Kalamazoo College student Peter Rossi ’18 is among the first students to take advantage of a new internship program that teaches students about the mortgage industry.
Rossi, a computer science major and music minor from Kalamazoo, is one of nine college juniors and seniors learning career skills this summer through AmeriFirst, a mortgage banker in Kalamazoo. The students, who were chosen from more than 50 applicants, work in marketing, information technology, appraisals, human resources and legal/compliance. The program began in May and continues through August.
Peter Rossi, a computer science major and music minor from Kalamazoo, is one of nine college juniors and seniors learning career skills this summer through AmeriFirst, a mortgage banker in Kalamazoo.
“The work environment at AmeriFirst is extremely unique because my work is directly applicable to the company,” Rossi said. “They’re willing to value my opinions even at the highest level, which pushes me to work hard.”
Rossi’s job in information technology includes communicating with various departments around AmeriFirst to help the company build an intranet platform that suits employees’ needs. He also has duties involving business process modeling, which is a method of mapping processes to help make an organization’s workflow more effective and efficient.
Rossi said there are three divisions within IT at AmeriFirst including:
a technical-support division;
a network administration division, ensuring that servers are protected and company information is properly encrypted; and
Rossi’s division, which offers a mix of continuous improvement and project management.
“There are a lot of departments that have interns, but the IT department has a way of making every day interesting and fun,” Rossi said. “We really go out of our way to interact and have a good time.”
A weekly lunch-and-learn program encourages community and builds cohesiveness among the interns across departments. During these 60-minute sessions, members of senior management provide industry and life-skills education along with overviews of their respective areas of expertise. A recent highlight included a session with Chief Executive Officer Mark Jones, who shared his passion and business philosophy with the students, who appreciated his time.
“AmeriFirst is going out of its way to see that young talent stays here, which I think is amazing,” said Rossi, a Loy Norrix High School graduate, Heyl Scholar and a member of K’s swimming and diving team. He added he hopes he can take the experiences he has gained so far and continue to be successful moving forward.
Before launching the internship program, AmeriFirst Staff Recruiter Kelly McConnell and coworker Nicole Waterbury connected with local college career departments, including K’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), and reached out to other corporations running successful internship programs. Although Rossi first heard of the internship opportunity through a friend’s dad, he said CCPD was integral in helping him prepare his résumé and learn how to network.
Rossi said he would encourage other students thinking about the AmeriFirst program in the future to “absolutely apply. If you can get in, they really take care of you. It’s a diverse workforce, and a majority of employees are women at the home office, even among the senior leadership team. For me that creates an amazing community atmosphere that also has a young, energetic vibe.”
For more information on internships at AmeriFirst, contact McConnell at 269-324-4240, ext. 12020, or recruiter@amerifirst.com.
Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who received awards during the Senior Awards Ceremony on June 10, 2017, in Stetson Chapel. The awards include all academic divisions, prestigious scholarships, and special non-departmental awards. Again, congratulations to all graduates and members of the Class of 2017.
FINE ARTS DIVISION
Art and Art History
THE LILIA CHEN AWARD IN ART, awarded to students in their junior or senior year who distinguish themselves through their work in ceramics, sculpture, or painting, and who exhibit strong progress in their understanding of art. Kelan Gill Madeline Clair Lawson Kelsi Levine Giovanni Lo Grasso Helena Maija Marnauzs Harrison Thomas Parkes Christa Scheck Jie Xu
THE GEORGE EATON ERRINGTON PRIZE, awarded to an outstanding senior art major. Gabriela E. Latta Malikah Q. Mahone
THE MICHAEL WASKOWSKY PRIZE, awarded to an outstanding junior or senior art major. Erin Brown Rachel Catherine Selina
Music
The LILLIAN PRINGLE BALDAUF PRIZE IN MUSIC, awarded to an outstanding music student. John Bowman Valentin Frank Gabrielle Holme-Miller Vethania Stavropoulos
THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT AWARD, given by the Music Department of the College for outstanding contributions to the musical life on campus, for achievement in performance areas, and for academic achievement. John Bowman Alexis Diana Diller Johanna Drentlaw Rachel Elizabeth Fadler Hannah Lehker Daniel Moore Cody Mosblech Eric S. Thornburg Camila Trefftz Myles Truss Olivia Marguerite Weaver Lindsay Worthington
THE FAN E. SHERWOOD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded for outstanding progress and ability on the violin, viola, cello or bass. Siwook Hwang Hannah L. Kim
THE MARGARET UPTON PRIZE IN MUSIC, awarded each year to a student designated by the Music Department Faculty as having made significant achievement in music. Thaddeus Martin Buttrey
Theatre Arts
THE RUTH SCOTT CHENERY AWARD, given to a graduating senior who has excelled academically in theatre and who plans to continue the study of theatre arts following graduation. Thaddeus Martin Buttrey Monica Johnson Kyle Lampar Sarah Levett Lindsay Worthington
THE COOPER AWARD IN FINE ARTS, for a junior or senior showing excellence in a piece of creative work in a theatre arts class: film, acting, design, stagecraft, puppetry, speech. Madison Louise Donoho
THE IRMGARD KOWATZKI THEATRE AWARD, awarded to the senior who has excelled both in academic areas and in theatrical productions during the four years at the College. Sarah Levett
THE SHERWOOD PRIZE IN FINE ARTS, given for the best oral presentation in a speech-oriented class. Quincy Isaiah Crosby
THE CHARLES TULLY DESIGN AWARD, given annually to a senior who has achieved excellence in some aspect of theatre design. Lindsay Worthington
FOREIGN LANGUAGES DIVISION
Chinese
THE CHINESE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD recognizes seniors who have excelled in the study of the Chinese language and China-related subjects on campus and abroad in China. Dejah Crystal Marlon Gonzalez Amanda Johnson Natalie A. Schmitt Katherine Wynne
Classics
THE CLARA H. BUCKLEY PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN LATIN, awarded to an outstanding student of the language of the Romans. Brittany Jones
THE DEPARTMENTAL PRIZE IN GREEK Danielle Marie Gin
THE PROVOST’S PRIZE IN CLASSICS, awarded to that student who writes the best essay on a classical subject. Danielle Marie Gin Brittany Jones
German
THE JOE FUGATE SENIOR GERMAN AWARD, awarded to a senior for excellence in German. Frances Mary Heldt
Japanese
THE JAPANESE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, COLLEGE CHAPTER, is awarded in recognition of the student’s achievement in their study of the Japanese language and for their overall academic excellence. Corrin Elise Davis Alexis Diana Diller John Mihalik Fowler Anh P. Lam Bailee M. Lotus Elinor Ruth Rubin-McGregor Christa Scheck Ke Sheng Carolyn Elizabeth Topper
Romance Languages
THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE PRIZE IN FRENCH, awarded for excellence in French by an advanced student. Maribel Blas-Rangel Elijah Wickline
THE SENIOR SPANISH AWARD, given by the Department of Romance Languages for outstanding achievement in Spanish. Cory Gyulveszi Caroline Elena Sulich
HUMANITIES DIVISION
American Studies
THE DAVID STRAUSS PRIZE IN AMERICAN STUDIES, awarded for the best paper written by a graduating senior in his or her junior or senior year in any field of American Studies. Jessica Paige Hansen
English
THE GRIFFIN PRIZE, awarded to the senior English major who, like Professor Gail Griffin, demonstrates an exceptional ability to bridge his/her analytical and creative work in the English department. Alyse Michelle Guenther Rachel Williams
THE ELWOOD H. AND ELIZABETH H. SCHNEIDER PRIZE, awarded for outstanding and creative work in English done by a student who is not an English major. Danielle Marie Gin
THE MARY CLIFFORD STETSON PRIZE, awarded for excellence in English essay writing by a senior. Sara McKinney
Sarah Schmitt
THE DWIGHT AND LEOLA STOCKER PRIZE, awarded for excellence in English writing: prose or poetry. Erin Elizabeth Bensinger Serena Li Bonarski Jon R. Jerow Caroline Marie Peterson
History
THE JAMES BIRD BALCH PRIZE, for the showing academic excellence in American History. Frances Mary Heldt
THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AWARD, given for outstanding work in the major. Claudia Quinn Greening Frances Mary Heldt
Philosophy
THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY PRIZE, awarded for excellence in any year’s work in philosophy. James Michael Reuter
THE HODGE PRIZE IN PHILOSOPHY, awarded to that member of the graduating class who has the highest standing in the field. Jon R. Jerow Caroline Marie Peterson
Religion
THE MARION H. DUNSMORE MEMORIAL PRIZE IN RELIGION, awarded to a graduating senior for excellence in the major. Hannah Nicole Cooperrider Danielle Purkey Dakota Lynn Trinka Natalie Cristina Vázquez
NATURAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS DIVISION
Biology
THE H. LEWIS BATTS PRIZE, awarded to the senior who has done the most to support the activities of the Biology Department and to further the spirit of collegiality among students and faculty in the Department. Suma J. Alzouhayli
THE DIEBOLD SCHOLAR AWARD, given to one or more seniors in recognition of excellence in the oral or poster presentation of the SIP at the Diebold Symposium. Lucy Merrill Theresa Marie Shuryan Sarah Caroline Smith Cameron Werner Katherine Wynne
THE ROBERT BZDYL PRIZE IN MARINE BIOLOGY, awarded to one or more students with demonstrated interest and ability in marine biology or related fields. Na Young Kim
THE WILLIAM E. PRAEGER PRIZE, established by the faculty in the Biology Department and awarded to the most outstanding senior major in Biology, based on academic achievement in the discipline. Kathleen George Katherine Wynne
Chemistry
THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, sponsored by the American Chemical Society Division of Analytical Chemistry, to an undergraduate student planning on pursuing graduate studies in chemistry. Collin Joseph Steen
THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, sponsored by the American Chemical Society Division of Inorganic Chemistry, to an undergraduate student planning on pursuing graduate studies in chemistry. Sonam Shrestha
THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, sponsored by the American Chemical Society and subcommittee for the Division of Organic Chemistry, to an undergraduate student who displays significant aptitude for a career in organic chemistry. Rachel Elizabeth Fadler
THE ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE AWARD IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, sponsored by the American Chemical Society and subcommittee for the Division of Physical Chemistry, to an undergraduate student who displays significant aptitude for a career in organic chemistry. Eric S. Thornburg
THE OUTSTANDING CHEMISTRY STUDENT FROM KALAMAZOO COLLEGE, sponsored by the Kalamazoo Section of the American Chemical Society and is given to the graduating senior who has demonstrated leadership in the chemistry department and plans to pursue graduate studies in chemistry. Sarah Glass
THE KURT KAUFMAN FELLOW, given annually to seniors who receive Honors in the Senior Individualized Project (SIP) conducted with faculty in the Chemistry Department. Suma J. Alzouhayli Sarah Glass Eric S. Thornburg Myles Truss
THE LEMUEL F. SMITH AWARD, given to a student majoring in chemistry pursuing the American Chemical Society approved curriculum and having at the end of the junior year the highest average standing in courses taken in chemistry, physics,and mathematics. Collin Joseph Steen
Mathematics and Computer Science
THE CLARKE BENEDICT WILLIAMS PRIZE, awarded to that member of the graduating class who has the best record in mathematics and the allied sciences. Jill Denise Antonishen Yicong Guo
Physics
THE JOHN WESLEY HORNBECK PRIZE, awarded to a senior with the highest achievement for the year’s work in advanced physics toward a major. Jill Denise Antonishen Michelle Sugimoto
PHYSICAL EDUCATION DIVISION
THE GEORGE ACKER AWARD awarded annually to a male athlete who in his participation gave all, never quit, with good spirit supported others unselfishly, and whose example was inspirational. Andrew Marten Bremer
THE HORNET ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION AWARD, for a graduating senior who has most successfully combined high scholarship with athletic prowess. Brent Yelton
THE MARY LONG BURCH AWARD, for a senior woman who has manifested interest in sports activities and excelled in scholarship. Grace Fitzgerald Smith
THE C. W. “OPIE” DAVIS AWARD, awarded to the outstanding senior male athlete. Branden Metzler
THE KNOECHEL FAMILY AWARD, awarded to a senior male and a senior female member of the swim teams in recognition of demonstrated excellence in both intercollegiate swimming and academic performance. Stuart Murch Colleen Elizabeth Orwin
THE TISH LOVELESS AWARD, given by the Department of Physical Education to the outstanding senior female athlete. Colleen Elizabeth Orwin
THE CATHERINE A. SMITH PRIZE IN WOMEN’S ATHLETICS, awarded to a woman athlete who in her participation gave all, never quit, with good spirit supported others unselfishly, and whose example was inspirational. Suzanne Miller Grace Fitzgerald Smith
SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
Anthropology and Sociology
THE RAYMOND L. HIGHTOWER AWARD, given to a graduating senior for excellence in and commitment to the disciplines of sociology and anthropology and leadership in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Emily Levy Chenxi “Abby” Lu Yaneli Soriano Santiago
Economics and Business
THE WILLIAM G. HOWARD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded to a senior for excellence in academic work in an economics or business major. Shanice Buys Kyle Hernández Amanda Johnson
THE PROVOST PRIZE IN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS, awarded to a senior for excellence in academic work in a business major. Eric Castle De Witt Philip Ritchie Aidan M. Tank
THE ROBERT AND KAREN RHOA PRIZE IN BUSINESS Quinton E. Colwell Brett Garwood
THE ROBERT AND KAREN RHOA PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING SIP IN BUSINESS Amanda Crouch
Political Science
THE E. BRUCE BAXTER MEMORIAL AWARD, awarded to a senior showing outstanding development in the field of political science. Melissa Erikson
THE WILLIAM G. HOWARD MEMORIAL PRIZE, awarded for excellence in a year’s work in political science. Erica Marie Vanneste
THE EUGENE P. STERMER AWARD IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Alivia Combe DuQuet Gunyeop Lee
Psychology
THE MARSHALL HALLOCK BRENNER PRIZE awarded to an outstanding student for excellence in the field of psychology. Kyle Hernández
THE XARIFA GREENQUIST MEMORIAL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT AWARD, given in recognition of distinctive service to students and faculty in psychology by a student assistant. Janelle Brittany Grant Janay Ruth Johnson Ashley Vail Schmidt Caroline Elena Sulich Matthew Jacob Zhiss
THE RICHARD D. KLEIN AWARDS IN PSYCHOLOGY Maribel Blas-Rangel (Senior Award) Sarah Jayne Bragg (Senior Award) Francisco Lopez Jr. (Senior Impact Award) Landen Skinner (Senior Impact Award)
THE DONALD W. VAN LIERE PRIZES IN PSYCHOLOGY Daniella Y. Glymin (Coursework) Rachel Lifton (Coursework) Mackenzie Norman (Coursework) Ashley Vail Schmidt (Coursework) Caroline Elena Sulich (Coursework) Camila Trefftz (Coursework) Kaela Van Til (Coursework) Sarah Jayne Bragg (Research) Hannah Kim (Research) Paris N. Weisman (Research)
Women, Gender and Sexuality
THE CATHERINE A. SMITH PRIZE IN HUMAN RIGHTS, awarded to a senior who has been active on campus in promoting human rights, furthering progressive social and cultural change, and combating violence, repression, and bigotry. Danielle Purkey
THE LUCINDA HINSDALE STONE PRIZE, awarded to a student whose scholarship, research or creative work in women’s studies, in the form of a SIP or other academic work, is most impressive. Audrey J. Negro
COLLEGE AWARDS
THE ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA MARIA LEONARD SENIOR BOOK AWARD, given to the Alpha Lambda Delta member graduating with the highest GPA. Grace Fitzgerald Smith
THE GORDON BEAUMONT MEMORIAL AWARD, awarded to the deserving student who displays qualities of selflessness, humanitarian concern, and willingness to help others, as exemplified in the life of Gordon Beaumont. Sarah Jayne Bragg Mireya Guzmán-Ortíz
THE HENRY AND INEZ BROWN AWARD is awarded in recognition of outstanding participation in the College community. Sidney Katherine Wall
THE VIRGINIA HINKELMAN MEMORIAL AWARD is awarded to a deserving student who displays a deep concern for the well-being of children, as demonstrated through career goals in the field of child welfare. Moises Hernandez
THE BABETTE TRADER CAMPUS CITIZENSHIP AND LEADERSHIP AWARD, awarded to that member of the graduating class, who has most successfully combined campus citizenship and leadership with scholarship. Grace Fitzgerald Smith Yaneli Soriano Santiago
THE MAYNARD OWEN WILLIAMS MEMORIAL AWARD, for the best student entry in the form of an essay, poetry, paintings, sketches, photographs, or films derived from Study Abroad. Jack Clark Hannah Nicole Cooperrider Alyse Michelle Guenther Anh P. Lam Sarah Jean Schmitt Camille Rose Wood Lindsay Worthington Samantha Young
THE LARRY BELL SCHOLARSHIP Award Marian Jayne Strauss
The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement recognizes THE HAM SCHOLARS, who work through community partnerships to empower girls and young women to lead and advocate. Sarah Jayne Bragg
THE MOSES KIMBALL SCHOLARSHIP Award Francisco Lopez Jr.
The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service-Learning recognizes LAPLANTE STUDENT SCHOLARS who have shown outstanding dedication to civic engagement and who design and lead community programs that promote a more just, equitable and sustainable world. Moises Hernandez Annalise Elizabeth Robinson Caitlyn Whitcomb
The Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement recognizes the VIBBERT SCHOLARS, students who honor and exemplify the life and spirit of Stephanie Vibbert–scholar, activist, poet, feminist and artist–by leading programs that promote equity and justice through the arts and feminist organizing. Emily Kowey
THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP RECOGNITION AWARD is awarded to students who have provided key elements of leadership in their organizations, athletic teams, academic departments, employment, and the wider Kalamazoo community. Students were nominated by faculty and staff members in January. Seniors eligible for this award also had to meet a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average requirement and be in good academic and social standing at the College. Suma J. Alzouhayli Riley M. Boyd Sarah Jayne Bragg Allie J. Brodsky Thaddeus Martin Buttrey Liz Clevenger Sabrina Esha Dass Eric Castle De Witt Dana Theresa DeVito Nate Donovan Erin DuRoss Kayla Dziadzio Melissa Erikson Sarah Glass Ellie Simon Goldman Marlon Gonzalez Moises Hernandez Gabrielle Holme-Miller Allia V. M. Howard Emily Kowey Emily Levy Chenxi “Abby” Lu Leland Harrison Rene Merrill Branden Metzler Suzanne Miller Colleen Elizabeth Orwin Lauren A. Perlaki Douglas S. Robinett Jacob Scott David Jordan Smith Grace Fitzgerald Smith Katie Sorensen Anhtu Vu Sidney Katherine Wall Lindsay Worthington
Four Kalamazoo College chemistry students from Professor Laura Furge’s lab attended the Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Discussion Group annual meeting on May 4 and 5 in Kalamazoo. The entourage included three – Sarah Glass ’17, Christi Cho ’17 and Cydney Martell ’19 – who presented their research regarding enzymes that help the human body interact with and process prescription drugs. Their research is relevant to prescription drug discovery and treating diseases, especially in predicting how individuals will respond to their medications.
Cydney Martell ’19 is one of three students who presented their research regarding enzymes that help the human body interact with and process prescription drugs at the the Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Discussion Group annual meeting. Their research is relevant to prescription drug discovery and treating diseases, especially in predicting how individuals will respond to their medications.
Cho – a chemistry major from Anchorage, Alaska – says her studies could help advance clinical research that ensures drugs won’t build up to toxic levels or negatively interact with other prescription drugs. She will attend the University of Washington as a graduate student starting this fall, where she has received a Graduate School Top Scholar Award to help fund her education. Yet K has made an impression on her.
“The faculty make a really good effort to create a friendly learning environment,” Cho said. “Chemistry be challenging at times. They try to bring the fun into every aspect of it.”
Glass – from Shelbyville, Mich. – in addition to presenting research, organized and planned the event’s luncheon, providing students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and pharmaceutical industry representatives with networking opportunities. Glass majored in chemistry at K, minored in math with a biochemistry concentration, and finished her undergraduate studies in December after just 3 1/3 years. She will start pursuing a Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University this fall.
At K, “all the chemistry faculty are extremely helpful and knowledgeable,” Glass said. “Students get a lot of hands-on experience through labs and have opportunities to get involved in research early on.”
Martell – a chemistry major from Gull Lake, Mich. – plans to further her research in K labs this summer.
“For me the annual meeting was a great experience to see how the topics I have learned in biochemistry and through research can be used to understand and critically think about current research in industry and academia.” Martell plans to attend graduate school after K, where she will earn a Ph.D. She is leaning toward teaching research in her professional career.
K chemistry major and Furge lab research associate Sabrina Leddy ’19 also attended the meeting. K Visiting Professor Kyle Furge took the 13 students from his advanced biochemistry course to the meeting’s opening plenary.
The Great Lakes Drug Metabolism and Disposition Group website says the group:
provides opportunities for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and senior-level associates from regional universities to meet pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacologists from various academic and industrial backgrounds;
promotes regional visibility of the discipline of drug metabolism and disposition science;
facilitates informal dialogue between pharmaceutical partners and academic laboratories; and
enriches interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities for those interested in drug metabolism and disposition.
Seven Kalamazoo College students attended the annual Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago in May including two honored in the event’s undergraduate research posters competition.
K students Raoul Wadhwa (second from left) and Sarah Glass (second from right) received honors in the Experimental Biology undergraduate research posters competition. They are joined by professors Regina Stevens-Truss and Laura Furge.
About 225 undergraduates from across the country participated in Experimental Biology’s poster competition in the categories of:
proteins and enzymes;
metabolism, bioenergetics, lipids and signal transduction;
DNA, RNA, chromosomes and gene regulation; and
cell and developmental biology.
Sarah Glass ’17, of Shelbyville, Mich., was awarded first place in the “proteins and enzymes” posters category and received an award of $500. Raoul Wadhwa ’17 – originally from Portage, Mich., and now of Chicago – earned honorable mention recognition in “proteins and enzymes.”
Glass said the meeting was a great opportunity to find out what’s going on in science and to practice presenting research. She is a chemistry major who will pursue a Ph.D. starting this fall at Vanderbilt University.
Glass presented research associated with her Senior Individualized Project (SIP). She investigated enzymes in the human liver that help process medicines, work that may become relevant in predicting how individuals will respond to their medications.
In contrast to Glass, it might seem strange that Wadhwa, a math major, not only participated but earned honors in an event largely attended by chemistry and biology majors. However, this project – which also was his SIP – united his interdisciplinary interests in computer science, math, biology and chemistry.
K students Christi Cho, Sarah Glass, Raoul Wadhwa, Cydney Martell, Jacqueline Mills, Sharat Kamath and Susmitha Narisetty joined professors Laura Furge and Regina Stevens-Truss at the annual Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago.
“Something like this could only happen at K,” he said, adding he owes a “thank you” to chemistry professors Regina Stevens-Truss and Laura Furge. Their guidance helped him inside and outside the lab, especially as they coached him in professionally presenting scientific research. “This would never have happened at a big university.”
Wadhwa described his research as still being a ways off from clinical application, although he was looking at a new class of potential drug therapies that in some ways are similar to antibiotics. He helped develop software used to predict the antibacterial potential of peptides being studied in Truss’s lab, work that could one day prove vital in this age of antibiotic resistance. Wadhwa will attend the Cleveland Clinic’s Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western University starting this fall.
Other K representatives included chemistry majors Christi Cho ’17, Jacqueline Mills ’18 and Cydney Martell ’19; along with biology majors Sharat Kamath ’18 and Susmitha Narisetty ’19. Cho also presented her SIP research and Narisetty presented results from her summer internship at South Dakota State University.
Can there be a better metonym for — or higher measure of — the virtues of courage and love than the word immigrant? It is a question posed by the new Upjohn Library Commons exhibit titled “Immigrants and International Students at Kalamazoo College.” That history is a long one at K, beginning in the 1860s and continuing today. College Archivist Lisa Murphy ’98 is responsible for the library’s main-floor displays, which she alters term to term. And hers was the idea for this spring’s. However, the execution — including the research, writing, design and installation, was accomplished by senior political science major Shelby Long. Long has worked in the College’s archives for three years doing multiple tasks but never, until now, a museum-quality exhibit. “I wanted to be sure she had that opportunity,” says Murphy, who admits she will sorely miss her colleague after June’s commencement. “Shelby did a wonderful job on this timely display.” Preparation and installation required a month, and the most difficult task was choosing the few students (from many possibilities) that the display would feature.
Among Long’s favorites is Nagai Kafu, who attended K in 1904-05. “He became one of the most prominent writers in Japan in the 1920s and ’30s,” said Long, “described by some as Japan’s Ernest Hemingway. Fans of his work still visit the house on Elm Street where he lived when he studied at K.” Asked what strikes her most about K’s immigrant and international students, Long says: “All their remarkable accomplishments after they left, in the U.S. and in their home countries.
Sam Song Bo
Those countries (in addition to Japan) included Burma, Poland, Latvia, Nigeria, Kenya, Iceland, Iran and China. Sam Song Bo left China to attend college in the United States (first McMinnville College in Oregon, then K in 1881-82). He decried the discrimination Chinese immigrants endured in the United States, writing about that injustice some dozen years after Chinese workers helped complete the building of the transcontinental railroad. One of the earliest immigrant students to attend K (although one could consider all Americans immigrants) was Martha den Bleyker, class of 1863. At the age of nine she and her family arrived in Kalamazoo from the Netherlands. They were soon thereafter quarantined from cholera in a shack outside the city limits. All but one brother recovered from the disease. Martha’s father went on to establish Kalamazoo as a premier celery growing region.
Martha den Bleyker
Martha was an anomaly in that most 19th-century immigrant students at K were men. That began to change after World War II. One example is Hilda Arzangoolian who traveled from Iran to study chemistry and mathematics at K in 1946-47. She spoke six languages and had studied English a mere six months before arriving at K. In addition to her academic pursuits, she played excellent tennis for the College’s team. You can learn more about the history of K’s immigrant and international students by traveling no further than the first floor of Upjohn Library Commons. Shelby Long remains very interested in archival work, and plans to earn to Master in Library Science degree. Lisa Murphy will be seeking a student to take Long’s place. “It’s wonderful work,” says Long. Interested students should write to Murphy at archives@kzoo.edu.
In early May, 28 Kalamazoo College students had the opportunity to share a meal on campus with eight professionals who have at least two things in common—the K-Plan and careers at the Stryker Corporation, a Kalamazoo-based Fortune 500 medical technologies firm.
The alumni returned to campus at the invitation of the Center for Career and Professional Development to meet with students who could learn about career paths at Stryker and the relevance of the K-Plan to those paths. At least 15 current Stryker employees got their undergraduate degrees at K, and both institutions are interested in strengthening the talent pipeline between the two.
The event began with a welcome by S. Si Johnson ’78, the retired group president of Stryker MedSurg Group and a current member of the College’s board of trustees. Johnson shared the four core values of Stryker—integrity, accountability, people, and performance—and reflected on how the critical thinking and problem solving skills inherent in a K education are great preparation for a career at Stryker.
After students and alumni enjoyed informal networking conversations over dinner, James N. Heath ’78, the retired president of Stryker Instruments and a member of K’s board of trustees, moderated an alumni panel that included Randy Rzeznik ’08, director of customer excellence, Neuro, Spine, ENT and Navigation; Bryce Pearson ’15, finance representative; Kevin Packard ’05, clinical marketing manager, Neuro, Spine, ENT and Navigation; and Michael Weslosky ’02, staff scientist.
Panelists reflected on their trajectories from K to Stryker and talked about the qualities of the company they find most attractive. The panelists’ K majors were varied—chemistry, economics, biology, and business—and each panelist cited the value of the work ethic instilled by the K-Plan and the 10-week term. They also stressed the importance of persistence in the pursuit of employment. Pearson, for example, shared the effort and time that was required before he secured a position at Stryker.
Heath also invited one of the students in attendance, junior Alex White, to describe the extensive process he’d gone through to secure an internship with Stryker for the upcoming summer.
Other alumni attending the event included Legal Counsel Christopher DiVirgilio ’04 and Senior IS Business Analyst Russ Hankey ’96.
Students and alumni agreed that the evening was a success and excellent preparation for the next step in the K/Stryker relationship: a half-day immersion K-Trek for selected students to the company’s headquarters in the fall.
Twenty-four K students completed Green Dot bystander training in late April.
Twenty-four Kalamazoo College students and five K employee Green Dot-certified trainers launched the College’s first bystander training session on April 29. It’s one of several early steps toward the goal of a “greening” that will be year-round, forever.
Green Dot is a national prevention program that has proven effective in significantly reducing the likelihood of dating and domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault. Essential to the program’s effectiveness are bystanders, people trained to safely interrupt or prevent harmful precursor behaviors associated with dating violence, stalking and sexual assault. In the program’s iconography, a red dot is any person’s choice to harm another person with words or actions. In any environment, or map, enough red dots create a norm where violence is tolerated. Green dots are small actions to intervene when a red dot is occurring or to prevent the likelihood of red dots at all. Small as they may be, Green Dot words and actions draw their power from the large numbers of people who commit to speak or do them. Together, enough Green Dots can change “worlds,” small and large. And one of those worlds will be Kalamazoo College.
In late March some 30 faculty, staff and administrators completed four days of Green Dot “College Curriculum” training, which certified them to do bystander training for K students and overview training for K faculty and staff. One month—and a lot of preparation and practice—later the first bystander training took place in the Olmsted Room. It included students identified by their peers as well-respected and influential.
“The 24 students were highly engaged throughout the training,” said Ellen Lassiter Collier, Director of Gender Equity at K. “This was a day-long event in the middle of a busy spring term, yet no one left the session.” In fact, at least three students reported applying Green Dot interventions at parties or other events that very weekend.
“To establish a norm where the intolerance of violence is immediately and plainly evident—and a culture where everyone does their part to maintain that norm—will require a critical mass of K community members,” said Lassiter Collier. “Many times it will be students who are most likely to be present in settings and situations where ‘red dots’ tend to occur. Students trained as bystanders are absolutely indispensable, so we were very gratified by the participation of these 24 early adopters.”
Additional student bystander training is scheduled for the fall, and the “first” 24 will have contributed to the success of those sessions by providing the names of several score of other influential and well-respected students who will be invited to the fall training.
In concert with the effort to train a critical mass of student bystanders, employee Green Dot-certified trainers also will work with faculty and staff this spring and early and continuing into the fall.
The bystander trainers who joined Lassiter Collier on April 29 were Andrew Grayson ’10, Admission; Laura Livingstone-McNelis ’89, Department of Theatre Arts; Leslie Burke, Information Services; and Morgan Mahdavi ’14, Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.
The 24 students included Julia Plomer ¹18, Maddie Tracey ¹17, Sidney Wall ’17, Cody Colvin ’18, Douglas Robinett ’17, Leah Finelli ’18, Ashley Henne ’17, Sep’Tisha Riley ’18, Kourtney Johnson ’17, Tenley Mustonen ’17, Amber Salome ’18, Colleen Orwin ’17, Elizabeth Clevenger ’17, James Paprocki ’18, Alex Dykema ’19, Kiavanne Williams ’18, Lilia Robins ’18, Colleen Corrigan ’17, Kaiya Herman Hilker ’19, Sophie Higdon ’19, Roger Hood ’18, Rose Maylen ’19, Malak Ghazal ’19 and Lezlie Lull ’20.
Funding for Kalamazoo College’s Green Dot efforts comes from the State of Michigan Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program.
Three East Asian studies students at Kalamazoo College have earned prestigious competitive grants, allowing two to study abroad in Japan in the 2017-18 academic year, and a third to serve in an English teaching assistantship in Taiwan. Ihechi Ezuruonye ’19, of Southfield, Mich., and Molly Brueger ’19, of Arlington, Va., secured Boren Awards. Dejah Crystal ’17, of Standish, Maine, has earned a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award.
Boren Award honoree Ihechi Ezuruonye will study for 11 months in Kyoto, Japan.
Boren Winners to Study in Japan
Boren Awards are worth up to $20,000 depending on the student’s financial need and how long the student stays overseas. Ezuruonye and Brueger were granted the maximum. The grants are funded by the federal government through the National Security Education Program, which focuses on geographic areas, languages and fields deemed critical to U.S. national security.
The awards are named after former U.S. Sen. David L. Boren, the principal author of the legislation that created the National Security Education Program. Boren Scholars (undergrads) and Fellows (graduate students) study in countries throughout Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. The winners commit to federal service for at least a year after graduation. Ezuruonye and Brueger will study from September 2017 to August 2018 in Kyoto, a former Japanese capital, at Doshisha University.
Ezuruonye, an international and area studies and East Asian studies double major with a Japanese concentration, sees similarities between Asian and African cultures, prompting her interest in Japan’s language, history and food. She hopes to work at the U.S. Embassy in Japan as an ambassador or deputy ambassador after graduation to fulfill her federal obligation. The study abroad program first attracted Ezuruonye to K.
Boren Award honor Molly Brueger will study for 11 months in Kyoto, Japan.
“Learning the language and the culture helps us understand the people,” Ezuruonye said. “If we’re more willing to talk and we’re learning the same language, it brings us one step closer together.”
Brueger, an international and area studies major with Japanese and Chinese emphases, first learned of K through the “Colleges That Change Lives” book by Loren Pope. Pope is a higher-education expert and former New York Times education editor, who describes 40 dynamic colleges, including K, that excel at developing potential, values and initiative in students, while providing the foundation for success beyond college.
Brueger wants to serve abroad in the Peace Corps as an English teacher to fulfill her federal service requirement. She credits East Asian studies Professor Dennis Frost, International Programs Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft, Adviser and Assistant Professor of Chinese Yue Hong, and two of K’s previous Boren winners – A.J. Convertino and Amanda Johnson – for a combination of encouragement, recommendations and essay assistance.
“I was surprised because (Boren scholarships) are so competitive,” Brueger said. “I’m really honored to receive the maximum. I’ll definitely put it to good use in becoming proficient in Japanese.”
