Fall 2022 | Window | Western Washington University

A Western professor and a student standing on a grassy hill overlooking Pichincha on a cloudy day

Window to a Solar Future

An alum who helped develop a new solar window technology in a lab at Western returns to install the finished product at the Western Gallery

Two people, one on a ladder, work on the windows in front of the Western Gallery

First Crush, Second Draft

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

A man sits smiling for the camera on a concrete staircase

Cross-Border Coach

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

Orlondo Steinauer stands on a football field, holding a football in both hands.

Bee Welcome

It's official: Bees have a happy home at Western

students in bee keeping attire are surrounded by swirling honebees

Alma Clark Glass Hall receives top honors from architecture groups

The Civic Design Awards celebrate quality design arising from collaboration between architects and their civic clients.

Alma Clark Glass Hall is lit from the interior as dusk settles over the campus

This year’s incoming class is Western’s largest ever

Western’s fall enrollment is showing strong signs of a return to pre-pandemic levels

university administrators in academic regalia proceed through rows of standing students

Advice on keeping digital data secure and private

Erik Fretheim, director of Western’s Cyber Security Program, offers a few tips for the rest of us to keep our data out of the wrong hands

A man smiles for the camera in front of a tree turning colors for fall

Professor Liz Schermer joins geology’s top ranks

Schermer was recently elected to be a fellow of the American Geological Society

Geology Professor Liz Schermer holds a white board as she lectures on a rocky slope, surrounded by students

Class Notes: Golf Pro Cathy Kim, '08

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

Cathy Kim stands on a golf course, a golf bag and clubs over her shoulder

Institute for Energy Studies honored for green design

The U.S. Department of Energy has recognized Western’s bachelor’s degree in Energy Science and Technology as a world leader in teaching zero-energy design.

rows of solar panels line the outside of a building, next to a leafy green tree

A Look Back: Hanging out on ‘Log Ramps’ in 1991

Western has a long tradition of student involvement in campus art, even if they don’t know it.

Students sit and lie down on the sloping stacked logs of the Log Ramps sculpture

Western’s new Chief Diversity Officer will lead the Office of Equity

The Office of Equity bridges two complementary areas, compliance, and community education and development

Class Notes: Journalist and author Andy Campbell, '08

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

President's Message: Finding a window to a wider world

Pushing beyond our comfort zones can enhance our outlooks

Sabah stands in front of Old Main with hands in pockets, wearing a suit and a reserved smile

Alumni Conversations: We're celebrating a new year

For those of us fortunate to work in higher education, our year begins with the return of thousands of students

Kim O'Neill stands for a portrait on the walkway in front of Old Main.

New state funding boosts retention, workforce goals

The Washington State Legislature recently approved more than $3 million in new spending to support student retention and strengthen Western’s nursing and cyber-security programs

aerial view of the walkways, trees and lawn around Wilson Library on a sunny, fall day.

Thomas Hunter - 2016

Class Note

Thomas Hunter, B.A., environmental policy, became the assistant city manager of Pflugerville, Texas, northeast of Austin. Previously, he was director of Public Works and Utilities for the city of Port Angeles.

John Ruple - 1992

Class Note

John Ruple, B.A., sociology – demography, recently joined the Biden Administration to serve as senior counsel in the White House Council on Environmental Quality. John is serving the White House while on leave from the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, where he leads the Law and Policy Program at the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment. His research areas focus on the management of public lands and their resources.

Cheryl Mathison - STFF

Obituary

Cheryl Mathison, 66, a program coordinator who worked in teacher education at Woodring College of Education, on Aug. 26, 2022. She also served as Public School Employees of Washington Local Union president, and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western.