| | Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies
2018 - 2019 Newsletter, Issue 2
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Message from Dean HiskesWelcome Home, GVSU and Brooks College Alumni! On Thursday, October 4, Brooks College will host a panel discussion by six distinguished Brooks College alumni from 3:00 – 5:00 PM in Kirkhof 2250 (The Grand River Room) as a kick-off to what we hope will be a memorable and enjoyable GVSU homecoming weekend. Fall is typically a time for high schools, colleges, and universities around the country to welcome their alumni back to campus. We call these events “Home Coming” rather than “Campus Returning” or “Alumni Visiting,” for example, to draw an analogy between the joy of families welcoming home a long-absent family member and the delight of faculty and staff welcoming former students back to campus. Ideally, the “Home” to which an individual is returning is a place where they felt valued and supported to grow and develop in ways that, perhaps at the time, they did not appreciate or understand. Reunions are full of tales of shared memories, mutual amazement of how the place and the people have changed yet remain the same in spirit, and gratitude for opportunities to both give and receive. At the dedication ceremony of the Sustainable Agriculture Project’s (SAP) Demonstration Garden, which also doubled as a 10th-anniversary celebration, I witnessed a reunion full of shared memories, amazement at people and place changed yet the same, and gratitude for opportunities to both give and receive. One of the featured speakers was GVSU and SAP alumnae, Dulcee Boehm, who is now a GVSU Visiting Professor in the Department of Visual & Media Arts. Dulcee was a student in Professor Kelly Parker’s ENS class of 2008, which was responsible for creating the first version of the SAP. Dulcee shared memories of being sustained and inspired by her connections with the SAP as a GVSU student. That connection and inspiration is evident in Dulcee’s current work around themes of country culture, farm work, and food. I hope you will join me on October 4 at the Brooks College Distinguished Alumni Panel and Networking Event to share additional memories and delight in the achievements of our former students. - Anne L. Hiskes
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Norman Christopher to be inducted into Sustainable Business Hall of Fame
Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies is excited to announce that Norman Christopher, Executive Director for the Office of Sustainability Practices, will be the 2018 inductee into the West Michigan Sustainable Business Hall of Fame. Known equally for his work promoting sustainability within the university and the community, Christopher has been a fixture in local sustainability for many years. Among other accomplishments, he helped establish sustainability as the seventh value of the university and helped establish the Grand Rapids Community Sustainability Partnership. The Sustainable Business Hall of Fame is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes extraordinary contributions to the growth of sustainable business in the West Michigan area over the course of a career. The award will be presented at the 5th Annual Triple Bottom Line Bash on Wednesday, October 10 at the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts. Read the full announcement on the West Michigan Sustainable Business Forum.
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Semester in Grand Rapids to Launch Summer 2019Semester in Grand Rapids (SIGR) is an exciting, new opportunity for students to engage with the history and people of Grand Rapids. In this immersive 12-week experience, students will live downtown Grand Rapids on the Pew Campus, take place-based courses for 9 undergraduate credits including SWS and issues, and intern at a community-based organization. The first cohort of 12-20 students is expected to launch Spring/Summer 2019. Semester in Grand Rapids is open to all students and rolling applications are now being accepted. Please bring this opportunity to the attention of students who may be interested. For more information contact Kristin Moretto, Director of Semester in Grand Rapids.
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SAP Celebrates 10 Years with Dedication of GardenOn October 2, 2018, campus community members celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Sustainable Agriculture Project (SAP) with a dedication ceremony for its Demonstration Garden. In May 2018, SAP members planted the garden in the heart of the Allendale Campus to inspire interest in small-scale gardening and raise awareness for the SAP. "This all began 10 years ago when a group of students and Kelly Parker (professor of philosophy) had a vision for a garden," said Dean Hiskes. "It has turned into a high-impact learning environment that demonstrates the university's dedication to sustainable education." Last year the SAP included 24 interns from 12 disciplines, volunteers spent 712 hours on the farm, and 12 classes used the space as a learning-living laboratory. The 15-by-15-foot demonstration garden includes raised garden beds, which mimic the size of a typical, homemade garden. It's maintained by student volunteers and SAP interns. Read more about the dedication ceremony on GVNow and visit the garden near the Transformation Link.
