chemistry

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.

In Athletics and the Lab, Resilience is a Part of the Game

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Mallory Gentry ’28 shows resilience in the summer lab of chemistry professor Daniela Arias-Rotondo.
Mallory Gentry ’28

On most fall mornings, Mallory Gentry ’28 and Simran Magnan ’29 can be found at swim practice or lifting weights. This summer, however, they’re in a chemistry lab at Kalamazoo College, working alongside Daniela Arias-Rotondo, the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Endowed Chair in Natural Science, on research into manganese-based coordination complexes that could one day help improve solar energy technology.

Gentry, a swimmer from Pendleton, Indiana, and Magnan, a soccer player from Northville, Michigan, are both members of Arias-Rotondo’s lab, where they’re working to synthesize new compounds that absorb visible light.

According to Arias-Rotondo, the goal is to make new manganese compounds that might prove useful for capturing sunlight—compounds no one has made before.

Magnan, who was on crutches recovering from surgery, started her summer away from the lab bench, instead digging through research articles to help chart the lab’s next steps.

“I’m more so on the computer looking at research articles, trying to figure out next steps and what different types of ligands that we could use for these new molecules,” she said.

Both students say the extended, uninterrupted stretch of summer research, compared with the single weekly session they typically manage during the school year, has let them dig deeper into their projects.

“It gives me the time to actually do more things and be able to look into it,” Gentry said.

For Magnan, the structure of summer research keeps her connected to chemistry through the offseason. “It keeps me engaged and focused to slide right back into chemistry in the fall,” she said.

Both students found their way to Arias-Rotondo’s lab well before this summer. She was the first chemistry instructor at K for both, and both say their working relationship grew out of office hours conversations that started as early as freshman year.

“I really enjoy working with Dr. DAR,” Gentry said, referring to how students affectionately address Arias-Rotondo. “She’s very good at explaining things and open to questions. She’s very easy to talk to.”

Magnan agreed.

“The way that she teaches really works well for me,” Magnan said. “She gives us a couple first steps and then has us try it on our own. Later, we’ll come back to her and ask questions because she’s always available for questions, without giving away how to do something.”

For Arias-Rotondo, having student-athletes in her lab isn’t a scheduling accommodation, it’s an asset.

“Having student-athletes in the lab is awesome because they know how to fail and recover from failure, which is so important in research,” she said.

With a research success rate she estimates at around 20 percent, resilience matters, Arias-Rotondo said.

“They already have that resilience, that willingness to just pick yourself back up and try something again,” she said, adding that athletes also tend to bring strong time-management skills to the lab. “They already have some incredible qualities that they’ve learned through sports that can translate.”

Both students see the connection clearly in their own experience. Magnan described a similar overlap between soccer and chemistry.

“Coming at it from a soccer angle versus coming at it from a chemistry angle just provides more opportunities and strategies for me to approach problems,” she said. “That skill building is probably what I’m going to remember more than the chemistry or the soccer combined.”

Arias-Rotondo said she thinks carefully about lab chemistry of a different kind: how her students work together.

“I think the lab is more like the swim team, where in most cases they have their own events, but they are still rooting for each other,” she said. “A win for one of them is a win for all of us.”

She praised both students’ work ethic and problem-solving under pressure, noting that when experiments don’t go as planned, they think about their next step and how something can work the next time.

Both students say K’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and its emphasis on undergraduate research, played a role in their decision to enroll at K. Their advice to fellow students weighing whether to pursue summer research: do it.

“It gives you time to fully focus on what you’re doing and learn, and also gives you a community in the science,” Gentry said.

Magnan echoed the sentiment: “You get to go so much more in depth and get much more individualized learning. There’s just so much growth possible.”

For Magnan, the summer has also offered an unexpected benefit beyond the science.

“Being here has been so much better mentally for me than being at home, just on the couch,” she said of recovering from her surgery in the lab rather than away from campus. “It really gives my brain something else to focus on.”

Simran Magnan '29 shows reilience while working in the summer lab of professor Daniela Arias-Rotondo.
Simran Magnan ’29
Mallory Gentry '28 working in the summer lab of Dr. Daniela Arias-Rotondo
Mallory Gentry ’28
Simran Magnan '29 shows resilience while working in the lab of Daniela Arias-Rotondo
Simran Magnan ’29

One Lab, Three Student-Athletes and Some Tiny Worms

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Student-athlete Sara Cate Finks '27 works in the summer lab of Dwight Williams
Sara Cate Finks ’27 is one of three student-athletes performing summer research alongside Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry.

At 10 p.m., when many college students have called it a day, Sara Cate Finks ’27 is still waiting on worms.

The rising Kalamazoo College senior and distance swimmer isn’t pulling a late night because of an upcoming exam. The microscopic C. elegans she studies operate on their own biological clock, meaning experiments happen when they’re ready, not when it’s convenient.

It’s the kind of schedule that might overwhelm some students. But for Finks, and a growing number of student-athletes at K spending their summers in chemistry labs, it’s simply another example of the discipline, adaptability and persistence they’ve already learned through athletics.

