Whitworth recognized on 2015 President’s Honor Roll for Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service has once again recognized Whitworth University for its commitment to community service.  Whitworth has been recognized in the 2015 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in two categories: General Community Service and Community Service in Education. This is the third consecutive year that Whitworth has been recognized in two categories.

Kiplinger’s once again names Whitworth to Best College Value list among private universities

For the ninth consecutive year, Whitworth University has been named a top-rated higher-education institution on Kiplinger’s annual rankings of colleges and universities in the United States. Whitworth joins some of the country’s most prestigious schools in the magazine’s 2017 rankings.

Whitworth choirs to present 2016 Christmas Festival Concert, "Gloria"

The 2016 Whitworth University Christmas Festival Concert, Gloria, will take place in Bellevue Dec. 3, in Seattle Dec. 4, and in Spokane Dec. 10 and 11. The concerts will feature more than 100 student-musicians, including members of the Whitworth Choir, the Whitworth Women’s Choir and the Whitworth Men’s Chorus, as well as student instrumentalists and narrators. For more information, please call (509) 777-3280.

The Whitworth School of Education presents its ninth annual International Education and Diversity Forum on Thursday, Nov. 17. The event is free and open to the public, and will take place from 6-9 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Hixson Union Building (HUB) at Whitworth University. For more information, please call (509) 777-3228.

Whitworth Ethics Bowl Team Wins Regional Competition

Whitworth’s Ethics Bowl team, the Philosoraptors, won the Northwest Regional Ethics Bowl Nov. 12-13 at Pacific Lutheran University. The team took first place among 10 universities from three states, including University of Portland, Seattle Pacific University and Pacific Lutheran University in the preliminary rounds, Washington State University in the semifinals, and Whitman College in the final round. Other teams attending the bowl included Montana State University, Seattle University and St. Martin’s University. This achievement makes the team eligible to attend the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl in February 2017, for the eighth time in the past nine years.

Whitworth University has earned the 2017 Military Friendly^® School designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs^®, STEM Jobs^SM, and Military Spouse. First published in 2009, Military Friendly^® Schools is the most comprehensive educational resource for veterans and their dependents. Each year, the list of Military Friendly® Schools is provided to service members and their families, helping them select the best college, university or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career.

Walter and Kay Oliver donate $3.1 million to building Whitworth Athletics Facilities

Whitworth Trustee Walter Oliver, ’67, and his wife, Kay, have provided a lead gift of $3.1 million to be used to help complete new athletics facilities for the Whitworth Pirate teams, coaches and staff. The proposed plans will bring athletics staff together in a centralized office space and will provide an improved practice and competition venue for the football and track programs.

Portrait-Photographer Matika Wilbur presents Nov. 9 Native American Heritage Month Lecture at Whitworth

Whitworth University will welcome acclaimed photographer Matika Wilbur for a Native American Heritage Month lecture, “25 Lessons from Indian Roads.” The lecture will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (509) 777-4721.

Whitworth music ensembles present fall concerts during November

A variety of Whitworth University’s music ensembles will be performing on campus and in Spokane locations during the month of November.

Whitworth University Announces New Chapel Addition Project

Whitworth University is excited to announce a $1.5 million lead gift from Barney and Joyce Beeksma (pictured right with Theology faculty) for an addition to and remodel of Whitworth’s Seeley Mudd Chapel. The Beeksma Family Theology Center will become the vibrant new home for the theology department, the office of church engagement, and campus ministries, heralding an exciting new day for service to our students and to the church.

Author James A. Banks to give lecture on Diversity in America at Whitworth University Nov. 3

Whitworth University will welcome author and social studies specialist James A. Banks, Ph.D., to campus for an Inclusive University Classroom Lecture, “Diversity in America: Challenges and Opportunities for Educating Citizens in a Global Age.” The lecture will be held on Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public. Banks’ books will be available for sale during the evening, and a short book signing with Banks will follow his lecture. For more information, please call (509) 777-3583.

Renowned jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis to perform Nov. 5 with Whitworth Jazz Ensemble

Marsalis to lead free jazz clinic Nov. 4; all elementary, middle and high school students in attendance will receive one free concert ticket. 

