biology

GIS Charts a Better Course Through the Lillian Anderson Arboretum

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Lillian Anderson Arboretum signs being installed after GIS project
The arboretum stewardship practicum physical education class installed new maps at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum this fall.

After learning geographic information systems (GIS) in a Kalamazoo College senior seminar led by Professor of Biology Binney Girdler, Eva Hannibal ’26 and Nat Ward ’26 put their skills to work last spring and summer, creating updated trail maps for the College’s Lillian Anderson Arboretum. The maps, now posted at the arboretum, help visitors navigate its changing trail system and identify features along the way. 

Sara Stockwood, director of the Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center and the Lillian Anderson Arboretum, approached the students about updating the previous map, which dated to 2017. Since then, some trails had closed, others were missing from the map, and visitors needed information about features such as a bypass around a flooded section. The project allowed Hannibal and Ward to apply their newly acquired skills to a practical need. 

“We both feel proud of learning GIS in one semester and then using it right after,” Hannibal said. “The maps are a cool way to use the skills we gained in class and actually get paid for it, too.” 

However, updating the maps—funded by a grant from Rotary of Kalamazoo and installed by the Arboretum Stewardship Practicum PE class—required more than transferring existing information into new software. The students first tracked down the data layers used to create the previous map. Although some were available, they had to reconstruct other sections using satellite imagery and firsthand observations. 

Over several days, Hannibal and Ward walked the trails with their phones while using Strava, an app that helps runners track their workouts, to record geographic coordinates they could import into QGIS, the mapping software they learned in class. They estimated they walked about five miles, sometimes retracing their steps to verify their recordings. 

Hannibal and Ward divided the work and revised the maps through several rounds of feedback. Ward focused largely on icons and other details, while Hannibal concentrated on tracing and refining the trails. Girdler and Stockwood helped them identify inaccuracies and improve the map’s clarity. 

New Lillian Anderson Arboretum trail maps
A close-up look at the new Lillian Anderson Arboretum trail maps.

One trail demonstrated why firsthand observations mattered. The students initially traced a path along a major power line using Google Earth. Girdler pointed out that the trail was not as straight as their draft suggested. When the students returned to the site, they found that the path had more curves and turns than their original drawing showed. The correction underscored the importance of verifying digital maps through firsthand observations. 

Accuracy, though, was only part of the challenge. The students also had to consider how someone unfamiliar with the arboretum would use the finished map. The new map identifies trail names and types, marks amenities such as benches, and indicates which trails are barrier-free. 

“It’s a lot of transferring it over and making sure that it’s accessible to the public,” Ward said. “You have to make it look a lot more pleasing and ensure that the information is easy to understand.” 

Design choices matter, too. Clear icons, readable trail names and distinctions between routes help visitors understand the map and navigate the property. 

Mapping the arboretum also gave the students a closer look at its ecological diversity. Ward, a biology graduate interested in environmental science, was struck by the variety of ecosystems within the property, including a pond, marshland, grassland and forests. 

“Just how complex it is, even for a relatively small plot of land, was striking,” Ward said. 

Ward especially appreciates the arboretum’s southwestern side, near its old-growth forests, where previous biology research using trail cameras introduced them to white-tailed deer, raccoons and flying squirrels. Hannibal, who spent three years working at the arboretum, favors the Wetland Boardwalk, where they have observed frogs and praying mantises. 

Hannibal and Ward hope the maps will do more than help visitors navigate the arboretum. They also want the maps to encourage people to explore its diverse habitats and develop a stronger connection to the natural environment. 

“When we better understand the environment that’s around us, we foster a deeper level of respect for it,” Ward said. A greater understanding of the natural world, they added, can encourage conservation while giving people a chance to step away from the stresses of classes, work and daily life. 

Hannibal and Ward continued refining the maps through the summer, adjusting logos, graphics and formatting. They also identified possible future improvements, including color-coded routes and topographic information. With the maps now posted at the arboretum, Hannibal said the clearest measure of the project’s success is also the simplest. 

“Definitely just people using it,” Hannibal said. “It’s already up in the arb, which is cool. That felt like success.” 

One Explores, One Connects; Honorees Strengthen K

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Binney Girdler studies what makes ecosystems flourish. Louise Tennant-Filkins helps people flourish.

For the ways they strengthen the Kalamazoo College community, Girdler and Tennant-Filkins received two of the College’s most significant employee honors today at the fall all-campus gathering. Girdler, a professor of biology, was named the recipient of the 2026–27 Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Scholarship, while Tennant-Filkins, executive assistant to the vice president of student development, received the W. Haydn Ambrose Prize for Extraordinary Service.

The awards recognize different forms of impact. Girdler has distinguished herself through scholarship that engages students in meaningful research, while Tennant-Filkins has earned a reputation for service, care and commitment to the campus community.

Girdler directs K’s environmental studies program and teaches courses including Environmental Science, Ecology and Conservation, Plant Biology, and Population and Community Ecology. Her work often brings students into the research process, allowing them to contribute to scientific discovery while developing their skills as researchers.

Most recently, Girdler has guided student summer research on Beaver Island, where she helps protect Pitcher’s thistle, an important early spring food source for pollinators. She has also contributed to international research examining how urbanization and climate change influence evolution and collaborated on student research exploring whether replacing mowing with grazing can benefit agricultural ecosystems.

Her mentorship extends beyond the field and laboratory. Girdler has accompanied students to professional ecology conferences, giving them opportunities to present their work, engage with scientists from across the country and build professional networks.

Lucasse nominators recognized Girdler’s ability to grow a student’s passion for science and help them launch academic pursuits at the graduate level during life after K.

If Girdler’s impact can be measured through discovery and scholarship, Tennant-Filkins’ influence is felt through the daily interactions and acts of kindness that help make K feel like home. Tennant-Filkins’ honor is presented annually to a staff member whose contributions have had a meaningful positive impact on the College community. The selection committee includes staff leaders and previous Ambrose Prize recipients and considers nominations from students, faculty and staff.

Tennant-Filkins joined K in 2018 in the Business Office before moving to Student Development in 2019. Her nominations came from across campus, including many students who highlighted her encouragement, positivity and genuine concern for their success and well-being.

One example cited by nominators was Sew What?, a Friday afternoon program she created where students can learn basic clothing repair skills or bring items for Tennant-Filkins to repair. The program reflects the practical, personal support she provides while continuing her regular responsibilities.

Another nominator said, “Some people make a campus run and others make it feel like home. Louise does both.”

Together, Girdler and Tennant-Filkins represent two essential elements of K’s mission: advancing knowledge and creating opportunities for students to participate in meaningful scholarship, while also strengthening the relationships, traditions and everyday acts of care that help students feel supported, connected and at home on campus.

Lucasse Award recipient with President Crowley
President Karlyn Crowley (left) congratulates Professor of Biology Binney Girdler on earning the 2026–27 Florence J. Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Scholarship.
President Crowley congratulates Louise Tennant-Filkins on earning the Ambrose Prize.
President Crowley congratulates Louise Tennant-Filkins on earning the W. Haydn Ambrose Prize for Extraordinary Service.

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

Student-Athlete, Researcher Runs Toward Cleaner Air

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Three researchers from Andrew Jensen's lab, including student-athlete Ava King, present research at the University of Michigan
Ava King ’28 (second from left) was one of three students in Andrew Jensen’s air-quality lab who presented their research during an undergraduate conference at the University of Michigan.

When Ava King ’28 encounters a setback, she doesn’t panic.

As a member of Kalamazoo College’s cross country and track and field teams, she’s accustomed to difficult workouts, races that don’t go as planned, and the persistence required to keep improving. This summer, those same qualities have become just as valuable inside Assistant Professor of Chemistry Andrew Jensen’s research lab.

“There are a bunch of little things that can crop up that you don’t expect,” King said. “I think my experience athletically helps me find more humor in those situations as opposed to getting beat down. I still get frustrated, but being able to process those emotions differently has helped a lot.”

King is a biology major with aspirations for graduate school and a career in marine science. This summer, she is helping Jensen’s lab develop and test low-cost air-quality sensors that measure pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter, along with temperature and humidity. The long-term goal is to support community-based environmental research.

For King, the opportunity has expanded her understanding of how chemistry can intersect with environmental justice while introducing her to new technical skills.

“I’m lucky to be in this lab,” she said. “I feel like the opportunity came up at a good point in my academic career. It was a good way for me to begin to understand what environmental justice means, especially in a chemistry realm. I’m having a lot of fun learning a lot of coding, too, which is new for me.”

