Grand Valley Magazine

ATHLETICS

GVSU athletes shine on global stage

Olympic dream come true

Esteban Nuñez Del Prado joined the Laker men’s swimming and diving team this season after competing for his home country, Bolivia, in the 200-meter individual medley at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chris Hammer ’09 lifts the U.S. flag as he crosses the finish line to win the PTS5 Para Triathlon at the Paris Paralympic Games in September. Hammer became the first former or current Grand Valley athlete to win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal.

PRESIDENT'S GREETINGS

Unwavering Dedication

Faculty and staff are at the heart of student success

FEATURE

Partnership supports future educators with free books

Rhianna Furness, a senior special education major, reacts to the stack of books she picked out.

FEATURE

VIRUS TRACKERS

GVSU lab analyzes pathogens in wastewater to support public health monitoring of COVID-19, other diseases

ALUMNI FEATURE

Career Shift

How a former social studies teacher becomes a Silicon Valley cybersecurity leader

SUPPORTING FUTURE LEADERS

Investing in Students, Strengthening Michigan

As a former professor of computer science at Grand Valley, Carl Erickson understands the unique qualities GVSU graduates bring to the workforce — qualities that have since fueled his business's growth and inspired his ongoing commitment to the university.

Carl Erickson is pictured at Atomic Object in Grand Rapids.

FEATURE

Music Scholar

McNair Scholar finds expanding definition of culture in music classrooms helps improve learning

Maria Benítez-Sabino is a cellist with the Grand Valley Orchestra and a McNair Scholar. The McNair program prepares students for doctoral programs.

Office Hours

Students connect with faculty in unique spaces

Faculty offices run the gamut from bare bones to cluttered. There is a commonality, however. When students enter faculty offices, lightbulb moments and connectedness begin.