Newsroom

Lia Beatty '21 Advocates for Accessibility Amid Cheating Scandal

March 13, 2019 Beatty, who is studying neuroscience at Whitman, lobbied for students with learning disabilities on Capitol Hill last month as part of the National Center for Learning Disabilities' #StandWithLD event. She spoke out against the recent admission fraud case, calling it "deeply unsetting and upsetting." Since part of the scam allegedly involved exploiting test-taking accommodations meant for students with special needs, advocates like her fear it could become tougher for applicants who actually need such accommodations to get them.

Whitman Professor Discusses Netflix Adaptation of One Hundred Years of Solitude

March 6, 2019 Assistant Professor of Sociology Álvaro Santana-Acuña, who is writing a book on the global impact of Gabriel García Márquez's classic novel, reacted to the news that Netflix has acquired the rights to the story and will produce the first-ever series set in Macondo.

Walla Walla lauded as top travel destination

March 5, 2019 For "a town full of passion projects, but without pretense" look no further than Walla Walla, known not just for apples and wheat, but a thriving wine and fine dining scene with a "refreshingly down-to-earth spirit."

Sheehan Gallery Adds Color to Local Art Scene

February 24, 2019 For a town its size, Walla Walla certainly sustains a vibrant art scene. Since 1973, Whitman's Sheehan Gallery has played a proud part in that tradition, welcoming countless visitors through its wide wooden doors to enjoy the six exhibitions it mounts each season, all of which are free and open to the public.

Lee Mills '09 named Associate Conductor for the Seattle Symphony

January 9, 2019 As the Seattle Symphony’s new Associate Conductor, Mills will conduct a wide range of Seattle Symphony concerts throughout the 2019–2020 season, including Holiday programs and Family and Community Concerts.

Alumna chosen to head Colorado's agriculture department

December 21, 2018 Kate Greenberg '09 will serve as the state's first female agriculture commissioner

Harper Joy Theatre Explores Community Impact Of Immigration

December 17, 2018 For the new production, Because You Are Here, Whitman students and faculty interviewed about 35 people in Walla Walla ranging from a recent high school graduate to people in their 60s. Ten of those interviews became the script of the play. They also created a website called Hear Here, Walla Walla to showcase some of the stories.

Whitties Enjoy Memorable Holiday Roadtrip

December 6, 2018 Psychology major Gökay Abacı '20, an international student from Turkey, and his friend Harry Kelso '20, a film and media studies major, took an unforgettable Thanksgiving vacation to California. After making a sign explaining that they were in search of a friendly family with whom to spend the holiday, they wound up invited to Thanksgiving dinner with a merry group of writers and musicians they had never met.

Professor Michelle Janning on Socioeconomic Implications of Smart Homes

November 16, 2018 Raymond and Elsie DeBurgh Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology Michelle Janning, author of The Stuff of Family Life: How Our Homes Reflect Our Lives, discussed the connotations of high-tech furnishings in so-called smart homes: "Being able to have emptiness in a home, you have to be able to afford this in the first place. Minimalism is only affordable to the affluent," she said.

English Professor Explores Themes of Debut Essay Collection

November 13, 2018 Assistant Professor of English Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel, who teaches creative writing at Whitman, spoke about her new work "Fear Icons," which won the inaugural Gournay Prize at Ohio State University’s Mad Creek Books.

Harmony in the Valley: How Whitman Partners With Local Music Scene

November 12, 2018 As the holidays approach, few traditions are as time-honored as families gathering to enjoy good music together. With annual favorites like the Feast of Carols on the horizon, Walla Walla is the perfect place to do so — and not just now, but all year round, as musicians from the college and community come together in countless ways.

Sociology Professor on "Romantic Marketplace" of Ghostwritten Love Letters

October 16, 2018 In an article on the significance of love letters, Raymond and Elsie DeBurgh Chair of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology Michelle Janning explained how "paying for a [professionally composed or ghostwritten] love letter shows that people feel pressure to 'prove' their romantic worth to society" through the written word in much the same way as they would by buying a box of chocolates. In Janning's book, Love Letters: Saving Romance in the Digital Age, she found that 88 percent of the more than 800 people surveyed said that they keep the love notes they receive as mementos.

Politics Professor Reacts to State Death Penalty Ruling

October 15, 2018 The Washington State Supreme Court recently became the third high court in the nation to abolish the death penalty, with justices declaring capital punishment "invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner." Baker Ferguson Chair of Politics and Leadership Timothy Kaufman-Osborn has studied the death penalty for decades and his research has been cited by the Washington State Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court. He shared his expertise with Think Out Loud host Dave Miller.

Herpetologist Kate Jackson on Cannibalism Among Male Cobras

October 3, 2018 The associate professor of biology and snake expert commented on a new study showing that male cobras consume smaller rivals more often than previously thought. She added, "Too much of what is known of the diets of snakes in the wild is based only on lists of prey items obtained from field guides," rather than through observation.

Jessica Cook '00 Stewards Walla Walla Community College Foundation

September 16, 2018 An art history major at Whitman, she now serves as executive director of the Walla Walla Community College Foundation, which generates about $1 million annually for student scholarships and emergency assistance.

Whitman Politics Professor Cited on Midterm Elections

September 3, 2018 According to Associate Professor of Politics Susanne Beechey, both Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and her challenger, Lisa Brown, are emphasizing their motherhood and femininity in the race, but in different ways.

Whitman Alumni Ranked Among Happiest, Most Successful

August 21, 2018 Whitman was featured in a roundup of Grateful Grads 2018 - 200 Colleges With The Happiest, Most Successful Alumni.

Biology Professor Cited on Scientific Whistleblowing

July 24, 2018 Associate Professor of Biology Tim Parker, who recently published a paper on avoiding questionable research practices in ecology and evolution, discussed the best way to address faulty or misleading information in scientific literature and when a researcher should call for a retraction.

Whitties Top Earning Graduates in Washington State

July 24, 2018 New rankings released by the career search site Zippia, which analyzed mean earnings of graduates a decade after they started college to determine which school in each state graduates the highest earners on average, showed Whitman in the lead for Washington.

Whitman Ranked Among Top LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges

July 12, 2018 Whitman was recognized as a Top LGBTQ-Friendly College for 2018-19 by AffordableCollegesOnline.org. The higher education information, resources, affordability and rankings site lists Whitman as one of the most inclusive campuses in the country for LGBTQ students, faculty and staff.