Whitman College Welcomes 3 New Trustees to the Board
Whitman College is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board of Trustees: tech entrepreneur Jim Edmunds ’78, professor Mark Giordano ’88 and former NASA astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger ’97.
To their new roles they bring decades of experience in tech, foreign service, education and science—as well as a deep commitment to the Whitman community.
James Edmunds ’78, Parent ’17
Jim Edmunds earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Whitman in 1978.
He began his career as a screenwriter and independent filmmaker before joining the interactive entertainment industry, where he was part of the founding team of Asymetrix Entertainment and later served as a producer at Electronic Arts. In 2000, Edmunds founded Ingeniux, a Seattle-based software company specializing in digital content management. In 2016, Ingeniux opened a Walla Walla office.
He previously served on the Planned Giving Committee, Board of Overseers and President’s Advisory Board.
“I volunteer my time to help preserve what makes Whitman exceptional—its remarkable faculty, its dedicated staff, its enduring values and its sense of place here in the Walla Walla Valley,” Edmunds says. “As a trustee, I hope to steward those qualities so they continue to shape the lives of students for generations to come.”
Mark Giordano ’88
Mark Giordano earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Whitman in 1988.
He spent most of his early career outside the U.S., initially working as an economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and later at the Sri Lanka-based International Water Management Institute, which received the Stockholm Water Prize—the “Nobel Prize for Water.” He is now a Professor of Geography and Cinco Hermanos Chair in Energy and Environment at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. He holds the unofficial record for the number of diplomats trained in food and water security.
He especially values Whitman’s commitment to a liberal arts education. “It was valuable when I was a student. It is more valuable now,” he says. “I am honored to have the opportunity to pay forward what the Whitman staff and faculty offered me.”
Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger ’97
Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger earned her bachelor’s degree with honors in Geology from Whitman in 1997, her teaching certification from Central Washington in 1999, and a master’s in Applied Geology from the University of Washington in 2016.
Metcalf-Lindenburger taught high school science before her selection as a NASA astronaut. In 2010, she flew on a space shuttle to the International Space Station for a 15-day mission. She worked as a geologist at Geosyntec Consultants (2016–2023) and created her own consulting business to continue global education in space exploration.
Metcalf-Lindenburger has served Whitman as a Class Representative, Class Reunion Leader and as Chair of the President’s Advisory Board.
“I love Whitman because it gave me the tools and research opportunities for a life of learning, and it introduced me to friends and a network of mentors,” she says. “Whitman played such a pivotal role in my life that I want to make sure future generations have their own ‘Whittie’ experience with numerous opportunities.”