Category: Faculty & Staff

Honey of a Month Prompts Entomology Q-and-A

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Pull your honey close and get ready for some facts about the super food and honey bees courtesy of Kalamazoo College Biology Professor Ann Fraser and her entomology class.

September is National Honey Month, which prompted us to ask Fraser’s students some questions about honey. As luck would have it, the students have been preparing to take an annual field trip to the Kalamazoo Nature Center, where they see an active hive of honey bees, courtesy of the Kalamazoo Bee Club. The students learn how honey is made, handle the casts where the honey is harvested from a hive, and occasionally see the queen among the thousands of bees. 

“They become fascinated,” Fraser said of the experience. “Some of them are a little scared of bees at first, maybe because they had a bad experience at one point. But over time, as we’re there for the hour, they get closer to the hive. Eventually, they’re actually holding the frames from the hive. It’s surprising how heavy they can be with bare hands because each frame weighs about eight pounds.”

The number of honey bees around the world is dropping because of pesticide use, habitat loss, a drop in their food supply, and Colony Collapse Disorder, a phenomenon that occurs when a combination of these factors and varroa mites, a honey bee pest, combine to kill the worker bees. That potentially could threaten the amount of honey available in the world’s food supply, and cause problems related to pollination and agriculture.

“Every year we see at least 30 percent of hives die off over the winter,” Fraser said. “It’s kind of a new normal in the beekeeping industry.”

The good news is citizens can help protect honey bees and support the creation of honey by planting a variety of native wildflowers.

“Honey bees aren’t native to North America,” Fraser said. “They were brought over in the 1600s from Europe, not for pollination, but to make honey and beeswax products. They’ve been here ever since. By planting wildflowers, we’re providing food resources for bees and other pollinators, so that we can help beekeepers keep them healthy.”

Fraser’s students were busy bees in helping us find more answers to our questions about honey and honey bees. Here’s what they had to say.

How long have humans been harvesting honey from honey bee hives?

The earliest records of humans consuming bee honey and wax are about 10,000 years old as shown in prehistoric drawings in caves. Drawings found in Spain, about 7,000 years old, depict the practice of beekeeping. According to Queen Bee Farms, there is also a 15,000-year-old painting of a woman climbing a rope ladder to collect honey on the side of a cliff. – Joergen and Jack

Why is honey important for the bees themselves and their colonies?

Honey is a great fuel source for bees. Large amounts of it are made and stored to be consumed during the cold months. Bees use stored honey and pollen to feed their larvae. It’s an energy-rich food source that gives the bees the energy they need to vibrate and take flight. – Molly and Camilia

Why is honey vital to the world’s food supply?

If not for honey, honey bees would starve in the winter months. This would be a major issue for world food security, as 71 of the 100 crop varieties that account for 90% of the world’s food are pollinated by bees, according to the Center for Food Safety. From the human perspective, the sweet taste of honey has made it a sought-after treat and sweetener for millennia. It can also be used to make a fermented drink, mead, which is making a comeback in the brewing industry these days. – Noah and Evan

What types of bees are there in a honey bee hive?

Worker bees can account for up to 60,000 individuals in a colony. They’re reproductively-underdeveloped female honey bees, performing all the work for the colony. Young workers stay inside to perform nest cleaning and nurse duties. They move on to become receivers and storers of incoming nectar and pollen. Near the end of their six-week life they leave the hive as foragers to collect nectar and pollen. The queen is a fully-fertile female that specializes in egg production. Typically, there is only one queen per colony and it produces pheromones that regulate the colony’s behavior. Drones are male bees that account for up to 500 individuals in a colony during the spring and summer. The drones fly from the hive and mate midair with the queens from other colonies. – Lia and Penny

Do other types of bees (i.e. non-honey bees) make honey?

Honey is a general term that refers to the nectar processed by insects. Humans generally consume only honey from honey bees because they form very large colonies that store it in abundance. – Zach and Rina

What variables affect the color and flavor of different varieties of honey?

