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New Faculty Bring Fresh Perspectives

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Kalamazoo College is welcoming two new tenure-track and seven visiting faculty members this academic year, expanding opportunities for students to study neuroscience, molecular biology, contemporary interdisciplinary art practices, English, chemistry, art history, history, economics and business, and biology. 

New faculty include: 

Quinlan Doctrove 
Assistant Professor of Biology

Doctrove studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurological disease.

At the University of Michigan, Doctrove conducted doctoral research in neuroscience in Miriam Meisler’s laboratory in the Department of Human Genetics. His research included investigating genetic mutations associated with neurodegenerative disease and developing potential therapeutic approaches for FIG4 deficiency, a genetic disorder that affects lysosomal function. 

Doctrove earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, with a minor in psychology, from the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2019. As an undergraduate, he researched riboflavin-binding proteins and helped develop a riboflavin deficiency assay. 

He also has experience teaching and mentoring students. At Michigan, Doctrove served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate molecular and cellular biology laboratory courses and a graduate-level human anatomy laboratory course. He also mentored undergraduate researchers and participated in programs that introduced high school and middle school students to genetics, neuroscience and hands-on scientific investigation. 

Quinlan Doctrove
Quinlan Doctrove

Nayda Collazo-Llorens 
Assistant Professor of Art and Art History

Collazo-Llorens is an artist whose work explores mapping, memory, place, movement and dislocation through printmaking, drawing, painting, digital media, video and installation. She has taught at K for more than a decade through a series of part-time and full-time appointments. Most recently, she served as a full-time visiting assistant professor during the 2025–26 academic year.

Collazo-Llorens earned an M.F.A. in studio art from New York University in 2002 and a B.F.A., with distinction in printmaking and graphic design, from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 1990. Her recent individual exhibitions include “expand blur collapse” at El Schomburg Espacio de Arte Interdisciplinario in Chicago and “Topografía extendida” at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in San Juan. Her work has also been exhibited at the University of Michigan’s Stamps Gallery, the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, and venues in New York, Miami and other national and international locations. Her work is featured in the books Vaivén: 21st-Century Art of Puerto Rico and Its Diaspora (University of Minnesota Press) and Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago (Duke University Press).

Nayda Collazo-Llorens
Nayda Collazo-Llorens

Ani Bezirdzhyan 
Visiting Assistant Professor of English 

Bezirdzhyan has taught a range of courses in English, comparative literature, and communications and media since earning a Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Michigan in 2024. 

She served as a Frederick Donald Sober Postdoctoral Fellow at Michigan in 2024–25. Her research and professional experience also include work with the University of Michigan Museum of Art, University of Michigan Press, and several digital humanities and archival projects. Her scholarly interests include Victorian literature and culture, visual culture, media history and digital humanities. 

Portrait of Ani Bezirdzhyan
Ani Bezirdzhyan

Rose Campbell 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry 

Campbell is a chemist and educator whose teaching experience includes lecture and lab courses in general, and organic, and biochemistry, chemical biology, and laboratory science at Virginia Tech University. She has served as an instructor, guest lecturer, and teaching assistant, as well as a mentor to undergraduate researchers. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.  

Campbell’s research, supported in part by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, focusesd on discovery and characterization of natural products and bioactive molecules, including compounds produced by marine microorganisms, with applications in understanding disease and discovering potential therapeutic compounds. Campbell has published her research in several peer-reviewed journals and presented her work at national scientific conferences and symposia. 

Portrait of Rose Campbell
Rose Campbell

Crystal Rosenthal 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics 

Rosenthal is a scholar of ancient Roman art and archaeology who earned her bachelor’s degree in classics from Colorado College, a master’s degree in classical antiquity from the University of Colorado Boulder and a PhD in art history and archaeology from the University of Texas at Austin. From 2024-2025, Crystal was the Arthur Ross Rome Prize Fellow in Ancient Studies at the American Academy in Rome. 

In addition to her research, Rosenthal has extensive teaching experience, most recently as a visiting assistant teaching professor at Southern Methodist University, where she taught courses on Roman history, Latin literature, Greek Myth and Pompeii. She has also taught at the University of Texas at Austin, Indiana University Indianapolis and the University of Texas at Arlington and spent several years as a Latin teacher and department chair at The Episcopal School of Dallas. 

Portrait of Crystal Rosenthal
Crystal Rosenthal

Alyssa VanHaitsma Kotva 
Visiting Assistant Professor of History 

VanHaitsma Kotva is a historian of the late ancient and medieval Mediterranean. She holds a PhD (2025) and MA (2020) in history from Ohio State University. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in history and classics from Calvin University. Her research is focused on the religious, cultural, social, and environmental history of the early medieval Mediterranean region. 

Kotva has previously taught courses in ancient and medieval history at Ohio Wesleyan University and Ohio State University. She has also worked as first as editorial assistant and then as managing editor for the journal Studies in Late Antiquity, published by the University of California Press. 

Portrait of Alyssa VanHaitsma Kotva
Alyssa VanHaitsma Kotva

Larry Chavis 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics 

Chavis, a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, joined the Department of Economics and Business at K as a visiting assistant professor in January. He teaches courses including intermediate macroeconomics and international development, with a focus on Indigenous issues. 

He brings 18 years of experience from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he rose from assistant professor to clinical professor and earned five teaching awards, including two MBA@UNC Teaching Excellence Awards. He holds a Ph.D. in economic analysis and policy from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, along with graduate degrees in applied economics and Asian studies from Cornell University and a B.A. in anthropology from Duke University. He also recently completed an M.F.A. in creative writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. 

Chavis was inducted into UNC’s Order of the Golden Fleece, the university’s oldest honor society, in 2021. He has also been a frequent commentator in national media on topics including consumer boycotts and Native American economic issues, with appearances on NPR, CNN and in the Financial Times. He is currently working on a memoir, Walking in Two Worlds: An Indigenous Scholar Seeks Belonging in the Academy, reflecting on his path from a mobile home in one of the nation’s poorest counties to navigating a career in academia.

Portrait of Larry Chavis
Larry Chavis

Cierra Sullivan 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology 

Sullivan brings expertise in evolutionary plant ecophysiology to K. She most recently served as a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University, where she investigated climate niche restrictions and species co-occurrence patterns among Lobelia species across common gardens in three states. 

She earned her Ph.D. in evolutionary plant ecophysiology from Clemson University in 2024, with a dissertation examining the adaptive potential of leaf variegation in dimorphic Hexastylis plant species. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in organismal biology from Christopher Newport University. 

Sullivan’s work has been supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Clemson University Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program. She received the LICOR Prize for Best Student Oral Presentation from the Botanical Society of America in 2024. 

Portrait of Cierra Sullivan
Cierra Sullivan

Doug Johnson 
Visiting Assistant Professor of Business

Johnson is a scholar of business strategy and organization with three decades of experience in academia. He earned his Ph.D. in management from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA in 1996, along with a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Wabash College. 

Most recently, Johnson served as associate professor and McIntyre Chair in Business and Economics at Hillsdale College from 2016–25, after earlier faculty appointments at Ball State University, Purdue University’s Krannert Graduate School of Management and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

At Hillsdale College, Johnson co-founded the Center for Commerce and Freedom, a research and public outreach center. His research focuses on strategic management, organizational learning, and firm performance. 

Portrait of Doug Johnson
Doug Johnson

Join Art Department for Screenings on International Animation Day

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The Department of Art and Art History at Kalamazoo College is inviting the public to celebrate the 24th International Animation Day on Tuesday, October 28. 

Join students, faculty and staff from 7–9 p.m. in the Light Fine Arts Recital Hall for a free screening of more than 15 animated short films from around the world, all of which have been created independently in the past year. Titles will include Horse Portrait by Witold Giersz, What the Frog? by Yi Han Tseng, Mushroom Potato Fish by Yusi Tao and Postcard Potholder by Chris Sagovac. 

This event will be held in partnership with the Central U.S. chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (ASIFA), which scheduled the first International Animation Day in 2002. The day honors the first public performance of projected moving images, which was Émile Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique in Paris on October 28, 1892. Events for the day recognize the artistry, innovation and impact of animation across all media, from hand-drawn to computer-generated imagery (CGI). 

For more information on the event, contact Fine Arts Office Coordinator Marissa Klee-Peregon at 269.337.7050 or Marissa.Klee-Peregon@kzoo.edu. 

International Animation Day Poster says join us for a series of animated films from around the world on International Animation Day October 28 in Light Fine Arts
The public is invited for a screening of animated films from around the world from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, in the Recital Hall at Light Fine Arts. October 28 is International Animation Day.

K Selects Four Faculty as Endowed Chairs

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Kalamazoo College has appointed four faculty members as endowed chairs, recognizing their achievements as professors. Endowed chairs are positions funded through the annual earnings from an endowed gift or gifts to the College. The honor reflects the value donors attribute to the excellent teaching and mentorship that occurs at K and how much donors want to see that excellence continue. The honorees are as follows.

Sarah Lindley, Robert W. and JoAnn Stewart Chair

Lindley, a professor of art, previously received an endowed professorship when she was named the Arcus Social Justice Leadership Professor of Art in 2017.

Since 2001, Lindley has taught a range of ceramics and sculpture courses, and has managed and maintained K’s ceramics, sculpture and woodshop studios and equipment. Lindley served as an Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Faculty Fellow in 2010–11, and in that capacity helped found the Community Studio in downtown Kalamazoo’s Park Trades Center. She has had several solo, two-person and group exhibitions featuring her own work regionally, nationally and around the world.

Lindley earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics from the University of Washington. 

Portrait of Sarah Lindley
Sarah Lindley

Morgan Loechli, Dow Trustee Chair

Loechli, an assistant professor of physics, arrived at K in 2023 from Washtenaw Community College, where she was a part-time physics instructor while earning her doctorate.

Since then, Loechli has led six students in summer research and taught courses including Introductory Physics I and II, Introduction to Relativity and Quantum Physics, and Introduction to Climate Science. She conducted climate science research while earning her Ph.D. in applied physics at the University of Michigan. Loechli also has a master’s degree in applied physics from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics from Dickinson College.

Portrait of Morgan Loechli
Morgan Loechli

Carlos Vazquez Cruz, Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Junior Chair

Vazquez Cruz has been an assistant professor of Spanish at K since 2022. His teaching interests include Spanish creative writing, Latin American contemporary narratives, Latin American poetry and the visual arts and music in Spanish Caribbean literatures. He has also written one hybrid book of mixed genres, two collections of stories, two novels, three collections of poetry and one book of essays, along with research articles in peer-reviewed journals. Five of his books have been awarded by the Puerto Rico PEN, and he received the Banco Santander Spanish Creative Writing Fellowship (NYU, 2008-2010), the New Voices Award (Festival de la Palabra de Puerto Rico, 2014) and the Letras Boricuas Fellowship (Flamboyán Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 2022).

Vazquez Cruz holds a Ph.D. in Latin American literature with a graduate certificate in digital humanities from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master of Fine Arts in Spanish creative writing from New York University and a bachelor’s in Spanish education from the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras.

Portrait of Carlos Vazquez Cruz, endowed chairs
Carlos Vazquez Cruz

Lanny Potts, James Stone Senior Chair

Potts, a professor of theatre arts, arrived at K in 1987 as the technical director for K’s Festival Playhouse. In addition to teaching classes in areas such as scenic design, lighting design and stage management, Potts serves as artistic director of the Festival Playhouse Theatre.

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo awarded Potts last fall with a Community Medal of Arts. He also has received six Michigan Wilde Awards for Best Lighting for his work at Farmers Alley Theatre. At K, he earned the 2024–25 Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Scholarship, honoring his contributions in creative work, research and publication.

Potts has a Master of Fine Arts degree from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University.

Portrait of Lanny Potts, endowed chairs
Lanny Potts

Chance Encounter with Alumni Opens Student’s Doors to K

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It was a leap of faith for both of them.

Lily Toohey ’26 had an associate’s degree in business, an innkeeping job in Kalamazoo, and a strong desire to pursue more education challenged by financial constraints.

Nancy (Loebe) Hessler ’68, along with her husband, Jan Hessler ’65, had a comfortable retirement, deep pride in Kalamazoo College, and a commitment to pay forward the opportunities they were given.

Their chance meeting at Kalamazoo House in September 2023, where the Hesslers were staying during K’s Homecoming and Toohey was checking on guests at breakfast, started like many K stories: The proud alumni praising their alma mater, encouraging the unsure student to apply. Nancy Hessler, however, took it a step further.

“She said, ‘You should apply. If you get in, I’ll sponsor you,’” Toohey said. “And I was like, ‘You met me yesterday. What do you mean?’ But the way that she talked about it, she had so much pride that she went there and really talked highly about it. And I think in a spiritual sense, I felt like there were a lot of signs pointing to it being the direction I needed to follow.”

For Hessler’s part, she saw a drive in Toohey and aspirations in line with K’s values.

“It was so clear to me, oddly enough, so suddenly, that it was what we should do,” Hessler said. “Jan and I were given by our parents enough of a start line to do well. We both had good, solid, steady professional employment [Jan as a researcher with Argonne National Laboratory and Nancy as a Moraine Valley Community College librarian], and we were raised conservatively financially. You live within your means, and you prepare for the future, so we were positioned by the time I met this young lady, whom I consider something of a wonder at this point, to offer this.”

They exchanged contact information, and despite lingering uncertainty, Toohey decided to apply to K and see what happened. When she let Hessler know that she had been accepted and offered an excellent scholarship, Hessler promised per-term financial support that would cover the rest of her tuition.

“I would have hated to see someone like Lily, who clearly wanted very much to go to college, be denied that on the basis of finances,” Hessler said. “I would wish, in a perfect world, that it didn’t happen to any student with the ambition and drive to want to better themselves through a good education beyond high school. That’s not the world I live in, but by taking this action, I managed to make a strike on the good side of things.”

Portrait of Lily Toohey - alumni chance encounter
When Nancy Hessler ’68 met Lily Toohey ’26, she saw a strong drive in Toohey along with aspirations that align with Kalamazoo College’s values. When Toohey later let Hessler know that she had been accepted to K, Hessler promised per-term financial support from her and her husband, Jan ’65, that would cover the remaining cost of her education after a scholarship.

The Hesslers have long been financial supporters of Kalamazoo College, including the Kalamazoo College Fund, inspired in part by Nancy’s parents, who were determined to offer their daughter higher education.

“I’ve always been stressed about the money aspect,” Toohey said. “I always wanted more education, but I had gone to community college because it was just too expensive. Having the financial support has been such a weight off my shoulders.” 

Although readjusting to student life as a transfer mid-academic year in winter term 2024 while still working presented challenges, not having to worry about the cost allowed Toohey to focus on school.

“Nancy has been so incredibly supportive of everything that I want to do,” Toohey said. “She’s all about doing something, and if you don’t like it, change your mind and try again. She’s been supportive of my photography and wanting to study away and all these things. So having that has been like I’m doing it all for Nancy. When it gets hard, it’s for Nancy.”

For example, Toohey originally planned to major in business, minor in French and study abroad in France. Then, as a dormant interest in photography came back to life, she changed her minor to studio art and study abroad became study away through the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) New York Arts Program.

Hessler encouraged her every step of the way, and in January 2025, Toohey flew to New York City. In the New York Arts program, students participate weekly in a seminar to learn about, read on and discuss the arts in New York and art world careers. In addition, each participant is placed in an internship with a professional artist.

“Oh, she was so excited when she got the internship, and I was so excited for her, because I remember the excitement I had trying something out,” Hessler said, reminiscing about her own K-Plan. In addition to enjoying classes in a range of subjects and ending up with a major in French and minors in German, economics and religion, Hessler credits experiences such as studying abroad in Caen, France, and an off-campus work study program with developing independence and supporting the transition from child to fully functioning adult.

In New York, Toohey learned from three photographers as she completed a photography internship with a business owner who shoots mainly in studio, a mentorship with an event and fashion photographer, and an additional internship with a fashion photographer who works with brands. Through those experiences, Toohey conducted studio shoots, took behind-the-scenes images of New York Fashion Week and spent days on location for branding shoots.

She learned, practiced and broadened her photography and business interests, coming away with a new focus on fashion marketing photography. The program capstone is a personal project, and Toohey’s included seven photography shoots and curation of an exhibit on the duality of womanhood.

“When I presented my work, one of my friends got really emotional, and he was tearing up, talking about my work, and my advisor said that he can’t wait to see the big things that I do,” Toohey said. “Getting those comments from people felt like, ‘OK, people are seeing it,’ and also, I was proud of myself. I never thought I’d be creating work like I created in New York.” 

The New York Arts Program built Toohey’s confidence and reminded her of the importance of creating. Back on campus for spring term, she threw herself into a photography class project involving fashion shoots based on personification of her favorite beverages. She’s been thinking about opportunities she may want to pursue, including a partnership with a local vintage store or internships in Grand Rapids or Chicago.

