Westwind, Summer 2020

THE MAGAZINE OF WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY SUMMER 2020

From hugs on the Hello Walk to the respite of vespers, our common memories unite us p. 5

2020/2021

DON’T MISS OUT ON WESTWIND THIS YEAR! To be thoughtful about how we support students and equip our campus for safe learning, Walla Walla University has opted to print only one of the three issues of Westwind that will be delivered to you this year.

We still have plenty of good news to report and wonderful alumni stories to tell, so we will send you the fall issue in the mail and will deliver the spring and summer issues online.

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PHOTOS: VIACHESLAV IAKOBCHUK/ADOBE STOCK; QEAQL/CREATIVE MARKET

Stay safe, stay strong, WWU!

COMMENCEMENT // P. 07

“When we share our stories, we are sharing little pieces of ourselves.”

—Kayla Nash ’20, senior class president

BY ROW, FROM TOP LEFT:

Caleb Brown, Abby Covrig, Elmer Steenberg, Annalise Harvey, Caleb Jurgensen, Elisha Mvundura, Andre Gonzalez, Kayla Nash, Clyde Rapozo III, Anne Hodgson, Ashley Vo, Ashley HenrySaturne, Ana CisnerosGonzalez, Carin Howell, Connor Hubin, Annie Gibson, and Edwin Tobar Solis.

From the President 4

College Avenue 5 News from across campus THE MAGAZINE OF WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY // SUMMER 2020

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2020

20 About the cover

During the 2019–20 school year, WWU students, faculty, and staff faced unprecedented challenges with grace and perseverence. Now we celebrate the class of 2020 as they join the ranks of WWU alumni who are changing the world.

PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY NEIL JAMIESON

Westwind Summer 2020, Volume 39, Number 2 / Westwind is published three times a year by Walla Walla University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution, and is produced by the WWU Marketing and University Relations office. This issue was printed in July 2020. © 2020 by Walla Walla University. Mail Westwind, 204 S. College Ave., College Place, WA 99324.

E-mail westwind@wallawalla.edu Telephone (509) 527-2363 Toll-free (800) 541-8900 Online wallawalla.edu/westwind Editor Kim Strobel Staff writers Kiersten Ekkens and Makena Horton Design L/Bailey Design

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The Things That Last Six alumni face the pandemic with hope and a sense of possibility

Alumni of the Year 2020 Alumni of the Year inspire, challenge, and entertain

‘Deep physics lurks’ Philip Phillips ’79 named to membership in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

In Memory Reflections on the life of Melvin West and other WWU alumni

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Being together The tale of two test weeks and how August came to be

Watch online commencement and other grad weekend events at wallawalla.

edu/grad.

A few weeks after the novel coronavirus pandemic struck higher education last spring, I gathered virtually with a group of presidents of colleges and universities here in the Northwest.

After we reviewed the challenges being confronted on our campuses, the chair proposed plans for initiatives and meetings beginning in August 2020. One of my colleagues, the president of a wellknown and affluent institution, asked with fervent and authentic concern, “Will there even be an August?” The question resonated then and still does, months along in this crisis.

So, will WWU occupy the Luddite’s corner and avoid distance education? No. Our faculty, staff, and students worked very hard during spring quarter and did great work. Our IT team—which has performed yeoman’s service with both virus outbreaks—helped immensely. Faculty with solid experience in online education ably coached those with less. Creative staff members found ways to offer a wide array of support services online. You, our loyal alumni, have stepped up as well, offering financial support to help students through tough times and coaching students and their families through the crisis.

The assessments are coming in. The numbers expressed in student evaluations of teachers offer a very positive view of what was accomplished during spring quarter online classes.

If you chat with students and faculty, you will hear voiced two consistent themes—appreciation for the efforts all invested and a strong affirmation that in-person education is best.

As we look to the future, we will seek to draw on what we have learned in order to offer still better education and greater flexibility to address varied circumstances. As our plans for fall 2020 suggest, we remain dedicated to the value of in-person, residential education. We look forward to the time when we can be together. We know that when we reconvene it will not be just the same. Through an array of carefully crafted strategies, protocols, and monitoring procedures, we will bear witness to the value of being together and the supreme worth of laying claim to the presence of the risen Jesus in our midst.

Thank you for all you are doing to aid your alma mater and its students to ensure that there will indeed be an August.

Cordially, John McVay, president

FIND MORE NEWS ABOUT WWU AT WALLAWALLA.EDU/NEWS.

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Westwind Summer 2020

PHOTO: ALIX HARRIS

The model of education on which Walla Walla University is based affirms the value of in-person education where the power, nuance, and transformative potential of personal relationships are on offer. It thrives on drawing groups together for conversation, collaboration, celebration, and worship. It feeds on the chance encounter on the Hello Walk.

It acknowledges that much of what is valuable in education occurs outside the classroom and that residential campus life adds exceptional value. Given the centrality of togetherness and community to WWU’s mission, one of the most painful decisions I’ve ever had to make was to direct, last March 12, that this more than 125-year-old institution would shutter its campuses and move online.

It is painful to recall that in the 2019–2020 academic year WWU faced the outbreak of not one virus, but two. At the start of test week for winter quarter, we were struck by a ransomware virus that shut down all the computer resources on which we have come to rely. We moved through test week physically together, but making do without computers. Then, just before test week for spring quarter, we moved off campus and online because of the coronavirus. We were no longer physically together and had only computer-based resources on which to rely. The tale of two test weeks. Painful irony!

These last months have brought a withering degree of change to which this issue of Westwind bears witness. Six alumni tell the stories of how they have navigated the pandemic. Virtual Homecoming 2020 continues in these pages as we celebrate Sam Carvajal, Doug Clark, Bill Fritz, and Becky Billock. Westwind itself is impacted with its mode of delivery adjusted to the times. (Make sure we know how to get this excellent magazine to you in the coming year. See page 2.)

College Avenue The latest from across campus

“I miss laughing with my friends and singing at vespers every Friday.”

“I miss getting together with peeps to make music.”

“I miss cool sips at the Atlas and warm hugs on the Hello Walk.”

PHOTOS: ASWWU PHOTO

“I miss the beautiful campus and all the beautiful, kind people.”

“I miss that person whose name I don’t know but who I passed by every day.”

“Interacting with my professors.”

“Weekly Saturday game nights with my friends.”

“I miss the friendly community of Walla Walla.”

“I miss everything. My peers, my teachers, my studio desk, my spot in the Mac lab, the woodshop, my 3D printer!”

“I miss campus life and laughing with my friends.

They’re my family.”

Know the feeling?

Alumni, we hear again and again that you have memories forever tied to the Walla Walla University campus—a song, a spring day, vespers, a sunset, a particular dish of food (usually cottage cheese casserole from the caf).

Here’s what students told us they miss after just one quarter away for online classes. Can you relate?

Student life will look a bit different on campus this fall, but we’re looking forward to nurturing community in new ways. Learn more at

wallawalla.edu/coronavirus.

Westwind Summer 2020

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College Avenue The latest from across campus

Celebrating scholarshıp Online Awards CommUnity highlights excellence in thought

Watch the program and read about each award at wallawalla.

edu/awards.

Maynard-Reid receives Distinguished Service Award Pedrito Maynard-Reid, professor of biblical studies and missiology and assistant to the

T

HE ANNUAL WWU Awards CommUnity was held online in May to celebrate the achievements of students, faculty, and staff, as well as scholarships awarded for the 2020–21 academic year. The program was attended via Zoom by alumni and other friends of the university including students, faculty, and staff. During the program, McVay interviewed students and faculty about projects conducted during the previous year on topics such as glass recycling, community salsa gardens, the impact of diet on neurotransmitter production, and pedicle screw thread design.

