The 2026 Western Washington University Alumni Awards ceremony happened on Friday, May 15, in the Viking Union Multi-Purpose room, featuring a star-studded cast of recipients, each exemplifying the Western tagline: making waves.
The Western Alumni Awards have been happening for nearly 50 years, a long-standing tradition honoring the students and families of Western who have gone above and beyond in their fields.
The award categories include the Alumni Achievement Award, the Alumni Humanitarian Award, the Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the Family Recognition Award.
The recipients for the 2026 awards include 2007 graduate Dan Erickson for achievement, 1972 graduate David Swanson for distinguished service, 1968 graduate Lee Whittaker for humanitarian, 2011 graduate Alison Lührs for outstanding young alumni and 1966 graduate Nancy Hoff and family for family recognition.
Theatre Department Chair Rich Brown is proud to have two of his former students be chosen for the awards this year. His nominees, Erickson and Lührs, are both graduates from the theatre department.
Erickson is the creator and producer of the popular science fiction series "Severance" on Apple TV. As a theatre student, Erickson wrote and produced a play called “Convention,” which is said to have been the blueprint for the story and setting of “Severance,” according to Brown.
Bryan Willis, a Western theatre professor when Erickson was a student, remembers watching “Convention” take shape. Of the students he worked with, Erickson's work was showcased and produced at Western the most.
“(Convention) might be the best student production I've ever seen,” Willis said.
Lührs is a narrative director at Seattle-based game company Bungie, and has worked on games and franchises like Destiny 2, Baldur's Gate 3 and Magic: The Gathering.
Lührs and Erickson both spoke at events before the awards ceremony to talk about their experiences as Western students and artists, and to connect directly with the student body through a Q&A run by Brown.
Loren Skaggs, director of marketing & communication for Western’s University Advancement office, was a part of the team in charge of running the awards and eagerly awaited presenting this year’s lineup of alumni to Western students.
Though Lührs and Erickson are some of the most famous among the 2026 recipients, Skaggs was just as excited for and impressed by the other recipients on the list.
Lee Whittacker, an educator, gifted more than 170 acres of land in Methow Valley to Western to promote accessibility and affordability to students through Western's Sustainability Pathways program.
David Swanson, a demographer and researcher, is a decorated scholar in his field. His work has influenced how populations are recorded and how census data is interpreted.
Nancy Hoff, alongside much of her family, is an educator who graduated from Woodring College of Education. Hoff’s family has followed in her footsteps, continuing her legacy of education.
The Alumni Awards are a chance for current and future Western students to see and appreciate the work and contributions of Western students’ past, and be inspired to make waves themselves.
Marina Sasaki (she/her) is a current second-year and reporter at The Front. She loves reading, writing and all kinds of art. If she's not cooped up working on projects, she's hanging out with friends and adventuring. You can reach her at marina.thefront@gmail.com.
