Seen and Heard archive
WWU alumni in the news
Have you or a fellow WWU alumnus been in the news? Share your story!
Your career milestones are an inspiration to current and future WWU students.
Send an email to westwind@wallawalla.edu.
Sonja Rootvik
2014 | Art
Sonja Rootvik (and the entire Rootvik family) was featured in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin where she shared about fishing adventures in Alaska and the resulting tight-knit family bonds.
Read more >
Richie Brower
1995 | Theology
Richie Brower develops ActivityOutpost.com for parents of young children looking for activities during physical distancing.
Read more >
Brent Davis
2008 | Business administration (pre-law)
Brent Davis was named vice president and chief financial officer for the AdventHealth Central Florida Division—North Region.
Read more >
Tim Kosaka
2018 | Business administration
After graduating from college and discovering the challenges of staying connected to the Adventist church as a young person, Tim Kosaka developed Adventist Young Professionals as a way for young Adventists from around the world to share inspirational digital content with each other.
Read more >
Ginger Ketting Weller
1985 | Elementary Education
Ginger Ketting Weller named eighth president of the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies in the Philippines
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Kevin Coleman
2009 | New Media Imaging
Coleman develops app to inspire random good deeds and a positive perspective
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Kevin Wilfley
1979 | Theology
Wilfley receives Excellence in Ministry award
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Archie Harris
1988 | Elementary education
Harris named associate superintendent of education for Upper Columbia Conference
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Elizabeth Jones
2013 | Business and pre-law
Elizabeth Jones announced as a Supreme Court Fellow
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Darryl Fisher
1987 | Aviation
Ageless Aviation Dreams Foundation earns Veteran Supporter of the Month honor
Joey Barajas
2018 | Theology
Joey Barajas shared the story of how he went from poker player to pastor in the August 2020 issue of Adventist Journey.
Read more >
Philip Phillips
1979 | Chemistry and Mathematics
Philip Phillips was named to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in the mathematical and physical sciences class, physics section.
Read more online and in the Summer 2020 Westwind >
Paddy McCoy
1999 | Religion and speech communication
Paddy McCoy will lead Crosswalk PDX, a new church in Portland, Oregon.
Read more >
Christy Billock
Att. 1990–93 | Preprofessional (occupational therapy)
Christy Billock was interviewed on ABC7 News on April 10, 2020, regarding strategies to copy with stress brought on by life changes as a result of COVID-19.
Watch here >
Vesna Dodge
1997 | English and history
Vesna Dodge has been promoted to the position of executive vice president/Baker Boyer asset management for Baker Boyer Bank.
Read more >
Bethany Logan Ropa
2006 | French
Logan Ropa featured in American Builders Quarterly for leadership and pioneering work at UBS Investment Bank
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Tom Evans
1990 | Theology and Speech Communication
Evans named Outreach Ministries Director for Oregon Conference
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Jason Courtright
1996 | Mechanical Engineering
Tom Hamel
1996 | Mechanical Engineering
Wes Georges
1997 | Mechanical Engineering
Colorado Springs defense contractor Apogee Engineering lands $190 million in contracts.
Read more >
Brandon Spangler
2016 and 2017 | Social Work
Counselor draws on personal experience
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Myron and Candace Isemeinger
1986 | Theology, Education
Myron Iseminger, World Church Undersecretary, returns to Egypt as new field president
Read more
Elta Jackson-Henry
1995 and 1996 | Social Work
Jackson-Henry shares personal experiences during MSNBC Town Hall segment on racism in America
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Matthew Klein
2008 | Engineering
People of Reclamation: Meet Matthew Klein, Professional Engineer
Joel Libby
2004 | Art
Joel Libby’s painting of New York Giants pitcher Christy Mathewson is on display in the Art of Baseball exhibit in the Frank and Peggy Steele Art Gallery at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Read more >
Anthony Stahl
1990 | Business administration
Anthony Stahl was named president of Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.
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Carrie Ayagaduk Ojanen
2007 | English and French
Carrie Ayagaduk Ojanen’s poem “the pomegranate’s decimation” was posted on poets.org, part of the Academy of American Poets.
Read more and listen here >
Victoria Burghart
2016 | Biology
Victoria Burghart, a fourth-year medical student studying psychiatry at Loma Linda University, was interviewed on the podcast “Psychiatry & Psychotherapy” on the topic “Is Social Media Good for Mental Health?”
Read more >
Carl Wilkens
1981 | Industrial Education
Carl Wilkens was awarded the 2019 Abarinzi b’lgihango (Protectors of Friendship Pact) award for his courage in protecting thousands of Rwandans during the 1994 genocide and for promoting reconciliation in its aftermath.
Read more >
Lori Ciccarelli Stotko
1981 | Communication Media
Lori Ciccarelli Stotko’s book “Myself, My Responsibility: Tools to Self-advocate” was named as a finalist in the 2019 Best Book Awards, Children's Educational category, sponsored by American Book Fest
Read more >
Michael Woodruff
2013 | Business Administration
Christopher Lindsey
2016 | Biology
Woodruff and Lindsey break record by documenting 146 bird species in Pend Oreille County in 24 hours
Read more >
Jason Wells
1996 | English, religion minor
Wells to preside over Ukiah Valley and Howard Memorial in the new year
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Andray Abrahamain
2000 | History and mass communications
Abrahamain named 2018–19 Stanford University Koret Fellow
Read more >
Peter McPherson
1996 | History, religion minor
McPherson named chief deputy in Idaho State Department of Education
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Monte Saxby
1982 | Math
The Big Ride to Chicago
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David Vixie
1977 | Elementary education
Pioneer Days teaches immigrant history with fun and games
Darryl Masson
2013 | Physics
Daryl Masson coauthored a paper on the search for dark matter, specifically “curious and unexpected events and in the background of the experiment XENON1T.” The research paper, “Observation of Excess Electronic Recoil Events in XENON1T,” has been submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
News summary and research paper >
Dennis Huynh
2006 | Graphic Design
Dennis Huynh, creative director for BuzzFeed News, was a medal finalist and copresenter of the digital awards for the 55th Annual Society of Publication Designers Awards Gala.
Read more >
Mindi Irvine
Att. 1988–90 | Preprofessional (physical therapy)
Mindi Irvine was featured in the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin for her work to provide free health care during the COVID-19 pandemic for those on the front lines caring for us.
Read more >
Jessica Craik Coffee
2003 | Technology, concentration in graphic design
Jessica Coffee’s work on itty-bitty dollhouse home design is featured in The New York Times.
Read more >
Eric and Katie Harris
2008 | Business and Automotive Service
2012 | Nursing
Eric and Katie Harris were featured in the Gleaner, the magazine of the North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, for their work to establish Bear Canyon Farm, a working farm at Mount Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Mont.
Read more >
Lauren Graham
2004 | Social work
Master of social work graduate Lauren Graham was named the 2019 Social Worker of the Year in Wyoming by the National Association of Social Workers
Read more >
Sara Archer
1991 | Communication
Archer receives Women in Business Inspirational Woman Contest from Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce
Read more >
Annette Gibson
1968 | Business administration
Gibson coauthors textbook on business ethics
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Karl Haffner
1985 | Business and Theology
Haffner named vice president for student experience at Loma Linda University Health
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Jay Wintermeyer
1996 | Mass communication major
Wintermeyer named communication director for North Pacific Union Conference
Read more >
Craig Foster
1990 | Business administration, history minor
Sheltair aviation announces Craig Foster as general manager of their new FBO at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC)