Direct From the Director's Desk

A message opening our newsletter from our Acting Director Brent Holmes as he reflects on the last semester and the exciting future of the Hauenstein Center.

"As we finished the 2020-2021 academic year, I found myself reflecting on all that the center has accomplished over the last several months.

We began the academic year with just as much uncertainty as we ended the winter 2020 semester. The Hauenstein Center staff remained flexible through the challenges we faced and continued adapting our programming to an online format. Through our partnerships with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Library, and Museum, and GVSU’s Office of Inclusion and Equity, the center delivered world-class programming for our students, members, and community. Our 2020-2021 line-up included Chris Wallace, Paula Monopoli, Isaiah McKinnon, David Eisenhower and Brian Hauenstein, Ron White, and H.W. Brands."

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David Eisenhower: Eisenhower, Hauenstein, and the Men and Women Who Saved Civilization

 Intelligence played a vital role in the planning and execution of D-Day, yet much remains to be told. To honor Ralph on what would be his 109th birthday, the Hauenstein Center and our partners at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and Library were proud to welcome author and historian David Eisenhower. David shared stories about his grandfather and related his insights into Ralph’s work in intelligence during World War II. Ralph’s own grandson, Brian Hauenstein joined David Eisenhower for a discussion about their grandfathers and the crossing of their legacies.

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Presidential Roundtable Series

Following the January 6 attack on the nation’s capital, GVSU President Philomena Mantella and her predecessors Thomas Haas, Mark Murray, and Arend Lubbers issued a joint statement condemning the actions of that fateful day. “Where do we go from here?” Mantella asked in response to the January 6 assault. Leaning into the Grand Valley ethos, “we must strengthen our commitment to principled leadership, civility, and democracy, no matter the difference in our views and politics. We must work together, as we move forward from chapters already written in history, through today’s defining moments into a future of greater promise.” 

As an academic community, Grand Valley seized the moment to explore the divisions straining our body politic. In their joint statement, a series of roundtable discussions was announced. Campus and community partners from around West Michigan came together to initiate discourse both on and off-campus. The Hauenstein Center was proud to play a crucial role in creating and executing the discussions. Over three months, the series engaged some of the nation’s leading experts on the Constitution, elections, and democracy. 
 

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Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy Spotlight

This spotlight will showcase two of our incredible Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy (CLA) fellows. Gregory Goodwine and Brianna Wisti, recent graduates of the Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy, discuss their futures in healthcare and their next steps in pursuing public health with a concentration in environmental health studies and physician assistant studies, respectively.