Faculty and staff sketches

July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)

portrait of GVSU student scholar Lilly Helsel looking through a glass beaker with an effect of having her face reflected in the beaker

Savannah Tormala portrait is created with an oversized slinky toy to resemble sound waves

This portrait of biomedical sciences major Lilly Helsel for a Student Scholars Day story earned Cory Morse a gold CASE Circle of Excellence Award.

Photo Credit: Cory Morse

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.

In the News
President Philomena V. Mantella wrote a column about Steve Wozniak's commencement speech and the reaction from GVSU graduates for the Chicago Tribune.

Career Center staff Troy Farley and Cindy Brown were interviewed by WOOD-TV for a story about helping new graduates find their first jobs.

Daniel Goldberg, assistant professor of biology, was interviewed by FOX 17 for a story about the tenacious behavior of red-winged blackbirds in Grand Rapids, including at the City Campus.

Paul Isely, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of economics, was interviewed by WOOD-TV for a story about what a tentative peace deal between the U.S. and Iran means for the economy.

Jennifer Pope, associate professor of marketing, was interviewed by WalletHub for a story about the best American Express balance transfer cards.

Sketches
Multiple departments and staff members earned Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE):

Cory Morse, photographer for University Communications, earned a gold award for his Student Scholars Day portrait of Lilly Helsel.
Kendra Stanley-Mills, associate director of photography for University Communications, earned a bronze award for her Student Scholars Day portrait of Savannah Tormala.
Institutional Advancement's annual giving team earned a silver award for a direct-mail postcard promoting Giving Tuesday.
University Marketing earned a bronze award for student recruitment for the "Life at GVSU" brochure.

Kendra Stanley-Mills, associate director of photography for University Communications, earned second place in the photo essay category in the University Photographers' Association of America 2026 Annual Photo Competition and finished in the Top 10 of UPAA photographers in monthly and annual photo competitions.

Biology faculty Matt Cooper and Jennifer Moore, and Carl Ruetz, professor of water resources, received a $159,134 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for assessment of coastal wetlands across the Great Lakes Basin.

Joel Stillerman, professor of sociology, gave keynote addresses: "Social Liberation or Criminal Disturbance? Ideological Disputes Regarding Social Protests in the Middle Classes" at the Central University of Chile; and "Gender Revolution or Family Crisis? Moral Disputes Regarding Gender, Family, and Sexuality in the Period after the Social Outburst" at the University of Santiago.

Adrienne Wallace, associate professor of advertising and public relations, was a co-author of a book, Social Media and Society: An Introduction to the Mass Media Landscape, that received a Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association.

Kelly Tait, international student service coordinator, participated in the ninth International Week at Krakow University of Economics in Krakow, Poland, where the focus was "Kraków’s Way to Sustainability: A Global Gathering."

Eric Harvey, associate professor of journalism, broadcasting, and digital media, wrote a chapter, "Black America's Radio Station: The Rise and Fall of 'Reality Rap,'" published in the collection, Hip-Hop and American Culture, by Cambridge University Press.

Engineering faculty members Lindsay Corneal, Catherine Molloseau, Phillip Hittepole and Nicholas Baine were selected to join engineering departments from across the country in assessing the curriculum of Engineering for US All (e4usa), part of a larger, National Science Foundation-funded project.

Amanda Buday, associate professor of sociology, received two grants from the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research: $8,000 for "Water Science in Agriscience" from the Engagement, Career Training and Outreach program, and $20,000 for "Advancing Great Lakes Social Science for Protection, Restoration and Ecosystem Services." CIGLR works in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Polly Diven, professor of political science, gave a presentation, "Broadening Perspectives on Feminist National Security," at the International Studies Association annual conference.