Students Archives - Page 6 of 53

Student’s Neuroscience Research Fights ALS

Posted on August 4, 2023August 4, 2023

When progress is made in the fight against neurological afflictions such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, students such as Vivian Schmidt ’25 often are on the frontlines of research.

Schmidt, a biology and psychology double major with a concentration in neuroscience at Kalamazoo College, is having a cutting-edge experience this summer at the University of Michigan. She is working for 10 weeks in the institution’s Summer Intensive Research Experience in Neuroscience (SIREN) program, a highly desirable opportunity that accepts only about 20 applicants each year out of hundreds. As a bonus, she’s directly working with Michigan faculty such as K alumna Elizabeth Tank ’03, an assistant research scientist in neurology.

The initiative is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, which also provides Schmidt with a stipend and on-campus housing.

“It’s surreal to think that everything I did in high school and my first two years at K led to this opportunity,” Schmidt said. “I’ve met a lot of incredibly witty, smart and established professionals in their field, who have done phenomenal things. It definitely has solidified my desire to come here for graduate school, as well. It’s been amazing to get to know the faculty members and the culture of the program here.”

SIREN research this summer involves a range of topics within neuroscience. Schmidt’s specific project is investigating what goes wrong with a protein that has ties to ALS and dementia to understand the underlying causes of the conditions. The hope is that the science will one day reveal therapeutic options that assist treatment.

“Even the failures are exciting now because I’ve realized they tell me this one thing didn’t work,” Schmidt said. “I ask, ‘Why didn’t this work?’ as opposed to getting down on myself. The daily successes have involved my mental attitude and keeping up my enthusiasm, especially in such a long program, and ultimately, the overall goal is presenting my research.”

In a way, such an opportunity for Schmidt could have been predicted. She’s been interested in studying how people think since high school, and her biology and chemistry classes helped her develop a passion for biological-based research rather than clinical approaches to psychology.

“I wanted to be the one getting my hands dirty in the lab,” she said. “I wanted to be the one who tries to figure out why something failed and then try it again. I’ve known since my first year in high school that I wanted a Ph.D. in neuroscience, and it’s something I’ve been gunning for since.”

Schmidt has received a lot of encouragement from K faculty and staff such as Professor of Biology Blaine Moore, Director of Biology Labs Anne Engh and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Daniela Arias-Rotondo. Moore, however, was the one Schmidt conversed with even before she arrived at K. He, Arias-Rotondo, and Engh have written countless letters of recommendation on her behalf.

Vivian Schmidt presenting her neuroscience research poster to five people at the University of Michigan — Vivian Schmidt ’25, a biology and psychology double major with a concentration in neuroscience, presents her summer research at the University of Michigan.

“I did my apprenticeship with Dr. Moore in the spring after he was phenomenally supportive throughout my first year, so I made him my official academic advisor,” she said. “He’s been great at guiding me with which classes to take and pushing me to do what he knows I’m capable of. I might not 100% believe in myself all the time, but I know he believes in me. Kalamazoo College is better for him being there.”

Study abroad opportunities and a wide range of subjects within her reach were big reasons why she chose K.

“The fact that I could do a double major and still have room to take classes that had absolutely nothing to do with neuroscience was a huge draw,” she said. “My first year I took jazz explorations and Hindu traditions and they were some of my favorites. I don’t think I would have been able to do that at another school.”

Thanks to a well-rounded K-Plan, Schmidt also plays on the women’s lacrosse team, participates in an astrophotography- and astronomy-focused student organization she co-founded called Konstellation, and plans programming for first-generation students like herself through the Intercultural Center. But research will always be her focus at K, throughout graduate school, and hopefully, in her professional life.

“I’ve been tossing around a few ideas, because with a Ph.D., I could go an industrial route or go into teaching, or I could work somewhere like the Van Andel Institute, where I could just be a research scientist,” she said. “I’ve always had a bit of an interest in teaching, mentorship and explaining things to people, too. At this moment, I’m thinking I would love to be a professor at an institution where I can teach and do research. That would be ideal, but no matter what, as long as research is involved, I’m going to be happy.”

Computer Science Internship Pairs Sports with Technology

Posted on July 28, 2023September 12, 2023

When Jordan Doyle ’26 thinks about what prompted her love for computer science, she remembers a turtle from her childhood. The half-shelled protagonist was the star of a block-coding application that challenged her and children like her to send it across a screen in a number of moves.

“I got into it when I was little because it felt like a puzzle to me,” Doyle said. “I loved puzzles and coding was just a puzzle to solve.”

Since, she has continued seeking puzzles through computer science. Doyle built her interest and knowledge in classes throughout high school, while specialties such as cybersecurity piqued her interest even more. And now, Doyle is anticipating that she will declare a computer science major in the upcoming academic year at Kalamazoo College, where she also plays women’s lacrosse and participates in the Computer Science Society and the Eco Club.

This summer, she is building more technology experience away from Kalamazoo while working alongside a network of cohorts and professionals, thanks to a Women in Sports Technology (WiST) fellowship.

WiST is a non-profit organization that seeks to drive transformative growth opportunities for women in fields ranging from athletics biotechnology to sports gambling. The organization chose 22 fellows this year from 21 schools across the country, such as Duke University, Stanford University and—with Doyle’s fellowship—Kalamazoo College. All of them serve in internships of up to eight weeks with a sports technology enterprise or innovative startup while receiving a grant of up to $5,000, plus travel stipends, if necessary.

Computer science major Jordan Doyle wearing a women's lacrosse jersey — Jordan Doyle ’26, a midfielder on the Kalamazoo College women’s lacrosse team, is interning this summer with Sports-Reference.com through Women in Sports Technology.

As a rising sophomore, Doyle is interning remotely from her home in Troy, Michigan, on a software engineering team with Sports-Reference.com, a group of sites that provides statistics and sabermetrics to sports fans.

“They look to democratize data,” she said. “If you look on any of their websites, you’ll see tables full of data for football, soccer, baseball—it’s a bunch of reference sites that can help you find the stats from almost any game. I focus mostly on finding and resolving bugs on the website, as well as doing some testing work and adding a couple of features on my own.”

WiST places interns like Doyle in positions that touch on both technology and sports because women are drastically underrepresented in sports-related and STEM professions, and in STEM majors in higher education. Women comprise only 28% of the workforce in STEM-related careers and just 19% of computer and information science majors in higher education, according to the American Association for University Women. That makes Doyle’s experience with Sports-Reference.com even more valuable to her.

“It’s empowering to know that I’m getting opportunities to move forward in this career path,” Doyle said. “As women we are one of the underrepresented groups and I love having this opportunity to connect with other women who have similar interests so I can see their successes throughout their careers. I love the idea of having opportunities that create change in the world through technology.”

Her Future is so Bright, She Invented Shades

Jordan Doyle’s experience with technology and innovation doesn’t stop at computers.

Doyle was participating in a lacrosse match on a sunny fall day in seventh grade when she grew frustrated with EyeBlack, a substance that rolls on under an athlete’s eyes to reduce glare. The negative experience led her to research visors for her protective goggle, while only finding products for sports such as football and softball.

With necessity being the mother of invention, Doyle made her own visor, designing it with the plastic of a salad container and a clinging shade shield that is commonly put on cars. She worked more in high school innovation classes that helped her design it further, and a meeting with a patent attorney later yielded sketch drawings and a patent.

Since her high school graduation, she’s finalized her initial prototype for Sun Goggles, a project she continues pursuing. Hear more from Doyle in the video here.

‘We Have Stars in Our Eyes:’ International Student Reflects on Year at K

Posted on July 19, 2023July 20, 2023

International student Claudia Klos studies on the Quad in fall — Claudia Klos prepares French labs in front of DeWaters Hall in October 2022. She said Kalamazoo had the most beautiful autumn colors she had ever seen.

International student Claudia Klos in an inflatable pretzel — Claudia Klos (right) with international student and German TA Olivia Machnik at a German department event in May 2023.

International student Claudia Klos surrounded by snow at Kalamazoo College — “I adored the snow,” said Claudia Klos, a student at Sciences Po Strasbourg who spent the 2022-23 academic year at Kalamazoo College.

When Claudia Klos left France for Kalamazoo College in fall 2022, she was afraid she would be homesick for her parents.

Now, in summer 2023, she has the opposite problem.

“Life got so busy at K, that this void which is created when we leave our home is immediately filled with new discoveries, new people, new friendships, new places and new activities,” Klos said. “Kalamazoo was a great place for me to fill this void from home, so much that now that I’m back home, I feel this void again—a new kind of void that was created when I left K.”

Klos came to Kalamazoo via Sciences Po Strasbourg, which she chose for the same reasons many students choose K: an emphasis on multidisciplinary studies and spending time abroad—a mandatory experience for Sciences Po Strasbourg students.

Born and raised in the western suburbs of Paris with Polish heritage, Klos had never thought she would study in the U.S. due to the distance and expense. When she learned about the opportunity to study at K and work as a French teaching assistant, however, she immediately wanted to go.

“I’ve always loved languages and I really thought it would be a great experience for me,” Klos said. “I think that giving myself some responsibilities would do me only good. I wanted to challenge myself. The financial benefits of being a TA were obviously part of the decision, too.”

Along with two other students from France who worked as TAs at K over the past academic year, Klos had the opportunity before coming to Kalamazoo to meet with Asia Bennett, assistant director and exchange student advisor with the Center for International Programs (CIP), as well as K students who were studying abroad in Strasbourg.

“It was very nice meeting them and knowing that we would see each other on the other side of the Earth a little bit later,” Klos said. “The CIP does amazing work. I felt very listened to, they have very fast answers to your questions, and every step was made clear.”

Before she arrived in Kalamazoo on her 21st birthday in September 2022, Klos was hoping that the French classes for which she was a TA would go smoothly.

“I was also hoping for a year of discoveries,” she said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime adventure so we better not waste it. Those discoveries came with traveling, meeting people and sharing the lives of people we encounter on the other side of the planet, and discovering the life of the student in America to be able to compare it to the life of European students. I was hoping to live this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience to the fullest.”

Three students giving thumbs up on campus — Visiting international students and French TAs Gabin Wagner, Louis Landreau and Claudia Klos enjoy some sunshine while studying in May 2023.

International students make hearts with hand gestures at Hicks Student Center — Visiting international students and language TAs Lena Horl, Gabin Wagner and Claudia Klos commemorate the November 11, 1918, signing of the armistice between the Allies of World War I and Germany. Horl is from Germany, while Wagner is from the Alsace-Lorraine region of France, which was controlled by Germany during World War I, and Klos is from France with family roots in Poland, which observes National Independence Day on November 11.

Students dressed up for Monte Carlo — Dressed up for Monte Carlo in May 2023 are (from left) Lorena Velasco Navarro, Louis Landreau, Gabriela Perez Chapado, Gabin Wagner, Clara Salomon, Laura Reinaux and Claudia Klos.

Her first impressions were that K was charming and very green. She loved the beauty, comfort, common spaces and fireplaces in her dorm, Harmon Hall, and in the library.

Klos appreciated the chance to speak English in everyday life and experience American student life, which she found different in many ways. She was surprised by how students were encouraged to participate in sports and the arts. In addition to attending concerts and shows, Klos participated in intramural volleyball.

“This year made me want to engage myself in some team sports,” she said. “The energy it had at K was amazing and that is something I will remember.”

The residential campus offered another difference from Klos’ life as a student in France, where she had attended a rigorous prep school that demanded the majority of her time and energy.

“My social life had never been as rich as at K, where we were always around people,” Klos said. “We were with people in class and out every day, and actually, I didn’t get tired of it. People talk about social batteries lowering down, which I understand, but I was surprised with not having this problem and being happy to always be around people.”

The close relationships engendered by the residential campus helped Klos learn about herself, grow personally, and develop a more balanced approach to school, rest and life.

“Since I knew that my time at K was limited, the fact that the experience was evanescent made it precious,” she said. “I learned to find a balance because I never thought about doing so before in my life. Before, the academic part always dominated, whereas here, the social dimension of the experience dominated, too, so I needed to manage both. We would have study sessions in the DeWaters Hall basement, and nobody would really advance in book work. Everybody would chat and laugh, and we would say, ‘No, we’re not studying, we’re creating memories!’ This is something we would say ironically, but it was still accurate, and that’s something important I learned from this year thanks to friendships.”

When interpersonal conflicts or difficulties arose, Klos reminded herself that they wouldn’t last long.

“I would think about how lucky I am to be finding myself so far away from home with amazing people in an amazing place,” she said. “In January, I was feeling down, so I started making a list of things I am grateful for. Before sleeping, I would write down something nice that happened each day, even if it was something little. It contributed to making me remember how amazing this experience was despite having troubles.”

Three students attending a tennis match — Visiting international student Claudia Klos (left), who came to K from France and whose family is Polish, watches Hornet tennis in April 2023 with Kinga Fraczkiewicz ’26, who is from Scotland and Poland, and visiting international student Olivia Machnik, who is from Germany and Poland.

One of those concerns was the consumption of resources she saw in the U.S.

“I had a problem with the air conditioning,” Klos said. “I thought that it was a waste of energy, of CO2 emissions. Also, the fact that the lights were on all the time stuck with me. I noticed contrasting details of everyday life between the U.S. and Europe; for example, there is so much water in the bowl of the toilets. They still give plastic bags everywhere. I’m trying to understand all the differences and I see how American culture assures abundance and emphasizes comfort rather than resources.”

While Klos enjoyed all her classes, especially political science, she was initially caught off guard by the differences between college courses in France and Kalamazoo.

“In the fall term, I was there with my computer ready to be tapping and tapping and tapping, because that is how we do that in European universities,” Klos said. “That was not the case at all. We had a teacher that asked us questions, we’re doing exercises together; it’s not just the teacher giving us this material and us absorbing it. I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to do all these readings for every class, I didn’t even know that there was a syllabus, it was very confusing. But then in spring, I was prepared, and I knew how things worked. Then I really liked this approach of us doing readings, so accumulating some knowledge, and then being able to reflect over that with the professor making the lecture but also having class discussions with us.”

She particularly appreciated how language classes are taught at K (Klos took German in addition to being a TA for French), and the relationships between students and professors. Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies Aurélie Chatton provided support, openness and a listening ear for all the French TAs. While she initially did not want to take the economics classes Sciences Po Strasbourg required, Klos found encouragement and positive challenge from Department Co-Chair and Edward and Virginia Van Dalson Professor of Economics Patrik Hultberg and Assistant Professor of Economics Darshana Udayanganie.

“I really liked the concept of office hours and the relationship between students and professors,” Klos said. “In France, we don’t feel close at all to our teachers. I used office hours a lot and I’m grateful to every professor for making them. Thanks to these relationships, I could navigate classes more easily. It feels good when professors are demanding because it brings us up.”

International student Claudia Klos poses in front of Stetson Chapel on the way to lunch in November 2022.

Four female students watching a baseball game — International student Claudia Klos (right) attends a K baseball game in April 2023 with Spanish international student and TA Clara Salomon, Laura Reinaux ’25 and Spanish international student and TA Lorena Velasco-Navarro.

Three female students bundled up to watch a football game — International student Claudia Klos (right) braves the cold to attend the Hornets’ last home football game in November 2022 with Spanish international student and TA Clara Salomon and Laura Reinaux ’25.

