a note FROM SCOTT
Inone of Whitworth’s 125th anniversary videos, Professor of History Anthony Clark reminded us about the value of seeing the world. Quoting Augustine, Tony said, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” St. Augustine would no doubt endorse the study away opportunities available for Whitworth students to experience communities and cultures beyond the confines of campus, whether 7,000 or 7 miles away. Travel opportunities stretch our students. They invite students to ask questions about themselves and others. Study away experiences serve to shape the fabric of their personhood.
For Community Building Day (a 119-year Whitworth tradition!), when about 1,000 students, faculty and staff canvas the city serving at area nonprofits, I tell students that the habits they form in their early 20s tend to be sticky ones, practices and mindsets that will endure throughout their lives. And so, I say, be open to what you see and learn about the people and places you visit. Listen well. The navigation of unfamiliar places will foster selfreliance and maturity. Your confidence and independence will grow. And there’s a darn good chance you’ll develop a deeper appreciation for the people of other communities.
I can testify. As a young baseball coach, for two summer months I was hosted by families in Russia, the Czech Republic, Holland and Spain. Now, 36 years later, I remain shaped by what I learned. One of our children, then a
future teacher, spent a Whitworth Jan Term in Noorvik, Alaska, a small town north of the Arctic Circle. Another of our kids spent Jan Term in the Cascade Mountains, living by the Rule of St. Benedict and with strict limitations on technology usage. Those weeks away from the comforts of home impacted them in significant ways, for which Janice and I are immensely grateful.
“... 36 years later, I remain shaped by what I learned ”
Dr. Clark was right. At Whitworth, whatever the distance from campus, our students accumulate an experiential library, one with rich and varied pages. Sticky ones at that.
Scott McQuilkin ’84, President
In summer 1990, Scott McQuilkin served with Athletes in Action as the head coach of a U.S. baseball team that played in Europe and Russia (then the Soviet Union). Above, center, signing autographs during a youth baseball camp in Holland. Below, right, visiting Kremlin cathedrals in Moscow, Russia.
Off-Campus Study — Students Explore God’s Creation
Front: Hiking through Paria Canyon, which spans the Utah-Arizona border, during the Backpacking with the Saints Jan Term course in 2025. Photo by Meredith Devey, director of the Dornsife Center for Community Engagement. Back: On safari in Tarangire National Park as part of the Tanzania Study Program in spring 2022. Photo by Hannah Duncan ’23.
STAFF Julie Riddle ’92 (Editor), Heidi Jantz (Art Director), Megan Jonas (Assistant Editor), Garrett Riddle (Project Manager), Eric King (Photography Coordinator), Zach Rodriguez (Photographer)
CONTRIBUTORS Nancy Bunker, Shari Clarke, Connor Lee, Genevieve Gromlich, Arlin Migliazzo, Stacey Moo ’15, Jared Tawney M.A. in MFT ’21
EDITORIAL BOARD Danika Hatcher ’10, MBA ’20, Heidi Jantz, Megan Jonas, Garrett Riddle, Julie Riddle ’92, Tad Wisenor ’89
ADMINISTRATION Scott McQuilkin ’84 (President), Stacey Kamm Smith ’86 (Vice President for Institutional Advancement), Joe Hughes (Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications)
Paria Canyon, 2025. Stop, Observe, See, Be Slightly Warmer by Kyle Marquez ’25
a healthier future worth building
New Bachelor of Science in Nursing Meets Regional Need
The Inland Northwest is facing a significant nursing shortage. Each year, hundreds of qualified applicants are turned away from local nursing degree programs due to limited capacity — even as hospitals and clinics across Spokane and surrounding counties urgently need more nurses.
Whitworth’s new bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) expands that capacity, preparing future nurses close to home and placing graduates where they’re needed most.
Built on a Strong Foundation
For more than 60 years, Whitworth’s prenursing program has excelled at preparing students to enter BSN pathways. Our new full-degree program builds on this proven success.
Chris Sloan, Ph.D., RN, will helm the program as administrator and director. Most recently serving at Gonzaga University and Point Loma Nazarene University, she brings extensive experience in academic leadership, nursing education and clinical practice. Sloan is committed to building a rigorous, mission-driven nursing program and has meaningful ties to the Whitworth community: She attended Whitworth for two years as an undergraduate, and her spouse is an alumnus.
A Home for Nursing Excellence
Hawthorne Hall, a former elementary school on campus, is being transformed into a dedicated nursing education facility. Opening in fall 2027, the building will support industry-leading training with features including:
A simulation suite that mirrors hospital and clinic environments
Two 1,000-square-foot skills labs
Join us
Your gift will help equip state-of-the-art spaces where students will gain the clinical expertise and confidence essential for professional healthcare settings.
Together, we can ensure that patients across our region and beyond receive care from skilled, compassionate nurses equipped by Whitworth’s top-tier mind-and-heart education.
Learn more, view facility renderings and make a gift at whitworth.edu/nursing-project.
Spokane nurse and Whitworth alumna Izzie (Estes) Wilkes ’12 is making an impact in her community and at Whitworth. Read her story on P. 32.
‘God Put Together a Team for Meʼ
When My World Went Still, This Community Stepped
In
In2018, I was a graduate student in the Whitworth Marriage & Family Therapy Program. I had just completed my first semester when I was hit with a rare autoimmune disease called Guillain-Barré syndrome. My immune system had begun to attack my nervous system, causing ascending paralysis. I began to lose feeling and movement in my fingertips and toes. Despite doctors’ best efforts, the paralysis continued up to my diaphragm and I was placed on a ventilator.
I was hospitalized, mostly at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, from August 2018 to February 2019. The paralysis continued to progress and eventually reached my cranial nerves. I spent October to November “locked in.” I was consciously awake but unable to breathe, communicate or blink. I was completely at the mercy of others. Doctors kept my eyes moist by taping them down and covering them with an eye patch, alternating between eyes.
During this time, I received a card, well-wishes and constant prayer from my cohort and instructors in the MFT program. Prayer and C. S. Lewis audiobooks were crucial to me throughout my ordeal. Before I was put under to be intubated, I asked the doctors and nurses to pause so my family and I could say the Lord’s Prayer.
BY JARED TAWNEY, M.A. IN MFT ’21, LECTURER OF PSYCHOLOGY
Jared Tawney lies in a Spokane hospital bed in fall 2018, “locked in” and dependent on a ventilator.
After graduation, an opportunity opened to teach as an adjunct instructor for the psychology department at Whitworth, and because of the support and training I got there, I jumped at it. I became a full-time faculty member in 2024.
At one point when I was an adjunct, I was copied on an email along with Paul Werhane, who I learned was a faculty member with Whitworth’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program (DPT). [Paul is also a 2011 Whitworth alumnus.] Later, when I became a full-time lecturer, I attended the new faculty orientation and, to my surprise, sat down next to Megan Slayton, who had just joined the DPT faculty. Even though I had to pause the MFT program because of my illness, Whitworth was always there. Megan and Paul are examples of the Christian spirit that animates Whitworth. It was like God put together a custom team for me. When I got better and started my career, the pieces came together. Whitworth was this incredible vehicle that God used to support me through trials, help me develop a worldview of therapy that aligns with my faith, and give me the opportunity to teach and be part of the broader university community.
Eventually,I got a novel treatment at UW Medical Center in Seattle and began to recover. I spent a few months back at Sacred Heart in Spokane doing physical and occupational therapy before I was able to return to Whitworth’s MFT program. I had lost 65 pounds and needed to rebuild the muscles in my arms, hands, feet, legs and core. Two of my physical therapists were Paul Werhane and Megan Slayton, who helped me learn to walk again. Paul was really helpful in the gym, where at first we would work on going from lying down to getting on all fours, and Megan was integral to helping me regain fine motor movement.
