Faculty in First Person
Greg Dodds’ research uncovers a pioneer of faith and science.
The Ripple Effect
How Cassie Ragenovich ’74 and four fellow alumni embraced the lessons they learned at WWU to build faith, fellowship, and purpose in their communities. p. 12
“WWU taught me to look for God in everything. Even if I don’t think what is happening is his plan, when I look for him, he shows up.”
—Jerry Woods ’97
4 From the President
5 College Avenue News from across campus
10 Faculty in First Person
Greg Dodds’ research reveals a champion of faith, science, and Adventism before Adventism.
12 The Ripple Effect
How five alumni embraced the lessons they learned at WWU to build faith, fellowship, and purpose in their communities.
22 Annual Report
Every number reflects why so many keep supporting WWU’s mission.
28 Alumni Currents 28 AlumNotes, 29 In Memory
About the cover
Cassie
PHOTO BY CHRIS DRAKE
30 Back to You
Mother-son publishing team Sherry Wachter ’82 and Patrick Dunphy ’20 reflect on the stories that have mattered.
Building faith
Imagine you grab my arm and ask for a private conversation. Just the two of us.
“Can we go for a walk, Dr. Bryan?” And we make our way out of Village Hall, strolling across College Avenue, down the center of campus past the Melvin K. West Fine Arts Center, and along the sidewalk threading Chan Shun Pavilion, Kretschmar Hall, Bowers Hall, and finally we slow a bit as we cross Bade Street and climb the front steps of the University Church.
During our short walk you ask questions. “Why should I work for Walla Walla University? Why should I teach there? Why should I enroll as an engineering student? Why should I encourage my daughter to study math or aviation? Why should I advise my grandson to pursue a degree in marine biology en route to a career in medicine? Why should I pray for, cheer for, volunteer for this university, this institution of higher education? Why should I give a million dollars to Walla Walla University?”
(With that last question you have my attention!)
“Why Walla Walla University, Alex? Why does this place matter?”
Here’s what I tell you. Four things.
First, the world is now, as always, struggling to hold itself together. Social, political, ethical, environmental, economic, even religious, even the Christian church—we are always on the precipice. Since our eviction from Eden, we humans are slumming it, trying to survive somewhere between Babylon and Rome, Moscow and Washington, D.C. And now, at the beginning of the second quarter of the 21st century, we find ourselves in yet another dark valley. All is not well.
Second, the primary way God has always worked to heal, bless, restore, and renew the world is clear to us: Grow a generation of humans who love God, worship God, serve God, and who humbly act as light and salt on the earth. The prophets of old, the birth of Christianity, the beginning days of the Adventist movement—always, every time, an invitation to a new generation to do something remarkable in the manner of Jesus. You want revival of our land? You long for renewal of our public conversation? You want repair of our institutions, our neighborhoods, our communities? Invest in raising up a smart, useful, creative, credible, high-character crowd of young people.
Third, the best way to ignite and sustain such a Godcentered moment and deal with our common malaise is apparent: Go all-in on higher education drenched in God. The problem we face is real: The vast majority of some 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States have excused God from the classroom, have evicted God from the campus. Higher education in America practices a philosophy of education largely agnostic, often atheistic, frequently
antagonistic, habitually materialistic, and too-often absent moral foundation. We have collectively chosen to take our 18to 25-year-olds, in the tender and critical years when frontal lobes are getting their final wiring—and have decided it would be an acceptable idea to teach them history and literature, science and technology, psychology and religion (yes, religion) absent God. We have taken the university, an invention of Jesus-followers some 1,000 years ago, and made it secular. Do modern universities add value? Of course. But research, job prep, and the construction of professional networks are not the transcendent purpose of the university. Creation of an integrated view of the world, rich in ultimate meaning, critical thought, moral impulse, and humble service, this is the superior and grander mission.
Fourth, and finally, then, this grander mission is, and has always been, the aspiration and practice of Walla Walla University. This is who we are—“a community of faith and discovery.” And this is who we are committed to be in growing measure in the days and years ahead. This is a season of Christocentric Crescendo on this campus. Do you want to change the world? Do you want the way of Jesus to bring new tenderness and truth, fresh kindness and character in this moment in time when God has entrusted us with the planet? If this is what you desire: Work here. Teach here. Learn here. Volunteer here.
And yes, invest a million dollars, or two, here.
There is no greater way to gift the world the abundant life of Jesus than joining the vocation of Walla Walla University. And this has always been God’s strategy: “We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” (Psalm 78:4)
Alex Bryan, president
College Avenue
The latest from across campus
Fit for purpose
Senior engineering project aids in redesign of Maranatha one-day churches
TWO CIVIL ENGINEERING MAJORS are leveraging lessons from the classroom to make a difference in the mission field.
For their senior projects, Jenna Fanselau ‘24 and Reuben Herbel ‘24 took on the task of redesigning a one-day church for Maranatha Volunteers International, a non-profit responsive organization that builds worship and education structures around the world for communities in need.
A one-day church is exactly what it sounds like: a worship structure built in one day. One of Maranatha’s most common projects, the current design of the church is ideal for smaller congregations, but can quickly be outgrown as the Adventist ministry flourishes in an area.
Working closely with their technical advisor, Louie Yaw, an engineering professor at WWU, and in consultation with Maranatha, Fanselau and Herbel set out to design a building that would be more scalable. Their solution was a T-shaped structure constructed from materials easily accessible to Maranatha when working internationally. The design also allows existing one-day church structures to be converted into T-shaped structures when congregations outgrow their current church.
“We are excited to see young engineers using their skills
to further mission work,” said Kyle Fiess, vice president of projects at Maranatha.
Fanselau and Herbel credit their professors—Yaw in particular—with providing the support and encouragement they needed to bring their vision to life. Having met the criteria required for their senior project, they’ll need to continue to perfect their design before it can be submitted to Maranatha and implemented in the field.
“It’s exciting that we’re able to do projects like this working with nonprofits,” said Fanselau. “Walla Walla University has a really great [engineering] department and really great professors. They’ll put in the time to help you, and that’s been big.”
The WWU Edward F. Cross School of Engineering has been preparing and training engineers for more than 75 years, and is the only Seventh-day Adventist institution in North America that offers a master’s degree in engineering.
To learn more about the WWU engineering department, visit wallawalla.edu/engineering.
Civil engineering majors Reuben Herbel and Jenna Fanselau work to make Maranatha churches more scalable.
New program makes waves
The university’s first marine biology majors dive in
WHETHER KEEN to preserve coral reefs or better understand orca social structures, students intrigued by the mysteries of oceanic life now have a new degree track option for the 2024-25 school year: a bachelor of science in marine biology through the Department of Biological Sciences—the only marine biology program at a private college on the West Coast.
Walla Walla University is uniquely positioned to offer a marine biology program, with the 40-acre Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory campus in Anacortes, Washington, serving as its backbone and the School of Engineering as a supporting partner. (Marine biologists typically share a close working relationship with engineers, as
they often require custom-made tools.) The two disciplines will team up to offer several new courses, including an introduction to marine sciences, engineering for the life sciences, and motorboat operation.
“WWU is one of only three small private institutions with a marine biology program, a marine laboratory, and an engineering program,” said Kirt Onthank, associate professor of biology and Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory director. “Of those three, WWU is the only one that is religiously affiliated.”
Learn more about this new program at wallawalla.edu/ biology.
Education and social work professors receive accolades
Amanda Ramoutar, assistant professor of education and psychology, was selected by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International—a professional organization for educators—as one of only eight Emerging Leader Fellows.
Deisy Haid, dean and associate professor of social work and sociology, presented at the 2024 National Association of Social Workers Washington Chapter
Statewide Conference on WWU students providing free mental health services to local residents.
Jeremy Springer, master of social work program director and assistant professor of social work and sociology, was invited to serve as a member of the National Association of Social Workers Oregon Chapter legislative committee.
No more summers!
New Adventist teaching certification launched
An enriching, faith-based education is the hallmark of any Seventh-day Adventist school—from K through collegiate—and to maintain that standard across the North American Division, teachers are required to earn their Adventist Teaching Certification. For many, that has meant spending their summers attending classes. However, a new certification option offered by WWU is giving teachers some much-needed flexibility.
