Annual Programs

The Intercultural Center is proud to open the call for applications for the David Nord Award. The David Nord Award is presented annually to support LGBTQIA+ focused projects on campus. This award encourages the Whitman community to engage critical issues facing LGBTQIA+ communities through a variety of creative and scholarly mediums. Recipients will receive a cash award along with financial support to complete the project if the project requires it.

Eligibility

Current Whitman College students, faculty members, staff members, and student/ faculty/staff teams are eligible to apply. Preference is given to student proposals that directly impact the community through an interactive project. 
Projects may include:

• Creating an art exhibit
• Producing a video documentary
• Conducting quantitative or qualitative research projects
• Developing a collection of poems
• Writing a play
• Choreographing a dance performance
• Others, as appropriate

How to apply

Proposals will be submitted through email glbtq@whitman.edu and should follow the general application form that can be found at this link. The applications open on March 13th and close on April 13th. Late submissions will not be accepted. 

Click Here to Apply!

The application form includes:

• Name of applicant(s) and faculty/staff adviser for student projects;
• A description of the nature and scope of the project identifying the main issues or themes to be covered;
• A rationale indicating the impact that the project has on the Whitman community and beyond;
• A project timeline; 
• A budget for expenses associated with the project, if any (generally budgets are capped around $TBA);

If you are someone that is interested in this opportunity but not sure how to write out the project proposal, sign up for an interactive info session about the award where you can learn more about what makes a successful application.

What is the David Nord Award? 

The David Nord award is presented to Current Whitman College students, faculty members, and student/faculty teams to complete projects that address critical issues facing queer communities through a variety of creative and scholarly mediums.

David Nord graduated from Whitman college in 1983 with honors in political science. An active member of Phi Delta Theta, he was elected president of ASWC. Recipient of the Truman Scholarship and the US Senate Leadership Award, he worked as an intern with US Senator Henry M. Jackson and served as a delegate to the 1996 Democratic Party Convention.
David earned his Master’s degree in psychology from Antioch University and had a psychotherapy practice before becoming a full-time researcher and writer. 
He is author of “Multiple Aids-Related Loss: A Handbook for Understanding and Surviving a Perpetual Fall”. In November 1999, David died of AIDS.

David wrote in a 1996 letter to Dean of Students, Chuck Cleveland: 

“I wish I could say that my college memories were mainly pleasant but they were decidedly not. I always felt the need to hide and obviously displaced a lot of my frustration and fear into outward directed energies with mixed results.

I wish that I could have been self aware and confident enough to seek some help while at Whitman. Instead, I remained hidden for many years that were painful beyond description. Therefore, I have a strongly motivated desire to help make things better for the generations which follow. I can hardly tell you how happy I am to hear that the environment is so much better at Whitman. I would like to help make it better in a continuing way.”

A generous and thoughtful alum, he established the endowment for this annual award prior to his death and attended the first presentation in 1996. The award celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and pays tribute to the memory of David Nord. 

Award Winners:

Rainbow Graduation is held every year in May to celebrate the school year, student accomplishments, and specifically graduating LGBTQIA+ students. All LGBTQIA+ seniors are welcome to sign-up to receive rainbow tassels.  Additionally, each year a student award is given out - details about the award will be published in March.

For more information, contact the Intercultural Center at 509-527-5596.