Whitworth is pleased to announce Associate Professor of Economics Vange Ocasio Hochheimer and Terrain co-founder Ginger Ewing ’01 have been named Inland Northwest Women of the Year by The Spokesman-Review.

Ocasio Hochheimer has been teaching economics at Whitworth since 2011 and has made many significant contributions to both the Whitworth and Spokane communities.  

She was appointed to the Washington State Department of Commerce Community Economic Revitalization Board in September 2019. The board is the state’s decision-making authority for investing state funds into public infrastructure with the goal of bolstering private business development. 

Two months later, Ocasio Hochheimer made history in Spokane, becoming the first female panelist to speak at Greater Spokane Incorporated’s Economic Forecast.

Earlier this year, Ocasio Hochheimer opened her own independent firm, Grand Fir Analytics, and completed a report for the Spokane Association of Realtors. The report focused on how policies such as rent control or just-cause evictions could actually end up hurting, not helping, the most vulnerable populations in Spokane. 

“Dr. Ocasio Hochheimer has been a great advocate for the economics discipline at Whitworth University, helping our students understand the importance of markets as a means of reducing global poverty and improving the overall quality of life for most people,” says Tim Wilkinson, dean of the Whitworth School of Business. “Her solutions-oriented engagement with the Spokane business community is a great example for all of us.”

Read more about Ocasio Hochheimer’s work in The Spokesman-Review.

Ewing graduated from Whitworth in 2001 and majored in history. She originally intended to work in the forensic anthropology field, but instead turned her passion for art into her business. 

She is the executive director and co-founder of Terrain, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a vibrant arts community in Spokane. Last year, Terrain’s annual fundraiser raised more than $500,000 in support of artists. 

Ewing’s work with the city as well as the state has put into focus the importance of art. She serves as a commissioner for Spokane Arts and the Washington State Arts Commission and last year was named one of the YWCA’s 2019 Women of Achievement. 

Ewing recently helped bring together a group of 16 artists of color to create a Black Lives Matter mural in downtown Spokane. 

Ewing is currently focused on supporting artists amid the COVID-19 pandemic and its related impacts,  by advocating for affordable housing and studio space for artists in Spokane. Read her story in The Spokesman-Review.

About Whitworth University:

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian church. The university, which has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students, offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Trisha Coder, media relations manager, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or tcoder@whitworth.edu

Whitworth University is pleased to announce it is a recipient of the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

Whitworth Professor of History Dale Soden Receives Washington State Historical Society’s Highest Award
Whitworth Professor of History Dale Soden, Ph.D., has been awarded the Robert Gray Medal by the Washington State Historical Society. This is the society’s highest honor and recognizes distinguished and long-term contributions to the study and teaching of Pacific Northwest history.

"U.S. News & World Report": Whitworth No. 4 Best University in the West
Ranked No. 3 (tie) for best undergraduate teaching
Ranked No. 2 for best colleges for veterans 
Ranked No. 3 best value

Whitworth’s Class of 2020 Commencement Ceremony Moved to May 2021
Whitworth University announced today that in light of the ongoing public health crisis and in accordance with both state and local public health guidelines, it must reschedule the Class of 2020 commencement ceremony to May 23, 2021.

Whitworth Named to The Princeton Review’s “Best in the West” List
Whitworth University is one of the best colleges in the West, according to The Princeton Review

Whitworth’s “Balance Your Bucs” Program Wins National Award
Whitworth’s School of Business is proud to announce its personal finance education program, Balance Your Bucs, has received the Diamond Award from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA).

Brian Kirkpatrick Elected Chair of Whitworth Board of Trustees
The Whitworth University Board of Trustees has elected Brian Kirkpatrick to be the next chair of the board, succeeding Jason Thackston ’92, who served as chair from 2014-2020.

News Release Index