Her days vary depending on the stage of the project. Some are spent building and troubleshooting sensor systems. Others focus on determining whether the instruments are collecting reliable data. The team’s current system monitors ozone, particulate matter, temperature and humidity as researchers work toward deploying the equipment outdoors.

Student researchers from Andrew Jensen's summer lab pose with an air-quality monitor
Assistant Professor of Chemistry Andrew Jensen (second from right) stands with his summer lab students including Ava King ’28 (bottom) with an air-quality monitor they developed.

King measures success less by flawless experiments than by how effectively the team responds when challenges arise.

“I think day-to-day success is whether we can come back from little problems that crop up or things that were confusing,” she said. “Being able to come out the other side and understand it, that’s what it means to be successful.”

That mindset reflects lessons she’s learned as a student-athlete, where progress often comes through perseverance rather than perfection.

The opportunity to explore beyond a single field was part of what King sought at K. Although biology remains her primary academic focus, working in an atmospheric chemistry lab has helped her see connections across scientific disciplines.

“I feel like it fills in a lot of gaps,” she said. “I would like to go to grad school, preferably in some sort of marine science. We’re doing atmospheric chemistry, and the atmosphere and the oceans go hand in hand.”

Although she originally hoped to attend a West Coast university with a marine science program, King said K ultimately proved to be the right fit. She credits the College’s collaborative chemistry department for opening the door to research opportunities early in her undergraduate career.

Balancing research with summer training for cross country and track has been manageable thanks to the flexibility of both pursuits. After spending the day in the lab, she heads out to complete the mileage assigned by her coaches while staying connected with teammates through summer running challenges.

King hopes to continue contributing to the air-quality project throughout her time at K, eventually sharing findings with the community while helping advance the research toward new applications.

Jensen said King’s experience illustrates why student-athletes often thrive in research settings.

“I think Ava hit the nail on the head in terms of research taking a lot of resiliency and perseverance,” Jensen said. “I’d add that it takes a lot of teamwork with the ability to listen to feedback from others, whether that’s a professor, advisor or coach, and then modify what you’re doing to become better. In this lab, we’re working together toward one common goal.”

Those qualities make student-athletes valuable contributors in the laboratory, where breakthroughs rarely happen without persistence, collaboration and a willingness to learn from every challenge. For King, the same determination that carries her through miles on the course is helping move scientific discovery forward one experiment at a time.

Science Will Meet Humanity in K Student’s Mongolia Summer

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Anar Bayanmunkh in San Francisco before heading to her Mongolia internship
Anar Bayanmunkh ’28 in San Francisco.

The classic back-to-school essay prompt asks students to describe what they did during summer vacation. When Anar Bayanmunkh ’28 returns to Kalamazoo College this fall, she’ll have quite a story to tell after conducting bioinformatics research at the National University of Mongolia, leading a youth peace walk through the Mongolian countryside, and exploring how science, culture and community can shape her future career. 

In July, Anar will go home to Mongolia to complete an internship in a bioinformatics laboratory, an experience supported by a stipend from the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD). She will also lead a Davis Projects for Peace initiative that encourages young people to reconnect with themselves, nature and their cultural heritage through a technology-free walking retreat. 

Together, the experiences reflect her goal of bridging science and human connection. The internship represents a key step in her growing interest in biology and neuroscience, fields she discovered after arriving at K. 

“As I started taking biology courses, I realized how interesting the field is,” she said. “Even when classes were difficult, I felt like this was something I wanted to keep pursuing.” 

Seeking hands-on experience, Anar began searching for a summer internship. Through a connection provided by her grandmother, she reached a professor at the National University of Mongolia who put her in touch with a bioinformatics researcher, Associate Professor Mijiddorj Batsaikhan, whose work aligns with her interests. 

The faculty member welcomed Anar into the lab and offered to tailor the experience to her interests in bioinformatics and computational neuroscience. Anar’s work will involve learning and applying bioinformatics approaches, particularly RNA-sequencing analysis, to understand biological systems through computational methods. 

Student with Mongolia flag at Convocation
Anar with the Mongolia flag at Convocation.

“I’m hoping to gain hands-on experience with analyzing biological data, understanding how researchers use computational tools to study gene expression, and learn more about how bioinformatics can be applied to questions in biology and neuroscience,” Anar said. “If possible, I’m also interested in exploring the opportunity to develop a small independent research question/project during my time in the lab.” 