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Stiner Fellowship Applications Open November 1Brooks College has been selected to serve as the sponsor for two Stiner Endowed Interdisciplinary Student Summer Fellowships (S3). These fellowships are administered by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS). The students who receive these fellowships are expected to work on their projects approximately 12 weeks (400 hours) in the spring/summer. Applications will be open November 1, 2018 - January 25, 2019. Any GVSU student conducting an interdisciplinary research project in the areas described below is eligible to apply. Students must have a faculty mentor who understands interdisciplinary research methods and knowledge. Please encourage students who may be interested to apply here. Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Fellowship in Scientific Skeptical Reasoning and Logic
This fellowship has been initiated in support of those who seek truth, honesty and scientific facts to assist themselves and society in finding their way through this world. Les and Jackie (Ott) Stiner Fellowship in Historical and Humanistic Studies
History can and is regularly forgotten by civilization. It is sometimes rewritten as propaganda, without complete research study, or just written incorrectly. The goal of this fellowship is to indelibly etch history through research so it can be studied for the benefit of civilization.
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Peer Education & Prevention (P.E.P.) TalksPeer Education and Prevention (P.E.P) Talks are 90-minute workshops on how to be an active bystander and intervene in sexual assault or harassment situations. If you are interested in having a Peer Educator present to your class please contact Caitlyn Cubberly, Graduate Assistant for the Michigan State Police Campus Sexual Assault Grant Program. P.E.P. talks are sponsored by the Center for Women and Gender Equity.
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New Staff Introduction: Stacy BorrBrooks College is pleased to introduce Stacy Borr, the new Office Coordinator in Area and Global Studies (AGS.) Stacy oversees event planning, coordinates departmental scheduling, and supervises the office student employee staff. She earned her B.A. from Grand Valley State University in International Relations and she's continuing to work toward a graduate degree in Political Science at Western Michigan University. Stacy has worked in several colleges and universities in student services and strives to be an advocate for students in everything she does. Please join us in welcoming Stacy to GVSU!
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Faculty & Program RecognitionElizabeth Arnold, Associate Professor of Anthropology and the Padnos/Sarosik Endowed Professor of Civil Discourse, and Anthony Meyer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Liberal Studies, are collaborating on a new iteration of the Israel study abroad program. The Summer 2019 trip will include hands-on, archaeological experience at Tell es-Safi/Gath, a two-day focused exploration of Qumran and Masada, and visits to other key archeological and tourist sites. Environmental & Sustainability Studies has been approved by the Provost as a new major and will now undergo review by the Board of Trustees. The Intercultural Training Certificate (ITC) has been approved by the Provost to integrate with study abroad programs in Spain for athletes and Chile for TRiO students. Wendy Burns-Ardolino, Professor of Liberal Studies and Graduate Program Director for the Professional Masters of Arts in Social Innovation, was selected as the 2018 Cultural Studies Doctoral Program Distinguished Alumna at George Mason University and will be recognized at the GMU College of Humanities and Social Sciences Celebration on Achievement on October 10, 2018.
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Thursday, October 4, 2018, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Kirkhof Center, Room 2250 Grand River Room
Hear six outstanding alumni share how interdisciplinary studies have bolstered their careers. Includes a time for networking and connecting with representatives from campus services and organizations.
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Tuesday, October 9, 2018, 2018 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Kirkhof Center, Room 2250 Grand River Room
Browse study abroad programs, meet students who have participated in the programs, and talk to faculty program directors. Get answers to questions about program selection, funding, and academics.
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Wednesday, October 10, 2018, 2018 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Kirkhof Center, Room 2215/2216
Learn best practices to engage varying demographics across generations. From working with school children, teenagers, young parents, and families, to adults who have a strong record of community engagement, different strategies are needed to encourage these various populations to see our organizations as local history resources.
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Monday, October 15, 2018, 2018 3:00 PM
Niemeyer Center, Multipurpose Room
Brooke Ackerly, Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, will speak on the topic of Climate Change Justice & Responsibility: Theorizing from the Coast of Climate Change.
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Thursday, October 25, 2018; 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
L.V. Eberhard Center, Room 215
This interactive, participatory symposium features keynote speakers representing diverse points of view with opportunities to personally engage in civil discourse with scientists, politicians, climate change skeptics, environmental justice advocates, and fellow citizens.
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Monday, November 5, 2018; 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Kirkhof Center, Room 2270
This workshop will discuss how to start your own history harvest from start to finish and share best practices. We also encourage participants to bring their oral history collection experiences and questions on how to preserve and make accessible the histories of their community members. Organizations interested in potentially working with the Kutsche Office on a history harvest are encouraged to attend.
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Friday, November 2, 2018; 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The B.O.B., 20 Monroe Ave. NW Grand Rapids, MI
A fun night of food, music, and Laker stories from around the globe! Live music by Afro-Caribbean Latin jazz band, Grupo Ayé! Proceeds will benefit GVSU study abroad scholarships.
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Please contact Managing Editor, Alex Priebe, to submit stories for future issues.
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