The Rock Winter 2023

ROCK POETS PROTECTING THE PLANET » The Role of Coffee in Whittier’s Environmental Science Program

W HI T T IE R C O L L E GE MAGAZI N E

W I NT ER 20 23

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CONTENTS 20 »

Kristine E. Dillon ’73 Interim President Daniel T. Byrd Associate Vice President of Planning Rock Carter ’89 Executive Director of Athletics Irene Gallardo Executive Assistant to the President Henry Gee Interim Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gil Gonzalez Dean of Academic Success and Associate Dean of Faculty David Houser Vice President, Chief Financial Officer sal johnston Vice President for Academic Affairs & Dean of Faculty Deborah Norden Faculty Chair Kay Sanders Associate Vice President and Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ken Woods ’84 Interim Vice President of Enrollment

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President's Corner

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New Board Members

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Poet4Life

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Around the Rock

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Leadership Changes

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Societies

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Faculty Files

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Environmental Studies

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Q&A: President Dillon

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Athletics

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Advancement

Please send address changes to: alumni@whittier.edu.

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Honor Roll of Donors

© 2023 Whittier College. All rights reserved. Reproduction is forbidden without express written consent of Whittier College.

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Alumni

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Board of Trustees

Information | 562.907.4200 Development | 562.907.5049 Alumni | 562.907.4222

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PRE SI DE N T ’ S C ORN E R

GO POETS!

By Kristine E. Dillon ’73, Ph.D. Interim President Whittier College

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elcome to the Winter 2023 edition of The Rock, the official magazine of Whittier College. We are proud to present in these pages a portrait of what I see on campus every day: an energized and dedicated community of which we can all be proud.

Since joining as interim president this summer, I have witnessed Whittier rising to meet a renewed sense of mission. The paint is fresh, the lawns are lush, and our signature buildings are stately — an irresistible enticement to prospective students and a source of pride for current students, employees, and alumni. The college garnered notice this fall as one of the nation’s top 10 performers on social mobility among liberal arts colleges as reported in U.S. News & World Report. The distinction recognizes our successful efforts to support economically disadvantaged students as they achieve not only graduation but relevant employment.

Whittier’s successes are due in no small part to our personalized approach to a liberal arts education for all students that is tied to careers or advanced study after graduation. Our professors not only tailor their teaching to their students, but they also nurture and encourage students’ professional ambitions beyond their time with us. That’s why Poet alumni, including me, are proud of where our college can take today’s students.

To harness all of this enthusiasm and to support the college’s forward momentum in enrollment and fundraising, we have launched an initiative — Whittier Now! — to raise an additional $12.5 million beyond the typical giving level over the next five years. We have already seen a significant uptick beyond previous levels in alumni giving both in terms of donors and dollars. Already, current and former members of our Board of Trustees have stepped up with more than $1 million before the end of this year. I hope you can see that the time is ripe for you, too, to give back to Whittier.

Enjoy this magazine, revel in the good things happening on campus, and, as always, Go Poets!

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The college garnered notice this fall as one of the nation's top 10 performers on social mobility among liberal arts colleges as reported in U.S. News & World Report.

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N E W B OARD ME MB E RS

WHITTIER STRENGTHENS BOARD WITH FIVE NEW TRUSTEES

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hittier announced that five new members joined the College’s Board of Trustees, effective July 1, 2023.

“The arrival of these five new trustees heralds fresh thinking and energy as Whittier builds momentum during this academic year and beyond,” said Interim President Kristine Dillon '73. “Please join me in welcoming these accomplished alumni to their important service in support of Whittier College.”

Meet the New Board Members 1 » Tiffany Dean ’97 is a consultant on board governance in the nonprofit and higher education sectors.

Earlier in her career, at AGB Consulting, Dean was responsible for developing and delivering comprehensive programs and services for the boards of public foundations and their CEOs to support their governance responsibilities and fiduciary duties. At Oregon State University Foundation, she served as corporate secretary, maintaining corporate records and advising on policy and procedural matters, governance, and communications about the board.

2 » Richard Gilchrist ’68 returns to the Whittier Board of Trustees, which he previously chaired from 2003 to 2011.

Gilchrist brings unique insight into Whittier’s investment activities thanks to extensive experience in the real estate industry, having served as an executive officer of several real estate investment trusts (REITs). He currently serves as a director for Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust and Chairman of the Board of Spirit Realty Capital.

Gilchrist is also a member of the Advisory Board of the University of California, Los Angeles Law School, where he earned a J.D. in 1971.

3 » Lila Laviano ’03 streamlines the affordable housing development process by ensuring regulatory compliance, setting outcome-driven project goals, maximizing cost efficiencies, and expediting timelines.

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Since graduating from Whittier, Laviano has accrued more than 20 years of work in real estate development and asset management focused on affordable housing in California. Laviano has brought more than 25,000 affordable housing units into compliance within the City of Los Angeles and provided executive oversight for over $500 million in assets. In 2010, she started a consulting and private real estate development company and pivoted to a private capital financial model deployed within Housing for Us All and Erna Enterprises.

4 » Lisabeth Marziello ’87 and her husband, Joe Marziello ’86, are President-Chief Executive Officers of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. The Marziellos lead an organization that employs over 220 people at 22 locations.

Since coming to Philadelphia, the Marziellos have raised more than $120 million in revenue to support programming, operations, and capital investment.

They launched the Call-to-Action Literacy Initiative, which now reaches over 1,400 youth at 15 Clubs throughout Philadelphia, and STEM learning Labs to provide young people with 21st-century skills.

5 » Dr. Raquel Torres-Retana ’91 is an educator with over 30 years of experience in various collegiate settings.

A daughter of Mexican immigrants, Torres-Retana has a passion for educational equity and social justice rooted in her San Gabriel Valley working-class upbringing. A firstgeneration college student, Torres-Retana graduated from Whittier, then earned a master's in Public Administration from CSU-Dominguez Hills and an Ed.D. from the USC Rossier School of Education.

In 2015, Torres-Retana began her current appointment as a dean at Pasadena City College. She is also an adjunct assistant professor at the USC Rossier School of Education.

Married with three adult children, she lives in the Los Angeles area.

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POET4LIFE

2023 POET4LIFE TOUR BRINGS STUDENTS, ALUMNI TOGETHER

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hittier's Poet4Life tour gathered together Poets past and future to connect with the college and each other.

Strong attendance and camaraderie created an invigorating sense of Poet pride, said Office of Alumni Relations Director Ana Gutierrez ’96.

“It was an opportunity for alumni to network and incoming students to get a taste of campus life while mingling with faculty, staff, and families,” Gutierrez said. “They had the chance to discover more about today’s Whittier and where the school is headed in the future.”

The first stop of the Poet4Life 2023 tour saw alumni, current students, incoming students, and other guests enjoying hors d'oeuvres on the Whittier College campus.

While reflecting and reminiscing on the value of the Whittier College education, guests heard brief remarks from Interim President Kristine Dillon ’73. Joe McCarthy ’97 hosted the July 8 event at Whittier’s Villalobos Hall while Krystal Anderson ’14 hosted the July 9 stop at Perla Mexican Cuisine in downtown Santa Ana. Gutierrez noted that there was a great turnout of enthusiastic Poets — in addition to representation from faculty and staff — eager to engage and support students. Palpable excitement for the future carried over to the incoming class.

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“One of the students drove from San Diego to this event in Whittier to meet her roommate,” Gutierrez said.

Patty Hill ’98, who attended the summer’s first event, still lives and works in Whittier as a physical education teacher.

She liked seeing the first-year students, as well as the reconnection among alumni.

“It was a great outing,” Hill said. “It kind of rekindled a light in the love that went missing for a while.”

The tour headed next to New York City on July 20 and ended in Seattle on Aug. 13.

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POET4LIFE

CAMARADERIE GROWS AT 2023 POET HOMECOMING WEEKEND

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rom athletics to performing arts, Whittier College’s 2023 Poet Homecoming weekend had something for everyone.

Students, alumni, and guests came to campus to connect over delicious food, a musical performance, and showings of the first play of the season, Where Words Once Were. Combined with Saturday’s Admissions Preview Day which drew 150 prospective students to meet with faculty and Student Life staff, Homecoming was an energetic Poet gathering.

Friday featured events like choir alumni and students performing the alma mater and school song, “Friends Forever,” as well as a technology forum and a rousing women’s volleyball match that saw Whittier beat Occidental College.

On Saturday there were society brunches and alumni basketball and baseball games while the Upper Quad hosted the Poet Fest fair and the All-Alumni Poet Bash ended the day with dancing, drinks, and tacos.

"What a wonderful weekend to showcase our campus and the Poet community,” said Whittier College Interim President Kristine Dillon ’73. “Homecoming brought alumni back to a beautiful, festive, and active campus.

With students participating in multiple activities that create their individual paths through Whittier College, we are reminded how we keep our Light of Learning alive.

Go Poets!”

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AROUND THE ROCK

AHOY! STUDENTS SHARE WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE ON THE HIGH SEAS High Seas Fellows embarked on a one-week voyage to experience a traditional wooden ship and study the coastal ecosystem.

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autical recreation may not be at the top of one’s mind when thinking about Whittier College, but that isn’t stopping scholars from exploring the open water. The inaugural Fellowship on the High Seas set sail this summer to give students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience travel on a traditional wooden sailing ship.

The fellowship was a one-week sea voyage that launched out of Sausalito in the San Francisco Bay and traveled down to Monterey, educating students about the Northern California coastal ecosystem from Aug. 2-7. Along with their more conventional studies, the three fellows learned about the intricacies of operating a sailing ship, including keeping watch, cooking meals for the crew, understanding the weather patterns, reading coordinates, and more.

Inspired by alum Gill Terry Causey’s book, Let the Wind Carry Me: How Curiosity Can Open Doors of Perception and Learning, the fellowship was created in partnership with the organization Call of the Sea. Whittier College Fellowships Coordinator Elizabeth Sanchez ’15 said the program was a great way for students to escape their comfort zone.

“It’s an opportunity to step back from your busy lives and really be present to see the world from a different perspective,” Sanchez said. “And that's something I think is very, very rewarding.”

Following the adventure, fellows incorporate what they gained from the trip into a project of their own design. Because the fellowship is open to any Whittier majors, students had free rein to combine the maritime aspects into their passion of choice.

Third-year student Adriana Cox-Gonzalez, double majoring in environmental science and biology, is writing a research report about the sustainability of sailboats compared to cargo ships.

“I had zero experience being on a sailboat, or really boats in general before this trip,” Cox-Gonzalez said. “I was very worried about being seasick before the trip, but it turned out to be not too bad.”