The CCPD’s internship stipend program supports students who pursue unpaid internships. Anar received a $5,000 stipend to help cover expenses while she gains professional experience in Mongolia. The funding is one example of the support she has received from the CCPD since arriving at K. 

“They helped with my resume, found opportunities for me and made this internship possible,” she said. “It has opened so many doors for me.” 

While in Mongolia, Anar will also lead Walking Back to Ourselves: A Youth Peace Walk, a personal project funded through the Davis Projects for Peace program. The program allows students at partner institutions, including K, to design their own grassroots plans for peace that they implement anywhere in the world. About 100 projects a year are selected from proposals at 85 campuses for the $10,000 grants. 

Anar’s initiative will bring together 15 to 20 young adults from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, for a seven- to 10-day walking and reflection retreat in Mongolia’s Zavkhan Province. Participants will leave behind phones and electronic devices while walking through the countryside, living in tents, engaging with local nomadic families and participating in guided reflection and discussion activities. Anar developed the project in response to what she sees as growing stress, digital dependence and emotional isolation among young people in Mongolia. 

“My definition of peace begins within the individual,” she wrote in her proposal. “A society cannot be truly peaceful if its people are disconnected from themselves.” 

Working in partnership with the nonprofit organization Nomiin Tsenher Tig, which has organized walking journeys throughout Mongolia since 2013, Anar hopes participants will develop stronger emotional awareness, deeper cultural connections and a renewed sense of community. 

The project also reflects Anar’s own experiences navigating life between traditional Mongolian culture and the modern world. 

“For the past five years, I have personally experienced the emotional disconnection that many young Mongolians feel in modern life,” she wrote. “This project reflects my desire to transform that experience into something meaningful for others.” 

Anar credits K faculty and staff members, including her academic advisor, Jessica Fowle ’00—who is K’s director of health careers, fellowships and undergraduate research—for encouraging her ambitions and helping her pursue opportunities that connect her academic interests with meaningful work.  

“When I go there, I’ll bring some American college student perspective to Mongolia,” she said. “And when I come back, I’ll be bringing hands-on experience in a bioinformatics lab from Mongolia. I don’t think a lot of people have that kind of opportunity.” 

Anar describes herself as someone who moves between worlds—traditional and modern, Mongolian and American, scientific and humanistic—and she sees her summer as a chance to deepen that role. She also hopes the summer helps her narrow down the possibilities for her future direction.  

“This will help me narrow down what I’m interested in and decide whether I want to go deeper into that pathway,” she said. “Kalamazoo College gives you many opportunities to explore and helps you figure out what you want to do. Maybe I won’t like the internship. Maybe after going through it, I’ll think, ‘This is not what I want to do.’ Or maybe I’ll want to go deeper in that pathway. Either way, I’ll know more about myself.” 

A Job Where the Wild Things Are

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Bison in the wild crossing the road at Yellowstone Park
Bison crossing the road in the wild at Yellowstone Park.

When Nat Ward ’26 begins their full-time job as an avian field biologist with HWA Wildlife Consulting next week in Laramie, Wyoming, they will launch a career shaped by four years of study, fieldwork and discovery at Kalamazoo College.

The biology major will help monitor raptors and other wildlife around wind-energy facilities across Wyoming and neighboring states, helping ensure that birds such as eagles can safely navigate areas with wind turbines. They will record bird activity, identify species through visual and audio observations, document wildlife interactions and help reduce bird fatalities.

Ward is eager to begin the position, which draws directly on the skills they developed through their K education, including ecological field methods, species identification, environmental data collection and conservation research.

“I built personal relationships with professors that helped me understand how they got to where they are,” Ward said. “I used that to inform my decisions and directions. That, along with the classes I’ve taken and everything I’ve learned, has prepared me for the future. When I graduate, I’ll be set.”

Ward plans to walk at Commencement at 10 a.m. Sunday, but their K story began with a simple campus visit alongside a cousin. A student guide extolled the benefits of study abroad, small class sizes and the overall community, and Ward realized they had found the right college.

“I knew from high school on that I really wanted to go to K thanks to that visit, so much so that I only applied to about three schools,” they said. “I knew that if I got in, I’d immediately be coming here.”

