Thursday, September 5, 2024

Dozens of students, including (left to right) Wamuchii Mwangi ’24, Namy Barnett ’23, and Mehrimo Bakhtalieva ’25, have gained valuable experience through their fieldwork with Kirsten Nicolaysen.

Growing up on a sheep and cattle ranch in central Wyoming, Professor of Geology Kirsten Nicolaysen spent all her time outdoors. She developed an early interest in geology, but her passion for volcanoes didn’t erupt until she studied the lava flows of Mount McLoughlin in Oregon as an undergraduate at Colorado College. 

“I never looked back from that,” says Nicolaysen, who later earned her Master of Science degree from the University of Wyoming and her doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Although I promised my parents that I would never work on active volcanoes, I’ve broken that promise repeatedly because of my fascination with them.” 

Throughout her career, Nicolaysen has participated in research expeditions to everywhere from the Aleutian Arc in Alaska to the Kerguelen Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. These experiences helped her develop a deeper understanding of volcanoes, their roles in generating resources and hazards for people and ecosystems, and the joys of scientific collaboration. Today, she shares that understanding with the Whitman students she mentors through student-centered research projects.

Read the full story in the current issue of Whitman Magazine.

Associate Professor of Religion Lauren Osborne has published a new book, “Hearing Islam: The Sounds of a Global Religious Tradition.” In the book, which is written for an audience of students and nonspecialists, Osborne introduces the global and historical tradition of Islam through its sounds. Chapters focus on everything from the recitation of the Qur'an, the call to prayer, to issues such as listening, deafness and orality, to genres of religious song, mysticism and music, and hip-hop. The book grew out of a course that Osborne teaches of the same title, REL 310: Hearing Islam.

Head Men’s Soccer Coach & Senior Lecturer of Sport Studies Jose Cedeno was recently profiled for a Community Q&A feature in the Union-Bulletin. The story was written by Whitman English and Psychology major Meghan Kearney ’26, whose summer internship at the Walla Walla newspaper was supported with a Whitman Internship Grant. 

Starting on Saturday, the Welty Student Health Center hours will be extended for fall semester. 

If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment, please call the Health Center at 509-527-5281.

A new session of Whitman’s employee wellness program Movement That Matters (MTM) begins on Monday, Sept. 9. This program offers five different classes each week during the noon hour: Pilates, MELT, Strength & Stretch, Step Aerobics and Yoga. For a $45 enrollment fee per semester participants can participate in as many or as few classes as they like. Register prior to attending your first class. Subscribe to the MTM Google Calendar to track any changes to the schedule. Questions? Email Laura L. Cummings at cumminll@whitman.edu.

Residence Life and the Welty Student Health Center will host a series of “Health in the Halls” educational opportunities this semester. In the first session, students can learn how to save a life by administering naloxone to reverse an overdose. Blue Mountain Heart to Heart will lead this session on Thursday, September 12 at 7 p.m. in Jewett Hall. Naloxone will be available to attendees. (Flyer attached.)

Space is still available in the one-credit Sport Studies, Recreation and Athletics course (SSRA 342: Wilderness Expedition: Sea Kayaking). The class meets on Friday afternoons during the semester and includes a trip to the San Juan Islands during the October break. Questions? Email Brien Sheedy at sheedybr@whitman.edu. (Flyer attached.)

8 a.m.

Opening of the Year Meeting for Staff and Faculty

Maxey Auditorium

4 p.m.

Info Session for New Students: Off-Campus Studies

Olin Auditorium

4 p.m.

Opening of the Year Meeting for Staff and Faculty

Maxey Auditorium

7 p.m.

Music From the African Diaspora

Hall of Music, Chism Recital Hall

7 p.m.

What Is the Aurora and How You Can Get Involved in Aurora Research

Maxey Auditorium

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Produced by the Office of Communications, 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.

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