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President Emeritus Bill Robinson

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  2. President Emeritus Bill Robinson
  3. Of Mind & Heart Newsletter
  4. Summer 2008

Of Mind & Heart Newsletter: Summer 2008

An update from Whitworth University President Bill Robinson

Summer is so great. While our students and faculty fan out around the world, life at Whitworth zooms. The presence of sunshine and the absence of students seem to prime the adrenaline pumps of our facilities staff. Half of them make the campus beautiful while the other half dig trenches and gut buildings. And both halves make Whitworth a better place. Summer blessings have certainly splashed all over the Robinson family. One daughter got married shortly before the other one had a baby boy. When your children are home and dear friends visit, life is rich. Had I not suffered a painful but non-serious injury in Hoopfest (prompting my wife to explain that my next basketball game would be my last one as a married man and my back surgeon to threaten me with a full-body fusion), the summer would be perfect. But nothing salves pain and discomfort like a couple thousand students and the rush of anticipation that precedes their arrival. We're all on edge, and it's a great edge. I trust the summer to end well for all of you, and we pray for God's special blessing on our students and families who will travel to Whitworth soon.

Academics

The art department has moved from the poorhouse to the penthouse. In July they took occupancy of the Ernst F. Lied Center for the Visual Arts. This new two-story, 20,000-square-foot building houses six studios and two gallery spaces and is nearly 2,000 square feet larger than the old fine-arts building. Two new art professors will join our faculty in the building this fall. We are so grateful to the Lied Foundation Trust for supporting this project. Under the extraordinarily wise and compassionate leadership of Ms. Christina Hixson, this foundation has enriched tens of thousands of young lives nationwide.

Right next door to the Lied Center, big renovations in Alder and Westminster halls are keeping heavy equipment around. By next spring we will have picked up much more classroom space and many more faculty offices. The theology department will move into Alder/Westminster, joining English, kinesiology & athletics, and modern languages.

Whitworth grants have supported summer research by our faculty, including...

  • Brooke Kiener, '99 (Theatre), studying community-based research methods in theatre classrooms.
  • Finn Pond (Biology), exploring DNA sequence data to shed light on the killer trait expressed by certain strains of paramecia.
  • Diana Trotter (Theatre), looking into the artistic, theological and personal implications of embodying the role of Jesus; she has conducted this research in part by interviewing professional actors who have played the role on stage.
  • Ben Brody, '97 (Music), composing an anthology of congregational hymns with musical and historical introductions for use in his Music of the Christian Church course.
  • Nancy Bunker (Library), researching the life of May C. Jones, the first woman ordained to the ministry in the territory of Washington and the first ordained Northern Baptist woman in the country.
  • Deanna Ojennus (Chemistry), studying the interaction between subunits G and E in the yeast V-ATPase enzyme.
  • Bendi Schrambach (French), investigating the relationship between studying abroad and students' vocational direction.
  • Patrick Van Inwegen (Political Science), revising a textbook, Understanding Revolution.

We also have faculty members working with undergraduate students on summer research projects:

  • Patricia Bruininks (Psychology) is studying the nature of hope and the relationship between poverty and hope.
  • Drew Budner (Chemistry) is investigating two different electrochemical sensors for the detection of hydrogen peroxide in an effort to understand how they function.
  • Susan Mabry (Math/Computer Science) is looking into a computer system to be used in medical diagnostics and to provide intervention suggestions to healthcare personnel through rapid recognition and alert of adverse trends or events.
  • Deanna Ojennus (Chemistry) is working with an LC-MS mass spectrometer that was recently acquired by Gonzaga University.
  • Kamesh Sankaran (Physics) is using a Washington Space Grant for research on numerical simulations of plasma flows in magnetic nozzles for spacecraft propulsion.
  • Betty Williams (Education) is studying the academic gains made by students in the summer 2008 Whitworth Literacy Center program, and by literacy-center clients over time, to determine the cumulative contribution of Whitworth's intensive approach in terms of academic improvement.
  • Nick Willis (Math) is working on singularity theory and the classification of singular points for a family of polynomials of fixed degree.

