Kalamazoo College’s Jewish Studies program will screen the documentary Sapiro v. Ford: The Jew Who Sued Henry Ford at 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, in the Recital Hall of the Light Fine Arts Building.
The free, public event will feature producer Carol King, who will discuss the documentary and the story behind its creation.
Sapiro v. Ford tells the story of Aaron Sapiro, a Jewish lawyer who challenged automobile industrialist Henry Ford in court after Ford’s newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, published antisemitic accusations portraying Sapiro as part of a global Jewish conspiracy. Sapiro filed a libel lawsuit against Ford in 1927, creating a landmark confrontation over antisemitism, propaganda and the limits of free speech.
The documentary presents Sapiro’s legal battle as a David-and-Goliath story, examining how he confronted one of the most powerful and prominent figures in American industry. The film also explores the broader significance of Sapiro’s actions and their relevance to contemporary questions about prejudice, propaganda and justice.
The project originated with King’s late husband, filmmaker Michael Rose, who had been developing the documentary with King for more than a decade before he died in 2020. King then partnered with award-winning documentary filmmaker Gaylen Ross, who directed the completed film.
King, a Detroit native and graduate of Western Michigan University, spent much of her career working in women’s rights, public policy and politics before moving to California. She was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2008 and later worked as an executive producer in documentary filmmaking with Rose.
The documentary debuted this year at Jewish film festivals and has been recognized for its examination of a little-known episode in American history. By revisiting Sapiro’s confrontation with Ford, the film considers how individuals can respond when powerful institutions amplify prejudice and misinformation.
The screening is sponsored by Kalamazoo College’s Jewish Studies program, which regularly brings scholars, filmmakers and other speakers to campus for events examining Jewish history, culture, religion and contemporary issues. The program’s events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jeffrey Haus, director of Jewish Studies, at 269.337.5789 or Jeffrey.Haus@kzoo.edu.
“Nothing to See Here: Watts” filmmaker Michael Soenen ’92
Kalamazoo College alumnus Michael Soenen ’92, the concept creator and producer of Nothing to See Here: Watts, will return to K on June 11 to screen a documentary created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former Los Angeles Police Department officers, students and victims of violence—credited with catalyzing the 90% reduction in homicides in Watts during the 12 months after its community screenings.
The film has earned more than 100 awards worldwide. It has screened for 4,000 people at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, at the King Center in Atlanta for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and at Harvard University. Time magazine called it “a working playbook for how communities can reclaim their streets by telling their own stories.” Deadline described it as “one of the most remarkable documentaries of the year.”
The free event will take place Thursday, June 11, at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St. Doors open at 5 p.m. with the film beginning at 5:30 p.m. The screening is expected to end around 7 p.m., with a 30-minute panel afterward. Dinner and movie snacks will be provided. Registration is available online.
Soenen, who created the concept and produced the film, will be in attendance with filmmakers LaWanda Hawkins, whose son Reginald was murdered in an unsolved 1995 killing and who founded Justice for Murdered Children in his memory; Tyrone Riley Sr., a former Grape Street Crip and high school basketball coach; and Cornelius Wills, a former Bounty Hunter Blood and gang interventionist.
The event will feature LaWanda Hawkins’ “Silent March”—an exhibit featuring more than 200 pairs of shoes, each belonging to a child lost to violence in the community.
After the screening, the filmmakers will join in a panel discussion with representatives from local organizations Bent Not Broken, Peace During War and KalSAFE. The conversation will connect themes from the documentary with efforts in Kalamazoo to support youth, prevent violence and build safer communities.
For more information about the screening, contact Arcus Center Associate Director CoCo Canders at Coco.Canders@kzoo.edu.
About the Film
Nothing to See Here: Watts is a community-made documentary produced by Nothing to See Here: Productions, created by 20 members of the Watts community—including rival gang members, former LAPD officers, students and victims of violence. More information and trailer at www.nothingtoseeheremovie.com.
