Thursday, April 28, 2022

Wenqing Zhao, assistant professor of philosophy, has received a Summer Stipend award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The award will enable her to spend two months this summer researching and writing two journal articles on female moral exemplars in Confucian philosophy. Zhao is Whitman’s first NEH Summer Stipend winner since 2007.

 

Zhao specializes in bioethics and Chinese philosophy. In the past, most of the normative investigations on virtue and moral psychology have been done inside canonical Western traditions, just as most empirical psychology is done on “WEIRD” (Western Educated Industrialized Rich Democratic) populations.

However, for centuries, Confucianism has been a prominent normative source of morality, and more broadly, an entire way of life that permeates the fabric of familial, social and political life in East Asia. Zhao’s NEH project develops a theory of virtue and moral psychology from the Confucian tradition, focusing on women and children, who have been historically marginalized and undertheorized. The goal of this work is to contribute to a more culturally attuned normative discourse on virtue and moral psychology.

 

The NEH Summer Stipends program is designed to stimulate research and publication in the humanities by providing funding to support continuous, full-time work on projects for two months. About 90 awards are made each year, with an average funding rate of 11%. While the awards are competitive, applications can provide a valuable opportunity for faculty to develop a well-defined research and writing plan that will result in a book or article. Whitman can nominate two faculty members each year. Find more information about the next NEH Summer Stipends competition this September online or contact Rachna Sinnott (sinnotrs@whitman.edu).

This afternoon at 5 p.m. in the amphitheater, the Whitman community has one final opportunity this semester to learn from four wisdom-keepers from CTUIR during this WEB-sponsored event. Elders will share stories discussing their life on this land from both a personal and community perspective and will describe work being done by CTUIR to mitigate cultural, spiritual and environmental harms.

 

WEB believes that as students come for four years and then leave, exposure to even a small part of a lifetime of experiences on this land will not only build appreciation for the area but also enlighten students to the changes and challenges that CTUIR faces. The event is also part of our “Climate Reckonings, Climate Justice” academic theme and panelists have been invited to reflect on environmental activism within or outside of their community,

 

This event will be the last program connected to this semester’s Long Tent initiative. The panelists (Fred Hill, Thomas Morning Owl, Mildred Quaempts and Linda Sampson) all participated in Long Tent programming and so will be able to reflect on what that experience meant to them and what it might mean to Whitman College going forward. 

 

In case of rain this event will be moved to Maxey.

Announcements

Join the campus community this evening for Take Back the Night, an interactive student-led event that creates awareness, empowers survivors and educates the community about sexual violence.

 

There will be two parts to the evening: a march starting at 7 p.m. outside the Hall of Music and a vigil from 8 p.m.–10 p.m. in Chism Recital Hall. There will be two parts of the vigil, anonymous stories read aloud and open mic time for sexual assault survivors. The survivor speak-out is the heart of the Take Back the Night events across the country.

 

There will be representatives from the Counseling Center and the YWCA available for support at the event. Attendees are encouraged to take any space throughout the night necessary, as these stories can be both empowering and difficult to hear and process. 

 

More details are available here.

In accordance with Washington state Labor & Industries employer requirements, we are notifying the campus community that in the past 24 hours, five people with Whitman access were confirmed positive for COVID-19. These people are now in isolation in accordance with our campus and CDC guidelines. 

 

The risk of viral spread is lower for people who are properly masked and following social gathering restrictions. Please continue to follow all our campus COVID-19 protocols to help prevent transmission.

 

If you have any symptoms that may be COVID-19 or know that you may have been exposed to coronavirus, please be tested. Employees should email Human Resources (hr@whitman.edu) to schedule a test. Students can be tested at the back door of Welty from 9:30–11:30 a.m. and 2:30–4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and home test kits are available on the weekend from Residence Life staff or Security (509-527-5777).

Have an event you'd like to share with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.

“Whitman Today” is produced by the Office of Communications and is emailed Monday through Friday to Whitman College staff, faculty and students. All times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time. 

 

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