As a result of the generous contributions of WWU alumni and friends, $723,013 in scholarships for the upcoming academic year were awarded during the program to 632 students through 213 scholarship funds. Thirteen awards were also presented to faculty and staff during the program.

president for diversity, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Oakwood University Pastoral Evangelism and Leadership Council (PELC) at their 40th anniversary celebration in December.

Maynard-Reid has published and contributed to many books on the subjects of evangelism, worship, and biblical studies, particularly on the biblical book of James.

Throughout his career, Maynard-Reid Maynard-Reid was accompanied by his wife, Violet.

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Westwind Summer 2020

Undergraduate students survey the incidence of disease in seagrass meadows in the Salish Sea.

has taught at Northern Caribbean University and Antillean University.

He joined the faculty at WWU in 1990. He has held evangelistic meetings in the Philippines, Ghana, Tanzania, and Jamaica. He works to pass on his passion for evangelism to his students through his classes at WWU and by involving them in the work of the PELC. Each year since 1992 he has taken WWU theology students to the PELC conference where they can experience firsthand the work and vision of the council.

Yucheng Yang won the student paper competition at the ASME PVP conference.

Thomas to speak for Distinguished Faculty Lecture Dave Thomas, professor of practical theology and apologetics and former dean of the School of Theology, will speak for the 2020 Distinguished Faculty Lecture on Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Thomas’s classes in Systematic Theology and Issues of God and Faith have helped students grapple with

some of the most challenging questions about God and have reached the needs of many who are exploring questions of faith.

The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer is a WWU faculty member who is respected for leadership, teaching, and scholarship, and who is involved in governance, church life, and community service.

Watch the lecture via livestream on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. at

wallawalla.edu/DFL.

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS: WALLAWALLA.EDU/WESTWIND

BY THE NUMBERS

Class of 2020

424 Total number of graduates

97

Master’s degrees awarded

331

Project Hope

CHE project encourages COVID-19 heroes

T

HE WWU Center for Humanitarian Engagement (CHE) has launched Project Send Hope to provide encouraging cards that can be sent to COVID-19 patients, healthcare workers, and other essential workers on the front lines.

“Not All Heroes Wear Capes (but we can make that happen too.)” reads one of the cards designed by Janette Wagness, senior graphic design major and Project Send Hope leader.

Printed cards are free and can be ordered on the CHE Project Send Hope Healthcare workers in Loma Linda, California, receive Project Hope cards.

Bachelor’s degrees awarded

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Associate degrees awarded

website, or a PDF can be downloaded for printing at home.

“The CHE is dedicated to service, and what that looks like is different every day,” Wagness said. “But that’s the fun part of it! Some days it’s handing out hot chocolate and starting conversations with strangers. Some days it’s filling sandbags and slinging mud. And other days it’s making cards of hope for healthcare heroes.

We get to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community and beyond.”

“Some cards whose story I am especially excited about are those that are being given out in Loma Linda, California, by a coffee truck called LoMelinda’s Buzz & Bloom,” said Becky Orozco, sophomore nursing major and Send Hope student ambassador.

“LoMelinda’s is located next to a large hospital and has received donations that have allowed them to give free coffee to healthcare workers. This week, they have also been giving out our cards with each order.”

“I hope the cards bring hope and joy and that recipients know we’re all cheering them on and giving them encouragement for the days they feel like they are not able to keep going,” said Wagness.

To order or download cards and to learn more about the six new CHE programs developed in response to the coronavirus, visit

wallawalla.edu/ che-ambassador.

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PHOTOS: CLAYTON KRUSE, CHRIS DRAKE, MELINDA HEBBEL, C.J. BROTHERS

States represented in the class of 2020

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Countries represented in the class of 2020

See more about the class of 2020 in the class profile video at

wallawalla.edu/ grad.

Students share research on gut health Two students recently presented their research at the Seventh-day Adventist Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Association (SDAHPERA) conference.

Svea Smith, a 2020 graduate with an associate degree in prenutrition and dietetics, presented “Feeding Your Neurotransmitters” about her research on the impact of diet on neurotransmitter production

and mental health.

Hope Heaton, a 2020 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and in secondary education, presented “The Gut Microbiome: Reshaping the Physical Educator.” Her research focused on the connection between nutritional choices, the gut microbiome, and mental health.

She encouraged physical educators to use the latest research supporting these connections to equip their students to make positive choices.

New high-tech classrooms New high-tech features are being installed in several WWU classrooms this summer thanks to generous donations to the WWU Fund from alumni and other friends of the university. These new features will help create spaces that are more convenient for instruction during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond. Upgrades include the addition of mounted cameras that can tilt, zoom, or pan to

show a panoramic view of the classroom or to follow an individual, such as the instructor, as they move around the classroom. Upgrades will also include additional display monitors so students and faculty can see class participants who are connecting from outside the classroom, as well as specialized microphones with noise and echo cancellation.

Read the full story at wallawalla.edu/

news.

Westwind Summer 2020

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College Avenue The latest from across campus

Foster receives computer science award

J

AMES FOSTER ’80, assistant professor of computer science, won first place at the 27th European Smalltalk Users Group (ESUG) conference in Cologne, Germany.

Foster’s project, PharoGs, was one of 26 submissions at the conference. For his presentation he shared how he created a path for programs written in one programming environment (Pharo) to run in another environment (GemStone).

Pharo and GemStone are dialects within the programming language Smalltalk. Each dialect has differences that make it difficult to move an application from one dialect to another. GemStone has a James Foster preparticular set of database-resented his project, lated features and clientele PharoGs, at the ESUG while Pharo is primarily used conference. in academic settings. With Foster’s changes, these two environments became similar enough that many programs can move across them with little change. His findings were seen as a significant technological innovation by conference attendees.

Smalltalk users gather each year for the ESUG conference where they make connections and share ideas. Foster was joined at the conference

by Caleb Herbel, senior computer science major, and Kaelan Willauer, Jacob Priddy junior computer science successfully hacked major. During the Show a computer network Us Your Projects portion for his senior of the conference, Herbel internship. Read his presented his project, story at wallawalla. which translates Python edu/news. into Smalltalk.

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Westwind Summer 2020

ClausenBrown receives award from Milton Society of America Karen ClausenBrown, associate professor of English, received the James Holly Hanford Article Award from the Milton Society of America for her article “‘Not in Their Idol-Worship, But by Labor’: The Sabbath and the Book of Isaiah in Samson Agonistes.”

The award recognizes a published article or multiauthor collection of essays on the subject of the 17th-century poet John Milton. The award is the highest honor presented by the society for an article. Previous recipients include distinguished Milton scholars from across the country from the past 50 years.

Clausen-Brown’s article examines how Milton’s drama Samson Agonistes responds to debates about Sabbath-keeping in early modern England. She argues that Milton draws his understanding of the Sabbath chiefly from the final chapters of Isaiah and therefore that his drama depicts the Sabbath as a day to liberate the oppressed.

books + sites Reading and browsing recommendations from our experts

The End of Average:

How We Succeed in a World that Values Sameness

By Todd Rose (Harper Collins Publishers, 2015)

The premise of this book is that one-size-fits-all solutions to life wind up fitting no one. The book offers the opportunity to open our minds to new ideas of human potential and variations. It encourages us with stories, data, and ideas to not overlook how talent, skills, context, and disposition create individual uniqueness. It also encourages us to embrace and foster what is uniquely ours. —Renee Corbett ’04, interlibrary loan and resource sharing specialist

A Name of Her Own

By Jane Kirkpatrick (WaterBrook Press, 2002)

This book is based on the life of Marie Dorion, a woman who joined an expedition in 1810 to travel with her husband and two young sons from St. Louis to the West—all while expecting her third child.

