Whitworth alumna publishes book reflecting on her journey through life and all 50 states

Whitworth alumna Allison (Spotts) Vesterfelt, ’05, recently published a book, Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage, through Moody Publishers.

Whitworth forensics team begins season with milestone win

After three days of intense competition, Whitworth’s forensics team brought home 43 awards, including three sweepstakes, from its first tournament of the season. The Steve Hunt Classic took place Oct. 11-13 at Lewis & Clark College, in Portland, Ore..

Whitworth President Emeritus Bill Robinson appointed interim president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities

The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities has announced that Whitworth President Emeritus Bill Robinson will serve as interim president of the organization, stepping in for Edward O. Blews, Jr. Robinson’s new role was effective Oct. 22.

Whitworth hosts Daniel Taylor for Nov. 1 lecture on faith and skepticism

Prolific author and world traveler Daniel Taylor will present “Telling Stories to your Inner Atheist: Faith and Skepticism in a Postmodern World” at Whitworth on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall. This event is free and open to the public.

In an economic environment that makes a college education even more essential than in the past, yet also more difficult to afford, Whitworth University was included for the seventh straight year on Kiplinger's annual ranking of the 100 best values among private universities in the United States. The university joins some of the most elite schools in the country in the magazine's 2013-14 rankings. Whitworth is one of the smallest universities to appear on the list, yet it is the second-highest-ranked school in the Pacific Northwest and ranks ahead of all but a handful of other private universities on the West Coast.

Whitworth M.A. in Theology alumnus serves in Malawi, Africa

Tyler Holm, a 2011 graduate of the Whitworth M.A. in Theology Program, and his wife, Rochelle, have lived in Malawi, on the southeast coast of Africa, since 2012. As missionaries, they are serving a long-term commission sponsored by Presbyterian World Mission.

“Settling in Malawi truly felt as if we were coming home to the place which we were made for,” Tyler says. “As we have worked more and more, that sense of purpose only deepens.”

Every year Whitworth welcomes a new class of freshman students from a variety of backgrounds into its community. This year, one of these students is Carys Parker, who has lived her entire life at sea.

Grammy-winning saxophonist Chris Potter to perform with Whitworth Jazz Ensemble Nov. 2

World-renowned Grammy-winning saxophonist Chris Potter and the award-winning Whitworth Jazz Ensemble will perform in Whitworth’s 25th annual jazz concert on Saturday, Nov. 2, 8 p.m. at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, in downtown Spokane.

Whitworth professor’s new anthology to benefit crisis nursery

After two decades of collecting quotations both comical and profound, Gordon Jackson, a professor of communication studies at Whitworth, has published his seventh anthology of quotations, You’ve Made Your Bed, Now Go Bounce On It: 800 Quotations about Children, Their Parents and Others Who Care for Them.

Whitworth Lindaman Chair to deliver lecture on “Civil Rights for the Gay Community and Religious Freedom"

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Whitworth Political Science Professor Julia Stronks will present her third Lindaman Chair lecture, “Civil Rights for the Gay Community and Religious Freedom:  Avoiding a Constitutional Clash," on Thursday, Oct. 17, at Whitworth University. Stronks is a prolific author and thinker who has published numerous articles and books in her disciplines, including the forthcoming So You Want to Be a Christian Lawyer? She will give her lecture at 7 p.m. in Whitworth’s Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall. Admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-3834.

Today, in a surprise announcement in Whitworth University’s Robinson Teaching Theatre, university trustee Scott Chandler, ’84, pledged to fund a new endowed professorship to be named in honor of his wife, Sue, ’85.

Whitworth Orchestra to perform with Coeur d’Alene Symphony Oct. 11, 12

The Whitworth Symphony Orchestra will perform with the Coeur d’Alene Symphony on Friday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. in the Worship Theater of the Salvation Army Kroc Center, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Ticket are $8 for students with ID; $20 for adults and $15 for seniors. To purchase tickets, click here.

Gerald Gemmill, ’85, selected as Whitworth's next Vice President for Finance and Administration

Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor has selected Gerald (Gerry) L. Gemmill, ’85, to be Whitworth’s next vice president for finance and administration, replacing Brian Benzel, who will retire in December. Gemmill will begin serving in his new role Nov. 1, with Benzel serving as special assistant to the president until Dec. 31.

Thom Caraway, a senior lecturer in the Whitworth English Department, has been named Spokane’s first poet laureate. An award-winning poet and longtime resident of Spokane, Caraway will join the Spokane Arts Commission in promoting and supporting Spokane’s vibrant literary community and expressing the spirit of the city outside of Eastern Washington.

Alumnus highlights close ties between Whitworth and Princeton

Whitworth alumna Erin Raska, ’01, was recently elected as a member of the Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) Board of Trustees.

“I look forward to learning from other board members who represent diverse vocations and offer excellent leadership and vision,” says Raska. “Using the gifts and experiences God has given me, I am excited to be a part of conversations that will help shape and guide PTS into a new phase of life, ministry, education and community.”

Whitworth to host film and lecture series featuring rare Chinese films

The Whitworth History Department will present “China in Transition,” a four-part film and lecture series starting Wednesday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. in Room 111 in Weyerhaeuser Hall. Each film viewing is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Julie Shanholtzer at (509) 777-4963 or jshanholtzer@whitworth.edu.

Philosophy professor to present at Whitworth as part of annual conference

Whitworth University will host Katherin Rogers as a featured guest in the Faith, Film and Philosophy Lecture Series. Rogers will present on “Bedazzled, The Devil and Freedom” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall.