SPRING 2023
Whitman Magazine
Mapping India
In 1947, India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. An exhibition curated by Associate Professor of Art History Krista Gulbransen in the spring of 2023 at Whitman College’s Maxey Museum maps out the historical, political, social and geographical factors and forces at play: “Mapping India: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Partition of South Asia.”
Read MoreFeature Stories
Enjoy highlights from this issue of Whitman Magazine.
The Warmest of Welcomes for Whitman College’s Dr. Sarah Bolton
On Friday, April 28, 2023, Dr. Sarah Bolton had her Presidential Installation at Cordiner Hall, officially becoming Whitman’s 15th President.
New Fields of Study for Today’s Students
Now more than ever, the world needs thinkers, leaders, innovators who can face the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century—with knowledge and tools, vigor and ethics.
Sustainability Expert Kim Smith ’90 on Leaning Into Hope & Resilence
Educator and sustainability expert Kim Smith ’90 encourages us to stay engaged and resilient in the face of climate change.
The Ukraine War Comes to the Classroom
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Shampa Biswas, the Judge and Mrs. Timothy A. Paul Chair of Political Science and Professor of Politics, knew it was a historic moment in global politics—and she wanted to give students a space to learn, think and talk about it.
Brit Moss Nurture’s a Love of Research
Brit Moss, Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) at Whitman, conducts student research in the Moss Lab. Moss is a non-traditional, first-generation college student who says she enjoys having a front-row seat to young people discovering their passion for science.
A Winding Path to Whitman
For Kanesha Johnson ’23, Whitman College initially felt completely out of reach. After spending her teenage years in foster care, dropping out of college and taking community college classes while juggling multiple jobs and a family, she knew she needed her bachelor’s degree but saw herself enrolling in an online program.
True Chemistry: Aaron Lefohn Found His Calling in Tech
Aaron Lefohn ’97 discovered the then-emerging field of computational chemistry and computer science while at Whitman College. He followed that passion and today is the Vice President of Graphics Research at a cutting-edge technology company where he uses the knowledge base and skills he learned at Whitman.
Re-Imagining Maxville
Just 44 miles southeast of Walla Walla as the crow flies, a place called Maxville is about a two-hour drive from the Whitman campus. In the early 1920s, it was a burgeoning logging community. The Bowman-Hicks Lumber Company, which owned the town, recruited experienced African American loggers to relocate there. Whitman faculty and students, in collaboration with Maxville staff, have been working to tell the story of a forgotten place.
Real-World Caring at the SOS Clinic
Whitman College students volunteer at the local SOS Health Services Clinic to gain valuable experience in the medical field. The SOS Clinic provides health care services to individuals with inadequate health insurance in the Walla Walla Valley, regardless of citizenship status.
Alum’s Beadwork to Appear on Marvel TV Show
The artwork of Whitman College alum Roger Amerman ’80, enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, may soon be featured in one of the largest movie and television franchises in the world. Echo is an upcoming Marvel television show about a Choctaw superheroine. Amerman beaded a piece that may end up on Echo’s costume.
On Boyer Avenue
What’s happening on campus—community and college news.
Community Fellows Build Skills and Connections
Program celebrates 10-year anniversary of service in Walla Walla.
Class of 2024 Chemistry Major Named Goldwater Scholar
Whitman College junior Clare Hermanson has been selected as a 2023–2024 Goldwater Scholar.
Whitman College Names New Director of Penrose Library
Ping Fu has been named Director of Penrose Library.
Two Whitties Awarded 2023 Watson Fellowships
Program celebrates 10-year anniversary of service in Walla Walla.
Biology Professor Kate Jackson Receives Award
The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has awarded herpetologist and Professor of Biology Kate Jackson.
Whitman Magazine shares an essay by Pat Henry the Cushing Eells Professor of Philosophy and Literature and Foreign Languages and Literatures (French), Emeritus. In 2005, Henry founded the Matthew Shepard Lecture Series at Whitman College. He shares and reflects on the inspiring stories of three women who “are models for us as we move forward in the struggle against homophobia and racism.”
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