Category Archives: Alumni Activity

News about fellow Broncos from the College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Spanish Reveals Jeremy Sayles Study Abroad Award in Business and Spanish

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke

The WMU Department of Spanish will name its first awardee of a new scholarship for study abroad in spring 2012, thanks to the generosity of alumnus Jeremy Sayles (Business/Spanish ’96), who was recognized with the WMU College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Achievement Award in 2011.

Jeremy and Jackie Sayles at the WMU Campus Classic during Homecoming 2011.

The Jeremy Sayles Award in Business and Spanish is for students with a major or minor in Spanish and a major or minor in business. In addition, prospective awardees must demonstrate strong academic performance, financial need, and must use the scholarship to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country.

Sayles graduated in 1996 with double majors in Spanish and business administration. He also holds a master’s degree in business administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business. While at Western, Sayles was one of six students chosen for the inaugural study abroad program in Queretaro, Mexico in 1995.

Sayles has had a successful professional career in marketing with more than 14 years of experience with leading Fortune 500 and global companies including Kellogg, Novartis, Nestle and Pfizer. He has led multi-million dollar brand positioning and promotional efforts, for such well-known brands as Pop Tarts, Eggo® waffles, Gerber® baby food, Ovaltine® drink mix and Advil® pain reliever.

During his career, Sayles has visited more than 30 countries, and traveled and worked extensively throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia. He is currently senior marketing manager (based in Madison, N.J.) for Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, and is  responsible for new product innovation efforts on the Centrum® multivitamin franchise.

During his visit to Kalamazoo during homecoming week, Sayles received his award from the college, then he and his wife, Jackie, ran the Campus Classic on Saturday morning and spent time with the Tortugas, the already famous team of walkers and runners of the Department of Spanish made up of faculty, graduate students and guests.

The now famous "Tortugas" from the Department of Spanish.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer this new scholarship due to the generosity of one of our former students here at WMU,” noted Dr. Michael Millar, associate professor of Spanish. There is no application process for the scholarship. Faculty from the Department of Spanish will nominate candidates for the award, and the recipient will be announced during the Department of Spanish’s Honors and Awards Ceremony in the spring.

LINKS: Department of Spanish newsletter-Somos y Estamos

Posted in Alumni Activity, Globally Engaged, Study Abroad

Tagged , , , , ,

Grad and Editor Revisits Research with African American Icon

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke and Katy TerBerg

Sonya Bernard-Hollins, Community Voices editor and WMU graduate (1993)

Sonya Bernard-Hollins has taken her Bachelor’s in Journalism  (’93) and found a spot where she can do the most good…as editor and publisher of “Community Voices,” a free quarterly publication, available at several locations throughout West Michigan, highlighting the people, places, and events in the Kalamazoo community.

Now, Bernard-Hollins is scheduled to speak at the WMU Center for the Humanities on “Discovering Merze Tate: How to Uncover the Hidden Treasures in Your Archives and Bring them to Life.” The event takes place March 22 at 4 p.m. in Knauss Hall. Bernard-Hollins will talk about her search for information on African American graduates of WMU and how she discovered Merze Tate, a 1927 graduate of WMU and donor to the University.

After  graduation Bernard-Hollins held internships at Kalamazoo Gazetteand the Akron Beacon Journal before becoming a reporter for the Battle Creek Enquirer, where a colleague complimented both her quality of writing and her warm demeanor. “Sonya didn’t just report the news but left the individual that was interviewed with the feeling of not [being] just another story, but an important individual that was part of the greater good…her strengths are empathy, compassion, and strength in putting the story together the way the interviewee [intended],” said the colleague.

At the Enquirer, Bernard-Hollins rose to Neighbors editor, and later Features editor. She founded the “Leader of Tomorrow” youth recognition award for community service, and in 2005 became a stay-at-home mom and a freelance writer. It was then that she met Arlen Washington, founder of Community Voices.

“I was approached by Arlen Washington to take the helm of the periodical,” she said. “With the assistance of my husband, Sean Hollins [founder of Fortitude Graphic Design and Printing], we have given the periodical an online and print facelift which has been well received,” she said. “My goal has always been to provide a positive image of African Americans and other people of color in the media, and Community Voices allows me the freedom to do just that.”

The Merze Tate exhibit, which consists of photographs, letters and tickets that document her travels and accomplishments, will be on view at the University Center for the Humanities March 1-30, 2012, and Bernard-Hollins’ talk will be held March 22 at 4 p.m.  in the Humanities Center in Knauss Hall.

Bernard-Hollins also is the author of “Here I Stand: A Musical History of African Americans in Battle Creek, Michigan.”

Links:
The University Center for the Humanities event page.
“Community Voices” website.
“Here I Stand: A Musical History of African Americans in Battle Creek, Michigan” is available on Amazon.

Posted in Alumni Activity, Learner Centered

Tagged , , , , ,

WMU Grad Writes Right Stuff

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Jeremy Brown, author of "Suckerpunch" and WMU graduate (’98).

By Katy TerBerg

For Jeremy Brown, inspiration for literary work came early. “My life as a seventh grader seemed pretty dull, so I chose to write about a man getting ambushed by assassins, whom he quickly defeats and tortures to find out why they’re trying to kill him. Today, that would likely get me sent to Greenland,” wrote Brown on his official website.

Brown, who graduated from WMU in 1998 with bachelor’s degrees in English and communication (and who was awarded the Johnston Award for Best Fiction during his time at WMU), has published several books: the “Woodshed Wallace” series, “Suckerpunch” and “Hook and Shoot,” and the “Crime Files: Four-Minute Forensic Mysteries” books. He currently works as a web and graphic designer for Prima Communications, Inc., in nearby Schoolcraft, Mich.

Brown has released the first 60 pages of his debut novel, “Suckerpunch,” online for all to enjoy…the second novel in the series, “Hook and Shoot,” will be available this year.

After graduating from Western, Brown honed his writing skills at Prima Communications, a technical communications company which “concentrates on customer relations and connections.”

After four years at Prima, Brown moved on to pharmaceutical company Pfizer, where he worked on technical communication. He polished his writing and editing skills by proofreading documentation for Pfizer and other pharmaceutical firms.

Brown has since returned to Prima Communications as website designer, administrator and graphic designer, and is continuing work on his career as a novelist. According to Brown, writing original material has become his calling card.

“When I got the contract for those books,” he said, “I also got a taste of what it’s like to write for a living and realized it was what I was supposed to be doing all along, what was missing. Everything else was just a hobby.”

Sounds like a hobby turned career path to us!

Links:
Jeremy Brown’s official website.

Read what a former classmate has to say about Brown:

Posted in Alumni Activity, Learner Centered

Tagged , , , , ,

Grad student is First Generation Grad After Study Abroad in Europe

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Anastasia Lopez, College of Arts and Sciences graduate assistant and TRIO intern.

By Anastasia Lopez

I studied abroad in Rome, Italy for five months in the fall 2007 semester. I grew up very Mediterranean (primarily Greek), but never knew much about my Italian heritage and roots. I chose Italy to learn more about my Italian heritage and it made my family very proud. I worked full-time at a hotel as a guest service rep for almost three years saving almost $10K of my own money for this experience of a lifetime.

I got permission from the Italian Consulate in Pittsburgh to visit Greece prior to when I was to leave for Italy. I made all of my own travel plans for every country I visited, budgeting for each one, and integrated myself in the full culture. I am blessed to say that I experienced Athens, Greece and five islands (Corfu, Crete, Santorini, Mykonos, and Kalymnos); Rome, Florence, Pisa, Naples, the Vatican, and the island of Capri in Italy; Brasov, Romania; Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary; Barcelona, Spain; Paris, France; Frankfurt, Germany; Amsterdam, the Netherlands and Dublin, Ireland.

I met family in Greece on the island of Kalymnos; visited the healing hot springs of Santorini; met my high school international exchange pen-pal in Ireland; learned about Anne Frank and the Nazis in the Netherlands and Germany; attended a real European soccer game in Barcelona; soaked in the thermal baths in Hungary, visited countless museums of art and history in Italy, Czech Republic and France; learned and studied international tourism and European economies, Italian language and culture, and visited some international institutions like Trinity College, for example.

I learned about the cultures and histories of all of these delightful countries, sampling cuisines and making international friends and trying to speak the local languages of each. There were beautiful castles, ancient churches, and so much history and culture to go around—it was a fulfilling five months.

My five months in Italy are hard to describe in short paragraphs because it was so much more than all these words combined. It changed my life! It opened my eyes and heart to things I did not fully know. How much poverty there is, how I took for granted things like toilet paper and clean fresh water! I feel so blessed that I have had this experience. I learned a lot in those five months, including more about myself and what I wanted out of a career.

I came home and did several internships in international education, volunteered a lot of my time to several different causes like Walk for the Homeless, Paws with a Cause, and several other non-profits to “give-back”—I feel it is very important to pay it forward.

I do hope that other college students will get the chance to live and study abroad. It changes you. You WANT to learn about other cultures around the world; you WANT to invoke change; you WANT to do something to help others. I can say that, now that I have gone abroad, my curiosity is heightened to the max to see and experience more and also to pair service learning with study abroad, which I think is important.

I’m a first generation college student and graduate. If I can do it, so can you. Hard work, determination, and the want and need to be globally competent will only make the work that you do that much better. To be able to converse in other languages and make international friends is important. To budget in a foreign currency, to navigate around cities and towns that you have never explored before—helps you know what you, as a person, are capable of in unfamiliar environments. Study abroad is only the beginning of the wonderful things that can come out of it. It is truly life-changing!

Lopez currently serves as a Global Education Editor at Wandering Educators; as a TRIO Intern at Western Michigan University; and as a Career Educator and Advisor graduate assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University.

Posted in Alumni Activity, Globally Engaged, Study Abroad

Tagged , , , , ,

Alum Appointed to Great Lakes Advisory Board

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Dr. William W. Bowerman, '85 WMU biosciences graduate

by Helena Witzke

The Great Lakes: a point of pride and enjoyment for many Michiganders, and a source of international environmental interest.

These bountiful bodies of water that share Canadian and U.S. borders are in trouble: over the years, researchers have brought public attention to the declining health of the lakes. Fortunately, both U.S. and Canadian officials are working to improve the water quality of the lakes, and WMU alum Dr. William W. Bowerman is helping lead the way.

Currently professor and chair of the Department of Environmental Sciences and
Technology at the University of Maryland, Bowerman was appointed in December to be the U.S. Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Science Advisory Board by the International Joint Commission. As co-chair, Bowerman works with members of the international board to formulate recommendations for the International Joint Commission and the Great Lakes Water Quality Board on all matters relating to developing knowledge of the Great Lakes.

With his long history of involvement in various environmental matters, Bowerman was the perfect candidate. A graduate of WMU’s biological sciences program (’85), Bowerman went on to earn a master’s degree in biology from Northern Michigan University in 1991. In 1993, he graduated from Michigan State University’s Fisheries & Wildlife-Environmental Toxicology Ph.D. program.

 

Links:
Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology at the University of Maryland
WMU’s Department of Biological Sciences
Great Lakes Science Advisory Board

 

Posted in Alumni Activity, Globally Engaged

Tagged , ,

Ph.D. Alum Speaks on Post-Communist Russia and Memories of WMU

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

by Helena Witzke

Dr. Katia Levintova, WMU Department of Political Science 2004 Ph.D. graduate, recently returned to campus to talk about the “Evolution of the Communist Party in Post-Communist Russia.” An assistant professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, hers was the first talk of the new semester for the WMU Institute of Government and Politics.

Dr. Katia Levintova, WMU political science Ph.D. graduate

Levintova addressed the changing trends of the Russian Communist Party in recent decades. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communist Party had to evolve in order to maintain its influence in the Russian government, and she emphasized the course of overall democratic reform taken by the Party, despite the presence of remaining hardliners.

In an interview with WMUK, WMU’s nonprofit public radio station, Levintova noted that support for the Party has changed in recent times from mostly the older generation, which had been somewhat left out of the current system, to a younger, middle-class base. “[The younger people] are quite sympathetic to the communist agenda, which is again not communist in a sense but more socially democratic.”

Levintova is a widely published author of several articles on democratization in Russia and Eastern Europe. She teaches comparative politics, international relations, U.S. foreign policy and political behavior.

Here, she is interviewed by the College of Arts and Sciences on her feelings about international education and her Ph.D. from Western.

Links:
Contact Susan Hoffmann, Director, Institute of Government and Politics.
Dr. Katia Levintova’s profile
For a campus map and parking information, please consult WMU Maps.
Institute of Government and Politics
Listen to the WMUK interview with Dr. Levintova

Posted in Alumni Activity, Globally Engaged

Tagged , , , , ,

Author, Alum, Assistant Director: Keeping it All On Campus

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Deb| Leave a comment

Alum and New Issues editor, Kimberly Kolbe.

