George Bridges came to Evergreen after serving for ten years as president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. He previously served as Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education at the University of Washington, where he also served as Professor of Sociology. 

After earning his undergraduate degree in 1972 from the University of Washington, Dr. Bridges pursued his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. There he earned his M.A. in criminology and Ph.D. in sociology. Prior to pursuing an academic career full time, Dr. Bridges worked as a social scientist in the staff office of the Attorney General of the United States. In this capacity he assisted in the design and implementation of research programs on federal law and justice policy.

Over the course of his career Dr. Bridges has taught and lectured at many universities, holding faculty appointments at American University, University of Maryland, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Washington. He has testified numerous times before legislative bodies, including the U.S. Congress, the Washington State Legislature, and the U. S. Civil Rights Commission, primarily on subjects pertaining to legal policy and treatment of racial and ethnic minorities in the administration of criminal justice.

The Evergreen State College, a nationally recognized public liberal arts and sciences college with campuses in Olympia and Tacoma, has produced outstanding alumni such as Macklemore, “Simpsons” creator Matt Groenig, Lynda.com founder Lynda Weinman and U.S. Congressman Denny Heck.  A recent economic impact study found that that for every state dollar spent, Evergreen returns $4.68 in economic activity to the state of Washington.  George will talk about the renewal work we are doing to better serve the future entrepreneurs, teachers, artists and leaders currently studying at Evergreen.

Gabriel Bringman comes from Saltsjobaden, STOCKHOLM, Sweden. He is 17 years old. His father, Magnus is an engineer and his mother, Cecilia, is a physiotherapist. Gabriel has a brother, Jakob, 24 and a sister, Lovisa, 21 both at university. This young man is English fluent and studies German as well. He loves a wide variety of sports including golf, soccer, kickboxing and skiing. He also loves coaching the sport of Floorball in his town.“I’ve visited Antelope Canyon in the US which definitely was a highlight for the …beautiful narrow paths combined with amazing stone walls. When I swam with whale sharks in Tanzania and dove in the beautiful coral reef was one of my favorite moments.”  Gabriel is a good student; friendly, thrifty and curious. He may study engineering but is curious about being an entrepreneur. Gabriel is eager to join your family and bring some joy from Swedish culture to our Tacoma host families.