Fall 2023

'She Was Beautiful, Loyal and Tough'

Marine Sciences graduate Amirah Casey’s impressive list of accomplishments includes embracing her late mother's story as part of her own.
Amirah Casey, in her cheer uniform, sits next to a gigantic trophy

Jane Wong's 'furious, joyful memoir'

The New York Times, Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews love 'Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City.'
Jane Wong holds a bouquet of flowers.

A Viking Comes Full Circle

Jim Sterk returns to Western to lead Viking Athletics
Jim Sterk, wearing a suit and tie, stands smiling in front of the entrance at Carver

Aperture of Empathy

Does looking into the eyes of an animal make us more likely to act to save its endangered habitat?
a hippopotamus under the water surrounded by a school of fish

All the Buzz

WWU grad student Annie Jolliff stalks bumble bees.
Annie Jolliff, examines a bee in a sample tube while standing on a meandering path lined with flowers in Hovander Homestead park.

Keys, Phone, Lifesaver

How do you bring an overdose-stopping drug to the masses? Make it sleek, stylish and small enough to carry on a keychain.
a small, white plastic case for naloxone, designed with curves and small enough to fit in a pocket or hang on a keychain

Eye on the Water

The Institute for Watershed Studies provides long-term water quality data for Lake Whatcom.
Two students on a boat in the middle of Lake Whatcom, one holds a tube preparing to take a water sample.

Building a More Inclusive Teacher Workforce

Washington Education Association partners with WWU
aerial view of Red Square on a sunny day

WWU faculty join two new NSF-funded research centers

One is devoted to the study of earthquakes, and the other focused on bridging Indigenous and “Western” scientific knowledge.
Emily Roland and Colin Amos, with Bellingham Bay and the San Juans in the background

A brighter financial future

Alum Paul Merriman shares a lifetime of financial knowledge with WWU students and the community
Paul Merriman smiles

A closer look at earthquake resilience at sea level

What happens when an earthquake hits a building already damaged by saltwater?
Rebecca Paci-Green

Libraries, two colleges have new deans

Red Square at night.

Harnessing the power of scientific societies to build inclusion in the sciences

Robin Kodner

Storytelling honors for '19 Life-Changing Days in Ecuador'

a student sits on a plank swing and swings out on a mountainside, a view of Quito far below them.

1999: Death Cab on Campus

Before world fame, the indie rock band played the Fairhaven Auditorium
Western Front 1999 news clipping Death Cab for Cutie to play at Fairhaven with a photo of the band

Class Notes

Rus Highley - 1994

Class Notes (General)

Three alumni have turned their passion for the ocean and its creatures into careers with the MaST Center Aquarium located at Highline College.

Rus Higley, '94, directs the 2,500-square-foot aquarium that serves Highline students, faculty and the public. He's joined by fellow graduates in biology with a marine emphasis Emily Bjornsgard, ‘20, the lead aquarist, and Lily Gray, ‘21.

The MaST (Marine Science and Technology) aquarium in Des Moines features more than 250 local species and two touch pools.

Emily Bjornsgard - 2020

Class Notes (General)

Three alumni have turned their passion for the ocean and its creatures into careers with the MaST Center Aquarium located at Highline College.

Rus Higley, '94, directs the 2,500-square-foot aquarium that serves Highline students, faculty and the public. He's joined by fellow graduates in biology with a marine emphasis Emily Bjornsgard, ‘20, the lead aquarist, and Lily Gray, ‘21.

The MaST (Marine Science and Technology) aquarium in Des Moines features more than 250 local species and two touch pools.

Jean Marie Landahl Higginson - 1953

Obituaries

Jean Marie Landahl Higginson, 89, an elementary school teacher for most of her career, on Jan. 4, 2023, in Ferndale.  

See all class notes