Branford Marsalis, a celebrated jazz and classical musician, renowned three-time Grammy winner and Tony nominee, will hit Spokane Nov. 4 and 5 for a jazz clinic and concert. Marsalis will lead a free jazz clinic at Whitworth University on Nov. 4, and he will perform in concert Nov. 5 with the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble directed by Dan Keberle at the historic Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, in downtown Spokane.

Whitworth University presents Distinguished Leadership Awards to Outstanding Community Members

Whitworth University will present Distinguished Ministry Leadership Awards this fall on behalf of the Whitworth University Board of Trustees to Rev. Lorraine Stuart and Rev. Chester “Chet” Andrews for their decades of excellence in ministry. Stuart will receive her award on Sunday, Nov. 27, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bend, Ore., and Andrews will be presented with his award on Thursday, Oct. 27, during The Gospel and Racism Conference at 7 p.m. in the HUB Crow’s Nest. For more information, please call (509) 777-4452.

Mumps Information

Mumps infection cases have been confirmed on Whitworth's campus. For updates, please visit www.whitworth.edu/healthresponse. Whitworth University is working closely with Spokane Regional Health District and is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well.

For more information and for prevention tips from Spokane Regional Health District: http://www.srhd.org/news.asp?id=615

Hip-hop artist Olmeca to present a Latino Heritage Month lecture and performance at Whitworth University Oct. 13

Whitworth University is honored to host bilingual hip-hop artist and producer Olmeca for a Latino Heritage Month lecture, “Forced Migration and Cycles of Oppression.” The lecture will be held at 6 p.m. in the Hixson Union Building’s Multipurpose Room; at 8 p.m. Olmeca will give a performance in the same location. Admission to both events is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (509) 777-4721.

Writer Peter Wehner presents lecture on the current election season at Whitworth University on Oct. 18

Whitworth University will welcome writer and senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center Peter Wehner for a Speakers & Artists lecture, “Reflections on the Current Election Season.” The lecture will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Hixson Union Building’s multipurpose room. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (509) 777-4424.

Whitworth University celebrates grand opening of $13.5 million Cowles Music Center

On Oct. 8, Whitworth University President Beck A. Taylor will host a grand opening celebration for the university's new $13.5 million Cowles Music Center. The ceremony will feature student performances, a word from key campus leaders, and interactive self-guided tours of the renovated and significantly expanded facility, which more than doubles the previous space available for music education.

Whitworth Theatre presents “The Music Man”

Whitworth Theatre will stage its fall production, The Music Man, on Oct. 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7:30 p.m., and on Oct. 16 and 23 at 2 p.m. The performances will take place in Cowles Auditorium, on the Whitworth University campus. General admission: $12; students and seniors (62-plus): $10; Whitworth students free with valid student I.D. For tickets, please call (509) 777 4374, visit www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets, or purchase at the box office beginning one hour prior to each performance.

Spokane County higher education institutions to host U.S. Senate debate Oct. 16

Spokane-area universities and community colleges are teaming up to hold a senatorial debate next month featuring Patty Murray and Chris Vance. Gonzaga University will be the site of the U.S. Senate debate scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 16, from 7-8 p.m. The debate will be held in the Ballroom of the John J. Hemmingson Center, at East 702 DeSmet Avenue in Spokane.

Whitworth University is No. 5 in U.S. News rankings of best values in the West

Whitworth University was ranked No. 5 in U.S. News & World Report's annual rankings of the best regional university values in the West. For the 17th consecutive year, Whitworth is also ranked in the top 15 best universities out of 124 master's-level universities in the 15-state region of the Western United States.

More than 1,000 Whitworth students, staff and faculty to join Spokane nonprofits for Community Building Day Sept. 21

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, Whitworth students, faculty and staff will lend a hand to organizations across Spokane in efforts to strengthen the community. Community Building Day is foundational in fostering a lifelong ethic of social and civic responsibility in Whitworth students; it also provides valuable services to nonprofit agencies across Spokane.