Honey varies in taste depending on the flowers the honey bees visit to collect nectar. Clover honey is light yellow and has a mild and sweet taste. Eucalyptus honey, common in Australia, has a slight menthol aftertaste. Buckwheat honey tastes like molasses and is very dark in color. Dandelion honey has a sweet floral taste and is bright golden yellow. Manuka honey, from New Zealand, is a gold color and is used as a topical ointment for MRSA, stings, infections and burns. Sourwood honey has a buttery or caramel taste. Goldenrod is dark with a sweet, licorice-like aftertaste. Wildflower honey comes from many different flowers and can taste different each time. In general, the darker the honey, the bolder the flavor. – Maci and Gabby

What threats assail honey bees and the world’s supply of honey?

Common threats to honey bees include diseases such as American and European foulbrood, chalkbrood and nosema; some varieties of beetles and mites; wax moths, which can damage a hive’s structure; global warming and droughts; forest fires; and Colony Collapse Disorder, which could be caused by pests, pesticides, habitat changes, stressors, prolonged transportation, malnutrition or a combination of these factors. – Claudia and Kyle

Students holds a hive frame of honey bees
Students in Biology Professor Ann Fraser’s entomology class got an up-close look at honey bees on Tuesday.
Student-Holding-a-Honey-Bee-Hive-Frame
Students took an annual field trip to the Kalamazoo Nature Center on Tuesday to see a honey bee hive.
Students observe honey bees
Students got an up-close look at honey bees Tuesday at the Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Biology Professor Ann Fraser's Entomology Class
Entomology students visited honey bee hives Tuesday at Kalamazoo Nature Center.
Types of honey surround a taste test
Entomology students took a taste test in learning about honey.

What is significant about the honey bees we find in Michigan?

There are about 450 different types of bees in Michigan, most of them native to this the region.  The honey bee is just one type of bee and it was actually imported from Western Europe. Bees are important pollinators of plants worldwide. Honey bees are especially important in agricultural settings because they can be kept in managed hives and have such large colonies. Michigan hosts about 90,000 hives, ranking the state eighth in the U.S. for its number of hives. Honey bees are especially important for fruit crops such as cherries, apples and blueberries, and vegetable or seed production for crops such as peppers, carrots and onions. In 2015, 50% of Michigan’s $2 billion crop industry was attributed to honey bees. – Lydia and Rachel

What can we in Michigan do to ensure we’re supporting the sustainability of bees and honey?

Make your yard or garden a bee-friendly environment. Plant bee-friendly flowering plants such as bee balm, milkweed, asters and sunflowers; and herbs such as mint, oregano, garlic, chives, parsley and lavender. It’s also important to limit pesticides in your garden or yard, especially during blooming periods. – Mikayla and Bella

What is ‘raw’ honey? Do we need to be concerned about the purity or cleanliness of honey we buy?

Raw honey is unprocessed and unpasteurized honey. It might include pollen, wax and a resinous substance called propolis that bees use to seal or repair the hive. While it may contain more vitamins and nutrients than unpasteurized honey, it also might trigger or aggravate allergies in people sensitive to pollen. Some claim raw honey is more nutritious, but consuming it may increase the risk of illness that can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting and a drop in blood pressure. – Mariah and Zaydee

K Bestows Lucasse, Ambrose Awards

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Kalamazoo College announced September 15 that one faculty member and one staff member have earned two of the highest awards the College bestows on its employees. Anne Haeckl, K’s senior instructor in the Department of Classics, will receive the 2022 Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship for Excellence in Teaching, and Dan Kibby ’91, the enrollment systems manager in the Office of Admission, will receive the W. Haydn Ambrose Prize for Extraordinary Service.

Haeckl has served the College since 1998. In that time, she has taught an array of courses on Greek history, Roman history and archaeology in addition to a sophomore seminar. Alumni have noted that Haeckl’s classes have been life-guiding and her enthusiasm has inspired new generations of archaeologists, academics and educators.

The Florence J. Lucasse Lectureship (for outstanding classroom teaching) and Fellowship (for outstanding achievement in creative work, research or publication) were established in 1979. Haeckl is the 32nd recipient of the lectureship. She also received the Lucasse Fellowship in 2004. Both awards were created to honor Florence J. Lucasse, a 1910 alumna, in recognition of her long and distinguished career and in response to the major unrestricted endowment gift given to the College in her will.

Ambrose Prize Recipient Dan Kibby at his workstation
Dan Kibby is the recipient of this year’s Ambrose Prize.

