Category: News Releases

News Releases

K Receives $2M Grant for Dow Science Center, Electrical Infrastructure

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The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation is continuing a legacy of philanthropy toward higher education and Kalamazoo College with a $2 million grant that will support K’s science facilities. 

The College’s Dow Science Center, completed in 1992, is named in recognition of another generous grant from the Dow Foundation. At the time of its completion, the 33,290-square-foot science center introduced K students to the latest technology and equipment in biology and chemistry instructional programs and offered a practical and attractive environment for teaching, learning and research. The mission of the facility continues today, and this new grant will help the College maintain the center’s excellence as it replaces the roof, retrofits the lab airflow management systems throughout the building, upgrades the fire system and installs new carpeting.

Additionally, the grant will help fund an ongoing project to modernize the College’s electrical grid. This initiative is set to be completed by August 2025, with the College actively engaging in fundraising efforts to bring it to fruition. The Dow Foundation’s support will help move this project forward, allowing the College to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure across the entire campus.

Student works in Dow Science Center
A $2 million grant from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation will benefit students and help Kalamazoo College maintain the Dow Science Center by replacing the roof, retrofitting the lab airflow management systems throughout the building, upgrading the fire system and installing new carpeting.

For nearly four decades, the Dow Foundation’s commitment to STEM programing at K has benefitted generations of students. Its latest grant adds to its legacy, building upon previous support that funded two endowed professorships and enabled the replacement of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, allowing students to analyze and identify chemical compounds and structures with state-of-the-art equipment.

“We’re grateful for the Dow Foundation’s generous support, which will enable students, faculty and staff to continue pursuing science and research that benefits the world,” Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez said. “The College has a long history of success in the sciences and this grant shows a continued and shared optimism in the exceptional work of our students, and what they will accomplish long after they leave K.”   

The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation was established in 1936 for religious, charitable, scientific, literary or educational purposes for the public benefaction of the inhabitants of the City of Midland and the people of the State of Michigan.  

“The State of Michigan has always benefited from strength in higher education,” said Ruth Alden Doan, president and trustee of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. “The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation is proud to have played a role in that strength and continues to value the high performance of Kalamazoo College as a liberal arts college with excellence in chemistry and other sciences.”

Phi Beta Kappa Welcomes New K Inductees

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Kalamazoo College’s Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa welcomed 42 outstanding seniors into its cohort on June 7, 2023, recognizing their exceptional scholastic achievements across disciplines. With a strong commitment to fostering a love for learning, Phi Beta Kappa honors these new members for their academic ability and intellectual curiosity. 

Founded in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society, boasting 17 U.S. Presidents, 42 U.S. Supreme Court Justices, and more than 150 Nobel Laureates among their ranks. The society’s mission is “to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, to recognize academic excellence, and to foster freedom of thought and expression.” 

Acceptance into Phi Beta Kappa is considered one of the highest academic honors a student can receive as the society is known for its rigorous selection process that evaluates students’ achievements across the arts, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. 

As these talented individuals embark on the next chapter of their educational and professional journeys, their Phi Beta Kappa membership will serve as a symbol of their exceptional accomplishments and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. The Kalamazoo College community looks forward to witnessing their future contributions and the positive impact they will make in their chosen fields. 

Phi Beta Kappa logo

Join us in congratulating the following students, 

  • Hashim Akhtar of Saginaw, Michigan; biology major, psychology minor, biochemistry and molecular biology and biological physics concentrations 
  • Abigail Barnum of Byron Center, Michigan; biochemistry and German majors 
  • Eleana Basso of Evanston, Illinois; psychology and studio art majors, art history minor 
  • Natalie Call of Cody, Wyoming; biology major, psychology minor 
  • Eleanor Carr of East Lansing, Michigan; biology and computer science majors 
  • Hannah Durant of Grand Blanc, Michigan; English and mathematics majors 
  • Payton Fleming of Olivet, Michigan; business major, computer science minor 
  • Hana Frisch of Morton Grove, Illinois; biology major, anthropology and sociology minor, community and global health concentration 
  • Tristan Fuller of Whitmore Lake, Michigan; business and English majors 
  • William Fulton of Kalamazoo, Michigan; biology major, psychology minor 
  • Zoe Gurney of Ann Arbor, Michigan; economics major, Chinese and mathematics minors, community and global health concentration 
  • Lucy Hart of Evanston, Illinois; biochemistry major, psychology minor 
  • Katherine Haywood of Hastings, Michigan; biology and computer science majors 
  • Ian Hurley of Plymouth, Michigan; biology and Spanish majors 
  • Ryan Johnson of Kalamazoo, Michigan; biology major 
  • Koshiro Kuroda of Kawasaki, Japan; anthropology and sociology and music majors 
  • Claire Kvande of Memphis, Tennessee; chemistry and physics majors, French and mathematics minors 
  • Dillon Lee of Ada, Michigan; biochemistry major 
  • Thomas Lichtenberg of Farmington, Michigan; philosophy and political science majors, mathematics minor 
  • Alvaro Lopez Gutierrez of Lima, Peru; German and psychology majors 
  • Nicholas Lucking of Dexter, Michigan; psychology major, English minor 
  • Aleksandr Molchagin of Borisoglebsk, Russia; business and computer science majors 
  • Matthew Mueller of Charleston, Illinois; psychology major 
  • Erin Grace Murphy of Grosse Ile, Michigan; computer science major, music minor 
  • Alexis Nesbitt of Parchment, Michigan; biology major, psychology minor, neuroscience concentration 
  • Jenna Paterob of Melrose Park, Illinois; business and psychology majors, studio art minor 
  • Harrison Poeszat of Commerce Township, Michigan; chemistry major 
  • Ashley Rill of Rochester Hills, Michigan; biochemistry major, psychology and Spanish minors 
  • Madeline Gehl Shroeder of East Grand Rapids, Michigan; computer science and East Asian studies majors 
  • William Shaw of Kalamazoo, Michigan; computer science major, Japanese and mathematics minors 
  • Emma Sidor of St. Charles, Illinois; psychology and Spanish majors 
  • Sophia Sjogren of Chelsea, Michigan; computer science major 
  • Alex Stolberg of Charlotte, Michigan; biology major, environmental studies concentration 
  • Katelynn Stover of Troy, Michigan; psychology major 
  • Suja Thakali of Kalamazoo, Michigan; chemistry major 
  • Abhi Thaku of West Bloomfield, Michigan; chemistry major, mathematics minor 
  • Mia Flora Tucci of Richland, Michigan; chemistry and Spanish majors, psychology minor 
  • Oliver Tye of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania; chemistry and mathematics majors 
  • Elizabeth Wang of Portage, Michigan; biochemistry major, German minor 
  • Katelyn Williams of Ada, Michigan; classical civilizations and psychology majors 
  • Tony Yazbeck of West Bloomfield, Michigan; biochemistry major, anthropology and sociology minor 
  • Nathaniel Zona of Albion, Michigan; biology major, community and global health concentration 

Six 2023-24 Heyl Scholars to Attend K This Fall

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Six Kalamazoo County high school students seeking to major in STEM-related fields have earned Heyl Scholarships to attend Kalamazoo College in the 2023-24 academic year. 

The Heyl Scholarship Fund was established in 1971 through the will of Dr. Frederick Heyl and Mrs. Elsie Heyl. Frederick Heyl was the first chemist at The Upjohn Company, later becoming a vice president and the company’s first director of research. He also contributed to about 80 research papers and patents while teaching chemistry at K. He maintained a lifelong passion for science and education and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from K in 1937.   

Since then, Heyl scholarships have enabled hundreds of high school graduates from Kalamazoo County to attend Kalamazoo College for STEM-focused majors or Western Michigan University for nursing, with renewable benefits for up to four years that cover tuition, fees, housing and a book allowance.  

This year’s K recipients of the scholarships and their high schools are:  

  • Abigail Eilertson, Gull Lake and the Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center (KAMSC) 
  • Pauline Hawkes, Kalamazoo Central
  • Jason Krawczyk, Portage Central and KAMSC 
  • Ava Schwachter, Kalamazoo Central and KAMSC 
  • Anthony Valade, Portage Northern and KAMSC 
  • Benjamin Whitsett, Loy Norrix and KAMSC 

Two other scholars, Kelcey Briggs and Riley Sackett, have graduated from Loy Norrix High School and will attend the Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing. 

2023-24 Heyl Scholars in a group photo
Riley Sackett (from left), Kelcey Briggs, Ava Schwachter, Jason Krawczyk, Pauline Hawkes, Abigail Eilertson, Benjamin Whitsett and Anthony Valade are this year’s Heyl Scholars. Schwachter, Krawczyk, Hawkes, Eilertson, Whitsett and Valade will attend Kalamazoo College. Sackett and Briggs will attend Western Michigan University’s Bronson School of Nursing.

Commencement Slated for Sunday

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Congratulations to the class of 2023! This year’s Commencement is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sunday, June 11, on the campus Quad. Here’s what you need to know about the weekend’s events surrounding Kalamazoo College Commencement and the ceremony itself. 

Rehearsal

Seniors are required to attend Commencement rehearsal at 4 p.m. Thursday at Dalton Theatre. Faculty and staff will provide graduating seniors with pertinent information including what to do during an intricate line-up and processional. Students who need to be excused from rehearsal should contact the Office of Alumni Engagement in advance at alumni@kzoo.edu. There will be a senior picnic on the Stetson Chapel patio after the rehearsal. 

Parking This Weekend

For your convenience, most of the faculty, staff and student parking lots will be open to everyone. Guests are also invited to use street parking on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods. See the parking information page for details related to street detours, graduate and accessible drop-off, campus parking lots, street parking, campus maps and more.

Commencement 2022
The class of 2023 will celebrate Commencement at 10 a.m. Sunday on the campus Quad.

Commencement Saturday 

Receptions for individual departments help families meet professors and see individual projects from selected seniors. Consult the department schedules for information on the time and location for each event. The day’s remaining events—including the Senior Awards Program, the Senior Music Recital and the Baccalaureate—will take place at Stetson Chapel.

Seniors receiving awards will get an invitation from the Provost’s Office after finals to attend the Senior Awards Program, which begins at 2:30 p.m. Contact the Office of the Provost by email if you have questions about the event. The Senior Music Recital is a public concert at 4:30 p.m. featuring performances by graduating seniors who have been involved in music. All are welcome to attend. The Baccalaureate is a public non-religious service with student and faculty speakers and musical performances beginning at 8 p.m.

Livestreams for the Senior Awards Program, Senior Music Recital and Baccalaureate will be available for those unable to attend. An information desk will be staffed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Commencement Sunday

All seniors should meet at Dalton Theatre in their cap and gown no later than 9:30 a.m. Although Commencement will take place outside regardless of weather conditions, the ceremony could be delayed by up to three hours if there is heavy rain or severe weather. Communication about a delay would be sent through a K-Alert, social media and email no later than 8 a.m. Sunday. The ceremony is scheduled to last about two and a half hours.

There are no tickets or rain tickets required for the ceremony, and there is no limit to the number of guests each senior can invite to campus. Chairs will be available to accommodate family and friends on the Quad on a first-come, first-served basis. Open seating will also be available on the grass of the Upper Quad, where guests can sit in lawn chairs and blankets to view the ceremony.

Guests with a mobility challenge can find answers to frequently asked questions on our accessibility information page. An information desk will be staffed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the atrium at Hicks Student Center. The College’s bookstore will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Commencement Speakers

Alumnus Larry J. Bell ’80, the founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., and author Jaroslav Kalfař will be the ceremony’s featured speakers.

