Convocation

Whitman College’s annual Convocation ceremony is a calling together of everyone on campus—students, faculty and staff—to mark the beginning of the next academic cycle, and to welcome the incoming class of first-year students into our community.

Convocation took place on Monday, August 28, 2023 at 4 p.m. in Cordiner Hall.

2023 Convocation Video:

2023 Convocation Program

Processional
Kraig Scott, Professor of Music, Walla Walla University; Studio Music Instructor, Whitman College, organ

Welcome and Introductions
Alzada J. Tipton, Provost and Dean of the Faculty

“How Do We Know What Is Possible?”
Rebecca Hanrahan, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Faculty

Musical Interlude
Jack Allard ’24, drums
Marina Balasanyan ’24, vocals
Merry Cockroft ’24, bass
Jed Matthias ’24, trumpet
Jonah Panzer ’24, alto saxophone
Philip Ratner ’25, keyboard

Convocation Address: “Living In Interesting Times”
Jakobina “Bina” Arch, Associate Professor of History

Musical Inerlude
Lau’ Paula Evangeline Zion Rose ’23, vocals and ukulele

Opening of the Academic Year
Sarah R. Bolton, President

Recessional
Kraig Scott, organist

Platform Party
Sarah R. Bolton, President
John Cotts, Chair of Division I and Professor of History
Rebecca Hanrahan, Chair of the Faculty and Associate Professor of Philosophy
Helen Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Sociology
Lydia McDermott, Chair of Division II and Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Writing, and Public Discourse
Mary Raschko, Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Associate Professor of English
Albert Schueller, Chair of Division III and Mina Schwabacher Professor of Mathematics
Alzada J. Tipton, Provost and Dean of the Faculty and Professor of English
Representative, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Whitman College Faculty Milestones
Effective with the 2023-2024 Academic Year

Promotion to Professor
Pavel Blagov, Professor of Psychology
Janet L. N. Davis, Professor and Microsoft Chair of Computer Science
Marcus A. Juhasz, Professor of Chemistry
Julia Anne Ireland, Professor of German Studies and Philosophy

Granted Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor
Jonathan A. Collins, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Marina Ptukhina, Associate Professor of Statistics

Promotion to Senior Lecturer
Jose Cedeno, Head Men’s Soccer Coach & Senior Lecturer of Sport Studies
Matthew Helm, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach & Senior Lecturer of Sport Studies
John Lamanna, Head Men’s Basketball Coach & Senior Lecturer of Sport Studies

Named to Endowed Chair
Brian R. Dott, Robert Allen Skotheim Chair of History

Special Participants:

College Marshal
Helen Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor of Sociology

Faculty Marshal
Barry Balof, Professor of Mathematics

Student Marshals (Class of 2024)
Holly Hermanson
Pearl Kim
Kasey Moulton
Coden Stark
Benny Vasconcelos

American Sign Language Interpreters
Cori Jones
Paula Bazinet

Land Acknowledgment:
Whitman College is located on the traditional Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla homelands. We pay our respect to tribal elders both past and present and extend our respect to all Indigenous people today. We honor their stewardship of the land and ecosystem and commit to continuing that important work.