Kibby has worked at K since 2016 and recently shifted from a role as a programmer and analyst for Information Services to his position in Admission. In nominating him, Kibby’s colleagues noted that his kindness and humanity are frequent sources of inspiration as he generously gives of himself to mentor students. He’s also always among the first to engage with the campus through volunteerism with Monte Carlo, Cafsgiving, Green Dot events, COVID testing clinics and vaccination clinics.

The W. Haydn Ambrose Prize was established to recognize a K staff member for outstanding service to the Kalamazoo College community. The award is named after W. Haydn Ambrose, who served K for more than 20 years in a variety of roles, including assistant to the president for church relations, dean of admission and financial aid, and vice president for development. Ambrose was thoughtful in the projects that he took on, committed to the jobs that he agreed to do, and he treated people with respect.

In addition to a financial award, Kibby has earned a crystal award to commemorate the achievement, an engraved brick in a section at the top of the stairs of the athletic fields complex and an invitation to sit on the award’s selection committee for two years.

Leading with Grace

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cMUMMA Sarah Westfall 2838 ALT
Sarah Westfall served as Kalamazoo College’s vice president for student development and dean of students for nearly 15 years.

As Vice President and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall retires, Chief Information Officer Greg Diment ’84 reflects on her legacy at K.

Nearly 15 years ago, Kalamazoo College welcomed candidates vying for the position of vice president of student development and dean of students. On one particular afternoon, a candidate stood in the Olmsted room, ready to give her presentation at an open forum to faculty and staff. Previous candidates had arrived with elaborate PowerPoints, standing formally at the podium to present. Yet this candidate came with a simple overhead transparency and a desire to connect. She walked up and down the aisle, approaching each questioner and answering their questions in proximity and with eye contact. She didn’t have a high-tech presentation—in fact, I am pretty sure she commented that she wasn’t a “techy” person. Instead, she was engaging, full of energy, and personable. After the interview, former President Wilson-Oyelaran asked me for my impressions. I remember saying simply, “Hire her. I’ll take care of any technology she needs.” And hire her we did.

Almost 15 years later, thousands of students have come and gone from K. Sarah Westfall has had an influence on all of them. Being the dean of students is hard. A dean sees and hears from some students at their toughest times—when they have made bad choices, or had extremely difficult experiences; when they feel vulnerable, or neglected, or have been wronged; when they are still developing, learning, not always understanding the big picture or how to effectively advocate for what they need. For all of these students, and for those who experienced the joys and exciting firsts of college, Dean Westfall was there.

It’s easy to reflect on Dean Westfall’s many accomplishments as a student affairs professional. At K, she has used her accreditation experience to significantly enhance K’s capabilities in assessing student learning, and has partnered with the provost to ensure K’s continued accreditation. She has been a member of and led several search committees for the College, participated in College-wide planning efforts, led K’s crisis management team, and staffed the Risk Review committee of the Board of Trustees. K established many student advisory committees during her tenure, giving students an important voice throughout the College.

Dean Westfall has also published extensively in the field of student development, particularly in regard to small college environments. She is active in NASPA, the national association for student affairs administrators, and she was awarded their Pillar of the Profession award in 2019. She has served for several years on the Fulbright Senior Specialists Program Peer Review Committee and is currently on the Fulbright Specialist Roster. In 2018, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from her doctoral program. Since 2008, she also has served as a Peer Reviewer and Team Chair for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). She was recognized with an award from the HLC in 2019.

Yet as we congratulate her on her well-deserved retirement, her greatest achievements are summed up by the people whose lives she touched. I reached out to several alumni from throughout Sarah’s time at K and the memories are sure: “She checked in on me and looked out for me and listened to what I wanted to do and made me feel really taken care of,” said one. “She personally invested herself in my safety and my success,” said another.

One alum noted, “For my part, I’d say that Dean Westfall is in many ways the perfect embodiment of K. She was a huge presence during my time there from orientation to graduation—I have distinct, warm memories of her from both. I know she helped me and everyone else transition smoothly into adulthood in more ways than we can ever really know or appreciate. Her job is one of the most difficult I can imagine. Lots of people have lots of ideas about how things ought to be done, so it’s naturally impossible to please everybody—especially with a very involved student body—and she still seemed to handle everything with a sense of calm and reason and grace that is an inspiration.”