“I want to move to New York after graduation,” Toohey said. “I fell in love with it; I literally got a New York City tattoo. The program helped me learn that I truly loved the city, and that I could make it work, and it built my photography skills and the confidence to go for it and make mistakes.”

“I’m very grateful for the way this has all worked out,” Toohey said. “I’m so incredibly grateful for the Hesslers and everything they’ve done for me.”

Was it a gamble for Toohey and for the Hesslers? Sure. Has that leap of faith paid off? Absolutely.

“You know, my parents took a chance on me,” Hessler said. “There is no guarantee in life that a student or any person will make the most of what they’ve been offered. I asked my dad once, when I wanted to thank my parents, ‘What can I do?’ He said, ‘Pay it forward.’ As it happens, I made a choice not to have children. So, OK, this is paying it forward. That’s what I’m trying to do. There was no guarantee, but boy, did we pick a winner. Lily is doing amazing things and making the most of the opportunity. If I can be part of that, as far as I’m concerned, that’s the very least I could do. It’s up to those of us who can and who have benefited from K’s education to support young people in experiencing it, too.”

City Events, Off-Campus Studio Draw Art Students Downtown

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A visit to the off-campus community studio and several Senior Integrated Projects (SIPs) painted a picture of life at Kalamazoo College during the city’s Art Hop festivities in May. During the monthly celebration that draws crowds to downtown Kalamazoo, the Park Trades Center, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., was the ultimate place for the local arts community to be. 

Located only about a mile from campus, the Park Trades Center has been leasing space to artists and artisans for more than 30 years. A former manufacturing facility, this 105-year-old building has 95 studio spaces, including space used by Kalamazoo College since about 2010. Art students from K gather there throughout their senior year beginning with their SIP-preparation class in fall. That continues in winter as they work independently, and in spring when advisors meet with students. Every so often, the facility hosts Art Hop, giving students a spotlight within the city. 

Josie Checkett ’25 was among the seniors who exhibited her work and benefited from the Park Trades Center this year. Her SIP, titled Shooting the Moon and Other Failures, represented her journey with growing up and the big changes that took place when she left behind her teenage years to become a young adult.  

“When I became a senior and got studio space in the Park Trades Center to start working on my SIP, going there almost every day to work shifted my mindset from being an art student to being an artist,” Checkett said. “You get exposed to more opportunities to show work, you meet other people who work or have studios in the building, and you’re not beholden to the hours and resources of the Light Fine Arts building. If you do it right, it’s almost like doing a residency.” 

The main area of K’s community studio at the Park Trades Center is used as a classroom and a critique and exhibition space, with the rest split into individual spaces for each studio art major or SIP student to work. In a typical year, about 12 to 15 students conduct studio SIPs in the department, Professor of Art Sarah Lindley said. 

“Students have 24-hour access throughout the year, and many use the studio throughout the long winter break, which provides continuity in addition to an accessible workspace,” Lindley said. “The space is managed by a post-baccalaureate fellow, who is a working artist and also has a studio in the space. The fellow serves as a liaison between on- and off-campus resources, a mentor for students, a safety monitor for tool use, an exhibition coordinator and a helper with other essential programming in the department.” 

Jacob Converse is the current post-baccalaureate fellow and he relishes his studio manager title. He said students and faculty are lucky to share the Park Trades Center with many working artists and people in trades of several varieties. The professionals include glass blowers, furniture and cabinetry makers, book binders, papermakers, barbers and photographers. It even has a wallpaper-printing studio. 

“Art Hops are an exciting event with many Park Trades Center members opening their doors to the public to explore, shop and meet others interested in the arts,” Converse said. “It’s a hallmark experience for our students who gain vital exhibition experience along with the benefits of sharing ideas and receiving constructive feedback for future endeavors.” 

Art Hop is an important part of the student experience for all levels of students. The studio hosts art hop exhibitions for seniors in fall and winter, which highlight the different stages of SIP development, and the spring features the department show. There were even a few non-art majors included this year because the students enjoyed their art classes and were proud of what they created. 

“I know many of the students who attended this year’s Art Hop enjoyed meeting some local alumni, and many of the recently declared art majors are looking forward to working here, as they appreciated this exciting introduction to the studio space and its multifunctionality,” Converse said. 

Art Hop displays at the Park Trades Center studio
Kalamazoo College art students gather at the Park Trades Center throughout their senior year beginning with their SIP-preparation class in fall. That continues in winter as they work independently, and in spring when advisors meet with students. Every so often, the facility also hosts Art Hop, giving students a spotlight within the city.
Josie Checkett with artwork from her Senior Integrated Project
Josie Checkett ’25 was among the seniors who exhibited her work at and benefited from the Park Trades Center this year.
Art Hop displays at the Park Trades Center studio
The annual student show at the Park Trades Center remains a highlight of the academic year for Kalamazoo College art students with many venturing off campus to share their work and participate in the local arts community.  

Lindley said the Gilmore Foundation supported the Park Trades Center for several years, and there have been numerous community collaborations there over the years, including partnerships with the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement along with some student-run community projects. The pandemic changed that somewhat. But the annual student show remains a highlight, with many students venturing off campus to share their work and participate in the local arts community.  

Checkett says she hopes that students will continue to push their arts horizons there. 

“It’s easy, especially when you live on campus, to forget we are living within an entire community, and one that has a very active art scene at that,” Checkett said. “Both showing work at Art Hop and attending other parts of the event gets students out into that community. When you’re an art student and your studio time, your critiques, most of the other art you see on a daily basis is all made by your direct peers, it’s good to broaden that scope. The Park Trades Center provides a valuable experience.” 

‘Bricks’ Exhibition Opens at Light Fine Arts

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As students and faculty are returning from spring break, the Department of Art and Art History is presenting Bricks (I’d Like to Build a Shelter), an art exhibition by office coordinator Marissa Klee-Peregon.

The show will be on view in the Light Fine Arts Gallery through Friday, April 4, with gallery hours from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. There will also be an artist talk, with a reception to follow, at 4:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 3.

In the ongoing project, Klee-Peregon sews bricks out of satin and then uses the soft bricks for interventions, installations and performances in the built environment. This project addresses moments of failure and collapse within both social and physical structures; the labor by which those structures are built, maintained and repaired; gendered labor and gender in general; and the desire to hide, safe and comfortable, among that which is beautiful and soft. The exhibition includes a selection of images, objects and videos produced as a part of the project.

“I’m less interested in communicating a specific message than I am in posing questions which I hope viewers will continue to ponder after the show,” Klee-Peregon said. “The questions I want to present are something like, ‘What are the structures of our world—both physical and social—built out of,’ ‘Who built them and how,’ and ‘Who gets to shelter inside those structures and who is left in the cold?’ I’m not trying to answer those questions with my work, but I am trying to suggest that the answers—whatever they may be—will be complicated, contextual, and likely contradictory.”

Klee-Peregon has a bachelor’s degree in art history and studio art from Wellesley College. Support for their project was provided by the Kalamazoo Artistic Directive Initiative, a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo.

Marissa Klee-Peregon sews bricks out of satin
Marissa Klee-Peregon sews bricks out of satin and then uses the soft bricks for interventions, installations and performances in the built environment.
Marissa Klee-Peregon stacks bricks made from satin
The show “Bricks (I’d Like to Build a Shelter)” will be on view in the Light Fine Arts Gallery through Friday, April 4, with gallery hours from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Hear from Artist Regarding Climate-Themed ‘Tipping Point’ Display

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An immersive art exhibition titled Tipping Point—created by a Kalamazoo College faculty member and developed through eight years of projects—has drawn acclaim from viewers as it approaches subjects such as climate change, fossil-fuel extraction, environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.

You’re invited to hear directly from that artist, Jo-Ann and Robert Stewart Professor of Art Professor Tom Rice, in a free lecture at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, February 6. The presentation will take place in room 2008 at Western Michigan University’s Richard Center for Visual Arts.

Rice stated that “tipping point” is a term made popular by journalist and author Malcolm Gladwell in his 2000 book, Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.

“Gladwell was talking mostly about what he calls social epidemics or trends that suddenly have great success in our culture and how that happens,” Rice said. “Climate scientists, however, use the term to focus on changes to the atmosphere, oceans, carbon sinks, air temperature and ecosystems. In an ideal world, I’d want my work to be a tipping point as Gladwell describes it—one that starts a social epidemic toward real progress in reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. There are other things that need to be done to slow the pace of global warming, but reducing our dependence on fossil fuels is critical.”

Art images from Tipping Point exhibit
“Tipping Point” is currently in the Albertine Monroe Brown Gallery at Western Michigan University’s Richard Center. It features a 95-foot drawing of the mountain-top removal mining process, works addressing the complexities and absurdities of oil refining, and miniature silverpoint drawings portraying accidents related to fracking and crude oil transportation in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields.

The collection, currently in the Albertine Monroe Brown Gallery at the Richard Center, features a 95-foot drawing of the mountain-top removal mining process, works addressing the complexities and absurdities of oil refining, and miniature silverpoint drawings portraying accidents related to fracking and crude oil transportation in North Dakota’s Bakken oil fields.

Rice says that his use of plastic made from natural gas is intended to raise questions in the viewer’s mind about the ubiquity of petroleum-based products in our culture. 

“If people will be led to discuss the contradictions, then I’ve done my job,” he said. “While the effort to transition to renewable, upcycled and sustainable materials is gaining strength—even within industry—the truth is that complete divestment from petroleum-based design is going to require a growing awareness of how deeply petrochemical byproducts are embedded within capitalism. Everything from dyes and adhesives, the plastic in the products we use every day—such as our cell phones and computers—all the way to packaging and the synthetic fibers contained in our clothing and furniture are built on the foundation of petrochemicals.”

As a result, when presenting his work, Rice often questions whether his lecture is an artist’s talk or more of a call to action. To decide for yourself, hear the lecture or visit the exhibition, which is on display through Friday, February 7.

“Avoiding a complete climate disaster is going to mean sacrifice from all of us,” he said. “As author Naomi Klein says in her book This Changes Everything: Capitalism and the Climate, it’s going to take mass social movements to start the change we need in regards to battling global warming and environment degradation. It’s not one behavior or action that humans can take to slow the pace of climate change and environmental degradation. We really can’t predict with certainty when the tipping point will be, or what outcomes will result, but we can be sure that our climate is changing and those changes are not only making the planet warmer, but less inhabitable for humans and many other forms of life.”

Six Faculty Earn Endowed Chair Honors

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Kalamazoo College has appointed six faculty members as endowed chairs, recognizing their achievements as professors. Endowed chairs are positions funded through the annual earnings from an endowed gift or gifts to the College. The honor reflects the value donors attribute to the excellent teaching and mentorship that occurs at K and how much donors want to see that excellence continue.

The honorees are:

  • Espelencia Baptiste, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Senior Faculty Chair
  • Anne Marie Butler, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership Junior Faculty Chair
  • E. Binney Girdler, the Dow Distinguished Professor in Natural Sciences
  • Sohini Pillai, the Marlene Crandell Francis Endowed Chair in the Humanities
  • Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Endowed Chair
  • Daniela Arias-Rotondo, the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Endowed Chair in Natural Science

Espelencia Baptiste, Anthropology-Sociology

Baptiste is currently on sabbatical in Benin where she is working on a book project focused on different ways Africans and Haitians claim each other across time and space. Her research focus centers on the relationship between Africa and its diasporas. She has been active and engaged within the College since her arrival; most recently, she received the College’s Outstanding Advisor Award in 2023 and served as Posse mentor from 2019-2022.

Her courses include Lest We Forget: Memory and Identity in the African Diaspora, You Are What You Eat: Food and Identity In a Global Perspective, Communities and Schools, and Missionaries to Pilgrims: Diasporic Returns to Africa. Within her teaching, she is invested in challenging students to imagine the production of power, particularly as it relates to belonging, as a continuous phenomenon.

Baptiste has a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

Endowed Chair Espelencia Baptiste receives a plaque from Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Espelencia Baptiste, the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership senior chair, received the College’s Outstanding Advisor Award in 2023 as presented by President Jorge G. Gonzalez

Anne Marie Butler, Art and Art History; Women, Gender and Sexuality (WGS)

Butler has a joint appointment in Art History and Women, Gender, and Sexuality. Her research focuses on contemporary Tunisian art within frameworks of global contemporary art, contemporary global surrealism studies, Southwest Asia North Africa studies, gender and sexuality studies, and queer theory. At K, she teaches at the intersection of visual culture and gender studies, instructing courses such as Art, Power and Society; Queer Aesthetics; Performance Art; and core WGS classes, and this is her fourth season as volunteer assistant coach for the swimming and diving team at K.

Butler is co-editor for the volume Queer Contemporary Art of Southwest Asia and North Africa, which will be available in October (Intellect Press). She has been published in ASAP/Journal, Journal of Middle East Women’s Studies, Liminalities: A Journal of Performance Studies, and The London Review of Education. She is also an editor for the volume Surrealism and Ecology, expected in 2026.

Butler has a bachelor’s degree from Scripps College, a master’s degree from New York University and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Portrait of Endowed Chair Anne Marie Butler
Anne Marie Butler is the the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership junior chair.

E. Binney Girdler, Biology

Girdler is the director of K’s environmental studies program and a biology department faculty member. She focuses on plant ecology and conservation biology with her research involving studies of the structure and dynamics of terrestrial plant communities.

Girdler previously had an endowed chair as the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Endowed Chair in Natural Science. She develops relationships with area natural-resource agencies and non-profit conservation groups to match her expertise with their research needs and the access needs of students. In 2022, she and K Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas contributed to a global research project that proves humans are affecting evolution through urbanization and climate change. The study served as a cover story for the journal Science.

Girdler commonly teaches courses titled Environmental Science, Ecology and Conservation, and Population and Community Ecology along with an environmental studies senior seminar. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree from Yale University and a Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Dow Distinguished Professor in Natural Sciences E. Binney Girdler
Dow Distinguished Professor in Natural Sciences E. Binney Girdler at Batts Pavilion.

Sohini Pillai, Religion

Pillai is the director of film and media studies at K and a faculty member in the religion department. She is a comparatist of South Asian religious literature, and her area of specialization is the Mahabharata and Ramayana epic traditions.

Pillai is the author of Krishna’s Mahabharatas: Devotional Retellings of an Epic Narrative (Oxford University Press, 2024), a comprehensive study of premodern retellings of the Mahabharata epic in regional South Asian languages. She is also the co-editor of Many Mahabharatas (State University of New York Press, 2021) with Nell Shapiro Hawley and the co-author of Women in Hindu Traditions (New York University Press, under contract) with Emilia Bachrach and Jennifer Ortegren. Her courses have included Religion in South Asia; Hindu Traditions; Islam in South Asia; Dance, Drama, and Devotion in South Asia; Religion, Bollywood, and Beyond; Jedi, Sith, and Mandalorians: Religion and Star Wars; and Princesses, Demonesses, and Warriors: The Women of the South Asian Epics.

Pillai has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley; a master’s degree from Columbia University; and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.

Sohini Pillai standing in her office with some Star Wars memorabilia
Marlene Crandell Francis Endowed Chair in the Humanities Sohini Pillai displays some of her personal Star Wars memorabilia including a painting of Grogu gifted to her by a student.

Dwight Williams, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Williams previously was an endowed chair at K, having served as the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Assistant Professor of Chemistry from 2018–2020. He teaches courses including Organic Chemistry I and II, Advanced Organic Chemistry and Introductory Chemistry. His research interests include synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology.

Williams spent a year as a lecturer at Longwood University before becoming an assistant professor at Lynchburg College. At Lynchburg, he found a passion for the synthesis and structural characterization of natural products as potential neuroprotectants.

Williams learned more about those subjects after accepting a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral research fellowship at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College of Virginia Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. During that fellowship, he worked in medicinal chemistry and pharmacology, where his work was published in six peer-reviewed journals.

In 2019, Williams was awarded a Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching grant from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Course Hero. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Coastal Carolina University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth.

Endowed Chair Dwight Williams
Kurt D. Kaufman Endowed Chair Dwight Williams holding a molecular model in his office.

Daniela Arias-Rotondo, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Arias-Rotondo earned a grant valued at $250,000 last year from the National Science Foundation through its Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS). The LEAPS-MPS grant emphasizes helping pre-tenure faculty at institutions that do not traditionally receive significant amounts of NSF-MPS funding, including predominantly undergraduate institutions, as well as achieving excellence through diversity. She uses the funding primarily to pay her student researchers, typically eight to 10 per term, and bring more research experiences into the classroom.   

This year, Arias-Rotondo earned an American Chemical Society (ACS) Petroleum Research Fund grant, which will provide $50,000 to her work while backing her lab’s upcoming research regarding petroleum byproducts. Her lab traditionally develops molecules that absorb energy from light while transforming that energy into electricity. The grant will allow her and her students to take molecules they have designed to act as catalysts and unlock chemical transformations through a process called photoredox catalysis. In this case, those transformations involve petroleum byproducts and how they might be used. 