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
Kalamazoo College will honor two distinguished alumni at its 2026 Commencement on Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 10 a.m. on the College Quad. Filmmaker and business leader Michael Soenen ’92 will deliver the keynote address to graduates and their families and receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, while Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert J. Shiller ’67 will be awarded an honorary Doctor of Science. Additionally, President Jorge G. Gonzalez, who will be retiring from the College on June 30, will be recognized with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. A livestream of the ceremony will be available on the College’s website.
Please note: While Dr. Robert J. Shiller is unable to join us for Commencement, Kalamazoo College is honored to confer this degree upon him in absentia.
About Michael Soenen ’92
Michael Soenen is the CEO of Nothing to See Here: Productions and the creator and lead producer of Nothing to See Here: Watts, a documentary offering a powerful and unfiltered look at life in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. His path to filmmaking was an unexpected turn in a business career that has spanned venture capital, health care and retail.
Soenen graduated from Kalamazoo College with a degree in Economics and Business. Early in his career, he served as vice president, president, CEO and chairman of FTD Group and an analyst at Salomon Brothers. He later became a partner at Valor Equity Partners and served as executive chairman of Manduka, the yoga products company. He has served as a director at several companies, including health care apparel brand FIGS, Benchmark Analytics, and Fooda. In 2011, he was selected as a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a program which mobilizes leaders to tackle society’s biggest challenges.
The genesis of Nothing to See Here came during a police ride-along while Soenen was volunteering with a nonprofit organization in Watts. His experience led to a project equipping residents—including students, former gang leaders, community leaders and police officers—with iPhone cameras that were used to document their daily lives. Working without a script or predetermined outcomes, these first-time filmmakers came together and fostered dialogue that transformed longtime rivals into collaborators, contributing to a historic peace pledge and significant reduction in homicides. The documentary rewrites the script on who gets to tell their stories and how, and has since earned more than 100 awards worldwide, with a wider release planned. A screening of the film and panel discussion with several of the filmmakers will take place on K’s campus on June 11, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.
Michael Soenen ’92
About Robert J. Shiller ’67
Robert J. Shiller is an American economist, academic and author who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2013, shared with Eugene Fama and Lars Peter Hansen. At the time of the award, he was widely recognized for having forecast both the dot-com stock bubble and the U.S. housing bubble. He is also the co-creator of the Case-Shiller Home Price Index—a benchmark measure widely used in the housing market—and the author of several books, including Irrational Exuberance, his bestselling analysis of speculative market bubbles.
Shiller is the Sterling Professor Emeritus of Economics at Yale University, where he was a faculty member for more than four decades. His scholarship has ranged across financial markets, financial innovation, behavioral economics, macroeconomics, real estate and statistical methods, as well as public attitudes, opinions and moral judgments toward markets. He has also contributed regularly as a columnist for The New York Times and Project Syndicate. He has been research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research since 1980 and served as vice president of the American Economic Association in 2005; as president of the Eastern Economic Association in 2006-07; and as president of the American Economic Association in 2016.
Robert Shiller ’67
A Detroit native and graduate of Southfield High School, Shiller attended Kalamazoo College before completing his B.A. at the University of Michigan. He went on to earn his Ph.D. from MIT. He returned to K as a guest lecturer in 1989 as part of the Monroe Lecture Series.
Among his many honors, Shiller has received the 2017 Truman Medal for Economic Policy, the 2018 Global Economy Prize from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, and the 2021 Presidential Medal of Lithuania. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Econometric Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Philosophical Society, a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship.
Shiller has previously received honorary degrees from the University of Michigan, the University of Connecticut, Georgetown University and the University of Paris Dauphine.
About President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez has led the institution since 2016, guiding strategic efforts to strengthen the student experience, expand access to the K-Plan and modernize the College’s historic campus. During his tenure, Kalamazoo College completed major campus projects including a new LEED-certified natatorium, a new Admission Center, renovations to Stetson Chapel and upgrades to academic and campus infrastructure. In 2025, the College began construction on new residence halls that will increase access to on-campus residential life for K students.