Brueger will intern at the Chengdu Consulate General in China’s Sichuan Province this summer before heading to Japan.
Fulbright Recipient Traveling to Taiwan
Crystal is graduating in June with a degree in East Asian studies on a China track after just three years at K. Her study abroad experience took her to
Fulbright winner Dejah Crystal will serve in a teaching assistantship in Taiwan.
Capital University in Beijing, although she will serve in an English teaching assistantship for 11 months beginning in August on the small Taiwanese island of Kinmen. After this opportunity, she would like to continue teaching in East Asia or seek a graduate degree there.
Crystal agrees she has found her professional calling in teaching because she has loved working with children through K experiences such as Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS). CAPS is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization, which provides tutoring opportunities to Kalamazoo Public Schools students from kindergarteners to adults.
Crystal’s Fulbright-application process began as a first-year student when she heard another student was applying for a similar opportunity. After a couple of years of reviews from K’s Fulbright Committee, essay assistance from faculty, and general support from family, she thanks people such as her mom, stepmom and dad, Frost, Hong, Wiedenhoeft, K Global Health Director Diane Kiino and Professor Madeline Chu.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited,” Crystal said.
The federal government created the Fulbright Program in 1946, naming it after U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright. It is designed to increase mutual understanding between Americans and the people of other countries through education, culture and science. Crystal is one of about 1,900 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research or teach abroad through the program in the coming academic year.
A Kalamazoo College chemistry major was one of just four students – and the only undergraduate – honored with recognition in January at an international science forum for a poster presentation of his research.
Kalamazoo College chemistry major Eric Thornburg was one of just four students honored with recognition in January at an international science forum for a poster presentation of his research.
Eric Thornburg ’17, a Kalamazoo native, presented research on the photodissociation dynamics of nitrous acid, known through the molecular structure of HONO, at the Pacific Conference on Spectroscopy and Dynamics from Jan. 19-22 in Asilomar, Calif.
Spectroscopy measures light in terms of how materials emit, absorb or scatter it. In simple terms, the research, conducted over two years in Dow Science Center’s laser lab at K, furthers investigations into how the atmosphere attempts to reverse climate change as a result of nitrous acid and what humans might do about it.
The conference, touted by its website as one of the longest-running scientific conferences in the U.S., provides a forum for the dissemination and discussion of the latest results in chemistry and physics, and their confluence with biology.
Thornburg said this forum “provided a cool window into what my future holds. It’s great to be around people doing such a high level of work. I always hear about it, but rarely do we get to match faces and people with their experiments. In the future, (scientists) will have to collaborate more and more.”
Still, Thornburg didn’t realize he had been recognized in this way until after he returned to Kalamazoo. He and Chemistry Department Chair Jeffrey Bartz were reading the Journal of Physical Chemistry when they came across Thornburg’s name, mentioning the honor.
“It is really an honor that people saw my research and wanted to commend it,” Thornburg said. “I feel more prepared moving forward to contribute to conferences and the scientific community.”
Thornburg, who also minors in German, said K is an extraordinary place for math and science. He credits fellow students Marlon Gonzalez, Joyce Nguyen and Mia Orlando; recent K alumni Jeremy Lantis ’16 and Mara Birndorf ’16; and Bartz for integral assistance in performing the research.
“I’ve had a chance to work closely with Dr. Bartz, while sitting down and discussing how to implement this research,” Thornburg said. “He’d look at me and say, ‘What do you want to do?’ You don’t get that at a place that’s not like K.”
Thornburg will attend the University of Illinois this fall to seek his Ph.D. in chemistry.
Kalamazoo College sophomore Robert Davis ’18 was one of 51 students selected recently out of nearly 1,500 applicants nationwide for a $5,000 scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA). The money will go toward his study abroad trip to Rome, Italy.
Robert Davis ’18 plans to take creative writing and theatre courses at the America University of Rome after earning a scholarship through the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA).
The FEA is a non-profit scholarship program that seeks underrepresented minority, LGBTQAI, first-generation, veterans, returning learners, disabled and community college students, as well as students pursuing language instruction and non-traditional destinations.
The students, who combined were awarded $225,000, will study abroad for up to a full academic year. This year, 88 percent of the students are of minority backgrounds, and 84 percent are first-generation college students. Almost all awardees, 98 percent, will study the host country language and 46 percent have a community college background.
Robert is excited to be connected with other students across the US and to embark upon a new chapter in his collegiate career in Rome. Robert says, “I’m excited to see ancient ruin sites like the Coliseum and the Arch of Constantine and glean more knowledge about theater of ancient Rome and explore how it has influenced contemporary Roman theatre. I plan to take courses related to creative writing and theatre at the American University of Rome and I’m excited to learn more about those disciplines in a new environment.”
He plans to take creative writing and theatre courses at the America University of Rome. He feels confident that his accomplishment will be a necessary stepping stone to advance to the grad school of his dreams so that he can return to his old high school to become an educator and publish his works.