Contact: ExtendedEd@wwu.edu or call (360) 650-3308.

BELLINGHAM – Registrations for Western Washington University’s Summer Choral Arts Institute are being accepted through Monday, July 9; ideal for music educators, choral directors, voice conductors and students, the Institute will take place July 16-21 on WWU’s campus.

The Choral Arts Institute, presented by Western’s College of Fine and Performing Arts and the Bellingham Festival of Music, is a six-day intense study of vocal and conducting techniques using Mozart’s Mass in C Minor.

The Choral Arts Institute is instructed by Vance George, the chorus director emeritus of the San Francisco Symphony, and Michael Palmer, artistic director of the Bellingham Festival of Music.

During afternoon sessions, participants will be immersed in the score study, analysis, and conducting of specific sections of Mozart’s Mass in C Minor. Each afternoon will begin with a presentation by the voice faculty on how to work with each individual voice type using excerpts from the Mass as examples.

In the evenings, Institute participants will join the singers in the Festival chorus under the baton of Vance George to rehearse the work.

The week will culminate with a performance of the work with the Festival Chorus and Orchestra under direction of Michael Palmer.

Additional Institute staff includes Argentinean-Canadian mezzo-soprano, Fabiana Katz, and Dinah Helgeson, emeritus Fine and Performing Arts chair for ISB School in Bangkok, Thailand.

Participants can earn three graduate credits or 30 clock hours. Formal admission to Western is not required.

Registrations are being accepted online at www.wwu.edu/choralinstitute.  For registration questions, e-mail ExtendedEd@wwu.edu or call (360) 650-3308. 

Contact: Paul Cocke, University Communications, (360) 650-3350

BELLINGHAM – Steven Hollenhorst will assume the deanship of Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University effective Sept. 1, Provost Catherine Riordan announced today.

Steven Hollenhorst will assume the deanship of Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University effective Sept. 1. Hollenhorst comes to Western from the University of Idaho.

“From an exceptionally strong pool of candidates, we have identified a national leader in the field of environmental research and policy to assume the deanship of the Huxley College.  Western is committed to our legacy of leadership on environmental issues, and Dr. Hollenhorst is well positioned to advance that into the future," Riordan said. "His career exemplifies the interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial approaches we were seeking, as well a truly outstanding of record of long-term community and agency partnerships that will be key to Huxley’s and Western’s success in the future."

Hollenhorst, now professor and associate dean for the College of Natural Resources at the University of Idaho, was selected following a national search. He will succeed longtime and widely appreciated –both locally and nationally – Huxley Dean Brad Smith, who will retire from Western in 2013.

“The opportunity to work with the faculty, students, staff at Huxley, one of the world’s first colleges of the environment, is an honor and privilege," Hollenhorst said. "I commit to do everything I can to nurture and advance Huxley’s vision to be a global leader in environmental learning, science and community engagement."

Hollenhorst has more than 25 years of experience in developing, implementing and enhancing innovative academic programs. At the University of Idaho, he also served as founding director of the university’s award-winning Building Sustainable Communities Initiative and is director of the universities Park Studies Unit, which is a branch of the National Park Service Social Science Program.  He also previously served as that university’s department head for its Department of Conservation Sciences.

Prior to his service at the University of Idaho, he was a professor and program coordinator in the Division of Forestry at Western Virginia University.  His career includes nationally and internationally recognized scholarship. He is the author or co-author of numerous scholarly publications, including refereed articles, peer-reviewed agency research reports, book chapters and research reports. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oregon and his doctorate from Ohio State University.

In making this announcement, Riordan acknowledged the work of the search committee, chaired by Andy Bunn, professor of Environmental Sciences at Western and newly appointed Director of the Institute for Energy Studies, as well as the many campus and community members who played active roles in making this search a success. 

The dean of Huxley College is responsible for providing academic and administrative leadership to an engaged community of faculty and staff members in two academic departments, four off-campus program sites and four related institutes. The dean reports directly to the provost and serves on the university’s Council of Deans.

WWU's Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College's academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.

Contact: Mary Doherty, Western Washington University Alumni Association, (360) 650-6363; mary.doherty@wwu.edu

BELLINGHAM – Western Washington University’s Third Annual Back2Bellingham reunion weekend May 18–20 was the most successful to-date, drawing nearly 7,000 people to campus and exceeding university expectations with sold-out shows and events Thursday through Sunday.

Crowds packed Red Square (above) the Wilson Library (below) and venues across campus for Back2Bellingham activities May 18-20; more than 7,000 visitors made it to campus for the reunion weekend. (photos courtesy WWU Alumni Association)

“All the major hotels were sold out for the entire weekend,” said Cheryl Collins, visitor services manager for Whatcom County Tourism.About 81 percent of Back2Bellingham registrants traveled from nine different states, British Columbia and the District of Columbia to attend the weekend’s festivities.

“We were just delighted to have such a diverse group of alumni, current and future students, parents, faculty and staff, as well as neighbors from the community join us for the biggest Back2Bellingham yet. This gathering to celebrate the distinctive excellence and community that is Western is becoming one of the year’s highlights,” said Western President Bruce Shepard.

Sponsored by Western’s Alumni Association, Back2Bellingham 2012 brought together all seven WWU colleges, 17 departments and 21 organizations on campus to coordinate more than 100 events for current and prospective students, parents, alumni, community members and faculty and staff.

“For our 103,000 alumni, their experience at Western and Bellingham are synonymous,” said Deborah DeWees, executive director of Western’s Alumni Association. “Our alumni told us they wanted a reunion that includes both the university and the community. Back2Bellingham became the vision for providing that scratch and sniff experience to share with their families what it was like as a Western student living in Bellingham.”

Bellingham-based businesses are vital to the Western experience, and many partnered with WWU for events and offered specials through the weekend.

“We love being a part of Back2Bellingham,” said Katie Swanson, owner of Katie’s Cupcakes, a Red Square Carnival vendor. “The exposure was great for everyone visiting campus and we had a great weekend at our shop in Fairhaven.”

With help from a Whatcom County Tourism grant and the pro-bono work of alumni-owned JayRay marketing firm in Tacoma, the Alumni Association ramped up marketing efforts with billboards and bus signs throughout Whatcom County and down the I-5 corridor to reach the greater Seattle audience of 3.7 million. Social media engagement and increased awareness were also factors that contributed to the event’s success.

This year’s B2B highlights were the BBQ lunch on Old Main Lawn with live music by the PrimeTime band and an ‘80s flash mob, the Red Square Carnival with bouncy houses, Party in the Library with Boundary Bay, Science in Red Square with demonstrations of compression bombs, Classes Without Quizzes, Junior Viking Blast Pass, kids athletic camps, the Downtown Bellingham Bash with Spaceband, various campus tours and boat excursions on the water.

 “We are thrilled that so many families came from the Bellingham community to explore our nationally recognized university as a part of the Back2Bellingham Weekend,” said Chris Roselli, Western’s Alumni Association assistant director. “Thanks to the partnerships with various businesses in our community, we were able to put on an incredible weekend filled with reunions, entertainment, education, and wholesome fun for the whole family. We’re really excited for some of the things we have up our sleeve for next year’s B2B.”

Next year’s Back2Bellingham Alumni and Family Reunion will take place May 17-19, 2013.

View and download Back2Bellingham photos here; please give photo credit to Zeck Koa, WWU Alumni Association.