The University’s job-embedded Adventist certification courses allow teachers to gain essential skills through self-paced online courses that incorporate real classroom activities into the teaching and learning process. This is done during the course of the school year, with a six-month window to complete.
“One of the biggest challenges for Adventist teachers who want to engage in professional development is their busy teaching schedule,” said Maria Bastien Valenca, WWU School of Education and Psychology dean. “Because they can do these courses during their school year, teachers can field test what they learn right away in their own classrooms and receive feedback and support from faculty in real time.”
Curriculum is tailored to each teacher’s conference requirements, and any current teacher under contract and with classroom access may enroll.
For more information about the courses or how to enroll, email edpsyc@wallawalla.edu.
Students conduct algae bloom research.
PHOTOS: DARREN WILKINS, ALEX BRYAN, CHRIS DRAKE
BY THE NUMBERS
24
Presidents have served WWU, including the newly inaugurated Alex Bryan.
18 years—the longest term served as president, by John McVay
3
former presidents— Ernest C. Kellogg, Walter I. Smith and George W. Bowers—have had campus buildings named after them
2
The number of colleges the first president, William W. Prescott, oversaw in addition to Walla Walla College. He was also simultaneously president of Battle Creek College and Union College
1
president has served two separate terms in two separate centuries: N. Clifford Sorenson served from 1976-85 and again from 2001-02.
Alex Bryan inaugurated as WWU president
ON NOVEMBER 12,
Alex Bryan was inaugurated as Walla Walla University’s 24th president, having assumed the role on July 1. He succeeds John McVay, who served for 18 years.
Inauguration festivities kicked off November 10 with the annual Distinguished Faculty Lecture, featuring David Cowles, professor of biology. Additional inauguration events included a banquet and President’s Office dedication.
During the inauguration ceremony held at Walla Walla University Church, Bryan shared his vision for how WWU can fulfill its vital role of building faith well into the future.
Bryan is no stranger to the university church pulpit: His family (he and wife Nicole Ward Bryan have two children, Audrey and William) has lived in College Place since 2009 when he became the senior pastor at Walla Walla University Church. In 2013 he became president of Kettering College (Ohio) for a year, before returning to Walla Walla University Church. In 2018, Bryan joined Adventist Health (Roseville, Calif.), where he served as senior vice president and chief mission officer. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in history and religion from Southern Adventist University (Collegedale, Tenn.), a master of divinity
New speakers bureau
Christ-centered experts have passion to share; can travel
Steeped in more than 130 years of academic excellence and firmly rooted in Jesus Christ, Walla Walla University is a gathering point for experts whose understanding is knowledge in an Adventist worldview. Faithful faculty with serious knowledge in the fields of engineering, economics, Renaissance literature, special education, faith-based filmmaking, the Reformation, organizational leadership, grief processing, and more, challenge and grow our students every day. To share this precious resource more easily with our communities, the university has launched a speakers bureau.
While faculty and staff have a long tradition of professional ac-
degree from Andrews University (Berrien Springs, Mich.), a doctor of ministry degree from George Fox University (Newberg, Ore.), and a master of science degree in bioethics from Albany Medical College (Albany, N.Y.).
Watch a recording of the ceremony at wallawalla.edu/ president.
Mastering chaplaincy
tivity, the speakers bureau at Walla Walla University is a centralized way to gain access to the teaching talent here for your own students, congregation, or coworkers.
The bureau includes a few of WWU’s experts who have extensive experience engaging congregations and inspiring audiences across the United States and around the world. Speakers expand the educational mission of this place beyond our walls, pouring into our communities outside the valley.
For more information about the speaker bureau, visit wallawalla.edu/speakers.
“Chaplaincy is one of the fastest growing forms of ministry in society,” said Carl Cosaert, dean of the School of Theology. Recognizing this, the WWU School of Theology has partnered with AdventHealth University (AHU) to support more students as they seek to conduct ministry in a healthcare setting.
This new collaboration offers dual-credit classes counting towards both WWU’s theology and religious studies undergraduate degree and AHU’s master in spiritual care degree, significantly reducing the amount of time and money needed to complete a master’s degree.
“[Chaplaincy is] a key means to reach people with the gospel in an increasingly secular world,” said Cosaert, who is excited for this partnership to strengthen the School of Theology’s chaplaincy concentration.
WWU Presidents
College Avenue
Welcome, new faculty!
Back row from left: Tiago Arrais, associate professor of theology; Holly Coon, instructor of nursing; Gerry Larson, assistant professor of health & physical education; Ileana Villeda, assistant professor of social work & sociology and Billings campus coordinator
Front row from left: Shawn Dietrich, associate professor of aviation; Pam Cress, vice president of academic administration; Jennifer Preble, assistant professor of social work and sociology, and service dog Angel; Jennifer Larson, assistant professor of nursing; Josie Henderson, assistant professor of technology
Leading in service
Ragenovich and McVay honored with service award
In June, Cassie Ragenovich and John McVay were recognized with the WWU Generosity in Service Medallion in honor of their durable and excellent service to the university. McVay, president of the university for 18 years, was honored alongside Ragenovich, former director of Student Financial Services
with a nearly 50-year employee record. (Read more about Ragenovich on pg. 17.) They are only the second and third recipients of the medallion.
Ragenovich, herself a WWU alumna, spent decades working to identify resources to fund the education of the university’s students. Two firm convictions motivated her work: Her belief in the value of a faith-based, Walla Walla University education and her belief that every would-be student is created in the image of God as a being of inestimable value and worth. McVay joined then-Walla Walla College as president in 2006, supervising the institution’s name change from
Walla Walla College to Walla Walla University a year later. His strategic planning efforts—including establishing a long-range budget that ensured critical working capital during the pandemic—earned him a commendation from accrediting organizations. A champion of the university’s commitment to faith and discovery, McVay also established a robust spiritual master planning process to nurture faith and discipleship.
In further recognition of his personal and professional integrity, vision and leadership, McVay was bestowed the title of President Emeritus on May 6, 2024, by the Board of Trustees at WWU. He is the first to hold the title.
Reading and browsing recommendations from our experts
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
by Malcolm Gladwell (Back Bay Books, 2015)
With several real-life examples, beginning with David and Goliath, Gladwell points out the advantage of being at a disadvantage. I found myself often moved and cheering for the surprising outcome of underdogs and reevaluating how I see myself and others in challenging situations. Especially with faith in God, we can often find surprising wins where most would only expect defeat.
—Andrea Keele, associate chaplain for missions
Career and Family: Women’s CenturyLong Journey toward Equity
by Claudia Goldin (Princeton University Press, 2021)
Nobel Prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin explores how women’s roles in work and family have changed over the past century. She studies how education and birth control opened opportunities but notes ongoing challenges like the gender pay gap, costly childcare, and limited family leave. Goldin advocates for workplace flexibility, affordable childcare, and shared parenting to achieve better gender equality and help women balance careers and family life effectively.
—Johanna Attoh, associate professor of economics
Braiding Sweetgrass
by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions, 2015)
I'm currently teaching Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass," and I've been pleasantly surprised by students' enthusiasm for this book. Using traditional ecological knowledge, Kimmerer—who is a botany professor—describes potential "reciprocity" (a term she frequently uses) between humans and the non-human world. My favorite chapter is "A Mother's Work," which describes her realization that she must consider the work of animal and plant mothers when she makes a swimming hole for her daughters.
—Lauren Peterson, assistant professor of English
PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE
From the Archives
If memory serves
Say ‘Cheese’!
For decades, posing for a Mask portrait was a back-to-school rite of passage on the Walla Walla University campus. First published in 1954, the directory provided all the vital stats students needed to connect with their fellow classmates. Though the Mask is now online only, WWU’s rich history of student print publications continues with the Mountain Ash yearbook and The Collegian student newspaper.
Greg Dodds
Chair, Professor of History
New research into the life of Isaac Newton protégé William Whiston reveals a champion of faith, science, and Adventism before Adventism.
AFEW YEARS AGO, I WAS IN THE BODLEIAN LIBRARY at the University of Oxford when I made a surprising discovery. The focus of my research that day was the relationship between Isaac Newton and William Whiston. Isaac Newton is, of course, exceedingly famous and his name is almost synonymous with the scientific revolution. Newton broke new ground in our understanding of motion, gravity, and optics, and he helped invent calculus. Newton, however, was a very complicated individual and he wrote more on alchemy than on what we would now consider science. In addition to his interest in alchemy, Newton was passionate about biblical history, biblical prophecy, and Christian history. His protégé in his spiritual quest for truth was a young man named William Whiston.
