Class Notes

Nate Sanford, B.A., journalism - news/editorial, is a Murrow News fellow working as a reporter at Cascade PBS and KNKX radio, covering policy and politics with an emphasis on issues facing young adults. The Murrow News Fellowship is a state-funded initiative to help revitalize local journalism by placing 16 early-career journalists in newsrooms across the state.  

Evan Tablatin, BAE, early childhood education, is a talent acquisition specialist for Seattle City Light. 

Christopher Haveman, B.A., English, is an associate professor of history at the University of West Alabama and the author of "River of Sand: Creek Indian Emigration, Relocation, and Ethnic Cleansing in the American South." 

Steve Kizer, BAE, physical education - secondary, recently retired after more than two decades as head football coach at Skyview High School in Vancouver, Washington. 

Amy Heinze, B.A., English and music, recently joined the board of the Tacoma Community College Foundation. 

Rebecca Som Castellano, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, is a professor of sociology at Boise State University, where her areas of expertise include rural sociology, and the sociology of food and agriculture. 

Dustin Till, B.A., history, recently became a partner in the law firm of Troutman Pepper Lock. Dustin has extensive experience in hydropower, environmental and renewable energy law. 

Brooke Bain-White, B.S., environmental science - marine ecology, and '17, M.S., environmental science, is a Ph.D. candidate in the University of Montana's Global Climate and Ecology Lab, where her research investigates ways in which wildfires affect water quality in high-elevation lakes. Her research is funded by the Glacier National Park Conservancy. 

Tom Venable, B.A., political science, has announced he will leave his position as Methow Valley School District Superintendent at the end of the school year and will become the executive director of the Methow Housing Trust in July. Before moving to the Methow Valley, Tom was a teacher, principal and deputy superintendent for Bellingham Public Schools. 

Chris Hartmann, M.Ed., physical education, who coached volleyball at WWU from 1987 to 1991, now coaches varsity disc golf at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. Chris also designs disc golf courses, plays professionally, and works toward growing other collegiate disc golf programs in Canada.  

Shoko Toyama, B.A., business - finance, is vice president and chief development officer of Plymouth Housing and was recently named part of the Puget Sound Business Journal's "40 Under 40" cohort of 2025. 

This spring, David Wain Coon, M.Ed., student personnel administration, is the acting president of San Jose City College. He retired in December 2024 as president of College of Marin. 

Johanna Brown, B.A., chemistry, is the associate director for Secondary Science at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Johanna is also a former high school chemistry teacher in Pullman who was the 2021 Washington Science Awardee of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. The PAEMST is the highest recognition in the U.S. for K-12 teachers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The award was announced by President Joe Biden in January 2024.

Arcadia Publishing recently published "Tug Boat Sand Man" by Lisa Nickel, BAE, geography - elementary. The Sand Man, built in 1910, spent several decades towing commodities to and from Budd Inlet and has been lovingly restored. 

After retiring from the Marysville Fire District as Battalion Chief of EMS, Dean Shelton, B.A., recreation, recently graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Program, Harvard Law School's intensive five-week executive training program for trade union leaders. Dean serves as vice president of the Washington State Council of Firefighters and 8th district representative. 

Heidi Fedore, B.A., journalism, retired as a school principal in 2022 and just debuted a young adult novel, "Pigs and Flakes," the story of an American teen who goes to work on her uncle's farm in England in hopes of escaping hateful online gossip. Heidi also writes a monthly blog. 

Bottlecap Press just published "Analogous Annum," the first poetry chapbook by Elinor Serumgard, B.A., English - creative writing. 

Jenni Baldwin, M.A., English, and '09, MiT, and her husband Ryan spearhead the Baldwin Challenge, an annual fundraising drive for Northwest Harvest that has raised more than $100,000 for the non-profit organization supporting foodbanks in Washington. Jenni is director of Alumni Engagement at The Overlake School, where she was a teacher for more than a decade. She also serves on the Lake Washington Schools Foundation board of trustees. 

Michael Dashiell, B.A., journalism-news/editorial, recently became Tribal Communications and Publication specialist for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe after 25 years with the Sequim Gazette, including the past 15 as editor. Michael was also named Grand Marshal of the 2025 Sequim Irrigation Festival.

Sabrina Villanueva, B.A., political science, is the senior director of Property Management at Clise Properties in Seattle and performed as a "celebrity dancer" for Plymouth Housing's annual fundraising gala, Seattle Dances on March 8.