In spring 2019, I set a goal to walk or at least wheel myself through Spokane’s 12-kilometer Bloomsday Run after my recovery. I shared about this goal with one of my doctors and was told I was being unrealistic and needed to accept my “new normal.” My PT Paul and I wanted to prove this doctor wrong.
I ended up doing Bloomsday in and out of a wheelchair pushed by my wife and father, but when I got to “Doomsday Hill,” I wanted to do it on my feet. Paul knew this was one of my goals. He met me at the bottom, and we marched up together.
Two years later, I graduated from the MFT program. Crossing the commencement stage carried extra significance for me as I was not using a wheelchair or walker at that point. I walked across that stage.
Top left, Tawney gives a thumbs-up from his hospital bed shortly after becoming ill. A cold towel on his forehead regulates his temperature.
Above, Tawney visits with his toddler daughter, Emma, while recovering in the hospital. The two were learning to walk at about the same time.
I walked across that stage
Left, Tawney, center left, walks up “Doomsday Hill” during Bloomsday 2019 with his physical therapist Paul Werhane ’11, right, while video calling another of his PTs.
Below, Tawney crosses the commencement stage to receive his Whitworth diploma from then-President Beck Taylor in May 2021.
SEEKING THE BIGGER PICTURE
BY MEGAN JONAS
AAt Whitworth, classroom learning extends into doing. Students dive into research, internships and community service. They also experience new places and cultures through off-campus study, encountering the beautiful and the challenging alike.
Since 2021, the art & design department’s Daniel Photography Travel Award has enabled student-photographers to document their experiences on faculty-led study away programs. Selections of the students’ work are shared in galleries across campus.
In the spectacular images that follow, you’re invited to experience the world through their eyes.
England, 2025. Hope by MacKenzie Hewitt ’27. Sydney Anderson ’25 gazes up at the ornate stainedglass windows in Exeter College Chapel, Oxford.
Washington, D.C., 2022. Jubilee by Kendra Guttridge ’23. Thin streams of water fall in front of an illuminated quote from Martin Luther King Jr. at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Australia, 2022. Orange Apostles by Eva Millan ’23. Sunlight breaks through clouds, casting a warm glow across the ocean and limestone stacks at Twelve Apostles in Port Campbell National Park.
Montgomery, Ala., 2025 (facing page). Let Their Names Be Known by Myla Smith ’25 Hanging steel monuments at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice represent U.S. counties where lynchings occurred; each is engraved with the names of victims.
Costa Rica, 2024. Reflection by Corbin Meyring ’24. Students stand on a beach in Tárcoles at sunset after finishing an evening of research, their reflections gleaming on the wet sand.
Costa Rica, 2024. From the Depths by Thomas Peach ’25. An American crocodile’s head emerges from the surface of dark water. England, 2026. Through the Rain by Alyssa Butler ’28. A blurred view of a busy London street is shown through a rain-soaked window, with red brake lights glowing through streaks of water. 11
Facing Page
Netherlands, 2024. Lenian by Hannah V. Johnson ’25 Lenian, who helped plan the Wandelmeent cohousing community in Hilversum, sits at her kitchen table, smiling and holding a cup of coffee.
Arizona, 2025. Synchronized Splashing by Kyle Marquez ’25. Students take a break from backpacking to frolic in the shallow San Pedro River.
Tanzania, 2022. Making Camp by Hannah Duncan ’23. Two men carry firewood through a sunlit field while camping on an ecological research mission in Uru Shimbwe. A faint rainbow arches over the horizon.
This Page
Spain, 2026. El Momento Perfecto by Grace Oster ’26. As a large fountain sprays water at the Plaza de España in Seville, a rainbow forms in the mist and soap bubbles drift across blue sky.
England, 2025. Revolution by MacKenzie Hewitt ’27. A bronze statue of British suffragist Millicent Fawcett stands in Parliament Square in London. She holds a banner that reads, “Courage calls to courage everywhere.”
OKEMGBO 26
AMBLESSED KNOWS SHE’S ALREADY WON
BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92
Get inside the mind of this dual-athlete Pirate champion.
Two Sports, Two Selves
The volleyball team is like my sisters. If one person’s off, it’s OK — there are five other people on the court to help them out. For track, we cheer for each other and support each other, but if I’m struggling, it’s on me. I get more aggressive during track. That warrior competitor comes out.
Mental Toughness Means…
Adaptability. When you’re down is when you grow the most. How can I adapt in situations I didn’t see coming so I get success? Mental toughness also means being grateful that God put me in this position, no matter what happens.
Turning Pain Into Purpose
I had severe depression throughout middle school, high school and my first year of college. Now, when I have a negative mental shift, I know how
to adapt. It took me a while to view depression as a strength. When I work in sports camps with kids who deal with depression, it’s easy for them to talk to me because I know what they’re going through.
Getting in the Zone
For volleyball, I walk around the court and visualize hitting and passing, and I visualize hitting a ball out, so it doesn’t faze me in the game. For track, I pace for about 30 minutes and meditate on what I’m about to do. For both sports, I listen to worship music and read Romans 8:11, and I pray. I tell myself that no matter the result, since Christ is with me, I’ve already won.
Advice for Young Athletes
Find out who you are outside of your sport, so when things go wrong, you can lean into who you are as a person rather than as an athlete — you’re not negative numbers on a stats sheet.
Major: Psychology
Minor: Neuroscience Hometown: Medical Lake, Wash.
Athletics Career Highlights
Track & Field — Shot Put and Discus (Through April 2026)
» National Runner-Up, Shot Put, NCAA DIII Indoor Championships 2026
» Set Two Championship Meet Records, Led Women to NWC Title 2026
» National Runner-Up, Discus, NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships 2025
» USTFCCCA West Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year 2025
» Five-Time NCAA DIII AllAmerican, Indoor & Outdoor
Volleyball — Outside Hitter
» First Team All-Northwest Conference 2025
» NWC Leader in Kills and Points Scored 2025
» Powered the Pirates to NWC Co-championship 2025
UNDEBATABLE
Visit a practice of Whitworth’s trophy-winning forensics team, and you’ll hear ideas colliding — in the best possible way. Students from across majors step up to argue, analyze and rethink what they believe. Through speech and debate, they sharpen their critical thinking skills, learn to listen as well as they speak, and gain the confidence to communicate clearly under pressure. This liberal arts education in action has launched generations of alumni into successful careers in medicine, law, business, ministry, education and beyond. Here, alumni reflect on how forensics equipped them to excel in their work today.
Forensics sharpened my skills in critical thinking, especially when provided with very limited preparation time. This skill is especially important [as an attorney] in the court’s adversarial model, where one needs to adjust quickly to the dynamics of the trial process, whether arguing against opposing counsel or cross-examining a witness. As a judge, forensics helped prepare me to sort tremendous volumes of information into manageable categories that can be distinctly addressed.”
Jeff Swan ’91
Communication and political studies Yakima County Superior Court judge Yakima, Wash.
Forensics taught me how to think quickly and clearly. This has benefited me as a pastor and leader in the church by helping me mentally organize a response to a complicated question or think creatively in the moment when guiding exercises in discernment. I have preached extemporaneously for over 20 years, and it’s my experience competing in impromptu speech that gave me the courage and confidence to move in that direction.”
The Rev. Cindy Kohlmann ’95 Theatre and religion
Lead presbyter & stated clerk, New Castle Presbytery Newark, Del.
