Spring 2024
Whitman Magazine
Enjoy our Spring 2024 edition of Whitman Magazine. This community-themed issue celebrates the stories of caring humans who are there for others and each other.
Julia & Joanie: A Life-Changing Connection
Feature Stories
Enjoy highlights from this issue of Whitman Magazine.
Kate Greenberg ’09 Leads With Purpose as Colorado’s First Female Ag Commissioner
Kate Greenberg’s path to becoming Colorado’s Commissioner of Agriculture has been one of exploration and service. Her Whitman College experience gave her a love for the West and informs how she thinks of her work.
Mwamba Muntanga Helps Fellow African Students Pursue Their U.S. Dreams
Mwamba Muntanga ’25, a Sociology major from Zambia, is driven by personal experience. Using that experience and a desire to be of service to others, he relentlessly advocates for accessible education for all with his nonprofit Education24.
Professor Sharon Alker Feels ‘More Alive When I’m Inside a Book’
English Professor Sharon Alker shares her love of literature with her Whitman College students—and her academic interests have taken her around the world to research. Read about her special writing and research partner—her sister. Alker explores the past and is also focused on the future as an inaugural faculty member for Whitman's innovative Human-Centered Design program.
Julia & Joanie: A Life-Changing Gift That Was Meant To Be
In the fall of 2022, Professor Julia Ireland ’90 was facing a health crisis. She found not only a supporter and friend in fellow Whitman colleague Joanie Lucarelli but the gift of a lifetime—and a new joy and lease on life.
Welcome to Our House—New Home of Blues Baseball
The new Edwards-Moore Clubhouse at Borleske Stadium opened to the Whitman College Blues and the Walla Walla Sweets in early April 2024. The clubhouse is made possible by gifts from alumni and families through the Upward Together campaign.
Q&A: Fast 5 with Chem Professor Frank Dunnivant
Longtime Chemistry Professor Frank Dunnivant shares why he has spent his career focusing on environmentalism, conducting research with students and why he isn’t retiring anytime soon.
On Boyer Avenue
What’s happening on campus—community and college news.
Landscape Course Encourages Students to Re-envision the Whitman Campus
“Campus Landscape: A Living Laboratory,” was developed as part of a Whitman College student’s independent studies class that came to fruition in Spring 2024. During the lab portion of the class, students worked in pairs to design and plan landscaping projects that would help increase sustainability, inclusion, education and outreach on campus such as a garden that grows the First Foods of local tribes and an outdoor meditation space by the Counseling Center.
Junior Whitties Earn Prestigious Fellowships
Two Whitman College juniors accepted into the Public Policy & International Affairs Program. They will spend the summer studying at top graduate schools. Meron Semere ’25 will attend Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania and Kate Moe '25 is headed to Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.
A Small Idea To Help Refugees Makes a Gold Medal Impact
Whitman College sophomore Talia Lorincz ’26 received the British Columbia Medal of Good Citizenship, the second highest award offered in the Canadian province, for her service to Ukrainian refugees. She started a free store in her basement to provide clothing and household items.
Whitman College Names New Provost and Dean of the Faculty
Whitman College President Sarah Bolton announced the appointment of Dr. Elisabeth Mermann-Jozwiak as the college’s next provost and dean of the faculty. Joining Whitman on July 1, her responsibilities will include oversight of the development of the academic program, hiring and supporting faculty, and overseeing accreditation and assessment.
New Place to Call Home: Investing in a Major Addition to Campus
Thanks to gifts to Upward Together, construction is officially underway on a new residential village that will change the way students live and learn at Whitman College. Set to open in August 2025, the apartment-style living community will be home to more than 200 students—in three new residence halls designed specifically for juniors and seniors.
It’s Award Season: Grants & Fellowships of Note
In the last 15 years, more than 500 Whitman students have earned prestigious fellowships and grants. This year was no different, with over a dozen successful applicants who excelled in the areas of academic achievement, leadership and community engagement/service.
Tell Us About It!
Whether you’re just starting your first job, embarking on a career change, or preparing to retire after a fulfilling life’s work, we want to help you share your news with your classmates.
About Whitman Magazine
Whitman Magazine is the flagship publication of Whitman College. It supports the college and its strategic goals by telling our best stories, whether about alumni, students, faculty, staff, donors or the institution itself.