When they arrived, Ward initially planned to pursue veterinary medicine. That changed after taking Ecology and Conservation with Professor of Biology Binney Girdler, a course that introduced them to environmental science and wildlife management. The experience allowed Ward to imagine a future working with animals while addressing broader environmental challenges.

“I because interested in wildlife management immediately when I saw all of the experiences that Dr. Girdler had throughout her career, as well as the different career paths I could follow with a biology degree,” Ward said. “I could see her passion come through in her teaching. As I’ve taken more classes with her, I’ve developed a more personal relationship with her, and that’s a nice thing about K: the professors know you by name and you know them by name.”

That sense of direction expanded during Ward’s junior-year study abroad experience in Thailand, where they explored environmental systems, sustainability and culture through an immersive, field-based program.

In Chiang Mai, Ward studied the region’s history, government and environmental issues. After traveling north, they worked with indigenous communities to learn about sustainable farming practices, including integrated pest-management techniques that rely on natural ecological relationships rather than chemical pesticides.

Ward also hiked between villages through forested regions while conducting plant transects, identifying species and examining how land-management practices affect biodiversity. After heading south, they kayaked between islands along traditional Indigenous routes and snorkeled in coastal waters, identifying species while studying ocean ecology.

Their most memorable experience, however, came during a six-week internship focused on animal monitoring.

“I worked at an elephant camp and sanctuary, where we would take the elephants down from the jungle every day and make sure they were cared for, fed and bathed,” Ward said. “I miss it dearly.”

Back in the United States, Ward continued building their skills through their Senior Integrated Project (SIP), which took them to West Yellowstone, Montana. There they worked with Buffalo Field Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the harassment and killing of Yellowstone bison.

The project focused on brucellosis, a disease affecting bison populations in the Yellowstone ecosystem, and examined its role in ongoing policy discussions surrounding the nation’s last continuously wild bison population. Through the work, Ward explored the intersection of wildlife biology, public policy and conservation management.

Ward’s research also highlighted contemporary challenges facing the species. Because Montana classifies bison as livestock rather than wildlife, animals that move beyond Yellowstone National Park boundaries can be captured or killed despite their ecological and cultural significance.

“With that, I know there is legislation on the federal level that can further affect where bison are and are not allowed to roam,” Ward said. “On the opposite side, elk and other ungulates are allowed to roam freely with no kind of legislation in place in that area, so it’s hypocritical.”

The experience provided Ward with firsthand insight into the scientific, political and social dimensions of conservation work. Just as importantly, it introduced them to the landscapes of the American West, where they now hope to build a career.

“The mountains are gorgeous, and there’s just a vast amount of nature,” Ward said. “You’re able to walk around and see elk, moose, bears, owls and more.”

As Ward heads west again, they carry with them the experiences, mentorship and global perspective that transformed a prospective pre-veterinary student into a wildlife professional ready to help protect species and ecosystems across the region. And it all started with a campus visit four years ago.

“Environmentalism appeals to me because I see how much it impacts our daily lives,” Ward said. “I know how the ecosystem works and how we fit into it. With climate change and other environmental issues prevalent, I can see how I could make a change in the field, and that’s really appealing.”

Nat Ward caring for an elephant
Nat Ward ’26 cared for elephants through an internship in Thailand.
Nat Ward goes for a wild ride on an elephant
Nat Ward goes for a wild ride on an elephant in Thailand.
Bison on the road in the wild at Yellowstone Park
A bison crosses the road in the wild at Yellowstone Park.
Hiking in Thailand
Hiking in Thailand.
An elephant in Thailand
An elephant in Thailand.
Bison on the road in the wild
Bison on the road in the wild.

K Students Sweep Ecology Conference Awards

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Three students and a faculty member at the Ecological Society of America conference
Annaliese Bol ’26 (from left), Mia Crites ’26, Hailey Yoder ’26 and Professor of Biology Binney Girdler attend the Ecological Society of America Great Lakes Chapter Conference in Cleveland.

Three students recently represented Kalamazoo College at the 2026 meeting of the Great Lakes Chapter of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) in Cleveland, Ohio, where two of them swept the top undergraduate honors for their research presentations. 

Annaliese Bol ’26 received the conference’s award for Best Undergraduate Talk, while Mia Crites ’26 earned Best Undergraduate Poster. Fellow student Hailey Yoder ’26 also attended the conference alongside Professor of Biology Binney Girdler to present Senior Integrated Project (SIP) research.  

Bol presented findings from research she conducted with Assistant Professor of Biology Clara Stuligross, examining how heat waves affect blue orchard bees, a native solitary bee species that plays an important role in agricultural pollination. 

“Two hundred to 300 of these blue orchard bees can do the same work in an acre of almond trees as two hives of honeybees,” Bol said. “Two hives is about 90,000 honeybees, so these bees are efficient pollinators.” 

Her project explored whether heat stress during the bees’ larval stage hurts their future ability to reproduce. Bol said her findings offered some encouraging news amid broader climate concerns. 

“We found some interesting evidence that the bees aren’t being affected by heat waves in the way that we studied them,” she said. “It’s rare to find good news when you’re working with climate-change science.” 

Bol said the conference gave her valuable experience presenting research ahead of K’s Diebold SIP Symposium for the Department of Biology, and she connected with ecologists from across the Great Lakes region, including participants from the United States and Canada. 

“It was just a super fun experience,” Bol said. “If any students have the opportunity to go present their work, they should just do it.” 

After graduating this spring, Bol plans to pursue a master’s degree in animal behavior at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Crites presented research from her SIP completed in the lab of Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas. Her project investigated whether adaptation to pollution affects the ability of Atlantic killifish populations to respond to thermal stress. 

“My main goal with this SIP was just to gain some experience in the lab as an undergrad, specifically in designing and running an experiment, and then writing the paper afterward,” Crites said. “I accomplished most of my goals, got a taste of what research is really like, and feel more prepared leaving K to venture on in the scientific world.” 

The conference marked the first time Crites had attended and presented at a professional academic gathering. 

“Talking to other conference goers that share a similar love for biology helped me to solidify that this is something that I want to continue to be involved in and have a large passion for,” she said. 

At the conference banquet, Bol and Crites received award certificates, $150 prizes from the ESA and gift baskets that were presented by the Great Lakes Chapter’s past chair, Andrea Corbett of Cleveland State University. 

Crites said the experience reinforced her interest in pursuing ecology and evolutionary biology after graduation. 

“As of right now, I don’t have any plans locked in for after graduation, but I’d like to travel a bit, ideally find a seasonal job or two working in a biology lab, and then eventually go back to grad school to study ecology and evolutionary biology,” she said. 

More Ecology Research

Also presenting at the Great Lakes ESA conference was Hailey Yoder ’26, whose SIP has made waves of its own with her hands-on coral reef restoration work in the Galápagos Islands. Read more about her SIP. 

Student Annaliese Bol receives an award for her ecology research
Bol receives rewards from former ESA Great Lakes past-Chair Andrea Corbett for earning Best Undergraduate Talk honors at the ESA ecology conference.
Student Mia Crites receives an award for her ecology research
Crites receives rewards from former ESA Great Lakes past-Chair Andrea Corbett for earning Best Undergraduate Poster honors at the ESA ecology conference.

Soccer Study: Team Dynamics Matter More Than Individual Talent

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Miyani Sonera driving downfield during a Kalamazoo College women's soccer game
For Miyani Sonera ’27, a biology project about soccer was as much about learning the research process as it was about the result. “Getting to design a study, analyze data and see it published, that was incredible,” she said. “It showed me how much there is to explore when you ask the right questions.”

In soccer, chemistry might outweigh star power.

A new study from Kalamazoo College, published in Football Studies, found that a soccer player’s individual ability accounts for only about 11% of performance variation in small-sided games. Their combination with teammates? Roughly double that.

In the study, Associate Professor Santiago Salinas, soccer alumnus Shun Yonehara ’24 and student-athlete Miyani Sonera ’27 ran 78 small-sided matches—three-on-three, men and women, rotating teammates through ever-changing combinations. Because each athlete played with many different teammates, the researchers were able to separate the influence of individual ability from the impact of specific teammate combinations.

The research drew inspiration from an unlikely source in quantitative genetics. “In biology, we often separate the effects of genes and environment to understand why organisms differ,” Salinas said. “We realized we could apply the same idea to soccer. Players are like genotypes, teammates are the environment, and performance is the resulting phenotype.” 

What they found surprised even the researchers. Individual player effects accounted for only about 11% to 12% of the variation in performance, while teammate combinations explained 20% to 23%. The rest, nearly two-thirds, remained unpredictable, likely influenced by opponent dynamics, moment-to-moment decisions, and the inherent randomness of low-scoring games. 

“When you actually see the numbers, it’s eye-opening,” Yonehara said. “I expected teamwork to matter, but I didn’t expect individual impact to be that small.” 

For Yonehara, the research question was personal. A biology major who played soccer throughout his life, he had long felt that games are won in moments that often miss the highlight reels.

“People talk about great teams like they’re just a collection of great individuals,” he said. “But from playing, you know that without cohesion, without players doing the unseen work, the whole thing falls apart.”

The study also compared match performance with traditional skill assessments including passing accuracy, dribbling speed, shooting precision and ball control. Those measures, commonly used in evaluations and tryouts, did not strongly predict how much a player helped their team in games.

“That was a big takeaway for me,” Sonera said. “Being great in isolated drills doesn’t necessarily translate to being effective in real gameplay.”

Sonera, who has loved soccer since childhood, was drawn to the project because it merged science with a sport built on collaboration.

“Soccer demands understanding your teammates,” she said. “That’s part of what makes it beautiful. This research puts numbers behind that idea.”

Shun Yonehara during a rainy Kalamazoo College men's soccer game
Shun Yonehara ’24 currently works as a research assistant for Momoko Yoshimoto, an associate professor at the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D., School of Medicine.
Santiago Salinas, one of five endowed chairs, kneels in a river
Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas traditionally teaches classes such as vertebrate biology and human physiology. His research interests include his work in the K Fish Lab, where he and his student collaborators study the ways fish populations cope with changes in the environment.

In the men’s dataset, the researchers observed that teams made up of complementary roles such as a scorer, a facilitator and a defensive-minded player tended to outperform teams of similar player types. Although that pattern did not appear in the women’s data, Salinas cautioned that the difference might reflect sample size rather than a fundamental distinction.

Together, the results challenge conventional approaches to scouting and performance analysis, which often rely on individual statistics or fixed lineups.

“Our findings suggest that some players make everyone around them better,” Salinas said. “But that kind of impact is hard to see unless players are tested in multiple contexts.”

Sonera hopes coaches take that message seriously.

“I’d like to see coaches think beyond who looks best on their own,” she said. “Building balanced lineups and focusing on how players connect could make a huge difference.”

Yonehara echoed that idea, comparing team building to constructing a well-balanced system rather than collecting stars.

“It’s like building chemistry in a video game or a trading card deck,” he said. “It’s not just about rating, it’s about fit.”

Although the study focused on soccer, the researchers believe the approach could apply broadly across team sports, particularly those that are fluid and fast paced, such as basketball or hockey.

For the research team, the findings support a long-held belief in team sports that what matters is not just who the players are, but how they work together.

This Student Looked to the Past to Help Protect the Great Lakes Today

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Student in a hat and jacket holding a fish he caught
Luke Werner ’26 holds a pike.

On summer mornings along the shores of the Great Lakes, Kalamazoo College student Luke Werner ’26 recognizes the rhythm of the water as something almost instinctive, shaped by years of fishing trips, charter boats and stories of salmon runs. And what began as a personal connection to Michigan’s waters became something far more ambitious: a deep historical investigation into how those waters were nearly lost and what their past can teach us about protecting them today. 

Werner spent the past year immersed in archives, government reports and decades-old ecological data to complete his Senior Integrated Project (SIP). Unlike many sustainability-focused projects rooted in biology or environmental science, Werner’s work emerged from the history department—an intentional choice that underscores a central argument of his research: understanding environmental crises requires an understanding of the past. 

His project traces the rise, collapse and partial recovery of fish populations in the Great Lakes, revealing how human decisions over centuries, rather than a single ecological disruption, set the stage for disaster. 

“I wanted to go back and really look at the history of the region,” Werner said. “We tend to latch onto big moments, including the invasions and the tipping points. But the more I learned, the more I realized those were just the final dominoes.” 

A Crisis Centuries in the Making 

Long before invasive species such as sea lampreys and alewives devastated the lakes in the mid-20th century, the ecosystem had already been strained by human impact. Werner points to a gradual shift away from the reciprocal relationship Indigenous communities such as the Anishinaabe had with the land. 

“The crisis wasn’t just caused by these fish showing up,” he said. “It was enabled by hundreds of years of decisions, including overfishing, damming rivers and pollution. We refused to cooperate with the lakes.” 

By the time invasive species entered through shipping routes and canals, native fish populations were already vulnerable. The result was catastrophic as sea lampreys decimated large fish, while alewife numbers escalated. 

“It genuinely became an international crisis,” Werner said. “You had industries collapsing, thousands of jobs lost, and entire ecosystems out of balance.” 

The Man Behind the Salmon 

In the 1950s, Howard Tanner, a fisheries biologist, was at the center of the most pivotal response to that crisis, as his bold proposal helped reshape the Great Lakes. 

Student holding up a fish he caught near the Great Lakes
Werner holds a large mouth bass.

Sustainability SIP Symposium Scheduled 

Kalamazoo College will celebrate Environmental Education Week April 20-24. Events will include the annual Sustainability SIP Symposium on April 22, which is Earth Day, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. The event will honor more than a dozen students from a variety of majors who pursued themes of climate change, the environment, and sustainability in their research and projects. For more information, watch envirostewardship.kzoo.edu.  

Tanner, who had experience studying salmon in the Western United States, proposed introducing Pacific salmon, specifically coho and Chinook, into the Great Lakes as a biological control for alewives. 

“He knew salmon were strong, cold-water fish that could survive in the lakes,” Werner said. “And more importantly, they prey on alewives.” 

At the time, the idea was far from an assured solution. Introducing another non-native species carried risks, especially in an already unstable ecosystem. But Tanner framed it as a calculated, science-driven intervention. 

“It was a gamble, but it was an intentional one,” Werner said. “That’s the difference. These fish were chosen.” 

Within a year of Tanner’s proposal, hundreds of thousands of salmon were released into the lakes. The alewife populations plummeted, and a new recreational fishing economy took shape. 

“Tanner’s work didn’t just help stabilize the ecosystem,” Werner said. “It created this entire multi-billion-dollar recreational industry that still exists today.” 

A Solution That Requires Constant Attention 

Werner is careful not to describe the salmon introduction as a clean victory. 

“It’s more like it was managed into something sustainable and only with constant effort,” he said. 

Today, fish populations in the Great Lakes are still carefully balanced through a combination of stocking decisions, invasive species control and strict regulations. Too many salmon can deplete alewife populations, which in turn harms the salmon themselves. Too few salmon allow alewives to rebound. 

“It’s a cat-and-mouse game,” Werner said. “They actually have to adjust how many salmon they introduce each year to keep everything in balance.” 

That balancing act extends beyond species management. Werner points to modern environmental protections such as limits on commercial fishing, pollution controls and habitat preservation as direct responses to past failures. 

At one point, Michigan alone had more than 10,000 commercial fishing licenses. Today, that number has dropped to just a few dozen. 

“That’s one of the biggest changes,” he said. “We’ve shifted from this mindset of extraction to something much more intentional.” 

Why History Matters 

For Werner, the most important takeaway from his project isn’t just what happened, but how we understand it. 

“It’s really critical to analyze and reflect on our past,” he said. “We repeat the same mistakes all the time if we don’t.” 

By placing environmental issues in a historical context, his work reveals the complexity behind them, showing that crises are rarely sudden and solutions are rarely simple. 

“Being a history major, it’s impossible for me to take things at face value,” Werner said. “There are always layers—economic, social, political—that shape what happens.” 

That perspective, he argues, is essential for anyone working in sustainability. 

“I wanted to move beyond the big headlines, the big titles, and the simple understanding of history and look at the myriad causes of these issues from the late 1600s through the 1950s,” he said. “Realistically, there were hundreds of different factors that led to this crisis.” 

Looking Ahead 

As Werner considers a future in environmental work—whether with state agencies, conservation groups or fisheries management—his SIP serves as a capstone and a starting point. What began as a personal connection to the Great Lakes has evolved into a deeper understanding of how fragile yet resilient those systems can be. 

“It’s changed how I see the lakes,” he said. “It’s not just about what’s in them, it’s about our relationship with them.” 

As his research clarifies, that relationship—shaped over centuries—will determine how the Great Lakes are sustained for generations to come. 

“If we could get some agreements between governments—even if it’s just state and provincial governments—I think that would be a big boon for the environmental and economic success of the region,” he said.