The biggest career (and life) skill I developed through forensics is being comfortable putting an unfinished product out into the world. The impromptu events, where you only get minutes to prepare, helped me internalize the mantra ‘done is better than perfect.’ My résumé includes some crazy credits, such as runway model for Paris Fashion Week and assistant director for a feature film, because I didn’t get bogged down with perfectionism or imposter syndrome. I can comfortably and confidently perform on the spot, which opens incredible personal and professional doors.”
Lyra Freely ’16 (formerly Madison Garner) Communication Script supervisor and makeup artist, Lyra Freely, LLC Portland, Ore.
THE ARGUING BUCS BY THE NUMBERS
24 seasons coached by Mike Ingram
International Public Debate Association team national championships
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19 National Christian College Forensics Association team national championships since 2013 (championships are awarded for speech, debate and an overall sweepstake)
Individual student speech and debate awards since 2011
3,400
Forensics made me realize what kind of physician I want to be — one who advocates for change beyond the clinic through public policy. I was recently accepted to Oregon’s Health Care Workforce Committee, where I’ll collaborate with healthcare professionals across the state to draft policies that strengthen the healthcare workforce through recruitment, education and retention. It ties in so many of the skills I gained from forensics: communicating with people despite disagreements, researching complex topics, forming arguments and being persuasive.”
Chauncella Koulibali ’22 Psychology Medical student, Oregon Health & Science University Portland, Ore.
I still use what I learned in forensics about persuasion and teach it to others. I train and equip fundraisers all over the country in how to make a strong case of support for our organization in both written communication and presentations. Forensics was incredible training in delivering a message with clarity, brevity and wit!”
Kevin Benson ’00 Theatre and speech communication Director, U.S. fundraising, World Relief; executive coach, Bold Move Coaching & Consulting Spokane TJ
Answer the question and pull the analysis. Make this your tournament. Thanks for taking charge. Go have fun.
Mike
Tracy Sims ’91, executive director of corporate affairs –cardiometabolic health at Eli Lilly and Company in Indiana, received this note from Mike Ingram before a tournament Ingram couldn’t attend. “He asked me to play a leadership role on that trip and gave me simple, handwritten instructions,” Sims says. “The trust it embodied influenced my life trajectory. I never let that note go nor my thanks and admiration for Mike Ingram.”
‘ COACH ’
Mike Ingram came to Whitworth in 1988 charged with reviving its long-dormant forensics program. He had the chops for the job. Ingram competed in speech and debate in high school and college, and he holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric and public address from Ohio University. He coached forensics at Carson-Newman University, in Tennessee, and at Ohio University before rebuilding and directing Whitworth’s program. After a second program hiatus in 1997, he resumed the team and his coaching role in 2011. A Star Trek fan, Ingram affectionately refers to the two generations of teams as the “Original Series” and “Next Generation.” His devoted students call him “Coach.”
Since 2011, the Arguing Bucs have won numerous championships and top individual awards. Ingram has also
received honors, including recognition as Coach of the Year by the three forensics associations in which Whitworth competes.
“Shaping and leading a community of young scholars has been the best part of my Whitworth life,” Ingram says. “I loved seeing debaters grow in their intellectual abilities to form and evaluate arguments, speak with conviction and confidence, and work together effectively as a nationally ranked team.”
This spring, the professor of communication studies finished his final season coaching the Arguing Bucs ahead of his retirement. As a fitting sendoff, the team won the 2026 National Christian College Forensics Association tournament championship. The success of the
program and its alumni speaks to Ingram’s remarkable impact across nearly four decades.
Above, center, Mike Ingram performs a song and dance for forensics students and alumni before the 2018 International Public Debate Association national tournament on campus, a tradition he usually reserves for tournament wins. Above right, Ingram poses on his “last first” day of school in September 2025. 19
Pirate’s Den
BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92
Scott Griffith Associate Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science
You don’t have to be a forensic investigator to discover what fascinates Associate Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science Scott Griffith. Visit his office in Johnston Science Center, and you’ll encounter relics and curiosities that reflect his innovative research, honor the career-shaping influence of his family, and delight his inquisitive, lively mind.
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1 / PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD. Griffith and his students designed this prototype (held here by blue “helping hands”) to conduct ecological experiments. The team manufactured 27 boards and installed most of them at Oregon State University and Gonzaga University, where ecologists are using them to investigate how climate change affects freshwater ecosystems.
2 / LEGO© NASA APOLLO 11 LUNAR LANDER. Griffith really likes LEGOs. He assembled this mini spacecraft in homage to his work with Professor of Engineering & Physics Kamesh Sankaran and students to develop spacecraft trajectories using high-performance computing.
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3 / THE TANDY 102. Griffith has a soft spot for tech from his family’s past. His mom used this precursor to the modern laptop as she trained educators across the U.S. on methods for teaching math — and inspired Griffith’s career as an educator.
4 / PIRATE FARKLE DICE. These cubes come in handy during office hours to demonstrate abstract concepts like how data moves. Shifting from a whiteboard to objects that students manipulate by hand often sparks aha! understanding.
5 / PRINCETON TIGER. Meg Fairborn ’25 did undergraduate research with Griffith and brought him this
plush mascot after a summer internship at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Fairborn is continuing the ambitious trajectory she launched at Whitworth: She’s now pursuing a Ph.D. in plasma physics at Columbia University.
6 / TEKTRONIX OSCILLOSCOPE. Griffith’s grandfather used this classic tool as a ham radio operator. By day he trained technicians to use IBM machines; for fun, he tinkered with projects like the timer he and Griffith built from a coffee maker. His inventive spirit helped steer Griffith into electrical and computer engineering. 3
4 5 6
Step by Step
A Mother, a Daughter and Whitworth
Create a Way Forward
BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92
In January 2024, Salwa Farrag and Dana Ibrahim boarded a plane departing from Cairo, Egypt. They arrived in Spokane late at night to cold, snow and darkness. Dana, who was born blind, knows darkness, but the cold and snow were shockingly new. Her mother knew their dream was beginning. They were met by Trina Allen, associate director of international admissions at Whitworth, who helped load their belongings in a van and drove them to campus.
Creating Opportunity
Throughout Dana’s childhood, Salwa poured herself into securing an education for her daughter. She found
one school in Cairo willing to enroll Dana, but Salwa needed to prepare the curriculum herself. She translated and printed Dana’s textbooks and taught herself and Dana to read and write Braille in English and Arabic. Learning about inclusive education and the Americans with Disabilities Act sparked a desire for Dana to attend college in the United States. Salwa, an avid cook, says, “It seemed like I was cooking with the sunlight and America cooks with a microwave.”
Dana’s Rise Fellowship, which empowers promising young people to make an impact for others, enabled her to choose from top colleges, including Ivy League institutions. She
chose Whitworth. “Character and development are a lot more valuable than prestige,” she says. In the months before mother and daughter arrived, they met online with Allen, faculty members and Whitworth Educational Support Services (ESS) staff to work through the logistics of Dana attending Whitworth and Salwa living on campus to help her navigate. “Whitworth made Dana’s dream team,” Salwa says.
Creating Independence
As a new student, Dana’s biggest challenge was navigating campus, especially during winter. “I was
Facing page, Dana Ibrahim ’27 navigates with a white cane and uses a compass on her phone and environmental sounds to orient herself.
“ The support [at Whitworth] is global,” Dana says. “People have an openness to learning and thinking of creative ways to do things. ”
struggling to memorize routes,” she says. Salwa walked beside her, step by step. That spring, Dana started weekly orientation and mobility training with a specialist from the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind, and her navigation skills began to improve. She and Salwa also walked campus with Whitworth Facilities Services staff to identify problem areas.
