The Princeton Review again is placing Kalamazoo College among the top 14 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges and universities by featuring the school in the 2027 edition of its annual guide,The Best 392Colleges.
This year, the education services company selected its list from the nation’s 2,800 four-year institutions based on data collected from administrators about their academic offerings and surveys of students who rated and reported on their experiences.
In their comments to The Princeton Review, students praised K for its personalized approach to education and opportunities to learn through study abroad, service, internships and independent research. They described a place where students develop close relationships with peers and professors and can “quickly find their niche thanks to a small-school environment,” where “everyone is always engaged in some kind of work they truly care about.” They added that the flexible curriculum gives them greater freedom to explore their interests rather than take courses solely to fulfill requirements.
Although the guide does not rank the featured institutions individually, K’s inclusion reflects many hallmarks of a K education, including close faculty mentorship, experiential learning and the freedom to pursue a broad range of academic interests.
“The colleges we profile in The Best 392 Colleges vary by type, size, locale and campus culture,” said Rob Franek, lead author and editor-in-chief at The Princeton Review. “In our opinion, each one offers an academically outstanding undergraduate education. They are truly a select group.”
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo College’s Board of Trustees has elected four new members to its ranks, the College announced following the Board’s June meeting. The Board also recognized several outgoing trustees for their service, including Si Johnson ’78, who concluded an extraordinary 30 years on the Board, including five years as chair.
New Trustees
The Board elected the following new members:
Michael McFall ’93, founder, copresident and co-CEO of BIGGBY Coffee. McFall graduated from Kalamazoo College in 1993 where he was a member of the golf team and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. He serves as a member of Forbes Business Council and is a Forbes contributor.
Stephanie Teasley ’81, research professor emerita at the University of Michigan School of Information. A psychology major, Teasley went on to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. She is currently the chair of the Board of Directors for Michigan Virtual and the executive officer for the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).
Alexander Cadigan ’19, software developer team lead at Epic Systems. He graduated summa cum laude from K in computer science and mathematics. He was a member of the Men’s Tennis team, participated in the Athletic Leadership Council and serves on K’s Board as a recent graduate trustee representative.
Evan Bontrager ’11, principal at Sýndesi Group and advisor at CoMotion. He is the co-chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the Alumni and Friends of the London School of Economics and serves on K’s Board of Trustees as a representative of the Alumni Association Engagement Board. As a student at K, he majored in economics and business with a concentration in environmental studies.
Departing Trustees
The Board also thanked outgoing members for their contributions, including recent graduate trustee Jack Clark ’17 and outgoing AAEB President Michelle Fanroy ’88.
Trustees offered special recognition to Si Johnson ’78, who concluded 30 years of service on the Board. During Johnson’s tenure as chair from 2019 to 2024, the College executed its five-year strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College; embarked on The Brighter Light Campaign, the institution’s largest-ever fundraising campaign, which concluded in 2024 after raising more than $203 million; and navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
Kalamazoo College received a rating of four stars among Money’s Best Colleges in America 2026.
Kalamazoo College has earned a four-star rating in Money’s Best Colleges in America 2026, recognizing the College for delivering a strong combination of educational quality, affordability and graduate outcomes.
Each year, Money evaluates more than 700 colleges and universities to help students and families identify schools that provide an outstanding value. The ratings consider graduation rates, the net price of a degree, financial aid, student debt, alumni earnings, and economic mobility. Schools also must meet baseline standards for graduation rates, financial stability and sufficient, reliable data reporting to be considered for inclusion.
The recognition reflects K’s long-standing commitment to providing a personalized liberal arts education through the K-Plan, which combines top-tier academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, internships and other experiential learning opportunities.
The impact of those experiences is reflected in alumni outcomes. According to the Fall 2024 National Alumni Career Mobility Survey, 90% of Kalamazoo College graduates from 2014–19 participated in at least one high-impact educational experience. Among those alumni, 85% reported being satisfied with their careers, 86% said their work is meaningful, and 84% said they regularly use skills developed through their Kalamazoo College education.
“Nothing to See Here: Watts” filmmaker Michael Soenen ’92
Kalamazoo College alumnus Michael Soenen ’92, the concept creator and producer of Nothing to See Here: Watts, will return to K on June 11 to screen a documentary created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former Los Angeles Police Department officers, students and victims of violence—credited with catalyzing the 90% reduction in homicides in Watts during the 12 months after its community screenings.
The film has earned more than 100 awards worldwide. It has screened for 4,000 people at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, at the King Center in Atlanta for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and at Harvard University. Time magazine called it “a working playbook for how communities can reclaim their streets by telling their own stories.” Deadline described it as “one of the most remarkable documentaries of the year.”
The free event will take place Thursday, June 11, at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the film beginning at 5:30 p.m. The screening is expected to end around 7 p.m., with a 30-minute panel afterward. Dinner and movie snacks will be provided. Registration is available online.
Soenen, who created the concept and produced the film, will be in attendance with filmmakers LaWanda Hawkins, whose son Reginald was murdered in an unsolved 1995 killing and who founded Justice for Murdered Children in his memory; Tyrone Riley Sr., a former Grape Street Crip and high school basketball coach; and Cornelius Wills, a former Bounty Hunter Blood and gang interventionist.
The event will feature LaWanda Hawkins’ “Silent March”—an exhibit featuring more than 200 pairs of shoes, each belonging to a child lost to violence in the community.
After the screening, the filmmakers will join in a panel discussion with representatives from local organizations Bent Not Broken, Peace During War and KalSAFE. The conversation will connect themes from the documentary with efforts in Kalamazoo to support youth, prevent violence and build safer communities.
For more information about the screening, contact Arcus Center Associate Director CoCo Canders at Coco.Canders@kzoo.edu.
About the Film
Nothing to See Here: Watts is a community-made documentary produced by Nothing to See Here: Productions, created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former LAPD officers, students and victims of violence. More information and trailer at www.nothingtoseeheremovie.com.
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
Kalamazoo College will honor two distinguished alumni at its 2026 Commencement on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 10 a.m. on the College Quad. Filmmaker and business leader Michael Soenen ’92 will deliver the keynote address to graduates and their families and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, while Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert J. Shiller ’67 will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science. Additionally, President Jorge G. Gonzalez, who will be retiring from the College on June 30, will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. A livestream of the ceremony will be available on the College’s website.
Please note: While Dr. Robert J. Shiller is unable to join us for Commencement, Kalamazoo College is honored to confer this degree upon him in absentia.
About Michael Soenen ’92
Michael Soenen is the CEO of Nothing to See Here: Productions and the creator and lead producer of Nothing to See Here: Watts, a documentary offering a powerful and unfiltered look at life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. His path to filmmaking was an unexpected turn in a business career that has spanned venture capital, health care and retail.
Soenen graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in Economics and Business. Early in his career, he served as vice president, president, CEO and chairman of FTD Group and an analyst at Salomon Brothers. He later became a partner at Valor Equity Partners and served as executive chairman of Manduka, the yoga products company. He has served as a director at several companies, including health care apparel brand FIGS, Benchmark Analytics, and Fooda. In 2011, he was selected as a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a program which mobilizes leaders to tackle society’s biggest challenges.
The genesis of Nothing to See Here came during a police ride-along while Soenen was volunteering with a nonprofit organization in Watts. His experience led to a project equipping residents—including students, former gang leaders, community leaders and police officers—with iPhone cameras that were used to document their daily lives. Working without a script or predetermined outcomes, these first-time filmmakers came together and fostered dialogue that transformed longtime rivals into collaborators, contributing to a historic peace pledge and significant reduction in homicides. The documentary rewrites the script on who gets to tell their stories and how, and has since earned more than 100 awards worldwide, with a wider release planned. A screening of the film and panel discussion with several of the filmmakers will take place on K’s campus on June 11, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.
Michael Soenen ’92
About Robert J. Shiller ’67
Robert J. Shiller is an American economist, academic and author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2013, shared with Eugene Fama and Lars Peter Hansen. At the time of the award, he was widely recognized for having forecast both the dot-com stock bubble and the U.S. housing bubble. He is also the co-creator of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index—a benchmark measure widely used in the housing market—and the author of several books, including Irrational Exuberance, his bestselling analysis of speculative market bubbles.
Shiller is the Sterling Professor Emeritus of Economics at Yale University, where he was a faculty member for more than four decades. His scholarship has ranged across financial markets, financial innovation, behavioral economics, macroeconomics, real estate and statistical methods, as well as public attitudes, opinions and moral judgments toward markets. He has also contributed regularly as a columnist for The New York Times and Project Syndicate. He has been research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research since 1980 and served as vice president of the American Economic Association in 2005; as president of the Eastern Economic Association in 2006-07; and as president of the American Economic Association in 2016.
Robert Shiller ’67
A Detroit native and graduate of Southfield High School, Shiller attended Kalamazoo College before completing his B.A. at the University of Michigan. He went on to earn his Ph.D. from MIT. He returned to K as a guest lecturer in 1989 as part of the Monroe Lecture Series.
Among his many honors, Shiller has received the 2017 Truman Medal for Economic Policy, the 2018 Global Economy Prize from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and the 2021 Presidential Medal of Lithuania. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Philosophical Society, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship.
Shiller has previously received honorary degrees from the University of Michigan, the University of Connecticut, Georgetown University and the University of Paris Dauphine.
About President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez has led the institution since 2016, guiding strategic efforts to strengthen the student experience, expand access to the K-Plan and modernize the College’s historic campus. During his tenure, Kalamazoo College completed major campus projects including a new LEED-certified natatorium, a new Admission Center, renovations to Stetson Chapel and upgrades to academic and campus infrastructure. In 2025, the College began construction on new residence halls that will increase access to on-campus residential life for K students.
A strong advocate for the liberal arts, Gonzalez has worked to broaden educational opportunity and support student success, helping shape classes that have been among the most diverse in the College’s history, including growth in first-generation and Pell-eligible students. He guided the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic with a collaborative leadership approach and led the successful Brighter Light Campaign, which raised more than $203 million in support of student access, faculty, facilities and student life—the largest fundraising campaign in the College’s history. Gonzalez has also served on the boards of numerous educational, civic and community organizations at the regional and national levels.
Before joining Kalamazoo College, Gonzalez served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Occidental College and spent more than two decades as an economics faculty member at Trinity University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Monterrey Institute of Technology and master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Michigan State University.
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
Karlyn Crowley will be the 19th president of Kalamazoo College.
Kalamazoo College has named Karlyn Crowley, provost at Ohio Wesleyan University, as its 19th president following a national search. Crowley was appointed by unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees and will succeed President Jorge G. Gonzalez, who will retire on June 30, 2026. She will begin her role as president on July 1, 2026.
“Dr. Crowley is a strategic, innovative, and deeply collaborative leader who brings both intellectual rigor and a bias for action,” said Jody Clark ’80, president of the Board of Trustees and chair of the search committee. “She understands the moment facing liberal arts colleges and has demonstrated the ability to translate bold ideas into meaningful outcomes for students. Just as importantly, she brings an authentic energy and belief in this work that is both compelling and contagious. We are confident she is the right leader to build on Kalamazoo College’s strengths and lead us forward.”
“Kalamazoo College represents what the liberal arts must be right now—rigorous, globally engaged, and deeply connected to the lives students want to lead,” said Crowley. “I am drawn to the K-Plan as a powerful foundation, and I look forward to working with the campus community to build on its strengths in ways that deepen student opportunity, strengthen outcomes, and position K as a national leader in liberal arts education. This is a college with both a remarkable legacy and extraordinary potential.”
As provost of OWU, Crowley has guided a series of transformative academic initiatives, including the university’s first comprehensive general education revision in 50 years, the establishment of a university-wide faculty development center, and the launch of new programs in public health, entrepreneurship, and a nursing pathway. Most recently, she oversaw the introduction of mechanical engineering through OWU’s new Conrades School of Engineering and helped bring comprehensive civil discourse training to campus through a partnership with the Constructive Dialogue Institute.
A champion of student success, she co-led the “Move the Needle” retention initiative, which achieved the largest first-to-second-year retention increase in OWU’s history.
Her work in strategic partnerships and philanthropy reflects a similar focus on access and opportunity. She co-led a transfer agreement with Columbus State Community College that resulted in a 250% increase in transfer enrollment, and helped establish pathways to advanced degrees through articulation agreements with institutions including Case Western Reserve University and Miami of Ohio. She also played a key role in cultivating and securing gifts for OWU’s Smith Center for Faculty Excellence, the Westwood Real Estate and Community Development Program, and the Conrades School of Engineering. Previously, she collaborated with corporations such as Humana, Schneider, and the Green Bay Packers on educational initiatives.
Throughout her career, Crowley has focused on aligning the enduring strengths of the liberal arts—critical thinking, communication, and ethical reasoning—with emerging student needs and evolving career pathways. This approach has been shaped by her experience as both a student and leader within “Colleges That Change Lives” institutions, including Earlham College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and now Kalamazoo College.
Before joining Ohio Wesleyan in 2020, Crowley spent 18 years at St. Norbert College in Wisconsin, where she served as the interim assistant vice president for academic affairs, founding director of the Cassandra Voss Center, and professor of English and women’s and gender studies. A frequent speaker and published voice on the value of liberal arts education, she is widely recognized as a thought leader in higher education.
“Dr. Crowley is a fierce and enthusiastic proponent of the liberal arts, with a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing colleges like K today,” said Beau Bothwell, associate professor of music and member of the search committee. “In a large pool of highly accomplished candidates, she distinguished herself with a record of turning vision into positive action. She brings a deep respect for faculty voices and collective governance, and we are excited to work with her as we collectively help the K-Plan evolve for the future.”
Crowley holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia and a B.A. in English and women’s studies from Earlham College. Crowley and her family—spouse John Pennington and their daughter, Ada—look forward to joining the Kalamazoo community.
The College’s presidential search process included a series of listening sessions for campus and community members, as well as a comprehensive survey to collect feedback and input. The Presidential Search Committee was composed of alumni trustees, faculty, staff, and students. The committee was assisted by DSG Storbeck, a leading academic executive search firm, and chaired by Clark.
The College will hold an event introducing Crowley to the K community on May 18 at 11 a.m. in Stetson Chapel. The event will be in-person for faculty, staff, and students and livestreamed. A link to the livestream will be available at the presidential search website.
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
As International Women’s Day approaches, Kalamazoo College will host a landmark conference titled Resisting Harm, Building the Future: Beyond Borders and Binaries from Friday, March 6 to Sunday, March 8, at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St.
The three-day gathering unites activists, scholars and community organizers from around the world to explore critical issues of gender justice, environmental activism and liberation movements. Through panel discussions, workshops and collaborative planning sessions, participants will examine how communities can respond to systems of harm while building pathways toward collective liberation.
Attendees may register online for any or all of the sessions scheduled from 7:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Friday, 7:45 a.m.–8 p.m. Saturday, and 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Sunday. The public is welcome.
Friday’s programming opens with a panel titled Acting with Love in Systems of Harm, featuring speakers who will discuss interventions of care and hope that challenge rape culture, misogyny and policing. The afternoon session, Beyond Binaries, explores gender outside rigid norms through contexts including immigration, technology and sexuality.
Among the presenters are Aqdas Aftab from Loyola University Chicago, Wazhmah Osman from Temple University, and Frances Vicioso from OutFront Kalamazoo, alongside academic researchers and therapeutic practitioners working at the intersection of intimacy, healing and social justice.
Saturday’s schedule tackles environmental and technological justice along with an examination of the climate crisis. The panel We All Live on this Earth will demonstrate connections between land, gender, violence, capitalism and race, offering concrete ideas for action. Later in the day, speakers will address knowledge access, censorship, media literacy, and the role of artificial intelligence in shaping contemporary life.
The conference also spotlights grassroots organizing strategies. Saturday afternoon’s Organizing for Action panel features Bochra Triki, a Tunisian feminist and LGBTQ activist; Shona Espinoza from Food Not Bombs Kalamazoo; and other community organizers sharing lessons from on-the-ground activism.
A standout session titled How Do We Care for Each Other? on Saturday morning will bring together Black polyamory activist Chanée Jackson Kendall; researcher Os Keyes from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell; and sexual educator Roma de las Heras Gómez to reimagine relationships, love and care networks outside of state structures.
The conference concludes Sunday morning with a planning and discussion session focused on takeaways and next steps, followed by a student-led action project. The final component underscores the event’s commitment to translating dialogue into meaningful community engagement.
All panels and meals will take place at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, with breakfast, lunch and evening appetizers provided each day. The workshops scheduled for Friday and Saturday afternoons offer hands-on opportunities for participants to develop skills and strategies for social change work.
The conference represents a collaborative effort to move beyond traditional academic conferences, creating space for practitioners, activists and scholars to learn from one another while building networks of solidarity and support.
For more information about the Resisting Harm, Building the Future: Beyond Borders and Binaries conference, contact Arcus Associate Director Coco Canders at CoCo.Canders@kzoo.edu.
International Women’s Day Conference presenter Frances Vicioso
International Women’s Day Conference presenter Os Keyes
Jack Dewey ’27 will have a handful of flamboyant costumes to wear, including a bright blue velvet suit, when he plays a not-so-typical King Ferdinand of Navarre in the Shakespearean Love’s Labour’s Lost, coming to the Festival Playhouse.
Running November 6–November 9, the show takes the Bard’s witty comedy about love and vows and spins it into a vibrant 1970s spectacle filled with music, dancing and retro flair.
“We’ve got flashing lights, dance numbers, sequined costumes—everything is colorful, loud and alive,” Dewey said. “It’s less like seeing Shakespeare and more like watching Mamma Mia.”
Originally written in the 1590s, Love’s Labour’s Lost follows four noblemen who swear off women and worldly pleasures to focus on their academic studies—until a visiting princess and her ladies arrive, undoing their oaths. In this production, Dewey and his fellow lords are reimagined as having the swagger and energy of college fraternity brothers, complete with banter, bravado and bad decisions.
“I’ve never played someone who’s just an absolute jerk before,” Dewey laughed. “In most of my roles, I’ve been the hopeless romantic or the sad guy. This time I get to be a switchblade-comb-wielding, smooth-talking, terrible flirt, and it’s so refreshing.”
The cast of the Shakespearean comedy “Love’s Labour’s Lost” includes Hannah Ulanoski ’26 as Marcade (from left), Jack Dewey ’26 as King Ferdinand of Navarre, Morgan Smith ’29 as the Princess of France and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet.
The decision to set the play in the 1970s, Dewey said, came from the creative team’s desire to capture an era defined by liberation and self-expression.
“All of our costumes are incredibly sequined and shiny,” he said. “The ’70s were about freedom and individuality, and that fits perfectly with the play’s humor and feminist themes.”
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dewey said he hadn’t heard of Kalamazoo College until he began receiving recruitment emails. One campus visit changed his future, helped in part by having family living in southwest Michigan.
“I stepped foot on campus and thought, ‘This is what I want my college experience to look like,’” he said.
Since becoming a student at K, Dewey has performed in Eurydice and Little Shop of Horrors. Even with that experience, Love’s Labour’s Lost is his most physically demanding role.
“We’re running, sliding and lunging, all while speaking in Shakespearean English,” he said. “It’s wild, but this cast makes it so much fun.”
That cast includes several first-year students, including Morgan Smith as the princess of France; Jey Trebley as Berowne; Sam Pattison as Dumaine; Dewen Luo-Li as Rosaline; Laurel Stowers as Maria; and Abram Haynes as Longaville. Dewey said their energy has transformed rehearsals into what he calls the best kind of organized chaos.
“Half the cast are first-years, and they’re so loud, outgoing and funny,” he said. “It’s incredible to see the youngest people leading the charge.”
He also credits acting leaders such as Bernice Mike ’26 as Katherine, Owen Ellis ’27 as Costard and Max Wright ’26 as Boyet for the experience they bring to the cast. Despite the challenges of Shakespeare’s language, Dewey said the company’s modern take makes the story accessible and hilarious.
“I don’t always know what every word means, but I know what my character is trying to say,” he said. “That’s what makes it fun, translating Shakespeare’s intentions into something audiences can feel.”
For anyone hesitant about seeing Shakespeare, Dewey insists this production will change their mind.
“If anyone wants to dip their toes into Shakespeare, this is the play to see,” he said. “It’s an hour of chaos, comedy and color.”
Love’s Labour’s Lost will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, November 6–Saturday, November 8, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 9. Tickets are available through the Festival Playhouse box office website and by phone at 269.337.7333. For more information on the production, contact Theatre Company Manager Kirsten Sluyter at Kirsten.Sluyter@kzoo.edu.
A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, provided to Kalamazoo College in 2022, will culminate this week with community partners from New Orleans, San Diego, St. Louis, Kalamazoo and more gathering at the College to share the successes of the Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL) project.
The Learning in/from Place and Community Conference will take place Friday–Sunday, October 24–26. By bridging academic inquiry with local partnership, place-based practice, and regional perspectives, the conference offers a model for how liberal arts institutions can engage meaningfully with broad social themes.
