Faculty and staff sketches

January 27, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 10)

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President Philomena V. Mantella discusses GVSU's economic impact during a news conference hosted by the Michigan Association of State Universities. MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz is at right.

Photo Credit: courtesy of Michigan Association of State Universities

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 was interviewed by media outlets for stories about the economic impact of Michigan's public universities.

Bobby Springer, director of GEAR UP, and Chasity Bailey-Fakhoury, associate dean of the College of Education and Community Innovation, were interviewed by media outlets for stories about Grand Valley's MLK Commemoration Week events.

Mark Kubik, clinical affiliate faculty of marketing, was interviewed by WOOD-TV for stories about how the closure of Macy's will impact the RiverTown Mall and the rise in nonalcoholic bars and drinks.

Paul Isely, professor of economics and associate dean for the Seidman College of Business, was interviewed by MLive for a story about his presentation in Holland detailing Ottawa County's economic forecast for this year. 

Sketches
Seven GVSU alumni were recognized by Northwestern Michigan College as Outstanding NMC Alumni, as the college celebrates its 75th anniversary. They are Jacquelyn Abeyta ’09, Marcelo Betti ’08, Chris Bott ’88, Amanda Eshleman ’21, Alex Hogarth ’17, Nicholus Kopacki ’05 and Janie McNabb ’96. Kopacki and Hogarth are GVSU physician assistant studies faculty members and Abeyta is the director of Adult Student Engagement and Support.

Corey Anton, professor of communication and media studies, was a co-editor of a book, General Semantics and Politics, published by the Institute of General Semantics. 

Christina Quick, associate professor of nursing, received a two-year grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund for $499,562 for a project, "Healing Beyond Healthcare: Integrated Health and Social Systems for Youth at Risk or in Foster Care," which addresses a critical need for enhanced care coordination for youth entering foster care in Kent County. 

Alisha Karabinus, assistant professor of writing, served as an editor of an anthology, Historiographies of Game Studies, published by Punctum Books.

Valerie Peterson, professor of communication and media studies, gave a presentation, "Metaphors of AI: And Two to Grow On," at the 73rd Annual Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture and Symposium on Discourse, Dialogue, and Democracy in New York. Peterson wrote a book review of "Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now" for the journal Explorations in Media Ecology.

The Padnos/Sarosik Center for Civil Discourse was recognized as one of only 45 civic centers across the U.S in a report from the Heterodox Academy. 

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Faculty & Staff Sketches