Summer Support for International Students
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This summer, many of Whitman’s international students are unable to return home due to ongoing travel restrictions and safety concerns. Nearly half of the 178 continuing international students are staying in Walla Walla this summer, and our summer student population is more than double what it was during the previous summer.
Without family nearby, they are relying on the Whitman community for stability and support. Whitman College is committed to ensuring that these students have access to housing (with air conditioning), meals (expanded hours at Jewett Café), activities (organized by Off-Campus Studies and International Student Support Services), wellness support (expanded Health Center hours) and job opportunities (on campus).
Faculty, staff and alumni have all asked how they can help. A short-term fundraising effort is underway to cover any gaps in funding. You can help by sharing this webpage with others and on social media.
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Two Students Providing Summer Research Support at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
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Biology major Larissa Pforte ’26 and Brain, Behavior and Cognition major Sybella Ssewakiryanga ’26 were selected as 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Program interns at Fred Hutch Cancer Center in Seattle. Pforte will join the lab of Patrick Paddison in the Human Biology Division to study how molecular genomics techniques can be employed to study cancer stem cells. Ssewakiryanga will be working in the lab of Eric Holland to investigate the molecular basis of brain tumors and the development of novel therapeutic treatments. The research partnership between Whitman College and Fred Hutch is now in its 17th year and additional support is provided by the Doctors Robert F. and Elizabeth M. Welty Student/Faculty Research Endowment.
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Staff Member To Help Plan ACM SIGUCCS Annual Conference
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Director of Client Services Robert Fricke has been selected to co-chair the planning of the ACM SIGUCCS Annual Conference to be held in Philadelphia in April 2026. ACM SIGUCCS is the Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on University and College Computing Services. Fricke will be working with a core team that includes colleagues from Drake University, Princeton University, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Macalester College and the University of San Diego.
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Outdoor Air Quality & Wildfire Smoke Policy
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Walla Walla is subject to occasional poor air quality alerts, particularly from regional wildfire smoke. As per the Outdoor Air Quality and Wildfire Smoke Policy, and in compliance with Washington state employment law, Whitman College monitors U.S. Air Quality Index levels and will respond according to the severity of the situation. Alerts in Whitman Today or distributed by email will identify the level of risk and any appropriate remediation, up to and including requiring N95 masks for outdoor workers, postponing or canceling athletics and outdoor events, moving to remote work options or even temporarily closing the college.
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The Health Center Is Open This Summer
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The Welty Health and Counseling Center is pleased to be able to offer additional support for students who are staying in Walla Walla this summer. The Health Center building will be open Monday–Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To make an appointment to see a provider about nonemergency medical needs or to make an appointment with a counselor, please email healthcenter@whitman.edu or call 509-527-5281. (Flyer attached.)
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Outdoor Program Offers Summer Trips
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The Outdoor Program will host several trips this summer, beginning with a stand up paddleboard day trip on Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fishhook Park on the Snake River. A $25 trip fee will cover transportation, equipment and a picnic lunch. Sign up on Compass.
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Jewett Café Closed Saturday
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Please note that Jewett Café will be closed on Saturday, June 14, for a scheduled power outage.
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Fire Alarm Systems Testing Next Week
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Annual inspections of campus fire alarm systems (smoke detectors, heat detectors, pull stations, horns, strobes) will take place next week. Testing will begin around 8 a.m., and building occupants may hear brief intermittent sounding of the audible fire alarm. On Monday, June 16, testing will occur in North Hall and the Hall of Music. A schedule for the remainder of the week will be included in Whitman Today on Monday.
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Whitman College is a member of a group of community stakeholders known as Elevate, which receives funding support from the Horizons Regional Grant. Elevate recently arranged to bring Academia Familiar (Family Academy) to the community at Valle Lindo in College Place—an eight-week curriculum focused on helping families support their children through the postsecondary transition process. Whitman Admission Officer Aldo Feria ’04 (pictured) was one of the presenters.
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Fire Suppression Systems Testing
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Baker Center, Anderson Hall, Prentiss Hall, Douglas Hall, Hall of Music, Welty Health and Counseling Center, Bratton Tennis Center
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Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
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Fire Suppression Systems Testing
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Reid Campus Center, Hunter Conservatory, College House, Technology Services, Edwards-Moore Clubhouse
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Brunch Cookout (International Students & Scholar Services)
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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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.
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Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
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