Campus Currents

President Returns After Medical Leave

In October, faculty, staff, and students inaugurated a new school year with a traditional convocation in the College Church. The event also gave the college family an opportunity to officially welcome Walla Walla College President Jon Dybdahl back to the campus.

Dybdahl resumed his post in September after a five-month medical leave of absence. Dybdahl had been undergoing treatment for a recurrence of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

“I praise God that I have felt well enough to come back to work,” says Dybdahl. “Just seeing my colleagues again and sensing life return to campus with our students is part of my healing.”

Dybdahl received an autologous stem cell transplant at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Seattle, Wash. The treatment involves preliminary chemotherapy, followed by harvesting stem cells from the patient’s blood. Chemotherapy is then administered to kill the remaining blood cells, and the patient’s own stem cells are then reintroduced into the body. Dybdahl completed this procedure at the end of June.
Standard recovery time for this treatment is six months; however, Dybdahl returned to WWC just over a month after completing treatment. He completed follow-up treatments in October. It will be approximately a year before his immune system returns to normal.

However, Dybdahl says he feels fine. “I feel surprisingly well, energetic,” he says.

“Many people have sent greetings, cards, and e-mails. I know many people have been praying for me and my family. I want to say ‘thank you,’” says Dybdahl. “I appreciate it. It’s great to be part of a community that cares.”

During Dybdahl’s absence, Ginger Ketting-Weller, vice president for
academic administration, served as acting president. W

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