University Foundation

Why We Give

photo of Hacherl Research and Writing Studio

Impact: Hacherl Research & Writing Studio

The Hacherl Research & Writing Studio was made possible through the generosity of Cindy and Don Hacherl, and their son, Adam.

Carver Reopens with Hall of Fame Room

Enjoy WWU Athletics events, see the legacy of Western Vikings, and tour a state-of-the-art educational program in the renovated Carver Academic Facility.

“My experiences at Western and the individuals I met have inspired me to continue to push my limits. Our world needs individuals shaped by Western values.”
—scholarship recipient Michael Anne Tracy ('16)

Foundation News

Merriman Provides Financial Education for WWU

2010 WWU Distinguished Alumnus Paul MerrimanPaul Merriman (‘66) attended Western Washington University to escape the cityscape of Seattle and find solace in a campus settled in the woods. Graduation led him down a path of corporate brokerage on Wall Street and then to the ownership of a large manufacturing firm. Following his first retirement in the 1980s, he turned his acumen for finance into a new career path and founded a financial management firm. As his success grew, he never forgot his alma mater. Upon retirement, he created The Merriman Foundation to continue his vision of...

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WWU Secures United Way Grant for Low-Income Youth

Children attending Bellingham’s most diverse and lowest-income elementary schools (Alderwood and Cordata) get to participate in free after-school clubs as a result of a grant Western Washington University Foundation secured from United Way to support a collaboration between Bellingham Public Schools and Woodring College of Education. A WWU student helps kids in the LEGO Club at Cordata Elementary School.The program, spearheaded by Associate Dean of Woodring Dr. Karen Dade, allows children to choose among after school clubs including photography, martial arts, Lego, ukulele, tennis,...

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Environmental Science Scholars Benefit from J.G....

The J.G. Talbot Fund for Sustainability provides travel funds for students in both the Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies Programs to present their research material at conferences. Environmental Studies major Adam BatesMariah Bolton traveled to Portland, OR in April 2016 to present her thesis at the Society for Northwest Ecological Restoration. Lindsay Wallis (’16) presented her thesis at the Young Environmental Scientist Meeting (YES), which is affiliated with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. In 2016, Cale Miller (’16) traveled to Tasmania,...

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Gordon H. and Alice C. Fraser Endowment Fund for Plant...

Jenna Brooks (’17) and her research posterThe Gordon H. and Alice C. Fraser Endowment Fund for Plant Biology, established in 2014, has provided six undergraduate student summer fellowships, five graduate student research awards, and five faculty research awards. In 2016, two undergraduate researchers created a project for presentation at the International Society for Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions annual meeting. Associate Professor of Biology, Anu Singh- Cundy and graduate student Jenna Brooks (’17) also used the endowment funds for research about the Solanaceae (tomato) family....

Together We Can Achieve Great Things

Western students need your help to be successful. Just as you've had mentors and supporters along your life's path, student success in today's socioeconomic and political landscape requires support from everyone: families, communities, alumni, donors, organizations, businesses and Western. Find out how you can participate in supporting each of the areas and colleges below.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Photo of WWU Women's soccer team winning the Division II cup.

WWU Athletics

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College of Business and Economics

College of Fine & Performing Arts

College of Science and Engineering

Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies

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Huxley College of the Environment

Western Libraries

Woodring College of Education

Brain Trust: Scholarship Supports Behavioral Neuroscience Students

Barbara Ellen Maguire Scholarship recipient Anne Huntemer-Silveira (’18) is a current BNS major who works with Dr. McNeel Jantzen, and her current study is testing musicians and non-musicians on language perception. She received the Barbara Ellen Maguire Scholarship for 2016-2017 which was established by the Veith family. The scholarship supported Anne's tuition. Anne also attended the Organization for Brain Mapping conference in Vancouver, B.C. in 2017 along with other members of Dr. Jantzen's lab.