A novel by Oindrila Mukherjee, associate professor of writing, will
be published in early January.
Jon Coles, assistant professor of sport management, chairs a
committee that received a $1 million grant for park improvements.
In the News
Debut novel by writing faculty soon published
Oindrila Mukherjee, associate professor of writing,
will have her debut novel, The Dream
Builders, published by Tin House Books on January 10. It will also
be published by Scribe Publications in Australia and the United
Kingdom. The book will also be published in India later next
year. There will be a local launch event at the Grand Rapids Schuler
Books on Jan 10.
Improvements to park earn $1 million boost
A fundraising effort for major improvements to a Big Rapids community
park that
is being led by Jon Coles, assistant professor of sport management, recently received a big
boost. The Hemlock Park Improvement Project, which Coles chairs, recently
received $1 million in Community Development Block Grant Public
Gathering Spaces funding.
Coles said this work aligns with one of the objectives stated in
Grand Valley's Reach Higher 2025 mission statement of enriching
society through public service. "In this campaign, I’ve been able
to combine my passion for sport and recreation with my servant
leadership skills to transform a park while weaving the experience
into my teaching," Coles said. "I’m thankful to be working
at an institution that values and supports service."
Faculty and staff members who have given presentations, were
recognized for outstanding contributions or had their research
published are detailed below. The campus community can submit
a sketch online for future publication.
Heather Tafel, associate professor of political
science, gave a presentaton, "Reviving Eternal Russia: U.S. Media
Representations of Democracy and Human Rights in Post-Soviet
Russia," at the International Journal of Press and Politics
conference at Loughborough University, Leicestershire, England.
Ellen Schiller, professor and unit head for teaching
and learning, gave a presentation, "Spheres of
Understanding," at the National Science Teaching Conference in
Houston, Texas.
John Weber, professor of geology, was a co-author of
an article, "Frost-weathering Control on the Rate of Late
Quaternary Landscape Evolution, Western Flank of the Taebaek Mountain
Range, Korea: A Case of Passive Margin Landscape Evolution,"
published in Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography.
Brandon Rushton, visiting professor of writing, wrote
a collection of poems, The
Air in the Air Behind It, published by Tupelo Press. The book
received the Berkshire Prize, presented to an author who published a
first or second book of poetry.
Guests at an event hosted on the Health Campus learned how portable ultrasound technology is saving lives in remote areas of Africa. The cybersecurity program earned designation status from the National Security Agency.
Highlights include a student recognized nationally for their commitment to democratic engagement, and Project Grand Path will be presented at a tech and innovation conference in Colorado.