Bell majored in political science at K before founding Bell’s Brewery Inc. in 1985. Kalfař’s debut novel, Spaceman of Bohemia, was the Summer Common Reading book for the incoming class of 2018, and Kalfař visited campus in September of that year to discuss his book as part of new student orientation. Per K tradition, he returns to address this same class of students at their commencement.

Bell and Kalfar both will receive honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees.

More Information 

The Office of Alumni Engagement maintains a website that offers more details regarding Commencement including a list of frequently asked questions, dining and lodging information, and ceremony accommodations. For more information, visit the site at commencement.kzoo.edu. 

Commencement Author Jaroslav Kalfař
Author Jaroslav Kalfař will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from K during Commencement on Sunday.
Commencement speaker Larry Bell with his wife, Shannon Bell, and President Jorge G. Gonzalez
Larry Bell ’80, the founder of Bell’s Brewery, Inc., will address the class of 2023 at Commencement on Sunday.

Natatorium Earns LEED Certification

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Kalamazoo College and TowerPinkster—an architecture, engineering and interior design firm—are celebrating that their combined efforts have led to LEED certification status from the U.S. Green Building Council for the College’s natatorium.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green-building rating system in the world. LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership.

“The award of LEED certification punctuates the roll-out of the College’s updated Climate Action Plan, which leans heavily on energy reduction to meet its greenhouse-gas emission goals, as well as creating a healthier campus,” Kalamazoo College Associate Vice President of Facilities Management and Chief Sustainability Officer Susan Lindemann said. “This is a significant achievement toward that plan.”

The 29,600-square-foot, two-story natatorium opened in 2021. During the natatorium’s design and construction, the collaborators considered materials, efficient design, and the overall health of the facility’s users in their sustainable practices. The features and elements that led to LEED certification status include:

  • A light-toned roof that helps prevent heat from being reflected into the atmosphere.
  • Efficient rainwater and stormwater management that ensures runoff from storms up to a 98th percentile event will be retained onsite.
  • Low-flow plumbing fixtures installed to reduce the water used in toilets, showers and sinks.
  • Native-plant landscaping that eliminates the need for irrigation.
  • Heat systems that recover energy for the pool air and water.
  • Dedicated outdoor air systems that provide fresh air and efficient heat for spectator areas and locker rooms.
  • A chloramine evacuator system that uses vents to reduce air contaminants where swimmers breathe while preventing a chloramine build up in the building.
  • Bicycle infrastructure with indoor and outdoor parking spaces.
  • Additional energy and water meters to monitor the use of resources.
  • Construction practices that allowed 52 percent of the construction waste to be diverted from landfills.

The natatorium features eight competition lanes, a separate diving area with 1-meter and 3-meter boards, on-deck seating for athletes, a dryland training room, an office suite for coaches and meet management, a high-quality timing system and large scoreboard, varsity team locker rooms for swimmers and divers and a display space of awards in the lobby.

“The new natatorium is truly one-of-a-kind. Its design emphasizes the idea that buildings, which traditionally have a very heavy energy use, can be designed efficiently while still prioritizing the needs and health of student athletes,” said Perry Hausman, manager of mechanical engineering at TowerPinkster. “We are especially proud of the design choices Kalamazoo College selected to promote healthy indoor air quality for a facility type that is so often associated with odors. Congratulations to Kalamazoo College for this incredible honor and for their commitment to sustainable building initiatives.”

Take a virtual tour of Kalamazoo College’s natatorium.
The pool in the Kalamazoo College natatorium, which has earned LEED certification
K’s natatorium has earned LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Natatorium observation deck
Kalamazoo College’s natatorium features eight competition lanes, a separate diving area with 1-meter and 3-meter boards, on-deck seating for athletes, a dryland training room, varsity team locker rooms for swimmers and divers, and more.

