students

K Recycling Program Puts Others to Shame

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The website thebestcolleges.org has ranked Kalamazoo College #6 on its list of “11 College Recycling Programs That Put All Others To Shame.”

The website cites K for being “a perennial top finisher in Recyclemania,” the national competition for college and university recycling programs, and for a recycling department that “oversees the export of about a ton of food waste a week to a local pig farm, as well as the recycling of calculators, batteries, electric motors, and all other e-waste.”

K’s student run “Bat Cave” also gets a shoutout, as the place where student volunteers answer questions and run the REP Room, or Resource Exchange Program, where they recycle textbooks, mirrors, Christmas lights, pens, lamps, and much more.

Learning from, laughing through, first year mistakes

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“Taking Chances, Making Mistakes, and Getting Messy: A Reflection on Learning from Experiences,” was the theme of the Week One (Sept. 14) Community Reflection in Stetson Chapel. Sponsored by the Chapel Program, Student Chaplains offered their advice to the audience of mostly first years about learning lessons the hard way on campus. K Chaplain Liz Candido ’00 introducing both the new crew of chaplains and the weekly Community Reflection hour, which she called a forum “reflecting on our ideals; not just saying we believe things, but learning to live in integrity with those things.”

2012-13 K student chaplains at Stetson Chapel
K Student Chaplains, 2012-13

Student Chaplain Justin Leatherwood ’13 spoke about how an accidental prank war beginning his freshman year escalated into elaborate hijinks involving feeding beans to sleeping roommates and setting up a complex booby trap over a bed. These experiences, he says, helped solidify his closest friendships. “We did some pretty weird stuff freshman year,” he said. “Had we all been worried about showing our true colors, none of this awesome stuff would have happened. As we head into this new year, don’t be afraid to make mistakes, or do those strange things you love doing.” Student Chaplain McKenna Kring ’15 shared a more serious roommate anecdote from her first year about the mistake of not speaking up when problems arise. She stressed the importance of communication. “Don’t avoid,” she said, “communicate.”

Katie Ring ’15 spoke about her first non-A grade; Darren Clarke ’13 read from an essay about the mistake of unquestioning selflessness; Sam Rood ’15 extolled the virtues of sobriety after a night full of mistakes; Molly Anderson ’15 recalled her repetitive mistake of forgetting her room key; Theo Cambert ’15 talked about making the mistake of prioritizing Frisbee over academics; Alicia Schooley ’13 warned first-years to learn to socialize with professors while erring on the side of formality. Lastly, five other chaplains read submissions from anonymous upperclassmen about their biggest mistakes made at K.

Community Reflection offers a unique forum for discussion, worship, performance, and community expression each Friday at 10:50 AM (refreshments at 10:30) in Stetson Chapel. The entire campus community and general public are invited.

Story and photo by Elaine Ezekiel ’13.

Second Lady Jill Biden Makes Surprise Visit to K

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Jill Biden speaking at Kalamazoo College
Dr. Jill Biden addresses students during a Kalamazoo College campaign visit

Sophomore Alex Werder received a call from an unrecognized number. The caller simply identified himself as James and asked Werder if he was the person responsible for setting up events on campus. The mystery caller asked to meet the President of the Kalamazoo College Democrats in 15 minutes for a look around K. Werder asked for some credentials before offering the stranger a tour of campus.

James said he was with the Obama Campaign looking for a venue where Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, could speak in Kalamazoo.

Biden wanted to come to Kalamazoo to address some college students between her other campaign stops in Grand Rapids and Battle Creek. An education advocate, she is the only second lady who has continued to work a full time job out of the White House while her husband serves in office. She currently teaches at Northern Virginia Community College.

“My internal reaction was, ‘Holy crap; this is pretty cool,’” said Werder. The aspiring political science major showed James and two other Obama staffers some possible venues on campus.

Three days later, after a frenzied preparation that included two secret service security sweeps of Hicks with bomb-sniffing dogs, negotiations over the number of allowed guests, furniture arrangement, and last minute invitations, the Stone Room was packed to capacity, mostly with students from K and Western Michigan University, awaiting a speech by the second lady.

Craig Isser ’13 sat among the crowd of about 130 in the sunlit room. Isser had done some research on Biden beforehand, and said he was excited to see a influential person interested in education come to the college.

“She is someone who really is a voice for the students who, and not just a voice,” he said, “She also has power.”

Next to Isser sat Jung Eun Pyeon ’16. She arrived on campus just weeks ago from California’s San Fernando Valley for her first year in college. She said she was still adjusting to campus life when she heard about the event. She plans on studying economics and business, and she is also interested in politics and wants the opportunity to learn more.

“What better chance than to listen to someone of Jill Biden’s stature?” she asked.

Attendees also included three sophomores who live in the Women’s Voice House, a Living Learning Cooperative with a mission of promoting feminist ideas on campus. Katherine Stevenson ’15, Samantha Foran ’15, and Abigail Keizer ’15 said they jumped at the occasion to see a woman in power speak.

“She’s a woman who is very high up, so we’re all excited to see what she has to say,” said Foran.

“She’s still teaching even though her husband is the Vice President,” said Stevenson of the second lady. “That’s really cool to see.”

According to Ms. Biden’s Press secretary, the second lady was grading her students’ papers on the way to the event.

The housemates said they plan on including the content of the second lady’s speech in their weekly dinner discussions.

Besides the K and WMU students, other attendees included Kalamazoo dignitaries and area politicians. Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell said Ms. Biden’s visit—her first campaign speech on a college campus—highlights the power and educational focus of the city.

In his introductory remarks, Werder noted that this upcoming election would be the first in which he could eligibly vote, and it would be one he remembers for the rest of his life. “This event combines two of my greatest loves,” he said, “Democratic politics and K.”

Biden recalled her voting for the first time while in college, and said that she voted for her husband, though she didn’t know him at the time.

She gave a student-focused speech, telling the audience the Obama administration will “have your back” if reelected.

“This feels right at home,” she said of campus, “and young people like you inspire me every single day. I often say that my kids are my heroes. And I want you to know that every single day, this administration is really fighting for all of you.”

She closed with a story about a community college student named Angie Flores, who introduced Ms. Biden at the Democratic National Convention.

“In this election,” she said, “we’ve got a choice whether we’re going to tell students like Angie, students like many of you, that ’you’re on your own,’ or whether we’re going to say, ’we’re all in this together, and everyone deserves a fair shot.’”

Biden stayed for a few minutes to shake students’ hands and pose for pictures before rushing off to Battle Creek.

After the crowds cleared and flurry subsided, Werder was smiling.

“It’s all been thrown together in the last 72 hours,” he said, “so it’s been a whirlwind, but we’re all really excited that she took the time and came out to see us.”

Story by Elaine Ezekiel ’13; Photo by Erik Holladay

Kalamazoo College Begins 2012-13 Academic Year

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Class of 2016 Convocation held Wed., Sept. 5, 3:00 p.m. on the K “Quad”

Continuing a beloved tradition, Kalamazoo College’s Convocation 2012 begins at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 5. This colorful event on the campus Quad, which some have called “reverse commencement,” is free and open to the public. It comes complete with music, faculty processional, and an international flag ceremony, and serves as a formal induction into Kalamazoo College for the incoming Class of 2016.

Approximately 340 first-year students will recite the “Ritual of Recognition for New Students” and receive their charge from President Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran.

Attorney and Toyota Co. executive Chris Reynolds, a member of the Kalamazoo College Class of 1983, will deliver the keynote address. A reception for students, families, faculty, staff, and other guests follows on the Upper Quad behind Stetson Chapel. In case of rain, the Convocation will move indoors to Stetson Chapel.

First-year students will move into their residence halls earlier that morning. Sophomores, seniors, and the few juniors who are not on study abroad during the Fall Quarter arrive this weekend. Classes for the 2012-13 academic year start Monday Sept. 10, and last day of Fall Quarter is Wednesday, Nov. 21.

About 40 percent of the incoming class comes from outside Michigan, including 25 other states and the District of Columbia. Twenty-five students come from China, Jamaica, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, and Vietnam. Another 24 visiting international students come for one year from Botswana, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mozambique, and Spain.

Ninety-four first-year students (28%) self-report as students of color.

All new students will receive an extensive orientation through the College’s nationally recognized “First-Year Experience” program.

The College’s unofficial enrollment is approximately 1,380 students; official census numbers will be available in a few weeks.

