Faculty and staff sketches

November 25, 2025 (Volume 49, Number 7)

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Kyle Kooyers, director of operations for the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, was interviewed about the 'Michigan Listens' event by Boise State News.

Photo Credit: Steve Jessmore

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
Kyle Kooyers, director of operations for the Kaufman Interfaith Institute, was interviewed by Boise State News for a story about "Michigan Listens." The Talking Together program was initiated at Boise State University and several people from that institution attended the November 5 event.

Nursing faculty members Christina Quick, Amy Rohn and Emily Bemben were interviewed by Common Ground for a story about KCON's Fostering Futures project, a grant-funded community assessment of health care needs among foster children in the greater Grand Rapids area. 

President Philomena V. Mantella and J.C. Huizenga, founder and chair of National Heritage Academies, were recognized by Crain's Grand Rapids Business on its Notable Leaders in Education list. Grand Valley is the authorizer of 27 NHA schools.

Keri Becker, director of athletics, and Dana Callihan, head softball coach, were interviewed by WZZM-TV for a story about their own breast cancer journeys and encouraging others to get regular mammograms. 

President Philomena V. Mantella; Al Shifflett, director of Southwest Michigan; and Jonah Hurtado-Macia, GVSU graduate and program and events coordinator for Battle Creek Food Reimagined, were interviewed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for a story about the Battle Creek Innovation Hub.

Jennifer Pope, associate professor of marketing, was interviewed by WalletHub for a story about credit cards for first-time card holders.

Sketches
Julie Bekius, assistant professor of nursing, was elected as a board member for the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners.

Rob Larson, affiliate professor of natural resources management, was elected as treasurer for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Tribal Council.

Advertising and public relations faculty members Imran Mazid and Robin Spring were co-authors of an article, "Using Biometrics to Craft PR Campaigns That Truly Connect: A Conversation with Pioneering Researchers at GVSU," published in Airfoil.

Biomedical Sciences faculty members Ian Cleary and Derek Thomas were among co-authors of an article, "Constitutive ALS3 Expression in Candida Albicans has Differential Effects on Yeast-locked tet-NRG1 and brg1 Strains," published in the journal Folia Microbiologica.

Eric Harvey, associate professor of journalism, broadcasting, and digital media, was a 99% Invisible podcast guest discussing the radio format called Quiet Storm. 

Natashia Swalve, assistant professor of psychology, received a $50,000 grant from the Campbell Foundation to study the relationship between Parkinson's disease and coffee, which has been shown in preliminary studies to offer some neuroprotection.

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Faculty & Staff Sketches