Whitworth Associate Dean Roberta Wilburn Named YWCA Woman of Achievement Award Winner

Whitworth University is proud to announce that this year, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in Education & Diversity Initiatives Roberta Wilburn, Ed.D., won the YWCA Woman of Achievement Carl Maxey Racial & Social Justice Award. Wilburn joined Whitworth University 10 years ago and has devoted more than 35 years in the field of education.

A Fresh, New Look for Whitworth University

Whitworth University unveils a new logo and updated brand identity

Washington Monthly’s rankings name Whitworth in sixth place among Liberal Arts Colleges in Pacific Northwest

Whitworth University claimed sixth place in Washington Monthly’s Liberal Arts Colleges rankings for the Pacific Northwest, according to news released this week. Washington Monthly magazine was founded in 1969 and is based in Washington, D.C. In addition to its ranking among liberal arts colleges and universities, Whitworth has been recognized in the past by Washington Monthly for four consecutive years as the highest-ranking master’s-level university in the Pacific Northwest.

CNN Host and Author Fareed Zakaria to speak at Whitworth University President’s Leadership Forum Oct. 11

WELLS FARGO IS TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE EVENT

Fareed Zakaria will be the featured speaker at Whitworth University’s fall President’s Leadership Forum, to be held Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 7:30-9 a.m. at the Spokane Convention Center. Cost for this event is $60 per person or $600 for a corporate table (10 seats per table). Breakfast is included. Additional sponsor opportunities are still available. To learn more or to RSVP for this event, please visit Whitworth's registration page.

Whitworth to host annual Whitworth Institute of Ministry conference July 18-22

Brenda Salter McNeil

The 2016 Whitworth Institute of Ministry will welcome Brenda Salter McNeil, author and associate professor at Seattle Pacific University, and Mike and Sally Breen, a speaker/author duo, to its 41th conference, to be held July 18-22 at Whitworth University. The featured guests and other speakers will focus on the theme “For Such a Time as This: Christian Discipleship in the 21st Century,” and will offer participants five days of fellowship, worship and scriptural teaching.

Whitworth University Students Selected as Fulbright Finalists

Two Whitworth student applicants were selected as Fulbright Scholarship finalists for 2016-17. The university has a long-standing tradition of producing such finalists, with 33 students chosen since 2000. In 2009 and 2011, Whitworth was named a top producer of Fulbright finalists among master’s-level universities nationwide.

Community Leader and Alum Noel Castellanos to deliver keynote speech during Whitworth commencement ceremony on May 22

Noel Castellanos, ’82, founder of the Latino Leadership Foundation and President and CEO of the Christian Community Development Association, will give his address, “Buen Camino: Are you Ready for the Journey?,” at Whitworth University’s 126th undergraduate commencement.

Whitworth University Board of Trustees Elects Four New Members and Two Lifetime Members

The Whitworth University Board of Trustees is honored to welcome Andrew T. Erickson, ’84, Dr. David John Flesher, ’81, Alycia Gebbers, and the Rev. Gayle B. Parker, all of whom were elected during the board’s April meeting. Also during the meeting, Charles “Chuck” Boppell, ’65, and David Myers, ’64, were elected as board of trustee lifetime members.

Whitworth University to hold Distinguished Community Service Award Ceremony and Christian Leadership Panel on May 10

Whitworth University will present Richard G. Hadley, the president emeritus of Greater Spokane Incorporated (GSI), with the Whitworth University Distinguished Community Service Award. Hadley will be honored for his decades of service to the Spokane community in a special event on Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Following the ceremony, a panel will discuss leadership through a Christian worldview and the ways in which Hadley has exemplified Christian leadership. Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor will lead the panel, which includes President Emeritus Bill Robinson, Professor of Leadership Studies Jack Burns, and Spokane County Commissioner and Whitworth alumna Shelly O’Quinn, ‘97. The event is open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-4452.