After her husband and baby die and an attack kills most of the remaining party, Dorion crosses the Blue Mountains with her two sons.

Her story is heart-wrenching and inspiring.

—Carol Lindsey, periodicals specialist

Seizing Your Divine Moment:

Dare to Live a Life of Adventure

By Erwin McManus (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2002)

Other than the Bible, Desire of Ages, and Steps to Christ, this book has had the most significance in my spiritual thinking in years. It’s easy to read and hard to put down. One of the big takeaways: We tend to pray and wait for God to tell us to go. God has already told us to go. We need to learn to go until He says “No” instead of waiting for a “Yes” that He’s already given.

—Dale Milam, director for admissions

ALUMNI IN THE NEWS: WALLAWALLA.EDU/WESTWIND

PHOTOS: JAMES FOSTER, CHRIS DRAKE, ALL OTHERS COURTESY OF THOSE PICTURED

Caleb Herbel presents his project at the ESUG conference.

Congratulations new officers!

Alumni elect new officers to serve on Alumni Association Board of Trustees

ERIC DENNEY ’06 PRESIDENT-ELECT

As the chosen president-elect, Eric Denney will serve one year as president-elect, one year as president, and one year as board chair of the Alumni Association. Denney has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from WWU and completed his graduate work at Eastern Washington University.

He worked for more than ten years in nonprofit management for the YMCA of the Inland Northwest in Spokane before moving back to his hometown of Walla Walla last year. Denney now works for Baker Boyer Bank as a family advisor. He and his wife, Erin (Meidinger) ’06, live in College Place with their two children. In his free time, Denney enjoys cycling, golfing, and spending time with family.

JIMMY JOHNSON ’97 TREASURER

Jimmy Johnson will serve a two-year term as the treasurer for the Alumni Association.

Johnson completed a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accounting from WWU in 1997. He has dedicated his career to service in the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists where he has been assistant treasurer then corporation treasurer for the past 20 years. He and his wife, Debbie, have three children: Chloe is a 2020 WWU graduate, Tori is a freshman at Upper Columbia Academy, and Jack is in 6th grade. In his free time, Johnson enjoys vocal performance, waterskiing, camping, and reading.

BRIGITTE DAVIS ’83 BOARD MEMBER

JILMA JIMÉNEZ ’88 BOARD MEMBER

Brigitte Davis will serve a three-year term as a board member for the Alumni Association.

Davis has a bachelor’s degree in speechlanguage pathology from WWU and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Washington. She teaches German and speech in the WWU Department of Communication and Languages where she has been an instructor since 1993.

Previously she was a communication disorder specialist with the Walla Walla Public School District and a German instructor at Blue Mountain Community College. Davis and her husband, Dennis ’75, have four children who each attended WWU.

Jilma Jiménez has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from WWU and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Wright State University. She is the vice president of a large international engineering consulting firm and an adjunct professor and advisory board member for the Seattle University Graduate School of Engineering. As a proud product of Adventist education and beneficiary of the Walla Walla University Fund, Jiménez now pays it forward by mentoring young women and people from minority groups who are seeking careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Her hobbies include traveling and vegan cooking.

WWU will not hold Alumni Sabbath at Rosario in 2020.

Mark your calendar for 2021!

Join us Aug. 27–29, 2021, when Joe Galusha ’68, professor emeritus of biology, will be our speaker for a relaxing weekend with fellow alumni and friends.

To learn more, call us at (800) 377-2586 or visit wallawalla.edu/rosario-sabbath.

Alumni Sabbath at

Rosario

Westwind Summer 2020

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THE THINGS THAT LAST

Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.

PSALM 91:14-15

Six alumni embrace the enduring qualities that matter most At the outset, 2020 seemed like any other year. We made resolutions. We made puns about clearer vision in 2020. And it didn’t take long for that to change. First, news reports and hand sanitizer. Then sobering statistics and warnings about “flattening the curve” and “social distancing” that sent many of us home for work and school. Through it all, we have tenaciously prayed for scientists who search for answers; we have relied on our healthcare professionals; and we have hoped for a quick return to normal. We have also worked to focus on the qualities that matter most—community, resilience, creativity, innovation, faith, hope, and love. During the pandemic, WWU alumni have embodied these enduring qualities for a hurting world. Here, six of them share how they have faced COVID-19 their own way.

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Westwind Summer 2020

COMMUNITY

‘Love requires a lull’

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PASTOR A very social church.

Warm welcomes and unhurried conversations are what people look forward to at the weekly Sabbath gathering. So what do you do when this in-person element of community is put on hold? As a leader, how do you keep a church family connected while they’re apart?

If you’re like me, you start by doing the exact wrong thing.

When everything stopped, I got busy. Some of this busyness was natural—there were things that needed to be done, changes that needed to be implemented. But most of this busyness was self-inflicted. Like many in my congregation, I was very tied to my daily routines and workload. I

crave structure and order, so to watch the scaffolding of my workweek crumble was stressful.

My solution? To make more work for myself.

I took on video projects and digital meetings. I said “yes” to more than I should have. I fed into a culture that idolizes busyness—a full schedule means you are important and productive. But it also means that your capacity to love is low.

Relationships—good ones, at least—can’t be built in frenzy. And in a time when my church members wanted most to feel connected, I was depleting my ability do that pastorally. After a few weeks of this, I recognized what I was missing.

My community wanted contact more than content, yet I had filled the

new gaps in my schedule with projects rather than with people.

“Getting back to normal” is common language these days. But maybe the rush and hustle of my life is a normal I don’t want to return to.

Building community takes time and sacrifice. Love requires a lull. Maybe this pandemic is an opportunity to invest more deeply into the relationships we cherish.

These months have drawn my eyes to Jesus, who was never bothered by interruption, never hurried in His conversations. He saw people as unwritten pages of a story, not the checkbox of a to-do list. As His disciple, I’m called to engage with others in ways that are much less measurable, but far more fulfilling.

JORDAN STEPHAN ’17 Associate pastor, Kirkland Seventh-day Adventist Church Kirkland, Washington

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THE THINGS THAT LAST

RESILIENCE

‘Supporting our people’ ONE SIMPLE question—“How are you supporting your people during this time?”—has driven the response and decision making throughout Kettering Health Network. The faith-based leadership, history, and culture of the organization are all formed around the recognition that our people make it happen.

When a crisis hits, it is amazing to watch well-prepared people jump into action and implement systems and care to meet the needs at hand. We have seen it in the past through local tornadoes, H1N1 virus outbreaks, and preparation for Ebola.

WALLY SACKETT ’81 President, Kettering Medical Center Dayton, Ohio

The coronavirus pandemic hit Ohio in mid-March 2020 and shook our world. From the beginning, we focused on implementing systems and processes that would support our teams as they navigated this new challenge.

Immediately a network incident command center was activated, which served to coordinate decisions for nine hospitals, 12 emergency centers, and over 1,500 acute care beds. Communication systems, supply chain task forces, laboratory testing, and clinical treatment protocols were implemented.

