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COMMUNITY COVERAGE
A 6-foot beautiful but broken sea star ravaged by wasting disease. A contour map overlaid with poetic riffs on geologic time. Photographs of neon rectangles illuminating a dense forest to highlight the effects of forest fire. A jewel box installation of a kelp forest. An everyday business suit crafted from a silver emergency wildfire shelter.
In honor of the sacrifices of veterans and their families, Western welcomes Veterans and dependents to participate in all free events throughout the week of Nov. 9-13.
Milo Palmer just began his fourth year at Western composing and playing bass, guitar, and piano. You can catch him performing serious music and hear his line-fudging compositions in the Concert Hall with the Composers of Western – “COW” as it’s known at WWU.
Western Washington University’s Sustainability Pathways program, now in its seventh year, welcomed its largest cohort yet for summer 2026: 22 undergraduates working with 20 organizations, agencies and non-profits in the Methow and Okanogan valleys on projects focused on the environment, health and well-being, social equity and economic vitality.
BELLINGHAM, WASH., Oct. 16, 2026 — Western Washington University and PeaceHealth have reached a purchase-and-sale agreement for the former St. Luke’s Hospital site and related parcels. The agreement reflects a shared commitment to advancing health education, supporting student well-being and planning for future regional healthcare needs.
Western Washington University’s Board of Trustees met on campus Oct.15-16.
We’re excited to share that Bellingham’s first mitigation bank is on track to open in February or March 2027. The Bellingham Mitigation Bank will improve water quality, reduce flooding, and support fish and wildlife, all while providing a more efficient, consistent way for development projects to meet environmental requirements.
We know “budget season” isn’t the most thrilling phrase—but it does lay the groundwork for the services, programs, and investments our community relies on. These sessions help ensure we’re allocating resources responsibly and transparently, with thoughtful discussion along the way.
Two areas in Whatcom County, including Bellingham’s downtown and waterfront, were recently selected for a competitive, national designation as Opportunity Zones for a second time. These zones benefit from a federal tax incentive that’s designed to attract private investment in low-income communities. The program allows eligible investors to defer and reduce their capital gains taxes when they invest capital gains in a business or property in an Opportunity Zone. Gov. Bob Ferguson announced Washington selections Oct. 8. Learn more, including how Bellingham has benefited from this designation in the past, on our Opportunity Zones page .
Join us at Rock Hill Park next Thursday, Oct. 22, at 4:30 p.m. for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the park’s new upper and lower playgrounds. These long-awaited improvements have been in the works since 2024, and we’re excited to finally open them for play. You’ll have a chance to meet Parks & Recreation Director Nicole Oliver, learn about the park’s history and the project, and connect with neighbors. Visit our event calendar for more details. See you there!
Plan for possible delays and changing traffic conditions along the Roeder Avenue Bridge between Central Avenue and C Street from Oct. 19–30 as we repair the bridge approach. The sidewalk will remain open and bike lanes will merge with vehicle traffic. During a routine inspection, we discovered minor erosion at the base of the bridge caused by tidal changes in the Whatcom Waterway. This work will help protect the bridge’s foundation and keep it strong and reliable for years to come.
Whether your kids are in it for the tricks or the treats, our Parks & Recreation team has a Halloween event for you. Preschool – 2 nd -grade kids will love Boo at Bloedel, while anyone ages 6 and up can appreciate Spooktacular at Woodstock Farm with Gabriel’s Arts Kids. For a truly unique way to pick your carving pumpkin, head to Arne Hanna Aquatic Center Saturday afternoon for a floating pumpkin patch (kids 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult).
The air you breathe when you step out your front door can sometimes be different than the air a few blocks away or across town. But how different? For the first time in Washington’s history, Ecology will be able to answer that in greater detail, thanks to a new study funded by the Climate Commitment Act (CCA). This winter, a fleet of specialized air monitoring vehicles will hit the streets in over 20 overburdened communities and participating Tribal Nations as part of a one-time, year-long High Resolution Mobile Monitoring study.
SOUTH WHATCOM FIRE AUTHORITY
This fall, the College of the Environment welcomes Assistant Professor Kate Hayes, who specializes in forest systems, wildfire and climate change.
If you have an immediate family member walking in December Commencement, we would like to offer you the opportunity to present their diploma at their scheduled commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026 (see the ceremony dates/times and corresponding colleges on the Ceremony Schedule page).
Our December Commencement ceremonies will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12.
SOUTH WHATCOM FIRE AUTHORITY
It’s one of those exquisite Pacific Northwest July mornings when the sky is clear, and the promise of ripening berries lightly scents the crisp air. Western Washington University students Finley Bell and Aaron Dubbels hike a narrowing trail into Olsen Creek State Forest, east of Lake Whatcom, accompanied by a soundtrack of birdsong and bootfall.
