BPRI Staff

360-650-2642
Laurie.Trautman@wwu.edu

Dr. Laurie Trautman engages in a range of research activities focused on the U.S. – Canada border, particularly in the Washington – British Columbia region. Topics include trade, transportation, security, and human mobility. In addition to working with faculty and students, she collaborates with the private sector and government agencies to advance policy solutions that balance cross-border flows with the need for efficiency and security. Laurie participates in working groups that are actively engaged in the U.S. – Canada relationship, including the International Mobility and Trade Corridor Program and the Canada – U.S. Transportation Border Working Group. She co-chairs the Border Issues working group of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and was recently appointed to the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. Laurie is currently a Global Fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center and a Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

She holds a PhD in Geography from the University of Oregon, a MSc. from Montana State University, and a BA from Western Washington University in Environmental Economics.

(360) 650-3253
Jennifer.Bettis@wwu.edu

Jennifer heads BPRI's research efforts including: fieldwork projects, conducting data & policy analysis, and pursuing new research trajectories. She manages the portfolio of BPRI's research initiatives and grant funded projects; facilitates the publication of BPRI reports and briefs; conducts media outreach & manages social media. Jennifer mentors and supervises BPRI's student research assistants and interns, as well as collaborates with faculty and researchers on a variety of topics related to the border. Her work plays a critical role in both maintaining and furthering regional understandings of the importance of the international border in the BC-WA region.

She holds a Master's degree in Political Science, and a BA in Social Science - both from CSU Chico. Her primary research interests include cross-border regionalism & governance, the role of media in the borderlands, and cross-border trade & travel dynamics. 

Rebecca Cochran is a Research Assistant for BPRI, currently assisting Jennifer Bettis on BPRI research initiatives and projects. Rebecca is currently completing a bachelor's in environmental studies with a GIS Emphasis and a GIS Certificate. Her academic and research interests include policy, ecosystem dynamics, and resource availability.  

As a Border Policy Research Institute Research Assistant, I support staff with research activities like, collecting data, and map-making pursuits. I’m currently pursuing a B.A. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis and certificate in Geographic Information Science. I work with the BPRI as a research assistant with a focus on understanding the evolving relationship along the U.S.-Canada border. I enjoy examining and learning more about the intricate dynamics between human and ecological systems. I’m particularly drawn to how cross-border collaboration and research can improve sustainability methods and inform environmental decision-making.

Andréanne Bissonnette is a fellow at the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University where she previously was a postdoctoral researcher (2023-2025). She is also an associate researcher at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair in Strategic and Diplomatic Studies. In 2019, she was a fellow at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso.

She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Quebec in Montreal. Her doctoral dissertation, grounded in intersectional geopolitics, focuses on the experiences and perceptions of access to abortion among Latina women residing in four U.S. states. Her primary research interests include reproductive health policies and access to health care, including in cross-border contexts. She also conducts research on border policies and migration.

Don.Alper@wwu.edu

Don is a Professor Emeritus who retired after 43 years of teaching in the Political Science department at WWU. Don established the BPRI in 2005 and served as the longtime director of both BPRI and the Center for Canadian – American Studies.  A native of California, he holds a Ph.D. in political science from The University of British Columbia. Don’s research interests focus on Canadian politics and British Columbia-U.S. transboundary issues. He continues to be involved with the BPRI.