That balance of challenge and support was evident for Klos in her relationship with Political Science Professor and William Weber Chair of Social Science Amy Elman.

“All of the challenge was rewarded since she got to know us and know our center of interest,” Klos said. “The professors were a big part of my experience.”

Knowing Klos’ interests, Elman recommended her for EP-JMN Summer School, a June program at the University of Salamanca in Spain, where Klos met students from different parts of Europe and learned more about the European Union and various cultures.

This fall, her travels will continue with a September program in eastern France that includes educational seminars followed by opportunities to teach the topics to school children.

“I know that I got into that program thanks to my experiences at K, because I told them, ‘Listen, I’ve been teaching French in the U.S. for one year. I know how to present subjects and to deal with a class.’”

Then, in October, Klos will begin a year of study in Krakow, where she looks forward to living for the first time in the country of her family’s heritage.

“It’s going to be another amazing experience away from France that waits for me,” Klos said. “When one is abroad, everything is an amazement—the most boring streets, the most boring cars and houses for a local person—it is an amazement for a foreigner. I liked taking walks in the cemetery near campus, and it looks nothing like a cemetery in Europe. Just walking in Kalamazoo streets, the houses are so American. The most basic thing is so specific to this country I’m in, and so different from home, even though it’s the same thing. I think that we go back to childhood when we study abroad because we discover new things all the time. The most boring things become amazing, and we have stars in our eyes every time we see the most random thing, the most basic thing. That happens when we go abroad, so I would encourage anyone who is thinking about studying abroad to go for it.”

Language Conference in Japan Spotlights K Student, Professor

Posted on July 12, 2023March 7, 2024

Associate Professor of Japanese Noriko Sugimori and William Shaw ’23 presented a paper titled “Evaluating the Language Policy Effects of Imperial Honorifics in the Japanese Historical Corpus” on June 16 at the annual meeting of the Japan Association for Language Policy at Reitaku University in Chiba, Japan.

The pandemic prevented Shaw from studying abroad in Japan as a student at K. However, he became the first recipient of the Roselee Bundy Student Travel to East Asia Fund, which enabled him to attend the language policy conference.

The fund, named after the late professor emerita, provides students with benefits to perform SIP research and conference presentations, seek some types of internships, and—in some cases—receive travel expenses, living expenses and archive fees related to distinct research projects in Asia.

For their presentation, Shaw analyzed historical Japanese texts in Chinese and Japanese characters from the eighth century onward using the skills he acquired during his Senior Integrated Project (SIP) under Sugimori’s supervision. As a computer science major with a minor in Japanese and mathematics, Shaw impressed the audience by delivering his presentation entirely in Japanese, which he had studied only at K. He is also a member of the Japanese National Honor Society, along with fellow 2023 graduates Robin Dudd, Madeline Schroeder and Mikki Wong. He will continue his work as a research assistant for Sugimori’s Japanese historical sociolinguistics project this summer.

“The presentation was largely thanks to Dr. Sugimori,” Shaw said. “My part focused on the data-collection aspect and what we found numerically when searching for occurrences of honorific phrases/words in NINJAL’s (the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics) corpus of historical Japanese. At the conference, Dr. Sugimori explained much of the premise and results of our work, and I explained the graphs and number-side of it. We met frequently on campus to work on it and I practiced my part orally so she could correct my pronunciation and flow.”

Sugimori benefited from the Great Lakes Colleges Association NEH Endowment for this experience in Japan. The fund covers travel to Japan, within Japan or to other East Asian countries as a part of projects related to the study of Japan. The fund is available to faculty members from GLCA and Associated Colleges of the Midwest schools.

Sugimori also received a benefit from the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL) Faculty and Staff Fund, which aims to support K faculty and staff on expanding or initiating new and innovative lines of learning, engagement, advocacy and research around social justice issues.

William Shaw and Professor Sugimori attend language conference in Japan — Associate Professor of Japanese Noriko Sugimori (right) and William Shaw ’23 presented a paper titled “Evaluating the Language Policy Effects of Imperial Honorifics in the Japanese Historical Corpus” at the annual meeting of the Japan Association for Language Policy at Reitaku University in Chiba, Japan.

Donate in Memory of Professor Roselee Bundy

If you would like to support K students and give in memory of Professor Bundy, please make a gift online to the Roselee Bundy Student Travel to Asia Fund. For more information, please contact Lindsay O’Donohue at 269.337.7299 or lindsay.odonohue@kzoo.edu.
Learn more about Bundy and the academic legacy of K’s Department of East Asian Studies in the winter 2023 edition of LuxEsto.

Holy Cow! That Baseball Broadcaster is a K Student

Posted on July 7, 2023January 10, 2024

When significant sports moments are celebrated, fans turn to broadcasters for the words that will help make those moments historic. Zach Metz ’25 doesn’t yet have something like “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” to call his own, but he’s been preparing to be a broadcaster for years.

“I would always be the kid who turned the volume down on a TV sports broadcast to commentate on the game,” he said. “It’s just a passion I’ve had since I was little.”

You might know Metz as a business major; the voice of the Hornets for Kalamazoo College’s baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse teams; or a quarterback for K’s football team. But this summer, he’s interning as the play-by-play livestream broadcaster with the Grand Lake Mariners in Celina, Ohio, one of 14 cities with a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League team.

“I knew about the Great Lakes league through some of our players at K who had played in it, so I went on the league’s website, and I filled out an interest form,” Metz said. “I said, ‘I would like to broadcast,’ and Dave Maurer, our assistant general manager reached out. I sent him my materials and interviewed, and they offered me the job. I was excited to take it.”

His internship began quickly after K’s baseball team earned a 10-5 victory against Adrian in May, a triumph that gave the Hornets their first outright Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season title since 1927.

“Calling the final out of that game was a lot of fun for me, especially with it being a game we had to win to get the outright title,” Metz said. “Whenever there’s a crucial RBI at the end of the game and you can really put some excitement into it, it’s fun. But I loved knowing that what I was doing at that moment was a small part of what the players and their families got out of it.”

After that, Metz was off to Ohio, where the Mariners are the second-oldest team in their league and are named for being on the shores of Grand Lake St. Mary’s. He stays with the team’s assistant general manager and applauds the franchise for welcoming interns as well as it does.

Grand Lake Mariners Broadcaster Zach Metz — Zach Metz ’25 is the livestream broadcaster for the Grand Lake Mariners, a Great Lakes Summer Baseball League team in Celina, Ohio.

“Fortunately, this role in this league is pretty similar to what I do in college, so there hasn’t been a lot new to me aside from the players using wooden bats,” Metz said. “I talked a lot to the players on our team. I learned what their pitchers throw. Other than that, it’s not much different from any other game I’ve ever done. It’s finding the stats, putting them into a format that I like and rolling with it.”

Preparing for a game in the summer league involves putting together a packet for each Mariners opponent with their schedule, record, players’ stats, team stats and potential storylines.

“With baseball being slower, there’s more time to tell a story,” Metz said. “It usually takes about an hour for each side per packet in a format that’s easy to read.”

Taking to the road means additional challenges.

“On road trips, we don’t have video for our broadcasts—only the home team does—so it turns into more of a radio broadcast,” Metz said. “In that case, it requires me to prepare more because I need to talk more. I can’t stop and let things play out for a minute because the person listening doesn’t know what’s going on if I don’t talk. It can get a little tiring if the game isn’t going well for the Mariners, but really, I just need to get more preparation done.”

Yet no matter where he roams or where he broadcasts from, K—along with its community—will always be special to him.

