The Lillian Anderson Arboretum, a 140-acre preserve managed by K’s Larry J. Bell ’80 Environmental Stewardship Center (ESC), is an outdoor classroom for students across multiple disciplines and has been the subject of scientific research for both students and faculty. It’s also a valued resource for thousands of visitors each year from our local community. Recognizing the importance of the Arb, several local funders have supported key projects and enhancements, enabling significant progress towards accessibility and land management goals.

Among these projects, the ESC partnered with Tending Tilth LLC and the K biology department to successfully complete two years of sheep grazing research along the Powerline Trail, supported by student internships. Also along this trail, the ongoing Pollinator Habitat Enhancement Project focuses on invasive species management, pollinator surveys, and native plantings, with new photo stations inviting visitors to help track environmental changes in real time.  Alongside these efforts, the ESC staff have been working closely with the Kalamazoo Nature Center to develop a comprehensive land management plan that will guide the stewardship of the Arboretum in the coming years.

Several physical improvements at the Arb include a new welcome sign, entrance trail upgrades to improve accessibility, a new well, and the replacement of Batts Pond Bridge.

Local funders who made these important projects and enhancements possible include Consumers Energy Foundation, ENNA Foundation, Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, Kalamazoo Rotary Club, Seminary Hill Sustainability Internship, Stryker and Zoetis.

Their investment has not only supported the preservation of natural spaces but also fostered greater community engagement and environmental education, ensuring that this valuable resource remains accessible and impactful for generations to come.

A generous $5.25 million gift from alumnus Larry Bell ‘80 is funding a distinguished chair in American history, the Center for Environmental Stewardship, and food justice and sustainability programming. Additional funds are supporting the Larry J. Bell ‘80 Endowed Scholarship, originally established in 2017. These endowments will actively enrich students’ learning on campus with new classroom and experiential education opportunities, while also supporting faculty teaching and scholarship.

“I am proud to support Kalamazoo College with this gift and I look forward to seeing the resulting positive outcomes for K’s students,” Bell said. “I hope that the coming Larry J. Bell Library Foundation can be a help and resource to the history department in the future, and having an endowed chair there will elevate and strengthen this part of the College.” 

Bell has long been an active supporter of the College. Along with the scholarship he established in 2017 for students with financial need, in 2006 he contributed to an endowment named for his friend and mentor, Paul Todd ’42. His funding to support K’s food justice initiatives over the last decade has been crucial to the College’s student-led programming through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement, allowing the center to maximize the impact of this programming in the Kalamazoo community. 

Read the full story on Bell’s donation 

The computer science program at K has experienced a greater than tenfold increase in the number of majors in the past 10 years. The Judith and William Bollinger Endowed Professorship in Computer Science will allow the department to expand its reach to majors and nonmajors alike, improving access and equity in this growing area of study.

“In computer science, we put a really high priority on issues of access and equity, and we have for a long time,” Computer Science Chair Alyce Brady said. “That means one of the aspects that we’re really interested in—thanks to this endowment—is expanding our reach to address students beyond just the computer science majors. With an additional faculty member, we would hope to provide for more students and continue our focus on developing a curriculum that allows everyone to thrive.”

“We are deeply honored and grateful to the Bollingers for this wonderful gift,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said. “This endowment will strengthen our Computer Science Department and invest in its faculty while empowering students to attain more of the skills that employers demand. It will benefit students and their achievements beyond their years at K.”

Read the full story on the Judith and William Bollinger Endowed Professorship in Computer Science