Her peers are equally appreciative, describing her as a consummate professional, highly regarded in her field, dedicated, empathetic, insightful, humorous and a trusted colleague. Dean Westfall’s door was always open to anyone needing support and advice.

I have had the privilege of serving on President’s Staff for many years with Dean Westfall, and we’ve been through many situations together—perhaps none more challenging than the events of the last 18 months. As head of the crisis management team, Dean Westfall’s leadership in navigating the pandemic was invaluable to the institution and to those who worked alongside her. As she “graduates” to retirement and future endeavors as a higher education consultant and coach, I know she will bring that same calm, caring and insightful leadership to others. And if she ever needs tech support, I will always be just a phone call away from my colleague and friend.

JAWS Shreds Stereotypes, Spotlights Diverse Chemists

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Daniela Arias-Rotondo of JAWS Chemistry Seminars
Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniela Arias-Rotondo is challenging the stereotypical image that comes to mind when we picture a scientist by inviting undergraduates and postdocs to present their science in JAWS, a series of chemistry webinars spotlighting scientists from underrepresented groups.

When you hear it’s time for JAWS, don’t fear a shark attack. Instead, get ready for a chemistry seminar featuring Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniela Arias-Rotondo, who is challenging the stereotypical image that comes to mind when we picture a scientist.

JAWS, or Just Another (Chemistry) Webinar Series, gives scientists from underrepresented groups a chance to be heard, and undergrads and postdocs a chance to share their work through easy-going conversations and publicity in a production quickly gaining recognition.

The project was started by Arias-Rotondo along with post docs Craig Fraser of Northwestern University, Madison Fletcher of New York University and Monica Gill of Carleton University. Its name would’ve been Just Another Chemistry Series, but the acronym JACS is well known as the Journal of the American Chemical Society. As a result, and to show a little humor, Arias-Rotondo and her fellow organizers chose JAWS.

“One day we might get a cease-and-desist letter from Steven Spielberg or someone,” Arias-Rotondo said. “We’ll figure out what name we give it at that point. But for now, who doesn’t like sharks?”

The point of JAWS, though, is down to earth as it enables early career chemists to build foundational presentation skills.

“As scientists, we always emphasize that it’s important to be able to communicate your ideas,” Arias-Rotondo said. “And one thing that we’ve always seen is that it’s hard as a postdoc or a graduate student—and even worse as an undergrad—to get the opportunity to present your science.”

Professors commonly receive invitations to give talks and attend conferences. They might also be the people in line for a Nobel Prize. Students, however, gain experience working with faculty yet their work gets little exposure. That’s something Arias-Rotondo wants to change.

“Even with the pandemic, we’ve still been doing talks, and giving people who don’t have a name for themselves yet an opportunity,” Arias-Rotondo said. “We’re particularly looking at those who, even under normal circumstances, maybe wouldn’t be as likely to present. A scientist doesn’t have to be the old white guy with crazy hair. Being able to invite these other people who don’t necessarily fit a mold to come in and talk about their science is so important in terms of really showing a broad spectrum of people that you can be a scientist, too.”

The show has built buzz for itself through a loyal following on its Twitter feed. It’s also drawn presenters from every continent except Antarctica and viewers from all over the world, including JACS Editor-in-Chief Erick Carreira, an organic chemist and professor at ETH Zürich.

“We saw the name among our attendees and we began texting back and forth while watching,” Arias-Rotondo said. “We were wondering if that was really him or somebody impersonating him because it was huge for us. It was a sign of how far we’d made it.”

Recent JAWS guests have included post docs from University of California, Vanderbilt University and National University of Singapore who have presented on topics ranging from radiation to molecular aggregation. The time for JAWS varies to accommodate presenters from a variety of time zones, but generally it’s scheduled at 11 a.m. or 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays. Presentations are posted online for about a week. Ultimately, Arias-Rotondo hopes to measure the success of the program not only by the number of viewers or its website traffic, but by successful variations of representation and its impact on students including those at K.

“I hope that my students see that they can attend the seminars, they can present at the seminars, and that there is a welcoming community that wants them to be chemists,” she said. “I also want them to see me as someone who is not just teaching or doing research with them but also working to make science more available and more accessible for people.”

K Welcomes New Vice President for Student Development

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Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students J. Malcolm Smith
J. Malcolm Smith will join Kalamazoo College as its vice president for student development and dean of students on August 1.

President Jorge G. Gonzalez announced today that J. Malcolm Smith will join Kalamazoo College as the institution’s new vice president for student development and dean of students. Smith, who is the vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, will begin his new role on August 1, 2021.

“Malcolm has considerable experience in student development at institutions like K,” Gonzalez said. “He brings a collaborative leadership style, dedication to the development of college students, passion for equity and inclusion work, and a commitment to student success. I am confident that he will be an excellent addition to our campus community and that he will build strong bonds with students, staff and faculty.”

Smith joined Salve Regina in 2013 as dean of students and also served as associate vice president before being named vice president in 2019. During his tenure at Salve Regina, Smith led the revision of the university’s Sexual Misconduct Policy, established the Student Conduct Hearing Board to give students a stronger voice in the university judicial process, developed services and programs for the LGBTQ+ student community, and developed a Review and Standards committee to give students, faculty and staff input on proposed revisions to conduct policies.

Before Salve Regina, Smith worked at a variety of institutions including John Carroll University, Ohio University and University of Illinois at Chicago. He brings extensive experience in areas such as student conduct and advocacy; retention efforts; diversity, equity and inclusion; Title IX administration; housing management; budget oversight; and crisis management.

He has presented on the national and regional level for the National Association for Student Personnel Administration, the Association of Title IX Administrators, and the Association for Student Conduct Administration. In 2006, Smith received the Annuit Coeptis Award for Emerging Professionals from the American College Personnel Association. He holds a B.A. in elementary education and a M.Ed. in college student personnel, both from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

“My family and I are excited to join the K community,” Smith said. “I am looking forward to working with such amazing students, a great team in student development, and partnering with colleagues across the campus. I’m honored and humbled by this opportunity to join K! Go Hornets!”

Smith succeeds Vice President for Student Development and Dean of Students Sarah Westfall, who will retire on July 1 after 14½ years at the College. Smith was selected after a competitive nationwide search conducted by an on-campus committee with the assistance of Storbeck Search & Associates, an executive search firm specializing in the education and non-profit sectors. Comprised of faculty, staff and students, the committee was chaired by Provost Danette Ifert Johnson.

K Professor Wants More Diversity in Victorian Studies

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Ryan Fong Victorian Studies
Associate Professor of English Ryan Fong is one of four scholars from around the country who founded Undisciplining the Victorian Classroom, a digital humanities project that reimagines how to teach Victorian studies with a positive, race-conscious lens.

A Kalamazoo College English faculty member has helped develop a project that ensures his field will be inclusive and engaging with scholars from underrepresented groups.

Associate Professor of English Ryan Fong is one of four scholars from around the country who founded Undisciplining the Victorian Classroom, a digital humanities project that reimagines how to teach Victorian studies with a positive, race-conscious lens. The title was inspired by a recent essay by Ronjaunee Chatterjee, Alicia Mireles Christoff and Amy R. Wong in the Los Angeles Review of Books, titled “Undisciplining Victorian Studies,” which itself borrowed from York University Professor of English literature and Black studies Christina Sharpe’s call for scholars to “become undisciplined” as a way to undo racist theories and the limited, predominantly white scopes that scholars have inherited.

“The three other founders and I wanted to create a set of resources for how to bring this work into the classroom to infuse our teaching,” Fong said. “The website developed as a result of those conversations, and we collaborated with one another to build the site and involved other scholars from around the world to create our first batch of teaching materials.”

In addition to Fong, the founding developers are Pearl Chaozon Bauer, an associate professor of English at Notre Dame de Namur University; Sophia Hsu, an assistant professor of English at Lehman College, CUNY; and Adrian S. Wisnicki, an associate professor of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The K community can take pride in the team’s project because many of the lesson plans featured on the website draw on those that Fong first developed in his classroom through his own pedagogy. Take, for example, the lessons regarding the work of Mary Seacole, a British-Jamaican nurse, healer and businesswoman who set up the “British Hotel” during the Crimean War. Seacole hoped to assist with nursing the war’s wounded but was turned away when she applied to be in the nursing contingent. Instead, she traveled independently and set up her own “hotel” for tending to the wounded, making her popular with service personnel, who raised money for her as she faced extreme poverty after the war.

“A lot of what we’ve been doing in the project is creating resources to help instructors teach materials like Mary Seacole’s,” Fong said. “She wrote an important travelogue and memoir about her experiences, and the teaching materials on the site will help teachers contextualize this work and teach it alongside people that we already know and love like Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte. We’re hoping that we’re giving scholars tools to incorporate new materials into their classes or perhaps even conceive and remake whole new classes.”

In addition to lesson plans and syllabi that involve writers such as Seacole, the Undisciplining the Victorian Classroom website provides Zoom-based broadcasts with recorded conversations, featuring professors to further promote a diverse base of historical writers.

“We’re recording conversations with colleagues about what we do in our classrooms,” Fong said. “It gives us a chance to share how we teach and how we can expand the materials and approaches that we have typically used. Hosting these has given me a lot of opportunities to share what I’ve developed at K. Bringing the expertise that I’ve been able to gain into these conversations with teacher scholars around the country and around the world has been really exciting.”

In the short term, Fong said the site’s success will be evaluated through the number of people visiting the website. Yet ultimately, the hope is to get experts and scholars throughout higher education excited to collaborate with the project while empowering everyone who does the work of teaching literature in colleges and universities—from graduate students to adjunct faculty and tenured professors.

“Around the world, we’re all really working toward these goals of social justice, anti-racism, and diversity, inclusion and equity,” Fong said. “If we’re working in alignment with those principles and we’re doing it thoughtfully as scholars, then I feel like that we have the potential to make an impact not just in higher ed, but all over.”

Conductors Fight Social Injustice with ‘Awake, Arise!’

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Awake, Arise production fights injustice
A team of composers including Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor of Music Chris Ludwa are targeting social injustice and racial inequities with “Awake, Arise!”

Based on a tune originally written during the plague, “Awake, Arise!” revitalizes a 500-year-old melody with the words of Black authors, activists and artists who breathe new life into the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The result is a dramatic musical composition calling on audiences to acknowledge injustice and work together to change the world.

Bach’s cantata “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” is a work that would be performed during Advent in preparation for the arrival of Christmas and the birth of Jesus. It premiered in 1731 in Leipzig, and is based on a hymn written by Philipp Nicolai in the wake of the plague in the 16th century. The original text encourages the preparation for Jesus’ arrival, encouraging us to “Wake up, as the voice calls to us.”

Like many ancient texts, the words of the original cantata refer to prophesies and promises of what is to come: a better life, salvation or freedom. As the world suffers massive death and despair from a pandemic in 2020 and 2021, stark inequities and injustice between people of different races which have always been present are so evident that they cannot nor should not be ignored, and must now be addressed by everyone.

“Just as Bach was known to reset his own music and that of others, it is time to breathe new life into this seminal work, giving it a voice that resounds the call to equity of 2000 years ago and of 60 years ago,” said Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor Chris Ludwa, one of the composers behind “Awake, Arise!”  “In reflecting on the countless Christmas hymns and songs that sing of a new day to come, our brothers and sisters of color have waited long enough.”

Ludwa collaborated with Everett McCorvey, a fellow voice professor from the University of Kentucky; and Rhea Olivaccé, a soprano soloist with an international career and a professor of voice at Western Michigan University; to use the words of Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, WEB DuBois, Martin Luther King Jr., Amanda Gorman, Valyn Turner and others in providing a response to these hymns and songs in a dialogue about the Black experience, in contrast to what it is perceived to be.

The result is a new arrangement of Bach’s immortal cantata, performed in English, implementing the language of hope from great authors and activists of color. This new work is presented with spoken word artists interspersed between movements, underscoring the urgency of texts we may have failed to read with clear eyes. The world premiere in March 2021 featured a 17-piece orchestra comprised of musicians of color from the United States and the United Kingdom, a diverse body of 20 singers and three internationally acclaimed soloists against the backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial and a multimedia display of visual artists of color.