At the May Dean's Brunch the following faculty members were recognized by their peers for outstanding teaching:

  • Academic Challenge Award: John Yoder (Political Science)
  • Academic Mentoring Award: Susan Mabry (Math/Computer Science)
  • Collaborative Teaching Award: Pam Parker, '81 (English)
  • Dean's Junior Faculty Award: Alan Mikkelson, '00 (Communication Studies)
  • Innovative Teaching Award: Deanna Ojennus (Chemistry) (I can see where some innovation might help in making that yeast V-ATPase enzyme exciting.)

Two faculty members have published new books:

  • Julia Stronks (Political Science) and her mother, Gloria Stronks, Ph.D., have completed their second book, which they chose to post to the Internet for free. Families Living in the Fabric of Faithfulness may be downloaded from www.whitworth.edu/livinginthefabric. Many former faculty, current students and alumni were interviewed for this project. It presents ideas and suggestions from committed Christian parents and children, all of whom are struggling to connect the way they live with the deepest commitments of their hearts.
  • Northwestern University Press published The Conservative Resurgence and the Press: The Media's Role in the Rise of the Right, the latest book by Jim McPherson (Communication Studies). Jim argues that direct mail and a strong nationwide political organization contributed more than conservative broadcast media did to the Republican resurgence that began with Ronald Reagan's election as president in 1980 and continued with Republicans taking control of Congress for the first time in 40 years, in 1994.

Two faculty members recently received grants:

  • Dennis Sterner (Education) received a grant from the Washington Office of the Superintendent for Public Instruction for workshops for teachers on new state education requirements.
  • Janet Hauck (Library/History) received a grant from the Washington State Library for preservation of archival materials.

From Oct. 22-24, Whitworth will host a 10-member team from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities as they conduct our 10-year accreditation site visit. Our last full-scale visit was in 1998. Many board members, administrators, faculty, staff and students have participated in the self-study over the past two years, and their open and honest evaluation of Whitworth's strengths and challenges has helped not only to prepare for this visit, but also to make immediate improvements.

Beth Carlson, '08, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English as a foreign language in South Korea. Last November, the Fulbright Program named Whitworth a top producer of students who received Fulbright awards in 2007-08.

A team comprising Whitworth and University of Washington students was awarded a $5,000 Best Idea Prize in the UW's Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition. The team, Krochet Kids International, is a nonprofit company that provides crochet products made in developing nations to U.S. consumers. Profits are put back into the communities from which the products come. Whitworth's Krochet Kids team members are elementary education major Leah Hartanov, '08, and business major Travis Hartanov, '08. Their colleagues are the UW's Kohl Crecelius, Ryan Thomas and Ryan Motley. This is an inspiring effort.

Enrollment

We are about to welcome the amazing class of 2012. Our admissions folks give rave reviews to this group of students. We are also expecting a strong group of transfer students. Because the freshman class will be slightly larger than we planned, we're making some special accommodations. And a year from now, we will open a beautiful new residence hall that will expand on-campus housing opportunities and replace a few of our tired halls.

All new students will be greeted by returning students we can't wait to see. I am really fond of this year's senior class. I can't believe this is their last year. I may see if we can flunk a few of them, making it not so much their last year.

Between now and Aug. 16, 15 events around the West will allow many of you to gather and celebrate new Whitworth students and their families. These Summer Sendoffs, a tradition co-sponsored by the Whitworth Office of Alumni & Parent Relations and Whitworth Admissions, provide a chance for incoming students to connect regionally and for parents to get their last-minute questions answered by staff and current parents. The event listing is available on the alumni and parent events calendar at www.whitworth.edu/alumnievents.

Student Life

New students, make sure you take in all of Orientation Weekend! The NASCAR motif may sink us participants to new lows. But you will learn a ton and you'll prepare yourself well for the coming year.

We received $70,400 from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust for a ministry internship program that will provide two interns for two years to assist in our chapel programs.They will also serve as resident assistants in the new Shalom Community Center Residence Hall. Because the spiritual growth of our students is central to our mission, we are deeply appreciative to Murdock for this generous support.

Resources

Thanks to all of you who supported Whitworth this past fiscal year. We are finishing up our final tallies, but it looks like you provided total gifts in excess of $8 million, with nearly $1.4 million going to The Whitworth Fund. Thank you so much. We could not continue to offer this mind-and-heart education to a growing number of students without your ongoing commitment to partnership with us. We hope you can support us again this current year.