Staffing was redirected to assist in employee and visitor screenings, new cleaning protocols were applied, and changes to even basic functions such as food distribution and air handling systems were executed—all to enhance the safety of our patients and our teams.

In addition, constant communication with local, state, and federal

authorities for directives, guidelines, and updates along with twice daily briefings for all network leaders became routine.

A long-standing practice at Kettering, prayer opened each meeting or task force, whether in person or through technology. We trusted God was leading, which brought a spirit of calm, compassion, and service.

Staff and physicians were encouraged to pray with patients and family in the face of these frightening circumstances. Also, our spiritual and support care for staff were a key focus of our response, adding a designated phone line staffed by chaplains that employees could call for spiritual support. In addition, we created a special employee assistance fund and provided guidance to many who faced dramatic changes to their work and personal lives.

The coronavirus pandemic changed both how we work and how we live. But despite these changes, we maintained our focus on our people and our mission. Kettering Health Network was selected by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2020, and four of our hospitals were designated as 100 Top Hospitals

by IBM Watson Health as one of the top 100 hospitals in the country.

The reason? It’s all about supporting our people.

Supporting teams so they can do their best work is top priority at Kettering Medical Center.

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CREATIVITY

‘It’s all about the kids’

W

HEN I found myself faced with the task of teaching from home I began questioning myself. How am I going to teach from home? How are my students going to continue learning from home? How will I have the time to do it all? Then I stopped and remembered, it’s all about the kids.

I am a servant. I am an educator. I’ve learned from the best educator there ever was, Jesus.

Jesus prioritized the kids. Jesus prioritized relationships and connections with people. In all my lessons and in tough times, I remind myself that it’s all about the kids.

So I began again. How are my students doing? How do they feel? How can I support them?

How can I help them enjoy this new way of learning? How can I help them continue to grow academically, spiritually, socially,

Carreon’s creative approach to online instruction kept her students interested and engaged.

and emotionally? How will we get through this together?

Remember, it’s all about the kids.

Then I did what teachers do. I got creative. I wore crazy wigs. I put on jumbo sunglasses. I told punny jokes. I acted silly. I maintained routines. I demonstrated experiments.

I read books aloud. I answered questions that were on and off topic. I gave free time to visit. I let them play games, and I played games with them. I loved them. And I listened to them. I remembered, it’s all about the kids.

And I did it all for them.

From the beginning I have experienced a full range of emotions: surprise, panic, uncertainty, disappointment, acceptance, accomplishment, and peace. I have no doubt these are experienced by students and their parents, too. These emotions may be felt over and over, in many ways, and for many reasons.

And that’s okay.

At the end of this very unusual school year, I’ve discovered that together we learned many more essential lessons.

We can do hard things. We

can adapt. We can change.

We can be flexible. We can show grace.

When the final online lesson was taught and the final meeting was over, what mattered most is that each kid knew they are loved and cared for by their teacher and God. We don’t know what next school year will look like, but God has taught us that no matter what, with His help, we can do it.

CARRIE CARREON ’99 Third grade teacher, Calexico Mission School Calexico, California

INNOVATION

‘No ordinary situation’ AS AN orthopedic trauma surgeon, I have been able to witness firsthand how the local hospitals in Reno, Nevada, address the pandemic.

Early this year, one of the first signs of organizational response to a possible pandemic was the rationing of our personal protective equipment (PPE). At that time we had no idea what the needs would be. One day the single-use surgical masks, which usually are stacked on top of the scrub sinks outside the operating rooms, were all missing. Instead, we had to get a mask from the control desk where we were told that we could only wear one mask per day unless it was visibly soiled.

We were also required to wear N95 masks at all times and were given only one.

Even though hospitals stopped performing “elective” procedures, the number of people breaking their bones didn’t change much. Any surgery where the patient is put under anesthesia is high-risk for spreading the coronavirus due to aerosolizing particles when the breathing tube is (continued on page 14)

RYAN EGGERS ’07 Orthopedic trauma fellow, Reno Orthopedic Clinic Reno, Nevada

Eggers’ work as an orthopedic surgeon has fueled creative ways for him to put his degree in engineering to work during the pandemic.

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THE THINGS THAT LAST

(continued) put in and taken out, so the exposure risks for me and my colleagues was still high, and most broken bones can’t wait until the pandemic is over to be treated. I knew this was ordinarily neither safe nor sustainable, but this was no ordinary situation.

In the past I have used my home 3D printer to create models of the complex broken bones I fix to help with planning my surgeries. When I saw a link to some antimicrobial copper filament for 3D printing, I saw a possible solution to our mask shortage. I work with the Orthopaedic Implant Company helping design surgical instruments and implants, which is one way I have transferred my engineering skillset to another field.

When I mentioned my idea for a 3D-printed mask to the CEO, we sat down with two of their top engineers and started creating one.

The mask went through several iterations as well as extensive field-testing by me at each stage of the design process. The final result was a safe, reusable, and comfortable mask that has been distributed to surgeons in Nevada and Utah as well as other high-risk hospital staff. The design has also been submitted to the FDA for emergency stop-gap approval. We open-sourced the design files and instructions so anyone with even the most basic 3D printer could make masks. It was just one small thing we could do, other than fixing broken people, during these unprecedented times.

Join our alumni Facebook group to

see Mission in Action with more alumni stories about COVID-19.

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Westwind Summer 2020

STRENGTH

‘Intention and genuine love’

A

S A hospice social worker I have found myself in a curious position throughout this “adventure” (the euphemism I use about the pandemic to elicit a chuckle or eye roll, breaking the ice with patients and families). In my work in both healthcare facilities and home settings, I have found a passion in educating, supporting, and loving families through one of life’s hardest transitions.

Death is the one thing in life that is guaranteed and yet, especially as this pandemic has shown, we are never as prepared for it as we assume ourselves to be.

If elected in time, hospice is a program that can provide families weeks or even months to process the loss and grief they are experiencing. That timeline changed when the pandemic arrived.

With COVID-19, we witnessed the usual rapport-building timeline disappear as families were restricted from visiting and the health of patients declined quickly. I found myself drawing not only on my trauma and crisis skills, but also on my inner resilience and compassion as families realized they wouldn’t get to hug their family member one last time or be by their side when they took

their last breath.

As I walked the empty halls of the hospital to enter the bustling ICU, I recognized my stand-in role as a surrogate loved one. I found myself no longer intimidated by the process of “gearing up” in PPE and instead recognized that a latex-gloved handhold may be a patient’s last semblance of connection to family.

I saw visible relief as I shared the availability of comfort-focused care with those hoping for their loved one to be released from suffering.

I felt the bittersweet joy of helping a son delay his father’s transfer to ICU just long enough to share an “I love you” in the hall with his wife who had been recently admitted. But mostly, I will cling to memories of the moments at the end of my visits when I would remove my PPE and through the window see a face light up as they were finally able to see my friendly smile.

On the days when it was a little too much, I found myself parked

by Green Lake, savoring the sun and watching the walkers dwindle as the city shut down. My husband and I were in the midst of moving to Canada and the borders were closed—my husband on one side and I on the other. I would call him

and share the events of the day. I felt immense gratitude for the anticipation of being reunited in safe and healthy form and a connection to my patients who didn’t have a hand to hold or arms to be held in at the end of a hard day. Our separation was temporary, yet for so many it was final.