Dana navigates with a white cane and uses a compass on her phone and sounds like traffic and doors opening to orient herself. She also creates 3-D maps with a tactile mapping kit to memorize routes and room layouts. “It’s really fun,” she says. What she can’t map are cars parked illegally and scooters left on sidewalks. “Sometimes when I need to rush, I will slam into something,” she says. (Rushing often follows hitting the snooze button on her morning alarm “like, 10 times.”)
Now, Dana and Salwa are focused on mastering street-crossing skills, a crucial step toward Dana living independently.
Creating Connection
While supporting Dana during those first months, Salwa mourned the life she left behind in Egypt — her thriving career as a psychologist, her husband, adult son and large extended family.
Not only was she now a stranger living in a strange land, but she held the unprecedented, conspicuous role of a mother living in a residence hall and generally “doing college” with her daughter.
Over time, community grew. Students were drawn to Salwa’s warmth, her love of meeting new people from different walks of life, and her cooking in Boppell Hall’s kitchen. Janice McQuilkin ’85 began meeting Salwa for coffee and has been deeply supportive, including introducing her to Anne Wilcox, assistant professor emerita of
education. Through shared reading sessions, especially poetry, Salwa and Wilcox developed a lasting friendship.
Salwa’s new friends, as well as Dana’s professors and friends, have enjoyed the traditional Egyptian dishes she makes to express her culture and creativity — and her appreciation. As Dana has grown more adept and independent, her mother has grown, too. “The first semester, I cried,” she says. “Now, I have a new family, a new home.”
Creating Innovation
When Dana was considering enrolling at Whitworth, mathematics & computer science and music faculty began discussing the prospect of Dana joining their classrooms. Despite all the unknowns, the faculty members were enthused. “We thought it was a challenge we should do, and that challenge was exciting to us,” says Associate Professor Scott Griffith, who volunteered to serve as Dana’s computer science advisor. “We trusted that we’d figure it out.”
Figuring out effective methods for teaching and learning has required dialogue, collaboration and ingenuity by all involved. Math and computer science faculty, energized by Dana’s drive and proficiency, have created learning tools including 3-D models to represent equations and calculus integrals. Dana also uses ESS tools,
Right, from left, Dana Ibrahim ’27, Brynn Jaklich ’27 and Grace Roche ’25 enjoy a hike in April 2025. Dana also enjoys coding, reading, coffee outings with her mom and recreational sports. “I’ve been a little obsessed with rock climbing lately (in the U-Rec),” she says.
Below, from left, Salwa Farrag, Assistant Professor Emerita of Education Anne Wilcox and Dana Ibrahim in Cowles Music Center on campus.
Facing page, Dana gives a piano recital for Rockwood at Whitworth’s senior living community in February.
such as a beeper attached to a rocket to measure distance in physics experiments. Salwa has contributed her own accessibility expertise and the learning tools she created in Egypt.
“The support [at Whitworth] is global,” Dana says. “People have an openness to learning and thinking of creative ways to do things.”
Dana is more than a student — she’s also a teacher. “As computer scientists, watching Dana use technology challenges our assumptions around system design and interface,” Griffith says. In group projects, Dana pushes her peers toward better design, and she even taught Griffith Braille as they collaborated to create a Braille decoding program.
From the outset, the faculty have prioritized holding Dana to the same academic rigor as her classmates and developing universal learning solutions.
“It’s exciting that we’re building systems that can support other visually impaired students,” Griffith says. “Dana gave us the opportunity to see if we can do it. And for Dana to flourish the way she has, it’s just inspiring.”
Dana Ibrahim ’27
» Double major in computer science and music
» 2023 Rise Fellow; created a digital music textbook for the blind and was one of 100 students selected out of 14,000 applicants
» Software engineering intern at Corporate Tools in Spokane, summer 2026
» Plans to attend graduate school and do innovative work in accessibility or healthcare
Salwa Farrag
» Ph.D. in health psychology from Cairo University
» Board member of the Egyptian Psychologists Association
» Specialist in assessment, early intervention and rehabilitation for blind and visually impaired children
» Director of the Visual Impairment Unit, Yakza Center for Psychological Assessment and Rehabilitation (currently works remotely)
A
shared
Le g a c y of Mind
a nd Heart
VOICES FROM WHITWORTH’S PAST
By Arlin Migliazzo Professor Emeritus of History, 1983-2017
My prayer is that Whitworth will stand as the founder, George Whitworth,
In the 1980s, the IT department connected all of us via email and that was impressive.
and impressive.
I began the Whitworth Legacy Project in December 2022. The project grew out of my desire to capture the observations, insights and memories of colleagues who contributed so much to the Whitworth that was, is and will yet be.
To date, I have interviewed more than 50 faculty members, administrators and staff who spoke to a variety of issues such as substantive campus changes as well as to endearing and sometimes hilarious personal experiences with students and colleagues over the past seven decades. They also offered encouragement and advice to current Whitworthians while reflecting on the context of their own particular time of service.
Thanks to Whitworth Archivist Nancy Bunker, the video interviews and their transcripts will eventually be accessible to anyone interested in learning the personal side of the Whitworth story we have all helped write. Following are selected excerpts.
Barb Filo ’79
Associate Professor Emerita of Art, 1985-2007
In the early years, there was a big, round table in the HUB [Hixson Union Building] and a lot of faculty would come for lunch. You got to know people from different departments. Mike Ingram* and I had opposite views on politics, but we talked about politics once and after that, it didn’t matter. When we all got computers, everybody ate lunch at their desk. I really missed it.
[Mike Ingram, professor of communication studies, 1988-2026]
Rick Hornor ’70
Professor Emeritus of Theatre, 1985-2011
I led London study trips for Jan Term, and one time we were at Stonehenge and four or five guys picked me up — didn’t ask me permission — and held me on the horizontal like we were an extension of Stonehenge. There were some lovely moments like that.
Raja Tanas
Professor Emeritus of Sociology, 1983-2017
In the 1980s, the IT [information technology] department connected all of us via email and that was impressive. The campus had two student computer labs, the Mac lab and the IBM lab. The late Howard Gage* came up with a program to have the pictures of students with their names on the class roster. That was very innovative and helpful in connecting names with faces of students.
[Howard Gage ’62, professor of mathematics & computer science, 1970-2000]
Laura Bloxham* became the first Laura began changing the department. A shared le g acy
Lee Anne Chaney
Associate Professor Emerita of Biology, 1980-2021
A long time ago, there was a pair of students in my department who were dating. They were sort of confined to campus, so one week I said, “I’m going to take you out for supper on Friday evening.” I took them to Azar’s restaurant because it had good food, not realizing that Friday night is belly dancing night. Seven inches away from our little booth is the belly dancer. When I retired, they commented on that and we had many laughs about it.
Ron Pyle
Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies, 1988-2021
thought it was really important a student to be known.
When my family moved here, I wanted to live where students could get to our house without a car. For 33 years, I lived six blocks away from Whitworth, and students were in our house a lot. It’s hard for me to describe the blessing that students have been to my family. Imagine how it was for my three young children to grow up watching college students come through our door for Bible study, premarital counseling, great conversation, for healing sometimes. Growing up believing that this is just normative, this is how life goes, has forever marked them as well as our family life.
