Dora Vaughan

Person mountain biking on a dirt trail through a forest, wearing a red jacket, helmet, and glasses, leaning into a turn.

Dora (she/her) coordinates the Climate Leadership Certificate Program, supports student leaders in sustainability roles on campus, and engages the campus community in sustainability-focused co-curricular and academic programs. Dora is a Western alum (‘22), with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Leadership Studies.

Before working with the SEI, Dora developed the Housing Sustainability Program in University Residences, where she focused on waste education, behavior change campaigns for resource conservation, and increasing student engagement in intersectional sustainability. She is passionate about creating solutions to make higher education more equitable, co-founding the Residence Hall Reuse Program (2020) that diverts 3,000+ pounds of appliances annually from waste streams into a circular borrowing program, prioritizing Pell grant recipients and first-generation students.

Dora serves the community through the WWU Morse Leadership Advisory Board as Chair of the Student Outreach Committee (2025-27), supporting student leaders in their academic and professional journeys, and the Shifting Gears Board of Directors (2025-27), a local non-profit creating equitable outdoor recreation for women.

As a PNW native, she thrives when surrounded by conifers and the Puget Sound, whether biking, swimming, paddling, or connecting with friends and family. When not outside, you can find her curled up with a good book and her cats or paper crafting and upcycling DIY projects.