K Welcomes Rakugo Comedian, Storyteller Katsura Sunshine

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A storyteller and comedian with Broadway credits will be the featured presenter at Kalamazoo College’s Kafu Lecture on Thursday, April 20, in the Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts.

Katsura Sunshine is one of only a few living non-Japanese masters of rakugo, a 400-year-old tradition of comic-monologue storytelling in Japan. In the practice, a lone storyteller, dressed in a kimono, kneels on a cushion while using a fan and a hand towel as props. 

To become a professional rakugoka, a storyteller must be apprenticed to a master, from whom the storyteller receives a stage name. Sunshine, originally from Canada, first was accepted as an apprentice to the rakugo storytelling master Katsura Bunshi VI in September 2008. He debuted professionally on April 26, 2009, in Singapore, and completed his three-year rakugo apprenticeship in November 2011. 

Sunshine has performed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Gabon, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia and Japan. Reviews of Sunshine’s critically-acclaimed performances, such as a 2019 review from the New York Times, say his tales and prologues are full of self-deprecating humor, placing him in scenarios where he commonly plays an outsider. Watch excerpts from his previous performances in English and Japanese at Sunshine’s YouTube channel. 

The Kafu Lecture was established in 1982 by an anonymous donor in honor of Nagai Kafu, an acclaimed 20th century Japanese writer. Kafu studied at Kalamazoo College during the 1904-05 academic year. Admission to the event is free and open to the public. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7.

The event is cosponsored by K’s departments of Japanese, theatre and anthropology-sociology, and the Soga Japan Center at Western Michigan University. For more information, email K’s Department of Japanese at japanese@kzoo.edu. 

Rakugo Comedian and Storyteller Katsura Sunshine Performing
Katsura Sunshine is a master of rakugo, a 400-year-old Japanese art of comedy and storytelling. He will perform in a free show at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in Dalton Theatre at Light Fine Arts.
Sunshine’s YouTube channel features some of his English performances of rakugo.

K President Named to ACE Board of Directors

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Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez was named today to serve on the Board of Directors for the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities. His term will start after the ACE annual meeting April 15 and run through September 2026. 

ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community toward shaping effective public policy and professional practice to benefit students, communities and the public good. More than 1,700 colleges and universities, related associations and other organizations in the U.S. and abroad make ACE the only major higher education association to represent two-year and four-year, public and private degree-granting institutions.

“I’m honored to be joining the ACE board as an institutional representative of the Council of Independent Colleges,” Gonzalez said. “I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues to support the work of ACE, an organization that advocates for educational innovation and champions equity and access to a high-quality education for all students.”

Gonzalez has served as K’s president since July 2016 and has been a fierce advocate of the liberal arts. He previously served Occidental College as its vice president for academic affairs and dean from 2010–2016. Before working at Occidental, Gonzalez was an economics faculty member at Trinity University for 21 years.

Gonzalez served as the president of the International Trade and Finance Association in 2014. He is the president of the Board of the F.W. and Elsie L. Heyl Science Scholarship Fund and serves on the boards of the Annapolis Group, Michigan Independent Colleges and Universities, Michigan Colleges Alliance, Bronson Healthcare Group, Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.

“I deeply appreciate Jorge’s service to the ACE Board of Directors and dedication to helping ACE carry out our mission to mobilize American higher education for the good of our students and communities,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said.

Read today’s announcement from ACE on its website.

Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez named to ACE Board of Directors
Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez will serve on the Board of Directors for the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating body for the nation’s colleges and universities.

Fulbright Extends U.S. Student Program Top Producer Honors to K

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The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has named Kalamazoo College a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for U.S. Students. This recognition is given to the U.S. colleges and universities that received the highest number of applicants selected for the 2022-23 Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

K has four representatives in the U.S. Student Program, leading to the honor for the fifth time in the past six years. K is the only college in Michigan to earn the top producer distinction in the bachelor’s institution category.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships to graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists so they may teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year.