The 46th Annual Whitworth Hawaiian Club Lu’au to be held April 30

The Whitworth Hawaiian Club, Na Pu’uwai o Hawai’i (The Heart of Hawai’i), will share food and culture with the Whitworth and Spokane communities during the club’s 46th annual lu’au, on Saturday, April 30. The Whitworth Fieldhouse will open at 5:30 p.m., and dinner will be served immediately. Entertainment for the evening will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Rev. Wil Gafney presents Women’s History Month Lecture at Whitworth University on April 28

Whitworth’s Women’s and Gender Studies is honored to host the Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School, for a Women’s History Month lecture, “Womanist Midrash: A Womanist Approach to Reading, Translating and Interpreting the Hebrew Scriptures.” The lecture will be held on Thursday, April 28, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, please call (509) 777-4371.

Trish Morita-Mullaney to present Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Lecture at Whitworth University April 26

Whitworth University is pleased to welcome alumna and Assistant Professor of Multilingual Education at Purdue University Trish Morita-Mullaney, ’89, Ph.D., to campus to present a lecture, “Asian Americans Navigating the In-Between Spaces:  Busting the Binaries.” The lecture will take place on Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. This lecture celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at Whitworth University, and is open and free to the public. For more information, please call (509) 777-4215.

Whitworth University hosts Poet Cornelius Eady for a Reading on April 16

Award-winning American writer Cornelius Eady is coming to Whitworth University to read from his poetry collection on Saturday, April 16, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Eady’s poetry largely focuses on jazz, family life, violence, and questions of race, class and society. The reading will be followed by a short talk and moderated discussion. The event is open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-3253.

Larry Probus named new Vice President of Finance and Administration at Whitworth University

Whitworth University is honored to announce that Lawrence (Larry) Probus, chief financial officer and senior vice president of strategic solutions for World Vision U.S., has been appointed as the university’s new vice president for finance and administration. Probus has served for 12 years at World Vision U.S., directing the finance, information technology, legal and corporate service functions of the organization. He will take over from Jim Munyon, interim vice president and former Whitworth trustee, beginning July 1.

New Traveling Exhibition Tells a Story of Liberty and the American Experience

A traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian National Museum, Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963, will open at the Harriet Cheney Cowles Memorial Library at Whitworth University, Spokane, Wash., on April 6. The exhibition will examine the relationship between two great people's movements that resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation, in 1863, and the March on Washington, in 1963. Both grew out of decades of bold actions, resistance, organization, and vision. One hundred years separate them, yet they are linked in a larger story of liberty and the American experience – one that has had a profound impact on the generations that followed.

Laura Thaut Vinson presents lecture on Ethnic and Religious Violence in Nigeria at Whitworth University, April 7

Whitworth University welcomes  Whitworth alumna and assistant professor of political science at Oklahoma State University Laura Thaut Vinson, Ph.D., to campus for a lecture, “When Religion Becomes a Source of Violence: Insights from Muslim-Christian Communal Violence in Northern Nigeria.” The lecture will be held on Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. Admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-3834.

Whitworth University Wind Symphony Travels to Thailand for Concert Tour

A Variety of Whitworth Music Ensembles will present Concerts throughout April-May

Over the university’s Spring Break, the Whitworth Wind Symphony will head across the Pacific to Thailand for a concert tour. The wind symphony, directed by Professor of Music Richard Strauch, will be performing at two of the major universities in the country, Mahidol University (Bangkok) and Payap University (Chiang Mai), and collaborating with two composers there on Thai-inspired works.

Whitworth University to hold Distinguished Pastoral Leadership Award Ceremony and Bruner-Welch Endowed Chair in Theology Lecture on March 29

Joseph Wittwer

Whitworth University will present Joseph Wittwer, senior pastor at Spokane’s Life Center Foursquare Church, with the Whitworth University Distinguished Ministry Leadership Award. Wittwer will be honored for his decades of excellence in ministry to the Spokane community in a special event on Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre. The ceremony will take place in conjunction with the annual Bruner-Welch Endowed Chair in Theology Lecture, presented this year by the current chair, Adam Neder, Ph.D. In his inaugural lecture as Bruner-Welch chair, Neder will offer a theological reflection on the art of teaching Christian theology. The event is open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-4452.

Spokane Celebrates 20th Annual African American Graduation Celebration April 23 at Whitworth

Whitworth University will host the 20th Annual African American Spokane Community Graduation Celebration at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 23, in Cowles Auditorium at Whitworth University.