“After four years of our students learning from community partners in each of these sites, we are excited to host many of them in Kalamazoo,” Associate Professor of Sociology Francisco Villegas said. “Here, they will be able to meet one another, connect with people doing similar work in Kalamazoo and across Michigan, and share lessons from their work. Each organization has substantial knowledge that is grounded in their geographic location and we hope the conference will further collaborations that will support our respective communities.”
The public is invited. No registration is necessary. Opening remarks will begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Dewing Hall, room 103, with a screening of the film BODEWADMI NDAW. A discussion will follow with filmmaker Davis Henderson ’25, artist Jason Wesaw of the Pokegon band of the Potawatomi tribe, and leaders from local Indigenous communities.
Saturday’s highlights include a plenary address by Jamala Rogers, the executive director of the Organization for Black Struggle, at 10 a.m. at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. Additional panels throughout the day will cover history and preservation, local priorities and cultivating community.
Moderators on Saturday will include K faculty members Christina Carroll, associate professor of history; Espelencia Baptiste, associate professor of anthropology; and Marquise Griffin, associate director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. Panelists will include:
Lulu Urdiales of the Chicano Park Museum and Community Center in San Diego, Ben Looker of St. Louis University, Amber Mitchell of the Henry Ford Museum and Dylan AT Miner of the University of Michigan from 11:15 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Jazmin Ortiz-Ash of the Kalamazoo County ID program, Macrina Cardenas Montaño of Coalición Pro Defensa Del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, Kenlana Ferguson of the Michigan Transformation Collective, and Sashae Mitchell of the Center for Civic Engagement from 2–3:30 p.m.
Gloria Ward of Ms. Gloria’s Garden in New Orleans, Hristina Petrovska of Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Jackie Mitchell of Integrated Services of Kalamazoo and Shane Bernardo from Food as Healing in Detroit at 3:30 p.m.
Associate Professor of Sociology Francisco Villegas
Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas
Sunday will feature a digital humanities and student research exhibition from 9–10 a.m. at the Arcus Center. A plenary with People for Public Art Executive Director Monica Rose Kelly will follow along with a place-based art workshop featuring Kelly and Destine Price of the FIRE Arts Collaborative in Kalamazoo. The conference concludes with closing remarks at 12:30 p.m.
In 2022, the Mellon grant helped the College’s HILL project organizers design student coursework rooted in K’s commitment to experiential learning and social justice. The program addressed issues such as racism, border policing, economic inequities, homelessness and global warming, while examining history, how humans share land, and the dislocations that bring people to a communal space.
The project was envisioned by Villegas, Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas and Professor Emeritus of English Bruce Mills. They invited K faculty to build curricula that reflected how power structures produce destabilizing dynamics and the collective responses of affected communities.
Students then had opportunities—locally and at sites across the country—to immerse themselves in heritage, culture, landscapes and community experiences through course materials, collaborative faculty-student research, community engagement, the development of program assessments and the sharing of oral histories tied to partnering projects and organizations. The Beyond Kalamazoo course clusters focused on themes of location and dislocation, emphasizing place-based learning through an integrated travel component in New Orleans, St. Louis or San Diego. The Within Kalamazoo cluster emphasized social issues in the Kalamazoo community. A digital humanities hub published, archived and assessed outcomes in coursework and partnerships.
The Learning in/from Place and Community Conference aims to show how the HILL project has deepened understanding of the humanities’ relevance to society by advancing innovative responses to interconnected issues through students and faculty. For more information, contact Salinas at Shanna.Salinas@kzoo.edu or Villegas at Francisco.Villegas@kzoo.edu.
For the third year in a row, Kalamazoo College has been selected as a Hidden Gem by College Raptor, a planning platform that helps students and families find college matches driven by algorithms to find their best-fit schools at the best price.
This selection for 2026 places K among the top eight institutions in the Great Lakes Region of Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. It further recognizes the College as one of the best in the country based on a combination of factors including retention rates, graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, selectivity and other key metrics as reported through the National Center for Education Statistics.
“For today’s students, expanding the definition of ‘dream school’ to include attainable options that align with family income, grades and additional factors can help more students arrive at college with confidence,” College Raptor co-founder William Staib said. “That’s what our Hidden Gems list and College Match tool aim to do.”
Kalamazoo College has retained its status as a College Raptor Hidden Gem for 2026.
College Raptor also ranks K among 25 Hidden Gems for Division III athletics. To qualify for either list, an institution must receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offer at least five unique majors and have an acceptance rate of at least 10%.
College Raptor’s full methodology is outlined on its website.