When Newton decided to leave his teaching position at the University of Cambridge, he hand-picked William Whiston to be his successor on the faculty. They were close and shared a deep interest in science, history, and the Bible, though not in Newton’s alchemy. Newton was very secretive and never wanted to share the results of his spiritual investigations. His voluminous writings on religion and alchemy are only now starting to be published. Newton believed that God had only chosen a few special men, throughout history, to understand the deeper spiritual truths that existed behind the Bible and behind observable nature.
Whiston, however, was an evangelist. He wanted the whole world to know about both Newtonian science and his and Newton’s religious discoveries. Whiston, particularly was keen to use historical evidence to guide contemporary Christians back to the practices of the early church before the corruptions of Constantine and then the Papacy. It was this aspect of Whiston’s life that I was at Oxford to study, with the longterm goal of using his life as a case-study for exploring the relationship between faith and science during the scientific revolution and early Enlightenment eras.
It was while reading Whiston’s manuscripts, letters, and personal memoir in the Bodleian that I discovered, quite unexpectedly, that Whiston believed the seventh day of the week should still be the Christian Sabbath. He even started a house church in London that worshiped on the seventh-day Sabbath. Most Seventh-day Adventists assume that the unique combination of theological and religious insights that gave birth to the SDA church came together in the early to mid-nineteenth century. Names like William Miller, Uriah Smith, James White, and Ellen White stand out as the early founders of that Advent movement. William Whiston lived one hundred years earlier in England and died in 1752. I knew, of course, that there had been seventh-day worshippers among the sixteenth century Anabaptists and then, later, among some English Baptists. But I had never expected such a major figure as Whiston to be the founder of a new community of Sabbath worshippers.
“In almost all areas of theology, [Whiston] prefigured the beliefs of the early Advent movement one hundred years later.”
Whiston also had his own great disappointment. He became convinced that the second coming would take place in October of 1736. He prophesied that the immediate sign of that event, as at the birth of Christ, would be a comet in the skies over London. When that comet arrived precisely as foretold, London went into a full-scale panic. The stock market crashed, no one went to work, and the churches were overflowing. But Christ did not return and Whiston retired to the countryside. He and his movement were mocked by major cultural figures such as Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and William Hogarth. His Sabbatarian advent movement was in ruins.
More research revealed further surprises. Pursuing his biblical and historical research, Whiston came to believe that the dead sleep in the grave until the second coming; he did not believe in an eternal hell, he believed in adult baptism by immersion, he was a pacifist, and he believed in a premillennial soon second coming of Christ. In almost all areas of theology he prefigured the beliefs of the early Advent movement one hundred years later. He believed that an historicist method of biblical prophetic interpretation not only proved the Bible true, but could be used to determine the date of the second coming. Also like later Adventists, he believed that apocalyptic prophecy was connected with the heavenly sanctuary. He even built a model of the sanctuary and traveled around England with it as he shared his message of the Sabbath and the soon return of Jesus. He could almost be called the first Seventh-day Adventist.
Whiston’s movement did not completely fade away and his writings continued to influence other writers and pastors who were later read by the nineteenth-century Adventists. In the coming years my research and writing will continue to focus on Whiston. There are so many fascinating stories about his life and work, both as a scientist and theologian, that need to be told. For example, he was tried for heresy, found guilty by the University of Cambridge, and removed from his faculty position. His heretical notions also caused the priest at his local parish church to stop the service one Sunday and declare that he would not continue until Whiston left the church. Whiston remained seated and the pastor remained silently standing. The impasse would lead to no further church that Sunday. In the scientific realm he played a key role in the race to accurately measuring longitude, was the world expert on tracking comets, was a gifted and popular teacher of astronomy and mathematics, was a prolific author, and he had a major interest in the emerging field of geology. His story is a perfect case study for looking at the deep connections between science and religion at a critical point in history. There is, obviously, not nearly enough space here to tell all of the stories, but hopefully I will be sharing and publishing them in the years to come…. Stay tuned ….
The
RippleEffect
How five alumni embraced the lessons they learned at WWU to build faith, fellowship, and purpose in their communities.
In a world where individual success often takes center stage, it's easy to overlook the deeper value of creating a purpose-filled, service-oriented life—a life centered on faith, surrounded by community, and steeped with intention. While there is likely no single moment any of us can point to and say it’s what established those principles, many can and do point to their college years as a time when much of the groundwork was laid.
Leadership and service opportunities, engagement with diverse perspectives, safe spaces for asking hard questions, and development of purpose come with the territory in higher education, shaping our futures and giving us the tools we need to help positively shape the world around us. These experiences create a ripple effect that extends far beyond campus, setting the stage for a life rooted in compassion, connection, and impact.
Here, five alumni share how their experiences at Walla Walla University became the foundation for lives centered on faith, community, and service. In their unique ways, each of them has carried the values gained in college into their work, making a meaningful impact on the lives of others and enhancing their own lives in the process.
WRITING BY Becky St. Clair ’05
PHOTOS BY Chris Drake, Victor Muzica, and Chet Williams
David and Kathy (Overbaugh) Iwasa ’90
A Mission Well-Prepared For
David and Kathy (Overbaugh)
Iwasa, both 1990 graduates, met while serving as taskforce workers at Gem State Adventist Academy in Caldwell, Idaho, so it seems only fitting that the couple have committed a majority of their careers to education. They have served in various secondary and higher education schools across the country and are now in Southern California; David is associate dean for residential life at Loma Linda University and Kathy is registrar and guidance counselor at Redlands Academy.
Kathy says their experience as students at WWU showed them what true community looks like, and it’s something they’ve tried to embody in all of their roles since.
“We both had mentors who showed us what true Christian leaders should be,” she says. “They weren’t always easy on us, and we knew it was because they loved us and wanted us to be the best we could be. They inspired us to do the same for our students.”
After graduation, David and Kathy were particularly sad to leave behind the built-in community on campus— things like vespers, intramurals, and
SA and dorm activities. “You couldn’t just go down to the gym anymore and pick up a basketball and shoot hoops with classmates, or walk down the hall to see your friends,” David says. “That loss of community was huge, and was a big adjustment for us.”
One of the reasons Kathy stepped away from online teaching and into her current role was because she missed one-on-one interactions with students—the opportunity to connect and create a sense of belonging.
“There’s nothing better than being able to walk beside someone and help them figure something out—whether it’s their future, a relationship, or just a bad day,” she says. “The opportunity to share that moment with others has given me purpose.”
Together, the Iwasas have fostered community on every campus on which they’ve served; from weekly dinners to worships and social gatherings, and even just lending a listening ear.
“If you build relationships well, the community turns into a family,” David says. “It starts slow and builds on itself, and it’s a joy to see busy, stressed, tired students take time to slow down and get to know each other, laugh, and take a break. To just enjoy coming together.”
Communities, the Iwasas say, should contribute to one’s faith experience, and should allow one to contribute to the faith experiences of others. “It’s hard to separate them,” Kathy says.
WWU was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the Iwasas’ passion and goals throughout their careers, and really built their personal faith in God. “We do what we do for the relationships and connecting people to each other and to God,” David comments. “It drives everything we do.”
Kathy adds, “Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve done our best to create that experience for others. It’s the mission we feel called to, and were well prepared for.”
Cassie Ragenovich ’ 74
More Than Just a Job
In 1970, Cassie
Ragenovich ’ 74 arrived on the WWU campus, having never attended Adventist school before. “It was very quickly apparent to me that there is extreme value in Christian education,” she says. “Not just in what you hear in the classroom, but also your peers. It’s different in an incredible way.”
After graduating with her degree in office administration and education, Ragenovich spent one year teaching near Seattle before returning to WWU to work in student finance, at the university’s request.
“I told them I’d give them two years,” she says. Nearly 50 years later, Ragenovich is still working part-time in the student finance department at the university. “They’re probably wondering
what happened,” she adds with a laugh.
