Welcome to the Western Region!

The Western Region proudly represents graduate and professional scholars in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

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Elected Western Region Representatives: Matthew Morris of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Amber Wilburn of Oregon State University

Matthew Morris, Western Regional Representative werep01@nbgsa.org
My name is Matthew Morris and I am a native of Las Vegas, Nevada.  I am proud to say that I have received the majority of my education while attending the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.  Though I tend to spend my summers working with different groups and organizations in other countries, I always gravitate back to Las Vegas.  In 2007, I graduated with an Educational Specialist (Ed. S) degree in School Psychology.  For the past two years I have been working as a school psychologist with the school district here in Las Vegas.  Recently, I decided to go back to school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas to complete my doctoral degree program in school psychology.  I have approximately two years until the completion of this degree. 

The Ed. S. degree I currently hold is more of a practitioner’s degree which has allowed me to practice as a psychologist for the Clark County School District.  I am more inclined to the understanding and utilization of psychology in practice and tend to not consider myself a researcher by nature.  Yet in saying this, my research area includes the study of why minorities are disproportionately represented within special education.  This area relates specifically to my role as a school psychologist as my school district has one of the highest populations of minorities in the nation.   My future goals include working with low-income schools in better handling their minority special education student populations.  I am also interested in working on a federal level on issues pertaining to minorities and special education.  

Amber Wilburn, Western Regional Representative werep02@nbgsa.org
Amber Wilburn is a native of Los Angeles, California. She began her undergraduate education as a Presidential Scholar at the University of the Pacific and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with minors in Black Studies and Statistics in 2004 and went on to receive a Master of Public Health from Oregon State University (OSU) in 2006.

Amber is currently a third year Doctoral candidate at Oregon State University (OSU) in Public Health, Health Promotion and Education. Her research focus involves analyzing how media influences the sexual behavior African American adolescents. She is also a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Graduate fellowship, and the Ruth Gill-Hammond family fellowship. At OSU, she has impacted the campus by committing to create a welcoming environment for graduate students and students of color through community service and civic engagement. In 2008, Amber established the Graduate Student of Color Network geared toward assisting graduate students of color in their adjustment to OSU. She also facilitates and organizes events geared toward assembling dissertation committees and the overall support and retention of graduate students of color.

Additionally, Amber is employed with the Educational Opportunities Program at OSU as the tutorial coordinator and tutor; a former member of the OSU Marching Band; an advisory board member of the Black Cultural Center; and she serves as a Commissioner for the City of Corvallis’ Commission of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ms. Wilburn is also a member of the Zeta Sigma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in Portland, Oregon.

Upon graduation, Amber plans to continue her research on media influences on sexual behavior, social and cultural influences on sexual health and discrimination in access to health care. Her ultimate goals are to become a professor of Public Health and/or Women’s Studies and to open a health care center in a low-income African American area disseminating culturally appropriate information.

Contact the representatives in your region for more information regarding sponsorship opportunities, starting a chapter at your own school and becoming an NBGSA Affiliate.

Interested in getting involved with NBGSA?  Consider becoming a State Representative or Academic Representative.