Jack McManus ’27: Going Far & Thinking Deep
|
Whether he’s running in the outskirts of Walla Walla, advocating for endangered ecosystems or contemplating the ethics of conservation, Jack McManus ’27 is a strider.
The junior Garrett-Sherwood Scholar from McCall, Idaho, maintains a packed schedule, double majoring in Biology and Philosophy on top of his responsibilities as a team captain on Whitman College’s cross country and distance track teams.
With a passion for ecology, a drive for academic and athletic success, and a gift for leadership, McManus is a difference maker on and off campus.
McManus grew up fishing in the mountains with his father and grandfather. He discovered his love of fly fishing as a teenager and formed a special connection with the natural world.
In high school, he worked with the U.S. Forest Service, clearing trails, doing bighorn sheep surveys and helping maintain the wilderness he loves. His favorite tasks, though, involved fisheries research, collecting data on spawning habitats and environmental sensitivity.
“Fish can exhibit really interesting displays of evolution as rivers change and isolate or reconnect populations,” McManus says.
Before college, McManus also raised money to fight the expansion of a gold mine at the headwaters of a critical habitat for bull trout, steelhead and chinook salmon. His nonprofit work helped earn him the Garrett-Sherwood Scholarship at Whitman—and led him toward one of his two majors: Biology.
At Whitman, he has continued his fish advocacy work in the Salmon Conservation Club, which aims to educate Whitman students on issues relating to salmon and orca conservation while also providing opportunities for related activism.
Read the full story in the Fall 2025 issue of Whitman Magazine.
|
|
|
Welcome New Faculty & Staff Members
|
Please join us in welcoming the following new Whitman faculty and staff members who started in September and October:
|
- Elvira Burgueno, Custodian
- RJ Byrd, On Call Security Officer
- Landon Callas, Custodian
- Elise Clausen, Temporary SSRA Outdoor Fee Course Assistant
- Matthew Cooper, Studio Music Instructor
- Xander Culver, Temporary SSRA Outdoor Fee Course Assistant
- Corren Current, Temporary SSRA Outdoor Fee Course Assistant
- Bryson Gobel, Temporary Mental Health Counselor
- Nathan Hingley, Temporary SSRA Outdoor Fee Course Assistant
- Lindsey Honhart ’24, Admission Officer
- Po Hsun Chen, Temporary Collaborative Pianist
- rev. seigen johnson, Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life
- Jay Krutulis, Temporary Athletics Broadcaster
- Emily Kurlinski, Studio Music Instructor
- Laura Nix, Temporary Business Office Staff
- James Ogden, Painter
- Lauren Prusia, Enterprise Business Analyst
- Aaron Rausch, Studio Music Instructor
- Marcia Saito Eckel, Athletic Program Assistant
- Jackson Silaski, Client Services Consultant
- Bella Smith ’25, Temporary Administrative Assistant (Admission)
- Stephanie Steele, Studio Music Instructor
- Jaden Stewart, Admission Officer
- Nick Walsh, Studio Music Instructor
- Caitlin Willcox, Temporary SSRA Outdoor Fee Course Assistant
|
|
|
Staff Advisory Council Open Office Hours Today
|
Staff are invited to open drop-in office hours with the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) on Monday, Nov. 3, from noon–1 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Café. Come learn more about how SAC advocates for staff and share your ideas, questions or concerns. If you are unable to attend but have topics of interest or questions for SAC, please email sac@whitman.edu or fill out this anonymous form.
|
Food Pantry & Clothing Closet Reopens Today
|
The Whitman College Food Pantry and Clothing Closet—which has been operating temporarily in the Third Space Center—will reopen at the Glover Alston Intercultural Center (GAIC) on Monday, Nov. 3, and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Due to ongoing construction, please use the temporary crossing adjacent to the Walla Walla Sub Shop, directly across the street from the GAIC.
|
President Bolton Holds Open Office Hours for Students Tomorrow
|
President Sarah Bolton will hold open office hours on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4–5 p.m. in Reid Campus Center (look for signage near the fish ladder sculpture). Throughout the semester, students can drop by these sessions to share their thoughts or just to chat.
|
STEM Faculty Hold Open Advising Sessions
|
Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) faculty will hold two open advising sessions this week on Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 4–5 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 6, from 7–8 p.m. at the Hall of Science atrium and STEM Hub. These sessions are for current first-year and sophomore students who are interested in learning more about STEM majors and STEM courses offered in Spring 2026.
|
Ken Burns Documentary Screening & Conversation on Friday
|
The Office of Native American Outreach and Northwest Public Broadcasting will present a preview screening of “The American Revolution,” a new Ken Burns documentary, on Friday, Nov. 7, from 6–7:30 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom. The event will also feature a “Tribal Sovereignty” discussion with local community members including Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Executive Director J.D. Tovey and Whitman Šináata Scholar Joel Satterwhite ’27. (Flyer attached.)
|
|
|
On Friday—Halloween—students had the perfect excuse to dress up for their classes and other campus activities. See more photos on Instagram.
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Room 207
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood 114 or Reid Side Lawn (weather dependent)
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
|
|
|
|
|
STEM Faculty: Open Advising Session
|
Hall of Science Atrium and STEM Hub
|
|
|
|
|
Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
|
|
|
|
|
Penrose Library, First Floor Lounge
|
|
|
|
|
Hunter Conservatory, Room 107
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood 114 or Reid Side Lawn (weather dependent)
|
|
|
|
|
Cleveland Commons, Room 116
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
|
|
|
|
|
Welty Health and Counseling Center
|
|
|
|
|
Blue Mountain Action Council Food Bank
|
|
|
|
|
STEM Faculty: Open Advising Session
|
Hall of Science Atrium and STEM Hub
|
|
|
|
|
Budget Q&A for Faculty & Staff
|
|
|
|
|
Welty Health and Counseling Center
|
|
|
|
|
Budget Q&A for Faculty & Staff
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Lower Level
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
|
|
Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
|
|
|
Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
|
|
|
Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
|
|
|
Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
|
|
|
|