Finks works in the research group of Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry, known affectionately to his students as Dr. D. Her project uses microscopic worms to study neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. By tracking how the worms respond to their environment, she can measure changes in memory and determine whether experimental drugs might reverse the effects of disease-related genetic mutations.

Her path to the project began with a simple question from Williams after she completed his organic chemistry course.

“How do you feel about worms?” He asked.

“Worms are fine,” Finks replied.

That answer launched a research experience that now shapes her summers, informs her academic future and serves as the foundation for her Senior Integrated Project.

Finks’ willingness to adapt to unpredictable schedules is one reason Williams believes student-athletes often thrive in research environments.

“It’s beneficial because it just gives us another perspective on the student experience and how students are actually making the most out of the K-Plan as a whole,” Williams said. Their presence in the lab, he added, also helps other students see what’s possible when they pursue multiple passions at K.

Just a few feet away from Finks, two fellow student-athletes also are hard at work in the Williams lab.

Julia Kozal ’27, a member of the women’s lacrosse team, is synthesizing an asymmetric maleimide derivative, a natural-product compound connected to antimicrobial resistance. Her goal is to create four versions of the molecule and test how small structural changes influence its ability to combat bacteria.

Landrie Fridsma ’27, a softball player, is spending her second summer in Williams’ lab synthesizing chromone compounds that may help protect neurons from damage associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The compounds are designed to interact with receptors in the brain that help prevent harmful calcium buildup linked to neurodegeneration.

Although their projects differ, all three students share something beyond chemistry: experience balancing demanding commitments.

Ask Williams what sets student-athletes apart in the lab, and time management comes immediately to mind. In a research environment where experiments, reactions and data collection often unfold simultaneously, Williams said athletes arrive with an understanding of how to organize their schedules and remain productive amid competing priorities.

Student-athlete Landrie Fridsma '27 working in the summer lab of Dwight Williams
Landrie Fridsma ’27
Student-athlete Julia Kozal '27 works in the summer lab of Dwight Williams
Julia Kozal ’27
Sara Cate Finks works in the summer resesarch lab of Dwight Williams
Sara Cate Finks ’27

The students see the connection, too. Fridsma, who regularly spends full days in the lab during the summer, credits softball with teaching her persistence as much as planning. She also values the collaborative atmosphere among her fellow researchers.

With several student-athletes working in the lab, questions often get answered through conversations with peers before anyone seeks out Williams. Kozal traces her own approach to research directly to lessons learned on the lacrosse field.

“I am a very goal-oriented person, so having that and having determination, and not really wanting to quit ever is helpful,” she said.

Long days in the lab don’t feel unusual, she added. The same mindset that gets her through early morning practices helps her push through difficult experiments.

Finks sees a similar connection between swimming and science. Having competed for 18 years, she says athletics taught her to finish what she starts.

“Once I start a project, I need to get to the end of it,” she said. “It’s the same thing with swimming. Once I start a race, I have to finish that race. There’s no stopping halfway through.”

For Williams, their experiences illustrate the opportunities K students have to pursue multiple interests without having to choose between them—including demanding research and college athletics.

“Our students get a chance to do both,” Williams said.

Beyond the science itself, all three students describe the lab as a community built on mentorship, trust and encouragement.

Kozal returned to Williams’ lab for a second summer because she wanted to continue a project she had already begun. She credits him with helping students become more independent and confident researchers. Fridsma agrees.

“He definitely pulls the best out of each and every one of us, and he takes the time to learn all of us and how we perform best,” she said.

Williams sees those relationships as one of the most rewarding parts of the job.

“I think they add an aspect of diversity to my lab in particular,” he said of his student-athletes. “It’s a lot of fun.”

For Finks, Kozal and Fridsma, the summer has reinforced a lesson they first learned through athletics: meaningful progress rarely happens all at once. Sometimes it’s measured in a faster race. Sometimes it’s measured in a successful experiment. And sometimes it’s measured at 10 p.m., waiting for a tray of microscopic worms to be ready.

Scholarly, Teaching Excellence Lead to Tenure for Two K Faculty

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Kalamazoo College has awarded tenure and promotion to Daniela Arias-Rotondo and Manfa Sanogo, recognizing years of their excellence in teaching, scholarly achievements and service to the institution while affirming their long-term roles as leaders in the College community.   

Daniela Arias-Rotondo    

Arias-Rotondo, the Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Endowed Chair in Natural Science, teaches courses including Introductory Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Structure and Reactivity at K.  

Her research focuses on molecules that convert light energy into electricity with broad implications for renewable energy. In 2024, Arias-Rotondo received an American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund grant for her lab’s exploration of photoredox catalysis, a project which explored new uses for petroleum byproducts through these reactions. Her collaboration with Maxwell Rhames ’25 on alternative metals for more affordable solar panels earned an honorable mention in the 2024 Division of Inorganic Chemistry Award for Undergraduate Research, which recognizes research that students and faculty perform in tandem.     

This academic year, working under Arias-Rotondo’s guidance, Will Tocco ’26 was one of just six undergraduates nationwide selected from more than 1,400 nominees to present at the ACS Presidential Symposium in Atlanta. 

Tocco and Rhames are two of 36 students who have worked in Arias-Rotondo’s lab in her years at K. Tocco and Rhames both were also among the students who benefited from a $250,000 grant she received in 2023 from the National Science Foundation’s Early-Career Academic Pathways in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (LEAPS-MPS) program, which has provided funding for about eight to 10 student researchers per term. 

Arias-Rotondo was recognized by the College in 2025 with the First-Year Advocate Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Argentina and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. 

Portrait of Daniela Arias-Rotondo, Scholarly, Teaching Excellence Lead to Tenure
Daniela Arias-Rotondo

Manfa Sanogo    

Sanogo joined K as an assistant professor in 2020, bringing experience as a teaching assistant, lecturer and research fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Sorbonne Universités and École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and Florida State University.    

Sanogo has recently taught courses at K such as Beginning French, Intermediate French, French Conversation and Composition, Indian Ocean Literature and Culture, and Afro-Perspectives. He earned a Chateaubriand Fellowship from the French Embassy in the U.S. in 2018 for a project highlighting how Madagascar’s Indigenous literature has shaped innovation in French-language literature while aiming to foster greater scholarly interest in the Indian Ocean as an important literary center. In 2022, he completed a Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship at University College of Dublin.   

He has also been among the conveners of Africa Month events at the College over the last two years. The series brings world-renowned scholars, artists, filmmakers and performers from four continents to Kalamazoo for lectures, art exhibits, community conversations, meals and joyful music.  

Sanogo holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University.    

Portrait of 2026 tenure recipient Manfa Sonogo, scholarly, teaching excellence
Manfa Sanogo

Bonjour, Opportunity: Chemistry Student Earns Elite Fellowship in France

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Dwight Williams' summer chemistry research lab including Olivia Cannizzaro
Olivia Cannizzaro ’26 (third from left in back) participated in summer research last year through the lab of Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry (fourth from left in back).

Kalamazoo College student Olivia Cannizzaro ’26 has been selected as one of just 30 undergraduates nationwide for the inaugural Lafayette Fellowship, a highly competitive program funded by the French government that drew thousands of applicants from across the U.S. 

The fellowship, named for the Marquis de Lafayette, commemorates the 250th anniversary of American independence and France’s role in it. It provides a fully funded first year toward a master’s degree in France, covering tuition, travel and visa costs, along with an intensive leadership curriculum. For Cannizzaro, a chemistry major and Heyl Scholar, the recognition feels surprising and affirming. 

“I was shocked, actually,” she said. “I opened the letter and I didn’t know how to react.” 

Cannizzaro had also applied for Fulbright fellowships, yet the clarity she felt while applying to this one hinted that it might be the strongest match. She submitted her application last December at the Paris airport, hurrying to finish it before departing for winter break travel. 

“It all kind of clicked that this fellowship was perfect for me,” she said. “It was more aligned with what I wanted to do.” 

A Global Perspective on Health Care 

Cannizzaro traces that sense of alignment to her study abroad experience in France, where she completed an Integrative Cultural Research Project (ICRP) at a free health care clinic serving refugees and migrants. There, she began comparing the French and American health systems while observing physicians who volunteered their time outside of hospital hours to provide basic care. 

The experience left a lasting impression and reshaped her sense of purpose. 

“The doctors were so gentle,” she said. “It was inspiring to see the patient care and bedside manner these doctors had for patients in complicated situations.” 

Her work abroad deepened her interest in health care equity and set her on a path toward a career in the field. Upon returning to Kalamazoo, she became involved in the Health Professions Society, eventually serving as secretary, and volunteered extensively with Meals on Wheels. She delivered food to Kalamazoo residents along routes serving up to 30 households, even in the harsh Michigan winter. 

Mentorship and Scientific Discovery 

Although her study abroad experience helped define her interests, Cannizzaro’s work in the chemistry department—including her lab work under Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry—provided the foundation to pursue them. 

She met Williams in Organic Chemistry II, a course she described as the most challenging she had taken until she enrolled in his advanced synthesis course. 

“He taught me perseverance,” Cannizzaro said. “Learning to fail and try again really set me up for success.” 

That perseverance carried over into summer research in Williams’ lab, where Cannizzaro worked to synthesize a novel compound with potential applications in diabetes and insulin resistance research. Through the experience, she found herself drawn not only to the chemistry itself but to its implications for human health. 

“Working in Dr. D’s lab here involved a little bit of natural product synthesis, but I really liked the biology—the health care part of what this drug I was making could be doing,” she said. 

Williams has supported her throughout her academic journey, writing recommendation letters for every program she pursued. 

“At the Heyl banquet this year, we had Guiding Light Awards, and I feel that phrase really encompasses what Dr. D has been to me,” Cannizzaro said. “His door is usually open. He always says, ‘Hey,’ and he’s always got some sort of wisdom for me.” 

Continuing the Journey in France 

This fall, Cannizzaro will attend Université Paris Cité, a fellowship partner institution closely connected to Paris’ hospital network, where she will pursue a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. The program emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together students from biological and engineering backgrounds to address global health challenges. 

“The goal is an interdisciplinary approach, and at K, we get a liberal arts education, so we’re exposed to all different types of classes,” she said. “This program aligns well with K in that way.” 

Courses will be taught in English, though Cannizzaro is fluent in French through her heritage and her time studying abroad. As a French citizen through her mother, she also has the option to remain in France after the fellowship, a possibility the program encourages. 

Olivia Cannizzaro working in the Williams lab under a fume hood.
Cannizzaro working in the Williams lab.
Olivia Cannizzaro works in the chemistry lab with Anni Schnell
Cannizzaro worked alongside Anni Schnell ’26 in the Williams lab last summer.
Olivia Cannizzaro working in the Williams chemistry lab.
Cannizzaro working in the Williams lab.
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Looking Ahead 

Cannizzaro will graduate on Sunday and depart for France on June 29. The fellowship begins with a three-week leadership program starting July 3. On July 4, the inaugural cohort will gather at the Palace of Versailles to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, a symbolic setting tied to Lafayette’s legacy and the historic alliance between France and the U.S. For Cannizzaro, the moment will mark the beginning of a new chapter shaped by years of academic exploration, mentorship and global engagement. 

“I couldn’t be more grateful to Kalamazoo College,” she said. “It guided me on this journey and prepared me for this amazing opportunity before me.” 

ACS Conference Proves K ‘Punches Above its Weight Class’

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Kalamazoo College students, faculty and alumni attend the American Chemical Society (ACS) Conference
Kalamazoo College students, faculty and alumni attend the American Chemical Society (ACS) Conference. Pictured (from left) are Caden Frost ’26, Will Tocco ’26, Baylor Baldwin ’26, Ellen Robertson ’08, Ava Schwachter ’27, ACS president-elect Christina Bodurow ’79, Associate Professor of Chemistry Blakely Tresca, Bea Putman ’26, Devi DeYoung ’26 and Christopher Aldred ’26.

Will Tocco ’26 joined an elite group this spring as one of just six undergraduates nationwide selected from more than 1,400 nominees to present at the American Chemical Society’s Presidential Symposium in Atlanta. 

Tocco’s selection came through two pathways. He had already been approved to present at a specialized inorganic chemistry symposium at the ACS National Meeting, one of the field’s premier annual gatherings. Separately, because Kalamazoo College offers an ACS-certified degree, the chemistry department was invited to nominate a student for the Presidential Symposium and put Tocco’s name forward. 

“I felt very honored,” Tocco said. “It was a great experience to network, meet people and learn how professionals found their way, because I’m still figuring out what I want my career to look like.” 

Roger F. and Harriet G. Varney Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniela Arias-Rotondo and Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry Regina Stevens-Truss nominated Tocco. For Arias-Rotondo, sending students to conferences is central to her lab’s mission. 

“Every opportunity for students to share their work and practice presenting is valuable,” she said. “Conferences give them the chance to get feedback from experts in the field and expose them to perspectives they may not encounter on campus.” 

One highlight of the experience was a private reception hosted by the ACS president the evening before the symposium, where Tocco mingled with leading scientists and industry professionals. He met a senior scientist from Pfizer, the president of the Goldwater Foundation and the president of the ACS. He also connected with ACS president-elect Christina Bodurow ’79, a K alumna and member of the College’s Board of Trustees. 

Absorbing Light, Moving Electrons 

The opportunity stemmed from research Tocco has been developing in Arias-Rotondo’s lab at the intersection of chemistry and renewable energy. Building on work started by Maxwell Rhames ’25, he has helped develop single-molecule dyes capable of absorbing light and converting it to electricity, an approach with potential applications in next-generation solar panels and hydrogen fuel production. 

“They can be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, and then you can burn that hydrogen as a fuel source,” Tocco said. 

Tocco synthesized one such complex and demonstrated that it can move electrons through nearly every step of the energy-transfer process. 

“It can absorb the light and do everything up until the handoff, but it doesn’t want to release the electron,” he said. “A solar panel needs to absorb light and give off electrons.” 

Unlocking that final step by enabling the compound to release its electron and complete the cycle will be the focus of future work in the lab after Tocco graduates. His contributions have already refined procedures for synthesizing key molecules, giving future students a strong foundation to build on. 

“Will is a strong synthetic chemist, and his work is opening the door for new students to join this project and make contributions,” Arias-Rotondo said. “It is impossible to overstate his contributions to our research group, both scientifically and personally. He is always willing to support and encourage others.” 

Tocco’s presentation was well received, particularly at the inorganic symposium as more of the audience was familiar with the topic. Ahead of the conference, he contacted faculty at the University of Notre Dame, where he will begin his doctoral studies this fall, and one professor made a point to attend. 

“He had his own presentation, but he took the time to come see mine,” Tocco said. “That was really inspiring.” 

Tocco also earned an honorable mention for the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), a highly competitive award that provides three years of funding for graduate study. Although the honorable mention does not include funding, it is a significant distinction. 

“As an undergrad, getting that honorable mention is big because I’m a year behind most others applying,” he said. He plans to apply again next year as a first-year doctoral student. 

From Math Major to Chemist 

American Chemical Society Conference presenter Will Tocco
Tocco presents his research at the ACS Conference.
American Chemical Society Conference Presenter Devi DeYoung
DeYoung presenting at the ACS Conference.
K Reps in Atlanta for Chemical Conference
K representatives attend the ACS Conference in Atlanta.
Two students, an alumna, a faculty member and the president of ACS
Arias-Rotondo, Bodurow, Frost, Tocco and ACS President Rigoberto Hernandez at the ACS Conference in Atlanta.

Tocco did not arrive at K intending to pursue chemistry. He planned to major in mathematics, entering with dual enrollment calculus credits, before taking General Chemistry I with Arias-Rotondo. 

“I just had so much more fun than I did in any other class,” he said. “Even what some might consider boring felt kind of cool.” 

On the first day of class, Arias-Rotondo—known to her students as Dr. DAR—mentioned her research and invited interested students to speak with her. By the next term, Tocco had joined her lab, where he has worked since. 

“When I first started chemistry, I thought I’d get my bachelor’s degree and find a job,” he said. “But I kept going to conferences, kept learning and realized I wanted to pursue a Ph.D. A lot of that was Dr. DAR’s influence.” 

Tocco also credits Associate Professor of Chemistry Blakely Tresca, who organized a group of graduate student mentors to help K students navigate the demanding GRFP application process. 

“I wouldn’t have started it without his help,” Tocco said. 

The process also strengthened his Senior Integrated Project, as feedback on his grant proposal turned into improvements. 

Tocco’s undergraduate experience also has included a Research Experience for Undergraduates fellowship at Duquesne University and a study abroad term in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He will graduate this spring with a major in chemistry and a minor in mathematics. 

A Lab Community in Atlanta 

Tocco was not the only K student to attend the conference. He was joined by fellow chemistry and biochemistry students Caden Frost ’26, Ava Schwachter ’27, Bea Putman ’26, CJ Aldred ’26, Jack Bungart ’26, Max Plesscher ’26, Baylor Baldwin ’26 and Devi DeYoung ’26, along with Arias-Rotondo and Tresca. The students shared an Airbnb, and the trip became as much a bonding experience as a professional one. 

“We went to the Georgia Aquarium, went to dinner, hung out and watched movies,” Tocco said. “It was a great experience to be professionals and also just spend time together.” 

That blend of close community and high-level research is what Tocco sees as distinctive about K. 

“Kalamazoo College punches above its weight class,” he said. “Our professors are well connected, so if we don’t have an instrument, we know someone who does. I’ve built relationships with all of the chemistry faculty, and that wouldn’t always happen at a larger institution.” 

Arias-Rotondo has seen the impact firsthand. After returning from Atlanta, she led students through a debrief, reflecting on what they learned. 

“Every time we take students to conferences, colleagues from other schools tell me how well our students present,” she said. “We could see the growth that happened in just a few days.” 

Looking ahead, Tocco imagines returning one day to a lab that has continued to evolve. 

“It’ll be exciting to see what others build,” he said. “That’s what makes it special.”

What’s for Lunch? 25 Years of Inspired Science in Schools

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Sisters in Science experiment
Pauline Hawkes ’26 leads Luella Tresca, Lu Moon and Adwin Williams in a science experiment.
Sisters in Science experiment

One recent afternoon at Northglade Montessori Magnet School in Kalamazoo, fourth and fifth graders gathered around a table for a simple science experiment involving water, soap and glitter. 

“Think about what happens when germs spread,” a college student presenting the experiment told them. 

Moments later, a finger dipped into the mixture, and the glitter scattered across the surface of the water. The room filled with laughter, surprise and a few delighted yells of “Whoa!” 

For the kids, it looked like magic. For the mentors leading the activity, it was something more powerful. It was a chance to spark curiosity about science through a lesson that showed just how quickly illnesses can jump from one person to another. 

The demonstration was one small moment in a program that has quietly shaped young learners in Kalamazoo for a quarter century. Sisters in Science—a student organization at Kalamazoo College—is celebrating its 25th anniversary of presenting hands-on STEM experiences to local kids. The group partners with Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo to visit youths at Northglade and Woodward Elementary, where K students run experiments and serve as mentors for children discovering science in new ways. 

A Founding Conversation 

Sisters in Science owes its existence to a chance conversation on a school sidewalk. Regina Stevens-Truss, the Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry at K and the program’s faculty advisor since its founding, arrived at Northglade in 2001 to pick up her children. A sixth-grade teacher pulled her aside with a question that would stay with her. 

The teacher had noticed that her female sixth-grade students consistently outperformed the boys in math and science. But when she saw those same students again in ninth grade, something had changed. The girls who once loved science no longer seemed interested. She wanted to know why. 

Stevens-Truss couldn’t stop thinking about that conversation. Research backed what the teacher had observed: girls often lose interest in science and math during the transition from elementary school to junior high, as social pressures begin to reframe those subjects as less compatible with femininity. She brought the idea of a mentorship program to the chemistry department’s office coordinator, who suggested the name Sisters in Science, and then to Leslie Tung, who was serving as interim provost at the time. Tung pointed out that every department in the science division had at least one female faculty member, and he encouraged Stevens-Truss to build a program in which K students would mentor girls at Northglade. 

Sisters in Science launched as a one-on-one mentoring program, pairing individual K students with sixth-grade girls at the school in a big sister, little sister model. The pairs would meet weekly to talk about science, math and what it meant to be a young woman with those interests. As demand grew and the sixth grade was moved to the middle school, the model shifted from individual pairings to group sessions at Northglade, and now also at Woodward Elementary School. While the program originally focused on encouraging girls to pursue science, feedback from students led Northglade organizers to expand participation so boys could join as well. The college mentors remain the “sisters” leading the activities, but the sessions now welcome all students. The change reflects the program’s broader mission, which is to make science accessible to everyone. 

From Lunch Tables to Laboratories 

The program is simple but effective. Students bring their lunches into a classroom, where the college volunteers introduce a short experiment. Before long, the room becomes a laboratory filled with egg drops, slime, miniature rockets and glitter experiments. 

“They eat their lunch, and then they pretty much jump right into it,” said Emma Braford, a site coordinator at Northglade for Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo. “They’re always very hands-on. It’s all very fun and interactive things that get the kids really engaged with science and loving science in a way that’s not just textbooks.” 

The program typically serves about 30 elementary students across the partner schools, with three to five K students guiding activities each visit. Over the course of the school year, the mentors work with the same groups of children, building relationships along the way. That mentorship, Braford said, can be just as important as the science lessons themselves. 

“I think it’s cool for them to have that older peer mentor relationship,” she said. “The college students intentionally get to know four or five of the students really well over that time.” 

Opening Doors to Science 

Sisters in Science is led this year by Pauline Hawkes ’26 and Madison Vrba ’26. 

For Vrba, a biochemistry major, the organization represents a natural blend of two passions, science and mentorship. Before joining Sisters in Science, she worked as a pitching instructor for young softball players and discovered how empowering it could be for young girls to realize what they could do. 

“When girls feel confident exploring science and asking questions, it not only benefits them individually but also strengthens the entire scientific community,” Vrba said. 

Historically, STEM fields have been male dominated, she noted, which can make it harder for girls to picture themselves in those careers. Programs like Sisters in Science help change that narrative by introducing science early and making it approachable. 

Success, Vrba said, often comes in small moments. 

“If even one student walks away feeling more confident about science or more interested in learning how things work, I consider that a success,” she said. 

Inspired to Give Back 

For Hawkes, a biology major who hopes to pursue a career in physical therapy, the motivation to mentor younger students is personal. 

Growing up, she watched her mother navigate a series of back injuries and surgeries, which sparked her interest in the human body and how it works. She also had an influential role model close to home in her older sister, Isabelle Hawkes ’24, who was also involved in Sisters in Science. 

“I’ve always looked up to her,” Hawkes said. “She was able to answer questions and help me understand things when I was struggling. I want to be that resource for other people and open doors they might not know existed.” 

Each week during the academic term, Hawkes and other leaders visit partner schools for two days between classes. The goal isn’t simply to perform experiments, she said. “We’re just learning together,” Hawkes said. “It’s a safe, comfortable space where they’re not afraid to ask questions or try different things.” 

Learning Science Through Discovery 

But the lessons go beyond the experiments. Sometimes, students are surprised simply to learn that the College mentors are studying science themselves. 

“I’ve heard some of them say things like, ‘We didn’t know you could study this in college,’” Braford said. “It gives them a broader perspective of different career options that exist.” 

“It’s important for everyone to see what’s possible,” Hawkes said. “This is where you’re developing your interests.” 

That openness, along with the enthusiasm of both the college mentors and elementary students, helps explain the program’s longevity. 

One alumna whose connection to Sisters in Science continues to resonate is Caitlyn VanGelderen ’12. She was deeply devoted to the program during her time at K. Caitlyn loved combining her passion for chemistry with her commitment to mentoring younger students, and she found joy in helping elementary girls discover their own interest in science. Since her passing in 2020, her parents have honored that passion by making annual donations to support Sisters in Science in her memory, ensuring the work that meant so much to her continues to inspire new young scientists. 

“I think people want to be part of it,” Hawkes said. “There’s always going to be interest in teaching kids about science and letting them do experiments they might not otherwise have the opportunity to try.” 

A Spark for the Future 

As Sisters in Science marks its 25th anniversary, the leaders hope to celebrate the milestone with commemorative T-shirts for participants and increased visibility for the program. But the true impact is less tangible. It’s the moment when a student’s eyes widen during an experiment, the moment when a child asks a question no one expected, or the moment when a young student realizes science might be something they love. 

“Science can sometimes feel intimidating,” Vrba said. “But programs like this show students that it can also be creative, fun and something they’re a part of.” 

Stevens-Truss sees the secret to its longevity in the relationships it builds across multiple constituencies at once: the K students who join as first-year students and grow into leaders, the elementary students who see themselves reflected in the mentors above them, and the community partners who have been with the program since the beginning. 

Stevens-Truss said she does little to keep the program running year to year. Each spring, the current leaders identify their successors. Each fall, she reaches out to those students, and they take it from there. The group maintains its own website and keeps its supplies—reagents and materials for experiments—in a cabinet in the science building. 

“There’s never been a year since we started Sisters in Science that the program has not run,” she said. “I don’t hound them; they come to me.” 

And if the excitement in those classrooms is any indication, the next 25 years of Sisters in Science might inspire just as many future scientists as the first. 

Sisters in Science experiment
Sisters in Science experiment
Sisters in Science experiment
College student and child performing experiment
College student and child performing experiment
Sisters in Science experiment
Kids performing experiments

From ‘Wait, What’ to ‘Here’s Why,’ Stevens-Truss Champions Science

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'Wait, Why': Regina Stevens-Truss with three students
Emily Dalecki ’26, Morgan Paye ’26, Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry Regina Stevens-Truss and Anoushka Soares ’26 worked together in the Stevens-Truss lab last summer.
Regina Stevens-Truss with former student
Stevens-Truss and student Ava Apolo ’25 point to Apolo’s photo in a display highlighting that year’s Senior Integrated Project students in Stevens-Truss’ lab.

Some people spend years searching for their calling. For Regina Stevens-Truss, the Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry at Kalamazoo College, finding her calling was different. 

“I’m not sure that it was a matter of finding what I wanted to do,” she said. “It was more like destiny. I have always loved science and math!” 

That destiny has taken her on a remarkable journey. She’s gone from a 14-year-old immigrant—arriving in Brooklyn, N.Y., with limited English—to a nationally recognized biochemistry educator who has spent 26 years inspiring students at K. And career success is why the United Nations is celebrating women like Stevens-Truss today, February 11, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. 

According to the U.N., a significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world. Even though women have made tremendous progress toward increasing their participation in higher education, they are still underrepresented in these fields. The U.N.’s hope is that role models like Stevens-Truss will continue inspiring young women to stay with STEM—in academics and their professions—for years to come. 

The ‘Wait, What’ Kid 

Born in Panama, Stevens-Truss arrived in the United States in 1974 with an insatiable curiosity that often tested her father’s patience. 

“I was that kid who wanted to know ‘Why? How?’” Stevens-Truss said. “My dad would say to me in Spanish all the time, ‘Cállate, Regina,’ because I would always ask why. Yes, I was that ‘wait, what?’ kid in school.” 

Her transition to the U.S., though, wasn’t easy. Placed in eighth grade despite limited English proficiency, Stevens-Truss faced isolation as a self-described scrawny Black Latina in 1970s Brooklyn. 

“I got picked on a lot and had very few friends,” Stevens-Truss said. 

But what could have derailed her education became her anchor. 

“What grounded me was school, and in particular my math classes.” 

Those early teachers, none of whom looked like her, saw something special and encouraged her learning. When her family moved to New Jersey, she found community among her white classmates at Cherry Hill West High School.  

“Those were hard years because I was an outcast yet again,” Stevens-Truss said. “I only had three Black friends. My friend groups were all white women, and they helped keep me in science and math because we all loved these subjects. We were taking these classes together, we lived near each other, and I belonged.” 

Finding Her Path 

At Rutgers University, Stevens-Truss initially pursued medicine—like many first-generation students—to fulfill family expectations. Later, a turning point came at the University of Toledo while she was working as a part-time research technician for Richard Hudson ’61. 

Regina Stevens-Truss with a former student
Stevens-Truss stands with Kaleb Brownlow ’01, the first SIP student she had in her tenure at K.
'Wait, Why': Regina Stevens-Truss with student and painting
Dalecki shared her portrait of Stevens-Truss during a Fun Friday activity last summer in which students painted their principal investigators.

Hudson was a K chemistry alumnus who would later become her Ph.D. advisor. One day he walked into the lab with unexpected news and said, “Regina, you need to go do something else.” Thinking she was being fired, Stevens-Truss asked why. His response changed her life: “Because I can tell you’re bored. You need to go get a Ph.D.” 

He was right. 

“I love learning, and when it gets stagnant, I get bored,” Stevens-Truss said. 

That restless curiosity that made her the “wait, what?” kid still drives her today, pushing her to constantly find new ways to reach students. 

The Biochemistry Connection 

What captivates Stevens-Truss about biochemistry now is the intersection where chemistry illuminates biology. 

“Living systems are so complex and yet work so well that I, still to this day, find it exhilarating to learn about them,” she said. “My chemistry classes felt like work, and my biology classes made no sense to me. It’s always been awesome when I could connect my chemistry knowledge to biological phenomena—hence the reason I consider myself a medicinal biochemist. I love to understand living systems through how chemical changes impact them.” 

This philosophy permeates her teaching. Ask her biochemistry students, and they’ll tell you she constantly pushes them to ask how and why—the same questions that defined her childhood. Her current research focuses on ESKAPE pathogens, as she and her lab students study how antimicrobial peptides and hybrid compounds—developed in the K labs of Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry Dwight Williams and Associate Professor of Chemistry Blake Tresca—work against dangerous bacteria like E. coli and S. aureus.  

Twenty-Six Years at K 

Hudson had more career advice for Stevens-Truss when she was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan. 

“Richard called the lab one day and said to me, ‘Regina, I have the job for you: teaching chemistry at Kalamazoo College.’” 

Her response was, “Kalama what?” 

That was 26 years ago. What keeps her engaged after more than two decades? The students. 

“Their curiosity amazes me, and their true interest in knowing makes me want to know and keeps me questioning and finding out,” Stevens-Truss said. “They make me laugh daily.” 