Football Coach Jamie Zorbo “has helped me in learning how to approach academics and time management,” Metz said. “Steve Wideen, our sports information director, was the one who got me into broadcasting at K. I talked to him once and he said, ‘Alright, we’ll get you going.’ I did one game and he said, ‘we’re going to keep you.’ And Tanner White, too, another member of the football team who graduated last year was the broadcaster at K before I came here. We were in the middle of football camp once and I happened to get into the same ice bath with him after practice. He immediately said, ‘Let’s talk broadcasting.’ He told me everywhere to go, everything I need to get there, and we worked together for a year.”

Portrait of Zach Metz — Metz is a business major, the voice of the Hornets for Kalamazoo College’s baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and lacrosse teams, and a quarterback for K’s football team.

He expects such connections, along with his internship, to be integral to his future.

“When I was deciding between colleges, I didn’t think I wanted to go to K because they didn’t have a set broadcasting or communications program,” Metz said. “But since I’ve been here, the people who helped me get these opportunities to broadcast and propel me forward have been so important. If I had to pick schools again, I’d pick K without a doubt. Aside from the actual education for me as a broadcaster, the connections you make and the people you meet are super important. That’s ultimately why I chose K and I’m thrilled I’m here.”

Record Number of Recent K Grads Named Fulbright Fellows

Posted on July 5, 2023December 1, 2023

Fulbright Fellows: Ben Flotemersch — Ben Flotemersch ’23

Fulbright Fellows: Kanase Matsuzki — Kanase Matsuzaki ’23

Fulbright Fellows: Natalie Call holds an alpaca with mountains in the background — Natalie Call ’23

A record number of 10 recent Kalamazoo College graduates, including six from the class of 2023, are heading overseas this year as Fulbright fellows.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships to graduating seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—so they may teach English, perform research or study abroad for one academic year. The honor is among the highest the federal government provides in regard to scholarship and international exchange. K consistently has been identified in recent years as one of the country’s Fulbright Top Producing Institutions for U.S. Students.

K’s representatives and their destinations this year are Natalie Call ’23, Denmark; Vincent DeSanto ’23, Austria; Ben Flotemersch ’23, Austria; Sean Gates ’23, Austria; Samuel Kendrick ’23, Uzbekistan; Kanase Matsuzaki ’23, Jordan; Rachel Cornell ’22, Ecuador; Anna Dorniak ’20, Poland; Nat Markech ’21, South Korea; and Garrett Sander ’19, Mexico.

Professor of English Amelia Katanski will also represent K through Fulbright this year as a U.S. Scholar Program selectee in Australia. Katanski will be working with faculty at the University of Wollongong to develop curriculum that will better prepare K students for study abroad there.

Fulbright has provided more than 400,000 participants with opportunities to exchange ideas and contribute to solutions to shared international concerns since its inception in 1946. Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors, and the world and have included 41 heads of state or government, 62 Nobel Laureates, 89 Pulitzer Prize winners, 78 MacArthur Fellows, and countless leaders and changemakers who carry forward the Fulbright mission of enhancing mutual understanding.

Fulbright Fellow Sam Kendrick — Sam Kendrick ’23

Fulbright Fellow Sean Gates — Sean Gates ’23

Grazing Research Puts Mowing on the Lamb

Posted on June 29, 2023December 12, 2023

Three women set up electric fencing for grazing sheep — Aerin Braunohler ’24 (from left), Ava Loncharte ’25 and Mellon Fellow for Experiential Learning Amy Newday set up fencing for grazing sheep arriving at Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Grazing sheep peek out of a trailer — Sheep from Tending Tilth LLC, a local contract sheep-grazing business, arrive at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum in Oshtemo Township.

Sheep grazing at Lillian Anderson Arboretum — Sheep from Tending Tilth LLC begin grazing at Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

If you’re not sure about the benefits of replacing mowing with grazing in some agricultural applications, don’t knock it until ewes try it.

Two Kalamazoo College students, the Department of Biology and the Tending Tilth LLC farm brought sheep into the Lillian Anderson Arboretum this month in the first part of a study to see whether grazing, controlled burning or a combination of the two could help pare back the need for mowing, thereby reducing the use of fossil fuels and trapping carbon.

Such a practice would be an example of regenerative agriculture, a rehabilitative approach to food and farming systems that is gaining steam through research at K. It focuses on resisting climate change while strengthening the health and vitality of farm soil and the water in it.

One of the students, Aerin Braunohler ’24, is working on the project as part of her Senior Integrated Project (SIP); the other, Ava Loncharte ’25, is the Seminary Hill Sustainability intern with Tending Tilth through the Environmental Stewardship Center. They are working alongside Tending Tilth owner Lauren Burns and Professor of Biology Binney Girdler.

Burns connected with Professor Emeritus Paul Sotherland last year when she was working on another project through Oshtemo Township. In talking with Sotherland about her goals for her contract sheep-grazing business, which included teaching young people about her industry and developing more science on grazing, he recommended involving K students including those working on their SIPs. The idea thrilled Burns who enjoyed having interns when she worked as a zookeeper at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek and Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

“I enjoy sharing my knowledge of conservation and regenerative agriculture with young people,” she said. “I also enjoy hearing about what they’re learning. It’s been exciting to see Aerin learning some new techniques for soil sampling and GPS plotting, and Ava learn more about farming in general and what we can do to take care of the land. They also ask me questions that help me think more about my business long term and the effects we’re having on the environment.”

On June 8, Braunohler, Loncharte, Burns and Girdler, along with a team of Center for Environmental Stewardship employees and volunteers, set up electrical fencing to lead Burns’ sheep from a trailer unloaded at the Batts Pavilion, through the Not So Magnificent Pines and to the Powerline Trail.

Sheep are ushered in to Lillian Anderson Arboretum for grazing — Sheep are ushered in to the Powerline Trail area of the Lillian Anderson Arboretum for grazing.

Student sets up fencing at Lillian Anderson Arboretum — Ava Loncharte ’25, an intern at Tending Tilth LLC, sets up fencing to lead grazing sheep to the Powerline Trail at Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Sheep begin arriving at Lillian Anderson Arboretum — Sheep from Tending Tilth LLC are empowering student research that is examining whether grazing, controlled burning or a combination of the two could help pare back the need for mowing at places such as Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

After about a week of grazing under the power lines, the sheep were removed so Braunohler and Loncharte could collect soil samples and more to measure the benefits of having the animals there. Braunohler now is splitting her time this summer between the arboretum, a Dow Science Center lab, the Gilchrist Rehabilitation Center near Three Rivers, and the Tending Tilth farm to continue the study.

“There’s a lot of research that shows how the action of sheep grazing, through the pressure of their hooves and addition of waste to a landscape, can have regenerative effects on the soil in comparison to mowing as a means of land management,” Braunohler said. “Controlled burns, rooted in indigenous knowledge, are also known to regenerate soil, but there’s not a lot of data that shows the impact of these three practices—mowing, grazing and burning—side by side. I’m excited to see what we find.”

A childhood interest in farms is leading Loncharte, a biology major also considering an environmental studies concentration, toward her own career path in regenerative agriculture. That path flows from her participation in the College’s Just Food Collective—a student-led, sustainable-food systems program available through the Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Center for Civic Engagement. She also tends to crops at the hoop house, a greenhouse on campus that allows students to grow produce year-round.

Tending Tilth LLC owner Lauren Burns leads her sheep to the Powerline Trail at Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Loncharte said that her internship through Tending Tilth so far has taught her that grazing doesn’t provide an exact alternative to mowing as the practices have different outcomes. Instead, mowing provides a short, even cut, while sheep are selective with what they eat, occasionally leaving the grass and plants up to a foot tall. However, grazing provides ecological benefits and soil health as the sheep fertilize, trample and aerate the soil.

