Dr. Laurie Trautman is the Director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, where she engages in a range of research activities focused on the U.S. – Canada border, and the Washington – B.C. region. In addition to working with faculty and students, she collaborates with the private sector and government agencies to inform policy solutions and advance cross-border collaboration. Laurie participates in a number of working groups that are actively engaged in the U.S. – Canada relationship, and co-chairs committees for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region and the Future Borders Coalition.  Dr. Trautman also serves on the steering committee for the Cascadia Innovation Corridor. She is 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.