On-campus summer projects are legion. In fact, there are too many to list here. One project that won't be done until October has resulted in steam-line trenches on the north side of campus. It shouldn't affect getting around, but it isn't very pretty. This subterranean infrastructure will serve the new science building.

Athletics

Whitworth had four Academic All-Americans named in June. Scott Donnell (tennis) and Samantha Kephart (swimming) were named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA At-Large Academic All-America Team, while Ben Spaun and Cody Stelzer were both named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Track and Field/Cross-Country Academic All-America Team.

The Whitworth track and field teams excelled in the classroom, as well as in competition. The Pirate women had the highest team GPA (3.642) in all of NCAA Div. III, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The same association named the Whitworth men the Outdoor Scholar Team of the Year, based on both the team's cumulative GPA (3.214) and its third-place finish at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships. Cody Stelzer was named Indoor Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, based on his cumulative GPA of 3.479 and his runner-up finish in the high jump at the 2008 NCAA DIII Indoor Championships. Cody is also the DIII national champion in the outdoor high jump, and Emmanuel Bofa is DIII national champ in the 800. And Kristen Dormaier, Liz Mattila, Brandon Howell, Alex Hymel, and Ben Spaun were named USTFCCCA Scholar Athletes (based on their qualifying for nationals while maintaining cumulative GPAs of 3.25 or higher).

Whitworth has two new head coaches. Joe Abraham, who developed one of the largest and strongest touring softball programs in the Midwest, has moved from Columbus, Ohio, to take over the Pirate softball program. And Dan Ramsay, '08, a standout on our last two Pirate baseball teams, will stay in the dugout -- as Whitworth's new head baseball coach.

Alumni

Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 3-5, will be a huge celebration as alumni and donors get their first official look at the new art building, and the classes of 1988 and 1998 and art-department alumni celebrate reunions on campus. Brochures will be mailed soon, and event information is at www.whitworth.edu/homecoming.

Help us christen Chapman's new football stadium, in Orange, Calif., when the Pirates take on the Panthers Sept. 27. More details will be mailed soon, so plan to join alumni, parents and friends for a pre-game barbecue on campus at 5:30 p.m. and an evening of football under the lights beginning at 7 p.m.

Miscellaneous

Our Act Six Leadership & Scholarship Initiative is being expanded to Spokane. Nine Spokane-area students will be eligible for scholarships covering their financial need to attend Whitworth or Gonzaga beginning in fall 2009. Launched in 2002 by the Tacoma-based Northwest Leadership Foundation in partnership with Whitworth, Act Six is committed to preparing students to become leaders in their home communities. The initial program has expanded to Seattle, Portland, Memphis, Tenn., and now Spokane. Gonzaga is the latest university affiliate. This fall, the sixth multicultural cadre of 10 Act Six scholars will enroll at Whitworth and, by December, 20 of the 21 scholars in the first two cadres will have graduated. Overall, 63 of 67 scholars originally selected for the program have graduated or are still enrolled at Whitworth -- reflecting graduation and retention rates that far exceed national averages. Act Six scholars have been elected student-body president two of the past three years at Whitworth and have been involved in numerous other leadership roles on and off campus.

Closing Thoughts

We just received word that our strong and dear English professor Nadine Chapman died this week after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer; the long, chronic disease suddenly turned virulent. Frankly, Nadine fought so courageously that many of us forgot she was ill. In all the best literal and metaphorical senses, Nadine was a poet. As a gardener and cantor, wife and mother, colleague and friend, Nadine made beautiful poetry. Her husband, John, tells how she dearly loved Whitworth. I thought about that last night when Bonnie and I had dinner with a family that moved in just down the street a year ago. They came to Spokane to be with their son, who is now a 15-year-old Whitworth senior double-majoring in math and computer science. He is a great kid. There's no other way of saying it. Also at dinner was one of his classmates, who came to us from Ghana. Both guys talked of how much they like Whitworth. Last night I reflected on Nadine and these two young men. None of the three would be characterized as "mainstream Whitworth," whatever that is, but all three expressed love for this place. I'm convinced that only when Whitworth is a place where someone can say, "I'm different, and I belong" or "I'm different, and I am loved," can we claim to be the body of Christ. Sometimes we fail at that, but Nadine's life and her poetry will remind us to keep trying.