The premiere of the filmed performance united Olivaccé, tenor Lawrence Brownlee and bass soloist Kyle Ketelsen, along with Concert Master Ilmar Gavilan, spoken-word artists, and a chorus and orchestra of diverse musicians that is now available on YouTube.

The goal is to make this new version of the cantata available to choirs of all kinds that they might become better allies against injustice, a particularly important aspiration given how dominant white culture is in the performing arts world.

“How often have people of color sung these spirituals praying for a fair shot, only to be answered with a gun shot,” Ludwa said. “How often have those of us who are white sung the lyrics of these familiar tunes, only to follow it by ignoring the message to ‘Wake up, and arise?’”

Watch the April 11 performance on YouTube, and contact Ludwa for more information about the musical composition at cludwa@kzoo.edu or 231-225-8877.

Senior Week Readies Graduates-to-Be for Jobs

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Senior Week
The Center for Career and Professional Development is helping seniors concerned about preparing for and facing the job market during a pandemic. Senior Week will offer one-on-one meetings between students and alumni, career coaching and more.

When Kalamazoo College students talk about what they need from their education and career preparedness, they can bet the Center for Career and Professional Development is listening.

The CCPD staff proved that this spring when seniors spoke publicly about the worries they have for life after K in the pandemic’s wake, and in response, the CCPD unveiled plans for Senior Week, May 17-21.

The biggest highlight of the week will come from seniors meeting one-on-one in career-building sessions with K alumni. About 60 alumni already have agreed to participate in these Hornet Huddles from a variety of industries and fields, and more are expected.

Seniors can sign up now through Handshake with this how-to video as guidance. A list of the alumni volunteering is available with their companies and organizations, industries and job titles. The goal is to provide seniors new perspectives of how to reach success in the job market from alumni successful in similar fields. Some of the alumni are looking to specifically help students of color or first-generation students. Others are open to meeting with any senior. Registration will be available through May 14.

In addition, seniors also can expect guidance from career coaches, senior spotlights through social media and a push for students to respond to their first-destination surveys, which will help the CCPD guide seniors still looking for their first post-graduation jobs.

Guidance from career coaches

Career coaches are available to seniors year-round. During senior week, they’re available exclusively to seniors. Coaches can help students take career assessments, choose from employment or graduate school options and improve resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. Available appointments are plentiful and drop-in hours will be available from noon to 1 p.m. daily through Teams.

First-destination survey push

When seniors complete the survey in spring, it tells CCPD staff what those still looking for their first post-graduation jobs need and how the CCPD can help. Staff have committed to follow up with every senior still looking, and they’re offering a drawing for 10 $25 GrubHub gift cards for those who respond by May 21.

Senior spotlights

The CCPD’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels will feature content during Senior Week that is specifically geared toward seniors.

Founders Day Honors Three, Marks College’s 188th Year

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Founders Day Lux Esto Recipient Kiran Cunningham
Kalamazoo College announced Friday during Founders Day events that Professor of Anthropology Kiran Cunningham is this year’s recipient of the Lux Esto Award of Excellence.

Professor of Anthropology Kiran Cunningham ’83 is this year’s recipient of the Lux Esto Award of Excellence. The award, announced Friday to celebrate Founders Day, marking the College’s 188th year, recognizes an employee who has served the institution for at least 26 years and has a record of stewardship and innovation.

The recipient—chosen by a committee with student, faculty and staff representatives—is an employee who exemplifies the spirit of Kalamazoo College through excellent leadership, selfless dedication and goodwill.

Cunningham has been a professor at K since 1992. She served as the chair of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology from 2008 to 2014 and was a faculty fellow at the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership from 2010 to 2012.

Outside of K, Cunningham was a Teagle Pedagogy Fellow for the Great Lakes Colleges Association in 2012 and a research associate in 2014 for the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment in 2014.

Cunningham “has encouraged numerous students to study abroad, has traveled internationally with students, and recently, with staff and two other faculty colleagues, developed programming for a brand new study abroad program,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said in video remarks. “Her leadership has helped interdisciplinary curriculum within her department and played a pivotal role in building it into one of the most diverse academic departments on campus.”

