Saginaw Valley State University students’ enthusiasm for international understanding helped them stand out from their collegiate peers during the eleventh American Model United Nations Conference in Chicago November 17-20.
The Saginaw Valley Model United Nations club captured two team honors and one individual award.
Model United Nations is an organization for students with an active interest in international affairs, policy and diplomacy. Through participation in simulations and regional/national conferences members gain valuable skills in research, communication, and conflict resolution.
The SVSU club won as a group for the quality of writing on its pre-conference papers relating to the nations of Ghana and Kazakhstan.
As an individual, Josh Cianek, a political science major from Auburn, won an award for exceptional justice for his role on the International Court of Justice. He also was elected by his peers to act as the president of the International Court of Justice.
In Model United Nations, justices are responsible for reading the briefs and hearing arguments on each of the three assigned cases. Justices will then deliberate to analyze and discuss the cases and arguments in order to determine the appropriate applications of international law in each case. Justices are also responsible for writing opinions for each case.
Stewart French, SVSU associate professor of political science and team adviser, said the Saginaw Valley U.N. club has cumulatively won over 40 awards in 11 years at national and international conferences.
At the most recent conference, SVSU students competed against their peers from schools including the University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, University of Notre Dame and University of Wisconsin, among others.
The SVSU team will travel to Toronto in February to compete at the North American Model United Nations Conference.
Saginaw Valley State University is inspiring young minds through it participation in a national initiative to increase diversity in computer science.
SVSU will host four local elementary classrooms be on campus Friday, Nov. 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the Hour of Code program, designed to introduce computer coding to students at a young age.
Around 100 elementary students will participate in an hour of coding, the process of writing a computer program using a programming language. George Corser, SVSU assistant professor of computer science and information systems, and SVSU computer science students will provide instruction to the elementary students.
The participating students attend Arrowwood Elementary from Saginaw Township Community Schools, Auburn Elementary from Bay City Public Schools and Lincoln Elementary from Bangor Township Schools.
In addition to writing computer code, students from those schools will tour the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum at SVSU to introduce them to learning in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).
The Hour of Code event is an educational program embraced by institutions in over 180 countries. SVSU has hosted this program in previous years.
Saginaw Valley State University student dancers, actors, and vocalists next week will perform together on stage to celebrate the holiday season in “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year! A Christmas Variety Show!”
The SVSU Department of Theatre's 10th annual holiday-themed production is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 28-29, in SVSU’s Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.
The production will take audiences back in time to the Christmas TV specials of the 1960s and ‘70s. Viewers will be surrounded by the holiday spirit courtesy of a dazzling theatre set featuring twinkling lights, brilliant colors, and other sights and sounds of the season.
Ric Roberts, professor of theatre, will direct the production along with Peggy Mead-Finizio, assistant professor of theatre.
“It will be an exciting night of holiday fun for the whole family,” Mead-Finizio said.
Tickets are $13 for the public and $10 for SVSU students or attendees age 60 or older.
For more information or to order tickets, contact the SVSU Box Office at (989) 964-4261 or purchase tickets online at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/14187
Jeffrey Koperski, professor of philosophy at Saginaw Valley State University, has received nearly $90,000 from the John Templeton Foundation to fund his book project focused on science and religion.
Koperski describes the forthcoming book, “Laws, Determinism, and Divine Action,” as a way to discuss issues from both science and religion.
“A lot of what I do is at the intersection of science and religion,” he said. “Theologians and philosophers of religion sometimes appeal to science, especially physics, but that is not their training.”
Other times, there are scientists interested in matters of religion, but they don't have training in religion or theology, Koperski explained.
“A lot of the fights that you see in the context of science and religion are actually matters of philosophy and the philosophy of science, which neither scientists nor theologians have expertise in,” he said.
“I am trying to straighten out what I think are misperceptions and misapplications of matters of science and physics as they apply to certain matters of religion.”
His expertise in two very different disciplines aided his interest in the research. Koperski has a Ph.D. in philosophy from Ohio State University, as well as a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Dayton.
“Philosophy is a big field. My area of specialization is a philosophy of science, so I've been able to use my engineering degree to understand issues in science that some philosophers might be intimidated by,” Koperski said.
“I would not be able to do philosophy of science as well, especially philosophy of physics, if I didn't know about differential equations that I learned as an engineer.”
The John Templeton Foundation typically funds projects on matters of science and religion. They awarded Koperski a $89,787 grant.
“They're not dictating any particular conclusion. They will support grants that don't necessarily agree with what their board thinks, and they do support a lot of proposals, but usually not books. Mine is kind of unusual in that they would give a grant to one person and the main project is a book,” Koperski said.
