Faculty and staff sketches

November 11, 2025 (Volume 49, Number 6)

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This photograph of Jason Yancey, professor of modern languages and literatures, by Kendra Stanley-Mills received a Best of CASE District V Award. It was featured in a series of photographs in a spring 2025 Grand Valley Magazine photo essay, "Office Hours."

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

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
Institutional Advancement's annual giving team received a Best of CASE District V Award for its Student Philanthropy Week campaign in the regular/annual giving category. The campaign exceeded its goal, securing 292 donors and raising over $20,000 for campus funds, strengthening donor engagement and the philanthropic spirit at GVSU.

University Communications staff members Cory Morse, Kendra Stanley-Mills and Brian Vernellis received Best of CASE District V Awards for, respectively, the following:

• Floating Leaf, individual photographs
• Office Hours, portraits and series/collection of related photographs
• The Toughest Yard, writing profile (1000+ words)

Sketches
Students Jerahmy Gray and Silverio Segura received scholarships for academic achievement from the Committee to Honor César E. Chávez at the organization's annual gala.

Deana Weibel, professor of anthropology, is the author of a book, The Ultraview Effect: What We Can Learn from Astronauts about Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown, scheduled for publication in May from the University of California Press.

Rahat Ibn Rafiq, assistant professor of computing and graduate program director for Artificial Intelligence, received a $43,284 grant from Michigan State University’s MTRAC AgBio Innovation Hub for a project, “Precision Environmental Monitoring with Edge Computing,” which aims to develop a real-time, AI-powered drone system to detect invasive species in Michigan forests.

Bopi Biddanda and Stuart Jones, from the Annis Water Resources Institute, were among the co-authors of an article, "Investing in Great Lakes Science is Critical for Safety and Prosperity," published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research.

Imran Mazid, associate professor of advertising and public relations, gave a presentation, "Artificial Intelligence and Public Relations," for SeyferthPR in Grand Rapids.

William Neal, professor emeritus of geology, was a co-author of articles, “Beach Evaluations for Management, not for Rankings,” published in Ocean and Coastal Management; and “Driftwood as a Passive Retention Structure for Marine Litter,” published in Marine Pollution Bulletin; and a chapter in the book Marine Ecology: An Ecosystemic View of Anthropogenic Impacts.

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Faculty & Staff Sketches