Over 100 students received awards at this year's Student Awards Convocation held April 8.
Check out the complete list of winners on the Office of the Provost website. 

Lakers Ready

Division of Academic Affairs

April 15, 2024

Lakers Ready is sent by the Office of the Provost
to faculty and staff within the Division of Academic Affairs

In this issue of Lakers Ready

Faculty Voices and Recognitions

Congratulations to Brad Wallar, Professor of Chemistry, on receiving the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) Distinguished Professor of the Year Award. The awards are presented annually to recognize the dedication of faculty members to undergraduate education. Learn more about Dr. Wallar and his contributions in the GVNext article. 

Over the past few weeks, conversations between the Office of the Provost, Facilities Services, Senior Leadership Team and the President have led to a planning structure and timeline for this project. We have faculty, staff, and students assigned throughout the structure, but with the first round of focus groups on Thursday and Friday this week, we would like a few more faculty members to join the discussion. Contact Senior Associate Vice President Ed Aboufadel for details.

Empowered Education

Hundreds of students from a variety of academic disciplines unveiled their research and creative projects during the 28th annual Student Scholars Day on April 10. Learn more about some of the outstanding student projects on the GVNext article. 

More than 400 Grand Valley students, faculty and staff presented their innovative and impactful projects during the Reach Higher Showcase on April 12 at the DeVos Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. Nearly 150 projects were presented, exemplifying Grand Valley’s Reach Higher commitments in providing an empowered educational experience and fostering a lifetime of learning and a culture of educational equity. Check out the complete article on GVNext. 

Engaged Scholarship

Congratulations to Rahat Ibn Rafiq, Assistant Professor of Computing, for receiving a $22,000 contract from the City of Grand Haven and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for "Early Detection of Oak Wilt Leveraging Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and Computer Vision." With this contract, he will develop models for identifying and predicting the locations of oak wilt, enabling more targeted testing.

Aaron Eddens, Assistant Professor of Area and Global Studies, published Seeding Empire: American Philanthrocapital and the Roots of the Green Revolution in Africa. A critical, historical analysis of a recent wave of American-led agricultural development efforts in Africa. Combines archival analysis with interview research at development institutions and agribusinesses working to bring genetically modified crops to millions of small-scale farmers across Africa. Click here to learn more about this book.

Updates

This May, all GVSU community members are encouraged to participate in the events sponsored by the University Counseling Center and Disability Support Resources designed to help us all cultivate an enhanced sense of well-being! Check out a Mindful Yoga Session and Snack Station, become a certified QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper, get a lesson on Decoding Student Accommodation Memos, and learn about how to manage well-being by attending When It's Not Just Stress: Mental Illness as an Invisible Disability.

Events

The Common Ground Initiative welcomes Yale political science professor Steven B. Smith, syndicated columnist and author Cal Thomas, and historian and novelist Elizabeth Cobbs, to discuss the definition of patriotism, debate what actions should be considered patriotic vs. unpatriotic, and consider the role of the institutions they represent in fostering a sense of patriotism among American citizens. This event will take place on April 18, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus. 

Important Dates and Links

Previously Shared Events 
4/15 - Jordan Christian LeVan, Fighting for my Voice - 10:00 a.m., Cook-DeWitt Center Auditorium, Allendale Campus. 
4/17 - Toast to the Class of 2024 - 5:30 p.m. or 7:30 p.m., L.V. Eberhard Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/18 - Biomimetic Cuisine: The Chemistry, Craft, and Culture of Our Future Foods - 6:00 p.m., Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
4/18 - Reflections on Patriotism - 6:00 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/19 - Biomimetic Chemistry: Innovating Molecular Structures and Functions Inspired by Nature - 1:00 p.m., Pere Marquette Room, Kirkhof Center, Allendale Campus
4/19 - The Graduate School Citation Awards - 5:00 p.m., Loosemore
Auditorium, DeVos Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/23 - Paul Plotkowski Retirement Celebration - 4:30 p.m., L. William Seidman Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus
4/23 - Graduate Showcase - 3:00 p.m., Hager-Lubbers Exhibition Hall, Allendale Campus and Awards Ceremony, 4:30 p.m., Loosemore Auditorium, Allendale Campus
5/13 - From Surviving to Thriving: Bb Ultra Half-Day Celebration - 10:00 a.m., 1008 Seidman Center, Pew Grand Rapids Campus

Dates
4/20-4/27 - Exam Week
4/26-4/27 - Commencement Ceremonies 

Links
Lakers Ready - repository of this weekly newsletter and a link to submit content
Laker Family Network - repository of the monthly newsletter sent by the Division of Student Affairs to GVSU parents/supporters