Ragenovich admits she bargained with God when he asked her to stay at WWU for the long haul. She told him she would do so under one condition: that he promise to always come through with resources for students who truly wanted to be at WWU.
“I said, ‘God, the minute you don’t meet that commitment, I won’t be able to do this job anymore,’” she recalls. Five decades later, she says God has never failed to hold up his end of the bargain.
She has story after story of just the right amount of funding coming in at just the right moment, and just as many stories of spending hours in prayer over specific students’ situations. Each story is a defining moment in Ragenovich’s walk of faith.
“My time at WWU has developed my faith tremendously,” she says. “Personally understanding the value of Christian education has ensured I work extra hard to make sure students who want to be at WWU can be. This has also deepened my sense of community—not just with my colleagues, but with the students, alumni, and our surrounding community, as well.”
In June, Ragenovich was the recipient of WWU’s Generosity in Service Medallion in acknowledgement of her many years of service to God, students, and the University. “It’s nothing I did,” she comments; “I feel so undeserving, but the Lord has blessed my efforts, and I’m eternally grateful.”
Ragenovich adds that she has always felt that for WWU employees, it’s more than just a job; they really care about the students, and are truly committed to what they do and for whom they do it.
“Community is a place you can comfortably call home; where you feel secure and at peace,” she says. “I have seen that personified at WWU every single day for nearly 50 years, and it has been my honor to share it with everyone who has ever walked into my office.”
The WWU Generosity in Service Medallion has been awarded to only three recipients.
PHOTOS: CHRIS DRAKE
John Aitken
III ’ 21
Learning to Lead
As a student at WWU, John Aitken III ‘21 was among the student leaders of Circle Church, one of the university’s student-led church worship services— it was an experience that, at least in part, set him on the path he’s on now.
“The privilege of being a pastor of Circle Church was a defining role for me in trying to find out what this career looks like for me,” Aitken says. “The biggest thing was the amount of autonomy we had as students. We were able to take ownership of the program, which allowed the Holy Spirit to work fully through us.”
Having completed his bachelor’s degree in theology, Aitken is currently working toward his Master’s of Divinity at La Sierra University in California, and is also part-time pastor for a church plant in Temple City called New Life Socal.
“It’s aimed at people who might not feel comfortable in traditional church spaces,” Aitken explains. “We have tried to develop an experience that’s very comfortable.”
In addition to preaching, programming, and leading music, Aitken has established a leadership board. “It’s a vision-casting group, so it’s not just one person doing something they want to do,” he says.
“We’re all doing it together.”
A community-designed worship experience is something Aitken was part of at Circle Church, and has guided his leadership at New Life.
“We had an amazing group of volunteers who always took care to really see each other,” Aitken recalls of his time with Circle Church.
As a pastor, Aitken says his personal calling is to offer everyone that opportunity—the chance to be seen, heard, and valued for who they are. “Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and that’s a big thing for me,” he says. “The community I would love to see in the world is one where we see value in everyone’s simply being.”
As a kid of a pastor who was also a kid of a pastor, Aitken admits that for a while, church just felt like “the family business.” It wasn’t until he was at WWU that he began to really think about what church could be.
“The more involved I became in Circle Church, the more church began to move beyond just what we do in our family,” Aitken says. As a result, Aitken has been intentional about every step he takes as a leader. The essence of all of his preaching is love: that we are “so loved by God, who invites us to love people around us, too.” This, to Aitken, is the heart of true community.
“So many times we view God as being far away, but he sees so much value in us that he comes to us, and stays with us,” Aitken says. “The whole narrative of scripture is God placing value on us and choosing to be with us, and that’s what a community should do for each other, too.”
“Everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, and that’s a big thing for me.”
“We live in a world that’s increasingly isolated, and building community is more crucial than it’s ever been.”
Jerry Woods ’ 97
Looking for God in Everything
After his senior year at Loma Linda Academy in California, Jerry Woods ’97 was headed to a school in New York on a full-ride acting scholarship. He chose to follow a girl instead, and enrolled at Walla Walla University. There was no drama program at that point, so Woods had no idea what he was going to do.
Thanks to a fortuitous introduction, Woods auditioned for a position at KGTS, the on-campus radio station, and was hired. “That’s what started it all,” he says.
“I launched my career at WWU, where the answer was never ‘no,’ it was, ‘If you can figure it out, go for it.’ That remains my philosophy to this day.”
Woods has been involved in radio ministry for 34 years, at six different stations covering multiple states. His consulting company also connects him to a radio network across Canada. He is now co-hosting the morning show
and serves as director of marketing for WGTS, a Christian radio station based in Washington, D.C. This is his 12th year there.
“We work very hard to create a culture of teamwork and care here,” Woods says. “The key to effective ministry is to share a common mission and do whatever needs doing. If you’re on the same team, good things happen.”
What Woods loves most about radio is that it’s a massive spotlight, which can highlight any need and pull people together to do something significant. For example, when Hurricane Florence devastated the Carolinas in 2018, WGTS learned they desperately needed clean drinking water. “That was something we could help with,” Woods says.
WGTS partnered with a transportation company to park a semi-truck and driver at a major grocery store, and told their half-million listeners they’d be there for eight hours, asking them to bring as many cases of water as they could.
“We filled that truck in four hours, so the company sent a second truck,” Woods recalls. In the end, the WGTS community sent two trucks full of 80,000 pounds of water to the Carolinas.
“We live in a world that’s increasingly isolated, and building community is more crucial than it’s ever been,” Woods comments. “We have a platform to make that happen, so we use it to the best of our ability, because people in community do great things for others.”
His work in radio has given Woods opportunities to start conversations with Muslims, Christians of other faiths, non-believers, and people who aren’t sure what they believe, building not just a community of caring individuals, but a community of faith, as well.
“On the days when I’m not feeling it, when I have doubt, those are the days God shows up the most,” Woods says. “Someone will call the station and tell me what I said encouraged them. I can’t even remember what I said, but that’s how I know it’s God working and not me.”
Over the years, Woods has learned not to ask God, “What do you want me to do?” Instead, he asks how and where God wants him to do what he’s already asked.
“WWU taught me to look for God in everything,” he says. “Even if I don’t think what is happening is his plan, when I look for him, he shows up.”
Woods and his morning show team, producer Claude Jennings and co-host Summer Shepherd.
PHOTOS: VICTOR MUZICA
Mission MINDED
The WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPORT for 2023-2024
WHEN WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY
opened its doors to those first 91 students during the blustery winter of 1892, its mission was clear: to provide “a Christian education, surrounded with influences favorable to the development of Christian character.”
While the verbiage has been edited and expanded upon over the ensuing 132 years, the original vision remains unchanged. A Christ-centered education endures. The lessons students learn at WWU far exceed art, math, and science. It’s here that students— tomorrow’s leaders—find their God-given purpose.
Their calling. Their mission. Whether it’s teaching third-graders long division. Or conducting ground-breaking cancer research. Or spreading the message of God’s love in a far-flung land. This is where those seeds are planted. WWU is where students discover and nurture their mission. And, in many cases, they in turn help the next generation do the same. Because it’s through generous alumni contributions —of time, of gifts, of money (some of which you will read about in the following pages)—that hundreds of today’s students are able to continue seeking their life’s mission at Walla Walla University.
2023–24 ALUMNI CLASS GIVING AWARDS
ANNUAL GIVING REPORT
Walla Walla University is a community of faith and discovery committed to excellence in thought, generosity in service, beauty in expression, and faith in God. In support of these core themes, from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, alumni and other friends of the university gave gifts totaling $12,598,090.57
“My life has been greatly blessed because of this generosity.”
—SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Gateway Award
Highest total giving by class
CLASS OF 1964
$1,997,352
Congratulations, class of 1964! You’ve earned the highest giving award.
Mountain Ash Award
Highest class participation
CLASS OF 1958
19.23 % participation rate
Thank you, class of 1958, for your generous gifts!
Orange and Green Award
Highest participation of a class to graduate in the last 10 years
CLASS OF 2023
2.11% participation rate
Thank you for your generosity, class of 2023!
Special Mention
Second most improved participation
CLASS OF 1991
0.09 % improvement from last year
More than 5.65% of the class of 1991 participated in giving this year.
An honor leads to incredible blessings
NEARLY 100 WALLA WALLA
University students have received much-appreciated financial support since 2017, thanks to a pair of hard-working parents and their grateful daughter.
