Whitman Stories

Whitman’s promise of diversity in student nationalities has led to a rise in international student enrollment over the past decade, supported by the college’s policy to meet international students’ full financial need.

In its 23rd year, the Whitman Undergraduate Conference is an opportunity for students to present their original research from classes, senior theses, study abroad projects and summer internships. The 2021 conference showcased the work of 118 students and, adapting to the times, was held virtually. Presentations were pre-recorded and shown during the 16 panels, followed by a live question-and-answer session with attendees.

Just a month into his senior year at Whitman, Brayden Preskenis received a phone call from his father. The region of Oregon where he grew up was on fire. Wanting to do something for his community, Preskenis decided he would build a tiny house on a trailer in Walla Walla and drive it to Ashland, Oregon, where it would become the home of a family who had lost theirs in the fire.

After graduating from Whitman with a degree in biology, Lloyd was an assistant coach at Gonzaga for 20 seasons and a huge part of the that team’s success on the national stage.

Fishing has always been an important part of Tyler Dann's life. After graduating from Whitman in 2000 with a degree in environmental studies politics, Dann knew he wanted a career in natural resource management, but wasn't sure where to start. Now, as a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Washington and a fisheries geneticist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Dann has found his passion and his career path.

For more than 20 years, the David Nord Award has been presented to Whitman students, faculty and staff to support scholarly projects on issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community. The Intercultural Center looks for on-campus projects that engage with important issues through a variety of creative mediums. Over the years, the award has supported everything from plays to research projects.

In a special virtual event for the Whitman community, Washington State Senator Patty Murray took part in a panel discussion. The discourse centered on a report authored by Murray’s office titled “COVID-19 & Achieving Health Equity: Congressional Action Is Necessary To Address Racism And Inequality In The U.S. Health Care System.”

Baker Boyer Bank's Chief Credit Officer Rosendo Guizar ’94 credits his success to the encouragement and guidance he received from his high school librarian, Darcy Judd Wyant Ahlquist ’54.

Whitman College has a new interfaith outdoor space on campus. In early March, the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life led the installation of a labyrinth behind Marcus House and the campus bike shop on Shady Rill Street.

After earning a Ph.D. from John Hopkins University and taking a job as a senior data scientist at Amazon, Wallace returned to his roots on the family potato farm, applying his tech expertise to irrigation.

Winning the prestigious fellowship is a watershed moment in the senior’s study of rivers and their connection to food production.

His six-part HBO docuseries, Q: Into the Storm, explores the intersections between the QAnon conspiracy theory QAnon, former president Donald Trump and the domestic terror attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021. It streams on HBO Max this weekend.