Academics

Dr. Mathew Johnson, president of Albion College, shared a message with the Albion College community following the January 6 assault on the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Former Albion College President Bernard T. Lomas passed away December 24, 2020 in Grand Rapids at the age of 96. Lomas, who served as the College’s 12th president from 1970 to 1983, guided the institution into a new era of experiential learning and student leadership development, building on Albion’s liberal arts foundation.

“I am proud and excited to welcome Keith and Tim,” said Michael Harrington, ’85, chair of Albion College’s Board of Trustees. “I have known Keith for years as both a classmate and a friend and I know Tim’s quality and enthusiasm for Albion. The College is headed in new and exciting directions under President Mathew Johnson, and I am thrilled Keith and Tim will help us on that journey.”

When your research and teaching focuses on microbes, you can work anywhere—and Dr. Ola Olapade, professor of biology, has covered a lot of ground. His own research has taken him to the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans in South Africa, Mayan ruins in Mexico and Belize (where he studied the impacts and contributions of microbes to the degradation and deterioration of stone monuments), Morocco, the Great Lakes and more.

No doubt about it, Homecoming 2020 was different. But on the growing list of virtual events that turn out to be pretty enjoyable, it was a clear success.

The “Big Bang” may have started the universe but it’s likely that smaller bangs played a key role in life on Earth, say Albion College physics professor Nicolle Zellner and chemistry professor Vanessa McCaffrey.

With more than a decade of experience in the areas of experiential learning, local-to-global partnerships and student development, Gretchen Mielke has been named the new executive director of The Philadelphia Center. The residential student internship program has been affiliated with the Great Lakes Colleges Association for more than 50 years; Albion College has been the Center’s facilitator since 2017.

In another step toward providing students an opportunity to thrive in a liberal arts environment, Albion College has been awarded a five-year, nationally competitive U.S. Department of Education/TRIO Student Support Services grant totaling more than $1.3 million. In that time period, the grant—which aligns directly with Albion’s shared commitment to purpose, belonging and action—will support 140 students annually who are from low-income or first-generation backgrounds or have disabilities.

Albion College President Dr. Mathew Johnson has joined more than 160 college presidents and chancellors in committing to full student voter registration and participation in all elections through the nonpartisan ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “We are committed to working with campus stakeholders to increase electoral participation in 2020 and beyond,” Dr. Johnson said.

With leadership from Dr. Shannon O’Neill, associate dean for student success, the Sally S. ’75 and Alexander M. Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement aims to quickly become an integral resource, bringing together in one inviting and student-friendly Stockwell Library space a range of services often found in different areas of college campuses.