Fall Quarter also marks first use of the renovated Kalamazoo College Athletic Fields on West Michigan Ave. at Burrows Rd, the result of a $16 million renovation. The Hornet Women’s Soccer team will have the first event, playing DePauw University Friday at 7 p.m. under the lights and on the artificial turf of MacKenzie field. The Hornet Football team kicks off its first home game Saturday against Manchester College at 1 p.m. at Angell Field, also sporting new artificial turf. Both teams will use the entirely new K Field House. Spectators, news media, game officials, and coaches will use the brand new Stadium Services building that houses a press box, concession, restrooms, and more.

Other important events this fall include groundbreaking for the new building for the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership, scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, and Homecoming weekend, October 19-21.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. K Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.

Kalamazoo is Among “Colleges That Change Lives”

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Colleges That Change Lives book cover“If you were to build your own liberal arts college, you’d look closely at Kalamazoo College for ideas about how to do it. That’s because other colleges offer some of the same distinctive features you’ll find at Kalamazoo, but few integrate all of them so thoughtfully to create life-changing experiences.”

So begins the chapter on Kalamazoo College in the 2013-14 edition of “Colleges that Change Lives: 40 Schools that Will Change the Way You Think about College.”

Colleges That Change Lives (Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143122302 On-Sale Date: August 28, 2012; 352 pages; $17.00) was first published in 1996 by Loren Pope, former education editor of the New York Times. Pope was also the founder of the College Placement Bureau, a college administrator, and the author of “Looking Beyond the Ivy League.”

Pope published updates to his book in 2000 and 2006. He died in 2008.

The fourth and most recent edition has been updated by Hilary Masell Oswald a journalist who writes about education, architecture and design, and public policy. Her work has appeared in Newsday, the Chicago Tribune, Edutopia, and other publications and websites.

She anticipates the questions that prospective students and their parents will have and provides the answers. Topics include:

• The look and feel of the campus

• Quality of dining hall food

• Percentage of students who study abroad

• Percentage of students who go to grad school

• Average SAT/ACT scores

• What professors have to say about their schools

“We are thrilled to be included once again in Colleges That Change Lives,” said Kalamazoo College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Eric Staab. “Prospective students and their parents have more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States to choose from. This book helps them cut through the clutter and move beyond the ratings and rankings to find a college that is a good, affordable fit.”

Kalamazoo College has been included in each of the book’s four editions. Other colleges in the fourth edition include Allegheny (Pa.), Beloit (Wis.), Clark (Mass.), Hendrix (Ark.), Rhodes (Tenn.), Southwestern University (Texas), and University of Puget Sound (Wash.). Hope College and, for the first time, Hillsdale, are the only other Michigan schools included.

Oswald, as did Pope before her, visited K’s campus to conduct extensive interviews with students, faculty and staff.

She cites characteristics of the K-Plan —the College’s multilayered academic program—as a key to K’s success. These include a solid liberal arts curriculum, study abroad, experiential learning opportunities such as service-learning and leadership development, and a Senior Individualized Project.

“The K-Plan makes so much sense,” says Professor of Biology Binney Girdler in the book. “The first two years are the students’ foundation. The third year, they go far. The fourth year, they go deep. By the end of their time here, we’re willing to coauthor papers with them. That transformation—I’ll never get tired of it.”

According to Oswald, “What happens to students here is remarkable,” and K faculty members are a big reason why. “Over and over again,” she says, “students rave about their teachers, even as they complain about the amount of work. That’s a sign of good teaching.”

As proof a value for a Kalamazoo College education, Oswald cites Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) test results. CLA tests freshmen and seniors for their critical thinking, analytical reasoning, problem solving, and written communications skills.

“CLA examiners compare results across a variety of four-year colleges to answer the question: Are student really learning anything?” writes Oswald. “At Kalamazoo they are. CLA said the students performed well above expected.”

Dean of Students Sarah Westfall describes the K student body: “We have a student body of individuals. There’s very little herd mentality. They feel a call to activism and learning, but they’re also garden variety kids—some from small towns, working-class families, and a good number are first-generation college kids.”

Oswald concludes her chapter on Kalamazoo College with her own observation about its students by saying they are “enthusiast about their learning and thoughtful about their responsibilities to their community. A few conversations with current students will convince you that Kalamazoo’s component parts are remarkable, but if ever there were a place where the effect is greater than the sum of its parts, that place in Kalamazoo College.”