Her impact extends far beyond K. The 2023 ASBMB Award for Exemplary Contributions to Education recognized her decades of work on classroom and social issues affecting student success. 

“Being selected for this award was incredibly humbling,” she said. “It also helped validate my career.” 

That commitment to student success has taken many forms. In 2016, she received K’s highest teaching honor, the Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Teaching. In 2018, she was named the College’s director of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence grant, awarded to K’s science division. She’s also been a faculty leader for Sisters in Science, a student organization that visits local schools to encourage young women to pursue science; and Sukuma, a peer-based study group for students of color in the sciences. 

A Message for the Next Generation 

When she was asked what message she hoped her students would carry forward, Stevens-Truss didn’t hesitate, though she acknowledged it might sound clichéd. 

“Truly, follow your dreams,” she said. “Don’t let naysayers tell you that you don’t belong and that you can’t.” 

She encourages students to ask themselves key questions: How did you get here? Why do you want to be here? Who inspires you? Who gives you the brutal truth? Who supports you when you’re down? 

“Answers to these questions will help keep you on track,” she said. 

Her advice for finding your passion is simple yet profound. 

“The thing that you go to bed at night thinking about, the one that gets you up in the morning ready to go do it, is your passion and what you should do. Make a career out of that and you’ll be happy.” 

It’s advice that comes from experience. Stevens-Truss never stopped being that curious kid who wanted to know why and how. She just found a way to build a life and help hundreds of students build theirs around asking those questions. 

As she puts it, “Figuring out how and why something changed, to this day, brings me joy, so I think being a scientist is what I was made to be.” 

K Welcomes New Faculty for 2025

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Kalamazoo College is pleased to welcome the following faculty members to campus this fall: 

Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Bonnie Ebendick

Ebendick arrived at K after earning her Ph.D. in biological sciences in August from Western Michigan University (WMU). She previously earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology/biotechnology, with a specialization in microbiology, from Michigan State University.

Before attending WMU, Ebendick worked as a research scientist at Michigan State, the University of Toledo and Iontox, LLC, beginning in 1999. Her teaching experience includes positions as a lecture teaching assistant and recitation teaching assistant at both Michigan State and WMU.

Visiting Assistant Professor Bonnie Ebendick
Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Bonnie Ebendick joins the Kalamazoo College faculty.

Visiting Assistant Professor of English Kevin Fitton

Fitton recently earned his Ph.D. in English creative writing from WMU. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hope College, a master’s degree in New Testament from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Master of Fine Arts from Bennington College.

Before arriving at K, he taught first-year writing, children’s literature and creative writing workshops as a graduate assistant at WMU; courses in creativity and literature at Grand Valley State University; and academic writing at Olivet University.

Visiting Assistant Professor of English Kevin Fitton
Visiting Assistant Professor of English Kevin Fitton joins the Kalamazoo College faculty.

Assistant Professor of Chemistry
and Biochemistry Andrew Jensen 

Jensen arrived at K from the University of Michigan, where he was a postdoctoral researcher, a mentor for graduate and undergraduate researchers, and a guest lecturer for courses in chemical analysis, physical properties of analysis, environmental chemistry and mass spectrometry. He previously served as a graduate research assistant at the University of Colorado, Boulder and an undergraduate research assistant at Davidson College in North Carolina. 

Jensen earned a Ph.D. in analytical, environmental and atmospheric chemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Davidson College. 

Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Andrew Jensen
Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Andrew Jensen joins the Kalamazoo College faculty.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Matthew Schultz 

Schultz has prior teaching experience at Kellogg Community College, where he was an adjunct instructor for business courses specializing in economics; Lakeview School District, Climax-Scotts Community Schools and Battle Creek Central High School, where he taught marketing, accounting, entrepreneurship, business law, finance, business management, career preparation and computer science; and with the MiSTEM Network/Code.org, where he facilitated teacher training for the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum. 

Schultz received a Ph.D. in education from Indiana Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in career and technical education from WMU, and both a Master of Business Administration and a bachelor’s degree in business management from Cornerstone University. 

Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Matthew Schultz, new faculty, 2025
Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics and Business Matthew Schultz joins the Kalamazoo College faculty.

Assistant Professor of Spanish Language and Literature Brayan Serratos García

Serratos García recently earned a Ph.D. in Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature from Vanderbilt University, where he also completed a master’s degree in the same field. He holds a bachelor’s degree in World Languages and Cultures with an emphasis in Spanish from Iowa State University. His research explores transoceanic connections among Europe, Asia, and the Americas during the Early Modern period, with particular emphasis on the contributions of Indigenous and local knowledge-producers.

Serratos García has held teaching positions as instructor, adjunct faculty, teaching assistant, and course coordinator at Vanderbilt University and Fisk University, as well as a teaching appointment at Beijing Normal University. He has taught a wide range of courses from introductory language classes to advanced seminars on Spanish and Portuguese literature and culture. In addition to Spanish and Portuguese, he speaks Chinese and Italian and has lived, studied, and conducted research across Latin America, Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Assistant Professor of Spanish Language and Literature Brayan Serratos García, new faculty 2025
Assistant Professor of Spanish Language and Literature Brayan Serratos García