Sixteen Act Six Scholars Earn Scholarships to attend Whitworth and Gonzaga

Families, schools and communities are celebrating in the Pacific Northwest. Whitworth and Gonzaga universities will welcome a total of 16 new Act Six Scholars to the incoming class of 2020. The eight scholars entering Whitworth and eight entering Gonzaga are among 56 Pacific Northwest students to receive full college scholarships as members of the latest Act Six cohort.

The American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities Elects President Beck A. Taylor to Board of Directors

Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor, Ph.D., has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities. The AAPICU is a nationwide, collegial group for presidents of independent institutions committed to preserving the private sector of higher education.

Whitworth Theatre presents spring production, “Enchanted April”

Whitworth Theatre will stage its spring production, Enchanted April, on March 4, 5, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m., and on March 6 at 2 p.m. The performances will take place in Cowles Auditorium at Whitworth University. General admission: $10; students and seniors: $8; Whitworth students free with valid student I.D. For tickets, please call (509) 777-3707, visit www.whitworth.edu/theatretickets, or purchase at the box office (cash or check only) beginning one hour prior to the performance.

Rhosetta Rhodes appointed Whitworth’s vice president of student life and dean of students

Whitworth President Beck A. Taylor announced that Rhosetta Rhodes, ’99, has been named the university’s vice president of student life and dean of students. Rhodes has served in that role in an interim capacity since August 2015.

Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival features discussion with Matthew Rindge on Feb. 22

Please join Whitworth University for the eighth annual Leonard A. Oakland Film Festival, Feb. 20-22. This year’s 7 p.m. showings will feature alumni filmmakers, an international film, and an evening about faith and film led by Matthew Rindge, Ph.D., professor of religious studies at Gonzaga University and author of two books and dozens of articles and chapters on the Bible, religion, and popular culture.

Whitworth introduces new full-tuition scholarship for high-need students

Whitworth University is introducing a new scholarship that covers 100 percent of tuition for students enrolling in 2016-17 who qualify for the state of Washington’s College Bound Scholarship and meet other requirements.

Co-Founder of America Online and Chairman and CEO of Revolution LLC Steve Case to speak at Whitworth University President’s Leadership Forum May 3

WELLS FARGO BANK IS TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE EVENT

Steve Case will be the featured speaker at Whitworth University’s spring President’s Leadership Forum, to be held Tuesday, May 3, at 7:30-9 a.m. at the Spokane Convention Center. Cost for this event is $40 per person or $400 for a corporate table (10 seats per table). Breakfast is included, along with a copy of Case’s newest book, The Third Wave: An Entrepreneur's Vision of the Future (to be published April 5). RSVP by registering online at whitworth.edu/leadershipforum.

Whitworth to host 19th annual Gospel Explosion Feb. 12

Whitworth University is partnering with local churches to host its 19th annual Gospel Explosion on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the university’s Seeley G. Mudd Chapel. The event is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Whitworth University presents spring art exhibit, “Gala Bent: Everything Seems to Be Coming Together”

The Twins, graphite and ink on paper, 30 x 20 inches, 

2015, Courtesy G. Gibson Gallery

Whitworth University’s spring art exhibit,  Gala Bent: Everything Seems to Be Coming Together, will run Feb. 9-April 1 in the Lied Center for the Visual Arts on campus. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Dwight Hopkins to present Feb. 8 African American History Month Lecture at Whitworth University

Dwight Hopkins, Ph.D., will present an African American History Month lecture, “What is a Christian Black Theology of Liberation?,” on Monday, Feb. 8,  at 7 p.m. in Weyerhaeuser Hall’s Robinson Teaching Theatre at Whitworth University. This lecture is open to the public, and admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-4215.

Temple Grandin to present lectures at Whitworth University Feb. 19-20

Whitworth University will welcome Temple Grandin, Ph.D., to its campus and to the Spokane community on Feb. 19-20 for a series of lectures sponsored by the Whitworth Center for Gifted Education and the university’s special education department. Grandin is the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world. Her fascinating life, with all its challenges and successes, has been covered by countless media outlets, as well as by the movie industry.