Western students walked away with 11 Mark of Excellence Awards during the Society of Professional Journalists’ (SPJ) regional conference at UW-Tacoma on April 11, 2026. This is the most awards Western has won during the competition’s 26 years.
Four first-place winners will advance to the national competition.
As part of Western’s John C. Street Fellowship, Professor Derek Moscato traveled to Mongolia during the fall of 2025 to meet with professors of journalism and public relations at the National University of Mongolia and conduct public diplomacy research.
Jake Parrish, a 2015 visual journalism graduate, combined his editorial expertise with commercial photography to bring his storytelling skills to the marketing industry.
Parrish explained that after working in journalism for a while, he was ready to step back and explore other photography options. He started freelancing for both publications and commercial work, specifically for the hop industry.
A magazine club on campus that focuses on uplifting BIPOC voices, fashion and culture is working toward publishing its second issue during spring quarter.
Co-editor-in-chiefs Ijomi Houston and Aryam Tamene began planning Soleil Magazine during spring quarter 2025 after being awarded a $5,250 grant through the Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund to help offset startup costs associated with publishing its first issue.
Three visual journalism students co-founded the WWU Photo Video Club in Fall quarter, 2025. They started the club after taking Joe Gosen’s photojournalism course and they were eager to continue to grow their skills. See how they built community with this club.
Charmaine Riley has spent four of her 11 years in the public relations industry as a member of WWPR. During her first two years with the organization, she served as the co-chair of the Emerging Leaders Awards, which celebrates women ages 25 to 35 as they climb in the PR world. In 2025, the incoming president asked Riley to become vice president, which led to her accepting the role as president this year.
Sophie Cadran, a Journalism–Public Relations senior, is helping to inspire the next generation of public relations professionals through her leadership of Western’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
As president, Cadran played an instrumental role in reviving the chapter after it went on hiatus during the pandemic.
Professor John Harris wraps up his final quarter after 25 years of teaching. Now, he is on to the next adventure: retirement.
The Rage magazine, Western’s fashion and lifestyle magazine club, just released its fourth issue. Creator Hannah Quinton looks back on the last two years of the magazine and where it will go.
2023 graduate Sam Kristofferson became the EIC of My Bellingham Now. He uses the storytelling skills he learned at WWU to provide free news to Whatcom County.