When the new set of objectives is realized in 2032, Western will rank third in the state for both retention and graduation rates among Michigan’s comprehensive universities.
Top News of the Year
Making history in 2023
Raise the roof
Finch Greenhouse made room this spring for its 50-year-old Agave American plant, affectionately named Alice, to bloom. The plant grew so large, greenhouse specialist Chris Jackson had to remove a glass panel on the roof to accommodate its height.
Follow the journey See how staff pushed past the glass ceiling
Impactful research
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Dr. Ricky Stull earned the five-year, $757,000 award to study whether a group of enzymes which generally use molecular oxygen as a catalyst for biochemical reactions includes any outliers that may buck the trend.
Empowering Futures
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Dozens of Western students gained resume-worthy experience through paid internships with a number of businesses and organizations in Kalamazoo and Detroit this summer supported by the Empowering Futures Gift.
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Two new initiatives supported by the Empowering Futures Gift launched in spring, giving students new avenues for support to keep them on the right track and give them resume-worthy experiences.
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One of the most tightknit groups on campus didn’t know each other just one year ago. Now, the Bronco Connect Scholars have found their community and their passions, changing their lives forever.
Student successes
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Noemí Méndez and Joana Zuniga were invited to participate in the first-ever First-Generation College Student Day in Washington, D.C. They were able to meet with leaders in the Biden Administration as well as legislators.
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MSP committed to ongoing financial support to students who have been accepted into WMU's Cold Case Program with Michigan State Police. These students will officially become part of MSP as either state police cadets or student assistants.
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Julia LeKander's "zero waste" skirt design helped her win Western's 2022 New York Fashion Week Competition and earned her a trip to the Big Apple for UofNYFW, a behind-the-scenes look at one of fashion's most exclusive celebrations.
Seniors honored for academic excellence as 2023 Presidential Scholars
Starting Gate business accelerator serves 100th student company
Sustainable innovation earns Western students a share of $19,000
Ingenious invention gives plant lovers a green thumb and wins Bronco Pitch
Graduate student set to earn first dual degrees from WMU and University of Lisbon
Western's jazz program captures three 2023 DownBeat magazine Student Music Awards
WMU Theatre hosts American Sign Language shadow-cast performance of 'Clue'
Sky Broncos soar to fourth overall in 2023 national flight competition
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Green is the new black. Student fashion designers at Western Michigan University took sustainability to the stage during their annual spring fashion show.
Employee accolades
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Dr. Jeffrey Angles will discuss his groundbreaking Godzilla project as part of the Faculty Colloquium Series on Friday, Dec. 1, at 1 p.m.
We will reign
Amazing alumni
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Western alumni Chase Chamberlin, BBA ‘12, and Brian Doxtator, BBA ‘04, are celebrating a big Kentucky Derby win with Mage. They went from business Broncos to Kentucky Derby dynamos with their creation of Commonwealth, an innovative investment group that revolutionized ownership by allowing fans to purchase shares of a horse.
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Just a few years after graduating from the product design program, four alumni are transforming the flight, auto, medical and pet care industries with their insightful designs and professional experience. "Looking back, I just can't fathom where I'm at. Eighteen-year-old me thought I was going to be a graphic designer … and here I am designing cars in Detroit for a major company," says Danialle Baumgardner, BFA '21.