K is a proud partner of CTCL Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and support of a student-centered college search process. Separate from the book, CTCL Inc. works to dispel publicly held myths about college choice by hosting information sessions nationwide and coordinating outreach efforts with high school counselors and college counseling agencies.

Founded in Kalamazoo, Mich., in 1833, Kalamazoo College (www.kzoo.edu) is a nationally recognized liberal arts college and the creator of the K-Plan that emphasizes rigorous scholarship, learning by practice, leadership development, and both international and intercultural engagement. Its 1,400 students hail from 30 states and 24 countries. Kalamazoo College does more in four years, so students can do more in a lifetime.

A “Life Changing” Summer in Haiti

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Roxann Lawrence and Amy Jimenez with a young patient in Haiti
Roxann Lawrence (left) and Amy Jimenez (right) with a young patient in Haiti.

Kalamazoo College juniors Roxann Taneisha Lawrence and Amy Jimenez recently had what Roxann calls “a life changing experience,” courtesy of the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) and Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL). They spent much of their summer interning at Grace Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

“Through the CCPD, ACSJL, and Grace Hospital, Amy and I were able to have one of the most rewarding summers of our lives,” said Roxann. “We were delighted to see social justice working through an international perspective.”

Here is Roxann’s account of their summer internship.

Grace Children’s Hospital is a flagship ministry of International Child Care serving children diagnosed with such things as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malnutrition. With an unparalleled dedication to changing the circumstances of the poor through preventative and curative health care, GCH/ICC is greatly appreciated for their commitment to these children and their families throughout Port-au-Prince and neighboring cities.

We were given the opportunity to work in an organization with a myriad of integrated community projects and chose to work in different departments. Bearing in mind the communication barriers, we worked with the Community Inclusion/Rehabilitation Program, human resources and public relations.

Being involved in the Community Inclusion Program was a life changing experience. We saw children and their families displaced after the earthquake in January 2010 and living in tent cities. Many of them had mental and physical disabilities. After undergoing a two-day intensive training with some physical therapists from the United States and orienting ourselves about the program and the communities it serves, we looked forward to going out in the community.

Despite the level of poverty that stared us in the face when we entered the tent cities, smiling faces greeted us in Haitian Creole “Bonjou” (Good Morning) or “Bonswa” (Good Evening), often by children playing mab (marbles). We walked passed dozens of USAID gray-colored tents packed with families and toddlers pointing at us and repeating “Blan, blan, blan!” We later learned that “blan” was Haitian Creole for foreigner. On many occasions, we were jumping from rock to rock to avoid stepping in the sewage and garbage that littered the slumped tent cities.

We conducted a number of tests with the children to see how much they have improved since their last check-up and also visited each patient once per week. It was self-fulfilling and empowering to see children responding to treatment in a positive light. Usually treated as outsiders because of superstitious beliefs in Haitian folklore, the children and their families were set on fitting in.

The people living in the tent cities were resilient and creative, despite the dilapidated housing, land and air polluted environment that surrounded them daily. On some of our visits with the nurses to the mobile clinics, we witnessed creativity at its best. With the lack of monetary resources, ICC/GCH established mobile clinics in different tent cities to accommodate families that are unable to come to the hospital. Instead, the hospital goes to them. These mobile clinics are used mainly to vaccinate and weigh babies, and educate community members about birth control methods, nutrition and sanitation. Without a standard scale to weigh the babies, community members made crème-colored cloth bags and the babies were put in them and placed on a scale that hung to a tarpaulin.

Amy and I were given the opportunity to give tours to other teams. Usually, these were North American religious-based groups who have had some form of relationship with the organization. From time to time, there were one or two persons who were returning to Haiti, but majority of the team members were new. A typical tour would consist of taking them to different departments at GCH/ICC and explaining to them the services that they provide to the community.

From public relations, we moved on to human resources, where we spent most of our time doing administrative work, from filing and retrieving information and documents to managing and string files. Something that we are really proud of was the pre-orientation package that we were asked to prepare for North American groups who were coming into Haiti. After spending countless of hours reading, observing and interacting, we made a pre-orientation packet that will now be given to all groups who are coming to Haiti through ICC.

Without a doubt, this has been the best summer of my life. It was a challenging, but nonetheless great learning experience. Other than helping me to see social justice working through an international perspective, it reinforced the importance of community participatory service to community development and change. What I have experienced working with ICC/GCH will continue to have a positive impact on me as I passionately pursue a life dedicated to serving and working with marginalized groups. I’ve thought about what I have learned here at Kalamazoo College, and it was fascinating to translate theory into actual practice. At that time, I became even more grateful for my K experience. We would recommend every K student to apply for this internship. This was a summer well spent.

Both of us are extremely thankful to CCPD and the ACSJL for providing us with this great opportunity to learn and grow as social justice leaders of today and tomorrow.

Roxann Taneisha Lawrence ’14 majors in Anthropology and Sociology with a concentration in Public Policy and Urban Affairs. From Westmoreland, Jamaica, she is currently on study abroad in Strasbourg, France. Amy Jimenez ’14 also majors in Anthropology and Sociology, with a second major in Theatre Arts. Originally from Compton, California, she is currently on study abroad in Varanasi, India. During her sophomore year, Amy was a Civic Engagement Scholar through the College’s Mary Jane Underwood Stryker Institute for Service Learning working at El Sol, a bilingual elementary school in Kalamazoo.

K Connection Spans 30 Years in Internship

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Cassandra Fraser and Michael Paule-CarresCassandra Fraser, Class of 1984, is a chemistry professor at the University of Virginia. This summer she hosted Michael Paule-Carres, Class of 2014, in her laboratory, where he did research for his Senior Individualized Project. “It was kind of scary to contemplate that 30 year gap!” wrote Fraser, who had a good antidote for any mild “gap fear.” The formula included the excellence of the lab work Paule-Carres conducted. “He synthesized and characterized a luminescent polymer that will be used to make oxygen nanosensors for wound diagnostics, tumor hypoxia imaging, and other medical uses,” Fraser explained. And for extra measure, a few funny photos were added. “We took some research group pictures, including some of Mike (right) and me together, the Kalamazoo College chemists. We even attempted to make K’s with our bodies, not so successfully mind you, but maybe it’s the thought that counts.” Mike has returned to campus for the beginning of men’s varsity soccer practice.

 

One if by land, 70 if by LandSea

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Sarah Werner and her family from Clinton TownshipAbout 70 first-year students—including Sarah Werner and her family from Clinton Township, Mich., photographed here—arrived August 16 to begin their Kalamazoo College journey via LandSea, an optional 18-day wilderness backpacking, climbing, canoeing, glad-I-brought-my-bug spray experience in Adirondack State Park, a six-million-acre tract in northern New York. After checking out their gear, the campus, and each other, participants pile onto a bus and head east at 7PM for a nine-hour overnight trek. A team of student and staff leaders awaits their arrival in New York. Welcome, bon voyage, and good luck LandSea 2012 participants. We’ll see you back here on Sept. 3!

Two K Students Among Monroe-Brown Summer Interns

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K student Ashton Galloway in a prestigious internship
BASIC staff members Bruce Weston and Corey Nunnery view Ashton Galloway ’13 (seated) in action as an IT intern there.

Two Kalamazoo College undergraduates are among 39 local college and university students selected to work with Kalamazoo area businesses as part of the summer 2012 Monroe-Brown Internship cohort. Umang Varma ’15 is a marketing IT intern at LKF Marketing in downtown Kalamazoo, and Ashton Galloway ‘13 is an IT intern at BASIC in Portage.

Umang “has been the best thing ever,” says Heather Isch, vice president at LKF Marketing, a full-service advertising agency in downtown Kalamazoo. “He is such a fast learner and a quick thinker. We just love him.” Isch, who oversees day-to-day web project development for the firm, is delighted to have an undergraduate with Umang’s combination of technical skills and social savvy.

These sentiments were expressed repeatedly during a recent site visit by the CCPD. Umang’s coworkers seemed genuinely sad to know that he’d be leaving for Budapest on study abroad at the end of the summer.

During his time at LKF, Umang has contributed to the development of a number of time-sensitive web development projects. His love of debugging code earned him a role in developing the firm’s forthcoming mobile-ready customer management system as well as helping with a searchable photo gallery in a client’s WordPress site.