Fourth-year business administration student Geraldine Serna had also never sailed before. She decided to focus her project on ecotourism and Call of the Sea. “My research is seeking to understand the underlying

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principles, impacts, challenges, and potential for fostering a balanced coexistence between tourism and the environment,” Serna said. “Lessons learned can guide the future development of ecological awareness and socially responsible travel experience.”

Sanchez, a Whittier alum herself, is already looking forward to next year’s trip and the opportunity to enrich a new group of fellows. She’s thrilled to carry on the tradition of providing an excellent education similar to what she received as a student.

“My favorite part of my role is seeing our students increase that love for learning,” Sanchez said. “There's a joy and a pride in being able to put forth independent work, come up with a project, and see it to fruition.”

Visit whittier.edu/fellowships/find/seas for more information.

LAURA KAVANAGH LAUNCHED HER CAREER AT WHITTIER COLLEGE

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aura Kavanagh ’04 never expected to lead the largest fire department in the country, so she advises Whittier students to explore different avenues to open new doors.

“Any opportunity you have to get involved in will help prepare you for whatever career it is, whether in public service or not,” Kavanagh said.

Kavanagh was appointed the first woman commissioner of the New York City Fire Department in 2022. She oversees the day-to-day operations of 17,000 employees and a $2 billion budget.

Growing up near San Francisco, Kavanagh had a high school writing teacher who encouraged her to attend Whittier College, and she’s glad she took the advice.

She was mentored by Political Science Professor Mike McBride, Ph.D., and the late Frederic Bergerson, Ph.D., while earning a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations. Kavanagh was drawn to that field because she wanted to work in public service.

Kavanagh enjoyed Whittier’s small class sizes and flexible curriculum: She studied in places like Washington, D.C., and Rome. She keeps in touch with the friends she made at Whittier, and her relationships with professors like McBride are the reason she attended a recent alumni event in New York.

Kavanagh earlier served as special assistant to former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and senior advisor on his mayoral campaign. But transitioning into what Kavanagh calls “small ‘p’

AROUND THE ROCK

TRAILBLAZER: HOW NEW YORK CITY FIRE COMMISSIONER

politics” with the fire department has been extremely rewarding.

“I would say it is more meaningful running an agency that actually does real, tangible, life-saving work,” Kavanagh said.

Yet the job is not without hardships. Her department went through four line-of-duty deaths in her first year as commissioner.

“Unfortunately we see tragedy — both our own and that of New York citizens — up close and personal,” Kavanagh said.

“Each one of those is very heartbreaking.”

Achievements in department diversity and events like the Second Chance Brunch — where rescuers are reunited with the patients they saved — help keep her positive.

Kavanagh is also proud that the department is proactively adjusting to changing landscapes, improving member safety through technology, and advocating to pass increased safety regulations for lithium-ion batteries.

Kavanagh’s advice to Whittier students is to take a direct approach to their studies to make the most of their time in college.

“Take advantage of the opportunity to get your hands on work and see how to actually move the ball forward on projects you’re passionate about,” Kavanagh said.

WHITTIER COLLEGE NAMED A TOP 10 PERFORMER IN SOCIAL MOBILITY

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hittier College shines as a school that improves students' ability to move up the economic ladder, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2024 Best Colleges rankings.

Whittier College is now No. 8 in the Top Performers on Social Mobility ranking out of nearly 200 institutions, moving up 16 spots since last year’s report.

Economically disadvantaged students are less likely to complete college and earn a degree, according to U.S. News, but colleges like Whittier are more successful at ensuring students reach the finish line. To measure this, U.S. News weighs a variety of factors, including graduation rates for federal-loan recipients who are the first in their family to attend college, as well as graduation rates for students who receive Federal Pell Grants, which are given to students whose

household income is less than $50,000 a year.

Whittier was also named one of the “top 100 liberal arts colleges” in the nation, advancing 13 spots in that ranking.

Additionally, the college received a higher rank of No. 83 in the Best Value Schools for national liberal arts colleges.

Interim President Kristine Dillon ’73 said, “We strive to provide an excellent education at a great value, and our college scholarships like the John Greenleaf Whittier Scholarship and Leadership Scholarship help keep enrollment affordable for our students.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty sal johnston said, “As a Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution with a substantial first-generation student population, it is deeply affirming to see our commitment to inclusive excellence reflected in our social mobility ranking.”

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LEADERSHIP CHANGES

INTRODUCING INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT KEN WOODS

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en M. Woods ’84, a richly experienced higher education admissions leader, joined Whittier College as Interim Vice President for Enrollment this summer.

“I know Ken will be a key figure in our efforts to boost enrollment at the college,” said Interim President Kristine Dillon ’73.

Woods began his career at Whittier from 1986 to 1990 in the offices of admissions, residential life, and summer activities. He returns after a long career, including more than 25 years at the College Board where he worked to foster strategic relationships within the higher education enrollment sector, most recently as Executive Director Higher Education Services/Strategic Accounts.

During his influential career, Woods revamped the College Board’s higher education membership model to expand

relationships, engaged with national conferences addressing higher education enrollment issues, and innovated new admissions strategies regionally and nationally.

Among Woods’ previous roles at the College Board were Associate Director of Guidance and Admission Services (1995-2001); Chief, Higher Education Services (2001-2007); and National Manager, Higher Education Institution Relations (2007-2008).

Earlier stops include Director of Regional Admissions Offices at the University of Denver and Director of College Counseling at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Woods earned his bachelor’s degree in Social Science and Business Administration from Whittier in 1984.

Woods also received the Key to the College in 1988 and served on the Alumni Board of Directors from 2002 to 2005.

HENRY GEE APPOINTED INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS AND DEAN OF STUDENTS

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enry Gee was appointed Interim Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students this summer.

Gee has a distinguished record as a student affairs professional in California over the last 40 years. Most recently, he was acting Vice President of Student Services at Compton College. Prior to that, he held a variety of leadership positions, including Vice President of Student Services, at Rio Hondo College. He served as Dean of Student Affairs at Santa Ana College for 10 years, as well as Associate Dean of Students and a range of other roles at Azusa Pacific University.

He completed his Master of Arts in Social Science and Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration degrees at Azusa Pacific, and his Associate of Arts degree at Sacramento City College. He has also completed coursework toward a Doctor of Philosophy in Education with an emphasis on higher education through Claremont Graduate University.

Gee joins Whittier following the departure of Deanna Merino-Contino, after five years of dedicated service to the College.

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stablished in the 1920s, Whittier College's 10, one-ofa-kind Societies began as literary groups and still follow four key pillars: friendship, scholarship, leadership, and community service.

Fourth-year student Ariela Romero went to every Society event she could while rushing during the recruitment period in the fall of 2021. She ended up choosing the Athenians.

“We had a lot of similarities, and I knew that those were the girls that I was going to look up to,” Romero said. “It just felt right for me.”

Born and raised in Whittier, Romero is majoring in social work and psychology because she likes connecting and helping people. That passion spreads to the Athenians, where the group recently had a jeans drive that donated about 50 pairs to local organization gram-MeDownz. Additionally, as Athenian president, she created a mentorship program that partners current members with alumni.

Ty Carlson also encourages classmates to check out as many Societies as possible to find one compatible with them.

For the second-year student from Las Vegas, that was the William Penns.

SOCIETIES

A CENTURY ON, WHITTIER COLLEGE’S SOCIETIES STILL GIVE STUDENTS THE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

“The most important thing with these types of organizations is that you find a group that you feel comfortable with and that you feel like you fit in,” Carlson said. “The Penns felt like the best fit for me because I felt like they were professionally focused.

I was really looking to be surrounded by people who I could network with and who could keep me on track for my goals.”

Societies aren’t just for current students, either. Aimee Huerta ’23 is still active with the Palmers, participating in this year’s Homecoming and other events. Huerta said that, unlike standard clubs, the bond she formed — combined with the shared respect and care for one another — transcends her time at college.

“Having that sisterhood is kind of like having family per se, not by blood, but by word and by connection,” Huerta said. “It feels like I have a family here wherever I go.”

While she aids current students and members, Huerta has also received personal and professional guidance from Palmer alumni. The first-generation student graduated with a degree in kinesiology and an emphasis in physical therapy because she has seen her mother deal with the autoimmune disease lupus firsthand.

Along with networking in the medical field, the Palmers helped her with time management, communication, creativity, and other skills that she puts to use daily at her internship at an outpatient physical therapy clinic in her hometown of Whittier.

“If it hadn’t been for the Palmer Society with everything I’ve learned thus far, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Huerta said.

To learn more about Whittier Societies, visit whittier.edu/ose/ societies.

Societies for Women » Athenians, Ionians, Metaphonians, Palmers, Thalians Societies for Men » Franklins, Lancers, Orthogonians, William Penns Gender Non-Conforming Societies » Sachsens — Originally established as a society for men in 1948, it opened its membership to all in 1971.

Left: Aimee Huerta ’23 COURTESY AIMEE HUERTA

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FACULTY FILES

TWO PROFESSORS JOIN TENURE TRACK

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he college welcomed two new faculty members for the fall semester: Masahiro Yamada, assistant professor in kinesiology and Monica McNamara, assistant professor in biology. Both are on track to receive tenure in six years while researching and educating at Whittier.

Masahiro Yamada, Ph.D. Yamada grew up in Japan and moved to California in 2008.

A background in basketball coaching got him interested in learning more about motor skills, and he received his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from California State University, Northridge. He followed that up with a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University COURTESY MASAHIRO YAMADA in Carbondale, Illinois, and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

It was his time at a smaller school in Carbondale that influenced Yamada to come to Whittier. He sought an environment where students and professors work closely together to achieve their goals.

“I think one of the best learning experiences as a student — from my own experience — is a small class size,” Yamada said.

Yamada’s primary research investigates how psychological factors like attention and self-efficacy affect performance. He will be teaching introduction to kinesiology, motor learning and control, as well as the exercise physiology lab.

Monica McNamara, Ph.D. McNamara grew up in California and remained in the Golden State for her higher education studies. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks and her doctorate in evolution, ecology, and organismal biology from the University of California, Riverside.

COURTESY MONICA MCNAMARA Her primary research interest is understanding the complex relationship between exercise behavior and ability and the trillions of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract.

Her research has highlighted the effects of exercise on the gut microbiome community and how the removal of the gut microbiome community can affect exercise behavior in rodent models. At Whittier College, her research will be expanded into new model systems including local reptile species and zebrafish.

“The gut microbiome is an integral part of physiology; unfortunately, it often gets overlooked,” McNamara said.