In those moments and as I’ve relived them since, I remember the peace I have found in experience, the fear that has been driven away through mindful participation, and my continued goal to live this adventure of life with intention and genuine love for others.

POSSIBILITY

‘The importance of service’

CHLOE RAJAH ’12 & ’13 Hospice and palliative care social worker Seattle, Washington

Rajah has focused her energy on caring for patients and their families and in the process has discovered increased personal strength and resilience.

I NEVER expected to find myself in the midst of a global pandemic. Nonetheless, by the end of March 2020, New York had become the world’s epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic. My electrophysiology fellowship suddenly came to a halt. My 766-bed hospital had just run out of ICU beds. The cardiac catheterization recovery area was being transformed into an ICU, and I was to be in charge of it.

This familiar unit was transformed into an unrecognizable space. Vented patients lay in a row similar to what one would see in a military field hospital. The unit was not well vented; any COVID in the air was there to stay. I was forced to wear my personal protective equipment for 13 hours a day to stay safe. Initially, I experienced anxiety.

Would my PPE protect me?

Would I bring the virus home to my loved ones?

However, I knew I had an obligation to care for these patients. WWU had instilled in me the importance of service. I had spent over a decade honing my medical skills. God had placed me in that moment for a reason.

My anxiety quickly dissipated. Despite PPE shortages, our reliance on outdated and primitive ventilators, and running low on many life-sustaining medications, my team and I were able to save some patients.

Once off, I had to be careful not to bring the virus home. My routine consisted of undressing outside my house and placing everything in a plastic bag to be washed prior to entering the house to immediately shower.

But the work did not end there. Very little was known about the virus. I would spend my nights reading, researching, and preparing.

I needed to make an impact during this pandemic, and so I published on innovative ways to remotely monitor patients for cardiac arrhythmia in the hospital when traditional modalities were unavailable.

I studied the cardiac safety profile of the unproven hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin therapy and was the first to publish on it. As rare cardiac conditions began manifesting in COVID patients, I published the case reports to share my experience with the wider medical community.

The COVID-19 pandemic will likely go down as one of the darkest moments my generation will have experienced. However, despite its hardships and sadness, my faith in God and the actions of my colleagues and my community never dulled the beauty of this life.

MOUSSA SALEH ’09 Electrophysiology Fellow, Lenox Hill Hospital/North Shore University Hospital, Northwell Health New York, New York

Saleh spent each night at home researching and reading about how to better care for his patients.

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Virtual ALUMNI WEEKEND COVID-19 may have changed our homecoming plans in 2020, but it didn’t change the Walla Walla University spirit of community

W

hile we couldn’t be together in person this year, alumni from around the globe took part in Virtual Alumni Weekend.

We gathered online for worship through praise music on Friday evening and for a special church service in the University Church with alumni participating through streaming services from around the globe. WWU President John McVay spoke for church. Other online events included a seminar titled “Nuclear Idaho—Learning from the rise and fall of the biggest collection of nuclear reactors on the planet” by Greg Brothers ’80; Evensong with Kraig Scott ’84 and Rodd Strobel ’87; and an unforgettable performance of the WWU school song by Bill Gerber ’84, Bethany (Gerber) Folkenberg ’15, and her husband, Rob Folkenberg ’14.

We’re also pleased to introduce our 2020 Alumni of the Year whose careers embody the Walla Walla University spirit of excellence.

Pull up a seat and watch recordings of all Virtual Alumni Weekend events at

wallawalla.edu/ virtual-alumni.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Village Hall.

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2020 Alumni DOUG CLARK

Class of 1970

FIFTY YEARS AFTER graduating from WWU with a bachelor’s degree in theology and biblical languages, Doug Clark still believes that attending WWU is the best investment he has made, largely due to the support he received from faculty and staff. “Coming away from WWC with a top-notch education, the drive to excel, and friends forever made possible whatever I have done or become,” says Clark.

Clark completed a master of divinity degree in 1974 at Andrews University and a doctorate in Hebrew Bible at Vanderbilt University in 1984.

He returned to WWU to teach in the School of Theology in 1987 and served as dean of the school from 1990 to 1998. In 2004 he accepted a position as executive director of the American Schools of Oriental Research in Boston, a position he held until 2006. He began teaching at La Sierra University in 2006 where he joined the HMS Richards Divinity School and for two years was associate director of the honors program.

Throughout his career he has also served as

SAM CARVAJAL

Class of 1960

UPON ARRIVING ON the Walla Walla University campus in 1956, Sam Carvajal couldn’t speak English, had very little money, was miles from his family, and had no friends. Little did he know the things God had in store for him.

Carvajal was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where his father worked as a carpenter—a profession that Carvajal learned as well. His mother, though having only six years of formal education, was passionate about her children being educated. Carvajal and his two siblings all immigrated to the United States to receive college degrees. In fact, he and his sister, Solita Henderson ’71, both completed master’s degrees—Carvajal’s in management from Central Michigan University.

Two years after arriving at WWU Carvajal met his future wife, Grace, and two years later they were married.

of the Year

After graduating from WWU in 1960, Carvajal obtained a license in medical technology from Glendale School of Medical Technology in Glendale, California, and went to work at Glendale Adventist Medical Center as a medical technologist. Within three years he was the chief technologist of the clinical laboratory. He later became director of radiology, cardiology, heart catheterization, and the clinical laboratory.

Following the birth of his and Grace’s first child, Carvajal decided that to be sure he could provide financial stability and a good education for his daughter he would invest in real estate, which he is still involved in today. He and Grace now have two children and four grandchildren—two of whom also graduated from WWU. In 2018 the Carvajals received the Lifetime Legacy Award from the Adventist Health Glendale Foundation for their extraordinary philanthropic leadership.

Through the years they have generously supported the foundation with their time, skills, and gifts, and have been particularly supportive of the Adventist

“Without any question, Walla Walla University made the difference in my life, and that is why I am so thankful and continue to be part of the future of Walla Walla University.”

Health Glendale radiology department where Carvajal spent his career. Their support has included seed donations for state-of-the-art medical equipment.

After 42 years at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, Carvajal retired in 2003.

He has been an active member of the Adventist Health Glendale Foundation Board of Directors since 2006. “What an incredible privilege to be associated with one organization my entire professional life,” he says.

“Without any question, Walla Walla University made the difference in my life, and that is why I am so thankful and continue to be part of the future of Walla Walla University,” Carvajal says. “You cannot enjoy what you have until you learn to share it with others.”

Perseverance, faith in God, and the pursuit of excellence mark the lives of these alumni

BY MAKENA HORTON, senior communication major PHOTO-ILLUSTRATIONS BY NEIL JAMIESON

a pastor and taught at Southwestern Adventist University. He has authored, edited, or coedited 12 volumes (with two more at press) and 183 articles, and has made 207 presentations worldwide.

He is now partially retired and serves as director of the Center for Near Eastern Archaeology at La Sierra University, which he established in 2012 with the help of a dedicated support team. The center has become known for its undergraduate and graduate programs in archaeology, its ongoing participation in the archaeology of Jordan, and its annual Archaeology Discovery Weekend, which has been held each November for the past 12 years.

Clark is also director of the Madaba Plains Project excavations at Tall al`Umayri, Jordan, where he has worked since the project’s inception in 1984.

His interest in archaeology emerged in large part from a course on biblical backgrounds that he took at WWU

from Malcolm Maxwell more than 50 years ago. A course taught by Siegfried Horn ’47 at Andrews University led to Clark’s first field experience at Tall Hisban, Jordan, in 1973.