This story starts with Lachlan and Ilda (Carpenter) Docherty. For more than 40 years, Lachlan was a timber faller and heavy equipment operator, providing high-quality wood for musical instruments, clocks, and furniture. Ilda graduated from Walla Walla College in 1936 and taught elementary school for more than 20 years. Both were determined that their own two daughters, Shirley and Patricia, would obtain a college education. Their hard work led to both daughters attending Walla Walla College. Patricia graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. She married Paul Ackerman (att.) two years later, and over the years worked for a Job Corps Center and Visitron Industries, and as a teacher at Kirkland Seventh-day Adventist School and Sacramento Junior Academy. In 1980, Patricia obtained her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, and she served as a partner in a Continuous CPA firm.
In 2017, Patricia and Paul established the Ilda M. and Lachlan Docherty Annual Student Aid Scholarship in honor of her parents, and to award scholarships to deserving Walla Walla University students. Though Patricia passed away in 2023, her generosity and the memory of her hard-working parents continues to bless today’s students.
A legacy rooted in generosity
IT WAS A WALLA WALLA COLLEGE AD in a Portland newspaper that caught the attention of Tom and Barbara Pelett. They knew of Walla Walla College because Barbara’s uncle, Dr. Jimmy Losey, operated a medical practice on College Avenue in College Place. So, when they saw the advertisement promoting planned giving, they arranged to visit the college.
ENDOWED FUNDS & SCHOLARSHIPS
The endowed scholarship funds listed here provided $1,329,105 in scholarships and other forms of support for Walla Walla University during the 2023–24 year. Funds from the new endowed funds will begin to be awarded in 2024–25. Your investments today help secure the future success of WWU and generations of students to come. »
Administration Building Maintenance
Advancement of Chemical Research at Walla Walla University
Paul W. Anderson
Scholarship
Alumni Association Student
Internship Scholarship
ASWWU Student Aid Endowment
Claude Barnett, Ph.D., Scholarship
James and Ruth Bebee Computer Science
Scholarship
James and Ruth Bebee
Nursing Scholarship
Dr. Frederick and Mrs. JaneAnn Bennett
Engineering Scholarship
Beverly Math Faculty
Improvement
Shannon Marie Bigger
Memorial Christian Service
Volunteer Scholarship
Lester and Geraldine Border
Christian Service Scholarship
Alice I. Bowden Memorial
Theology Scholarship
Very poor in their younger years, Barbara and Tom each firmly believed that education would improve their opportunities. They worked whatever jobs they could find so that they could eventually enroll in college, the first in each of their families to do so.
Meeting and marrying later in life, Barbara and Tom lived frugally. They placed high value on earnest work, smart education, and sharing their financial blessings with others who needed a boost. Sharing with others was a life well-lived, they believed, and they established charitable funds to actualize their beliefs.
Barbara and Tom were impressed with their first visit to Walla Walla College, and they developed a friendship with Alan Fisher, then director of planned giving at the college. Heartened by the opportunity to help students in perpetuity, in December 1998 they established the Tom and Barbara Pelett Endowed
Scholarship Fund at Walla Walla College. They resolved that gifts from their estate would one day provide more opportunity for students.
In their later years, Barbara and Tom found comfort in knowing that their legacy would live on. And this past year, their thoughtful planning and generous vision became a reality when the Tom and Barbara Pelett Endowed Scholarship Fund became fully funded.
Though they are no longer with us, Barbara and Tom’s legacy will extend well into the future through the scholarship, which will provide more than $30,000 every year to Walla Walla University students in perpetuity. What’s more, Barbara and Tom’s loved ones are grateful for the ongoing recognition of the couple’s hard work, commitment to education, and generous help for others. Lives well-lived, indeed.
2023-24 WWU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
John Freedman, CHAIR
Joyce Newmyer, VICE CHAIR
Alex Bryan, SECRETARY
MEMBERS
Doug Bing
Gary Botimer
Columbus Candies, Jr.
Lowell Cooper
Travis Crumley
Stephanie Gates
Keith Hallam
Sergio Hernandez
Clint Hess
Yvonne Iwasa
David Jamieson
Steve Kreitner
EuGene Lewis
Don Livesay
Mileen Loeffler
Bill McClendon
Kathy Morgan
Ken Norton
W. Todd Pascoe
David Prest, Jr.
Mark Remboldt
Paul Rhynard
Jaime Rodriguez
Ashwin Somasundram
Bruce Thorn
Ron Wilkinson
2023–24 WWU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD
Eric Denney, CHAIR
Jerry Woods, PRESIDENT
Lisa Jervey Lennox, PRESIDENT-ELECT
Jimmy Johnson, TREASURER
Laurel Smith Rogers, SECRETARY
Jodi Wagner, VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS AND ADVANCEMENT, EX OFFICIO
Claudia Santellano, DIRECTOR FOR ALUMNI AND PARENT RELATIONS, EX OFFICIO
MEMBERS
Danielle Craig
Craig Cummings
Briggitte Davis
Jilma Jimenez
Verlie Ward
Teresa Wilkens
George W. Bowers
Excellence in Chemistry Scholarship
Boyson Family
Communication Scholarship
John F. Bregar Memorial Scholarship
John F. & Marjorie J. Bregar
Endowed Engineering Scholarship
Burton and Carol Briggs
Chemistry Scholarship
Junior Senior Business
Scholarship
School of Business Fund
Clair and Myrtle Calkins
Library Book Fund
Dr. D. Ordell Calkins
Excellence in Finance
Endowed Scholarship
D. Ordell and Margaret A.
Calkins Business/ Education Faculty
Development
Merle Clairon Calkins
Computer Science
Faculty Development
Lewis Canaday Memorial
Technology Scholarship
Dr. James R. Chambers Memorial Scholarship
Janice P. Chance Memorial
Nursing Fund
Dr. Muriel Chapman
Nursing Scholarship
Percy W. Christian
Excellence in History Scholarship
A.J. and Gladys E. Christiansen Memorial Scholarship
Class of 1954 Scholarship
Class of 1955 Scholarship
Class of 1956 Scholarship
Class of 1957 Scholarship
Class of 1959 Student
Missions Scholarship
Class of 1960 Student
Missions Scholarship
Class of 1961 Student
Missions Scholarship
Class of 1965 Scholarship
Class of 1968 Memorial
Endowed Scholarship
Class of 1971 Scholarship
Class of 1978 Scholarship
Class of 1983 Scholarship
Class of 1984 Scholarship
Class of 1989 Edwin Zaugg
Memorial Scholarship
Class of 1996 Scholarship
Class of 1997 Scholarship
Class of 2003 Scholarship
Class of 2009 Student
Missionary Scholarship
Class of 2011 Shari Booth Memorial Scholarship
Class of 2012 Scholarship
Class of 2014 Scholarship
Class of 2017 Merit Award
Verlin L. and Thelma (Kumalae) Cochran Memorial Scholarship
Communication Development Course
Computer Science
Magazine
L.P. “Jim” Corbett
English Scholarship
L.P. “Jim” Corbett
History Scholarship
L.P. “Jim” and Jane B. Corbett Student Aid Scholarship
Lee Crain Memorial
Music Scholarship
Edward F. Cross
Engineering Scholarship
Nancy Cross Memorial
English Faculty
Development Fund
Vera Davis-Michel Memorial English Scholarship
Edward F. and Clara M. Degering Memorial
Educational Scholarship
Claude and Annie Deming Memorial Fund
Loren Dickinson
Communications Scholarship
Dietrich/Wilkinson
Aviation Scholarship
Frances Dixon
Special Education
Dr. Ralph A. Drake Scholarship
Lars and Anna Dybdahl
Scholarship
Josephine Cunnington
Edwards Memorial Scholarship
H. Russell and Genevieve Emmerson Memorial Scholarship
Engineering Chair Endowment
Mary Garner Esary
Memorial Scholarship
Faculty/Staff Scholarship
Dena W. and R. B. Farnsworth
Nursing Scholarship
Lawrence C. Folkes, M.D., Scholarship
Ray and Alice Fowler Scholarship
Norma S. Gardner
Memorial English Scholarship
Wilford and Emma Goffar Scholarship
Graduate Dean’s Award
Graham Family Scholarship
Albert E. and Reta J. Graham Memorial Scholarship
Grellmann Family Scholarship
J. Paul Grove Memorial Scholarship
John J. Hafner Music Scholarship
Lovyl and Mary Hagle
Memorial Worthy Student Scholarship
Richard and Dena Hammill Memorial Scholarship
Thomas Hampson Humanities Merit Scholarship
Howard E. Hanafin Scholarship
Bryan G. and Susan J. Harris Endowed
Excellence in Work Ethic Scholarship
Clyde and Mary Harris
Challenge Grant
Pauline Hart Memorial Social Work Scholarship
Richard and Georgiana Hayden Christian
Service Scholarship
Rodney Heisler Engineering Scholarship/Grant
(continued on page 26)
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE PELETT FAMILY
VOLUNTEERS
Thank you to the alumni and friends listed here who give their time and energy to support Walla Walla University and to many others who give to WWU in countless ways.