“My goal is to help undergrads develop their own research projects that combine physiology, the gut microbiome, and evolutionary biology.”

Like Yamada, McNamara was drawn to Whittier because of its intimate campus community. She always wanted to come back to a small, liberal arts school, and now she is excited to share her scientific passion by teaching applied human anatomy and physiology this semester.

THREE EDUCATORS PROMOTED TO FULL PROFESSORS

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hree Whittier College educators have been promoted to the rank of full professor. They are: Professor of Environmental Science Cinzia Fissore, Professor of Spanish Lizardo Herrera and Professor of Art Danny Jauregui.

1 » Cinzia Fissore, Ph.D. Professor Fissore began teaching at Whittier in 2011. She is a soil scientist with over 15 years of research experience, focusing on forest soils, biogeochemistry, and carbon cycling, especially the role of soil carbon to offset CO₂ emissions.

Fissore has spearheaded a sustainable coffee orchard

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on campus that provides students research and internship opportunities. The orchard received a $300,000 grant in 2020, which has allowed its collaboration with the newly emerging California coffee grower’s agricultural community to bloom.

Earlier this year, Fissore was recognized with the 2023 Nerhood Teaching Award. The annual award honors a full-time professor for overall excellence in teaching, in recognition of Professor Harry W. Nerhood, professor emeritus of history. Fissore earned her B.S. from the University of Torino, in Italy, and her Ph.D. from Michigan Technological University.

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he college is preparing to celebrate the illustrious careers of two professors set to retire at the end of the academic year: Art History Professor Paula Radisich, Ph.D., and Chemistry Professor Devin Iimoto, Ph.D.

FACULTY FILES

TWO LONGTIME PROFESSORS RETIRE

2 » Chemistry Professor Devin Iimoto, Ph.D. Professor Iimoto has worked at Whittier College for over three decades. Through the years, he has taught Biochemistry, Chemistry

Seminar, Integrated Laboratory, Introduction to Chemistry, Preparation for General Chemistry, General Chemistry laboratory, an AIDS education course, and a Freshman Writing Seminar.

Iimoto received the Harry W. Nerhood Teaching Excellence Award in 2009. He says one of his career highlights was the opportunity to teach his AIDS course at Lingnan University in Hong Kong in the spring of 2011.

During his time at Whittier, he has taken pride in researching and collaborating with students and other faculty to study agents to prevent and treat cancer, including triazenes and Chinese herbal extracts. He has also worked with certain enzymes found in snake venom 2» to study whether they might be useful for treating heart attacks and strokes.

In addition, Iimoto served as Chair of the Faculty from 2013 to 2015 and as a co-director of the Whittier College Healthcare Leadership program from 2015 to 2018.

Iimoto attended Carleton College in Minnesota and graduate school at the University of California, San Diego, where he took a postdoctoral position in the Department of Neuroscience.

2 » Lizardo 1» 2» Herrera, Ph.D. Professor Herrera has been with Whittier since 2011. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Pittsburgh and was awarded the Cultural Studies Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh for Cultural Studies. His research includes the Baroque and neoBaroque aesthetics, and the culture and experience of drugs in Ecuador and Latin America.

In 2019, Herrera was appointed as faculty-in-residence at Whittier’s Garrett House. There, he worked on diversity, equity and inclusion programs by providing a platform for interdisciplinary engagement with interactions between faculty and students from different backgrounds.

3 » Danny Jauregui Professor Jauregui joined Whittier in 2010.

An emerging artist as well as educator, he teaches courses in new media, photography, game art, and drawing. Jauregui attended the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture summer residency program in Maine and was part of a group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego. He received his M.F.A. from the University of California, San Diego and B.F.A. from Maryland Institute College of Art. Jauregui is involved with the new Poet StoryLab, which was awarded $500,000 from the Mellon Foundation in 2022 to explore the historical evolution of an intersectional “brown” identity in the U.S.

1 » Art History Professor Paula Radisich, Ph.D. Many Whittier College students have had the privilege of passing through Professor Radisich’s courses, including Western Art: Renaissance to the Present, Age of Impressionism, Age of Dada and Surrealism, and Art of the Eighteenth Century. But one of her favorite courses to teach at Whittier has been Women Artists from the Renaissance to the Present.

A scholar of eighteenth-century French art, Radisich published 1» articles on aspects of the period and two books—Hubert Robert: Painted Spaces of the Enlightenment and Pastiche, Fashion, and Galanterie in Chardin’s Genre Subjects. She earned her B.A. and Ph.D. at UCLA.

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POETS PROTECTING THE PLANET Why coffee is at the center of Whittier’s Environmental Science program.

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offee production is a relatively new addition to California’s agriculture portfolio. And at Whittier, where a coffee orchard thrives, growing everyone’s favorite bean is about more than just helping people rev up in the mornings: It’s about the environment, education, and community.

Stephanie Alcala ’15 was born in Whittier. “I always was a part of the Whittier community,” she says. “I was a cheerleader at the community center. My family lives in town, and then I ended up going to college here. Most recently, I found myself back living here.”

Alcala returned to Whittier because of coffee.

She works as a trader and sustainability liaison for a familyowned green coffee importer that acts as a matchmaker between coffee suppliers and roasters and retailers around the world. She has also taught as an adjunct professor at

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Whittier. She says what differentiates her company is that not only do they buy and sell green coffee, but they forge lasting relationships with coffee suppliers and use those ties to build a sustainable coffee supply chain.

“We reinvest into the resiliency of our supply chains to improve not only the quality of the coffee, but also the quality of people's lives and their communities and the environment from which we're sourcing our products,” Alcala says.

If you could go back in time and tell the young Alcala, who showed up for the first week of classes at Whittier, what she would be doing today, she wouldn’t believe you. “I originally went to Whittier to become a physical therapist,” she recalls.

“I really love sports. I was going to major in kinesiology. The beauty of Whittier College — and the beauty of college in general — is that it’s a way to explore your own interests.

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Whittier College is special because it’s a liberal arts school. It’s integrated into the curriculum; you must take elective courses.

And thank goodness for that!” Alcala chose Introduction to Environmental Science as an elective during her freshman year.

By the end of the first week, she knew she wanted to major in the subject, and to study with the professor, Cinzia Fissore, Ph.D., as her advisor.

Fissore is the Roy E. and Marie G. Campbell Distinguished Chair in Biology, and the Program Coordinator for Whittier’s Environmental Science Department. Originally from Italy, she became rooted in soil science at Michigan Technological University, surrounded by the woods of the Upper Peninsula.

“I did my Ph.D. looking at the cycling of carbon in forest soils and how that responds to changes in climate,” Fissore says.

She joined the Whittier College faculty in 2011. “My job is

primarily teaching, like everyone else at the college, but we are free to conduct our research,” Fissore says. “So my first love — studying soils — never went away.”

Fissore is one of four faculty members in the Environmental Science program. Christina Bauer, Ph.D. builds on her early background in chemistry to study the impact of plastic nanoparticles on the environment and nanotech in sustainable energy.

Ecologist David Mbora, Ph.D. has done pioneering work on the relationships among monkeys and dung beetles in Kenya and studies how habitat loss influences the biodiversity of insects in the Los Angeles area. Anna Bowen, Ph.D., plant ecologist, is currently studying the effect of goat grazing on wildfire fuel loads and plant diversity.

Stephanie Alcala was born in Whittier, Make Your Own Job California, graduated When someone like Stephanie from the College in 2015, Alcala majors in Environmental and returned to Science, Fissore wants to participate in Whittier's make one thing clear: “We coffee-centric want them to understand environmental research. that there's no such job as PHOTOS: REBECCA ARANDA ‘environmental scientist.’ You need to specialize; you need to make it yours based on your aspirations, skills, and desires.”

For millions of years, there was a rough balance on Earth between the amount of carbon being locked up in the rocks and soil and the carbon emitted into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide and methane. But when humans discovered how to control fire, they could harness energy and put it towards their own goals, first in making light, staying warm, and cooking food. Scientists who study climage change say these discoveries also came with a downside: We were upsetting the balance of the carbon cycle and increasing the amount of CO₂, as well as many other pollutants, in our air. This didn’t seem like much of a downside during the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century. Steam engines were hungry for coal, and that meant digging carbon out of the ground, where it had been sequestered for eons, and burning it. When we discovered how to power transportation with oil, the process accelerated. Now experts warn we’re living in a world with a very unbalanced carbon cycle and the consequences are mounting.

In Alcala’s view, it’s not so much that there are no jobs as “environmental scientist”; it’s that in the age of climate change, every job requires this knowledge.

“We are living in a time of accelerated global warming, accelerated climate change, and human-induced changes to our weather patterns,” Alcala says. “This is the most pressing issue our world is facing today. It’s influencing every aspect of our lives, and in every industry, this is the number one priority on their agenda at the moment. It’s super relevant WHITTIER.EDU

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ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

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“

We’re not solving the issue of climate change, but we’re certainly contributing in keeping carbon where it should be and not sending it back into the atmosphere.

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THE ROCK | WINTER 2023

Black Gold Before the carbon from the fossil fuels we burn got into the air, it was at some point stored in the soil. That’s where Fissore comes in.

“If we can implement agricultural practices, or any growing practices that keep carbon into the soil, then we are contributing,” Fissore says. “We’re not solving the issue of climate change, but we’re certainly contributing in keeping carbon where it should be and not sending it back into the atmosphere. For the longest time, agricultural soils have been demonized as this land that doesn't do anything for ecological preservation or for sustainability. But now there's a new view that maybe that's not the case. It can be done.

And also, having more carbon in the soil improves biodiversity and improves water retention, which is obviously important in California. So there are a lot of ecological benefits.”

The Department of Agriculture estimates that 51% of the U.S. landmass is devoted to agriculture, so even small changes in growing practices could potentially have huge downstream effects.

“I think still one of the best ways to [fight climate change is to] have very healthy soil systems, which goes a little bit against the traditional way of growing food in an intensive way,” Fissore says. “That’s why there’s such a surge in work and studies on regenerative agriculture, not just organic, but really more like regenerative practices, because it’s more attuned with how nature should work. It keeps nutrients more in the soil, so there’s less of a need to fertilize. It brings more carbon and stores more carbon into the soil. And also it seems to relate to greater yields, better plant health, so it provides multiple benefits.”

Alcala says she and her mentor Fissore “both got into

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

for any student studying any topic. This is our reality, and to have a working knowledge of the vocabulary and a baseline understanding of how our world works makes any person that much more competitive and gives them that much more confidence to have a voice at the table.”

Fissore says preparing students for a warming world is her top priority.

“This is their world. They’re entering it, and they inherited a pretty messy situation,” Fissore says. “It’s their opportunity to make effective changes, but also to understand that complex issues no longer get resolved with very small solutions. They need to be approached quite aggressively and holistically.

We need to have an interdisciplinary approach. That’s why we encourage our students to explore other disciplines, and that’s why learning about environmental issues and solutions in a liberal arts college is really critical. Our students naturally are exposed to a number of different disciplines from environmental justice to policy and political science issues, but also arts and philosophy and history that really complement their education and their approach to life. It’s extremely important that they understand these complexities and they understand that there are solutions.”

Which brings us back to coffee.

coffee around the same time and reconnected over that. She was studying carbon sequestration and got invited to be a consultant and study how intercropping coffee and avocado trees actually improve soil health and can act as a carbon sink.”

She and Fissore “fell down the rabbit hole” together.

“You can look at every single discipline through the lens of coffee,” Alcala said. “You can look at it through history, science, biology, finance. It touches everything, and that's why it's such a relevant topic to teach students from all the disciplines.”

Even outside campus, the coffee grove is generating, well, buzz.

Alcala continued, “I’m focusing my research on understanding the coffee plant and soil relationship, with the broad ecological system in mind. Growers are interested. The community seems intrigued by it. It's a very relatable crop and so it's a bit easier also to communicate our science when you're talking about something so tangible.”

In December 2018, Fissore launched the Whittier Coffee Initative by clearing ground for the Whittier Research Coffee Orchard. Sixty-four coffee plants are flanked by 20 avocado trees, which protect the coffee from wind and sun while also producing an edible crop. In 2022, the orchard yielded its first crop, 40 pounds of fresh cherries ready for the roaster. Fissore and her students produced the first research results from the orchard in October 2022. Last March, the San Francisco Bay Coffee Company produced the first cup of Whittier-grown java.

After a design and marketing competition in the spring funded by a $300,000 grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the newly branded Greenleaf Coffee has been revealed for the first publicly available batch of coffee.

The research is still in the early stages. Alcala is part of the team exploring how to expand the Whittier Coffee Initiative with new industry and science partners. Fissore sees the project as an example to her students of how to integrate Environmental Science into their lives and careers.

“If we understand the problems and we understand the science behind it, it's possible to develop solutions,” Fissore says. “But solutions are not all developed by scientists.

Scientists need to work with psychologists, social scientists, political scientists, and more. And that's because we're dealing with human beings at the end of the day.”

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Q & A:

Kristine Dillon ’73, Ph.D.

SHE KEEPS COMING BACK TO WHITTIER Interim president binds the college community together.

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nterim President Kristine Dillon ’73 met with The Rock shortly after Ron Gastelum ’68, Chair of the Board of Trustees, announced this fall that the popular leader had accepted the board’s request to remain in office through June 2025.

“An ideal interim leader, she is a uniter with a vision for our future success, bringing the common threads of our community together,” Gastelum wrote in the announcement to the Whittier community. “We are fortunate to benefit from an additional 12 months with Dr. Dillon leading us.”

Dillon spoke to The Rock about her career-capping work to strengthen her alma mater’s enrollment and fundraising. This interview was edited for length and clarity.

…

What were your initial impressions upon taking office this summer?

I actually had not wanted to be a college president, though I’d had a few opportunities. I felt my other career opportunities were more interesting, and was kind of winding down my higher ed experiences, doing some consulting and helping other schools. But my alma mater appeared to be in trouble. I thought I could find someone to help with this on an interim basis, but then I realized I was the only person I could think of. Someone was needed right away, someone who cared about the institution. I had familiarity, having been on the board for 18 years. I’d stayed in touch with the college, with those who were concerned. I had good relationships with people who were actively working to support the existing administration.

When I got here, I was motivated. I thought, “This campus is gorgeous. How could it possibly not be attractive [to college-bound students]?” We were doing such a good job

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of personalizing education for students who would otherwise probably go to a big institution and get lost in the shuffle.

Everything I’ve learned since arriving has shown that’s the case.

You have the distinctive perspective of an alum now presiding over her alma mater. How does your time as a student at Whittier influence your current mission?

I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t love my experience here. It led me on a different path than, say, UCLA would have. I wanted to go to a small school. I don’t think I could have explained that as a high school student. I think I would have been fine at a large school, but the reality of a small school is that you’re known by your faculty, you’re known by your classmates.

Now coming back as president, I trust that our faculty care deeply about our students and the students care about each other. It’s a tight-knit community. Frankly, I’ve been trying to replicate it in all the places I’ve worked. At USC, as an associate vice president of student affairs, I was trying to create a more personalized experience for the student body.

When I worked at Tufts in a similar role, the same thing. At Whittier, I had confidence that this is what people want. It’s why they came here.

PRESIDENT DILLON

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PRESIDENT DILLON

What was your top priority the day you took office?

I had some critical questions to answer: How to assess the capacity to be the school that our roots would best support? I couldn’t force-feed that. If it was past its time, I was prepared to accept that.

Where are we, in respect to providing the kind of personalized education I think we can offer? And then, what will it take for me to make that happen?

It quickly became apparent that we still had the capacity and the desire — the alumni, the faculty, the students attending. This is a special opportunity: We’re offering a high-quality college education to a student body that’s significantly first-generation and low-income, with a large percentage of Latinx students who are doing really well here.

How do we get on the path to increasing our enrollment? One obvious step was to tap into our valued alumni, some of whom had been voicing concerns, and to get them to commit their own philanthropic priorities to Whittier College.

What can you share about fundraising and development efforts?

Within the first four weeks of taking office in July, I developed a Short-Range Strategic Plan. In August, I got the Board of Trustees to endorse it and then made it public. It’s a pretty simple plan. A three-to-four-year time frame to get Whittier back in a viable enrollment state. And for fundraising, we are focusing on donations to the Whittier Fund in support of student scholarships, faculty salaries, and current operations.

Our trustees will be the leaders in this donor group, giving at a higher level than previously.

The good news: When we asked the trustees to commit to a million dollars in this first fiscal year and gave them until December to make their pledges, they actually did so by midOctober. We’ve also seen a big uptick in alumni giving. With almost 25% more donors to the Whittier Fund than at this time last year, we’ve more than tripled the dollars raised. People wanted to support Whittier, but they weren’t sure what the Whittier College was that they were supporting. Now they have a lot more confidence. We’re recommitted to the personalized undergraduate experience and the social mobility we’re accomplishing with our graduates.

There is both an art and science to a college’s enrollment efforts. Can you summarize Whittier’s strategies in this area?

I first needed to recruit some additional talent in that area to help our team. Ken Woods ’84 agreed to return. You do need the science, the knowledge of effective methodologies.

You also have to explain the institution through people who are known to those students. Whittier is known for a very strong teacher-education program. There are lots of Whittier graduates among the teachers in our local schools and leaders of school systems. Telling those people what Whittier is — the Whitter they appreciated — really helps us magnify our

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message to the students in local schools. We’re hosting those teachers and administrators on our campus. If we get their students on campus, they’re going to say, “Wow, I didn’t have a clue how beautiful Whittier College is.”

The enrollment mechanism is working again. Get outreach information, tap into our alumni in schools, tap into our alumni who have neighbors and friends. You can brag about Whittier College again; it’s the school today you were excited about when you attended.

College-bound students think about their destination for a while, as they should for such a major financial decision.

Our recruitment efforts have to start with younger high school students and then build on that. In the meantime, we have some very strong community colleges around us, and we can handle taking in transfer students to fill in those spots. We’ve invited 15 community college presidents and their transfer administrative staff to our campus. And we can offer their students housing, a big draw for students who would like to have a residential experience.

As a student, you actually transferred to Whittier after a year at Cal State Fullerton.

I had been planning to spend the early part of my undergraduate years as a commuter student at a public college, saving money to live on campus at Whittier when I transferred. I thought I would have to do it for two years. But I had scholarship money and realized I could transfer sooner.

I decided after one year at Cal State Fullerton that I was transferring. The wait to transfer was taking up too much of my college experience. Being slightly more risk-taking today, I probably would have gone to Whittier all four years.

This past summer, you convinced a number of alumni to help paint buildings on campus. That’s a form of engagement beyond the norm. How did that project unfold?

It was a casual comment among folks who had shared some concerns on social media. They were pleased that things were turning around. And if volunteering on campus would be useful, they were available. I decided to test that. They showed up. We had two different painting days. I think we had 25 volunteers across the two days. We also had some students and staff volunteer. The buildings didn’t look terrible. They just looked tired. We focused on all of the floors in Hoover Hall, which is right next to where my office is, and it just came out looking sparkling. Who knows, maybe next summer we’ll have this

event again. We do have air conditioning, so we weren’t harming these people to test their loyalty!

Whittier has students who are underrepresented in higher education top of mind. What can you share about programs to attract young people who might not otherwise feel college-bound — and how does the school’s personalized approach to education help them finish their degree?

Many students may have college on their radar, but they don’t foresee the wide range of career opportunities that college-educated people have. So, parents in service jobs may want their kids to go to college, but they may not be able to offer much more guidance than what my parents told me: “Go to college. It will be a better life.”

We take that belief structure and give them more opportunities to understand what the choices are. That requires a level of trust. Families have to trust us with their students. A student may go home at age 19 and say, “I want to be a neurosurgeon.” The parents may need help to understand how their child will get there. A faculty member encouraging that student — you have the talent and the dedication required — becomes a bridge from the family’s belief in that student to the faculty’s belief in that student.

PRESIDENT DILLON

How does Whittier establish that baseline of trust with a new student?

Speaking from my own experience as a student, I trusted the outcomes of people who went to Whittier ahead of me. You see a multigenerational trust; you discover that the faculty and staff really want to get to know you. If you need to talk to a faculty member about a problem, you will get a response. Someone is listening to you. That’s our expectation of this faculty, and that is what they deliver.

We are living in a post-pandemic world where anxiety and mental health — particularly among college students — are topical. How does Whittier address and manage this area of student life?

I was concerned about that when I arrived. Do we have the kind of mental health commitments that will be necessary?

I’ve been really impressed with both our health services and our counseling services. We have truly caring and talented people. Our director of counseling, Dr. Rebecca EberleRomberger, has been here 35 years. She sets the tone.

We also have 24-hour apps that allow Interim President a student to talk to a mental health Kristine Dillon professional if they’re awake in the is implementing middle of the night and anxious. We’re a Short-Range off ering a robust system of student Strategic Plan to support, especially in mental health. boost Whittier's enrollment and You mentioned some initial fundraising. reluctance upon arriving last summer.

PHOTOS: REBECCA ARANDA Was that countered at all by the reception and encouragement from faculty and staff, students, trustees, and alumni?