“Everything I know about sheep, I’ve learned in this internship,” Loncharte said. “I’ve learned a lot about grazing as a method of regenerative agriculture and how it builds soil health. I’ve also learned about animal husbandry. We just had to treat a sick sheep that has a joint infection, so I learned about giving antibiotics and electrolytes to a sheep that’s limping. And I’ve learned about the business side of being client facing, seeing properties and learning how to make a name for yourself in the community.”

Research will likely need to be repeated and continued over the course of several years to ultimately prove that grazing has the conservation benefits Burns, Braunohler and Loncharte suspect it does. But their patience and continued efforts would pay large dividends in their fields of work.

“I’m really interested to show sheep grazing can help sequester carbon and retain water in soil,” Burns said. “I think evidence of that, climate change-wise, is important. Most businesses want to be able to say that they’re carbon neutral. I think if we prove that we can help in those goals, it would be great for our business and really great for our planet. If we can prove that the plots that are grazed by sheep versus mowing are helping to store more carbon and nitrogen in the soil without having to apply outside fertilizers, that would be a huge step in the regenerative agriculture world.”

Arboretum team poses for a photo — Braunohler (third from left), Loncharte (fourth from left), Burns (fifth from left) and Professor of Biology Binney Girdler (third from right), along with a team of Center for Environmental Stewardship employees and volunteers, set up electrical fencing to lead Burns’ sheep from a trailer unloaded at the Batts Pavilion, through the Not So Magnificent Pines and to the Powerline Trail.

Three students and three sheep at Lillian Anderson Arboretum — Ava Loncharte ’25 (from left), Aerin Braunohler ’24 and Katie Rock ’23 help usher sheep to the Powerline Trail at Lillian Anderson Arboretum.

Sheep at the Lillian Anderson Arboretum — After about a week of grazing under the power lines at Lillian Anderson Arboretum, the Tending Tilth LLC sheep were removed so Braunohler and Loncharte could collect soil samples and more to measure the benefits of having the animals there.

Kalamazoo College Announces Spring 2023 Dean’s List

Posted on June 26, 2023July 20, 2023

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students, who achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or better for a full-time course load of at least three units, without failing or withdrawing from any course, during the Spring 2023 academic term. Students who elect to take a letter-graded course on a credit/no credit basis (CR/NC) are not eligible for Dean’s List consideration during that term. Nor are students who receive an F, NC or W grade for that particular term. Students with incomplete (I) or in-progress (IP) grades will be considered for the Dean’s List upon receipt of their final grades. Dean’s List recognition is posted on students’ transcripts. Kudos to the entire group for Spring 2023.

Spring 2023

A

Abbott, Shannon
Acord, Morgan
Adeniji, Christopher
Ahmed, Fuzail
Ajjarapu, Harsha
Akhavan Tafti, Shahriar
Akhtar, Hashim
Alkema, Maya
Alousi, Adnan
Amaya, Osman
Amini, Zahra
Amir, Darsalam
Andrews, Mia
Ankley, Michael
Anspach, Madison
Apolo, Ava
Armin, Alexandra
Armstrong, Lora
Austin, Clarke

B

Baas, Aidan
Bagchi, Tolkien
Bahena, Litzy
Baker, Lindsey
Baldwin, Baylor
Ballinger, Elizabeth
Barker, Evan
Barnes, Brianna
Bee, Annabel
Bell, Curtis
Bennett, Cassandra
Berg, Mitchell
Berg, Mitchell
Bernas, Eleanor
Beurkens, Jonah
Bigham, Willow
Black, Henry
Black, Katherine
Blackwood, Douglas
Boissoneault, Cara
Bollas, Hugo
Bolling, Trey
Boritzki, Sam
Bos, Daphne
Bougioukou, Eleni
Bowdle, Mabel
Bowen, Adelaide
Bowles-Swain, Jaylen
Boyse-Peacor, Yvette
Braunohler, Aerin
Bretzius, Lauren
Broadsword, Lukas
Brockington, Avery
Bronson, Eamon
Bryant, Chloe
Buck, Anna
Buist, Jaden
Bunnell, Leah
Burleigh, Donovan
Burr, Ian
Butters, Zachary

C

Cadenas, Amaia
Call, Natalie
Campbell, Kennedy
Campion, Eleanor
Cancro, Grace
Cannizzaro, Olivia
Carlson, Chloe
Carlson, John
Caulkins, Emma
Cayton, Christopher
Caza, Isabella
Chafetz, Alexandra
Chalk, Iris
Checkett, Josetta
Cheng, Emily
Cho, Yongwan
Christopher, Trustin
Chun, Noah
Clancy, Eva
Cleland, Lilly
Clingenpeel, Kai
Coleman, Sedona
Collins, Quinn
Cook, Rowan
Cooper, Kyle
Crampton, Violet
Crawley, Gavin
Cripe, Lucy
Crites, Mia
Cross, Isabella
Crossman, Lauren
Crowder Smith, Lilian
Cummins, Chase
Curcuru, Emma

D

Dailey, James
Dalecki, Emily
Damashek, Beatrix
Dang, Minh
Danielson, Erik
Dant, Jessica
Dave, Talia
Davis, Claire
Davis-Rodak, Emma
Deaner, Tali
Debburman, Shruti
Deer, Lillian
Deines, Carson
Dekker, Lille
DeNeen, Ethan
Depauli, Olivia
DeVilbiss, Laura
DeYoung, Devi
Diaz, Liam
Dillbeck, Michaela
Dimagno, Charles
Dodde, Caitlin
Dolorfino, Mallory
Dougherty, Rorie
Douma, Samuel
Dowell, Alexia
Doyle, Jordan
Drew, Ryan
Dubin, Alexander
Dudd, Emily
Duoibes, Katia
Durant, Hannah

E

Eggleston, Sally
Eisenbach, Carter
Ekwegh, Jayla
Elfring, Sara
Elias, Rebecca
Elliot, Elise
Emenyonu, Adaora
Ersher, Dean
Espinoza, Melanie
Essing, Justin
Evans, Gabrielle
Ewald, Caleb
Ewald, Sam

F

Fairbank, Olivia
Fannings, Jazmyne
Farhi, Claire
Faris, Ella
Farr, Brady
Farrey, Madalyn
Fathalla, Andreas
Filkins, Blake
Fischer, Ava
Fitzgerald, Julia
Fitzpatrick, Mabel
Fleming, Payton
Fleming, Sofia
Flink, Jordan
Formell, Kirsten
Foster, Parker
Fouque, Andre
Fraczkiewicz, Kinga
Francis, Caroline
Franco, Janna
Frazier, Grace
Frederiksen, Emma
Frisch, Hana
Fulton, William

G

Gacki, Dillon
Galler, Ethan
Garcia, Aliza
Garcia, Katie
Garcia, Valeria
Garden, Brynna
Gardner, Grey
Gatti, Roberta
Gee, Lyrica
Ghazal, Farah
Ghazal, Johanna
Girdhar, Vrinda
Gladhill, Samuel
Graff, Lukas
Greene, Donovan
Grelak, Lillian
Grinwis, Westin
Gross, Natalie
Groth, Madyson
Guasgua, Cristian
Guitar, Kendra

H

Haas, Marissa
Haas, Sophia
Haga, Yoichi
Hagaman, Sydney
Hahn, Emma
Haigh, Emily
Hang, Vien
Hanifan, Lucas
Hanifan, Ryan
Hankins, Alison
Hannibal, Geneva
Hanson, Garrett
Hanson, Luke
Hanulcik, Madeline
Harman, Rachel
Harris, Eleanor
Hartl, Sophie
Hauke, James
Hawkes, Isabelle
Hawkins, Beatrice
Hayashi, Jiniku
Haywood, Katherine
Heimbuch, Zachary
Hepler, McKenna
Herbst, Megan
Herold, Sophia
Hester, Maya
Heystek, Ella
Hieshetter, Sierra
Hoehle, Bijou
Hoffman, Jacob
Hokanson, Annika
Hole, Thomas
Hollander, Madeline
Holt, Julia
Honda, Ronin
Horman, Cole
Horsfield, Joseph
Horton, Molly
Horvath, Charles
Houle, Tyler
Houtkooper, Gavin
Hubert, Jakob
Hughes, Samuel
Hultberg, Alek
Hume, Michael
Hunt, Devin
Hurley, Ian
Hurley, Madelaine
Hybels, Megan