Arias-Rotondo teaches Introductory Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Structure and Reactivity, and commonly takes students to ACS conferences. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. 

Portrait of Endowed Chair Daniela Arias-Rotondo
Daniela Arias-Rotondo has been named the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Endowed Chair in Natural Science.

Humanities Courses Lead Students to New Orleans

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A major grant awarded to Kalamazoo College helped 17 students begin experiencing a new dimension of hands-on learning in their humanities coursework through a visit to New Orleans over winter break.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation granted $1.297 million in January 2022 to provide new learning opportunities through the College’s Humanities Integrated Locational Learning (HILL) project. HILL builds student coursework rooted in the College’s commitment to experiential learning and social justice to address issues such as racism, economic inequities and homelessness, while examining history, how humans share land, and the dislocations that bring people to a communal space.

Within HILL, there are multiple academic departments represented with clusters of classes that emphasize collaborative learning within the humanities and humanistic social sciences:

  • The Beyond Kalamazoo course clusters focus on location or dislocation and emphasize place-based learning through an integrated travel component in New Orleans, St. Louis or San Diego.
  • The Within Kalamazoo cluster, which emphasizes a theme relevant to location or dislocation, where faculty directly collaborate on coursework that engages directly with social issues in the Kalamazoo community.
  • The digital humanities hub, which publishes, archives and assesses outcomes in relation to course work and partnerships beyond and within Kalamazoo.

New Orleans was the first site on which the Beyond Kalamazoo cluster focused. In fall, courses consisted of Lest We Forget: Memory and Identity in the African Diaspora in New Orleans, taught by Associate Professor of Anthropology Espelencia Baptiste; Public Art and its Publics led by Professor of Art and Art History Christine Hahn; NOLA Divided: Race in the Big Easy, led by Associate Professor of English Shanna Salinas; and The World Through New Orleans, led by Associate Professor of Music Beau Bothwell. Each course operated independently with discipline-specific instruction.

Students interested in doing place-based research in New Orleans applied for the Beyond Kalamazoo cluster, which included six weeks of preparation, instruction on research methodologies in the humanities, the seven-day research trip, and post-trip research and writing. Those students were put into research groups formed by research interest and a distribution of one member from each of the cluster courses, so every group had at least one representative from each of the four cluster courses.

The students’ pre-trip collaboration—based on their knowledge from their respective courses within the departments of English, art history, anthropology-sociology and music—helped them create a collaborative research project that would emphasize location or dislocation, problem solving and social justice in New Orleans.

Students and volunteers paint colorful signs
During a volunteer day, Jenna Paterob ’23 worked with her peers to create signs for Ms. Gloria’s Garden at People for Public Art in New Orleans.
Paintings and artwork on a wall
Community partners such as Lower Nine, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the long-term recovery of the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Ida and Rita, and the levee breaches of 2005; and People for Public Art, an organization of artists that funds, creates and documents works of public art for the City of New Orleans to reflect the stories of the people, were significant contributors to the experiences Kalamazoo College humanities students had.
People for Public Art facility during humanities trip to New Orleans
“Throughout the day, I discovered that we were seeing different types of public art, allowing us to feel like we were a part of the community,” said Jenna Paterob ’23 of her humanities experience at People for Public Art in New Orleans.
Colorful paintings and adornments on a building in New Orleans
Kalamazoo College students enrolled in Humanities Integrated Locational Learning classes this fall called their experience in New Orleans educational, eye-opening, fun and immersive.
Figurines of seven African powers in New Orleans
“There is a ton of history that none of us knew about before going there, even though we had all taken a class about the city,” said Josh Kuh ’23. “I thought it was valuable to have this structured opportunity that felt like doing more than observing for research.”
Students and volunteers painted signs for a garden in New Orleans
During a volunteer day, Jenna Paterob ’23 worked with her peers to create signs for Ms. Gloria’s Garden at People for Public Art in New Orleans.

Their subjects of interest for the projects included the city’s theatre scene, public transportation and historical ties to slavery with each student connecting their social justice interests with each of a variety of community partners. Students were encouraged to use onsite and digital archives at the Historical New Orleans Collection for their projects when applicable.

The community partners included Lower Nine, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the long-term recovery of the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Ida and Rita, and the levee breaches of 2005; and People for Public Art, an organization of artists that funds, creates and documents works of public art for the City of New Orleans to reflect the stories of the people. Students then worked with these partners during their on-site visit this winter.

Morgan Acord ’23, an English major with a passion for literature, found Salinas’ class to be fascinating because New Orleans has a literature culture all its own, she said. She appreciated that their trip also included cultural opportunities such as participating in a second-line parade, seeing the Oak Alley and Whitney plantations, and observing French and Spanish artifacts at the New Orleans Archive.

Yet for Acord, filling a need for social justice work through a nonprofit was the biggest benefit.

“We helped an 80-year-old woman and her husband who had been sleeping on an air mattress in their kitchen after Hurricane Ida,” Acord said. “They were living in a shotgun-style house and all of her belongings were in what I assumed was the living room. Overall, it showed how catastrophic those New Orleans hurricanes were. You see the footage on TV, but to see it firsthand and see how people live in houses still under repair is eye opening. It felt good on the surface to be able to help, but it was eye opening to know how privileged some of us are.”

Together, Acord and classmates including Josh Kuh ’23, an anthropology-sociology major from Seattle, tore a front wall out of the house that had been destroyed by termites, painted baseboards, and laid down flooring in what was to be the couple’s bedroom. Professor Mills along with Lower Nine representatives assisted in painting the ceiling and the dining room.

“There is a ton of history that none of us knew about before going there, even though we had all taken a class about the city,” Kuh said. “I thought it was valuable to have this structured opportunity that felt like doing more than observing for research. We provided a meaningful service to the organizations that we were working with. I think the biggest takeaways of mine involved seeing firsthand how extensive the hurricane damage was. I saw the disarray in this house and it hadn’t been fixed even though it had been almost 20 years since some of the damage happened.”

Jenna Paterob ’23, a business and psychology double major and art minor, took Professor Hahn’s class in fall because she often feels like she overlooks public art.

“Our experience in New Orleans was educational, eye-opening, fun and immersive,” she said. “It isn’t every day that we get to go into a new area of the country and interact with the community there. I feel like we were able to see bigger issues encapsulated in the city such as tourism, racism, white supremacy and classism. “I feel like when we stay in one place for a long period of time, we may become a little desensitized to the issues that surround us. Therefore, going to a new area, especially as someone who has never been out of the Midwest, was definitely an educational experience for me.”

Paterob had a social justice experience with People for Public Art in New Orleans. During the volunteer day, Paterob worked with her peers to create signs for Ms. Gloria’s Garden. The location offers opportunities for children to garden, cook, sew, make jewelry and music, and take yoga and meditation classes. The garden is managed by a nonprofit, Developing Young Entrepreneurs, which provides youths and young adults with entrepreneurial skills and a safe space for people to feel free to be themselves.

“When I first discovered that we were going to be making signs, I was confused about what that had to do with public art,” she said. “Throughout the day, I discovered that we were seeing different types of public art, allowing us to feel like we were a part of the community. Painting signs for plants in a garden may not be the first thing people think of when they think about public art, but we really did create some fun and beautiful pieces of art that communicate information and improve the garden. I liked that day because I was exposed to a whole new setting and sense of community. I also learned that the organization creates a bunch of impactful pieces, such as the memorial pieces they showed us. They took a tragic event that was minimized and silenced by certain people and allowed the community to come together to grieve. I learned a lot about New Orleans and how the residents interact with their community through learning about the public art there.”

Ally Noel ’24, an anthropology-sociology and English double major, had similar praise for her experience at People for Public Art.

“That day shifted my entire trajectory in terms of my research in New Orleans,” she said. “Going into New Orleans, I had this idea of what I thought I wanted to study but then after Monica (Kelly, representing People for Public Art) was telling the story of the lower mid-city and the inequities that exist there, I realized I wanted to do research on the closure of Charity Hospital after Hurricane Katrina hit. That was the day that everything clicked for me, and I realized, being in that space was important. A student can study a space from afar, but being there helps research in terms of learning and making meaning of the experience.”

Salinas is serving as the curriculum coordinator for integrated travel to New Orleans and a co-principal investigator for the HILL initiative as a whole.

“The primary vision of this initiative is collaboration, be that students sharing their knowledge with other members of their research group based on the cluster class they took, community partners holding space for students to learn about the work they do in New Orleans and the stakes of that work, and research groups working across disciplines in the humanities to develop a digital humanities research project that reflects both their academic knowledge and their experiences in the city,” Salinas said. “We asked students to commit to one eight-hour work day with two of our community partners. Students self-selected according to interest or research investment, frequently with research group members on different work sites. Afterward, students were able to come together and share those experiences with each other and discuss what they learned. It was these moments that enhanced their research and, ultimately, their collaborative projects. HILL’s curricular design relies on students being able to share their experiences, to talk to each other about what they learned, to root in in the type of instruction they received in their cluster classes, and to make those concrete connections back to things like community-building as a crucial element of the humanities.”

As they reflected on their experiences, the students praised the opportunity to go to New Orleans and said they would encourage their peers to seek HILL-focused, place-based learning classes as well.

Baptiste’s class, for example, set the table for students such as Maya Nathwani ’23, an anthropology-sociology and biology double major, to examine history away from campus when she missed a study abroad opportunity because of COVID-19. Lest We Forget: Memory and Identity in the African Diaspora in New Orleans provided Nathwani with a life-changing experience in her college years that she otherwise would’ve missed.

“The class emphasized understanding what history is and how it’s created and produced, along with who has the ability to share and pass on history, impacting how we remember the past,” Nathwani said. “Going to do research in a space where I’d never been was intimidating just because I’d never done it before. But I would encourage other students to try these classes, too, because the professors prepare you to be successful.”

Reception to Spotlight Alumna’s COVID Purse Diary Exhibit

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Heather Boersma standing in front of a display from COVID Purse Diary
Heather Boersma ’89 is the artist behind COVID Purse Diary, which is on display now at the Light Fine Arts Gallery.

A Kalamazoo College alumna who got her start in art as a child by making creations out of everything from McDonald’s containers to acorns, will be the guest of honor in a reception highlighting her recent work at the Light Fine Arts Gallery. 

The Department of Art and Art History is presenting COVID Purse Diary, an exhibition by alumna Heather Boersma ’89, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 12. In the exhibit, Boersma uses recycled materials and random objects to represent a variety of subjects related to the COVID-19 quarantine. At her reception—from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, September 22—Boersma will read a few poems related to her visual art at 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. 

Rather than shopping for a new spring purse in 2020, Boersma started taking longer walks, slower bike rides and collecting natural specimens and discarded artifacts that spoke to her about the shifting values of the world through the quarantine. Baking bread, walking on trails, trying to cut our own hair, hoarding toilet paper and wearing masks became global trends that fascinated her, inspiring her art for the exhibit. She hopes that in years to come people will look at the series and be able to find pieces that they can relate to and be inspired to use art to help process challenging times. 

Since studying art and English at K and earning a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at Western Michigan University, Boersma has taught writing, reading and aesthetic education at WMU and elementary schools throughout Kalamazoo County. She has received multiple grants and awards in Western Michigan shows and at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. Since the pandemic, she has shifted to creating and she exhibits her artwork full-time in shows and competitions. 

The public is invited to the free exhibit and the free reception. No registration is necessary. For more information on her work, visit her website.