In accordance with Founders Day traditions, two other employees also received individual awards. Professor of Mathematics Eric Nordmoe was given the Outstanding Advisor Award, and Director of Outdoor Programs Jory Horner was named the Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award honoree.

Nordmoe, the math department chair, began working at K in 1996 as an assistant professor. He was named an associate professor in 2004 before earning his current position in 2016. He teaches courses in statistics and mathematics, supervises senior individualized projects, engages in scholarly research, serves on faculty committee and provides statistical consultation to students and faculty.

As an advisor, Nordmoe “has reached out to alumni to inquire about potential job opportunities for his advisees and connected advisors with professional colleagues outside K to begin mentoring relationships for students,” Gonzalez said. “He’s quick to respond, and truly gets to know advisees.”

Horner leads the College’s LandSea program, an 18-day outdoor experience at Adirondack State Park in New York State, where first-year students make some of their first contacts with their incoming class. Before coming to K, he taught rock climbing, mountaineering and outdoor education for various organizations in Oregon and California. He also has certifications and trainings in wilderness EMT, physical and mental health first aid, and leave-no-trace best practices.

“Students are always the number one focus of his work, and his devotion helps him provide an excellent first-year experience for so many of them,” Gonzalez said. “With LandSea, he helps students develop the grit, resilience and confidence that they use to thrive during their first-year and beyond at K. He has served as an academic advisor for many first-year students, and he has advised the Kalamazoo Outing Club. He’s well-deserving of this award.”

Professor Joins Other Religion Scholars to Extol Research

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Alyssa Maldonado-Estrada religion scholars Sacred Writes
Sacred Writes, a network of religion scholars committed to helping a broad global audience understand the significance of their work, has selected Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor of Religion Alyssa Maldonado-Estrada to be one of 24 scholars from around the world receiving a Public Scholarship on Religion for 2021.

When religion scholars share information about their research outside their academies, they help the general public understand matters of the sacred and the importance of religion and religious diversity in contemporary life.

Enter Kalamazoo College Assistant Professor Alyssa Maldonado-Estrada. Sacred Writes, a network of religion scholars committed to helping a broad global audience understand the significance of their work, has selected Maldonado-Estrada to be one of 24 scholars from around the world receiving a Public Scholarship on Religion for 2021.

With the scholarship, Maldonado-Estrada will receive a $1,000 stipend to participate in real-time collaborative sessions and multimedia training with other scholars from May 1 to August 31. Since 2018, similar cooperative work has helped 41 scholars of religion place 140 print, audio and video pieces with 52 media outlets including the Washington Post, PRI’s The World and CBS Religion since 2018.

“I am deeply committed to making my scholarship accessible and interesting to a broad array of readers,” Maldonado-Estrada said. “From writing about religion and tattoos to gender and gentrification, it excites me to tell stories about the ways religion is embedded in the everyday lives of individuals, communities, and cities. I am excited to be a part of a vibrant group of scholars, where we can hype each other up, learn new genres of writing, and craft and celebrate good work about religion.”

Sacred Writes also has chosen Maldonado-Estrada to write articles about architecture and sacred space, subjects important in her classes at K. The articles will appear in DigBoston, an alternative weekly newspaper.

“At K, I teach a class called Urban Religion where we learn how to be ethnographers and observers of space and social life,” she said. “Together we explore how religious communities shape the urban environment and how the city shapes the feel, look and experience of religion right back. I am so excited to write about architecture, development, and sacred space in this collaboration with DigBoston. These are the topics that really brought me to the study of religion back when I was an undergrad at a liberal arts college.”

In addition to Urban Religion, Maldonado-Estrada teaches classes at K on religion and masculinity, Catholics in the Americas and the religions of Latin America. She is an ethnographer, and her research focuses on material culture, contemporary Catholicism, and gender and embodiment.

Elsewhere, Maldonado-Estrada is a co-chair of the Men and Masculinities Unit at the American Academy of Religion and is an editor of Material Religion: The Journal of Art, Objects, and Belief. She was chosen for the 2020-2022 cohort of Young Scholars in American Religion at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis’ Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture. She received her doctorate in religion from Princeton University and her bachelor’s degree in sociology and religion from Vassar College.

“I look forward to finding exciting ways to meld my teaching and research and to bringing what I learn from this partnership back to the classroom at K,” she said.