“I feel very fortunate that they chose this one.”
Koperski joined the SVSU philosophy faculty in 1997. He has previously authored or co-authored at least 15 scholarly articles that have appeared in academic journals or books.
The executive director of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation will deliver the keynote address to graduates during commencement exercises at Saginaw Valley State University.
Jenée Velasquez, who also serves as chair of SVSU's Board of Control, will speak at both ceremonies: Friday, Dec. 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 15 at 11 a.m. in O'Neill Arena of the Ryder Center.
The graduating class totals 623 individuals expected to complete degree requirements, including 553 graduating students who plan to don regalia and march in their respective ceremonies.
Commencement exercises for graduates in the colleges of Business & Management, and Health & Human Services will be held Friday evening. Students completing degrees in the colleges of Arts & Behavioral Sciences; Education; and Science, Engineering & Technology will take part in the ceremony scheduled for Saturday morning.
As is tradition, SVSU President Don Bachand will congratulate each graduate as he or she crosses the stage.
Velasquez has served as executive director for the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation since 2005. Prior that appointment, she served Midland County's economic development corporation in two capacities: first as manager of economic development services and then as its chief executive officer.
Velasquez has maintained strong ties to the community. Beyond her board service at SVSU, she served as campaign co-chair for SVSU’s Talent. Opportunity. Promise. private fundraising campaign, which raised $28 million, including a $5 million gift from the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation to create the STEM Scholars Network, which provides funding to support SVSU student and faculty research, as well as outreach efforts.
In addition, Velasquez serves as a board member of Michigan Non-Profit Association, MidMichigan Health, Michigan Municipal League Foundation, Chemical Bank Advisory, and many others.
Numerous organizations have recognized Velasquez for her service to the community. In 2018, she was inducted into Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan's Hall of Fame. In 2016, she was named by Crain's Business Detroit to its 100 Most Influential Women in Michigan. In 2013, she received the YWCA Women of Achievement Award for Community Leadership, and in 2012, she received the Great Women of the Great Lakes Bay Region Award and Margaret Ann “Ranny” Riecker Meritorious Service Award.
Velasquez completed a bachelor's degree in business administration from Kansas State University and a master's degree in business administration from Michigan State University. She also completed an executive education course at Harvard University's John. F. Kennedy School of Government.
Discover Great Lakes Bay is hosting a business-casual networking experience that will offer an opportunity for talented professionals to connect with world-class employers from across the Great Lakes Bay Region. The “Coming Home” event will take place Wednesday, Nov. 21 from 3-5 p.m. in the Curtiss Hall banquet rooms at Saginaw Valley State University.
The event was scheduled for the day prior to Thanksgiving when many college students and young professionals will be returning to the region for the holiday.
“We wanted to provide a casual environment for future college graduates and alumni from the region who are interested in potentially moving home, so that they can network with employers to learn about career opportunities,” said Riley Hupfer, program coordinator for Discover Great Lakes Bay and one of the organizers of the event.
More than 20 leading employers will be in attendance, including Covenant Healthcare, The Dow Chemical Company, Frankenmuth Insurance, Garber Automotive Group, Nexteer Automotive, and Rehmann.
Retaining and attracting talent is the number one issue for both existing companies and those considering a location in the Great Lakes Bay Region, prompting Saginaw Future Inc. to spearhead the talent attraction and retention initiative.
The project is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Regional Prosperity Initiative 2018 Mini-Grant Program, administered by East Michigan Council of Governments, a federally designated development district for the 14 counties of East Central Michigan.
Alumni of Alma College, Central Michigan University, Davenport University, Delta College, Mid Michigan College, Northwood University, and Saginaw Valley State University have all been invited to attend the Coming Home event.
Attendees will receive complimentary appetizers and drink tickets for craft beers from Mountain Town Brewing Co. in Mt. Pleasant, as well as other beer and wine options.
“Ultimately this a celebration of the Great Lakes Bay Region being a wonderful place to live, work and play,” Hupfer said. “We hope that those coming home to the region will make it a stop as a part of their Wednesday evening.”
More than 130 individuals already have registered to attend, and more are welcome to join.
For a detailed list of featured employers and available positions, to RSVP, or to join the event as a hiring company, please visit DiscoverGreatLakesBay.com/Coming-Home/ or call Hupfer at (989)-964-4231.
A new group of K-12 education leaders committed to professional growth will join the Saginaw Valley State University Gerstacker Fellowship program for 2018-19.
As part of the initiative, 11 teachers, principals, and program administrators from across Michigan will receive concentrated leadership training over a 1-year period. The experience will include an international trip to Finland and Germany in March.
Previous overseas trips have included Japan, South Korea, Poland and Taiwan. Last year's group traveled to China.