Leonard Oakland
Professor Emeritus of English, 1966-2022
In the 1970s, the English department had a faculty of five male teachers. But then in 1975, Laura Bloxham* became the first full-time woman faculty member teaching literature. Laura began changing the department. She was a marvelous presence — one of the funniest professors, one of the most beloved by her students. Several of us would listen down the hall, and there was this classroom laughing loudly. And we’re saying, “What’s going on down there?” Obviously, it’s Laura’s classroom.
[Laura Bloxham ’69, professor emerita of English, 1975-2014]
Stephy Nobles-Beans ’03, M.A. ’17
Associate Chaplain for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Ministry, 1996-2024
My prayer is that Whitworth will stand as the founder, George Whitworth, stood, on Christian principles. Someone asked me once, “Do you lean to the left or do you lean to the right?” I told them I’m not leaning nowhere — I stand on the Word of God. That’s my prayer for Whitworth, that they will stand with all their might.
She was
a marvelous presence — one of the
professors, one of the most beloved by her students
Dale Soden
Professor Emeritus of History, 1985-2021
Probably the best thing I ever did was to teach myself three guitar chords and force students to sing in class. I still get calls from alums singing “Roll on Columbia” as they drive across the Columbia River.
Bill Robinson
President Emeritus, 1993-2010
The biggest reason I remembered a lot of students’ names was because I thought it was really important to a student to be known. If I could remember the name of a student, that would be an encouragement to the student and a reminder that they’re cared for. I felt like I represented Whitworth in doing that.
Arlin Migliazzo devoted 34 years to teaching history at Whitworth, leaving a remarkable legacy. Upon his retirement, he shared this parting advice: “Stay curious, find wonder in ordinary places, and don’t be afraid to ask the big questions. The Lord is so much bigger than our doubts and so much grander than our fears. Know that there will be wonderful surprises even when present circumstances seem beyond redemption.” Thank you, Dr. Mig.
Arlin
Class Notes
Let us know what you’re up to! Update us online at whitworth.edu/alumni-update, email us at alumni@whitworth.edu, or write us at Alumni & Parent Engagement Team, Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne Road, Spokane, WA 99251.
Submissions received Oct. 1, 2025-Feb. 28, 2026, appear in the spring issue of Whitworth Today. All cities listed are located in Washington state unless otherwise noted.
2020s
2025
Oliver Hammond and Liza (Hopkins) Hammond were married on May 25, 2025. Oliver is a youth ministry intern at Coram Deo Presbyterian Church in Spokane, and Liza works at Olive Crest. This summer the couple plans to relocate to Jackson, Miss., where Oliver plans to pursue his master of divinity at Reformed Theological Seminary.
2023
Amelia Hewson is a capital markets analyst at JLL, a commercial real estate agency in Seattle. Beth (Lorbeer) Pederson and Palmer Pederson were married on May 24, 2024. Filip Timotija is a business and defense reporter for The Hill, which covers politics and policy in Washington, D.C.
2022
Olivia Hast and Nicolas Hinman were married on June 8, 2025.
2021
Haley Elkin is the business development lead at Budinger & Associates, Inc. in Spokane Valley and head cheer coach at Whitworth. Brianna (McLean) Helke and Eric Helke were married on Oct. 3, 2025. Katie (Cowan) Tradal and Tommy Tradal were married on April 4, 2025. Katie is a middle school Bible teacher at Cedar Park Christian School in Bothell and Tommy is a deputy with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. Katie shares, “It is a gift to be a Whitworth graduate.
I am deeply indebted to many staff members and professors who cared for me, taught me and continually pointed me to Christ.”
2020
Michael Durka is completing a yearlong physician residency at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. He will finish his residency in interventional radiology at the University of Washington. Vanessa Heller is a primary care physician associate at Ryan Health in New York City. Hayley Olson completed her MFA in history in 2024 and reached 10 years cancer-free. She is a volunteer professional historian for the Spokane Pride History & Remembrance Project and interim secretary/board member at large for Spokane Preservation Advocates.
2010s 2019
Caleb Graham is a fish hatchery specialist II with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Eastern Region. He enjoys sustainable hunting, recreational fishing, partnering with conservation organizations, and life at home with his family and their dogs, chickens, ducks and goats. Tatyana (Stites) Hunter is a home health registered nurse with Alliance Nursing in Stanwood. She recently adventured in New Zealand. Justin Johnson is a marriage and family therapy associate at A Walk to Freedom Counseling in Auburn. Skylar Rockwell and Cale Gullett were married on June 25, 2023, and live in Billings, Mont. Skylar is pursuing a master’s
degree in criminal justice and Cale is a police officer. Sage Swanson MBA ’20 is a wealth consultant at Evergreen Gavekal. She is leading the company’s expansion into Spokane.
My favorite friendship moment… Working paint crew with my roommates and one of our best friends. We had a blast riding the golf carts around campus and chatting with the Whitworth Facilities folks. The work wasn’t too bad either. Such a great summer! Sophie Dilly ’25
2018
Alex Fergus M.A. in theology ’24 converted his thesis into a book, He Will Lead Me: A Spiritual Biography of Oscar M. Knutson, Pentecostal Minister,
2011
Megan (Cox) Turnbull and Benjamin Turnbull were married on July 26, 2025. The couple honeymooned in Chile, and they live in Spokane with their four cats. Megan is a credit analyst with AgWest Farm Credit.
2010
Calli (Strellnauer) Schroeder is senior counsel, global privacy counsel and director of the AI and Human Rights Program at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. She earned her juris doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law in 2016. Justin Warren, of Portland, Ore., is lead product line manager for Jordan APLA (Asia Pacific Latin America) Footwear and Apparel at Nike.
DEBUTS
Finley, to Caleb Graham ’19 and Taylor Graham, Jan. 7
Kynlee, to Casey (McClure) Eichner ’18 and Andrew Eichner, July 4, 2025
Evangelist, and Gospel Publisher (Wipf and Stock Publishers); the work tells the story of his great-grandfather.
Maria (Vigil) Paxson, of Spokane, is the regional marketing specialist for Hayden Homes – Inland Northwest. Catherine (Rishmawi) Qubrosi is a hypnobirthing childbirth educator in Bethlehem, in the West Bank. Denin Slage-Koch is an assistant professor of jazz guitar at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
2017
Joel Alexander graduated from Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine in 2022 and is lead dentist for the Yakima Medical-Dental Clinic. Hayley O’Brien manages the 20th Century Studios VFX Department, which oversees all the visual effects for 20th Century features such as Send Help, Predator: Badlands, and Avatar Fire & Ash
2015
Gunnar Tesdahl is the pastor of Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church in Solvang, Calif.
2013
Alaria (Richards) Eby teaches social studies at South Whidbey Middle School in Langley. Matthew Lowery is a psychotherapist at Samaritan Counseling Center in Michigan City, Ind. Bryce McCandless and Molly Miller were married on April 14, 2025. The couple lives in Las Vegas, Nev.
Diana, to Ethan Alano ’14 and McKenna (Bourgo) Alano, March 19, 2025
Jonathan, to Hannah (Ackerman) Lane ’14 and Alexian Lane, April 6, 2025
Ellie, to Hannah (Kinnier) McLeod ’11 and Richard McLeod ’14, July 13, 2024
My favorite friendship moment… Back in 2019, when Emily (Gonzalez) Cahill ’20 and I biked the Hiawatha trail on a U-Rec trip. Still the closest of friends, despite living in different states rather than next-door neighbors in Warren like we were freshman year. Mary (Wilson) Peterson ’20
My favorite friendship moment… Annual repainting of the BMac smiley face! May 2018. Ana Farmer ’19
Alumni Profile
IZZIE (ESTES) WILKES ’12
Izzie (Estes) Wilkes is living out the nursing career she always envisioned for herself — and she loves it. A charge nurse in Providence Holy Family Hospital’s Family Maternity Center in Spokane, Wilkes finds meaning in making her patients feel safe and uplifted during what can be scary moments.
