News

Albion College professor of piano David Abbott may not have the answers to the challenges, conflicts and uncertainties of today’s world. But in a unique performance October 8, he and adjunct music professor Anna Khalikova offered a place to start.

Albion College has been selected as one of five higher-ed institutions—and the only liberal arts college—to register students for All of Us, a medical project that aims for more inclusion, diversity and accuracy when it comes to treating patients.

Through the Dr. R. Bruce, ’67, and Jane Harper Earth Day 50th Anniversary Gift, music graduate Ryan Powell, ’19, was commissioned to compose an original piece to celebrate nature and recognize the current moment. Powell’s recently completed composition of nearly six minutes comes with a bonus: he created a video as well.

Beyond the challenging coursework, getting a job in actuarial science requires passing a series of some of the most difficult professional examinations in the country. Albion College’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, which supports students in the extensive and expensive process of passing these tests, recently celebrated with Claire Mitchell, ’21, after she passed the Society of Actuaries Probability Test.

Not only did chemistry professor Craig Streu, ’04, successfully direct his students in all-remote projects this summer, he also led them in researching how institutions across the country did the same. The results of this additional project were featured in a recent edition of ASBMB Today, the journal of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Albion College is ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the United States in the 2021 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. “Albion is providing the quality liberal arts education that is so vital in a changing world,” said Dr. Hernan Bucheli, vice president of enrollment and strategic initiatives.

“I expect to see more efforts to reform,” says the Albion political science faculty member and longtime United Nations observer.

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.

The 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings features Albion College as one of the 50 Most Innovative national liberal arts colleges. Albion earned its rank based on a methodology that focuses on innovations made in such areas as curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities. The publication also recognized Albion for its First-Year Experience and its efforts in the area of social mobility.