Alumni Stories

Introducing Window guest editor Amy Harder

An ’07 journalism alum, Harder covers clean tech and green energy

Where the Whales Are

Alum Caitlyn Blair turns her girlhood love of orcas into a career protecting the Salish Sea

Decoding the sounds of the rainforest

Neal Digre, ‘16, is using the machine learning and linguistics skills he learned at WWU in the $10 million XPRIZE Rainforest competition.

Plastic Trash Upcycler

Alum Ryan Hackler’s company turns plastic into petrochemical alternatives. His startup is getting funding from the Department of Energy.

Leading with 'radical love'

State principal of the year William Jackson on justice-centered education

'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.

The Art of Translation

Fairhaven’s Rukhsar Sadat plans to make a career in advocating for immigrant and refugee families like her own

First Crush, Second Draft

Alum Will Taylor’s book about first love is one of a growing number of LGBTQ+ stories for kids

In Her Father’s Memory

Julann Spromberg learned to love nature on her family farm, and learned to be a scientist at Western

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 Man of Good Cheer

Marketing grad Ethan Huynh combined two passions and launched a career

A Showplace for All

How classically trained musicians from WWU are building a vibrant, inclusive show venue in downtown Bellingham.

Supplying the Drama

Supply chain pros aren’t used to this kind of attention. Alums talk about what it takes to keep the supply chains moving.

Looking Under Rocks

Geologist Paul Rady has a talent for finding oil and gas beneath the surface. He got his start with a crucial mentorship at Western.

Cross-Border Coach

Canadian Football Hall-of-Famer and alum Orlondo Steinauer knows there are no do-overs in football—or family

A trip to nationals helps launch a journalism career

The team's unofficial journalist became one of the first women sports reporters

Mighty Women of Western

Decades before Title IX, women at WWU were laying the groundwork for equality in women’s athletics

Basketball and Bravery

Basketball gave Gracie Phelps a place to start healing after childhood abuse, and the courage to seek justice.

Strong Rebound

After a brilliant career on the basketball court, Mo Anderson left Western months before graduation. But he was far from done.

Ending the Plague with Poetry

Alum Rena Priest’s poetry depicts a world gravely endangered yet poised for renewal

Eight-Legged Neighbors

WWU alum Kathryn Kegel spends her days caring for —and out-smarting—the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Seattle Aquarium

Get a Vet to Spot the Next Pandemic

Emily Pieracci’s passions for veterinary medicine and public health send her to the front lines of the world’s outbreaks.

Aurora Season

Adriel Butler, ’08, harnessed the power of logistics to build a one-of-a-kind tourist experience in the Alaskan wilderness

Class Notes: Journalist and author Andy Campbell, '08

Americans are becoming desensitized to political violence, Campbell warns in his new book

Global Hitchhiker

How far could a guy get in 1960 with two feet, one thumb and 18 bucks?

In Business with Owls

Barn owls yak up “perfect” educational packages for hands-on science sleuths. An alumni couple collects and sells them to educators.

Auntie Lena’s Neighborhood

Meet Western alumna Val Thomas-Matson’s empathetic TV alter-ego, as she showcases preschoolers of color on her children’s show ‘Look, Listen & Learn’

Class Notes: Golf Pro Cathy Kim, '08

Kim uses social media to share golf advice -- and get more people out on the course

The Story of Alma Clark Glass

Western is naming its newest residence hall after its first Black student, who became an early 20th century advocate for racial equality

Alma's Hall

Alma Clark Glass’s family helps open Western’s newest residence hall

Class Notes