Clark met and married his wife, Carmen (Mosser) att., when they were both WWU students. They have two sons, Bob ’95 and Randy att., and four grandchildren.

The Clarks enjoy gardening, golfing, and traveling, and have traveled to all 50 states. Clark has also traveled in 31 countries over six continents, and Carmen has visited nearly that many as well. They now live overlooking Discovery Bay near Port Townsend, Washington, in a home they designed themselves and had built for them.

“We continue looking for rewarding ways to contribute to life-changing educational experiences for students,” says Clark.

“Coming away from WWC with a top-notch education, the drive to excel, and friends forever made possible whatever I have done or become.”

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Virtual Alumni Weekend 2020

Alumni of the Year

BILL FRITZ

Class of 1975 and 1977 BILL FRITZ IS president of the College of Staten Island, The City University of New York (CUNY CSI). During his leadership, the university, which is the second largest employer in Staten Island, has undergone critical maintenance projects and the university’s foundation assets have quadrupled.

The foundation for Fritz’s own success began in a one-room log cabin classroom in Northwestern Montana. “My family lived in an original homesteaders’ cabin on a ranch about 10 miles away,” he says.

From there, Fritz’s educational journey took him to Bella Vista Elementary School in Puerto Rico, Antillean College for his freshmen year of high school, and then to Shenandoah Valley Academy in Virginia.

He found his way to WWU when the biology program he was studying in at Columbia Union College underwent structural changes, and his professor, Lester Harris, told him, “You need to transfer, and it can be anywhere—as long as it’s Walla Walla!”

His studies at the Rosario Beach Marine Station focused on sponge respiration in Puget Sound. He made some of the first dives known to the local diving community under the Deception Pass bridge.

(Fritz’s ties to WWU run deep: Peterson Memorial Library is named after his grand uncle Frank Peterson.)

Fritz describes himself as an “enthusiastic biology major” during his time at WWU. However he says his grades were less than ideal since he worked full time to pay tuition and support his growing family.

“I had the great fortune to be in school at a time when I was eligible for food stamps, and that program alone probably kept me from dropping out,” he says. Fritz says this experience has helped him relate to the challenges faced by many students in the large, urban, public-access institutions where he has spent his career.

After completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology at WWU, Fritz completed a doctoral program

1921

1982

“My first day on the job I was unexpectedly called before a committee to weigh in on a debate ... . My skills of oral presentation and thinking on my feet from Walla Walla paid off.” in geology in 1980 at the University of Montana.

Just before defending his dissertation, he took a job with Amoco as an exploration geologist where he was put in charge of the newly developing Pacific Northwest region. “My first day on the job I was unexpectedly called before a committee to weigh in on a debate on the importance of some well logs,” he says. “My skills of oral presentation and thinking on my feet from Walla Walla paid off.”

Fritz says he enjoyed his work but knew that his passion was in higher education. In fall 1981 he joined the faculty at Georgia State University as an assistant professor of geology and eventually became provost. In 2008 he became provost for CUNY CSI and in 2012 was named CUNY CSI president.

Fritz is a also commercial instrument rated pilot with more than 2,100 hours in single- and multi-engine planes and seaplanes. He has flown across North America and often uses examples of flight planning, risk management, and safety in his leadership role at CUNY CSI. He advises college students to have a flight plan, but to not be afraid to alter the plan, as flight plans often change with gusts of wind, thunderstorms, or due to weary passengers.

Fritz and his wife, Bonnie, enjoy travel—especially with members of his parent’s generation—“the Greatest Generation”—because he says they are less risk averse than many other generations and ready for adventure!

Fritz enjoys cooking, and on every move-in day at CUNY CSI, he and his team make over 1,000 waffles using his great-grandmother’s recipe and his collection of antique cast iron waffle irons.

While students and their families are waiting in line for their waffles, he asks them about their dreams and why they chose to include CUNY CSI in making those dreams a reality. “My passion is to serve and educate students from tough backgrounds, from marginal underrepresented groups, and to connect with the needs of the local community,” he says.

Village Hall: Celebrating 100 years Since opening in 1920, Village Hall has been a hub of campus activity and an orienting landmark for new students. It was the second campus church, built after the first church burned in 1918. Since then, Village Hall has been the site of numerous worship services, weddings, talent shows, drama productions, and lectures through the years.

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Westwind Summer 2020

Save the Date!

APRIL 22–25, 2021

BECKY BILLOCK

Class of 1994

BECKY BILLOCK SAYS that her music education at WWU was transformational in shaping her musicality and technique. She attributes this to her mentor, Leonard Richter, and other WWU faculty, including Kraig Scott ’84, Glenn Spring att., and Debra Richter. “From these teachers and many others I learned to think critically, ask good questions, write better, connect with people in a meaningful way, and form many lasting friendships,” she says.

Billock graduated from WWU in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in music performance. She completed a master’s degree at University of Redlands and a doctor of musical arts degree at the University of Washington.

While deciding on her dissertation focus, Billock drew on her memories of the Donne e Doni ensemble from her time at WWU. This group—com-

a bit taken aback when I opened the box and discovered emblazoned on the side of each box the title ‘THE GREAT MEN OF MUSIC.’” Billock had misgivings about putting the collection on her shelf, but decided the best approach was to fill the adjacent shelf with “THE GREAT WOMEN OF MUSIC.” “The quest to fill that second shelf has been the driving force of my career over the years, and I’ve been able to perform and record many works by women that I hope will be around to inspire future generations of musicians.”

Billock has found a niche promoting the works of contemporary women.

Her most recent project, “Mother Earth,” included pieces primarily written by women that celebrated the resources of the planet. Between 2012 and 2017, she was pianist for Pittsburg-based Trio Nova Mundi and

We have big plans for the combined

HOMECOMING WEEKEND 2020 & 2021 where you will have double the number of friends to visit with and lots of events to enjoy.

Join us April 22–25, 2021!

Learn more at

wallawalla.edu/ homecoming.

“I bristled at the notion that a lot of pedagogical music is written by women ... but that when students start playing ‘real’ music, it’s all by men. I wanted to create the same sense of continuity for students with music by women that is already in place with the composers of the established repertoire.” prised of WWU faculty Debra Richter and Sonja Gourley and Whitman College professor Susan Pickett—performed and showcased music by female composers.

While the idea of bringing attention to these little-known works by female composers intrigued her, she didn’t “jump on the bandwagon” immediately. “I bristled at the notion that a lot of pedagogical music is written by women (there is a lot of such music) but that when students start playing ‘real’ music, it’s all by men. I wanted to create the same sense of continuity for students with music by women that is already in place with the composers of the established repertoire.”

“My dissertation topic ended up focusing specifically on pedagogical works by women who also had a prolific output of concert-level repertoire,” she says. Around this time, Billock’s parents gave her the large collection of classical music LPs that she had listened to again and again while growing up. “They were largely responsible for my motivation to become a musician,” she says. “I was excited to own them, so I was

toured with the group to locations including Africa, Mexico, and South America. The trio released a CD titled “Canticum” in November 2015.

Billock has also played in the piano duo, Duo Junction, with Jack Kurutz, and her 2011 CD “Muses Nine: Eight American Composers Plus One Pianist” has received extensive airplay throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Billock and her husband, Johnathan Aldrich, live with their two children in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is an adjunct professor of piano at Grove City College where her students have won many honors and competitions.