Many candidates apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program as graduating seniors, though alumni may apply as well. Graduating seniors apply through their institution. Alumni can apply as scholars through their institution or as at-large candidates.

K’s student representatives in 2022-23 and their host countries are Rebecca Chan, Taiwan; Libby Burton and Kiernan Dean-Hall, Germany; and Julia Bienstock, Spain. Associate Professor of Biology Santiago Salinas represents K as a Fulbright Scholar, and Matthew Flotemersch ’20 was accepted into Fulbright’s U.S. Teaching Assistant Program in Austria for 2022-23.

“This distinction reminds us of what intercultural experiences mean to our students and why Kalamazoo College is an exceptional model for learning on a global scale,” Center for International Programs Executive Director Margaret Wiedenhoeft said. “We’re extremely proud of all of this year’s Fulbright representatives and our status as international immersion leaders.”

About the Fulbright Program

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. It is also among the largest and most diverse exchange programs in the world.

Fulbright awards about 9,000 merit-based scholarships in the United States and more than 160 countries every year to accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds and fields. Fulbrighters study, teach, conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to complex global challenges. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually.

Rebecca Chan for Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Rebecca Chan ’22
Libby Burton '22
Libby Burton ’22

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State, funded by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.

“On behalf of President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken, congratulations to the colleges and universities recognized as 2022-2023 Fulbright Top Producing Institutions, and to all the applicants who were selected for the Fulbright Program this year,” said Lee Satterfield, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “Thanks to the visionary leadership of these institutions, administrators, and advisors, a new generation of Fulbrighters—changemakers, as I like to say—will catalyze lasting impact on their campus, in their communities and around the world.”

Kiernan Dean Hall
Kiernan Dean-Hall ’22
Fulbright Recipient Julia Bienstock 22
Julia Bienstock ’22

Matthew Flotemersch ’20

Honors, Philanthropy Prompt College’s Top 10 Stories

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In 2022, national publications continued to recognize Kalamazoo College as an outstanding institution of higher education. That reputation was furthered through the achievements of faculty, staff and academic departments, and donors funding K’s strategic plan, Advancing Kalamazoo College: A Strategic Vision for 2023. Here are the institution’s top 10 stories this year as determined by your clicks. Find the top stories from our students, faculty and staff, and alumni.

10. K Confers Lucasse, Ambrose Honors

K awarded one faculty member and one staff member with two of the highest awards it bestows on its employees with Professor of Psychology Bob Batsell earning the Lucasse Fellowship for Excellence in Scholarship, and Student Health and Counseling Centers Office Coordinator Jen Combes granted the W. Haydn Ambrose Prize.

Lucasse Recipient Robert Batsell in class_fb
Professor of Psychology Bob Batsell
Ambrose Award Recipient Jen Combes
Student Health and Counseling Centers Office Coordinator Jen Combes receives the Ambrose Prize from Kalamazoo College President Jorge G. Gonzalez.

9. Gift Benefits History Projects, Honors Emeriti Professors

Thanks to a lead anonymous gift, and the philanthropy of other donors, a new endowed fund is supporting exemplary seniors and their Senior Integrated Projects in the Department of History while honoring two of the department’s emeriti professors, David Strauss and John Wickstrom.

Emeriti Professors Barclay, Strauss and WickstromEmeriti History Professors John Wickstrom, David Barclay and David Strauss
Emeriti History Professors John Wickstrom, David Barclay and David Strauss

8. Money Magazine Credits K for Quality, Affordability, Outcomes

K is gaining global repute among some of the top institutions in higher education with Money magazine ranking K 19th among the country’s liberal arts and sciences colleges and 50th in the Midwest regardless of public or private status.

Money Magazine_fb

7. German Studies Program Receives National Honor

K’s Department of German Studies was one of just three programs in the country this year honored by the American Association of Teachers of German with a German Center of Excellence award. The designation is presented to well-established and growing programs with demonstrated excellence in instruction, and strong support from administration, professional colleagues, alumni and students.

The faculty members in K’s German department include Co-Chair and Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Assistant Professor of German Kathryn Sederberg, Co-Chair and Professor of Classics Elizabeth Manwell, Instructor of German Stefania Malacrida and Assistant Professor of German Petra Watzke.

Kathryn Sederberg teaching a course in German
Kathryn Sederberg is the Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Assistant Professor of German and co-chair of the Department of German Studies.
Petra Watzke
Assistant Professor of German Petra Watzke

6. K Announces $250,000 Gift to Support Faculty-Led Student Research, Creative Works

Students participating in faculty-advised research or creative projects now have access to dedicated funding thanks to a $250,000 gift from a couple who previously served as members of the K’s faculty and administration.

The Richard J. Cook and Teresa M. Lahti Endowment for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity was established to facilitate faculty-student collaborative work. The fund provides stipends, materials and essential project-related travel assistance to students engaged in such research or creative activity.

Faculty-Student Research and Creative Works Endowment
Richard J. Cook and Teresa M. Lahti

5. Princeton Review: K Offers Value, a Chance to Make an Impact

An independent study from the Princeton Review shows that K provides one of the most outstanding returns on investment in higher education. The education-services company profiles and recommends K in the 2022 edition of The Best Value Colleges, an annual guide to undergraduate schools, and again in The Best 388 Colleges.

The Princeton Review doesn’t rank the Best Value Colleges. However, K received a separate honor in The Best Value Colleges guide as the College was ranked No. 18 on a list of the Top 20 Private Colleges Where Students Are Making an Impact. This means K students said through surveys that their student-government opportunities, the College’s sustainability efforts and K’s on-campus student engagement are providing students with opportunities to make a difference in their community.

Stetson Chapel in Fall for Best Value Colleges
The Princeton Review examined more than 650 institutions for this year’s list.

4. Fulbright Again Honors K as a Top Producer of Scholarship Recipients

K had six representatives from the class of 2021 in Fulbright’s U.S. Student Program, leading to the College receiving top producer status for the fourth time in five years.

K’s representatives in 2021-22 and their host countries were Helen Pelak ’21, Australia; Katherine Miller-Purrenhage ’21, Germany; Sophia Goebel ’21, Spain; Molly Roberts ’21, France; Margaret Totten ’21, Thailand; Nina Szalkiewicz ’21, Austria; and Evelyn Rosero ’13, South Korea.

Katherine Miller-Purrenhage in Germany
Katherine Miller-Purrenhage ’21

3. Forbes Praises K for Successful Student Outcomes

If you’re a student who wants an excellent education at a great price, K will provide it, according to Forbes magazine. Forbes also says choosing K means you’ll follow in the footsteps of successful entrepreneurs and countless influential leaders in their fields.

The magazine chose K as the top private college in Michigan, ranking it third in the state overall and No. 183 in the country among its picks of the top 500 schools in the U.S.

Students Sitting in a Circle on the Lower Quad for Forbes Rankings

2. K Parents Geoffrey and Kathleen Fieger Create Endowed Scholarship

A generous $1 million gift from Geoffrey N. Fieger and Kathleen J. Fieger will support current and future students by funding the Keenie and Julian Fieger Endowed Scholarship, named for Kathleen and the couple’s son Julian.

Geoffrey and Kathleen Fieger_fb
Geoffrey N. Fieger and Kathleen J. Fieger

1. City Approves 2022 Campus Master Plan

K received approval from the city’s commissioners in October to move forward with a master plan that focuses on enhancing and expanding the on-campus living experience while strengthening the connection between K’s campus and the surrounding community.

Kalamazoo College Campus Master Plan
City commissioners have approved Kalamazoo College’s 2022 Campus Master Plan.