APRIL 2013
Tom Dukes, '13, Earns Fulbright Scholarship
Tom Dukes, '13, enjoyed the experience of studying off-campus at the University of T�bingen so much he knew he had to get back to Germany someday.
Luckily for Dukes, he won’t have to wait long. The international studies and German major from Midland will return to Germany next year under a Fulbright Scholarship, teaching English to middle- and high-school students.
"I was thinking I would get to spend a year in the place I love," Dukes said in explaining his decision to apply for the Fulbright Scholarship last fall.
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Presidential Transition Under Way
Albion College President Donna Randall recently announced she will conclude her presidency at the end of her six-year term on June 30, 2013, and become chancellor through June 2014. Michael Frandsen, Albion’s vice president for finance and administration since 2009, will become interim president July 1.
The board will work with Thomas Courtice, of AGB Search in Washington, D.C., to conduct a national presidential search. Courtice knows the College well, having spearheaded the last presidential search, and is on campus this week talking with the campus community.
As chancellor, Randall will focus on three critical areas: fundraising for the library and athletic complex renovations, development of educational partnerships, and national advocacy.
As interim president, Frandsen will lead the College’s executive team in day-to-day internal management. He will have a role in external relations as well, representing Albion at key events.
Joel Manby, '81, to Offer 2013 Commencement Address
Joel Manby, Albion College's 1981 valedictorian, will deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2013 on Saturday, May 11. The graduation procession begins at 12:45 p.m. in the College Quadrangle. Manby will receive an honorary doctor of humane letters degree during the Commencement ceremony.
A standout athlete and distinguished scholar at Albion College, Battle Creek native Manby has spent the past decade as CEO of Herschend Family Entertainment. He was elected to Albion College's Athletic Hall of Fame, was named an Albion College Distinguished Alumnus in 2011, and is a former College trustee. Manby earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Elkin Isaac Symposium Ends on
Delightful Note
Some 100 students from Albion College (plus French students from �cole sup�rieure de Vente, working with Gerstacker Institute students) participated in the 2013 Isaac Research Symposium from April 17-18, presenting research, scholarship, and creative activity pursued in the summer of 2012 and throughout the academic year. Including students from all departments, the presentations ranged from nanoparticle synthesis and business plan developments to Masai ethnoarchaeology, and the intersection of quantum mechanics and music composition.
Alexander McCall Smith shared the wit and charm that have carried dozens of his works to international bestseller lists, as he gave the 2013 Joseph S. Calvaruso Keynote Address, concluding the symposium, on Thursday, April 18.
READ MORE on author Alexander McCall Smith's keynote.
Albion Alumni Develop Campus Partnership With Conpoto
Matt Lepard, '95, and Matt Ahearn, '90, have teamed up to launch Conpoto, a social gifting platform that lets parents, friends, or family members send treats to anyone on campus.
Lepard and Ahearn first connected with each other as employees of Johnson Controls.
"In the spring of 2012 we connected over a beer to discuss a variety of local technology initiatives, and I shared the theme behind Conpoto with Matt," says Lepard. "After a period of six months, we pulled together a strategy and funding, and ultimately launched it statewide."
Parents, friends or other family members can use Conpoto to prepay for almost anything at Read Between the Grinds, Albion's coffee shop located in Cutler Commons. The recipient -- for example, a student -- gets an e-mail with a message from mom or dad telling their student about the treat, and the treat never expires.
Lepard and Ahearn pulled in Andy Bass, a Calvin College graduate, to serve as chief technology officer.
"We've enjoyed being able to re-engage with Albion," Lepard says. "In particular we've enjoyed working with the staff, and we're looking forward to the benefit Conpoto will bring both the students and the institution."
VISIT Conpoto's Albion Page
Reunion Giving Competition:
Race for the Shield
The Race for the Shield is a new competition taking place for the upcoming Homecoming Reunion Classes ending in 3s and 8s (1953-2008). Reunion Giving Leaders will be reaching out to their classmates throughout the year.
The class with the highest total giving and the class with the highest rate of giving participation will have their class years inscribed on the new shield-shaped plaque that will be displayed in the Kellogg Center for years to come. Help your class set the path for many reunions to follow and be among the first listed on the plaque! All gifts from July 1, 2012 through October 11, 2013 are counted toward the competition.
SEE WHO'S IN THE LEAD
Communication Studies Class
Researches Oil Spill
Communication Studies Professor Andy Boyan turned a real-life environmental disaster into a research opportunity for his Environment Communication class. Students focused on media coverage on the recent oil spill in Mayflower, Ark. – everything from videos to tweets – then blogged about it without including their own commentary.
"We gathered a massive amount of data and information, and then turned it around into a formatted, decent-looking series of posts all within a week," Boyan says. "That fast turnaround, with the scope and size of the data, is an experience that mimics real reporting and research."
“It was cool to see how the blog came together in two days,” Dillon Ervin, ’15, says. Through his research, Ervin learned how oil spills like this affect the local environment, and that 70-year-old pipes can carry oil across the country. “Something like this could happen again,” he says.
Danielle Crittenden, ’14, noticed that local media covered the spill differently than the national media. The big networks and sites, she says, criticized ExxonMobil for not acknowledging the incident. “Local coverage focused on how people were happy because it could’ve been worse,” she says.
Boyan says the experience helped students understand how to build a blog, and how organizations communicate through multiple channels.
VISIT THE BLOG
Grandparents College Kicks Off June 19
Grandparents College is Albion College’s summer camp program for children ages 8-12 and any adults who want to learn with them. Share time with your young person while enjoying Albion College’s residence halls, sports complex, dining commons, and classrooms during this three-day, fun-filled educational experience Wednesday, June 19 to Friday, June 21.
Campers choose four kid-friendly "courses" spanning science, music, business, and more, like "Beyond Spaghettios," "Down on the Farm," and "Albion and Beyond!" Participants also enjoy two-nights' lodging, seven meals, special evening activities, and a lifetime of memories.
"When I asked my grandchildren what they would consider the best thing about Grandparents College, their reply was simple: Everything!" Reva Raeside Wujcik, '64, says. "We’ve also decided that it gets better every year. So, in answer to Taylor's question: Yes! We’re returning this year and are looking forward to more fun and rewarding memories.”
For more information about Grandparents College, e-mail collegeevents@albion.edu or call the Office of Alumni Engagement at 517/629-0448.
REGISTER NOW
Al Pheley Joins Allegiance Health Systems
Dr. Al Pheley, Director of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service, will be leaving the post he has held since 2006 to become Director of Research for the Allegiance Health System in Jackson, Michigan, as of May 24.
During his time at Albion, he built strong relationships with the Gerald R. Ford Foundation, Museum, and Library where students have been able to intern and conduct primary course research. He has also directed students in a variety of other internships and co-curricular activities, from the Detroit Free Press to the Center for Wrongful Convictions; and he has led the Sleight Leadership Program in Detroit for a number of years. Al is a strong proponent of civic engagement, and he will continue his responsibilities to the Albion community as president of the Albion Public Schools Board of Education, and with service to the Downtown Development Authority and Albion Health Care Alliance.
There will be a reception in Al's honor on Tuesday, May 7, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the Kellogg Center living room.