She also maintains a thriving private studio. She also recently produced and released a mini-documentary about a cellist who plays for a waddle of penguins in Antarctica and on an iceberg in the Arctic.

Her advice for college students is to “Always strive for excellence rather than perfection. Figure out what you are passionate about, then go pour every last drop of your energy into being the very best you can be at that thing. And amidst all that dreaming and doing: be kind.”

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Alumni Currents

Staying in touch with our family of graduates

ALUMNUS OF NOTE

Philip Phillips ’79 American Academy of Arts & Sciences adds alumnus to membership

By Amy Wilkinson ’04

P

“I just thought it was boring,” he recalls. “It hilip Phillips wanted to be a poet. didn’t answer any deep questions to me.”

As a teen growing up in College Place, Instead of changing course, however, Phillips stuck with it, using his time at UW as a learnthe Trinidad and Tobago native was ing experience. He abandoned his doctoral fond of the modernist (and heavily initialed) research after receiving his degree in 1982 and went about finding a new area of focus—a pretty movement of poets: T.S. Eliot, E.E. Cummings, rare thing for an academic to do.

W.H. Auden. So when he arrived on the Walla “I’m a risk-taker. It’s just the way I’m wired,” says Phillips. “I don’t stick with something that Walla University campus in the fall of 1975, he is going to be a losing proposideclared an English major. tion. I just try to find some way of redirecting.”

But things didn’t go as Redirect, he did. After planned. To quote Auden: receiving the prestigious Miller Fellowship, Phillips headed “I thought that love would I took a ride on the to the University of California, last forever: I was wrong.”

Berkeley, to pursue post-docskateboard and

“

toral studies, and it was there that he began the research that would be the cornerstone of his career. It’s in the area of emergence. Phillips offers a layman’s explanation. “The standard paradigm in science is that you look at the building blocks, you add the building blocks together, and then you understand the phenomenon that you are looking at. But in some cases, it’s not. There are missing steps, where it seems as if you put things together and you get more than you bargained for. And that is emergence. The whole is bigger than the sum of the parts.”

According to Phillips, it is in “finding the organizing principle that deep physics lurks.” The area that he felt typified this best was solid-state physics, so that became his area of research at Berkeley. After two years there, he landed his first teaching job at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. The school was keen to bring on chemists who also had subject matter knowledge in physics, and Phillips fit the

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PHOTO: L. BRIAN STAUFFER, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

completely wiped out … and that changed the course of all the courses that I took.”

To be sure, Phillips remains an ardent fan of poetry, but admits: “I just didn’t have the talent to be a writer.”

At the time, he also felt dubious about the math class in which he was enrolled—calculus just wasn’t challenging. And so, in the third quarter of his freshman year, he marched down to the registrar’s office to drop math from his schedule and add Western Civilization and tennis. But a funny thing happened on the way to the Ad Building.

“I saw a kid riding a skateboard,” he recalls. “I took a ride on the skateboard and completely wiped out, spraining my ankle, and it required a cast for eight weeks. I never made it to the registrar’s office, and that changed the course of all the courses that I took.”

Indeed, Phillips would eventually declare a double major in math and chemistry.

“I didn’t know that I wanted to be a scientist until I took chemistry in my sophomore year from Dr. Chinn,” Phillips says. “The fact that the periodic table had a structure behind it—it wasn’t random—struck me as being awfully amazing, and it was in that class that I decided I have to be a scientist.”

Phillips graduated from WWU in 1979 and went straight into doctoral studies at the University of Washington, where he developed methods to calculate phosphorescence lifetimes in molecules. Another development?

The work didn’t excite him.

When he isn’t teaching physics or focused on research, you might find Philip Phillips singing opera or spending time with his three children.

bill. Perhaps a little too well. As Phillips’ research continued to evolve, he became more and more physics-leaning. He never received tenure in the chemistry department and ultimately left for a job in the physics department at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he’s taught for the past 27 years.

“I never dreamed of getting a job at the physics department at Illinois—it’s number one in the field that I’m in,” says Phillips.

Over the past two-plus decades at U of I, Phillips’ research has focused on superconductivity, and why some materials superconduct at higher temperatures than previously thought. Ultimately, if Phillips’ research bears out, it could fundamentally change the way electricity and magnetism are understood. If that sounds like a big deal, it is.

Clearly, Phillips is operating at the top of the field, and in April, he received a new accolade to add to his already impressive résumé—membership in The American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and others, the American Academy recognizes the achievements of leaders from across a number of disciplines, bringing them

together in order to further new ideas and address issues of global importance.

Phillips, who had no idea he had been nominated for the honor and still isn’t 100 percent sure who nominated him, was on a Zoom call when he got the email.

“This person never emails me, and it said, ‘Congratulations.’

And I go, ‘Let me see if that’s really correct,’” Phillips recalls.

“It was a shock, because I wasn’t expecting it.”

The awards luncheon honoring the American Academy’s new members was postponed due to COVID-19, but Phillips is excited to eventually be in the same room with his fellow 275 inductees, including singer-songwriter Joan Baez and former Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder.

When not in the physics lab, Phillips partakes in an equally impressive hobby: opera singing.

“That’s the sort of thing you can do at a U of Illinois—you can take lessons from people who are quite renowned,” he says. “I’ve been in a couple of the operas here, so voice is something I take very seriously. I practice it a few hours a day.”

Phillips also enjoys playing tennis and spending time with his wife, Brett Kaplan, a comparative literature professor at U of I, and their three children, Anya (17), Melia (16), and Orestes (15).

As for what his future holds, Phillips says he would like to continue working and investigating the big questions until he’s at least 80 years old.

“I’ve always said, ‘If I don’t have any more ideas, I’ll quit.”

For an academic like Phillips, that certainly won’t happen anytime soon.

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Alumni Currents

Staying in touch with our family of graduates

In Memory

Family members may submit obituary information for their loved ones at wallawalla.edu/obituary.

Gordon Buhler ’63 was born in 1938 in Gravelbourg, Sasketchewan, Canada, and died February 2019 in Silverdale, Wash., at age 80. Surviving: wife Judy of Florence, Ore.; daughters Wendy Rexin ’88 of Bremerton, Wash., and Marcia Bankhead att. of Pleasant Hill, Calif.; son Brent att. of Bremerton; and sister Martha Allen of Fortuna, Calif.

Harold W. Bylsma att. was born in 1929 in Flint, Mich., and died Oct. 7, 2018, in Michigan at age 89. Surviving: sons Wayne of Philadelphia, Pa., and Wesley of Holly, Mich.

Evonne (Froman) Deal ’54 was born in 1925 in Messena, Iowa, and died Aug. 21, 2018, in Portland, Ore., at age 93. Surviving: daughter Elizabeth Vandross of Gresham, Ore. Norman L. Henderson ’52 was born in 1930 in Seattle, Wash., and died Jan. 19, 2019, in Lawrenceburg, Tenn., at age 88. Surviving: wife Barbara; daughters Cindy Kildgore, Linda Terrill, and Teri Bailie; sons Mark and Scott; and brothers Gordon and Clyde.

Loyd Raymond “Ray” Hixson att. was born in 1918 in Longmont, Colo., and died Feb. 20, 2019, in Red Bluff, Calif., at age 100. Surviving: daughter Ruth Rollo of Red Bluff; Ronald of Eagle Pass, Texas; and brother Gerald att. of Walla Walla.