Theresa Alekel
Sheron Alvarez
Wayne Alvarez
Cleona Bazzy
Twyla Leiske Bechtel
Evelyn Bergman
Millie Busby
Neil Busby
Larry Canaday
Lois Canaday
Elizabeth Claridge
Rick Claridge
Ann Cornell
Loretta Cotter
Laurie Cummings
Joan Deming
Garey Gantz
Marilyn Gantz
Allegra Gienger
Marianne Goltz
Virginia Gonthier
Carol Hanson
Kathy Hazen
Sharon Heinrich
Liz Heisler
Linda Hintz
Roman Hintz
Bernie Janke
Carolyn Janke
Dale Johnson
Gordon Johnson
Pat Johnson
Art King
Ronda King
Joyce Lampson
Aileen Litchfield
Ariel Lust
Carol Maher
Tom Maher
Linda McCloskey
Judy Meske
Nancy Myers
Linda Olson
Larry Panasuk
Shirley Panasuk
Carol Perrin
Milford Perrin
Roberta Pontius
Dianasti Potes
Sandy Reeves
Antonio Rodriguez
Gladys Rodriguez
Dave Russell
Maylene Russell
Vicki Saunders
Karen Schiller
Janis Tsujimura
Shirley Walde
Terry Waterbrook
Richard Worley
Betty Wresch
Robert Wresch
To learn more about volunteering at WWU, call (800) 377-2586 or email alumni@wallawalla.edu.
WWU Santas plan for endless giving
NEARLY 20 YEARS AGO, Loren Dickinson had what he calls an uncomplicated thought:
“The good students who are unmentioned or unknown to most of us need a lift. And that lift ought to come at Christmastime.”
So, he reached out to about a dozen friends to ask if they’d want to become a kind of Santa Claus for Walla Walla University students. Many said yes, and the yearly Silent Santa giving project was born.
“Christmas is a time of high feelings and great expectations. But it’s also time where some students worry about finances, and how they’ll get through the holidays to winter quarter,” he says. “With gift-giving season abundantly around us, Christmas seems like the
natural time to help.”
Each year, Dickinson and his fellow Santas provide funds that WWU’s Student Financial Services team can disperse to students, funds that are intended to be used for whatever is most helpful to the student. Students have used their Silent Santa gifts to pay bills, purchase Christmas presents for their loved ones, or even buy tires so they can drive home for the holidays, Dickinson says.
“Every dollar counts for these kids, and Silent Santa donors are excited to help somebody who seriously needs it. Many Silent Santas know what it’s like to worry about finances, and they’re grateful to be helping the people they once were.”
Eighteen years later, Dickinson had another thought:
Robert A. and Solange Henderson Memorial History Scholarship
Wilma E. Hepker Scholarship
Paul and Frances Heubach Memorial Theology Scholarship
Jess Holm Memorial Scholarship
Juanita Wagner Holm Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Helen and Archie Howatson Nursing Scholarship
Oland F. Hubbs Memorial Theology Scholarship
Vera Johnson Hubbs Memorial Business Scholarship
Wynelle J. Huff Nursing Scholarship
Humphreys Family Endowed Scholarship Fund
Jess M. Hutson, M.D., Memorial Scholarship
IBCC
Jensen Memorial Math Scholarship
Dr. Gordon Johnson Physics Scholarship
Murray L. and Ilene Johnstone Scholarship
Carl and Lucile Jones
Nursing Scholarship
Peggy Henderson Kaye Nursing Scholarship
Robert Kaye, M.D., Rosario Scholarship
KGTS Positive Life Radio
Announcer Fund
Meade and Frances Kinzer and Family Nursing Scholarship
Betty Klein Engineering Scholarship
Rudolf and Anna Klimes Learn Well Physical Education Scholarship
Edward and Priscilla Ko Math & Nursing Scholarship
A.H. and Mary Koorenny
Memorial Scholarship
Robert H. and Thorna Koorenny Scholarship
Kretschmar Hall Maintenance
Scholarship
Laura G. Larson Memorial Nursing Scholarship
H. Lloyd Leno Memorial Music Scholarship
Lewiston/Clarkston Scholarship
Paul Lindgren History Scholarship
Jennie M. Livingston Memorial Library Fund
Dr. C. Stanley Lloyd Jr. Scholarship
Kelly Logan Social Work Scholarship
Romulo and Mercedes Lozano Scholarship
Mary E. Marker Memorial Theology Scholarship
Roy and Lois (Dorland) Martin English Scholarship
Dorothy and Byron Miller Mathematics Scholarship
Warren Matheson Memorial Christian Service Scholarship
Matiko Theology Award
Harden M. McConnell and Alvin L. Kwiram Award Eldena McDow Scholarship
Jacob G. and Lois A. Mehling Business Scholarship
Messenger/Loewen Scholarship
RS Michel Endowed Scholarship for Entrepreneurship
Jack Evan Miles
Memorial Scholarship
MariAnne Jensen Moore
Murray Memorial Scholarship for Resident Assistants
Music Scholarship
Dan and Mary Morrison Necker Scholarship
Llewellyn and Vivian Nixon Scholarship
Nursing Scholarship
Daniel A. Ochs Memorial Theology Scholarship
Alfred R. Ogden Endowed Theology Award
Mary Ogden Art Scholarship
Orland Ogden Memorial Music Scholarship
Music Scholarship
Dr. and Mrs. Harold Huber Scholarship
Helen Wineberg Kendall Women in Business Scholarship
Luella Latham Kretschmar Memorial Scholarship
Rhona Kwiram Excellence in Accounting Endowed
Sukhdev Mathaudhu Engineering Scholarship Mathematics Alumni Scholarship
Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Wilda Means Morasch
Nursing Scholarship
Joseph and Beth
Orland and Mary Ogden
Dr. and Mrs. Howard Osborne Scholarship
Blythe Owen Music Scholarship
Doreen Paulson-Evans Memorial Scholarship ENDOWED FUNDS & SCHOLARSHIPS (continued from page 25)
“I know my days are numbered, and if we aren’t careful this Silent Santa thing could fade away.”
So, Dickinson and a handful of other Silent Santas established the Silent Santa Gift Endowment Fund. This endowed fund will distribute earnings from investments and reinvestments, extending the Silent Santa gift program in perpetuity.
“We’ve helped hundreds of students these 18 years,” Dickinson says. “Last year we had the money to provide gifts to 100 students. Right away, this endowment will be able to supply money each year for the future, and it will continue to grow into the future.”
Dickinson says he and about 80 Silent Santas feel blessed to provide this welcome holiday surprise to WWU students. “One Silent Santa recipient was so grateful that when she finished college, she collected her cash graduation gifts and gave back to the Silent Santa fund,” he says. “We like helping, we know it is appreciated, and now it can keep going.”