These trips send participants to educational institutions, where participants learn about international educational systems and corporate settings. There, they discover how leadership plays out in different cultural and economic settings. Last year's group visited Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong. The group visited Tsnjhua High School International, in Beijing, China where TImothy Wedge - a member of the first cohort of the Gerstacker Fellowship program - serves as the principal of the school.
The program was established in 2005 with a $1.5 million endowment from the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation of Midland. Participants are known as Gerstacker Fellows. They meet monthly on weekends.
SVSU faculty from various disciplines and experts in the field instruct the group on subjects such as organizational leadership, ethics, finances, communication, human resources, entrepreneurship and education with a global perspective.
The Michigan educators selected to participate in the program in 2019 are:
For more information on the Gerstacker Fellowship at SVSU, visit http://www.svsu.edu/collegeofeducation/gerstackerfellowshipprogram/programi/
Two Saginaw Valley State University social work professors will serve in leadership roles at a newly-created community enrichment organization centered in downtown Saginaw.
Vanessa Brooks Herd and Catherine Macomber were voted in as vice chair and secretary, respectively, by the board of the non-profit Saginaw Collaborative Inc.
Saginaw Collaborative Inc. was established by Rev. Jim Williams and other community leaders to turn the Warren Avenue Presbyterian Church building in downtown Saginaw into a space for various community organizations and other non-profits.
“This project represents a coming together of people who have a commitment to the sense of community in Saginaw,” Brooks Herd said. “This is a combination of business people, professional people, grassroots people, small businesses and non-profits who want to infuse the downtown area with maintaining some of the community.”
The church is owned by the Presbytery of Lake Huron, but its congregation can no longer support the upkeep costs of the building and will discontinue its worship services on November 25. The building is over 20,000 square feet and houses classrooms, offices, kitchens, a gymnasium and performance spaces that can accommodate a diverse array of programs.
The collaborative board seeks to analyze community needs and invite community organizations into the building that meet those needs while complimenting each other.
“We want to bring those people together and say, ‘you're all doing this wonderful work, let's figure out how we can do it together and be supportive of your mission,’” Macomber said.
The professors say they're planning to take an integrative approach to their work with the non-profit and plan to provide SVSU social work students and interns with the opportunity to gain work experience there while creating real change in the community.
“We want to use that center as a base for community involvement,” Brooks Herd said. “What better way to teach community organizing and building communities than being in a place where communities are coming together?”
SVSU has hundreds of social work undergraduate and graduate students who must each put in 450 hours a year of field experience as part of their studies.
“We're talking about thousands of hours of student engagement in the community in downtown Saginaw, working with residents and vulnerable populations there,” Macomber said.
Both professors said they hope that once the space is refurbished and filled with community organizations, it will complement downtown Saginaw's economic renewal with its focus on community enrichment and service.
“What's exciting for me is to see all of these community organizations that provide services directly to Saginaw residents, their children and their families talking about how they can coordinate more and use Warren Avenue as sort of a community center for that area,” Macomber said.
Saginaw Valley State University leaders say a series of student-produced public service announcement videos are aimed at strengthening the campus’ sexual assault prevention education efforts.
Those six videos will be screened publicly for the first time during a short presentation Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 3 p.m. in SVSU’s Groening Commons.
The videos were created as part of a contest related to SVSU’s sexual assault prevention education program known as Bringing in the Bystander. Each video features dramatized situations demonstrating students avoiding sexual assault or helping peers avoid sexual assault.
The videos eventually will be played during on-campus student events including SVSU’s movie-screening series known as Valley Nights, organizers say.
Michele Gunkelman, SVSU’s director of residential life and one of the Bringing in the Bystander program trainers on campus, said the lessons provided in the videos will be powerful for students in part because they are watching their peers advocate for better judgement in critical moments that can lead to sexual assault.
“These videos show their peers experiencing situations that, unfortunately, are too common for college students,” Gunkelman said. “We want our students to be able to intervene in those situations. With these videos, our students are learning these lessons from people they can relate to.”
SVSU’s Bringing in the Bystander sexual assault prevention program began in 2016. Since then, more than 400 people — including students, staff and faculty — have been involved in the initiative’s training workshops on campus. The program advocates for participants to pass along those lessons to peers who have not attended the training sessions. The goal, Gunkelman said, is to impact every student on campus in a positive way.
The video contest was the latest initiative of SVSU’s Bringing in the Bystander, which in March received a $25,044 grant from the state of Michigan to continue the program. SVSU staff and students formed a panel of judges to determine the video contest's award recipients.
In total, 17 students in six groups produced the winning videos. Each group received awards ranging from $500 to $100.