I

Ibarra, Emiliano
Iereneo, Jalen
Isacksen, Daniel

J

Jackson, Gloria
Jacobo, Angela
James, Tristan
Jennings, Mya
Jesko, John
Jha, Deepa
Jiang, Hao
Jiang, Jonathan
Johnson, Amelia
Johnson, Anne Catherine
Johnson, Cloe
Johnson, Ryan
Joos, Maxwell
Jurkovic, Nicklaus

K

Kanegawa, Kiana
Kaplan, Jessica
Karesh, Judah
Karubas, Timothy
Kehoe, Lillian
Keith, Ben
Keller, Will
Kelly, Emilia
Kelly, Meaghan
Khaba, Mphumelelo
Khan, Mahum
Kiesling, Hunter
Killmaster, Meghan
Kim, Brandon
Kim, Hyunwoo
Kim, Joshua
Kim, Vivian
Kimball, Si Yun
Kimbouris, Soussana
Kindle, Lily
King, Anwen
Kipfmueller, Rylie
Kirchgessner, Isabella
Kischer, Claire
Kish, Alexander
Kleiner, Noah
Klemm, Lena
Klenke, Mart
Kloosterman, Steven
Klos, Claudia
Koellmann, Rhys
Kohl, Molly
Kondoff, Melody
Koos, Maxine
Koryto, Cole
Koshmider, Toni
Kovac, Marissa
Kovacevic, Emma
Kowalski, Jaden
Kraemer, Katherine
Kraft, Christian
Kramer, Rachel
Kravitz, Jordyn
Kreibich, Molly
Krupka, Nikolas
Kuch, Celia
Kuchta, Laryn
Kuras, Elisabeth

L

LaFramboise, Margaret
Lajiness, Sophia
Lancaster, Onora
Laser, Olivia
Lawrence, Annmarie
Lawson, Madeleine
Le, Lam Phuong
Leahey, Grace
Leblanc, Xander
Ledesma, Angel
Leisher, Ilem
Lekan, Margaret
Lemus, Alejandra
Lenzini, Sydney
Lester, Ginamarie
Lichtenberg, Thomas
Lignell, Celine
Linnertz, Cassandra
Lis, Sydney
Lizardo-Rodriguez, Luis
Logsdon, Kelsey
Loncharte, Ava
London, Meghan
Lovins, Madeline
Lucas, Teresa
Lucking, Nicholas
Lynett, Jacob

M

Major, Samantha
Maki, Natalie
Mallon, Andrew
Mares-Castro, Lesly
Marshall, Lauren
Martel, William
Martin, Isabel
Martinez, Allan
Martinez, Denise
Martinez, Michelle
Martinez, Molly
Martini-Zeller, Gracen
Masterson, Hollis
Matsuzaki, Kanase
Matta, Virginia
Matuszak, Nicholas
Maurer, Eliza
Maurice, Benjamin
Maylath-Bryant, Trevor
McCall, Claire
McGarry, Megan
McGrath, Molly
McGreevy, Leo
McKee, Regan
McLean, Joseph
McManus, Kira
McNutt, Amy
Merchant, Sophia
Mercurio, Maximus
Meston, Rachel
Metro-Roland, Eva
Meyers, Allison
Meyers, Gabriel
Miller, Brittany
Miller, Ella
Mirza, Ameera
Moat, Brenden
Moghrabi, Lina
Molchagin, Aleksandr
Molho, Rachel
Moore, Brooklyn
Moore, Mackenzie
Morison, Martin
Mortensen, Wyatt
Moss, Madeline
Moss, Samantha
Motan, Arein
Moxon, Lorelei
Moyo, Phumuzile
Mueller, Matthew
Muenzenmaier, Elizabeth
Muenzenmaier, Mary Ellen
Mulder, Ezekiel
Mullins, Claire
Munger, Andrew
Myoung, Chaeyoun

N

Nagel-Bennett, Elias
Nam, Alex
Naskovski, Blagoja
Nathwani, Maya
Navarro, Karla
Nedd, Lindsey
Negrete, Justin
Neihsl, Ryan
Nelson, Abigail
Nelson, Matthew
Nesbitt, Alexis
Nestle, Elizabeth
Newland, Robert
Newlove, Emma
Nguyen, Nguyen
Nguyen, Vinh
Niemann, Theodore
Nordmoe, Malin
Novotny, Maeve
Nuechterlein, Terry

O

O’Donnell, Richard
Oeschger, Ileana
Ohren-Hoeft, Jeremiah
Olivier, Gabriel
Olsen, Alexander
Olson, Emma
Orosan-Weine, Gabe
Orozco, Eliana
Ortega, Fatima

P

Paddock, Chelsea
Parks-Church, Eleanor
Paternoster, Eric
Payment, Zachary
Pellegrini, Mia
Pellegrom, Isabella
Peot, Kaitlin
Perry, Margaret
Peter, Addison
Petty, Alexis
Phillips, Mary
Pichal, Shelya
Pickell, Sydney
Pickrel, Benjamin
Pierce, Mia
Pimentel, Isabella
Plesscher, William
Pollard, Elaine
Pollens-Voigt, Evan
Prentice, Noah
Pulliam, Elena
Putman, Bea
Pyle, Noah

Q

Quail, Emma
Quesada, Alex
Quirk, Matthew

R

Rachiele, Elizabeth
Ragan, Elle
Rajendra-Nicolucci, Savera
Rambo, Julia
Ramillano, Alyson
Randel, Ali
Rasmussen, Sadye
Rasmussen, Spencer
Rawlings, Abby
Ray, Clarice
Rayens, Hunter
Reathaford, Sara
Reinaux Silva Oliveira, Laura
Reyes, Isabel
Reyes, Zoe
Reynolds, Keegan
Reynoso, Lissette
Rhames, Maxwell
Richter, Mya
Robelo, Milagros
Robertson, Jacob
Robertson, Xochitl
Rock, Katherine
Rogers, Skyler
Roncone, Olivia
Rop, Luke
Rosas, Yaneth
Rosema, Clay
Rosenbaum, Alec
Roth, Brigid
Routt, Eli
Rowland, Sofia
Rowland, Tabitha
Rucker, Marcus
Ruiter, Charlotte
Rulich, Nathaniel
Russell, Elliot

S

Saalberg, Benjamin
Sajan, Sophia
Salamun, Greta
Salgado, Sydney
Sanchez-Alvarado, Hannia
Santos, Leslie
Saxton, Maxwell
Schaffer, Fiona
Schinker, Leo
Schlotterer, Sophia
Schmidt, Allison
Schmidt, Vivian
Schrader, Harper
Schroeder, Madeline
Schulz, Audrey
Schurman, Hannah
Scott, Mae
Seid, Thea
Shaffer, Brendon
Shapiro, Isabella
Shaw, William
Shearer, Morgan
Shelton, Steven
Shiel, Elijah
Short, Cassidy
Shumunov, Joseph
Sidor, Emma
Sikora, Lucas
Silber, Elizabeth
Simmons, Zachary
Sjogren, Kiersten
Skinner, Colby
Skoug, Meganne
Smith, Ping
Snyder, Grace
Soares, Anoushka
Sokacz, Allison
Sokol, Gabriel
Somsel, Erin
Spates, Jonah
Spitler, Maxwell
Spooner, Ella
Stack, Camran
Stevenson, Eleanor
Stevison, Molly
Stickley, Emma
Stickley, Lily
Stolberg, Alex
Stoy, Helen
Streeter, Donovan
Stump, Abbygale
Subba, Senchen
Summerfield, Hannah
Sweeney, Keegan
Sysol, Brandon

