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Track and Field Returns to Kalamazoo College

Posted on July 26, 2024July 26, 2024

For the first time since the early 1980s, Kalamazoo College will offer a track and field program for student-athletes beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.

Both men and women will compete in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) seasons. Cross country coach Kyle Morrison will also serve as the head coach of track and field.

“Reinstating the track and field program after almost 45 years of absence feels like a huge accomplishment in itself, but this is just the start of a very exciting time for Kalamazoo College cross country and track and field, as well as the athletics department as a whole,” Morrison said.

Director of Athletics Jamie Zorbo ’00 said K will hire an additional athletic trainer and an assistant coach, but there are no plans to build a track or other facilities to support the sport. K will rent Western Michigan University facilities for practices, and meets will take place at other schools. If the College would ever host an event, it would rent facilities from WMU or possibly a high school such as Kalamazoo Christian.

Morrison and Zorbo expect the new sport to attract new students to K.

“There are several instances each year where students have been interested in coming to Kalamazoo College and participating in one particular sport and track and field,” Zorbo said. “They typically have gone elsewhere because we haven’t offered track and field for many years. We feel there’s an opportunity to bring in those students and students who want to compete solely in track and field as well.”

Morrison said some recruiting work has already started.

Graphic of hurdles on a track reads, "Coming to K, 2025-26: Track and Field" — Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will bring Kalamazoo College’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22 beginning in 2025–26.

“The buzz of the program’s reinstatement is growing among high school coaches in the Midwest,” he said. “We would typically bring juniors to campus in the late spring after watching them at indoor and outdoor competitions, and then build interaction throughout their senior years with additional visits and the application process at the beginning of their senior year. We have five C’s that we want to see in our prospective student-athletes: character, communication, commitment, consistency and common-sense decision making. We’ve grown the roster for cross country from nine to 45 the last four years and I think we will have great success with a full track and field coaching staff and strong momentum.”

Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field will bring K’s total number of varsity athletics teams to 22 along with men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis, in addition to baseball and football for men, and volleyball and softball for women.

“I’m excited for Coach Morrison because this is something he’s been very passionate about bringing back to Kalamazoo College,” Zorbo said. “He’s built a strong cross country program that continues to get better. I’m excited to see him spearhead the revival of the track and field program at Kalamazoo College. I believe it will enhance our athletic department while elevating the recruitment of student-athletes for all programs.”

Morrison thanks the task force that vetted the proposal for track and field over the past year and a half including Sports Information Director Steve Wideen, then-Director of Admission and current Director of Alumni Engagement Suzanne Lepley, Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics Jan Tobochnik, Associate Vice President for Development Andy Miller ’99 and Director of Gender Equity Tanya Jachimiak, along with Zorbo, Provost Danette Johnson and President Jorge G. Gonzalez for their support and belief in the vision.

“Getting to this point took some considerable time and effort,” Morrison said. “When I came to K five years ago, I talked about this being a big opportunity for K athletics and the College as a whole. I believe that this will bring several more students to campus each year. It is not uncommon for Division III schools to attract multiple-sport student-athletes and track and field is another great reason my colleagues and I can provide students to come to K. I want to bring student-athletes who excel in the classroom and compete at the highest level in their events.”

Alumna Widens Death Culture Studies With Sherbin Fellowship

Posted on July 25, 2024

Sherbin Fellowship recipient Sydney Salgado shakes hands with President Jorge G. Gonzalez at Commencement — Sydney Salgado ’24 shakes hands with Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez at Commencement. She is just the second K graduate to receive a Jerry Sherbin Fellowship, designed to send one graduating senior overseas to explore a topic of personal interest for one year.

Sherbin Fellowship recipient Sydney Salgado visited cemeteries in Mexico — Salgado performed ethnographic research regarding death culture in Mexico for her Senior Integrated Project (SIP) by interviewing people in the cemetery near Mexico City where her grandfather and uncle were buried.

Adornments at cemetery in Mexico — Salgado’s SIP included a chapter on material culture and relics that create connections between the living and the deceased

When her uncle and grandfather died unexpectedly, Sydney Salgado ’24 traveled to Mexico to attend their funerals, and what she noticed was thought provoking.

Funerals in Mexico were more celebrations of life than mourners grieving over the deceased. They were about deceased individuals living on as eternal spirits. And even long after their loved ones had died, friends and families celebrated birthdays and anniversaries of the deceased and family at gravesites.

Such observations pushed Salgado to pursue ethnographic research around Latin American cultures and how they view death in unique ways. At first, that research involved a 74-page Senior Integrated Project (SIP), enthusiastically supported by Associate Professor of Religion Alyssa Maldonado-Estrada, and developed when Salgado interviewed people in the cemetery near Mexico City where her grandfather and uncle were buried.

“I showed up to the cemetery every day, and no matter what time it was, I could converse with families, a flower salesperson, people cleaning tombstones, or people serenading tombs, and I learned so much from their stories and experiences while seeing them through my own eyes,” Salgado said of her honors-earning work.

And now, a special Kalamazoo College fellowship will take her abroad again to extend that research through more Latin American cultures. Salgado—a triple major in religion, Spanish and international area studies in Latin America from Highland Park, Illinois—is just the second K graduate to receive a Jerry Sherbin Fellowship, designed to send one graduating senior overseas to explore a topic of personal interest for one year.

The fellowship was established by alumnus Robert Sherbin ’79 and named after his father. Sherbin participated in study abroad at K by traveling to the University of Nairobi, where he was one of just six undergrads from the U.S. and the only K student. Later, as a senior, he received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, an external grant through the Watson Foundation, that allowed him to create and follow through with a one-year project overseas.

Salgado’s SIP on death culture in Mexico included three chapters: the first exploring the sources of Mexican practices surrounding the dead in Aztec and indigenous beliefs such as the nine layers of death, the Day of the Dead and the eternal nature of the soul; the second on material culture and relics that create connections between the living and the deceased; and the third on the economy of death as the living can buy flowers, food, toys, snacks, tombstones and more, all for the sake of the dead, in the immediate vicinity of Mexican cemeteries. She expects to see similar themes and practices, but some surprises and unique characteristics as well, with her Sherbin Fellowship itinerary taking her to places such as Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

Vendor sells goods near a Mexican cemetery for the living to buy for their dead loved ones — Part of Salgado’s SIP research investigated the economy of death as the living can buy flowers, food, toys, snacks, tombstones and more, all for the sake of the dead, in the immediate vicinity of Mexican cemeteries.

Mexico cemetery with elaborate graves — Salgado’s Sherbin Fellowship itinerary will take her to places such as Colombia, Peru, Puerto Rico and Argentina.

Flowers and decorations adorn gravesites in Mexico — Locations such as Puerto Rico and Peru—with their large populations of indigenous people—could reveal practices even more rooted in indigenous traditions than in Mexico, Salgado said.

In Colombia, for example, Salgado hopes to find evidence of “no nombre” or “sin nombre,” which means “nameless.”

“Crime rates are high in a lot of Latin American countries, and I’d argue that’s the case for Colombia,” Salgado said. “With those crime rates in smaller towns, Colombians will adopt unclaimed bodies and bury them. They’re treated like saints, so in addition to going to church, Colombians go to the cemetery to ask for protection, love, forgiveness or whatever it is they need.”

Locations such as Puerto Rico and Peru—with their large populations of indigenous people—could reveal practices even more rooted in indigenous traditions than in Mexico, Salgado said. And with Argentina, she will have opportunities to visit cemeteries such as La Recoleta, which contains the graves of notable people such as Argentinian military leaders, presidents and political figure Eva Perón.

“I want to go there because I didn’t have time with my SIP to explore things like the art design of tombstones,” Salgado said. “In Latin America, different objects symbolize different things. If you have a tree with birds on your tombstone, for example, it signifies a mother separating from her kids. There’s so much that goes into the design and architecture of these mausoleums and tombs, especially with them being historic. I would love to know more about the personalization of each.”

Salgado will send quarterly updates to Sherbin, the College and the Center for International Programs (CIP) on her progress abroad. Plus, upon returning to the U.S., she will promote her experience during the 2025 fall term, inspiring students to apply for the fellowship themselves. But in the meantime, she would like to thank the people who supported her candidacy for the Sherbin fellowship.

“I would have never dreamed of this opportunity in a million years until now,” Salgado said. “Having this fellowship is amazing, especially for a first-generation, lower-income student who would never think this could happen. When I told my parents I was applying for this, they said, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s so exciting.’ And now I get to tell them that I’m traveling the world.”

Professor Emerita Earns Poetry Accolades

Posted on July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Kalamazoo College Professor Emerita Gail Griffin—who taught in the Department of English from 1977 to 2013 and was key to founding what developed into the College’s Women, Gender, and Sexuality program—has recently earned three accolades for her poetry projects.

Among her recent awards:

Griffin earned a Pushcart Prize for the poem “The End of Wildness,” which she published in a recent collection titled Omena Bay Testament. The award is an American literary prize presented by the Pushcart Press to honor the best poetry, short fiction, essays and “literary whatnot” published in the small presses over the previous year.
Headlight Review at Kennesaw State University in Georgia is recognizing Peripheral Visions— Griffin’s chapbook about her diminished eyesight as a result of macular degeneration—with its Poetry Chapbook Prize. The honoree was chosen by another poet, guest judge Valerie A. Smith. Headlight Review provided a cash prize and will publish the chapbook later this year.
Griffin is co-winner of the poetry contest at New Ohio Review, judged by esteemed poet Naomi Shihab Nye. Griffin’s poem titled “Covenant,” for which she will share a cash prize, will be printed in the Review’s issue 35 this fall. Both “Covenant” and a separate poem, “It Comes Down,” are about the author’s brother, who died in December.

At K, Griffin twice was selected by students as the recipient of the Frances Diebold Award for faculty involvement in student life. She received the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Teaching, in 1989–90, and the Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Creative Work, Research or Publication, in 1998–99.

In 1995, Griffin was selected Michigan Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. She received the 2010 Lux Esto Award of Excellence for exemplifying the spirit of Kalamazoo College through excellent leadership, selfless dedication and goodwill. In 2017, she received the Weimer K. Hicks Award for long-term support to the College beyond the call of duty and excellent service in the performance of her job. Her previous books include “The Events of October”: Murder-Suicide on a Small Campus and Grief’s Country: A Memoir in Pieces.

Griffin credits a local poetry group, first started by the late Professor Emeritus Conrad Hilberry, that she participates in for inspiring her to continue writing, leading to her recent success.

“I’m quite surprised to be having this little late career as a poet, since my first four books were nonfiction,” Griffin said. “I’m delighted that writing is at the center of my life now that I’m retired. One of my reasons for retiring at age 62 was to make sure that I could do this. Writing can be a very solitary act, but writing is also about community, and I think this community has really encouraged my poetry.”

Portrait of Professor Emerita and poet Gail Griffin, who is earning poetry accolades — Professor Emerita Gail Griffin

K Alumnus Earns Distinguished Teacher Honors

Posted on July 18, 2024

Kalamazoo College alumnus Sean Smith ’08, a chemistry teacher at Pritzker College Prep, is one of seven serving the network of Noble Schools in Chicago to be admitted into its Distinguished Teacher program this year.

According to a Noble Schools news release, the program rewards network teachers who have achieved exceptional accomplishments with students in their careers. For the honor, Smith will receive an additional $10,000 on top of his base salary each year for the duration of employment as a teacher at Noble; opportunities to engage in professional development specific to Distinguished Teachers; opportunities to participate in network-wide decisions; and a chance to help select future Distinguished Teachers.

“Being named a Distinguished Teacher was a nice way to recognize the time, energy and work that I’ve put into my craft of teaching high school chemistry, as well as the expertise I’ve gained over the last 16 years of teaching,” Smith said. “With teaching, there’s no day-to-day recognition of the extra time we put in on the weekends or after school brainstorming lessons, setting up labs, grading or the million other things on our minds, so it’s nice to have the extra recognition for the outcomes that all of these little things produce.”

While working toward his Bachelor of Arts in biology at K, Smith worked as a YMCA summer camp counselor and waterfront director at Camp Torenta in his hometown of Cadillac, Michigan. The roles inspired him to consider a career in teaching.

By his senior year, Smith was working in a biochemistry lab at K to conduct research on disulfide bonds. Since graduating, Smith has acquired a Master of Science Education from Lehman College in New York while working with the New York City Teaching Fellows to instruct high-need subjects to the city’s students. Smith additionally served as a science instructional coach at EPIC Academy in Chicago before starting his career at Pritzker College Prep.

Sean Smith ’08

“Many of us remember our favorite teachers far into adulthood,” Noble Schools CEO Constance Jones said. “Educators who make a difference in their classrooms make a pivotal difference in their students’ lives, and it is important that we recognize this kind of devotion. It is my honor to welcome this new cohort of outstanding educators into the program and thank them for the abundance of passion, love and dedication that they bring with them to the job each and every day.”

Smith added, “Teaching is constantly challenging, surprising and rewarding. The things that I love about teaching vary on a daily basis because there are so many different aspects to it as a job. It is never boring, and there are always unsolved puzzles and challenges that require creative solutions. I also appreciate the unpredictability and surprises that come from teaching students who have their own unique ideas, questions and quirks. The exact same lesson or lab could produce different data, conclusions or questions based on what students are bringing into the classroom.”

German Exchange Program Chooses K Alumnus

Posted on July 17, 2024July 23, 2024

Kalamazoo College alumnus Peter Fitzgerald ’23 will promote global understanding and collaboration for one year in Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals.

In his time at K, Fitzgerald was a double major in history and political science. He also minored in music, had a concentration in American studies, played men’s tennis, and served in three political internships between U.S. House candidate Jon Hoadley, Michigan Rep. Darrin Camilleri ’14 and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and their campaigns.

Now, however, Fitzgerald and 74 other American participants chosen from 500 applicants will attend a two-month intensive language course, study at a German university, and complete an internship in the field of international relations through the CBYX.

The bilateral CBYX exchange program, established through the U.S. Congress and German Bundestag (Parliament), allows participants to stay with host families in Germany, where they will act as citizen ambassadors to promote a positive image of the U.S. abroad, and create lifelong friendships and professional connections to enhance German-American relations.

Although each internship over the CBYX’s 40 years has been different, 93% of participants have reported gaining a new understanding of the U.S. and its role in the world, 92% said they improved their communication skills, and 91% reported gaining an appreciation for other cultures and a curiosity about the world. American host communities also benefit from the program when they welcome German participants in return to homes, schools and organizations in the U.S.

For more information about CBYX, visit exchanges.state.gov/cbyx or contact Cultural Vistas, a nonprofit exchange organization promoting global understanding and collaboration among individuals and institutions, at cbyx@culturalvistas.org.

Exchange program participant Peter Fitzgerald — Peter Fitzgerald ’23 is among 74 Americans going to Germany for one year as a part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. They will act as citizen ambassadors to promote a positive image of the U.S. abroad.

College Guides Spotlight K

Posted on July 16, 2024July 18, 2024

A resource that the USA Today calls “the best college guide you can buy” again profiles Kalamazoo College among more than 300 of the best and most interesting colleges in the U.S., Canada and the UK.

The 2025 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges credits K for a LandSea preorientation program that provides incoming students with confidence. Then, the College’s ingenious K-Plan offers a curriculum path with study abroad, an excellent career-development program, and independent faculty-guided research.

Students interviewed for the book—compiled by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske—praised K for its supportive and guiding faculty, service-learning courses, student-led cocurricular activities, civic engagement and study abroad that is done so well “it seems ridiculous not to take advantage of the opportunity.”

From an academic standpoint, the book notes that K has exceptional programs in the natural sciences with other strengths including international and area studies, community and global health, and critical ethnic studies. Popular majors include biology, chemistry, psychology and business. But don’t forget about the quality of student life on campus.

“K’s campus is always buzzing with social activities like movies, concerts, speakers and other events,” the book notes. It adds that students also look forward to Monte Carlo Night, when the Hicks Student Center is transformed into a casino with faculty and staff serving as dealers, and the Day of Gracious Living when, without prior notice, classes are called off for the day and students can choose to spend a day on the beach, work on volunteer projects or relax on campus.

The 41st Fiske Guide to Colleges is available now.

And, for a more unique lens on the college search, Cool Stuff at Small Colleges author Peter Pitts—a retired admissions professional from Monmouth College—says K is a great choice for students who want the feeling of a small college and the many benefits of being near a large university considering its location near Western Michigan University.

In his new book, Pitts praises the K-Plan, which does “an excellent job of balancing academics with practical career preparation. It allows you the freedom to create your plan for success.” He lists biological physics, Jewish studies, critical theory, East Asian studies, neuroscience, public policy and urban affairs, and quantitative economics among K’s distinctive areas of study. Plus, he gives a shout out to Assistant Professor of Religion Sohini Pillai for her Star Wars-themed religion class.

“Not a major or a minor,” the book says. “Not even a certificate or an emphasis. But Jedi, Sith and Mandalorians: Religion and Star Wars, a religion class at Kalamazoo College, might just influence a student to major or minor in religion. If nothing else, it says a lot about how cool the faculty are in the religion department at Kalamazoo.”

Check out Cool Stuff at Small Colleges, which is available online.

The “Fiske Guide to Colleges,” compiled by former New York Times Education Editor Edward B. Fiske, is one of two recently released college guides to feature K.

College Guides Cover says Cool Stuff at Small Colleges — “Cool Stuff at Small Colleges” is one of two recently released college guides to feature K.

‘School of Rock’ Ready to Roll at Festival Playhouse

Posted on July 15, 2024July 15, 2024

School of Rock characters headmistress Rosalie Mullins and teacher Dewey Finn — All photos by Klose2UPhotography

“School of Rock: The Musical” follows actor David B. Friedman, portraying Dewey Finn, a failed rock star who decides to earn money by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. At the school, he turns a class of bright and well-accomplished students into a rock band, attempting to get them into a battle of the bands without headmistress Rosalie Mullins, played by Broadway actress Hannah Elless, or their parents finding out.

Dewey Finn interacts with a student in School of Rock — Kalamazoo College’s Festival Playhouse offers Farmers Alley Theatre a bigger venue between stage space and audience capacity along with a unique stage ground plan

Are you ready to rock? We are! Farmers Alley Theatre is back on campus for School of Rock: The Musical, its second show of the summer at Kalamazoo College’s Festival Playhouse.

Based on the film starring Jack Black, the musical follows actor David B. Friedman, portraying Dewey Finn, a failed rock star who decides to earn money by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. At the school, he turns a class of bright and well-accomplished students into a rock band, attempting to get them into a battle of the bands without headmistress Rosalie Mullins, played by Broadway actress Hannah Elless, or their parents finding out.

Performing School of Rock at K offers Farmers Alley Theatre a bigger venue between stage space and audience capacity along with a unique stage ground plan that Director Richard Roland loves.

“The thrust stage with all of its different angles and levels allows for some very creative staging, which I am very interested in, particularly for a piece that was conceived and originally produced for a proscenium stage,” Roland said. “Because we don’t have the automation and extravagant technical capabilities of a Broadway theatre, I have to rely on my imagination and the imagination and creativity of my team and actors to affect the transitions from scene to scene. It’s a challenge for sure, but one definitely worth meeting head on. It’s very satisfying to me when I figure out how a multi-location show works on a stage not built to accommodate giant turntables, hydraulics and massive drops. That being said, scenic designer Dan Guyette has provided rolling wagons and slip stages to facilitate transitions on the set which is a much-needed help in a show of this size.”

Actors rehears at Festival Playhouse — Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17–Saturday, July 20, and Thursday, July 25–Saturday, July 27, with matinees at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, and Sunday, July 28

Dewey Finn leads students in School of Rock — Teacher Dewey Finn—desperately stealing the identity of his roommate as a substitute teacher just to make ends meet—teaches his students some unconventional yet valuable life lessons by making them realize they live under too many rules.

Actors rehearse School of Rock — Broadway actress Hannah Elless portrays headmistress Rosalie Mullins in “School of Rock.”

School of Rock boasts a cast of 30 including 16 amazingly talented kids—four of whom play their own drums, bass, guitar and keyboard—although the biggest draw might be the story as it works in concert with the music. Roland said the plot embraces an age-old storyline of the mentor who brings people to a new awareness of themselves, so audiences will recognize its similarities to musicals such as The Sound of Music and The Music Man.

“As one of the actors in the show put it the other day, the movie is a Jack Black vehicle and focuses, literally and figuratively, on him,” Roland said. “Everyone around him is mostly peripheral. The musical goes a bit further by enlarging the world around Dewey, making the kids as much of the center of the show as he is. What musicals do is let you into the characters’ minds through song, digging a little deeper into their psyches, revealing hopes and fears.”

The character Finn—desperately stealing the identity of his roommate as a substitute teacher just to make ends meet—teaches his students some unconventional yet valuable life lessons by making them realize they live under too many rules, constraints and over-scheduled expectations.

“In breaking down those conventions, the students find gifts within themselves they were previously unaware of,” Roland said. “They grow in talent and confidence. Even Dewey, the initially self-serving freeloader, has an awakening in that he realizes he has much to give when it comes to music. It’s a very heartwarming story with a great score by Andrew Lloyd Webber who, as some may remember, started out with the classic rock ‘n’ roll musical Jesus Christ Superstar. He goes back to his rock roots with School of Rock and leaves you singing along.”

Actors playing in a band — Four of the kid actors play their own drums, bass, guitar and keyboard in “School of Rock.”

School of Rock performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17–Saturday, July 20, and Thursday, July 25–Saturday, July 27, with matinees at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, and Sunday, July 28. Tickets for the July 17 preview performance are $25. Tickets for the other shows start at $45 with $10 in-person rush tickets offered for all performances starting one hour prior to curtain. The July 21 show includes American Sign Language interpretation. Tickets are available online at farmersalleytheatre.com or by calling the box office at 269.343.2727. The show contains some adult language, rock-associated themes and tweenage rebellion. It is recommended for ages 10 and up.

“I’m just very lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the Farmers Alley team, all the new designers and, of course, the cast of extremely talented actors of Kalamazoo, Chicago and New York,” Roland said. “It’s a joy to watch them create moments in rehearsals: funny, touching, fierce, hopeful. I’m thrilled that this is the first Andrew Lloyd Webber musical I get to direct.”

Recent Alumnus Receives Young Ringer Award

Posted on July 9, 2024July 12, 2024

A recent Kalamazoo College alumnus is among this year’s recipients of a national change-ringing award named after a longtime and beloved former K professor.

The North American Guild of Change Ringers has presented Xavier Silva ’24 with the Jeff Smith Memorial Young Ringer Award. Since 2019, the honor has recognized guild members 22 years of age or younger who have rung at least one quarter peal in the past year.

Silva, a math and computer science double major at K, has rung three quarter peals, the first in October 2023. A quarter peal contains a series of at least 1,250 permutations rung in rapid succession according to rules that ensure no permutations are repeated. A quarter peal takes about 45 minutes of concentration and cooperation among a band of ringers, creating beautiful sounds.

Silva arrived at K as a Heyl scholar and quickly began change ringing for several public events. During his senior year, he was the K student contact for the community ringers at Stetson Chapel and coordinated the Kalamazoo College Ringers for weekly Community Reflections gatherings and the Day of Gracious Living.

“Change ringing has given me a meaningful experience through the challenge of ringing itself and through the people I’ve met,” Silva said. “It has combined two things I’m passionate about, music and math, in a challenging yet incredibly fun way. There is also an incredible international community that has welcomed me with open arms through a shared love and experience. If I had never started bell ringing, I would have missed out on the community that has surrounded and supported me. It has been a pleasure to ring at K.”

Young Ringer Award recipient with two others — The North American Guild of Change Ringers has presented Xavier Silva ’24 (middle) with the Jeff Smith Memorial Young Ringer Award.

The ancient art of English change ringing involves a group ringing bells in structured, unique permutations in rapid succession. The practice requires training, concentration and teamwork and leads to great satisfaction and strong interpersonal bonds.

In addition to teaching mathematics, Jeff Smith taught hundreds of students to ring changes and inspired the College to install change ringing bells at Stetson Chapel on campus. Smith died in April 2019 at the age of 88, but spent nearly 30 years of his career at K. A scholarship in his name now supports students in financial need.

For more information on the North American Guild of Change Ringers, visit its website.

Course Builds Community Connections to Science

Posted on July 8, 2024July 8, 2024

Science Communication and Society course instructor Rachel Love with Lily Grelak — Lily Grelak ’25 (left) served Director of Science, Math, Business and Economics Learning Centers Rachel Love (right) as the research assistant for Love’s Science Communication and Society course this spring. Love also has taught courses such as Plant-Animal Interactions and Plants and Human Health while researching pollinator-prey conflict since joining K in 2021. Love holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Grand Valley State University and a Ph.D. from Leiden University of the Netherlands in evolution, ecology and ethnobiology.

Child attends community science event while holding and wearing stickers — Children left a June Children’s Nature Playscape event with sticker-portraits of eight scientists to further spur interest in research and discoveries. Artwork was led by local artists @Comfort and Adam with contributions from Avery Brockington ’26 and others.

Child colors a picture of a scientist at science communication event — Children appreciated coloring books and pages of the local scientists featured at a Children’s Nature Playscape event designed to make science more accessible in the community.

Science! The word alone is enough to strike fear into the hearts of schoolchildren if they find the subject matter challenging. But fear not. Students and faculty from Kalamazoo College and scientists from around Southwest Michigan can help.

The Science Communication and Society course at K made it their mission this spring to share the research of local scientists through intentional communication and activities for the community of Kalamazoo. Taught by the Director of Science, Math, Business and Economics Learning Centers Rachel Love with support from research assistant Lily Grelak ’25, the course examined the role science communication has in society to create accessible content through teamwork and creativity.

Artist Comfort Love helped lead the artwork featured at the Children's Nature Playscape event. — Artist Comfort Love helped lead the artwork featured at the Children’s Nature Playscape event.

Children learn about science at Playscape event — Kalamazoo College students helped lead science activities at stations including this one about pollinators.

The culmination was a public event at the Children’s Nature Playscape of Kalamazoo in June, where more than 80 children and their families met local scientists and the 26 K students that worked hard all term to effectively communicate the research of each participating scientist. Activity stations brought science to life for the visiting children and their families, and each kiddo left with a stockpile of amazing comics-like sticker-portraits of each scientist and a corresponding coloring book to further spur interest in research and discoveries. Artwork was led by local artists @Comfort and Adam with contributions from K student Avery Brockington ’26 and additional local artists.

“As a person who wants to continue working in science and be a scientist, an effort like this is impactful,” Grelak said. “I have to often remind myself how I’m communicating information to my given audience. If I’m communicating large pieces of science research to family and friends, for example, it’s very different than when I’m in my classroom, so this has been a great opportunity to learn some communication skills.”

Through some enthusiastic interviews, Grelak—a biochemistry major—helped recruit several prominent Michigan scientists:

Kalamazoo College Professor of Biology Ann Fraser: Fraser’s research has centered around biodiversity and the behavior of insects. She has used behavioral, physiological and ecological approaches to probe how interactions between insect species arise and are maintained, and the consequences of these interactions for generating biodiversity. In 2008, her lab began focusing on pollinators and their conservation. She has worked with students to document native bee diversity in Southwest Michigan, examine interactions between bees and native plants, launch the citizen science project Southwest Michigan Bee Watch and collaborate on a project examining pollinator health and apple grower livelihoods in the Western Himalayas. Fraser’s station at the Playscape event had crafts where children made their own pollinators and learned about insects like bees.

Kalamazoo College Dorothy Heyl Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Regina Stevens-Truss: Since joining the faculty at K in January 2000, Stevens-Truss has been teaching courses such as Chemical Reactivity, Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry and Infection: Global Health and Social Justice. She is also the College’s director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence grant, which was awarded to K’s science division in 2018. Current research in her lab focuses on testing a variety of compounds, such as peptides and small molecules, for antimicrobial activity. Stevens-Truss’s station featured keys and locks to explain how enzymes can fit together with underlying substances, called substrates in compounds, to change their shape.

Kalamazoo College Dorothy Heyl Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Regina Stevens-Truss (left) and Professor of Biology Ann Fraser

Kalamazoo College Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sandino Vargas-Pérez: Vargas-Perez has taught courses at K in data structures, algorithms, parallel computing, computing for environmental science, object-oriented programming, and programming in Java and web development. His research interests include high-performance computing, parallel and distributed algorithms, computational genomics, and data structures and compression. His table at the Playscape event showed children the parts of a computer with a matching game to show how the parts relate and how computers can be used to better understand the human brain.

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Associate Professor Momoko Yoshimoto: Yoshimoto joined the Center for Immunobiology in the Department of Investigative Medicine at WMU’s medical school in September 2023. She obtained her medical degree in Japan and completed a comprehensive five-year residency and fellowship in general pediatrics and pediatric hematology-oncology after serving one year as an attending pediatric hematology oncologist. In 2005, Yoshimoto joined Indiana University School of Medicine as a postdoctoral researcher, where she was promoted to research assistant professor in 2009. In 2016, she was recruited as an associate professor at the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Yoshimoto’s table at the Playscape event told attendees about their blood and what’s in it using props such as candy.

Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine Associate Professor Momoko Yoshimoto (second
from left).

Western Michigan University Professor of Biological Sciences Yan Lu: Lu studies the biochemical, genetic and physiological approaches that could make photosynthesis more efficient to help meet the world’s increasing demands for foods, fibers and fuels. She serves as the principal investigator of BIROETS, an NSF-funded research program at WMU that provides middle and high school science teachers in Southwest Michigan with authentic research experience and transformative curricular improvement and professional development opportunities. Lu’s table at the Playscape event allowed children to pot their own plants to show the importance of photosynthesis.

Michigan State University Assistant Professor Dan Campbell: Campbell studies how genetics and environmental influences affect brain development, which may contribute to the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder. His research has shown that increased levels of air pollution can lead to the same changes in brain development as some genetic mutations. Campbell’s table at the Playscape event used bubbles to help explain that chemicals such as smoke in the air might not always be visible but could be harmful.

Images of scientists — Artwork by @Comfort and Adam—with contributions from K student Avery Brockington ’26 and additional local artists—depicted scientists such as Yoshimoto (from left), Campbell and Love.

Michigan State University Assistant Professor Barbara Thompson: As a trained behavioral neuroscientist, Thompson and her laboratory explore functional disruptions in behavior and attempt to explain the changes responsible for them. The long-term goals of her studies are to better understand the disruptions and the neural circuitry responsible, thereby allowing for the design of interventions for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. Her activity at the Playscape was a matching game that showed the relationships between different words and how the brain organizes information.

Children participate in matching game — Michigan State University Assistant Professor Barbara Thompson

Looking ahead

Grelak expects the science communication course to be offered again and reveals that K students might focus on other generational groups within the community in future courses.

“In a diverse community like Kalamazoo, we want all races and all genders to interact with information and be inspired,” she said. “We wanted to have a really diverse group of scientists and we were easily able to do that. But continuing to diversify our audience would help the community feel represented.”

In addition to the community goals of stretching positive regard and identity in science, K students involved in this senior seminar fortified high-demand post-graduation skills such as recognizing and addressing cultural nuances to ensure inclusivity and resonance with diverse audiences evaluating and applying their own skills and knowledge to a complex project and building relationships with stakeholders. Through these connections Shun Yonehara ’24 even secured an internship in Yoshimoto’s laboratory.

Although the first run of this course has wrapped up, the science communication created in this course continues throughout the summer. Awesome information about each local scientist is being shared on the socials of this year’s community partner, @kalamazooplayscape, on Instagram and Facebook. Feed your science curiosity by following along. Pending future funding, be on the lookout to engage with this local science initiative for many years to come.

Children learn about science at science communication event — K students helped local scientists introduce children to issues in science.

Children learn about parts of a computer — K students and Vargas-Pérez showed children the parts of a computer to show how the parts relate and how computers can be used to better understand the human brain.

Children play with bubbles while learning about science — Campbell’s table at the Playscape event used bubbles to help explain that chemicals such as smoke in the air might not always be visible but could be harmful.

Child with drawing of scientist — Children showed off their coloring skills through pages featuring local scientists.

Child's drawing of a scientist — Local artists helped reinforce what children learned from local scientists by producing coloring pages, a coloring book and stickers.

Cover of coloring book featuring scientists — A coloring book distributed at the Playscape event helped children appreciate local scientists and their work.

K Thanks Retiring Faculty, Staff

Posted on June 28, 2024July 9, 2024

Kalamazoo College bids farewell to the following faculty and staff members who have dedicated decades of service to the institution as they are retiring. As they embark on their well-deserved retirements, the College thanks them for their significant contributions, the legacies they leave behind, and the indelible marks they have made on students and colleagues alike.

Kim Aldrich ’80, Alumni Engagement

Aldrich joined Kalamazoo College in 1980, two days after her graduation from K. An economics major, Aldrich’s first role was as a gift and data systems processor in the Advancement division before becoming the assistant director of Management Information Systems (a previous iteration of Information Services). She then served for several years as the Director of Operations and Records in Advancement before taking on the role for which she is best known—the Director of Alumni Engagement—in 2006.

Since then, Aldrich has served as a bridge between the institution and its alumni, helping to build lasting relationships, create meaningful experiences, and ensure that alumni always feel like an integral part of the K community. Aldrich was named the College’s Lux Esto Award of Excellence recipient in 2020 and was presented with the Honorary Hornet Award by the Kalamazoo College Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in 2024. At 44 years of service, she is the longest tenured employee among those currently working at K today.

Portrait of Kim Aldrich — Director of Alumni Engagement Kim Aldrich ’80

Leslie Burke, Collection Services Librarian

Burke joined the Kalamazoo College Library in 2012, having previously worked for EBSCO Information Services and various libraries in Grand Rapids.

She started a master’s degree in library science at Western Michigan University, and when Western dropped the program, she finished the degree at the University of Michigan.

Working as collection services librarian has enabled Burke to serve the K community in various ways, all in pursuit of ensuring that K has the best and most accessible collection of materials possible. She has enjoyed advising students and serving on various committees at K. Some of her favorite memories are the epic Information Services summer and holiday parties. Her personal interests include genealogy, reading, traveling and her Bernese mountain dog, Woodford, shared with her husband, Clyde. She plans to combine genealogy, traveling and reading to research her ancestors.

Portrait of Leslie Burke — Collection Services Librarian Leslie Burke

Teresa Denton, Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement

Denton is the founding associate director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). She served in her role for 23 years, committing herself to ensuring that the CCE’s community partnerships are authentic, reciprocal and sustainable. Her primary responsibility has been to connect K students, faculty and staff with the greater Kalamazoo community so they may learn from and work alongside community members to address systemic and historical issues of injustice.

Denton holds a Master of Social Work and was especially involved with Kalamazoo Public Schools (KPS). As the mother of three Woodward students, she immersed herself in the school community in many ways, but primarily as the liaison between Woodward and K. She had been doing such work for three years before her role was formalized in 2001 when K hired her to develop and sustain community partnerships through the Institute for Service-Learning, now known as the CCE.

Portrait of Teresa Denton — Teresa Denton, founding associate director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement.

Thomas G. Evans, Director of Bands and Professor of Music

Evans joined the faculty of Kalamazoo College in 1995. He has conducted and overseen all aspects of the band program—symphonic band, jazz band and pep band—and taught courses in music history, music education, jazz, trombone and euphonium.

He has been the principal conductor of the Kalamazoo Concert Band since 2002. His jazz bands have toured internationally to Russia, Estonia, Finland and Tunisia, and nationally to Chicago, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati and Detroit. In 2004 and 2013, he took a seven-piece jazz combo from Kalamazoo College to Numazu, Japan.

Evans holds a Doctorate of Music Arts in trombone performance from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree in music education and trombone performance from Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from the State University of New York at Fredonia.

In 2020, Evans received the Community Medal of Arts award sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, recognizing an individual for their significant creative contributions and leadership in the arts. This lifetime achievement award also highlights an artist who has received acclaim on a local or national level and who has made a tremendous impact on our community through art.

Thomas Evans holding a trombone and talking with a student — Director of Bands and Professor of Music Thomas Evans

Ann M. Fraser, Professor of Biology

Fraser came to K as an assistant professor of biology in 2003. She served as the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Assistant Professor of Biology from 2007–2010, and has been a professor of biology since 2018.

She received her Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University and her Bachelor of Science with honors in biology from Acadia University in Canada. Before her studies in biology, she earned a diploma in land surveying from the Nova Scotia Land Survey Institute and spent several years working as a hydrographic surveyor for the Canadian government.

Fraser’s research has centered around biodiversity and behavior of insects. She has used behavioral, physiological and ecological approaches to probe how interactions between certain insect species arise and are maintained, and the consequences of these interactions for generating biodiversity. In 2008, her lab turned its attention to pollinators and their conservation. She has worked with students to document native bee diversity in Southwest Michigan, examine interactions between bees and native plants, launch the citizen science project Southwest Michigan Bee Watch and collaborate on a project examining pollinator health and apple grower livelihoods in the Western Himalayas.

Portrait of retiring Professor Ann Fraser — Professor of Biology Ann Fraser

Alison Geist, Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement

Alison Geist, who joined K in 1997, is a founding director of the CCE and has served as co-director of the Community and Global Health (CGHL) concentration. Geist taught service-learning public health courses alongside community organizations beginning in 1999 and established the CGHL concentration with Diane Kiino in 2010–11. In 2013, Geist received the Linda Vail Spirit of Health Equity Award from Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services for her work with the CCE. During her tenure, the CCE has has grown into a key element of experiential learning and the K Plan, fostering partnerships and engaging the community with students and faculty through community-based courses, student-led programming and community-based internships.

Geist holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Michigan and is interested in the intersections between sustainability, public health, gender and social justice, with a particular interest in food systems. She lived in Morocco from 1983–89, where she conducted village-based research in the High Atlas Mountains and pre-Sahara on maternal issues and health, range fuels, cookstoves, and women’s and girls’ roles in livestock production. She was also the first director of the Near East Foundation (NEF).

Previously, Geist coordinated several National Institute of Mental Health-funded projects at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research in the Center for Research on the Utilization of Scientific Knowledge. Geist also worked at the Health Institute at Tufts–New England Medical Center as coordinator of a multidisciplinary, five-university qualitative study of ethnicity and well-being.

Portrait of Alison Geist — Alison Geist, founding director of the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement

Thomas Massura, Physics

Massura, an instrument technician in both the physics department and chemistry and biochemistry department at K, was the 2022 recipient of the Lux Esto Award of Excellence. The honor recognizes an employee who has served the institution for at least 26 years and has a record of stewardship and innovation while exemplifying the College’s spirit through leadership, selfless dedication and goodwill.

Massura started at the College in 1987. More recently he has maintained more than 50 machines used exclusively in K’s science division while managing general science instrumentation and setting up physics labs.

Retiring Instrument Technician Tom Massura receives the 2022 Lux Esto Award of Excellence from President Jorge G. Gonzalez — Instrument Technician Tom Massura receives the Lux Esto Award of Excellence from President Jorge G. Gonzalez in 2022.

Bruce Mills, Professor of English

Mills, a K faculty member since 1992, was the 2024 recipient of the Lux Esto Award of Excellence, honoring a College employee who has served the institution for at least 26 years with a record of stewardship, innovation, leadership, selfless dedication and goodwill.

He has taught first-year, service-learning seminars on autism and disability as well as classes on short fiction, autobiography, African-American literature, American literature from 1500–1790 and 1790–1865, and the life and legacy of James Baldwin. He also has led the digital humanities portion of the Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL) project, a Mellon Foundation-funded effort combining classroom and in-person experiences in cities such as New Orleans, San Diego and St. Louis that seeks solutions to societal problems while promoting the critical role of the humanities in social justice work. Along with K alumna Donna Odom ’67, and through the support of a GLCA grant, he also oversaw the Engaging the Wisdom Oral History Project, a local racial healing initiative and digital humanities project featuring Kalamazoo residents involved in and/or influenced by the civil rights movement.

Mills has published three books in his area of 19^th-century American literature: Cultural Reformations: Lydia Maria Child and the Literature of Reform; Poe, Fuller, and the Mesmeric Arts: Transition States in the American Renaissance; and an edition of Child’s Letters from New-York, originally published in 1843. In addition, he has written and edited books of creative non-fiction, including An Archaeology of Yearning: A Memoir and Siblings and Autism: Stories Spanning Generations and Cultures, co-edited with Debra Cumberland.

Portrait of retiring professor Bruce Mills — Professor of English Bruce Mills

Timothy E. Moffit, Associate Professor of Economics and Business

Moffit joined the faculty at Kalamazoo College in 1989. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Kalamazoo College, his Master of Business Administration from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College and his Doctor of Business Administration in finance from Nova Southeastern University.

Moffit’s research interests include valuation theory, mergers and acquisitions, and the intersection of faith and finance. He has published journal articles, case studies and books in valuation theory and practice.

Over the past 20 years, he has owned 10 different small businesses. He currently owns three local businesses with his son—Kalamazoo Kettle Corn, Heilman’s Nuts & Confections, and a medical-supply company. Moffit is a board member of Delta Dental Corporation and Renaissance Health Services Corporation.

Retiring Professor Timothy Moffitt teaches a class from a blackboard — Associate Professor of Economics and Business Tim Moffit

Deia Sportel, English

Sportel began her career at K in September 2008 with Facilities Management. In 2010, she moved to a newly created position as office coordinator with Campus Safety and Religious Life. During her time with Campus Safety, Sportel initiated the formation of the Campus Safety Committee. In September 2011, she began working as the office Coordinator at Humphrey House, where she has remained. Sportel supports the English, classics, religion, philosophy and critical ethnic studies (CES) departments, and the women, gender and sexuality (WGS) program.

In 2018, Sportel became a certified trainer for Green Dot, a national prevention program that significantly reduces the likelihood of dating and domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault. During her time at K, she has also served on the Benefits Review Group, Community Council, and served as the administrator for the Religion Journal Review from 2017–2020. She has a Bachelor of Science in business management from Cornerstone University.

Portrait of Deia Sportel — English and Humanities Office Coordinator Deia Sportel

Jan Tobochnik, Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics

Tobochnik has taught physics and computer science at K since 1985. He has served as Dow Distinguished Professor of Natural Sciences since 2004, as physics chair from 2022–2023 and 1996–2007, as Posse mentor from 2015–2019, as acting provost in winter 2014 and as interim provost from 2007–2008.

Tobochnik earned a Bachelor of Arts in physics from Amherst College in 1975 and a Ph.D. in physics from Cornell University in 1980. His research has involved using computer simulations to understand systems as wide ranging as lattice models of earthquakes, structural glass transitions, granular matter, transport through random media, percolation, patent citation networks, melting in three dimensions, neural system simulations and econophysics.

Tobochnik was editor of the American Journal of Physics from 2001–2011, and he continues to co-edit a column in that journal. He has been especially interested in teaching students how to write and use computer simulations to do physics and co-authored several textbooks. He also taught introductory physics at the top engineering university in Taiwan in fall 2018.

Tobochnik said he enjoyed working with many wonderful faculty, staff and students during his 39 years at the College. He will be moving to Rhode Island to be near his older son’s family, and he will have a visiting scientist appointment at Brown University.

Retiring professor Jan Tobochnik — Jan Tobochnik, Dow Distinguished Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics

And Finally…

The College congratulates David Saxman, architectural trades coordinator in Facilities Management, and Stephen TenBrink, officer in Campus Safety, who retired earlier this year after more than nine and 11 years with K, respectively.