Whitman Stories

Whitman College faculty and CTUIR partnered to provide STEM education to local Tribal youth in special summer school. During four weeks of immersion, students were very active in their science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Classes took place in Pendleton, Oregon near the Umatilla Indian Reservation where the students could attend in their own school district.

Professor of Sociology Michelle Janning was quoted in a Sept. 23, 2023 Yahoo! Entertainment article, explaining why using puzzles and codes is an effective way for the pop star to engage with her fans.

Whitman College President Dr. Sarah Bolton joined higher education leaders across Washington state to share their insights on college affordability and access in the September/October issue of Seattle Magazine.

After seven months of diligent data collection, Whitman College has earned a STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

Whitman grad Salma Anguiano ’22 was awarded her second prestigious global fellowship. The Politics and Chinese double major credits her success to her Whitman education and professors.

President Sarah Bolton announced the appointment of Maggie Eaheart to the position of Chief of Staff at Whitman College. Eaheart brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education, ranging from information security to

Whitman alum Christine Baker-Smith ’03, Director of Research at the National League of Cities Center for Research and Data, recently published an article titled “Communities and Colleges Partnering to Address the Affordable Housing Shortage.”

During the 2022–2023 season, Whitman’s student-athletes excelled, both in their athletic achievements and in their academic pursuits.

Eleven Whitties dedicated to the study of Mandarin Chinese boarded a plane in May to study for six weeks in Taiwan led by Whitman faculty members Xiaobo Yuan (Anthropology) and Wencui Zhao (Asian & Middle East Studies). This inaugural Whitman program in Taiwan is the first Whitman faculty-led academic trip offered by Off-Campus Studies since the end of the pandemic.

Local middle school teacher and Whitman alum Beth Clearman ’90 was interviewed in a New York Times article published on Aug. 24, 2023. The article profiled the Walla Walla Public Schools district regarding a recently lifted temporary ban on students using generative AI chatbots.

Whitman College welcomed its newest incoming class to campus on Aug. 23, 2023. The roughly 480 first-year and transfer students is Whitman’s most diverse class in school history.

Shampa Biswas, the Judge & Mrs. Timothy A. Paul Chair of Political Science and Professor of Politics, recently published an opinion piece titled “What can we learn from ‘Oppenheimer’ about the blind spots in nuclear storytelling?”