Whitman Stories

Amber Ebarb, Class of 2003, Minority Staff Director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, will deliver Whitman College’s 2023 Commencement address on Sunday, May 21.

On Friday, April 28, 2023, Dr. Sarah Bolton will officially become Whitman College’s 15th President. Whitman leaders, alumni and higher education dignitaries from across the nation will come to Walla Walla to celebrate Bolton’s Presidential Installation—a momentous event in Whitman’s history.

After an extensive search, Ping Fu has been named Director of Penrose Library. His experiences at diverse academic institutions have afforded him opportunities to engage in teaching and research, participate in professional organizations and publish numerous scholarly articles.

Shampa Biswas, the Judge & Mrs. Timothy A. Paul Chair of Political Science and Professor of Politics, recently published an opinion piece in The Seattle Times titled “The lesson of this moment: Abolish nuclear weapons.”

Whitman College senior Katie Jose ’23 and alum Annie Means ’22 were each recently awarded the prestigious and highly competitive Thomas J. Watson Fellowship which offers college graduates a year of independent, purposeful exploration and travel outside of the United States.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee recently visited Walla Walla and four Whitman students had the opportunity to interview the governor on Whitman’s student-run radio station KWCW 90.5 FM.

Beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, Whitman College will offer a new multidisciplinary major (Brain, Behavior & Cognition) for students wanting to study the intricacy of neural science.

Whitman College President Sarah R. Bolton announced the appointment of Jeff Hamrick as the college’s new Vice President for Finance and Administration. Hamrick currently serves as the Senior Director of the Data Institute at the University of San Francisco where he is also a member of the faculty.

Associate Art History Professor Lisa Uddin led a student-experience initiative, the intention is “to visualize the shape of and programming for an outdoor education center on 240 acres of newly acquired traditional Nez Perce homelands that includes the 94-acre historic site of the racially-segregated logging town of Maxville, Oregon.”

The New Day Ahead

Gabe Wasserman, a Cross Country and Track student-athlete at Whitman College, represented the USA in the 2022 Maccabiah Games and accomplished his goals despite an Achilles injury. This article also showcases the supportive culture at Whitman College.

Associate Professor Doug Scarborough is an educator and jazz musician who directs Jazz Ensemble 1 and teaches music courses at Whitman College. He has played with jazz legends such as Benny Golson and Louie Bellson. Scarborough’s passion for jazz lies in the genre’s improvisational and free nature. He continues to perform and has recently released his fourth album, “The Color of Angels,” which blends Middle Eastern sound with jazz.