When Kimberly Kolbe, the New Issues Poetry & Prose managing editor at WMU, began volunteering for the literary press in the summer of 2005, she had her bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from WMU and was applying to MFA programs.

Kolbe was accepted into WMU’s MFA program and secured graduate work study which allowed her to serve as assistant editor for three years. Upon graduation, she continued volunteering, and once the managing editor position became available, she took on her new role.

Prior to her involvement at New Issues Poetry & Prose, Kolbe served as poetry editor for Third Coast, WMU’s literary journal. As a result, her experience with small press is extensive, and she has encountered many different tasks that have helped her to comprehend the overall scope of her field. Kolbe encourages young writers to work or volunteer for a small press so they can try many tasks and see what best fits their individual strengths.

“You will never be bored,” she says. “Reading and editing will take place, but at a small press it is likely you will also serve as bookkeeper and book seller, brand ambassador, diplomat, artists’ advocate, web designer, print advertiser, envelope stuffer, grant applicant and event organizer.”

Kolbe explains that this experience is beneficial to aspiring writers.

“As an aspiring writer, you learn first-hand where your work fits in the comprehensive scope of contemporary literature,” she says.

Kolbe does not mince words, however, when describing the instability of the job market in terms of writing. “I don’t think the general public necessarily understands the ‘literary journal’; it has a very concise audience (the aspiring writer).”

The appeal of a smaller press, whether the press produces a book such as New Issues Poetry & Prose or a literary journal such as Third Coast, is that it can provide motivation for young authors, she says.  “That moment of validation, when a poem or story is accepted for publication, is crucial. If it weren’t for that hard-won praise, I think a lot of books would be left half-written and abandoned.”

Kolbe encourages young writers to stay positive. “Volunteer to do what you love while you work to get by. Look for opportunity in unexpected places. I had a chapbook published because I struck up the right conversation with the right customer while working at a bookstore. Read, especially if you are submitting work. Learn your audience and editors,” she says, “and determine if your own work fits their aesthetic.”

New Issues Poetry & Prose website

Third Coast website

Posted in Alumni Activity, Learner Centered

Tagged , , , , ,

Alum Carolyn Binder is Voice of PMN Kalamazoo

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Deb| Leave a comment

Carolyn Binder…former voice of the Bronco Insider.

Hello!

I am a 2009 graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences. I double majored in film, video and media studies and social psychology. While at WMU I served as the director of Webcasting for the Bronco Insider in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, as well as a color commentator for WMU Women’s Basketball. My senior year, I served as a news intern at 102.1 FM WMUK.

Here’s what I’ve been up to since my time at WMU:

Upon graduating, I spent a year as a broadcast intern at ESPN 100.9 FM in Midland Mich., where I was responsible for board operation, in-studio production, conducting interviews, updating content on air and online, and leading broadcast segments.

I am now the play-by-play voice of Public Media Network in Kalamazoo. My main priorities are covering high school football, basketball and soccer. I also cover community softball tournament games and full tournament coverage of the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo, which is now in its 69th year at K College and WMU. PMN has hosted wall to wall coverage for the past two decades.

I am also gaining lots of production experience at WKZO, where I am proud to assist in production of WMU athletics on the Bronco Radio Network and any other task that is needed to get the job done!

Posted in Alumni Activity

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Alum Nancy Arnold Switches Gears to Stay Ahead

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Deb| Leave a comment

Alum Nancy Arnold shows off her English persona during a birthday tea party.

After graduating with a BFA (in painting) and viewing a future as a starving artist, I decided to put my minor in business communication to use.

At Waldo Library, in 1983, I found a book called Careers to the Year 2000. The book described the field of technical writing, and I thought that would be something I could do and would enjoy. I landed my first job as a technical writer in 1989 and have been doing that ever since. I really enjoy it, and I earn good money working now for a local software company in Portage, Mich. I’m very happy to be back in my native Kalamazoo.

During the past 20 years, I’ve been a member of the Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra (playing mandolin), have been accepted into various art shows and have sold some paintings (so I’m still enjoying my major), and I also teach piano.

I feel my life became so much richer and more well-rounded as a result of my education at WMU.

P.S. I might also add that my daughter, Liana Hubert, just finished her first very successful semester as a freshman at WMU, and she also LOVES WMU.

LINK: Connect with Nancy on LinkedIn.

Posted in Alumni Activity

Tagged , , , , , , , ,