Ashton Galloway has “loved programming from a young age,” and at his internship with BASIC, a fast-growing Portage-based company offering integrated HR solutions to 9,000 employers nationwide, he is “getting a feel for how software development works in a small company—something you don’t get in a classroom.” Ashton has had the opportunity to do coding on a number of projects this summer, including several interrelated modules of a very large FMLA administration software platform rewrite.

Ashton’s colleagues at BASIC value the technical and soft skills he brings to their work. In addition to his experience with database development, IT Manager Bruce Weston and VP of Operations Kim Shook have appreciated Ashton’s critical thinking skills and ability to work as part of a team. Ashton has participated in project management meetings, rewritten outdated code, and taken initiative to do research on functional coding that has helped inform his work. “This summer has taught me that there’s way more planning going on in developing software than I understood before,” he says.

The Monroe-Brown Internship Program is a collaborative effort between the Monroe-Brown Foundation and Southwest Michigan First. Through a combination of applied career experience and college scholarships, the program provides local college and university students with career-building relationships with area companies, with the goal of retaining the best and brightest college graduates in southwest Michigan.

Employers independently select their interns, using their own hiring methods and criteria. Selected interns work for a minimum of 400 hours during the summer, receiving hourly wages, valuable networking opportunities, and up to $6,000 in scholarship funding.

“These are very competitive internships,” says Joan Hawxhurst, director of the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development. “This year 376 students applied for 43 positions, so local companies have their pick of the best and the brightest. We are thrilled to have two outstanding students representing the College so well this summer.”

K Professor and Students Publish Encouraging Science on the Search for a Useful Bio-Indicator

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Maintaining good human health depends in part on reliable markers. Think blood pressure in cardiovascular medicine or blood sugar and triglyceride levels in determining the effects of diet on metabolic disorders. Reliable markers are important for ecological health as well, which is why science seeks them. Associate Professor of Biology Ann Fraser and five Kalamazoo College undergraduates recently published peer-reviewed science (“Evaluating Multiple Arthropod Taxa as Indicators of Invertebrate Diversity in Old Fields,” The Great Lakes Entomologist, Vol. 45, Nos. 1 – 2) that advances efforts to find a manageable indicator of the effect invasive species have on biodiversity.

Like most good science, the journey was both years long and collaborative—as well as a great example of the kind of professor-student partnerships that make science education at K great—a matter of “more in four years.” The idea for the project began with some preliminary data gathered during a lab exercise in Fraser’s Organism Diversity class. That field work took place at the College’s Lillian Anderson Arboretum, where the class sought to test whether the invasive plant species known as spotted knapweed was affecting ground-dwelling invertebrates (mainly insects). Joe Waller ’06 followed up on the preliminary class data with a more in-depth study for his Senior Individualized Project. He used pitfall traps to collect invertebrates in areas with varying densities of knapweed but was soon overwhelmed with huge numbers and types of insects to sort through. He shifted the focus of his SIP to determine whether a certain insect or other arthropod species, such as spiders, might be a proxy or reliable marker for general invertebrate diversity. He spent most of his summer sorting through and classifying thousands of specimens. In late summer a second round of pitfall sampling was conducted and the project’s torch was passed to other undergraduates.

The sorting, identification, and matching of this second sample with the first sample were conducted by Alyssa Bradshaw ’08, David Hyman ’08, Michael Johnson ’06, and Rob Morrison ’06. “We were able to identify several insect groups as promising indicators of larger invertebrate diversity in old field habitat,” said Fraser. “More work across a greater number of field sites is needed to confirm their usefulness as bio-indicators, but this is an encouraging first step in finding manageable ways to assess the impact of invasive plant species on invertebrate diversity.”

Fraser cited the pivotal role of Morrison in bringing the project to completion and publication, earning him first author on the paper. Such studies are time-consuming but well suited to undergraduate research projects. The K grads continue their science education in various ways. “Rob Morrison is conducting his Ph.D. in applied entomology at Michigan State,” said Fraser. “Joe Waller, I believe, is in a physician assistant program at Michigan or MSU. Alyssa Brayshaw has been working as a research assistant in wildlife biology and is applying to graduate programs in that subject; David Hyman is in medical school at Loyola University in Chicago, and Michael Johnson will begin his Ph.D. in paleontology at the University of Wisconsin this fall. It’s very satisfying to see this collaborative project come to fruition with a peer reviewed publication.”