The other day I was talking with
a friend about medical options. (As
one ages, this becomes a hot topic
of conversation.) We agreed that
what we’re looking for in terms of
medical care is, first and foremost, a
caring, up-to-date, dedicated doctor.
We’d also like to go back to the days
when a doctor’s-office visit required
two days’ notice and a $5 copay, but
that’s a conversation for another day.
This issue of Whitworth Today focuses, in its main feature
article, on Whitworth alums who are all of the things my friend
and I are looking for in a medical professional. Their specialties
are varied, their backgrounds very different; Whitworth’s pre-med
program may be their only common denominator, other
than their unquestionable ability and accomplishment. But each
speaks of an undergraduate education that set him or her on a
path to fulfillment and achievement in medicine.
You can’t help but be impressed and inspired by these
Whitworthians who’ve dedicated their lives to improving, and
saving, the lives of others.
Another feature details Whitworth 2021, the 10-year vision
and strategic plan that Whitworth’s trustees approved this spring.
This ambitious plan, which has been read and evaluated by a
wide spectrum of the Whitworth community – students, faculty,
staff, alumni and friends of the university – outlines Whitworth’s
10-year destination and what the university hopes to achieve
along the way. (And the news section includes information
about our online master plan, which will give you an overview
of the bricks-and-mortar changes that are planned over the next
decade.)
Our third feature is a Q & A with five Whitworth professors
who are retiring this year. Their combined time at Whitworth
equals 134 years. Their impact is immeasurable. They will be
missed, and their answers reveal many facets of the people who
make up Whitworth’s faculty. Check out the article: You may find
one of your favorite professors there.
The news at Whitworth is good these days. It includes a very
generous gift to our School of Global Commerce & Management,
yet another conference trophy for our fantastic athletics program,
a richly deserved honor for past Whitworth president Bill
Robinson, a visit by a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award
winner, and a new program, Whitworth in China, conceived and
implemented by one of our young faculty members.
This magazine will reach you in June, after our students have
headed home for the summer. At this much-anticipated time of
year, we wish them, and you, good weather (unlike the spring
rain, clouds and cold we’ve been experiencing here in Spokane),
a bit of time for powering down and appreciating life, and, of
course, a few minutes to read and enjoy this issue of Whitworth
Today. Oh – and don’t forget to let us hear from you (tmitchell@
whitworth.edu). We’re interested in your thoughts about the
magazine – and about all things Whitworth. Happy summer!
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