Purple & Gold Weekend and Presidential Installation

Thursday, April 18

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium | Norris Center

Join us for one of the most exciting events of the year! The Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium is an annual celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activity across the liberal arts and sciences. The participants are nominated by their faculty sponsors after having participated in independent research that results in the significant synthesis of new knowledge. The research must have been performed under the direct supervision of an Albion College faculty member, or in a College-approved off-campus program.

View the schedule of presentations.

• 8 to 9 a.m.: Refreshments (Science Complex Bridge)
• 9 to 10:15 a.m.: Platform Presentations (Norris 100 – 104)
• 1:15 to 4 p.m.: Platform Presentations (Norris 100 – 104)
• 4 to 5 p.m.: Poster Presentations (Atrium)

10:45 a.m. to noon | Honors Convocation | Goodrich Chapel

Albion College’s Honors Convocation recognizes outstanding achievements in teaching and learning, leadership, and service. Weather permitting, faculty will assemble on the plaza in front of the Chapel at 10:30 a.m. In case of inclement weather, assembly will be in the basement of the Chapel. To ensure that the Convocation is complete by noon, the faculty procession will begin at 10:45 a.m. sharp.

5 to 6 p.m. | Alumni and Student Networking Reception | Science Complex Atrium

Evening Entertainment | Various Locations

• 7 to 8 p.m.: Student Leadership Awards (Kellogg Center Stack)
• 7:30 p.m.: Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Herrick Theatre)
• 8 to 10 p.m.: Student poetry slam (Kellogg Center)

Friday, April 19

8 a.m to 3 p.m. | Installation Symposia | Bobbitt Visual Arts Center

8 to 9 a.m.: Albion Senior Art Exhibition with continental breakfast (Munro Gallery)

View the awe-inspiring work of eight Albion senior students in the Art & Art History Department and connect with them during the Would You Be Content? Senior Showcase & Symposium in Munro Gallery. This event features a continental breakfast for guests. No food or drink is allowed in the gallery.

Student presenters include:

• Brooklyn Tripp ‘24
• Dany Martinez ‘24
• Lauren Farley ‘24
• Nateayah Garner ‘24
• Nieya Singleton-Anderson ‘24
• Oziel De La Fuente ‘24
• Rana Huwais ‘24
• Sarah Stone ‘24
• Vanessa Ybarra ‘24

9 to 10:30 a.m.: Albion Alumni in the Creative Arts (Bobbitt Auditorium 113)

Ever wonder what the life of an art major is like after Albion College? Come hear these graduates talk about how they built an art career through exhibition, curation and graduate school! Learn about what they wish they knew as Albion College students and more.

Alumni moderator and panelists include:

• Moderator: Aubrey Thornton Martinson ‘01, Market Intelligence Manager at Ready Signal.
• Camille Hamilton ‘05, entrepreneur, artist, and educator working in kiln-formed glass and mixed-media installation.
• Trevor Hawks ‘04, multimedia designer and art director for the College of Education at Michigan State University.
• Emily O’Hara ‘06, senior manager of guest experience design for the Detroit Zoological Society, in charge of experience development for the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Center, including Wild Lights and Dinosauria.
• Steve Nyktas ‘02, Indianapolis-based artist and an associate professor of art at Butler University.
• Angie Redmond 09, Chicago-based artist and an art instructor at Northern Illinois University and Harper College.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Lux Fiat: Shining a Light on Legacy Alumni Panel (Bobbitt Auditorium 113)

The premise for the Lux Fiat Award is to celebrate senior students who holistically showcase strong academics, a drive for community service and campus involvement, and a commitment to diversity. Join us as we shine a light on our previous Lux Fiat award recipients, the legacy they left on campus, and their lives after Albion. Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Leroy Wright will provide opening and closing remarks.

Alumni panelists include:

• Dan Moilanen ’09, executive director, Michigan Association of Conservation Districts, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Michigan’s 8th District at U.S. House of Representatives
• Alexis Tillery ’16, part-time clinical therapist; full-time Juris Doctor candidate.
• Eryn Lewis ’23, service leader at City Year Chicago
• Robert Joerg ’19, director of government affairs at Michigan Laborers District Council

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Lunch (Lower Baldwin)

1:30 to 3 p.m.: Building inclusivity on small private liberal arts campuses through the practice of civil discourse (Bobbitt Auditorium 113)

This panel of current and former college presidents will explore the many innovative ways they have or are currently working to create opportunities for civil dialogue and build cultures of inclusivity on their campuses. The discussion will be moderated by Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Leroy Wright. 

Presidential panelists include: 

• Dr. Zach Messitte, executive director, higher education and social impact at Russell Reynolds and former president of Ripon College
• Dr. Anita Thomas, president of North Central College
• Dr. Sarah Bolton, president of Whitman College
• Dr. Wayne Webster, president of Albion College

3 to 7 p.m. | Spotlight on Albion: Creating Connections through Experiential Learning | Seeley G. Mudd Learning Center, Stockwell Library

Join us as we celebrate experiential learning, student research, and curricular innovation at Albion College. Featuring presentations from faculty, staff, and students, Spotlight On Albion will cover a variety of topics from the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program to the community gardens and student farm. Learn about the interesting, outside the box things happening on campus and beyond.

3 to 3:10 p.m.: Opening remarks from Lisa Lewis, provost and professor of chemistry

3:10 to 4 p.m.: Student “5 and Done” Presentations

A selection of Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium platform presenters will consecutively deliver 5 minute, condensed versions of their locally-themed symposium presentations, followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Student presenters include:

• Kevie Lamour, Kelly Guadarrama (Visco) — The Value of Local Internships
• Ashlynn Reed (Franzen, Wilch) — Food Sovereignty in the Rust Belt and the Albion Community Cookbook Project: Examining Pressures or Food Insecurity through Local Recipes and Food Stories
• Malena Solis (Knowlden, McCaskill) — Plug, Play, Connect: Mapping Youth Programming Resources in Albion
• Riley Davis (Madhavan-Brown) — The Merging of Two School Districts: Considerations of Race, Belonging, and Teacher-Student Relationships
• Henry Bacolor (Chase) — Arrowheads in Albion: Mapping the Find Spots of Gete Anishinaabe Artifacts Housed at Albion College
• Donna Avina (Harnish, Palmer, Chase) — Ritual Remnants: Artifacts from the Ancient City of Teotihuacán
• Madilyn Archambeau (Harnish, Day) — Environmental Interpretation at the Whitehouse Nature Center
• Rae Baker (Lyons-Sobaski) — Impacts of Mile-a-Minute Management in Lower Michigan’s Plant Communities
• Kali Johnson (Roberts) — Empowering Youth Through Diverse Voices: Ensuring Equitable Access to Books that are Mirrors and Windows

4:10 to 5:30 p.m.: Experiential Learning in the Community Keynote Presentations

A featured selection of professor-led presentations on innovative, experiential learning programs and projects from across campus.

Faculty presenters include:

• Profs. Scott Melzer and Bill Rose — Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program
• Profs. Brad Chase and Alli Harnish — Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Partnership
• Profs. Trisha Franzen and Thom Wilch — Albion Community Garden and Student Farm

5:30 to 7 p.m.: Student Poster Presentations and Reception

View locally-themed posters from a selection of Elkin R. Isaac Student Research Symposium poster presenters while enjoying a menu of mocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

Student presenters include:

• Iris Patel, Isabelle Patel (Streu) – Progress Toward the Development of a Nanobody Binder of a Pathogenic Moonlighting Protein
• Cindy Ávila (University of Michigan) – Calcium Handling Protein Expression and SERCA2a Function in a Mouse Model of HFpEF
• Larry Reed Jr. (Betz) – Mental Health, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors, and the College Student
• Zosia Bolde, Sid Childers, Sam Helmbreck, Katelynn Kandow, Alaina Shepardson (Wilch) — The Pollinator Garden Project
• Gwendolyn Cinzori (Christopher) — Promoting Awareness of Menstrual Poverty
• Naomi Cloostermans, Anaka McCoy, Nicklas Penabaker (Wilch) — Reduce and Recycle Initiative
• Kelvin Crone-Willis (Cahill) — The Effects of Wild Rice on Macroinvertebrate Communities Within the Northern Branch of the Kalamazoo River
• Tessa Falan (Marshall) — Fishing For Fossils in the Michigan Basin
• Tynayia George (Chase) — (RE)Discovering Albion’s Stolen Culture: New Archaeological Research at the Whitehouse Nature Center
• Kevie Lamour (McCaskill) — Engagement in the City of Albion: Understanding the role of racial perception
• Alaina Shepardson (Cahill) — Effect of Warming Water Temperatures on Local Gastropod Growth, Reproduction, and Mortality
• Taylor Strom (Madhavan-Brown) — Helping-Seeking Behavior and Peer-to-Peer Support on College Campuses
• Abigail Coleman, Jennifer Emeka, Curtis Hamilton, Jayth Joseph, Liam McLaughlin (Wilch) —Student Farm Compost Project

Evening Entertainment and Spiritual Services | Various Locations

• 5:15 p.m.: Shabbat prayer (Kellogg Center 412)
• 4 – 7 p.m.: Baseball vs Hope College (Frank Joranko Field at Champions Stadium)
• 8 – 10 p.m.: Kaos in the KC (Kellogg Center)
• 7:30 p.m.: Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Herrick Theatre)

Saturday, April 20

Installation Processional and Ceremony | Goodrich Chapel

Join us for the formal installation ceremony of Albion College’s 18th President Dr. Wayne P. Webster. Guests should arrive to Goodrich Chapel and be seated by 9:30 a.m.

9:15 a.m.: Installation Processional Line-up

9:30 a.m.: All guests seated

9:45 a.m.: Installation Processional Begins

10 – 11:30 a.m.: Installation Ceremony

Campus Luncheon | Various Locations

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Campus Installation Luncheon

Optional afternoon activities | Various Locations

Guests may choose to take part in special student-guided tours and alumni storytelling stations along with a variety of already scheduled events across campus.

• 1 – 3 p.m.: Softball — Double-header Baseball vs Adrian College (Frank Joranko Field at Champions Stadium)
• 2 p.m.: Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Herrick Theatre)
• 3 – 5 p.m.: Softball — Double-header Softball vs Adrian College (Dempsey Field)

Alumni Awards Ceremony | Upper Baldwin

Albion College is set to honor seven alumni for making outsized contributions to their fields, government, and their communities as professionals and volunteers during its Purple & Gold Celebration and Alumni Awards Dinner, Saturday, April 20.

Register for the Alumni Awards Ceremony

• 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.: Reception
• 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.: Dinner and Awards

Alumni Award recipients include:

James L. Curtis Alumni Leadership Award

• Marcus Gill ’04: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Jackson County Intermediate School District and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Concord High School
• Michael Thomas ’06: Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at East Kentwood High School

Distinguished Alumni Award

• Michael Juchno ’93: Consulting Partner — Digital, Data, and Analytics at Ernst & Young
• Keith Roberts ’81: Retired Chief Financial Officer at Dimplex Thermal Solutions

Young Alumni Award

• Joey Barcheski ’14: Owner of FrankZ Restaurant
• Marie Brown ’14: Family Medicine Physician at Oaklawn Medical Group
• Mitchell Moore ’16: Chief of Staff to Michigan State Senator Michael Webber

Evening Entertainment | Various Locations

• 7:30 p.m.: Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Herrick Theatre)
• 8:30 – 11 p.m.: Afterglow Party (Galazio Restaurant)

Sunday, April 21

• 9:30 a.m.: Connect with Nature (Whitehouse Nature Center)
• 11 a.m.: Church service (United Methodist Church)
• 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Brunch (Lower Baldwin)
• 4 p.m.: Symphony Orchestra Concert (Goodrich Chapel)
• 7:30 p.m.: Faculty Recital (Goodrich Chapel)