing, Kim has been involved in incredible projects during her time at USU. 

In Kim’s English 1010 and 2010 classes, students choose a community-engaged project based on in-class assignments, prompts, and activities that allow them to hone in on a problem they feel connected to or have been impacted by. Examples of projects include subjects on road conditions and construction, mental health issues, university issues, homelessness, and access to healthcare.

One essay on traffic controls even led to the State of Utah installing three stop lights in Roosevelt. In addition, many of the projects have led to community engagement and opportunities for the students. “Community partners have worked with students to invite them to training, conferences, and presentations for mental health awareness and advocacy. I work with our biologists and air quality scientists to send my students to them, and this has resulted in student interns working with them on projects,” Kim reflects. “In Roosevelt, it has opened up lines of communication between students and the local school board, City Council, Library Board, County Commission, and Mental Health Community Intervention Specialists who all come to class to speak with students and have been happy to have students engaged in the workings of communities and how to navigate community problem-solving.”

Kim said she came up with this idea because of the training and encouragement she received from her department after starting her time at USU in 2012. She comments, “Over the years, it fits the USU outcomes to a T, and it engages students in applied learning that emphasizes the practicality of writing to affect change in the real world.”

In addition to her work in class, Kim has collaborated with TechCharities, a Salt Lake City-based organization that helps vulnerable populations with device accessibility. After she reached out to them, they came and taught an internet safety class in Roosevelt, and each attendee there was even given a free device. “Later, I was able to work with them to have devices on hand for students who are members of the Northern Ute Tribe taking classes through a partnership USU Uintah Basin has with the Ute Tribe (EDCO),” Kim says.

Another project Kim is working on is creating a library with a retiring faculty member, John Barton’s, collection of books. John has been part of the campus in Roosevelt since it was a very new campus and has developed a history program very focused on the history of Uintah Basin.

“In preparation for his retirement this summer, John began offering some of his books to colleagues, so I approached the Associate Vice President and asked if we might be able to begin an honor library using his collection,” Kim says. The idea was greenlit by AVP David Law, and John agreed to donate the books he wasn’t planning on keeping. Since then, the project has collaborated with the director of facilities to workshop the space allotted and a marketing team to create signage to honor John’s years at USU.

“We used to have a traditional library here, but that was discontinued during the remodeling process to better utilize the space to meet students’ needs for technology and space,” Kim says. “As an avid reader, an educator, and an English teacher, hosting books and promoting literacy is integral to my philosophy and my pedagogy. I think it is criminal that we don’t have books on our campus, especially books directly related to the history of this area. John shares this philosophy. This is a great way to remind the students and the community of the history of our campus and our area while making books available for borrowing, donating, or keeping.”