“It’s a joy to support laboring moms and their families,” Wilkes says. “My faith calls me to serve others, and I love that my job puts me in a position to do just that.”
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilkes noticed a distressing trend in her field: Young nurses began experiencing burnout and leaving the profession, sometimes after only a year or two.
“COVID was very stressful,” Wilkes says. “With all the changes, restrictions and long hours on your feet, nursing wasn’t what they thought it was going to be. But also, I don’t know if they had been mentored enough to know what nursing is really like.”
A few years ago, School of Health Sciences Dean Mike Ediger approached Wilkes, his former student, about teaching for Whitworth’s Certificate of Vocational Development in Nursing. The opportunity to shape future nurses matched well with Wilkes’ long-held belief in the importance of mentoring.
Wilkes mentored students on topics like finding purpose in nursing and incorporating spirituality into nursing. She also brought in guest speakers to demonstrate how nurses cope with difficulties on the job. “My ultimate goal,” Wilkes says, “was to get these students invested in their careers in hopes that they will find happiness and longevity in them.”
As Whitworth shifts to offering a four-year nursing degree in place of its two-year pre-nursing program, Wilkes is leveling up, too. She is pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing education with the aim of joining Whitworth’s new nursing faculty.
“I feel really called to build up the next generation of nurses,” she says.
My favorite friendship moment… Senior year football season. (From left) J.D. “The Fridge” Butler, myself and Arnold Brown ’90 before practice. Marcus Jackson ’89
2000s
2008
Jennifer Pullen, of Findlay, Ohio, published her third book, Beastly: An Anthology of Shapeshifting Fairy Tales (Lanternfish Press), in February.
2007
Lance Beck was named to the Journal of Business 2026 People of Influence list. This spring, he transitioned from president and CEO of Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce to chief strategy officer for Greater Spokane Incorporated. Chris Chandler M.Ed. ’09 is a local program coordinator at Southeast Washington Aging & Long Term Care in Grandview. His spouse passed away in September 2025. Erika (Raborn) Miley M.Ed. ’15 and her spouse are foster parents to two teenagers. She earned her Ph.D. in 2022 and is a clinical mental health therapist, clinical sexologist, and adjunct professor in psychology and health sciences at Whitworth. She says, “It’s wonderful to return to the Whitworth community that gave me so much as a student.”
2005
Angela Cesena is a speech-language pathologist III at Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Palo Alto, Calif. Grant McGregor is CEO of Vintage Floors & Finishes in Flower Mound, Texas.
2004
Cole Young achieved one year of sobriety and is a sober, mindset and life coach at Conceive Coaching in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
2003
Jacob Spaun is a clinic registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Everett. Carmen (Brauhn) Van Soest, of Tacoma, was named the 2025 Washington Music Education Association Elementary Music Teacher of the Year for Washington state.
DEBUTS
Xavier, to Beth (Webster) Lemme ’05 and Nicholas Lemme, Feb. 9
Josephine, to Joy (Whigham) Diaz ’02, MIT ’03 and Joel Diaz Jr. ’20, May 3, 2024
1990s 1999
Catlin Goodrow is an intervention teacher and instructional coach at Spokane International Academy. She published her first book, Reading Beyond the Basics: Key Routines for Engaging, Research-Informed Instruction in Grades 2-6 (Solution Tree Press), in 2025; she previously served as a statewide coordinator for
Texas Reading First and a designer for Teach For America. Corey Laughary is the executive minister at Mission Northwest, a family of Baptist and Community churches across the Western states and Alaska headquartered in Post Falls, Idaho.
1997
Donna (Lloyd) Kuhn MIM ’02 and her spouse, Raymond Kuhn, are retired and live in Spokane. Raymond has Parkinson’s disease; he enjoyed working for facilities services at Whitworth for about 10 years. Shelly (Maak) O’Quinn is the CEO of Innovia Foundation in Spokane and was named to the Journal of Business 2026 People of Influence list. She also serves on the Whitworth Board of Trustees.
1991
The Rev. Tricia Tedrow is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Moscow, Idaho, where she has been preaching and serving the community since August 2025.
1990
Brenda (Barquist) Topel retired after 35 years as a registered nurse. She is ready to travel and enjoy spending time with friends and family and pursuing her hobbies.
Calling all alumni and families of current students! Join us on campus for One Big Whitworth Weekend — our combined Homecoming and Family Weekend — packed with family-friendly fun, time to reconnect, and all the best parts of autumn at Whitworth. We’ll also recognize our 2026 alumni award recipients and celebrate milestone reunions for the classes of 2016, ’06, 1996, ’86, ’76 and ’66. RSVP now at whitworth.edu/obww-26. See you in October!
My favorite friendship moment… Lifelong Whitworth friends on our way to graduation, 1985. (From left) Delon (Leighton) Burkhart, Dawn (Irgens) Evenson, Konnay Franklet-Irvin and Nancy Preston. Sadly, we lost Konnay about two years ago. She is forever missed, and our fearless-four group will never be the same. Dawn Evenson ’85
1980s
1989
Marty Gang is vice president for information technology and chief information officer at Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla. Kevin Peterson, of Spokane, is market director at Thrivent for Eastern Washington and Idaho.
1988
Evelyn (Fridley) Hemming is a mental health therapist at Hope, Growth & Healing Counseling in Silverdale.
1985
Susi (Lindsay) Brumett and her spouse, Danny Brumett, moved to Kingman, Ariz., in 2020. They built a new home and are enjoying retirement together.
1983
Anne (Patrick) Kinney retired as a case manager for Developmental Disabilities Community Services in Anacortes. She travels frequently to Chile to visit one of her sons and his family; her two other children live stateside. She enjoys many hobbies and traveling the West by van with her dog, Kai.
1981
Jim Oxyer is the organist at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Louisville, Ky., and part-time organist at First Christian Scientist Church in New Albany, Ind. He retired in December 2025 after 27 years at the Jefferson County Attorney Office, Child Support Division, where he worked as a caseworker, supervisor and, most recently, legal assistant. Stewart Sherwood retired as a lead software engineer at UPS in 2025. He enjoys spreading the gospel, playing guitar on worship teams, singing in a blues band, raising chickens, cycling, leathercraft and Lionel trains. He and his spouse of 39 years, Deborah Sherwood, live in North Bend.
1980
Anne (Washburn) Goddard and her spouse, Glen Goddard, retired in 2025 after 45 years in nonprofit leadership. Most recently, they oversaw the rebuild of Rancho Alegre, an outdoor school and campground in Santa Barbara, Calif., destroyed by the 2017 Whittier wildfire. They relocated to Sun City West, Ariz., to be near their daughter. Ginny (Stevenson) Hein M.Ed. ’95 is a membership representative at UFCW 3000 in Spokane.
1970s
1979
Joan (Bevan) Birdsell is a financial advisor at Ameriprise Financial in Roseville, Calif. Her daughter moved to England in 2024, and she looks forward to visiting annually. Mimi Klepach is a probation support specialist at Siskiyou County Adult Probation in Yreka, Calif. She raised four children as a single mom and plans to retire in 2029.
1975
Eroll Miles MAT ’84 taught math and traffic safety and coached football for 32 years at Sunnyside High School. Now retired, he is an elder at Sunnyside Presbyterian Church. He and his spouse, Dawn Miles, enjoy their two children, four grandchildren, traveling and living life as if every day was Saturday! Suzi Schadle is senior minister at the Center for Spiritual Living in Asheville, N.C., where she has served for 27 years.
