Members of the GVSU New Music Ensemble perform at Indiana Dunes
National Park in 2021. The ensemble will perform in more national
parks this summer, thanks to a recent NEA grant.
Campus community members participate in the silent march on the
Allendale Campus January 18, one of several events planned during the
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Commemoration Week.
Photo Credit:
Amanda Pitts
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
The acclaimed GVSU New Music Ensemble was included
in a recent round of grant announcements from the National
Endowment for the Arts. It is the fifth time the ensemble has
received an NEA grant. As with the other NEA grants, this year's
$10,000 award will fund more commissions and a tour of new national
parks this summer, said Bill Ryan, director of the
New Music Ensemble.
Ryan commissions composers to create music that reflects a feature of
a national park that inspires the artist. Ensemble players work with
the composer in rehearsals, then travel to the parks to perform the
specially commissioned piece for that location as well as others. The
ensemble has played at parks across the country. This summer the
ensemble will travel to Oregon and Northern California, Ryan said.
The parks and the commissioned composers are:
Crater Lake National Park in Oregon; composer Viet Cuong
Lassen Volcanic National Park in California; composer Jad Abumrad
Redwood National Park in California; composer Molly Herron
WGVU Public Media interviewed several faculty and
staff members for stories leading to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. Commemoration Week. Bobby Springer, associate
director of Veterans Upward Bound, was interviewed with keynote
speaker Jerry Wallace; Melissa Baker-Boosamra,
associate director of Student Life-Civic Engagement, Lisa
Perhamus, director of the GVSU Padnos/Sarosik Center for
Civil Discourse, and student Michael King were interviewed about the
Day of Service and Solidarity. Springer was also interviewed by WXMI-TV.
Christian Glupker, clinical affiliate of economics,
completed the Economic Impact of the Victoria Regional Airport in
Victoria, Texas.
William Neal, professor emeritus of geology, was a
co-author of articles, “Not All that Glitters is Gold: Can the Real
Scenic Value of the Colombian Caribbean Coast be Restored,” published
in the journal of Ocean and Coastal Management and “Are sediment
textural parameters an ‘influencer’ of microplastics presence in beach
environments?” published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Anthony Spencer, assistant professor of
communications, was a co-author of an article, "Understanding
Trump's Proposed Border Wall," published in Social Media
& Agenda Melding. Spencer also gave presentations, "COVID-19
and Government Trust: A Spiral of Silence Analysis in South
America" and "Pandemic Migration: The Role of Media to and
from Latin America," at the National Communication Association
Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Charles Hogg, senior affiliate of philosophy, gave a
presentation, "Post-COVID Social Recovery," at the Front
Porch Republic Conference in Grove City, Pennsylvania.
John Weber, professor of geology, was an author of an
article, "Geothermometric Constraints on the Thermal
Architecture, Metamorphism, and Exhumation of the Northern Range,
Trinidad," published in the Journal of Metamorphic Geology.
John Kilbourne, professor of movement science, gave a
presentation, "Less Talk More Action: UN Goals in the Arctic,
Tools and Games Workshop," at the Arctic Circle Assembly in
Reykjavik, Iceland.
Matthew Roberts, senior instructional design
specialist and adjunct professor of political science, gave
presentations, "When Learners Get In the Way of Learning"
and "Destination Unknown: Practicing Effective Pedagogy in
Unfamiliar Surroundings," at the Lilly Conference on College and
University Teaching in Traverse City.
Corey Anton, professor of communications, gave a
keynote address, "Apprehending the Elusive and Ambiguous,"
at the New York State Communication Association Conference.
Charlyn Partridge, assistant professor of water
resources, gave a presentation, "Microplastics and Microbiomes:
Impacts of Weathered Microplastic Ingestion on Fathead Minnows,"
at Daemen College in Amherst, New York.
Annis Water Resources Institute faculty members Carl
Ruetz and Jim McNair gave a presentation,
"Remote Site Incubators: Recommendations for Managers," at
the Wild Trout Symposium in West Yellowstone, Montana.
The Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency recognized the university's many veteran-centric programs during an awards event. Information Technology honored three staff members during its service award ceremony.