Newsroom

Theatre professor edits expanded Michael Chekhov collection

June 19, 2018 Assistant Professor of Theatre Jessica Cerullo, who also serves on the faculty of The Michael Chekhov Association, edited and introduced the new edition, which supplements the 18 lessons from Chekhov's original book with nine additional lectures from the Chekhov archives. It will be published this summer in English, German and Russian. Born in 1891, Michael Chekhov was an internationally celebrated actor, teacher and director, and nephew of the playwright Anton Chekhov.

Jim Edmunds '78 brings tech jobs to Walla Walla

June 3, 2018 Edmunds, who is the CEO of Seattle-based tech firm Ingeniux, expanded the software company to Walla Walla two years ago. That office has doubled its employment over the last year to 14 people, with 13 of them already residing in the local community. A member of the President's Advisory Board at Whitman, Edmunds scouted locations all over the country before setting on Walla Walla.

Catherine Williams '70 performs at Carnegie Hall

June 1, 2018 A sociology major at Whitman, she sang with the South Sound Classical Choir and 250 other singers from around the world. Carnegie Hall's composer-in-residence, James Maeders, conducted. A lifelong musician who plays the guitar and other instruments, Williams and her friends once earned extra money over the weekends by busking on the streets of Seattle. She later joined a group that performed folk and fiddle tunes.

Professor Don Snow on imagery of the American West

May 25, 2018 Senior Lecturer of Environmental Humanities and General Studies Don Snow gave a three-part interview regarding topics ranging from novelist Wallace Stegner to the Trump Administration's attempts to weaken federal environmental laws, regulations and protections.

John Stegner '77 appointed to Idaho Supreme Court

May 22, 2018 The political science major with a law degree from the University of Idaho has served as a district judge in Moscow, Idaho, since 1997. "I am extremely honored to have been chosen by Gov. Otter to fill the open seat on Idaho's Supreme Court," Stegner said. "I will do my utmost to live up to the responsibility placed on me."

Whitman professor Kevin Pogue on how volcanoes affect Italy's wine

May 16, 2018 Pogue, a professor of geology with a special interest in volcanic lava that has cooled to form basalt, explained that in some of the country's most celebrated wine regions, the rocks are 50 million years old and related to tectonic conditions that no longer exist. "They're essentially eroded so there's no chance of them erupting," he said. However, Italy's wines are still shaped by its geologic history, as the meeting of the African and Eurasian plates impacts the entire Mediterranean area.

Watson Fellow inspired by Adopt-a-Grandparent

May 13, 2018 Devin Reese '18, a biology and film and media studies major from San Francisco, is one of two Whitties to win the coveted Watson Fellowship this year (the other is race and ethnic studies major Zuhra Amini '18 from Seatac, Washington). His project centers on aging, a process he familiarized himself with during visits to Odd Fellows retirement home through Whitman's Adopt-a-Grandparent program. He plans to study how the elderly are cared for in societies around the world.

Sociologist Paula England '71 elected to National Academy of Sciences

May 1, 2018 A sociology and anthropology major at Whitman who is now a distinguished professor in New York University's sociology department, England earned the honor in recognition of her achievements in original research in her field. She focuses on gender inequality in the labor market, the family and sexuality. She joins the ranks of former NAS members such as Albert Einstein, Barbara McClintock, Margaret Mead, Thomas Edison, Orville Wright and Alexander Graham Bell.

Music professor honored for 37 years at Whitman

April 25, 2018 Catharine Gould Chism Chair of Music Susan Pickett retires this month after nearly four decades at Whitman. To recognize her many contributions to the college and community, Lecturer of Music Amy Dodds, along with fellow faculty members and friends, have organized a tribute concert featuring many of Pickett's former students and works by Marion Bauer and John David Earnest, among others.

Remembering congressman and broadcaster Al Swift '57

April 22, 2018 An eight-term Democratic congressman who represented Washington's 2nd Congressional District for 16 years, Swift sponsored what became the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, known as the "motor voter" bill for requiring that states allow citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license. He was an expert on telecommunications, energy and environmental policy, and earlier in his career won a regional Emmy for his work in television.

Adam Michel '12 appears on Heritage Foundation panel

April 17, 2018 A politics major at Whitman, the policy analyst earned his masters in economics from George Mason University, where he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. He focuses on tax policy and the federal budget with an emphasis on the economics of taxation and international tax competition. The panel consisted of scholars and attorneys debating the implications of a South Dakota law imposing sales tax on out-of-state internet businesses with no physical presence in the state. The Supreme Court heard oral argument on the constitutionality of the law in South Dakota v. Wayfair.

Walla Walla named No. 1 Small City Road Trip Destination

April 15, 2018 A college town known for its charming main street, rolling wheat fields and famous sweet onions, Walla Walla topped the list of 10 Best Small City Road Trip Destinations. The community was also recently crowned friendliest small town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today.

Reza Darvish '21 extols virtues of outdoor leadership

April 15, 2018 The pre-engineering major from Miami recently returned from a weeklong hiking trip in the Utah Canyonlands, where Whitman students learned wilderness skills, environmental ethics, risk management and more with the help of their instructor. He now hopes to secure an internship with AmeriCorps Conservation or the Bureau of Land Management.

Whitman geology professor presents at volcanic wines conference

April 9, 2018 Professor of Geology Kevin Pogue, a terroir expert, was part of the first annual International Volcanic Wines Conference on March 27 in New York City. Guests sampled wines from more than 50 wineries from 16 different volcanic wine regions.

Walla Walla in the national spotlight

April 6, 2018 Whitman's southeastern Washington home has been making a big name for itself, growing from a small wheat farming community at the foot of the Blue Mountains to a world class travel destination.

Whitman anthropologist on preserving Poland's primeval forest

March 25, 2018 Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies Eunice Blavascunas weighs in on large-scale logging operations in Białowieża, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest remaining part of an ancient forest that once stretched across much of Europe. Blavascunas has studied conservation politics in new nature preserves in Poland for more than 15 years.

Whitman admission director advises applicants

March 23, 2018 According to Adam Miller, Whitman's director of admission, "We want to see applicants demonstrate academic challenge, but also have rich and fulfilling lives outside of the classroom. Applicants should pursue things that grab their interest and attention. We call that 'passion.'"

Netflix acquires film by director Annie Howell '90

March 22, 2018 An English major, she attended New York University's film program, the Screenwriters Colony and IFP's Emerging Narrative, and teaches in the graduate film program at the City College of New York. She recently sold the rights to "Little Boxes" (2016). Her new film is "Claire in Motion."

Biochemist Charles Denby '05 brews hops-free beer

March 20, 2018 A biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology major at Whitman, Denby earned his doctorate in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley. His idea to brew beer without hops stemmed from his research on creating a sustainable fuel source from terpenes, plant molecules that can mimic the taste of hops. Hops are a resource-intensive crop, requiring large amounts of water and sunlight to grow.

Whitman math professor honored for advocacy

March 16, 2018 Professor of Mathematics Albert Schueller serves as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Walla Walla and Columbia counties. CASA volunteers work with children ages 12 and younger who have been removed from their homes due to safety or health concerns and make recommendations to the court based on their observations.