Gary Varrella

Dr. Gary Varrella serves as the Spokane County Extension Director and Associate Professor in the 4-H Youth & Families Program Unit at Washington State University (WSU). He leads youth development programs for ages 5-19, including 4-H initiatives, STEAM education, military family support, and volunteer training for over 300 4-H volunteers.

• PhD in Science Education, University of Iowa (1997)
• M.Ed. in Curriculum and Organizational Development, UC Davis (1987)
• B.S. in Animal Science, UC Davis (1976)

His research focuses on youth leadership, non-formal education settings, curriculum design, and international development in post-Soviet countries. He is a co-author of 2016 book on integrated curricular models and has led evaluations of 4-H professional training programs.

Recent publications emphasize nutrition education through youth-led initiatives, media literacy approaches, and volunteer development strategies. These works span public health, educational pedagogy, and community-based program design.

• National Association of Geoscience Teachers Exemplary Teaching Unit (2018)
• Western Region Communicator Award (2015)
• National 4-H Agents Distinguished Service Award (2014)

Dr. Varrella currently serves as CoPI on four externally funded nutrition/healthy living projects and PI for a military youth development initiative. His work bridges academic research with practical implementation across urban-rural interfaces.