2018

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.

An eight-term Democratic congressman who represented Washington's 2nd Congressional District for 16 years, Swift sponsored what became the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, known as the "motor voter" bill for requiring that states allow citizens to register to vote while applying for a driver's license. He was an expert on telecommunications, energy and environmental policy, and earlier in his career won a regional Emmy for his work in television.

The lecture was sponsored by the Hosokawa Journalism Endowment, established in 2000 in honor of Robert R. Hosokawa '40. As part of the event, the Hosokawa Family Foundation also funds a journalism contest for the staff of Whitman's student newspaper.

A politics major at Whitman, the policy analyst earned his masters in economics from George Mason University, where he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. He focuses on tax policy and the federal budget with an emphasis on the economics of taxation and international tax competition. The panel consisted of scholars and attorneys debating the implications of a South Dakota law imposing sales tax on out-of-state internet businesses with no physical presence in the state. The Supreme Court heard oral argument on the constitutionality of the law in South Dakota v. Wayfair.

A college town known for its charming main street, rolling wheat fields and famous sweet onions, Walla Walla topped the list of 10 Best Small City Road Trip Destinations. The community was also recently crowned friendliest small town in America by Rand McNally and USA Today.

The pre-engineering major from Miami recently returned from a weeklong hiking trip in the Utah Canyonlands, where Whitman students learned wilderness skills, environmental ethics, risk management and more with the help of their instructor. He now hopes to secure an internship with AmeriCorps Conservation or the Bureau of Land Management.

The Tree Campus USA program honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation.