2018

A little rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of graduates and their families at Whitman College’s 2018 Commencement ceremonies. As the procession began at 11:00am, the rain came down heavy at times, but lightened up as the ceremony started.

A small selection of Whitman students will join the ranks of those recognized at the college's 132nd Commencement ceremony, alongside the Commencement speaker, honorary degree recipient, returning members of the class of 1967 and distinguished faculty.

Acclaimed entrepreneur Ashifi Gogo '05 is Whitman's 2018 Commencement Speaker. He will also receive an honorary degree from the college.

The college honored several faculty members for excellence in teaching, advising, scholarship and mentoring at an annual end of the year reception.

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.

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.

The Whitman College Board of Trustees voted to name its newly constructed sophomore residence hall in honor of alumnus and cellular industry pioneer, John W. Stanton '77. The building will open in the fall of 2018.

Whitman College has hired a new Director of Debate. Lauran Schaefer, who has coached award-winning debate teams at both Texas Tech and William Jewel College, will head the reinstated program starting with the 2018-19 academic year.

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.

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.