Western Washington University has hired Samara Taber as chief of staff to the provost, bringing more than a decade of senior higher education leadership experience to the university’s Academic Affairs Division.
WWU's Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Sheryl Bernardo-Hinesley, Associate Professor of Linguistics R. Mata and Master in Teaching student Dana Gravseth presented their research at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Association of the Southwest in Towson, Maryland.
Hilary Schwandt is a Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies public health professor who specializes in reproductive health. Most recently, her work has taken her to Mongolia, where Schwandt said medical tests and cultural attitudes are obstacles to abortion access.
Spring 2026 Industrial Design alum Kylea Assayag-Nodine was recognized as one of the top undergraduate students in the nation for work she completed during her senior year at Western.
The former Department of Finance and Marketing opened academic year 2026-27 restructured as the Department of Marketing and the Department of Finance. The two disciplines have always been distinct, but each has grown substantially since they were paired up in a split from Finance, Marketing and Decision Sciences in 2002.
Most people are familiar with multi-factor authentication (MFA): after entering a password, you're asked to approve a sign-in or enter a code. MFA remains one of the most effective ways to protect accounts, but the next step in account security is already here: passkeys.
A Kelvin wave is approaching North America’s West Coast, hitting California’s beaches in early October before making its way up the coast to Washington. The promise of elevated tides and a strong El Niño can bring to mind images of tidal floods straight out of a disaster movie. What exactly is a Kelvin wave, and is it as scary as it sounds?
WWU Professor of Computer Science Moushumi Sharmin attended Brain Days at the United Nations General Assembly, which explores global collaboration in brain health research, innovation and the broader societal and policy dimensions of brain health.
Join us for an evening of community, culture, and celebration. We’ll kick things off with dinner catered by Seawolf Surf n Turf, followed by a powerful program centered on the theme “Answering the Call of our Ancestors” and highlighting youth voices. We’ll close out the evening with singing, dancing, and a community drum group. All are welcome — families, students, and neighbors! Learn more on the WWU website .
Street and utility improvements continue around Bellingham as we replace aging infrastructure and make our streets safer and more reliable for everyone. Some projects are wrapping up, while others will bring temporary changes to how you get around. Here’s what to expect:
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Mayor Kim Lund spoke at an event hosted by Indivisible, describing how the City is partnering with other cities to respond to federal actions that affect local communities and services. The City has joined lawsuits as either a plaintiff or a friend-of-the-court filer, including challenges to National Guard deployments to cities that did not request them and to federal funding decisions affecting Planned Parenthood, SNAP, and other programs. Learn more on our Protecting the Rights and Dignity of All page .
Registration is open for the 2026 All Hands Whatcom Opioid Summit happening Oct. 21–22. This year’s Summit, hosted by the Chuckanut Health Foundation, is focused on the moment our community is in, systems that are stretched thin, and the upcoming Medicaid cuts, impacts, and fallout. Everyone can attend to learn about local data, hear personal stories, and participate in creating action plans to support our community. Get more details and register on the Chuckanut Health Foundation’s website .
Calls for fire and emergency medical services have increased in Bellingham, and the cost to provide these services has also risen significantly. Forming a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) would secure new, dedicated funding for Fire and EMS and put millions of dollars back in the City’s budget to restore, maintain, and improve services the community relies on. Next week, the RFA Planning Committee is holding a public hearing where community members can learn about the proposed RFA plan and comment on the possible implementation of a fire benefit charge . Learn more on our event listing .
Total enrollment in the College of Business and Economics reached 1,479 in fall 2026, a 24% increase over the previous academic year, a 49% increase over the last four years, and a 7-year enrollment high. “We are thrilled to see our enrollment numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels, close to those we saw in 2019,” said Deanna Kennedy, dean of the College of Business and Economics.
Carolyn Nielsen, a professor in the Department of Journalism, Public Relations & Multimedia, presented her research, "At the forefront, but cautious: How Danish reporters' view and use AI built for newsrooms" at the European Communication Research and Education Association conference in Brno, Czech Republic, on Sept. 10.
Abe Lloyd slides a 5-foot-long plant stalk down the back of his shirt and calls out, “Follow the bulrush!” He strides across the marsh, the plant rising like a tour guide’s umbrella, so no one from his wetland plant identification class gets lost in the crowd.
Academic Advising and Career Services have transitioned from their previous roles at WWU into a merged unit of Academic Advising and Career Readiness. AACR is in the process of filling vacant positions to support this mission. These positions will reinforce the work already being done to prepare students for graduation and beyond and will allow for the AACR to best serve the Western student body.
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