It matters that I’ve had such a warm reception. I agreed to stay an extra year [until June 2025]. The last thing I want to do is destabilize that sense of, “We’re all in this together. We’re working toward a purpose that we really value." You don’t want to leave in the middle of something going in the right direction.

I will not be looking over the shoulder of the next president. I’m going to be a cheerleader, in the background. But I think I can do a smoother handoff in 2025, rather than 2024.

What keeps you pushing forward?

We want to make sure this exists for future generations. We are offering a rarefied opportunity at Whittier. [Many of] these students bring challenging life experiences to college. Think about what that means as they go into leadership positions in our world. They have so much more understanding about what the full range of challenges is. It’s easy to talk about what matters, but if you’ve lived it, you have more ideas about what it takes to fix it.

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ATHLETICS

CRAWFORD BECOMES FIRST SOLO WOMEN’S TRACK ALL-AMERICAN IN SCHOOL HISTORY

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enior sprinter Jasmyn Crawford ’23 made history in her final season at Whittier, becoming the first woman in the school record to become a Track & Field All-American.

Crawford accomplished the feat by clocking an 11.84 in the 100-meter dash at the 2023 NCAA Division III National Championships in Rochester, New York. She also accrued All-American status in 2022 as a member of the program-record-holding 4x100-meter relay team alongside Gabriella Torres Joubert ’22, Mackenzie Reed ’23, and Rhe Nae Leach ’25. Additionally, while five members of the track and field program had achieved All-American status prior to Crawford, all five were field athletes, making the Bonita, California, native the first women's track athlete to do it as an individual.

“It was definitely a surprise,” Crawford said. “Even though I'm very good at my 100-meter races, it's not always my best.

The 200 is really where I thought I was going to place, but I guess there were different plans for me.”

Crawford will go down as one of the greatest woman athletes in school history. She won the SCIAC Track & Field Female Athlete of the Year award in 2023 behind SCIAC titles in three events: the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 4x100 meter relay. Her 100-meter time is also among the 10 fastest in the history of Division III women's track and field. Additionally, she is a two-time Whittier College Female Athlete of the Year recipient, and qualified for Division III nationals on three occasions.

“I felt comfortable with the Poet atmosphere with both athletics and academics,” said the kinesiology major. “I built good relationships and experienced many accomplishments in athletics. I've also benefited from wonderful academic experiences and opportunities within my field of study throughout these four years at Whittier College.”

« Whittier College track star Jasmyn Crawford became the first woman in Whittier College history to earn All-American status on the track in May.

“

The 200 is really where I thought I was going to place, but I guess there were different plans for me.

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”

« (l to r) Jasmyn Crawford, Talia Johnson, Mackenzie Reed, and Rhe Nae Leach celebrate after winning the 4x100 meter relay.

Men’s Iron Poet Award Alex Coco ’23 (Men’s Lacrosse) Women’s Iron Poet Award Avery Gonzalez ’24 (Women’s Soccer) Men’s Poet Spirit Award Sha’Cobe Marzett ’24 (Football) Women’s Poet Spirit Award Chella Davidson ’23 (Women’s Lacrosse) Men’s Presidential Scholar Athlete of the Year Alex Coco ’23 (Men’s Lacrosse) Women’s Presidential Scholar Athlete of the Year Amelia Bennett ’23 (Women’s Water Polo)

ATHLETICS

2022-23 PURPLE & GOLD BANQUET AND ATHLETIC CELEBRATION AWARDS RECIPIENTS

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PHOTOS: TONY LEON | ACTIONWESTPHOTOGRAPHY

1 » Chella Davidson, former Coordinator of Compliance and Student-Athlete Success Danielle Burrell, Sha'Cobe Marzett, 2 » Lizzie Scriven, 3» Della Trimble, 4 » Alex Coco, Director of Athletics Rock Carter, Amelia Bennett, 5 » Cheyanne Ybañez, 6 » Nicolas Friedley, 7 » Avery Gonzales, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Bradley Keane, Alex Coco, 8 » Professor Melanie Householder, Riana Barrett, Jasmyn Crawford, Rhe Nae Leach, Mackenzie Reed, Director of Athletics Rock Carter

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ATHLETICS

DAVIDSON RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NCAA POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP

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hella Davidson ’23 of the Whittier College women's lacrosse program was awarded the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship over the summer for athletic and academic excellence over her Whittier career.

She is one of just 21 female student-athletes across all NCAA Divisions to receive the prestigious scholarship, as well as one of just three SCIAC student-athletes. She is also the first Whittier athlete to be awarded the scholarship since Alex Jelloian ’21 of the baseball program.

The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually. The one-time nonrenewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season, with 21 scholarships awarded each cycle to women and 21 to men for use in an accredited graduate program.

“I opened the congratulatory email about the scholarship while camping with a friend and felt instant gratitude,” Davidson said. “I immediately wanted to share the exciting news with my parents and others whose support was instrumental in helping me achieve my successes this year.

Graduate school is expensive, so not only is this scholarship a humbling honor, but it also helps a lot financially!”

Davidson double-majored in kinesiology and finance as a

Midfielder Chella Davidson earned a $10,000 award. member of Whittier’s lacrosse team. She earned the SCIAC Character Award and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors in 2023. An athletic training assistant at other home sporting events and a tutor in the Center for Advising and Academic Success, she capped her home career with a dramatic game-winning goal in overtime.

With her Whittier career in the rear-view mirror, Davidson is attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh where she is pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy.

“Being a student-athlete at Whittier has enriched my life in countless ways,” Davidson said. “The mentors and sense of community I gained from being a student-athlete were invaluable aspects of my undergraduate career.”

“

Being a student-athlete at Whittier has enriched my life in countless ways,” Davidson said.

“The mentors and sense of community I gained from being a student-athlete were invaluable aspects of my undergraduate career.

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”

Kathleen J. Bradley ’66 Endowed Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers Dedicated to supporting the next generation of outstanding Poet educators, this scholarship supports students who wish to pursue a teaching career. Preference is given to students who are single mothers seeking to advance their skills as educators.

Stephen Gothold ’63 Endowed Scholarship The scholarship was established by Glen Warner ’63 who wanted to recognize his friend and classmate former choir director Stephen Gothold '63, and his impact and legacy by supporting undergraduate students who are pursuing a music major or minor or who are vocalists in the College Choir.

Dr. Parvin Mirbod Memorial Endowed Scholarship Established in 2021 by Dr. lraj Isaac Rahmim and his sister Dr. Arezoo Rahmim in memory of their beloved mother. Dr. Parvin Mirbod was an accomplished doctor, researcher, and academic. This scholarship benefits Whittier College juniors and seniors who wish to pursue medicine, have a minimum 3.5 GPA, and exhibit strong co-curricular leadership (exemplary community service, campus service, and/or research).

Preference will be given to first-generation college students.

Anna (Fujishige) Musselman ’59 Scholarship Mrs. Musselman was a trailblazer in her

family, with an accomplished career as a chemist.

This scholarship was created in her memory by her loving husband Jack R. Musselman to support a deserving chemistry student with financial need.

ADVANCEMENT

NEWLY ESTABLISHED SCHOLARSHIPS

Amy (Sakamoto) Tsubokawa ’67 Scholarship for Future Teachers This scholarship was established to benefit students who wish to pursue a career in education as teachers, with a preference for non-traditional female students (i.e. non-direct path to college, some college but no degree, single mothers).

Suzanne ’55 and Dale Burger CEC Summer Research Fellowship This scholarship was established by Mr. and Mrs. Burger to support research opportunities for the College’s Center for Engagement with Communities (CEC).

Morris Richardson ’33 Endowed Scholarship This scholarship was established to benefit students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential in any area of Whittier College activity including academics, student government, or athletics.

Hans Gustafsson ’93 Memorial Endowed Scholarship This scholarship was established by family and friends to honor his legacy and support students desiring a career in accounting or taxation.

Tom ’63 and Sally ’64 Freese Endowed Scholarship This scholarship was established to benefit students who are pursuing studies towards careers in business or education with a preference for firstgeneration college students.

Catherine Standiford ’81 Writing Fellowship This scholarship was established to support students interested in careers in creative writing or journalism.

Terry Causey ’72 Fellowship on the High Seas This scholarship was established for students to choose a personalized fellowship learning experience in the unique setting of a week-long voyage on a replica tall ship sailing from the San Francisco Bay to Monterey.

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ADVANCEMENT

ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS AT WHITTIER GET $500,000 BOOST THANKS TO GRANT

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t has been four years since Whittier College received a $500,000 grant from The Sherman Fairchild Foundation that changed the landscape of the institution’s visual and performing arts departments. The money allowed faculty and staff to purchase expensive technology, host visiting artists, create concentrations, receive training, and more.

“It was transformative in offering the types of courses that students are really interested in these days,” said Associate Professor of Art Danny Jauregui.

In the first year, a new media arts lab was created and filled with high-powered computers to teach classes on graphic design, animation, and game art. Later on, a digital fabrication studio and makerspace opened in the library with 3D printers and a laser cutter.

“Because of the equipment, the training and all of the new courses that were developed, every department created new majors or new tracks,” Jauregui said. “We did not have a film major prior to this grant.”

Yet Jauregui said one of the largest impacts was being able to create a fellowship where students

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received $4,500 to put toward projects in film, For her fellowship, animation, or other media. graphic design “These funds were major Macy Miller allowing them to either creates digital art purchase equipment, using artificial travel, pay actors, or intelligence inspired anything that would by her multimedia facilitate the project,” scrapbook.

Jauregui said.

CREDIT: MACY MILLER Fourth-year graphic design major Macy Miller is focusing her fellowship on the intersection of art and artificial intelligence. Having spent years on a multimedia scrapbook filled with drawings and other physical art, Miller is now transforming her book into a digital representation using AI software such as Midjourney.

“My idea was that, if AI is going to be more and more prevalent, I would like to at least use it and get an understanding of how it works,” Miller said.

The grant money is helping her pay for the software as well as print the AI-generated book.

Miller hopes to showcase her work in a gallery, such as the school’s Greenleaf Gallery, in the spring.

“As someone who wants to pursue visual arts, the opportunity to be able to put it together for a gallery instead of having to pitch my artwork and try to maybe get my art in a gallery is really exciting,” Miller said. “That’s something I didn’t think I would be able to do for years.”

ADVANCEMENT

LYNNE THERRIAULT INSPIRED TO PAY IT FORWARD Educator's gifts provide scholarship support for students and income for herself.