Thomas & Barbara Pelett
Scholarship Fund
Yvonne Pickett
Memorial Scholarship
Piper-Johanson
Scholarship
Helen L. Popoway
Endowment
Robert L. Reynolds
Excellence in History
Scholarship
Robert M. Reynolds
Memorial Scholarship
Donald W. Rigby
Biology Award
Donald W. Rigby Biology Faculty Research
Donnie Rigby Drama Award
Rigby Hall Maintenance
John D. Rogers, M.D.,
Memorial Scholarship
Rosario Marine Station
Maintenance
Rowsell Family
Memorial Scholarship
James and Thais Thrasher
Sadoyama Scholarship
Doyle B. and Lorelei
Pierce Saxby Business Scholarship
Gayle L. Saxby
Memorial Scholarship
Schlotthauer-Risinger Math Scholarship
Eleanor B. Schofield
Memorial Teachers
Scholarship
John Montgomery Schultz Engineering Fund
Donavon and Marcella Schwisow Scholarship
Seibly Family Endowed
Scholarship
Cecil W. Shankel Memorial Chemistry Scholarship
Shattuck/Zitterbart
Memorial Nursing Scholarship
Donald and Virginia Sherwood Memorial
Scholarship
Herbert Z. and Jessie K. Shiroma Scholarship
Endowment
Cliff and Betty Sorensen Scholarship Fund
Carolyn Stevens Shultz
English Scholarship
Dan Shultz Music
Scholarship
Robert and Susan Smith
First Generation
Endowed Scholarship
Robert and Susan Smith
Social Work and Sociology Scholarship
Solomon Scholarship
Gene and Betty Soper
Music Scholarship
Robert L. Spies
Memorial Scholarship
Glenn Spring Music
Scholarship
Eldon and Barbara Jean
Stratton Scholarship
Joseph L. Stubblefield
Memorial Scholarship
Janis Suelzle Memorial
Student Missionary Fund
T5 Foundation Business
Excellence Fund
Stephen and Margaret Tan
Engineering/Computer Science Scholarship
Theology Library Book Fund
George and Lola Thompson Memorial Scholarship
Thomas M. Thompson and Kenneth L. Wiggins Excellence in Mathematics Scholarship
Harry and Ella Thornton
Memorial Scholarship
E. E. and Jane Breese-Trefz Christian Service
Scholarship
Clarence O. Trubey
Memorial Music
Scholarship
Undergraduate
Advanced Study
Marilyn K. (Dammrose)
Van Stee Memorial
Nursing Scholarship
Verde Fund for Graduate Marine Research
Eva Stratton Vliet and Jess Vliet Scholarship
Dennis L. Vories, PE, Engineering Scholarship
Eldon and Barbara Vories
Student Missions
Endowment Scholarship
Stanley E. Walker
Music Scholarship
Raymond L. and Rosemary
Watts Scholarship
Francys C. Welch
Scholarship
Melvin K. West
Music Scholarship
Lois Whitchurch
Nursing Scholarship
Monte Wilkins
Memorial Scholarship
John and Inez Willey
Family Memorial
Scholarship
Ray & Pat Watson
Endowed Christian Service Scholarship
WWU Student Aid
Randy Yaw Pi Contest
Scholarship
Young Memorial Lecture in Biology
Norma R. Youngberg
Scholarship
Helen Thompson Zolber Fund
Melvin L. Zolber Fund
Alumni and Friends in Canada: If you or a member of your family is a WWU alumnus or student, you can make charitable donations to the university and claim them on your Canadian tax return without the need for United States source income. For more details, contact advancement.office@wallawalla.edu.
PHOTO: CHRIS DRAKE
Staying
Alumni Currents AlumNotes
Get up to date with fellow WWU alumni. Submit your information for AlumNotes at wallawalla.edu/alumnotes.
1990s
Casey Wolverton ’94 lives with his wife, Katie-Jane, in Ningi, Queensland, Australia, and has two daughters who are both alumni of Big Lake Youth Camp. He is a pastor for the South Queensland Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church. Much of his time is spent pastoring the Caboolture SDA Church in Morayfield, Queensland, working as a media producer and host, and working as a motivational speaker. While attending WWU, he enjoyed singing in the mixed quartet and Step of Faith.
Jason Swisher att. lives with his wife, Kristine, and two boys in Oceanside, Calif. He says, “We are currently living in North San Diego County, enjoying life near the beach and the outdoors.” He works as owner and operator of Coastal Mobile Therapy, a mobile outpatient physical & occupational therapy company; his wife is an independent insurance agent specializing in Medicare
onboarding and long-term care insurance; and he says, “our boys are busy with their schooling, surfing, swimming, baseball, and hockey.” His favorite things to do when he was attending WWU were skate downtown at night, eat burgers from the DX, and play hockey with the Wolfpack, soccer for the varsity team, and pick-up ball at Davis Elementary School.
Amy (Larsen) Baird ’98 lives with her husband, Aaron, in Albany, Ore. She has two sons and works as an executive director at Lumina Hospice & Palliative Care—a nonprofit, independent hospice in Corvallis, Ore. While studying at the WWU School of Social Work she says, “I always enjoyed my classes with Dr. Hepker and I love that I have continued friendships with my classmates.”
Jacqueline Lydston ’98 lives with her husband, John Garwood, in Portland, Ore. She works as a clinical social worker and psychotherapist at her own private practice in Vancouver, Wash. Previously, she tried retirement after leaving the university at which she had been a professor, administrator, and program developer, but found it wasn’t for her. She says, “I love going to work, seeing a half-time load of clients, and spending the rest of my time with my husband, grown
son, friends, and cats.” Her favorite things from her time at WWU were the enduring friendships she made with fellow students and with faculty.
2 000s
Rachel Deininger ’04 lives with her husband, Korey Zbaraschuk, and two children in Nine Mile Falls, Wash. She works as the lead clinical dentist at Eastern Washington University, and says her favorite things from studying at WWU were being a residential assistant, the music programs, and the great teachers.
Brett Maynor ’08 lives with his wife, Briana (St Clair) ’07, and daughter in College Place. After graduating from WWU and then earning a doctorate in physical therapy, he went to work in southern California until returning to College Place in 2015. Now he works as a physical therapist, seeing post operative adult orthopedics at Providence Health Systems—an outpatient facility in Walla Walla. Looking back on his time at WWU, his favorite things were working in the library and playing sports.
2010s
Cameron Houmann ’13 lives with his wife, Shelby, and two kids, Karolina and Wesly, in Longwood, Fla. He works as a senior registered engineer for Donald W. McIntosh Associates, Inc., a land development civil design firm which he has been with for nearly 10 years. After graduating from WWU, he and his wife moved to central Florida where he earned his master’s in civil engineering, with a concentration in water resources, from the University of Central Florida. In January of 2017, and again in September of 2019, their lives were radically changed with the births of their two kids.
Shandra (Cady) Secor ’16 lives with her husband, Lucas ’11, in Redlands, Calif., where she works as Director of Government Relations for Loma Linda University Health. Looking back on her time at WWU, she says, “I enjoyed making wonderful friends, classes and instructors at the School of Business, and working in the marketing and enrollment services (MES) office as a student worker!”
2020s
John Radzikowski ’22 lives with his wife, Janice McKenzie, in College Place. He is a pastor and men’s service director for the Christian Aid Center and First Community Church. He says what he enjoyed most about studying at WWU was, “The challenge that the classroom brought and the character building exercises that occurred everyday!”
In Memory
Daryl Hattendorf att. was born in 1940 in Denver, Colo., and died Dec. 28, 2020, in Silverdale, Wash., at age 80. Surviving: wife Elaine ’76 of Port Orchard, Wash.; sons Larry “Steve” of Highland, Calif., Gary of Irvine, Calif., Lance of London, England, and David of Washington, D.C.; step-daughter Heather (Phelps) Paden ’07 Port Orchard; and step-son Patrick Phelps ’05 of Bellevue, Wash.
Henning Guldhammer att. was born in 1946 in Aarhus, Denmark, and died Oct. 22, 2022, in Walla Walla, at age 76. Guldhammer was a pastor at the Walla Walla University Church. Surviving: wife Kristi att. of College Place; daughter Anna Kristina Guldhammer Frei ’04 of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; sons Adam of Walla Walla, David Daub ’09 of Walla Walla, and Jason Daub ’09 of Henderson, Nev.; and sisters AneHe Guldhammer Beales of Riverside, Calif., and Lea Guldhammer Olafsson of Sacramento, Calif.
Beatrice Ross att. was born in 1937 in Modesto, Calif., and died Aug. 12, 2023, in Portland, Ore., at age 85. Surviving: daughters
Karen ’84 of College Place, and Kathryn Schaffer ’86 of Troutdale, Ore.; and sons Robert att. of Garden Valley, Idaho, and Carl Waterbrook ’68 of Fayetteville, N.C.