LeAnn (McCorkle) Hoffer Kang att. was born in 1930 in Meridian, Idaho, and died March 9, 2019, in College Place at age 88. Surviving: daughter Shawna (Kang) Bay ’97 of Bellevue, Wash.; and sons Bradley Hoffer att. of Gainesville, Fla., and Mark Hoffer of Walla Walla.

June Meribeth McFarlane ’55 was born in 1931 in College Place and died July 24, 2019, in Oregon

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City, Ore., at age 88. Surviving: husband William McFarlane of Gladstone; daughters Pamela Laue ’84 of Estacada, Ore., and Donna Stephan ’84 of Oregon City, Ore.; and brother William Wagner ’62 of Beaverton, Ore.

Thelma Miller Shephard Meier ’43 was born in 1919 in Rosa, Wash., and died May 22, 2019, in Kennewick, Wash., at age 100. Surviving: husband Bernie Meier ’39 of Pasco, Wash., and daughter Suzanne Shephard Swisher ’72 of Pasco.

William McFarlane ’55 was born in 1928 in Glendale, Calif., and died Aug. 22, 2019, in Oregon City, Ore., at age 91. Surviving: daughters Pamela Laue ’84 of Estacada, Ore., and Donna Stephan ’84 of Oregon City, Ore.; and sister Beverly Mull of Sandy, Ore.

Elford Radke ’63 was born in 1930 in Claresholm, Alberta, Canada, and died Aug. 19, 2019, in Vancouver, Wash. Surviving: wife Sherrill Taylor-Radke ’63 of Vancouver; daughters Carol Fisher ’88 of Carson City, Nev., and Deanne Loganbill att. of Renton, Wash.; son Lawrence ’80 of Lebanon, Ore.; sisters Stella Hegstad att. of Spencerville, Md., Dorothy Larson att. of Portland, Ore., Miriam Adams att. of Dayton, Ohio; and brother Russell att. of Lewiston, Idaho.

Bernie Meier ’39 was born in 1916 in Farmington, Wash., and died Oct. 18, 2019, in Kennewick, Wash., at age 103. Surviving: daughter Beverly of Alaska; son Larry att. of Federal Way, Wash.; and sister Phyllis Novak att. of Gladstone, Ore.

Patricia R. Swisher ’55 was born in 1930 in Calgary, Alberta,

Ed Tomczek att. was born in 1930 in St. Cloud, Minn., and died Sept. 10, 2019, in Kennewick, Wash., at age 88. Surviving: wife Myrtle of Milton-Freewater, Ore.; daughters Nancy Steen of Walla Walla, Marcia Vixie of Milton-Freewater, and Bev Seibold of Pasco, Wash; son Dan of Idaho; and sister Jo Marie Luke of San Dimas, Calif.

Barbara (Tooley) Ward ’57 was born in 1936 in Oasis, Nevada, and died April 25, 2019, in Yucaipa, Calif., at age 82. Surviving: husband Richard Ward ’57 of Yucaipa; daughter Tamara Schlothaur of Yucaipa; sons Richard of Windsor, Calif., and Christopher of Yucaipa; and sisters Becky Boettger of Worcester, Mass., Kathy Sanford of Sacramento, Calif., and Patty D’Angelo of Baltimore, Md.

Melvin K. West Melvin West became chair of the WWU Department of Music when he was 29 years old and remained chair for the next 15 of the 18 years he served with the WWU music faculty. During this time, he also served as organist for the University Church.

While at WWU he was influential in many new initiatives on campus, including setting in motion construction of the new Fine Arts Center and starting a regular Evensong service on campus with his neighbor and friend, Loren Dickinson, professor emeritus of communication. While at WWU, West served on the Walla Walla Symphony Board, chaired the Northwest region of the American Guild of Organists, adjudicated numerous festivals, and inspired hundreds of faculty, staff, students, and community members through worship services, recitals, concerts, and classes.

In the 1980s he chaired the subcommittee on tunes for the Seventh-day Adventist Church hymnal project, and more than 30 of his arrangements and hymn tunes

Mel West in the lobby of the building that bears his name.

are included in the current hymnal. In 1996 the building he helped set in motion was named the Melvin K. West Fine Arts Center in his honor.

During homecoming weekend in 2016, he provided lively and innovate piano entertainment for the crowd gather for the Alumni Banquet.

West peacefully passed away on Dec. 27, 2019, in Portland, Oregon. He is survived by his wife, Betty Ann, his children, Larry and Lynelle, and three grandchildren. Memorial services were held at the Sunnyside Adventist Church in Portland on Feb. 16 and at the Walla Walla University Church on Feb. 23.

KEY: att. = attended

PHOTO: WWU ARCHIVES

Eugene Bowman att. was born in 1922 and died May 9, 2019, in Enterprise, Ore., at age 96. Surviving: wife Louise att. of Enterprise; and sons Dwight att. of Enterprise, Glen of Stanwood, Wash., Timothy of Yankee Hill, Calif., and Art of Escondido, Calif.

Canada, and died Oct. 4, 2019, in Gresham, Ore., at age 88. Surviving: daughter Sandra Hoopes of Gresham, son Stephen of Gresham, and sister Darlene Johnston of Langley, British Columbia, Canada.

PLANT A SEED Plant a seed today to strengthen WWU tomorrow.

A legacy gift is a gift that impacts generations to come. Make Walla Walla University part of your heritage by including WWU in your estate plan. Remembering WWU in your will builds financial strength, bolsters academic and co-curricular programs, and helps students and faculty. Here are the benefits to you:

It’s revocable.

If your plans or circumstances change, you can easily revise the bequest.

It’s simple.

You can set up your gift with a single paragraph in your will or a simple one-page amendment.

It’s flexible.

You can leave us a specific asset or a share in your estate’s net remainder.

Your bequest can support a specific program or whatever needs are most relevant when your gift is received.

Learn more about legacy giving by visiting legacy.wallawalla.edu or by contacting Dorita Tessier ’80, director of gift planning, at (509) 527-2646 or dorita.tessier@wallawalla.edu.

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

Walla Walla University 204 S. College Ave. College Place, WA 99324

Paid WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY

See you there!

Upcoming events to note on your calendar

SEPTEMBER 8

JumpStart begins for freshmen when they can learn their way around campus, meet their advisor, get help with registration, and more. A special, physical-distanced welcome is planned for new students and their families. Learn more at wallawalla. edu/jumpstart.

SEPTEMBER 14

NOVEMBER 8

ALUMNI WEEKEND

SEEN & HEARD

Classes for undergraduate and doctor of social work students start on the College Place campus. Master of social work classes begin in College Place and Montana on Sept. 21.

Classes on the Portland campus begin Sept. 28.

See the complete WWU calendar at wallawalla. edu/calendar.

Dave Thomas, professor of practical theology and apologetics and former dean of the School of Theology, will speak for the 2020 Distinguished Faculty Lecture. Join us via livestream as Thomas addresses the university community at 7 p.m. Learn more at wallawalla.edu/DFL.

Watch recordings of events from Virtual

Alumni Weekend

Read more news about alumni on the Westwind Seen &

including a memorable rendition of the WWU school song, Evensong with Kraig Scott ’84 and Rodd Strobel ’87, and church service with President John McVay. Visit wallawalla.edu/ virtual-alumni.

where you can track alumni in the news and inspire current students by sharing your own accomplishments.

Check it out at wallawalla.edu/ westwind.

Heard web page

Stay up to date on the WWU response to the coronavirus by visiting wallawalla.edu/ coronavirus.

For a full calendar of events, visit wallawalla.edu/calendar.

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