My favorite friendship moment… Post-rugby game, 1975. (From left) Judy (Petersen) Senter ’76, Rich Starrett ’77, Shawn Wilson ’75 (submitter).
1973
Mary Lou (Hurn) Converse, of Portland, Ore., retired after 40plus years as a registered nurse. Her spouse of 50-plus years, Bill Converse, died Dec. 31, 2023.
1950s
1955
The Rev. Ida “Ruth” (Higgins) Gray moved to a retirement community in Carmel, Ind., where she teaches a writing class and occasionally directs the choir. She visited Ireland in 2024 and spent two months in Palm Desert, Calif., in winter 2025-26.
Retirees
2025-26
Whitworth bids a fond farewell to the staff and faculty members who retired in 2025-26. Their faithful care and significant contributions have made a lasting impact on our campus community and well beyond.
ALLISON BRIER MSFP ’25
Manager, Printing & Mailing Services
Marketing & Communications Years of Service: 17
NANCY BUNKER
Associate Professor & University Archivist Library Years of Service: 29
LYLE COCHRAN
Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science Years of Service: 31
MIKE INGRAM
Professor of Communication Studies & Director of Forensics Years of Service: 38
KAREN KUIPER
Payroll Manager
Business Office Years of Service: 26
KENT MCDONALD
Young Life-Whitworth Partnership Facilitator, Young Life Regional Trainer, Lecturer in Theology Years of Service: 26
DAVE NELSON
Electrician
Facilities Services Years of Service: 17
MIKE SARDINIA ’87
Associate Professor of Biology Years of Service: 23
DEBBIE STIERWALT
Program Assistant Theology Department Years of Service: 18
Obituaries received Oct. 1, 2025-Feb. 28, 2026, appear in this issue of Whitworth Today. Bolded names without class years indicate those who attended Whitworth but did not graduate. All cities listed are located in Washington state unless otherwise noted.
2010s
Edmundo “Mundo” Corrales ’16, of Oak Harbor, died Dec. 1, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Meghan Corrales. Michael “Mike” Thompson M.Ed. ’11, of Spokane, died Oct. 21, 2025.
2000s
Jordan Marshall ’09, of Colbert, died Feb. 8. Survivors include his spouse, Brittany Marshall; mother, Kristine (Smith) Marshall; and aunt Karin (Smith) Kovach ’75 Charlyn (Johnson) Dalvit MIT ’07, of Bellingham, died Feb. 17. Survivors include her spouse, Kyle Dalvit. Lucien “Luke” Cayer II MIM ’06, of Airway Heights, died Jan. 12. Reece Jenkin ’03, of Colfax, died Feb. 27. Survivors include his spouse, Breanne Jenkin. Michael “Mike” Hughes ’00, of Willamina, Ore., died Dec. 10, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Heather (McDonald) Hughes.
1980s
Glenna (Carlson) Ainley ’84, of Vancouver, died Oct. 10, 2025. She was predeceased by her father-in-law, Charles Ainley ’51, and mother-in-law, Virginia “Ginny” (Warren) Ainley ’49 (daughter of former Whitworth president the Rev. Frank Warren). Survivors include her spouse, C. Warren Ainley ’85, and son Stephan Ainley ’10
1970s
Vickie (Gehrke) Bachofner ’79, of Spokane, died Jan. 27. Survivors include her spouse, John Bachofner. John Young M.Ed. ’78, of Spokane Valley, died Oct. 29, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Merry Young. Michael Landry, of Spokane Valley, died Sept. 11, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Robbie Landry. Wayne Hardy ’74, of Redmond, died Feb. 16. Survivors include his spouse, Esther Hardy. Scott Streibick ’74, of Golden Valley, Ariz., died Feb. 5. Survivors include his spouse,
Jean Streibick. Joyce (Christensen) Gates, of Spokane, died Nov. 21, 2025. Survivors include her spouse, Gil Gates ’66 Carolyn Strong ’73, of Portland, Ore., died July 24, 2025. She was predeceased by her brotherin-law Larry Daniels ’69. Survivors include her sister Catherine Strong ’71 Robert “Bruce” Grambo MAT ’72, of Burlington, died April 16. (See Employees & Friends, P. 37.) Florestine “Flurry” Snyder ’72, of Spokane, died Jan. 10. Survivors include her spouse, Stuart Davis. Patricia “Pat” Stephens ’72, of Sandy, Utah, died Oct. 5, 2025. John Farmer ’70, of Tacoma, died Oct. 16, 2024. Survivors include his spouse, Elaine Farmer.
1960s
Robert “Bob” Egger M.Ed. ’69, of Spokane, died Dec. 29, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Cathy Egger. Barbara “Barb” (Bedell) Kobs ’68, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, died Aug. 16, 2025. William “Ed” Leonard ’68, of Rathdrum, Idaho, died Nov. 23, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Jacque (Boughton) Leonard ’67 Lois (Cannavina) Randall ’68, of Kalispell, Mont., died Nov. 26, 2025. Survivors include her spouse, Byron Randall. Gary Tuttle ’68, of Boise, Idaho, died June 25, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Janice (Woods) Tuttle ’68 Ward “Barry” Fancher III ’67, of Spokane, died Dec. 27, 2025. He was predeceased by his parents Ward Fancher Jr. ’35 and Charlotte (Slater) Fancher ’34. Survivors include his spouse, Denise (Hand) Fancher ’70, and son Nelson Fancher ’06 Kathleen “Kathy” (Strobel) Barnhart ’66, of La Fontaine, Ind., died Feb. 11. Martha “Marti” Hart-Vidoni ’66, of Palm Springs, Calif., died Dec. 5, 2025. She was predeceased by her spouse, Richard Vidoni. Survivors include her brother Michael Hart ’66. Charles “Charlie” Ward Jr. ’66, of Dunedin, Fla., died April 30, 2025. Arlene (Payne) Baldwin ’65, of Spokane, died Oct. 3, 2025. She was predeceased by her spouse, Harvie Baldwin ’64 Connie (Conant) Betts ’65, of Woodland, died Nov. 19, 2025. Margaret “Peggy” (Bellarts) Markillie ’65, of Richland, died Oct. 31, 2025. Survivors include her son Paul Markillie ’90, daughter-inlaw Kim (De Villeneuve) Markillie ’90 and granddaughter Maya Markillie ’22 Terrence “Terry” Casteel ’64, of Salem,
Ore., died Nov. 30, 2023. Survivors include his spouse, Marilyn Webb, and twin brother, Ted Casteel ’64 Linda Devine ’64, of Sammamish, died Dec. 22, 2025. Survivors include her son-inlaw Timothy Groe ’89 and grandson Graham Groe ’17 Ellen (Lochhead) Dimond ’64, of Portland, Ore., died June 25, 2023. She was predeceased by her sister-in-law Dorothy (Hill) Lochhead M.Ed. ’79 and son Mark Dimond. Survivors include her nephew Jeffrey Lochhead ’02 Elizabeth (Foll) Shaw ’64, of Spokane, died Jan. 14. Carole (Olson) Herrlinger ’62, M.Ed. ’68, of Spokane, died Jan. 17. Survivors include her spouse, Fred Herrlinger, and daughter Janet Herrlinger ’89 Elizabeth “Ann” (Miller) Moore ’62, of Pinole, Calif., died Dec. 13, 2025. Jon Wahl ’62, of Sequim, died Oct. 9, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Patsy Wahl. Karen (Stonehocker) Lutz, of Ellensburg, died Feb. 12. Predeceased relatives include her first spouse, Richard Lutz ’61 Eldon Manteuffel ’60, of Spokane, died Nov. 1. Survivors include his spouse, Mary Manteuffel M.Ed. ’76, and daughter Lori (Manteuffel) Gibson ’88 Richard “Rich” Olsen ’60, M.Ed. ’67, of Spokane, died June 18, 2025. Survivors include his spouse, Joy (Limburg) Olsen ’56, M.Ed. ’60
1950s