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or Lynne (Klein) Therriault ’62, Whittier College has always been a special place. She studied political science, enjoyed small intimate classes, and knew everyone in her major. She credits her professors at Whittier with challenging her to think critically and explore how the world worked.

"Whittier helped me grow as a young adult and into adulthood by offering me a well-rounded education so that I could find my voice," Therriault said.

Following graduation, Therriault worked as a teacher and then as a school librarian at Pinole Valley High School in Contra Costa County for over 35 years. She took pride in creating a stimulating learning environment where students could work on assignments and do research.

When she retired, Therriault made securing her own financial future and doing something special for her alma mater her top two priorities.

By setting up a charitable gift annuity (CGA) with Whittier, she was able to accomplish both goals.

She set up her first CGA in 2015 and has since set up 15 more. The additional gifts will enable her to support even more Whittier students, and she will benefit financially from the income

generated by these annuities.

“By setting up a CGA, I helped myself get a tax break and earn annual income at a high rate of return. I also enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that the funds will ultimately go to student scholarships. It's a win-win situation,” she said.

Therriault received a scholarship her first year at Whittier and worked in the public relations office all four years. She feels lucky to have been an upper-class resident in the freshman dorms her last two years: "My family had limited means so financial assistance from the college was a great help to us."

Gifts of scholarships or other planned gifts help students who, like Therriault decades earlier, would not be able to attend Whittier without financial assistance. In return, donors get peace of mind knowing that they will receive guaranteed income every year for the rest of their lives.

At the recent Poet4Life gathering this summer, she encouraged other Poets to consider a charitable gift annuity to also help themselves and Whittier — a benefit for all!

GIVE NOW!

2022-2023 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023) Giving Snapshot

$4,406,314

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TOTAL RAISED

NEWLY FORMED SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS

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$1,785,124

FOUNDATION GIFTS EQUALING $1,576,127

FROM “FAITHFUL FRIENDS” – GENEROUS DONORS WHO MAKE GIFTS IN AT LEAST TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS

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ADVANCING WHITTIER Philadelphian Society Honor Roll Created in 1985, the Philadelphian Society recognizes and honors those individuals who have made generous estate commitments to Whittier College through their will or living trust, through a beneficiary designation on a life insurance policy or retirement accounts, through a gift annuity, or through a charitable trust.

…

Steven C. Ai '76 Marjorie (Conley) Aikens '54 John R. Aliberti '77 Albert W. '66 and Carliene M. Anderson Fred D. '66 and Marilyn L. Anderson Loretta J. (Gotch) Armer '60 Rhonda L. (Dahlberg) Askeland '79 Ann Y. Bamberger '56 Patricia M. (Payne) Barrett '50 Marie J. Berny '74 Gilford C. '67 and Ramah Bisjak Mill Votteri and Rosa Lee Black-Votteri '62 Charlotte (Roe) Blalock '52 Michael D. '75 and Saundra Booker Robert P. '65 and Margaret A. Brainerd Eric R. Moormann and Donna J. Brand '73 James M. '71 and Joyce C. (Eakin) Brown '71

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Quinton L. and Phyllis J. (Jenkins) Brown '65 Ms. Bobbi W. Bruesch '65 Florence A. (Pickering) Buchanan '60 Richard W. '73 and Nancy Ann Buck Patricia T. (Cheney) Butler '52 John E. and Sandra L. (Steele) Butzel '62 Sherrill R. Cartt '64 V. Patricia (Paget) Casjens '51 Virginia L. Cerello '63 Fanny O. Chan '72 Doris Christensen Mary A. Clagett Samuel P. '73 and Barbara T. Clement Garrett W. '02 and Jessica R. Cobb '05 Kent L. Commons '61 Roger C. and Shirley F. (Davis) Conant '59 JoAnn M. (Weinert) Cooper '52 Geoffrey and Marcia L. (Hall) Cooper '68 Nancy S. Cooper Stanley Cooper Michael A. '64 and Barbara Cornelius James W. and Marilyn D. (Kyte) Craft '66 Christopher T. '62 and Diane DeRoche Cross Barrie F. and Ruth E. (Stichal) Cruickshank '67 Mal A. and Santa L. (Smalley) Crump '69 Robert W. Curran '66 Vincent J. '85 and Jan Daigneault Don and Elaine (Hovey) Davidson '89 William V. and Sandra L. (Hayden) Davidson '67 Linda L. de Vries Linda C. (Maine) DeFields '65

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Joan L. (Erreca) Dezember '56 John Curry and Kristine Dillon '73 Leonard C. and Kathleen A. (Kingsbury) Dobrzycki '64 Raymond E. '64 and Susan Donnelly Devon D. Dougherty James A. Ehlers '92 Deborah J. Ekstrom '76 Sondra D. (Nielsen) Elkins '67 Carl Walker and Joyanne (Hull) Elkinton-Walker '48 Phil J. Ellena '66 Adele M. (Perdew) Enright, MLS, MA '76 Raymond F. Erickson '63 and Carole De Saram Allan David Feinstein '68 David J. '71 and Margaret Firestone Leslie Horst and E. Louise Forrest '69 Mr. John Leslie '55 and Mrs. Sandi Fox Joan D. Francis William R. '64 and Sally Francis Ann B. (Bauman) Frank '48 Vincent J. '69 and Penny S. (Carns) Fraumeni '68 Wendy A. Furman-Adams Shayne C. '71 and Novie Beth Gad Lee R. Gardner '72 Richard Gardner Richard I. '68 and Nina A. (Newsom) Gilchrist '69 Gail H. (Hinn) Gitt '66 Robert F. Goeke Dominic Adamo and Maura A. Greeley '70 Kenneth S. Greenbaum '53 Susan C. Gregg '68 Dr. David E. and Mrs. Barbara Ondrasik Groce '57 John E. Hall '67 A. W. Hanson

Thomas B. '57 and Freeda Harper Eric S. Hartman '66 Margaret Hartman Wayne L. '60 and Susan R. (Elliott) Harvey '67 Charles E. '51 and Mary E. (Crouch) Hawley '52 E. Earl '62 and Betty A. Hays Christopher N. and Peggy A. (Hackett) Heinrichs '69 Gerald E. '56 and Patricia Hempenius David K. and Sharon D. Herzberger John W. Hole, Jr. Clayton Hollopeter '60 Rodli L. '63 and Kathy Holtan Terence C. and Jane I. (Israel) Honikman '67 Earl and Nancy J. (Wells) Hooper '63 Anna G. (Stanfield) Hunt '47 Patty P. Jennings Janet J. (Reese) Johnson '56 Kathleen L. Kane '71 John E. Kelly '51 Mary G. (Gibson) Kennedy '43 Paul R. '85 and Dana Kiesel Douglas S. '90 and Joan E. (Phillips) Kotkin Richard K. Lantz '54 Richard and Janice A. Legoza Grant B. '80 and Nancy Linsky Stephen N. Livingston Elizabeth H. (Buse) Lucas '58 Alan H. '71 and Irene Lund Thomas O. Manig and Bonnie J. MacEwan '72 Austin E. '84 and Tamara Major David M. '64 and Barbara Mann Theodore F. '51 and Mary L. (Delkin) Marshburn '53 John R. Martineau '66 Jean M. (Morishige) Marumoto '59

John L. and Laurie W. (Welsh) Peel '84 Nicholas M. Pentecost '66 Mike '70 and Sharon Cathy (Clayton) Plummer '70 Gene and Nancy A. (Koehler) Preston '56 Joseph L. and Bonnie L. (George) Price '89 Amy L. Pulver '72 Christina D. Purcell '92 Ralph R. Ramirez Sandra A. (Sorensen) Rhone '62 Edgar E. Clark and Janet L. Roberts '64 Raye C. Robinson '80 Glenn E. and Missy D. (Crawford) Rodey '66 Katherine E. (Reedall) Roemmele '58 Steve and Lynn C. (Hutchinson) Rosen-Giordano '64 Boyard Rowe '56 Richard S. and Linda Ruben Charles F. Alessi and Alexis A. Ruiz-Alessi '76 Adele A. Ruxton Craig W. '68 and Carol Saari Alan Sabrosky Merilyn "Lyn" (Johnson) Sandahl '53 Chris A. Sasiela '90 Dr. Patricia R. Sax, Ph.D '59 and Ms. Kathleen Taylor

HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

Daniel McMillan '82 and Theresa A. Rivas '99 Lawrence Krugman and Bernadette A. McNulty '66 Paul D. '76 and Kathleen McNulty Seymour Melnik, MD Victoria Mena Susan J. Mickiewicz '71 Deborah L. Middleton '72 Garth A. '78 and Ann Mills Mark G. Milton '78 Paul F. '68 and Connie C. Moore Terry '68 and Linda Mooschekian Gene C. '68 and Nancy Moscovitch Peter J. and Joyce M. (Johnson) Mullenbach '77 W.D. Bert '59 and Mary P. Newman J. Thomas Noble, Jr. '67 Francis L. Olson '64 B. LaRae Orullian James Ott Mary E. (Blossom) Owen '63 Gabriel K. '11 and Ortensia Papa Ernie Z. Park, Esq. Leslie and Linda R. (Davison) Park '63 Frederick E. Parker, Jr. James R. and Chrystina Parks

Bernard E. '68 and Janet Schneider Harriet A. (Utley) Schultz '56 Donald Schulze Richard A. '59 and Judy Schweitzer Lynne E. (Uhlig) Scott '65 Terry J. Scott '65 Keristofer D. Seryani '98 Alan R. Sewell C. Joel '64 and Toshimi Shapiro David A. '93 and Lynne Shapiro Phil Sheehan Robert E. Shelton '61 John A. and Carol E. (Heinz) Shupek '63 Elden L. '62 and Barbara G. (Whaley) Smith '63 Susan Solsby '62 Bruce and Patti Spencer Williametta Spencer '49 Alfred W. Stoll '49 Karin Strasser-Kauffman '63 Kit Strawsburg '69 Wayne C. and Mary E. (Ross) Swanson '66 Keith Swayne E. Guy '63 and Janet Talbott E. A. Tenorio '74 and Susan T. Sato-Tenorio Theodore R. '60 and Huntley G. (Goldsmith) Thatcher '62 Lynne K. Therriault '62 Lorrie K. Thomas '67 Raye V. Thomas '08 William H. '57 and Pat Thomas Roger C. Thompson '71 Patrice Ticknor Amy Townsend Brian and Kimberly A. Treacy '97 O. James '65 and Robin E. Treat Jeannette G. (Gill) Tregoe Genevieve W. (White) Turman '56 Annette L. Van Wagner C. Wayne and Sydna I. (Ellis) Wallace '57 L.M. Walter '64 Carolyn M. (Crowell) Warner '66

William L. Westling '71 Janet L. Wheeler '89 Robert C. '59 and Sandy White Douglas M. and Faith R. (Campbell) Whitley '62 Stanley A. '51 and Rita Wiklund Richard S. and Kate K. Wiley George L. Wilson, IV '83 Montgomery K. '54 and Mary Maio Winkler Mahlon A. and Gwen J. (Vaden) Woirhaye '60 Jonathan Allen and Bonnie L. (Orenchak) Wolin '69 Jeanette C. Wong '81 Steven A. '70 and Marjorie A. (Shively) Wood '69 Victor L. '74 and Monique Woodward Stephen M. Wright '76 Richard L. Wulfsberg '66 Vincent J. '91 and Deborah A. (Hansen) Yasaki '91 William E. Younis '75 Zabelle Zakarian '72 If you have already included Whittier College in your estate plans, please let us know at 562.907.4842 so that we may include you in this special leadership group. We do respect the privacy of those who wish to remain anonymous. * In grateful memory, an asterisk indicates that the donor is deceased.

