She wrote “Perma Red,” one of the most acclaimed novels in the history of Montana. He helped grow Microsoft into a worldwide technology juggernaut.
Now Debra Magpie Earling and Joe Whittinghill have both earned honorary doctorates from the University of Montana. They will receive the degrees during UM’s May 9 graduation ceremonies, when they also will serve as Spring Commencement speakers.
Earling will be presented with an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, and Whittinghill will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Business.
Debra Magpie Earling
Of Bitterroot Salish descent, Earling is the author of 2002’s “Perma Red,” 2023’s “The Lost Journals of Sacajewea” and numerous short stories. She earned master’s degrees in English and fiction writing from Cornell. Earling also taught creative writing and Native American Studies at UM for more than 30 years and was named Professor Emeritus upon retirement.
The characters in “Perma Red” navigate a clash of traditional and modern cultures on Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation during the 1940s. “The Lost Journals of Sacajewea” gives a new voice to the West’s most famous woman.
Both novels were showered with praise and awards. The Atlantic recently listed “Perma Red” as one of the great American novels of the past 100 years, and the book was voted Montana’s Best Loved Novel by “The Great Montana Read,” a program of Montana PBS and Montana Public Radio. Both novels won the American Book Award.
Robert Stubblefield directs UM’s undergraduate degree in creative writing, and he said Earling has a distinguished record as a writer, teacher and mentor.
“Her students have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, won the Pulitzer Prize, served as a Montana poet laureate and were selected for the ‘Good Morning America’ Book Club,” Stubblefield said. “Earling is an inspiration and excellent role model for any writer and artist, and particularly for young Native and women writers.”
Earling is the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Literary Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Montana Governor’s Artist Award, among many other honors. She also served as a judge for the PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction, the National Book Award and the Institute of American Indian Arts Indigenous Prize. Additionally, she has traveled globally as an artistic ambassador for the U.S. State Department.
As director of UM’s prestigious Creative Writing master’s program, Earling fostered fundraising campaigns that continue yielding substantial donations. Stubblefield said she also frequently advocates for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes of the Flathead Nation, as well as missing and murdered Indigenous women.
Mandy Smoker Broadus, a UM alumna and former Montana poet laureate, said Earling “has already cemented her legacy as one of the greatest authors of her generation. She fostered intellectual curiosity and artistic exploration, encouraging students and mentees to develop their craft. Her ability to inspire and empower others to explore their creative potential is unparalleled.”
Joe Whittinghill
A Billings native, Whittinghill earned a political science degree from UM in 1989 while participating in student groups such as the UM Advocates, Associated Students of UM and Montana Model United Nations. His service to his alma mater has continued throughout his life and career.
After graduating from UM, Whittinghill served as associate executive director of the UM Foundation, then joined Rayner & Associates Inc. as a management consultant. He earned a master’s in organizational development from Pepperdine University in 1998.
Then followed a long and distinguished career at Microsoft, where he held several senior leadership roles, including corporate vice president, managing director of mergers and acquisitions and later chief talent and learning officer.
“In these positions, Joe played a pivotal role in guiding Microsoft through periods of significant transformation and growth,” said Suzanne Tilleman, the Sprunk and Burnham Endowed Dean of UM’s College of Business. “He led teams responsible for identifying, negotiating and integrating key acquisitions that helped Microsoft’s strategic direction and global reach. He also built and championed world-class programs in leadership development, learning innovation and executive culture that continue to influence the company and the broader technology industry.”
Whittinghill now serves as an independent director for D.A. Davidson, a financial services company, Gaia Ag, which transforms agriculture waste fiber into eco-friendly paper. He also is an instructor at UM, Pepperdine and the University of Washington.
“He brings a deep understanding of how business performance and human potential intersect, helping institutions cultivate a culture of innovation and inclusion,” Tilleman said.
Whittinghill frequently champions UM, and in 2025 he earned the UM Foundation’s Neil S. Bucklew Presidential Service Award. Besides philanthropic giving, he served on the UM Foundation board from 2007 to 2018, leading the trustees as chair from 2014 to 2016.
He also worked as an employee or volunteer on three of UM’s capital campaigns, including Campaign Montana, which concluded in 2020 as the most ambitious and successful higher education fundraising campaign in state history. He holds the distinction of being the only person to have been both a UM Foundation employee and chair of the board. He continues to serve UM and the UM Foundation as an active strategic adviser and donor.
Whittinghill also served on the UM Alumni Association board from 1999 to 2003 and as chair from 2001 to 2003. He also was a member of the first external advisory board for UM’s Davidson Honors College.
Additionally, Whittinghill and his husband, Blake Takamura, donated to establish UM’s Leading OUT West workshop, and Whittinghill continues to serve as an adviser and instructor for the program. A leadership gift from Whittinghill and Takamura also helped establish a career planning center serving students pursuing degrees in humanities and social sciences programs.
“Through his classes and mentorship, Joe has inspired countless individuals to grow, lead and achieve,” Tilleman said. “His influence across industries underscores his rare ability to bridge business acumen with a deep belief in people and education.
by: UM News service