A strong advocate for the liberal arts, Gonzalez has worked to broaden educational opportunity and support student success, helping shape classes that have been among the most diverse in the College’s history, including growth in first-generation and Pell-eligible students. He guided the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic with a collaborative leadership approach and led the successful Brighter Light Campaign, which raised more than $203 million in support of student access, faculty, facilities and student life—the largest fundraising campaign in the College’s history. Gonzalez has also served on the boards of numerous educational, civic and community organizations at the regional and national levels.
Before joining Kalamazoo College, Gonzalez served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Occidental College and spent more than two decades as an economics faculty member at Trinity University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Monterrey Institute of Technology and master’s and doctoral degrees in economics from Michigan State University.
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez
About Kalamazoo College
Founded in 1833, Kalamazoo College is a nationally recognized liberal arts and sciences college located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Through the K-Plan, its signature approach to education, students design a personalized path that combines rigorous academics with study abroad, undergraduate research, career and civic engagement, and a Senior Integrated Project. Known for its global, experiential approach to learning, Kalamazoo College is a member of Colleges That Change Lives and is included on The Princeton Review “Best Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Learn more at kzoo.edu.
Bernice Mike ’26 (from left), Mo Silcott ’27 and Grace Helmbolt ’29 rehearse for “The Country Wife.”
A fresh adaptation of a Restoration-era comedy will bring sharp satire, tangled relationships and plenty of laughs when the Festival Playhouse at Kalamazoo College, 129 Thompson St., presents William Wycherly’sThe Country Wife.
Directed by Professor of Theatre Arts Ren Pruis, the production will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14–Saturday, May 16, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. The Thursday performance will include a post-show talkback with cast members and a reception. Tickets are available online at the playhouse’s box office.
Adapted by Rachel Atkins from the classic comedy, The Country Wife follows three interconnected stories that blend comedy, deception and social commentary while exploring themes of gender expectations, desire and independence.
Assistant Director Hannah Ulanoski ’26 said K audiences will enjoy the new spin on an old play as it follows Margery Pinchwife, who is trying to escape her overly controlling and jealous husband before he relocates them to the isolated countryside.
“Our production is based around the idea that the audience is sitting in on a rehearsal, so I think they’ll get a kick out of the mishmash of modern and Restoration-esque costuming and props on stage,” she said. “Compared to the original text, this version is centered more around the women of the town, and in the case of the virtuous ladies, they are shown to have a ton of autonomy.”
Actor Ben Perry ’28, who portrays Jack Pinchwife, the show offers far more than a traditional comedy.
“This play is super funny with ridiculous events occurring left and right,” Perry said. “I guarantee you will laugh out loud during multiple moments. This feels like a long episode of a sitcom, where you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next scene, but it’s going to be better than you can imagine.”
Perry describes his character as an emotionally complicated man whose fear of losing his wife fuels much of the play’s tension.
“He truly loves his wife but believes there is no other choice but to manipulate those around him,” Perry said. “It’s fun playing the antagonist in a show that has an ensemble of troubled people because I have to stand out in a way that the others can’t.”
To capture the humor, Perry said he leans into an exaggerated, almost cartoonish style of anger inspired by classic animated characters such as Daffy Duck and Donald Duck. Although this marks Perry’s first appearance in a K production, he brings extensive experience to the role, having performed in approximately 50 shows. He said he appreciates how Festival Playhouse productions balance entertainment and meaningful storytelling.
“Through this comedy, they are telling another story of empowering women’s voices and choices through laughter and satire,” Perry said. “This is the right amount of silly that keeps audiences entertained scene to scene while also keeping them engaged with the overall story.”
Both Perry and Ulanoski praised Pruis’ collaborative directing style.
“She’s very serious about the work she does and brings a sense of professionalism to each rehearsal,” Ulanoski said. “I admire that about her. As a theatre major, there’s a lot to take away from this experience, even if I don’t pursue directing in the future.”
Perry added that he appreciates how Pruis allows actors to build on the foundation they’re given, which he said is a rare quality in directors. He also loves the welcoming atmosphere created by the cast and crew at the Festival Playhouse.
“I’m a transfer student from Michigan State and didn’t know many of the people that I was auditioning with,” Perry said. “I could’ve been met with neglect and felt like I was an outsider during this process, but I was quickly welcomed in. If you have been in theatre before, you know that auditions can often feel like a competition against your other castmates. However, this was probably the most pleasant audition process I ever went through, mostly because of the encouragement and conversations I shared with my peers. I am lucky to have this opportunity to perform with these intelligent and fine actors that I share the stage with.”
Perry and Ulanoski believe audiences will connect with the play’s emotional depth and unpredictability.
“This feels like a show for anyone to enjoy,” Perry said. “There are common lewd jokes, relationship dramas, and if you stick around long enough, maybe a sword will be used.”
“The Country Wife is a good play for the Festival Playhouse because it’s honestly really funny, and it feels good to laugh sometimes,” Ulanoski added. “The name of this year’s season is ‘For Your Entertainment’ and this show fits in perfectly.”
Africa Month: Homecoming will focus on the category of home and the mobilities that carry people to and from their homes, across land, time, memory and knowledge.
Kalamazoo College will host world-renowned scholars, artists, filmmakers and performers from four continents Thursday, May 14–Saturday, May 16, for its second annual Africa Month. The assemblage will provide a space of conviviality and community for conversations, meals and joyful music at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St.
Director of African Studies Dominique Somda, Assistant Professor of French Manfa Sanogo, Associate Professor of Anthropology Espelencia Baptiste and Professor of English Babli Sinha are the event’s convenors.
In 2025, the first edition of Africa Month helped K relaunch its African studies concentration while invited scholars and the community rethought and questioned their knowledge of Africa and from Africa. This year’s edition, themed Homecoming, turns its focus to the category of home and to the mobilities that carry people to and from their homes, across land, time, memory and knowledge. The event offers a space to think through African studies in its broadest sense, embracing Africans and the homes of African descendants alike.
“Home, in postcolonial thought, is never a stable or innocent place,” Somda said. “It is both a site of return and a terrain of struggle. Homecoming asks what it means to return when histories of colonial violence, displacement and extraction have profoundly transformed the conditions of belonging.”
Sinha said that the exploration of this theme will take place through a variety of media including art, film, scholarship and music, “reflecting the ethos of the liberal arts as it explores Africanness through many forms of knowledge and expression in dialogue with each other.”
Sanogo said the continuation of Africa Month helps establish a lasting tradition of K engagement and institutional commitment to centering African and diasporic voices, knowledge, culture and lived experiences.
“Calling it Homecoming highlights the importance of creating a space where these experiences can circulate across borders and generations,” he said. “We hope this program will resonate both on campus and in the broader Kalamazoo community.”
Presenters, speakers and panelists will include:
Cheikh A. Thiam, professor of English and Black studies, Amherst College
Sakiko Nakao, assistant professor of African history and French, University of Tokyo
Hilary Jones, director of graduate studies for history, University of Kentucky
Alain Kassanda, filmmaker
Julia Woods ’20, New York University Ph.D. candidate
Brian Klein and Justine Davis, Afro-American and African studies assistant professors, University of Michigan
Klara Boyer-Rossol, historian, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
Franck Rakotobe, assistant professor of French at the American University of Paris
Erol Josué, a Vodou priest, performer and director general of Haiti’s National Bureau of Ethnology
Espelencia Baptiste, Kalamazoo College associate professor of anthropology
“This is a new annual rendezvous: a place to learn, think and celebrate in a world where Africa and Africans are too often seen only through the lens of lack,” Somda said. “The event of the year, Homecoming, speaks to experiences we all carry: mobility, nostalgia, the journey away and the journey back.”
Cheikh Thiam
Sakiko Nakao
Alain Kassanda
Hilary Jones
Julia Woods ’20
Brian Ikaika Klein
Justine Maisha Davis
Klara Bover-Rossol
Franck Rakotobe
Erol Josué
Africa Month: Homecoming
“Homecoming, especially for Africans in the diaspora, asks us to think about homemaking by negotiating history, identity, power and mobility. It is a constant search for stability and meaning in spaces and places shaped by colonial disruptions and global economic inequalities.”
— Kalamazoo College Associate Professor of Anthropology Espelencia Baptiste
Kalamazoo College students help youths in the Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS) program learn about acids and bases during a demonstration at Interfaith Homes.
Kalamazoo College students Carter Haley ’28 and Gloria Jackson ’26 are working to expand access to science education for local youth, creating opportunities for hands-on learning both in the community and on campus. Through K’s Center for Civic Engagement (CCE), they mentor Kalamazoo Public Schools students as part of Community Advocates for Parents and Students (CAPS), a grassroots program serving youth at Interfaith Homes. On Tuesday, May 5, they will bring those students to the College for Family Science Night—an annual event open to all KPS families—offering interactive science activities and a firsthand look at college life.
In addition to participating in experiments, the young scholars will tour key campus spaces including the Center for Civic Engagement, Hicks Student Center and a residence hall before sharing a meal in the dining hall. The goal, Haley said, is to help students envision themselves in a college environment.
“I feel school can sometimes be traumatizing for marginalized groups, and I want to try to break the barrier between academia and fun,” Haley said. “We are here every day doing what they will be doing. We can show them the faces we see and the spaces we go. It matters that we can show them they can get to the same place.”
Organized through the College’s physical science departments and coordinated by Assistant Professor of Chemistry Cecilia Vollbrecht, Family Science Night invites KPS families to explore science demonstrations led by K students. No registration is required. In past years, as many as 160 community members have attended, with about 40 K students volunteering as demonstrators alongside campus organizations such as Sisters in Science and the College’s chapter of the American Chemical Society.
As volunteers, K students practice science communication while engaging children through experiments that use everyday household materials. Past activities have included Magnetic Munchies, which extracts iron from cereal using magnets; Butterfly Wings, which creates colorful designs using coffee filter chromatography; and Spies in Disguise, which introduces acids and bases through invisible ink.
CAPS was founded in 2006 in response to the Kalamazoo Promise to help ensure students are reading at grade level and prepared for college. Many participants face systemic barriers that make those goals more difficult to achieve, representing an inequity that motivates student mentors like Haley and Jackson.
K students showed Family Science Night attendees learn about ways to make ice cream.
Lessons in acids and bases helped Family Science Night attendees experiment with invisible ink last year.
“When I joined CAPS, I was drawn toward the idea of working with a different type of community,” Jackson said. “They face different challenges from me, and I appreciate learning from their experiences and seeing what their lives are like. It’s inspiring and has made me want to learn more about the greater Kalamazoo area.”
For Haley and Jackson, Family Science Night represents the kind of opportunity their students deserve but rarely get.
“They’re the sweetest kids I know, and getting the college readiness they deserve is important,” Jackson said. “They deserve the same rights and access to activities like Family Science Night.”
“I think Family Science Night gives kids in the community a chance to come to K’s campus, climb that hill, and get into the Dow Science Center to learn how science works in real life,” Haley said. “STEM requires resources to run experiments and see things firsthand, and this lets them experience that.”
Both students emphasized that the Center for Civic Engagement and CAPS make opportunities like this possible, not just for K students, but for the community partners they serve.
“I’m always shouting out the CCE,” Jackson said. “They’re creating meaningful ways for students to connect with organizations across Kalamazoo.”
“I hope this can shine light on the work that the CCE does because they employ a couple of hundred students every year to work for their programs or internships in some way,” Haley said. “People need to be more aware of who they are and know that it provides good opportunities for students and the community.”
Kalamazoo College will host two visiting scholars this month for annual lectures in religion and mathematics, scheduled for May 6 and May 12.
First, an associate professor from Oberlin College will provide the 2026 Thompson Lecture in Religion at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 6, in the Olmsted Room at Mandelle Hall, with a talk titled Leisure and Religion in South Asian Women’s Workplaces in Spain.
Emilia Bachrach will draw from her ongoing ethnographic research in Barcelona, Spain, to consider how South Asian Hindu and Muslim women build social and economic networks while navigating their minoritized religious status. Her monograph on the subject, Religious Reading and Everyday Lives in Devotional Hinduism, was published in 2022 as part of the American Academy of Religion’s Religion in Translation Series with Oxford University Press.
The memorial event is named for Paul Lamont Thompson, who was K’s president from 1938–49. It brings in speakers who enrich the ethical understanding of the College’s position in society. The lecture was established by a gift from Thompson’s sons and daughters-in-law to recognize the crucial role he played in guiding the College through the Depression and World War II.
A meet-and-greet reception will follow the lecture. Contact Office Coordinator Sarah.Bryans@kzoo.edu for more information.
Then, in the 2026 George Kitchen Lecture, a teaching professor from the University of Michigan will explore mathematical models that are used to predict real-world behavior.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 12, P. Gavin LaRose will discuss Discrete Population Models, Cobwebs and Chaos in Dewing Hall, Room 103. The talk will investigate a population of creatures such as bacteria or insects and model what it would do. Attendees can expect to find some mathematical cobwebs, surprises and chaos.
Kitchen loved mathematics and believed that its applications could be cultivated in every student. The memorial lectureship named for him was established in 1999 to honor the mathematician who inspired students and fellow math teachers at Portage North High School and K.
Oberlin College Associate Professor Emilia Bachrach
P. Gavin LaRose, University of Michigan
For more information, contact Office Coordinator Kristen Eldred at 269.337.7100 or keldred@kzoo.edu.
Regina Stevens-Truss, the Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry, is this year’s recipient of the Lux Esto Award of Excellence as announced today during Kalamazoo College’s Founders Day celebration, marking K’s 193rd year.
The award recognizes an employee who has served the institution for at least 26 years and has contributed significantly to the campus. The recipient—chosen by a committee with student, faculty and staff representatives—is an employee who exemplifies the spirit of K through selfless dedication and goodwill. President Jorge G. Gonzalez presented Stevens-Truss with the award in his final Founders Day before retiring in June.
In 2016, Stevens-Truss 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.
“One of my favorite traits of this individual is their integrity and how I consistently see them promote goodwill on campus,” a nominator said about Stevens-Truss. “Our mission at K is to provide enlightened leadership to a richly diverse and increasingly complex world. Through her strong moral principles, gratitude and honesty, she does just what our institution stands for. She never fails to leave a strong, positive impression, and she never fails to foster long-term relationships. Her reputation of being a strong, intelligent, kind, supportive and nurturing person proceeds her.”
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez presents Regina Stevens-Truss, the Dorothy H. Heyl Professor of Chemistry, with the 2026 Lux Esto Award at Founders Day events.
In accordance with Founders Day traditions, two other employees received community awards. Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry Dwight Williams was given the Outstanding Advisor Award and Assistant Professor of Theatre Quincy Thomas received the First-Year Advocate Award.
In 2025, Williams was awarded a three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support his work developing new molecules that could help protect brain cells from dying from neurodegenerative diseases. In 2019, he was awarded a Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching grant from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation and Course Hero.
Williams teaches courses including Organic Chemistry I and II, Advanced Organic Chemistry and Introductory Chemistry. His research interests include synthetic organic chemistry, medicinal chemistry and pharmacology.
A student in Williams’ nomination said, “He has played a significant and meaningful role in my time at K. He suggested courses that will be beneficial to me no matter what career path I decide to take. I have always appreciated how he is realistic and honest with me and genuinely cares as much as I do about my future.”
Gonzalez presents the 2026 Outstanding Advisor Award to Dwight Williams, the Kurt D. Kaufman Associate Professor of Chemistry, during Founders Day events.
At K, Thomas has directed Festival Playhouse productions including The Mountaintop, The Importance of Being Earnest, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Be More Chill. His research centers on subjects including counter-storytelling; Black performativity in American culture; representations of the marginalized in popular culture; comedic and solo performance; and performative writing.