We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this Honor Roll. If you discover an error or omission, please call the Office of Development at 562.907.5049 to report the correction.

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John Greenleaf Whittier Society These honor roles gratefully recognize donors to Whittier College who made gifts in the 2022 – 2023 fiscal years.

Since 1923, members of the John Greenleaf Whittier Society (JGWS) have been setting the standard for annual charitable contributions. Much like the college’s namesake who worked for the betterment of others, JGWS members help Whittier deliver on its educational mission by making annual gifts of $3,000 and above.

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Trustee Circle

Gifts of $30,000 or more Fred D. '66 and Marilyn L. Anderson G. Terry Causey '72 JoAnn M. (Weinert) Cooper '52 Mary E. Davis Christopher C. Evans* Ann D. Farmer* Tad J. Freese Joanne S. "Jan" Lopez Wood Alan H. '71 and Irene Lund Claire E. Miller Jack W and Jennifer L. Niskey Dr. Linda S. Oubré and Mr. Nathaniel L. Oubré Vicky L. Pion* Frederick E. Slater* Ardith E. (Owen) Smith '57

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Robert Kaplan and Debra Stokes Mrs. Joan Sun Lynne K. Therriault '62 James K. Thomann* Amy (Sakamoto) Tsubokawa '67 Donald E. Wood*

President’s Council

Gifts of $15,000 to $29,999 James M. Andreoli Mill Votteri and Rosa Lee Black-Votteri '62 Margaret F. (Fairfield) Read '59 Kirk and Mei-lan E. (Wong) Stark '89

Benefactors

Gifts of $7,000 to $14,999 Alex S. Alacche '54 John H.* and Karen Arens* Kathleen J. Bradley-Hirz '66 Dale and E. Suzanne (Swanson) Burger '55 Richard Lichtenstein and Melanie Cotton Verner D. Hawk* Yukiyasu and Toshiko Hayashi Isaac A. Inouye '75 and Adele Hieshima-Inouye '77 Phil and Katie Holthouse Ameet and Jennifer Keny Frederic and Elizabeth Laluyaux Allan B. McKittrick '60 William E. Mitchell* Joseph Nishimura B. LaRae Orullian John L. and Laurie W. (Welsh) Peel '84 John L. Richardson Alice F. Schenk Catherine (Pearce) Standiford '81 Raymond Watje* Jam F. and Bow Jean Wong

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Fellows

Gifts of $3,000 to $6,999 Marjorie (Conley) Aikens '54 Ronene A. (Ettinger) Anderson '85 James '79 and Cindy Baca Jeffrey J. '81 and Susan M. Bare Fanny O. Chan '72 Roy E. Clason, Jr. '84 Nola L. Cole* Vincent J. '85 and Jan Daigneault Leonard C. and Kathleen A. (Kingsbury) Dobrzycki '64 Martha A. (Reynolds) Fox '50 Vincent J. '69 and Penny S. (Carns) Fraumeni '68 Shayne C. '71 and Novie Beth Gad William D. '72 and Barbara L. (Bliss) Gillette '72 Mark C. and Patricia S. Goodman Susan C. Gregg '68 Greggory Hutchins Glenn A. and Carol A. (Schmoll) Johnson '78 John P and Francine S. Katsoudas Eastwood Im and Elizabeth Y. Kay-Im '89 Matthew Knight Thomas O. Manig and Bonnie J. MacEwan '72 Peter Kelly and Louise L. (Scheide) Marshall-Kelly '64 Christopher T. Martin '94 Michael J. and Gail McBride Joseph C. McCarthy '97 William M. '74 and Caroline Allison (Moore) McCormack '75 David Mgrublian Margaret A. Mgrublian Kwan H. '88 and Mi-Jung Lee Brian R. '70 and Susan Miles Gavien N. and Ann (Gibson) Miyata '72 Rafael Ojeda Stephen D. '85 and Lawton Penn Philip and Agnes S. Peters

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Phillips Amy L. Pulver '72 Andris and Kerrie Ramans Carlos Rodriguez Robert A. and Rita G. Rubin Adele A. Ruxton John H. Scudder '68 Geoffrey C. '66 and Saundra Carlton Shepard Hugh and Kimberly Slee Barbara C. Spencer '65 Karin Strasser-Kauffman '63 Richard F. Sullivan '68 James D. '71 and Janet M. (Popoff) Surina '71 Robert A and Stacey L. Tarango Raye V. Thomas '08 Janet C. (Dunham) Turner '55 Vincent E. Vigil '02 Steven C. Weston '83 John M. '64 and Martha M. (Thompson) Wilcox '65 J. David '65 and Gretchen R. (Stiling) Willson '65 Vincent J. '91 and Deborah A. (Hansen) Yasaki '91

Wardman Circle

Gifts of $1,000 to $2,999 James K. Walton '73 and Eileen M. Albanese Krystal Anderson '14 Aaron H. Bach '91 Blair C. '64 and Antoinette A. (Leslie) Baker '66 John E. Bel '68 R. Douglas '65 and Elaine K. Bennett Leon C. '68 and Karen R. (Christensen) Bennett '68 Molly G. Berger '07 Michael A. and Jennifer A. (Nestegard) Blazey '86 Diane M. Bowden Steven L. '79 and Carol Brandon Semier Brossy John V. and Shirley M. (O'Connor) Byrne '53 Wade C and Rebecca l. Carter

Robert P. and Karen A. Hillman Richard J. '61 and Jean O'Connell Honn Christopher D. Schoemann '87 and Kristine JacobsSchoemann '87 Erich W. '69 and Patricia Jahnke sal A. Johnston Nadine Wong Shi Kam, Ph.D. '01 Michael C. and Nancy L. (Spencer) Kirk '76 Jane L. (Alexander) Krause '67 Mary L. Kreuzer '64 Hale H. '93 and Cynthia L. (Salac) LaBore '92 Fred M. '73 and Jacqueline R. (Davis) Lakey '74 Robert E. '59 and Carolyn C. (Clift) Laskey Robert A. and Wieke Lebby John G. '80 and Sandra Gay Lejay Kenneth T. '64 and Karen M. (Warren) Long '63 Austin E. '84 and Tamara Major Richard K. Mastain* Stephen J. Mather '71 John D. '77 and Mary L. (Morgan) McCarthy '77 Bob McCloskey Ray W. McMullen '54 Robert E. and Christine (Zarzana) McQuinn '97 Jason S. Fish '93 and Veronica M. Meneses '93 Dale A. Miller '63 William S. '80 and Jacqueline (Chang) Mok '82 Sherwood L. Morf '62 Paul F. '68 and Connie C. Moore Michael M. and Meghan D. Morrissey Philip F. and Leda J. (Mintzer) Muller '88 Janet J. (Burdick) Murtagh '65 Lee A. Nyvold-Reid '76 Patricia O'Connell Anne S. (Coburn) O'Mara, MSW '56

Linda A. (Aistrup) Oldham '62 Linda D. (Deats) Owen '66 Gordon K. '50 and Evelyn K. Pedersen James R. '58 and Ann (Larson) Peter '59 Mark and Kara E. (Robison) Peterson '81 J. Joseph Pia* Mary J. Pia John O. and Evelyn G. Pohlmann Arturo C. '71 and Nina R. (Ramondelli) Porzecanski George and Judith V. (Kerr) Prather '66 Larry and Joanne K. (Shutt) Princinsky '75 James B. Proett, LTC USAF '66 Carolyn Ramos Aisha (Hussain) Reynolds '98 Ricki Reynolds Andrew T. Roach '91 Dr. Mark and Mrs. Elizabeth Power Robison William B. '72 and Candace A. Rollins Judith A. (Smith) Rowan '68 Charles F. Alessi and Alexis A. Ruiz-Alessi '76 Elizabeth M. Sage James R. and Ethel C. Sanborn Miguel A. Santana '91 Namrata Saroj, OD '96 Chris A. Sasiela '90 Stanley M. Smith '73 and Aileen T. Sato-Smith Marcello R. Sawyer '02 Allen E. '66 and Dianne Shackelford Rick L. and Patricia A. Schraeder Robert L. Shonborn '75 Kostas Gus and Sandra Sialaris Nancy R. (Heldrich) Sievert '56 Javier and Sarah E. Silva Martina Simbulan Raymond F. and Ann Smith Virginia H. (McIntyre) Stache '65 Mary M. (Sydnor) Stanton '67

HONOR ROLL OF DONORS

Floyd D. '92 and Sheri D. (Hansmeier) Cheung '92 Gregory P. and Catherine C. Choy Blake Christian Samuel P. '73 and Barbara T. Clement Garrett W. '02 and Jessica R. Cobb '05 Jonathan S. Collard '01 Michael A. '64 and Barbara Cornelius James W. and Marilyn D. (Kyte) Craft '66 J. David '52 and Beverly G. (Edwards) Deshler '53 William T. '63 and Phyllis O. (Driskill) Dickson '63 E. T. '69 and Kristine A. (Machenheimer) Dobbyn '68 Devon D. Dougherty Michael Dreyer Clifford R. '63 and Arlene L. Dudley William and Thelma L. Eaton Paul F. '67 and Nancy A. Edinger Robert and Marianne E. (Eger) Engle '68 Jennifer C. Fernandez, DPA '75 Mark P and Darlene E. Friedley Robert H. '67 and Marca D. (Patterson) Fronk '67 Desiree M. Garcia '01 Lisa Gonzales Victor Gonzales Stuart E. '56 and Jane R. (Soderberg) Gothold '55 Kenneth S. Greenbaum '53 Helen Guo-Perez Jorge I. Gurrola '01 Michael Haas '01 Mitsuo '63 and Kathleen Hamada William A. and Elizabeth Hathaway E. Earl '62 and Betty A. Hays James W. and Sherry J. (Rockwell) Hedrick '68 Stephen J. and Darlene S. Hemington Sonny Heshmati