T

Ta, Chau
Talarico, Madison
Tallio, Claire
Taylor, Claire
Tessin, Olivia
Thakali, Suja
Thomas, Levi
Thomas, William
Thu Le, Minh
Thurmond-Oliver, Jayden
Tocco, William
Tolman, Alexander
Topf, Simon
Torres, Luke
Torzewski, Jakob
Treyger, Danielle
Tuchenhagen, Hanna
Tun, May
Turnage, Francesca
Turner, Aija

U

Ulanoski, Hannah
Unger-Branson, Gabrielle
Uphoff, Tristan

V

Valdes, Alexis
Vande Pol, Samantha
Vander Lugt, Hannah
VanGalder, Cameron
VanGalder, Mitchel
Varitek, Anna
VarnHagen, Ella
Velasco Navarro, Lorena
Vidinas, Gabriel
Vincent, Laila
Vrieland, Jessalyn

W

Wade, Joseph
Wagle, Ava
Wagner, Gabin
Walczak, Megan
Waldron, Elle
Walker, Andre
Walters, Rosesandy
Walther, Madison
Wasmer, McKenna
Weber, Jadon
Weber, Riley
Wedge, Margaret
Wendel, Emmeline
Wennen, Elias
Wesselhoff, Emerson
Westra, Tate
Wickey, Dylan
Williams, Ava
Williams, Carson
Williams, Tariq
Willits, Jackson
Wilson, Joshua
Wilson, Siona
Wilson, Zoe
Winer, Ruby
Wolfe, Laurel
Wonacott, Alexa
Woods, Reagan
Wright, Maximilian

X

Xiang, Lingrui

Y

Yazbeck, Tony
Yost, Elyse
Youngman, Mikayla
Yousif, Hillary

Z

Zabaldo, Kathryn
Zang, Maddie
Zeller, Jacob
Zhuang, Sophie
Zito, Ariana
Zona, Nathaniel
Zorn, Margaret

Senior Awards Ceremony Honors Students’ Achievements

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023

Congratulations to the following Kalamazoo College students who received awards during the 2023 Senior Awards Ceremony on Saturday, June 10, at Stetson Chapel. The awards include all academic divisions, prestigious scholarships and special non-departmental awards.

George Acker Award

Ryan Hanifan

The American Chemical Society
Certified Degree in Chemistry

Marissa Dolorfino
Carter Eisenbach
Caelan Frazier
Lena Thompson Klemm
Dillon Lee
Chloe Lucci
Crystal Danielle Mendoza
Ezekiel Mulder
Gunzaya Gunzi Otgonjargal
Abby Lyn Rawlings
Suja Thakali
MiaFlora Tucci

Hornet Athletic Association Award

Harrison Poeszat

Austria U.S. Teaching Assistantship

Vincent DeSanto
Benjamin Flotemersch
Sean Gates

James Bird Balch Prize in American History

Meaghan K. Kelly

Lillian Pringle Baldauf Prize in Music

Koshiro Kuroda

H. Lewis Batts Prize

Rose Hannan
Onora Divine Lancaster
Olivia Louise Smith
Alex Stolberg

E. Bruce Baxter Memorial Award

Thomas Lichtenberg

Gordon Beaumont Memorial Award

Litzy Bahena
Katia Duoibes

Beeler Senior Projects Abroad Fellows

Maeve Francesca Crothers
Brianna DuBose
Garrett Hanson
Yamilee Hernandez
Daniel Eric Jordan
Bella Kirchgessner
Rachel Christine Kramer
Koshiro Kuroda
Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
Egan Vieira

Larry Bell Scholar

Eleanor S. Carr
Bella Kirchgessner

The Biology in Liberal Arts Prize

Zoe Elizabeth Reyes

Marshall Hallock Brenner Prize

Emma Sidor

Henry and Inez Brown Award

Violet Crampton

Clara H. Buckley Prize for Excellence in Latin

Garrett Hanson
Katelyn Williams

Mary Long Burch Award

Lucy Hart

Robert Bzdyl Prize in Marine Biology

Alex Stolberg

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Analytical Chemistry

Caelan Frazier

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Inorganic Chemistry

Shay Brown

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Organic Chemistry

Lucy Hart
Crystal Danielle Mendoza

Annual Undergraduate Award
in Physical Chemistry

Oliver Tye

Outstanding Chemistry Student
from Kalamazoo College

Carter Eisenbach
MiaFlora Tucci

Lilia Chen Award in Art

Hao Jiang

Ruth Scott Chenery Award

Sedona Coleman

Chinese Outstanding Achievement Award

Violet Crampton
Zoe Claire Chunqi Gurney
Clarice Ray
Claire Tallio

Provost’s Prize in Classics

Isabelle Ragan
Isabel Quinn Schantz

Collins Fellow

Rachel Christine Kramer

Provost’s Prize in Computer Science

Aleksandr Molchagin

H. P. and Genevieve Connable Scholarship

Hanis Sommerville

Cooper Award in Fine Arts

Milan Levy

C.W. “Opie” Davis Award

Samuel Ankley

Diebold Scholar Award

Natalie Call
Rose Hannan
Joergen Klakulak
Alex Stolberg
Nathaniel E. Zona

Marion H. Dunsmore Memorial Prize
in Religion

Isabelle Ragan

George Eaton Errington Prize

Lingrui Xiang

Provost’s Prize in Economics

Zoe Claire Chunqi Gurney
Sam Moss

Alliance Francaise Prize in French

Shanon Brown
Kanase Matsuzaki

French Government Teaching Assistantships

Annika Canavero
Olivia Grace Fairbank

Joe Fugate Senior German Award

Vincent DeSanto

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship

Samuel Kendrick, Uzbekistan
Kanase Matsuzaki, Jordan

Fulbright Study Research Award

Natalie Call, Denmark

Departmental Prize in Greek

Garrett Hanson

Xarifa Greenquist Memorial
Psychology Department Award

Sedona Coleman

Fred and Sarah Greer Endowed Scholarship/
Lorinda Kay Sanford Memorial

Brianna DuBose
Mya Jennings
Ashani Jewell
Jamir McKeller
DaShawn Meeks
Aija Turner

Griffin Prize

Mikayla Dominique Youngman

Guyor Kindness and Compassion Award

Denise Martinez
Kaleb Sydloski

Charles C. Hall Scholarship

Shay Brown

Ham Scholars

Thomas Lichtenberg
Milagros Robelo

F. W. and Elsie L. Heyl Scholars

Samuel Ankley
Carter Eisenbach
Rachel Christine Kramer
Alexis Nesbitt
Suja Thakali
Elizabeth Grace Wang

The Raymond L. Hightower Award

Khalil Shakur Adams
Mya Jennings
Maya Kanta Bimal Nathwani

Virginia Hinkelman Memorial Award

Ryley White

History Department Award

Samuel Kendrick

Hodge Prize in Philosophy

Vincent DeSanto

John Wesley Hornbeck Prize

Eli Edlefson
Claire Kvande
Elias Wennen

William G. Howard Memorial Prize

Claire Tallio

William G. Howard Memorial Prize
in Political Science

Riley Thomas Wilson

Japanese National Honor Society, College Chapter

Emily Robin Kaneko Dudd
Madeline Schroeder
William Shaw

Grant W. and Eleanor L. Johnston
History Research Award

Sarma Ejups
Benjamin Homminga
Stefan Nielsen

Kurt Kaufman Fellow

Abigail Barnum
Caelan Frazier
Dillon Lee
MiaFlora Tucci
Oliver Tye
Elizabeth Grace Wang