Thomas teaches courses such as Directing, Theatre History and Playwriting. His courses are informed by his research on issues of cultural marginalization and misrepresentation in the arts, specifically of racial and ethnic minorities, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
One first-year student said in Thomas’ nomination for the award, “I hadn’t known what to expect out of the transition from high school to college, and some parts were definitely rougher than I’d thought they would be. At every moment when I or other cast members stumbled, he was always there. He checked in, listened, directed us to resources and helped us set boundaries. He made rehearsals a safe space and community where we could just breathe and keep going, and I’m so grateful for that. He made it clear that we were more important than the show.”
Gonzalez presents the 2026 Outstanding First-Year Advocate Award to Assistant Professor of Theatre Quincy Thomas.
Gonzalez also recognized the students who served as President’s Student Ambassadors in the 2025–26 academic year. As student leaders, President’s Student Ambassadors serve as an extension of the president’s hospitality at events and gatherings, welcoming alumni and guests of the College with a spirit of inclusion. About 15 students serve as ambassadors in a given academic year. The students selected show strong communication skills; demonstrate leadership through academic life, student life or community service; and maintain a minimum grade-point average.
A Michigan Environmental Council representative who wants to keep the state’s water clean, filled with wildlife, and available to all Michiganders will speak at Kalamazoo College on Earth Day.
Reese Dillard, the council’s water policy coordinator, will deliver a keynote titled Relationship Building: A Means to Energize a Political Movement at the 2026 Senior Integrated Project (SIP) Sustainability Symposium. Her talk will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, 205 Monroe St. Senior presentations will follow at 7:30 p.m.
Dillard argues that political engagement can be challenging, but affecting change for the sake of the environment is possible through building relationships and making connections. By doing so, Michigan can grow a community of individuals committed to policy that prioritizes environmental success and collaborative government.
Before joining the environmental council, Dillard worked for Michigan House Minority Leader Donna Lasinski and as a field service technician for a botanical garden and arboretum. She holds a degree in political science from the University of Michigan and has taken coursework in criminal justice and corrections at Siena Heights University.
SIPs at K are capstone experiences, a lot like a senior thesis. A total of 17 seniors will present their work tied to sustainability including Luke Werner ’26, who looked at history to examine how we can protect the modern-day Great Lakes; and Hailey Yoder ’26, who worked toward coral reef restoration in the Galápagos Islands.
Reese Dillard, the Michigan Environmental Council’s water policy coordinator, will speak on Earth Day—Wednesday, April 22—at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership.
Activist, author, and attorney Sandra Barnhill, JD will return to Kalamazoo College this month for a series of events, including two open to the public, focused on the balance between advocating for social change and preserving one’s sense of purpose.
Barnhill will discuss her book, Tough Mind, Tender Heart: Reflections on a Black Woman’s Activist Journey, from 2–4 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Black Arts and Cultural Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Suite 102.
She will also deliver a keynote address at 4:15 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in Room 103 of Dewing Hall, 1219 Academy St. Both events, which will feature cultural curator LJ Hollingsworth, and will explore what it means to find one’s voice in a complex world.
Advance registration is encouraged for the April 18 event to help plan for attendance. Guests may register online and walk-ins are welcome.
Barnhill is the founder and former CEO of Foreverfamily, formerly Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers, a national nonprofit based in Atlanta that works with children and families impacted by parental incarceration, providing mentoring, leadership development, and advocacy to support long-term stability and opportunity. In 2018, she founded Sandra Barnhill and Associates, a consulting firm focused on advancing social justice and strengthening nonprofit organizations. She was named a Leadership for a Changing World awardee in 2004. Today, she continues that work alongside aspiring and seasoned activists, offering guidance to those navigating the demands of sustained social change.
Barnhill has long-standing ties to Kalamazoo College. As a founding visiting fellow at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership in 2011, she conducted research on intergenerational mentoring and social justice leadership in activist communities. She also co-facilitated a course titled Social Justice Leadership Fundamentals, sparking the creation of the College’s first Diva Brunch, an empowerment-focused gathering for women of color students.
Her book chronicles a four-decade career in activism, offering candid reflections on the challenges and rewards of working for social change. It encourages readers to engage in activism at any level and underscores the importance of diverse voices in the pursuit of justice.