William and Lorna Stirton Rebecca C. Reyes Sultan '87 Mary Sutherland Brad D and Lisa W. Swanson Brian Krylowicz '90 and Jennifer Thompson '91 Andy Torosyan David A. Retana and Raquel Torres-Retana '91 Mark T. and Wanda S. Tsumaki Janice C. (McDonald) VandenBos '59 Terry A. Valenzuela Eckhard Walter Patricia F. Walworth '66 Mary L. Weaver '72 Daniel Weiss Harlan D. Stelmach '67 and Margot Wenger Janet L. Wheeler '89 Stephanie N. Wiggins '92 Dennis North and Judith C. (Hay) Wiggins-North '64 Mahlon A. and Gwen J. (Vaden) Woirhaye '60 Michael F. '85 and Betsy W. Wood Shuzo Yamamoto '73 David C. H. and Maura L. (Lee) Yee '76

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ALUMNI

ALIANZA DE LOS AMIGOS SERVES AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WHITTIER COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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n recent years, the members of Alianza de Los Amigos have worked hard to fortify, reconnect, and engage the Latinx Poet community. The group is dedicated to providing leadership and resources to current students through mentorship, promoting career and professional development and empowerment for alumni, maintaining strong ties with Whittier College faculty and administration, and building on the legacy and indomitable spirit of Dr. Martin Ortiz ’48. He supported generations of students as the founder and director of the Center for Mexican American Affairs, a precursor to today’s Office of Equity and Inclusion.

The association was formed in the early 1970s, and alumni serve as role models for the Latinx students on campus as

well as for the Poets of tomorrow.

Members include Astrid Bojorge ’07, president; Minerva Bojorge-Jaramillo ’02, vice president; Vanessa Iniguez ’09, secretary; April Zamorano-Yuge ’04, treasurer; and Alex Tenorio ’74, historian. Members-at-large are Luz Castro ’17, Mentorship Co-Chair Fabiola Flores ’18, Mentorship Co-Chair Ángel de Jesús González ’12, Membership Co-Chair Xochitl Ramirez ’16, Aracely Iniguez ’09, Raquel (Gutierrez) Lambert ’10 and Crystal (Zamorano) Nolasco ’06.

The group is recruiting the next leadership team and collecting updated information. If you identify within the Latinx community and are interested in getting involved, fill out a form at Whittier.formstack.com/forms/alianza_de_los_ amigos.

WHITTIER COLLEGE BLACK ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CONTINUES SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN PURSUING THEIR DREAMS

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he Whittier College Black Alumni Association (WCBAA) awarded four students with $1,000 scholarships each in 2023. Recipients include third-year student Gabriel Collazo, second-year student Naia Watkins, fourth-year student Jardon Quarterman, and fourth-year student Haley Hughes-Gill.

The purpose of the WCBAA is to bolster Whittier in its efforts to recruit and support Black students; to foster and maintain positive relationships between Black students, alumni, and the College; and to develop and provide scholarship assistance, career mentoring, and cultural advocacy through alumni networking, volunteer involvement, philanthropy, and social enterprise.

The WCBAA’s leadership is currently made up of officers Mike Moses ’85, president; David Moss ’83, secretary; and Erika Rogers '93, advisor. On the committee are Harold Allen ’84, Erle Collins ’82, and Marc Brodnax ’86, P’17.

Make sure to mark your calendar for WCBAA’s 2nd Annual Black Excellence Day. Plans are underway for a soul food lunch, a panel discussion, a basketball game and more on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 on campus. Contact alumni@whittier.edu for more information.

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ALUMNI BOARD UPDATE: NEW PATHWAYS FOR ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT his summer, the Whittier College Alumni Association Board (also known as the Alumni Board), launched a new Alumni Relations Committee to complement the work of the existing committees (Development, Poet Network and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). The board also welcomed Leah Brown ’18 as the new Secretary.

The Alumni Relations Committee works with the Office of Alumni Relations and the general Alumni Board to build pathways for alumni involvement with college-related activities such as Orientation, Homecoming, and more. The group oversees volunteer opportunities between alumni and college initiatives and assists the Office of Alumni Relations with overall alumni engagement.

In addition, the Alumni Relations Committee Chair Rachel (Homel) Rice ’96 coordinated a work group to assist the Office of Alumni Relations with planning Homecoming with the goal of reinvigorating the experience for alumni.

The Alumni Board Executive Officers continue to meet monthly with Ana Guiterrez ’96, Director of Alumni Relations, to discuss upcoming alumni-related initiatives. The full Alumni Board meets quarterly and invites special guests like President Kristine Dillon ’73, Board of Trustees Chair Ron Gastelum ’68, and other college officials.

Alumni Board Of Directors, Executive Board, and Committee Members Vincent Vigil ’02, Chair Amanda (Vaughn) Wherritt ’99, Vice Chair Robert (Duarte) Allarte ’16, Communications Director Sophin Zoe PruongMcCreery ’01, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair Dorian Almaraz ’14 Alma Corado Barrios ’17 Gaby Gil ’17 Robert Jacobo ’11 Rodolfo “Rudy” Marquez ’18 Cody (Allman) Allarte ’16, Development Committee Chair

ALUMNI

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Bill Francis ’64 Frank Olson ’64 Cassandra Ronquillo ’14 Amanda Settlage ’09 Raye Thomas ’08, Poet Network Committee Chair Kristine Mariscal ’10 Kevin Perez-Allen ’05 Magaly Perez ’10 Amer Rashid ’17 Rachel (Homel) Rice ’96, Alumni Relations Committee Chair Patty (Jurarez) Hill ’98 Leda (Muller) Mintzer ’88 Michael Nelson ’95 Dan Pira ’96

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MEMBERSHIP ON THE WHITTIER COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES IS AN HONOR, A SERVICE, AND A RESPONSIBILITY

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t is the trustees who — in consultation with others — determine, reaffirm, or change the College's purposes and mission. They approve all major institutional policies including decisions concerning the addition or discontinuation of major academic programs and major services, consistent with Whittier's mission and financial capacity.

The duties of the Board include appointing, supporting, and assessing the president and other officers of the College, as well as approving procedures for the granting of tenure to faculty and earned and honorary degrees. Additionally, trustees must lead planning initiatives, assess outcomes, and monitor progress against goals. They ensure that the College has adequate resources to fulfill its mission by approving and monitoring the annual budget, protecting financial and capital assets, and

prudently investing restricted and unrestricted funds.

Elected for up to five three-year terms before a required hiatus year, Board members set an excellent collective example in personal philanthropy. They lead special fundraising initiatives for capital and endowment projects, and are typically the College's top donors to the Whittier Fund with their generous annual support for scholarships. Guaranteeing that Whittier serves as a good citizen in its relationships with other social, educational, and business enterprises through appropriate collaborations and partnerships, trustees are key ambassadors for the College in the United States and abroad.

The Board of Trustees is committed to the College’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to governing by fostering an environment of mutual respect as established in the Board’s Code of Conduct.

Board of Trustees

Trustees Emeriti

Chairman of the Board: Ron Gastelum ’68 Treasurer: Alan Lund ’71 Secretary: Yvonne Romero da Silva

C. Milo Connick, Ph.D.* Richard H. Deihl ’49 Rayburn S. Dezember ’53 Ethel L. Eckles* Alfred J. Gobar ’53* Charlotte D. Graham, L.H.D. ’99* Willard V. Harris Jr. ’55, L.H.D. ’02* Donald J. Herrema ’74 Caroline (Patterson) Ireland ’43* Sharon W. (Ettinger) McLaughlin Chandler R. Myers, LL.D. ’88 Hubert C. Perry ’35* Anthony R. Pierno ’54, L.H.D. ’00* Carl L. Randolph Ph.D., LL.D.* Homer (Bill) G. Rosenberger, M.D.* Ruth B. Shannon, L.H.D. ’92* Elden L. Smith ’62 Judith A. (Kjellberg) Swayne ’63* Benjamin B., Tregoe, Jr., Ph.D, LL.D.* Maxine M. Trotter ’47* Roberta G. Veloz ’57* Donald E. Wood, L.H.D. ’98*

Harold Allen ’84 Fred Anderson ’66 Michael L. Brown ’79 Erin J. Clancy ’07 Christopher Cross ’62 Tiffany Dean ’97 Richard I. Gilchrist ’68, P’06 ’07 Barbara Groce ’57 Yukiyasu Hayashi P’10 Jascha Kaykas-Wolff ’98 Lila Laviano ’03 Richard Lichtenstein P’16 Lisabeth E. Marziello ’87 Francisco Rodriguez Raquel Torres-Retana ’91 Vincent E. Vigil ’02, Alumni Trustee Stephanie Wiggins ’92 Kenya Williams J.D. ’10

*In grateful memory

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THE ROCK | WINTER 2023

Whittier Now! W

hittier College recently announced the launch of a new fundraising initiative dedicated to the continued growth of our beloved institution: Whittier Now! You already know Whittier College is special. With your support, Whittier will continue to make a difference in our students' lives, families, communities — and the world.

One hundred percent of current board members have made significant gifts and pledges to this initiative, and they will match all contributions made before December 31, 2023 (up to $1M).

Please join us in thanking our lead donors to Whittier Now!

Donors of $100K or More Fred ’66 and Marilyn Anderson Richard H. ’49, DBA ’84* and Billie (Beane) Deihl ’50 Kristine Dillon ’73 and John Curry Ron Gastelum ’68 Rick ’68 and Nina (Newsom) ’69 Gilchrist Donors of $50,000-$99,999 Dr. David E. and Mrs. Barbara Ondrasik Groce ’57 Christopher T. ’62 and Diane DeRoche Cross Alan H. ’71 and Irene Lund Christopher T. Martin ’94* James R. Parks* *Former Trustee

www.whittier.edu/giving/givenow

WHITTIER NOW! Whittier College is where dreams take root and grow into reality

www.whittier.edu/giving/givenow or call 562.907.5049 What if you could help meet the world’s challenges by investing in the next generation of problem-solving leaders?

You can.

The world needs Whittier College. Now, Whittier College needs us. Join with and broaden our supportive community that preserves and protects what we’ve

built. Sustain the highly personalized residential liberal arts experience that has transformed so many lives over generations. Help raise $20 million for current operating needs over the next five years.

Join us: Whittier Now!