Peggy Cowles ’59, of Nine Mile Falls, died Sept. 18, 2025. She was predeceased by her sister-in-law Wanda Cowles, a former Whitworth trustee and a George F. Whitworth Medal recipient. Survivors include her brother James P. Cowles, a George F. Whitworth Medal recipient, and niece Betsy Cowles and nephew Stacey Cowles, recipients of the Whitworth Distinguished Leader Award. James “Jim” Klein ’59, of Boise, Idaho, died July 24, 2022. Survivors include his spouse, Karyl Klein. Verla (Pedersen) Olson ’59, of Coolin, Idaho, died Oct. 29, 2025. Survivors include her grandchildren Andrew Wiebers ’21 and Heidi (Wiebers) Smith ’19 Margaret “Peggy” Oakes ’58, of Boulder, Colo., died Oct. 15, 2025. Dolores “Dee” (Olson) Proff ’58, of Boise, Idaho, died Sept. 10, 2025. Barbara “Bobbie” (Harder) Jensen ’57, of De Pere, Wis., died Dec. 31, 2025. She was predeceased by her mother, Bonnie (Weinheimer) Hart ’55 Survivors
include her spouse, Paul Jensen ’55, sister Dixie (Harder) Hutson ’52, daughter Julie (Jensen) Mackey ’82 and niece Teresa Kendall ’82 Glen Larson, of Spokane, died Feb. 20. Survivors include his spouse, Marlene Rasmussen Larson ’57, and brother-in-law Ken Rasmussen ’55 Anna “Annie” (Skeels) Matters ’57, of Spokane, died Jan. 4. She was predeceased by her spouse, Clyde Matters ’50, M.Ed. ’52, sister Peg (Skeels) Forkner ’43 and brother-in-law Vern Forkner ’43. Survivors include her son, the Rev. Rick Matters ’73, daughter-in-law, Andrea (Kilpatrick) Matters ’73, and daughter, Cindy (Matters) Carroll ’72 Janet (Hall) Mantz ’56, of Spokane, died Dec. 17, 2025. Joanne (Bickerstaff) Monteith ’56, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, died Nov. 11, 2025. Donald “Don” Dixon ’55, MAT ’70, of Anacortes, died Nov. 2, 2025.
Survivors include his spouse, June Dixon. Betty (Boyle) Stone ’55, M.Ed. ’61, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, died Nov. 16, 2025. She was predeceased by her spouse, Ray Stone ’51 Richard “Dick” Chiolis ’54, of El Macero, Calif., died Sept. 8, 2025. Elaine (Anderson) Bessey ’53, of Beaverton, Ore., died Dec. 21, 2025. Cathleen “Cathy” (Kendall) Durham ’52, of Xenia, Ohio, died Sept. 27, 2025. Survivors include her niece Teresa Kendall ’82
1940s
H. Glen Ellison ’49, M.Ed. ’52, of Spokane, died Oct. 11. He was predeceased by his spouse, Dorothy “Dottie” (Hone) Ellison ’49. Survivors include his daughter, Karen (Ellison) Andrues ’04, son, Andrew Ellison, and granddaughters Kristy Andrues ’99 and Beth Andrues ’01
Employees & Friends
Paul Cooley, of Spokane, died Dec. 19, 2025; adjunct professor of education, 1998-2001 and 2008. Survivors include his partner, Alice.
Robert “Bruce” Grambo MAT ’72, of Burlington, died April 16. P.E. instructor and wrestling coach hired in 1970; head football coach, 1981-86; athletics director, 1984-87. Survivors include his spouse, Marilyn Grambo.
Ramona Kinnaman, of Spokane, died Jan. 31; registration specialist, office of the university registrar, 1989-98.
Beverly “Bev” Strate, of Spokane, died Dec. 5, 2025; secretary for student life, 1988-95; publications specialist, marketing & communications, 1995-2008. Survivors include her spouse, Greg Strate, and sons Adam Strate ’12 and Eric Strate ’98
Jodi Wilson, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, died Nov. 23, 2025; adjunct professor of education, 2002-08.
DON LIEBERT
PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF SOCIOLOGY 1973-2002
The Rev. Don Liebert, of Spokane, died Feb. 9 at age 87. Liebert’s life was marked by deep faith, intellectual rigor, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Don joined the Whitworth sociology faculty in 1973. From the start, he was passionate about helping students encounter the church in meaningful ways. He co-led the Central America Study & Service Program for nearly three decades, providing transformative experiential-learning opportunities for generations of students. He co-founded Westminster House, where students lived and served in Spokane’s West Central neighborhood; he led students to engage with Hutterite communities and African American congregations in Spokane; and he mentored students around his family’s table.
One of Liebert’s greatest joys was teaching alongside his spouse, Professor Emerita of Education Doris Liebert ’75, when she joined the Whitworth faculty in the late 1980s. After retiring, Don and Doris continued their shared calling by teaching in Pakistan and living their faith through action by caring deeply for those on the margins and advocating for dignity, justice and compassion.
Don is predeceased by his spouse, Doris Liebert ’75, Whitworth professor emerita of education. Survivors include his son, Kurt Liebert ’88; daughters Lynn (Liebert) Caruso and Suzanne “Susie” (Liebert) Marble; a sister and a brother; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Jeff Clouse ’26 Is Ready for His ‘Encore Career’
BY JULIE RIDDLE ’92
Back in 1987, Jeff Clouse’s Whitworth education started — and stalled. He had enrolled at Whitworth planning to become a psychologist or counselor. However, “some things took priority over my studies, and my GPA wasn’t where it needed to be,” he says. “I was asked to step away.”
Clouse has always had a heart for serving others. “That’s my spiritual gift,” he says. But his 35-year career in the insurance
They believed in me and really wanted to see me achieve my dream
industry didn’t fulfill his calling. “I would log off my computer every day and ask myself, ‘Did I make a difference in someone’s life?’ The answer was always ‘no.’”
Four years ago, Clouse’s longing to help others met his wife’s encouragement to return to Whitworth. Clouse protested he was too old. His wife pushed him to fight for his dream. He met with an advisor for Whitworth Online (formerly the School of Continuing Studies) and began earning a B.A. degree in human services. Balancing classes and homework with his job, family time and church proved challenging, but Whitworth’s staff and professors provided steady support and guidance, like recommending elective courses that aligned with his career goals. “They believed in me and really wanted to see me achieve my dream,” he says.
After graduating in May, Clouse will begin working as a counselor for RPM Rehabilitation & Associates Inc., a regional company that offers vocational rehabilitation services for people coping with long-term disabilities. “I’ll be walking side by side with people,” he says. “There are going to be difficulties [in the work], but there’s always going to be an opportunity to make someone’s life better.”
That’s the kind of personal support Clouse is called — and now prepared — to provide. “A dream that started 40 years ago is finally coming to fruition,” he says. “A professor in one of my classes said, ‘You are now entering your encore career,’ and I loved that. I’ve held onto that.”
Discover Whitworth Online degrees and programs for adult learners at online.whitworth.edu.