Erik Biesenthal ’11 was born in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and died July 13, 2024, in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, at age 35. Surviving: wife Jessica Smart of Abbotsford; and parents Ibi and Fred ’72 of Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
Bonnie (Brinker) Harlan att. was born in 1947 in Walla Walla, and died Feb. 22, 2024, in Nampa, Idaho, at age 76. Surviving: daughter Kalene Dittman.
George L. Carpenter ’72 was born in 1950 in Denver, Colo., and died April 2, 2024, in Zephyrhills, Fla., at age 73. Surviving: Rose of Zephyrhills; daughters Kathy Smith of East Palestine, Ohio, and Kristy Huffman of Nederland, Texas; sons Stephen Cavanaugh of Covington, Ky., and Brice Cavanaugh of Leander, Texas; sister Jeannetta Fridd of Roseburg, Ore.; brothers Dean att. of Salem, Ore., and Ed Wilde att. of Baker
City, Ore.; and mother Wilma Stuvinga of Roseburg.
Joyce (Matthews) Dutro att. was born in 1928 in Alta, Wyo., and died Feb. 16, 2024, in Camas, Wash., at age 95. Surviving: daughter Claudia att. of Carlsbad, Calif.; and son Robert ’78 of Vancouver, Wash.
Marilee H. Thomas ’54 was born in 1933 in Walla Walla, and died Nov. 6, 2023, in Redlands, Calif., at age 93. Surviving: daughters Tamara “Tammi” ’83 of Redlands, and Terrilee “Terri” Weijohn att. of Wapato, Wash.; and son Michael ’89 of Portland, Ore.
Martha L. Masden ’60 was born in 1932 in Morrison County, Minn., and died Jan. 27, 2024, in College Place, at age 91. Surviving: daughter Linda Vixie ’85 Colorado Springs, Colo.; son Larry ’86 of Kent, Wash.; and brother Allen Zimmerman of Wasilla, Ala.
Pamela Fisher att. was born in 1952 in Auburn, Wash., and died March 15, 2024, in Walla Walla, at age 72. Surviving:
husband Wallace of Walla Walla; and daughters Kamryn Raisl of Milwaukee, Ore., Jennifer Turner of Orofino, Idaho, and Amanda of Lake Stevens, Wash.
Ruth Elizabeth “Beth” Bursey ’61 was born in 1942 in Spencer, Iowa, and died July 22, 2023, in Apopka, Fla., at age 81. Surviving: husband Ernest of Apopka; daughter Kristin ’99 of Spokane, Wash.; sons Blake att. of Naugatuck, Conn., Jonathan att. of Boulder, Colo., and Steven att. of Tavares, Fla.; and sisters Dorothy Doswell of Mt. Dora, Fla., and Helene Pooler of Apopka.
Verona “Ronni” Schnibbe ’48 was born in 1923 in College Place, and died May 15, 2024, in College Place, at age 100. Surviving: son Dale.
Curtis A. Dewees ’87 was born in 1963 in Walla Walla, and died March 14, 2024, in MicMinneville, Ore., at age 60. Surviving: sister Sonja Dwees-Thomas ’89 of Wilwauki, Ore., mother Marilyn Kauffman ’86 of Happy Valley, Ore., and father Clifford ’62 of Motueka, New Zealand.
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Alumni Currents
Staying in touch with our family of graduates
BACK TO YOU // SHERRY WACHTER ’82, ENGLISH, AND PATRICK DUNPHY ’20, HUMANITIES
We. Are. Storytellers.
E“Every story, whether its audience is the entire world or only the writer’s family, is worth being told.”
ver since my grandfather told me stories of his grade-school mischief—putting frogs in the water cooler and cleverly rewording an “r” alliteration test to remove almost every “r” sound it contained—and I passed those stories to my son Patrick, I knew that my purpose, my life’s pursuit, was to share stories.
So, Patrick and I started Magic Dog Press. We also work as designers for Dragonfly Design Group in California and NewSage Press in Oregon.
Every story, whether its audience is the entire world or only the writer’s family, is worth being told.
And there are so many stories to tell! Our independent publishing house has shared memoirs, remembrance books, first novels, group cookbooks, local history books, and books built around communities. Here are stories that we’ve been especially proud to print:
poser, and audio producer, those of us who produced Corona City: Voices from an Epicenter became more than just part of publishing an award-winning book, we became a community built around capturing how it felt to live in a world changing beyond recognition.
As I Remember: A Family History by Esther Ambrosine Atkinson Babb was developed in cooperation with Esther’s grandson James
a book titled, These Are Our Neighbors, chronicles how the Milton-Freewater community recovered from the flood.
We worked on the second edition of One Woman, One Vote: Rediscovering the Woman Suffrage Movement , which adds sections discussing the woman suffrage movement in the African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, and international communities.
In Horace Heidt: Big Band Starmaker, we captured the remarkable career of musician and entertainment innovator Horace Heidt, Sr., founder of one of the oldest big bands in America today. Scottish-American family histories, lore, and local color from Northeastern Oregon are featured in a book titled, Tell It To Me Again: Sharing Athena’s
And in the College Writing class I taught at Walla Walla University, the students brought comfort food recipes from home, edited them in class, and then created and published a cookbook titled,
Yes, stories can take many forms. Chances are good you have one inside you. You should let it out.
Recognize these faces?
GREG DODDS
“At Walla Walla University, we pursue something which has become shockingly rare: the joyful, curious, honest, faithful, and unafraid pursuit of the truths found in God’s word and in God’s world. While much of higher ed seems lost, WWU is thriving and faithfully focused on providing the very best education in the world for our students. We invite you to be a part of this vision.”
3 reasons
to support the WWU Fund (or another fund of your choice.)
CONNA BOND
“I still keep in touch with students I taught when I started here more than ten years ago. They are so thankful for the impact WWU had on their lives and careers. We’re so grateful for donors who help us provide the best possible experience we can for each one of our amazing students.”
PEDRITO MAYNARD-REID
“Our graduates are making a difference in the world and changing lives every day because of the education they received, the friendships they made, and the spiritual experiences they had here, and the donors who assisted in making this possible. Walla Walla University changes lives every day, in a million different ways. The future, built on the past, is exceptionally bright.”
the WWU Fund helps:
The WWU Fund helps:
• promote student scholarship.
• Promote student scholarship.
• support campus improvements.
• Support campus improvements.
• implement innovative programs.
• Implement innovative programs.
Your gift provides direct support, increases WWU’s ability to receive grants from corporations and foundations, and boosts our ranking in the U.S. News & World Report.
Your gift provides direct support, increases WWU’s ability to receive grants from corporations and foundations, and boosts our ranking in the U.S. News & World Report.
Thanks for your support!
Thank you for your support!
See you there!
CHRISTMAS HOPE
The WWU Music Department Christmas Concert took place on Dec. 13, and included the world premiere performance of “Magnificat,” a work composed for this special occasion. Watch the recording by visiting wallawalla.edu/ concert
Upcoming events to note on your calendar
JANUARY 23-25
Hoops and high spirits take center court at the Friendship Tournament, when more than 20 high school and academy basketball teams arrive on campus to compete. Join us in the stands to cheer on your favorite team! Visit wallawalla.edu/friendship for more info.
FEBRUARY 7-8
If you live in Southern California, we’d love to see you at our upcoming Loma Linda and Redlands Alumni Events Save the date to reconnect with old friends (and make new ones) while learning the latest from the WWU campus. More details at wallawalla.edu/ alumni/events
MARCH 6-8 AND APRIL 6-8
Know a high school junior or senior interested in Adventist higher education? Send them to U-Days! Throughout the weekend, would-be WWU students will get a taste of university life by touring campus, attending classes, and chatting with professors and current students. Register by February 16 for the March event (designed for students who haven’t been on campus before) and March 16 for the April event (for union academies). Learn more at wallawalla.edu/udays
APRIL 25-27
Mark your calendar for Alumni Homecoming 2025. In addition to recognizing our honor classes and Alumni of the Year, the weekend will feature a host of memorable events, including a beautiful PRISM vespers, golf tournament, car show, fun run, and many more you won’t want to miss. Registration opens in February. Visit wallawalla.edu/homecoming to learn more.
