News Articles

“For the anniversary edition [of Gladiator on DVD] I pulled some images of costumes and I ended up with a ‘Special Thanks,'” says Jason Moritz about his only film credit. That was long ago and far away for Moritz, who after six years as a movie studio archivist and librarian has marked 10 years at Albion College as the Education Department’s teaching-certification officer, serving as the department’s liaison with the state of Michigan.

A new cooperative agreement signed earlier this month will grant Albion College premedical students early assurance of admission to the Central Michigan University College of Medicine through the College of Medicine’s Early Assurance Program (EAP). The program provides an enhanced opportunity for admission to medical school for up to three Albion premedical students annually who demonstrate a desire to practice medicine in Michigan with an emphasis on rural and underserved regions. The EAP is in effect for the student cohort beginning their medical-school studies in fall 2018.

Michael Dixon, associate professor and chair of art and art history, has drawn from personal experience to create the kind of art he wants, and needs, to create. His recent residency at the prestigious Yaddo retreat in upstate New York allowed him to explore his work in an even deeper way.

In May, geology professor Tim Lincoln led his 17th, and likely final, Center for Sustainability and the Environment (CSE) trip to explore a part of America and its local environment, a journey that over the years has proven enriching and disturbing, often at the same time. Whether it’s wetland destruction in New Orleans or mountaintop mining in Appalachia or forestry in New England or habitat loss on the Chesapeake Bay, Lincoln, in his role as director of CSE, has taken students across the country to face the environmental issues head on.

During a College-sponsored trip to Poland last month, Cameron Voss, ’20 (left), noted an incident that underscores the trip’s importance. “Rachael Vitale uncovered a gravestone that really excited the cemetery curator. He told us a family was coming the next week to look for this grave,” Voss said. “We couldn’t lift that stone, but we were able to prop it up so the family could see it.”

Blues at the Bohm, the monthly blues concert and jam at the downtown Bohm Theatre, has been a two-year labor of love for professor of chemistry Cliff Harris. And now, with continued enthusiastic support from the community, it’s starting to break through beyond the Albion area, as more acts pour in from farther afield to perform. Harris talks about it in an interview with The Daily Yonder website and in a recent video.

Students from seven high schools in southern Michigan recently got a day off from school to compete in Albion College’s second annual W. Keith Moore Math Competition. The students competed both as individuals and teams, with pencil-and-paper quizzes, the “Pony Express” math relay, and even a math scavenger hunt that took them across campus.

Albion College’s Maymester education program, formally called Boundary Crossings and now in its 11th year, features 18 juniors and seniors who want to pursue a career in the classroom. It is under the guidance of associate professor Suellyn Henke and Karen Hoaglin, liaison for the Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Education. For many, it’s an eye-opening experience that provides the first opportunity to see what it’s truly like to teach a class.

From 1951 to 1995, Frank Bonta represented the College to prospective students and their families. “It’s hard to put into words what Albion College meant to Frank,” said Chuck Frayer, ’77, about his father-in-law, who died May 20 after a long illness at the age of 92. “Although Frank had a long, distinguished career at Albion, the College was always more than a place to work. The relationships he formed at Albion continued beyond his retirement and remained at the center of his life.”

Bethany Mutter, visiting assistant professor of communication studies, conducted a survey over the entire 2016-17 academic year to learn how people handle difficult experiences in their lives. The results are proving to be an eye-opener for her and have provided a voice for those who need someone to listen.