Richard D. Klein Senior Award
in Psychology

Marilu Bueno

Richard D. Klein Senior Impact Award
in Psychology

Alexia McColl
Ryley White

Knoechel Family Award

Samuel Ankley
Camille Misra

Irmgard Kowatzki Theatre Award

Marilu Bueno
Milan Levy

LaPlante Civic Engagement Scholars

Lauren Bretzius
Shanon Brown
Katia Duoibes
Ryley White

Tish Loveless Award

Renée Torres

Music Department Certificate
of Distinction

Abigail Barnum
Donovan Burleigh
Violet Crampton
Sarma Ejups
Garrett Hanson
Matthew Mueller
Erin Murphy
Claire Tallio
Mikki Wong

National Merit Scholars

Claire Kvande
Noah Prentice

National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Mallory Dolorfino
Claire Kvande

William E. Praeger Prize in Biology

Eleanor S. Carr
Hana Samantha Frisch
Ian Becks Hurley
Ryan Johnson

Robert and Karen Rhoa Prize
in Business

Payton Fleming
Tristan Fuller
Jenna Clare Paterob

Robert and Karen Rhoa Prize for Outstanding SIP

Minh D. Dang

Elwood H. and Elizabeth H. Schneider Prize
in English

Lauren Sommer Crossman

Senior Leadership Recognition Award

Litzy Bahena
Violet Crampton
Kylah Alexandria Davis
Katia Duoibes
Jazmyne Fannings
Peter Fitzgerald
Yoichi Haga
Katherine Haywood
Bella Kirchgessner
Claire Kvande
Milan Levy
DaShawn Meeks
Crystal Danielle Mendoza
Aleksandr Molchagin
Maheen Naz Mulligan
Justin Negrete
Stefan Nielsen
Gunzaya Gunzi Otgonjargal
Alexis Petty
Noah Prentice
Andrew Puckett
Milagros Robelo
Alex Stolberg
Suja Thakali
Chilotam Urama
Elizabeth Grace Wang
Ryley White
Christian Zeitvogel
Nathaniel E. Zona

Fan E. Sherwood Memorial Prize

Charles DiMagno

Sherwood Prize in Fine Arts

Marilu Bueno

Catherine A. Smith Prize in Human Rights

Emma Davis-Rodak
Skai Williams

Catherine A. Smith Prize
in Women’s Athletics

Alexis Petty

Lemuel F. Smith Award

Marissa Dolorfino

Cassandra Solis Prize
in Critical Ethnic Studies

Angela Ledesma

The Senior Spanish Award

Gustavo Eric Gonzalez-Martinez
Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
Alexis Damian Valdes

Spanish Government Teaching Assistantship

Fiona Raycraft O’Rielly
Renée Torres

Eugene P. Stermer Award
in Public Administration

John Carlson

Mary Clifford Stetson Prize

Angel Ledesma

Dwight and Leola Stocker Prize

Violet Crampton
Sarah Densham
Hannah Durant

Lucinda Hinsdale Stone Prize
in Women’s Studies

Elle Waldron

Stowe Scholarship

Caelan Frazier

David Strauss Prize in American Studies

Stefan Nielsen

Babette Trader Campus Citizenship
and Leadership Award

Litzy Bahena
Hana Samantha Frisch
Gustavo Eric Gonzalez-Martinez
Maheen Naz Mulligan
Claire Tallio

Charles Tully Design Award

Elena Truman

Donald W. VanLiere Prize Psychology
in Coursework

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Shumunov is First K Student to Receive Beren Fellowship

Posted on June 13, 2023June 14, 2023

Joseph Shumunov ’25 is the first Kalamazoo College student to be honored with a Beren Fellowship from the Tikvah Fund.

The Beren Fellowship, which seeks to encourage and support young scholars in leading lives of Jewish purpose and leadership, includes eight summer weeks in New York City. The cohort of current college students and recent graduates will spend three weeks in seminars led by leading scholars and thinkers, learning and debating Jewish history, texts and politics. Then, each fellow embarks on a research project or internship focusing on an area of Jewish public policy or Jewish life that intrigues them. In the final week of the fellowship, the fellows hold a conference to present their work to each other as well as to other students, writers and professionals in the Tikvah network.

A double major in political science and international and area studies, Shumunov proposed in his fellowship application a project analyzing the relations between Israel and Azerbaijan and how their relationship might benefit the U.S. geopolitically. His mentor in the research, who also offered Shumunov an internship, will be Michael Doran, a senior fellow and director of the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East at Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. Doran specializes in Middle East security issues.

Shumunov’s interest in the project springs from his role as a virtual social media intern for the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan, assisting their public affairs department, creating Instagram posts, reviewing public briefings and writing cables for the ambassador.

In his first two years at K, Shumunov has also participated in Model UN (and will serve as a co-president), Refugee Outreach Collective (including Homework Champions Tutoring), and Hillel (where he has been vice president).

Beren Fellowship recipient Joseph Shumunov — Joseph Shumunov ’25 will spend eight weeks in New York City this summer as a result of earning a Beren Fellowship.

In addition, Shumunov values the experiences he has had with Afro Fiesta Desi Sol, as an important space on campus to celebrate cultural differences, and in talks between Hillel and College administration regarding antisemitism on campus, which helped him see how each person can drive change.

Amy Elman, the William Weber Chair of Social Science and a professor of political science, suggested to Shumunov that he consider applying for the Beren Fellowship.

“I’ve had Joseph in three classes now, and he distinguishes himself by having the ability to synthesize difficult materials,” Elman said. “Joseph is that rare student who is interested in being challenged. He’s serious about political thought, and he’s genuinely interested in helping the American Jewish community thrive, which is no easy task given the surge in antisemitism worldwide.”

When he read about the fellowship, Shumunov thought it would be a good opportunity for networking, possible publication of his research, learning and connecting.

“I lived in a very Jewish community in Detroit, and a lot of my time has been devoted to Judaism and my religion, especially because I went to a Jewish school for most of my life,” Shumunov said. “Coming to K has been a transition for me because now my only access to the Jewish community is maybe a small Jewish Studies program and Hillel, and that’s made me crave it more.”

The Beren Fellowship has existed in a variety of forms since 2009, and this is the first year a Kalamazoo College student will join the cohort.

“The Beren Summer Fellowship is thrilled to welcome Joseph as a fellow this year,” said Alan Rubenstein, senior director of Tikvah’s University and Young Professional Programs. “We are excited to see how he will bring his learning about the modern Jewish condition and his deep study of American foreign policy in the Middle East back to the Kalamazoo community.”

Shumunov hopes to bring what he learns and experiences back to campus, particularly to classes with Elman and as part of ongoing efforts to combat antisemitism on campus.

“One thing I’m looking forward to is that these students are part of my age group and a lot of them are coming from campuses that also face rising antisemitism,” Shumunov said. “I think a common denominator within our group will be that we know what’s happening, and we want to fix it; we want to apply what we learn to our campuses when we come back. I think we’ll be sharing about our experiences and discussing why antisemitism is rising on campuses, why it’s becoming normalized, ways to combat it, to change it and to prevent it from happening.”

After completing the Beren Fellowship, Shumunov plans to study abroad in Jordan from August to December and intends to complete a humanitarian internship during this time there. He hopes to work with refugees and migrants in Jordan and to complete a Senior Integrated Project examining the lives of refugees and migrants or diasporas in the world.

The Tikvah Fund is a private philanthropic foundation based in New York with the mission of promoting serious Jewish thought about the enduring questions of human life and the pressing challenges that confront the Jewish people.