Pictured:
Front Row (L-R): Justin Jacqmain (PSY), Jake Dunkerson (HS/OT), Jennica Young (HS), Maddy Searles (HS), Katalin Geeck (PSY), Tim Pionk (PSY)
Back Row (L-R): Evan Nudi (PSY), Dr. Charles Weaver (HS), David Mudd (PSY), Dr. Jeff Smith (HS), Kasey Moritz (PSY), Bob Underly (PSY)

Winning Student Research and Creativity Institute proposals were chosen through a competitive selection process.

More information about the SRCI program can be found on the SRCI website 

Hosted by SVSU’s Department of Biology, Insect-A-Palooza will feature live displays, hands-on activities and interactive exhibits that explore unique aspects of entomology, the study of insects. The aim of the event is to promote greater understanding of insects and to dispel myths and misconceptions about them.

Jorge Paredes-Montero, SVSU assistant professor of biology, has designed Insect-A-Palooza to enable SVSU students to engage with the community while building research, communication and presentation skills that will serve them in college and in their careers. 

• Highlights include:
  Butterfly and Moth Life Cycle: live caterpillars and a walk-in butterfly tent
• Bugs for Brunch: samples of nachos with mealworm toppings
• Hiss-terical Cockroaches: get up close with Madagascar hissing cockroaches and cheer them on at the racetrack
• Sting Ouch-O-Meter: find out which stings hurt the most
• Build-a-Bug: design, name and “release” a custom insect into a virtual environment
• Fantastic Bugs and Where to Find Them: a petting-zoo style station featuring some of the largest bugs in the world, including a giant African millipede
• Backyard Vampires: explore mosquito biology
• Live Honeybee Hive: honey tasting and beeswax candle making
• Mason Bee Hotels: hands-on habitat building

In addition, the Chippewa Nature Center and Saginaw County Mosquito Control will also have information available at the event.

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on earth and have been present for about 350 million years. Learn more about these often-overlooked and -misunderstood creatures at Insect-A-Palooza. For more information visit: https://super-bugs.weebly.com/insect-a-palooza.html.

The event is one of the highlights of SVSU’s International Education Week and is presented by SVSU Dining Services and the Office of International Programs with support from the International Student Club.

More than 40 international students will work alongside SVSU dining staff to prepare and serve favorite dishes from their home countries. The students are organized into 16 teams representing 15 countries. Many of the students will dress in traditional clothing from their country and will be available to talk with guests about the stories behind their dishes.

The planned menu and the countries represented include:

• Japrak (stuffed grape leaves) and trileçe (milk cake) — Albania
• Brigadeiros (chocolate truffles) — Brazil
• Stir-fried pork with green peppers — China
• Bombay biryani and sweet lassi — India
• Matzo ball soup — Israel
• Mitarashi dango (glazed rice dumplings) and Calpico — Japan
• Mansaf (lamb and rice with jameed) and tamer hindi (tamarind drink) — Jordan
• Samosas and mandazi — Kenya
• Dakgalbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) and hwachae (fruit punch) — Korea
• Samay Baji (a traditional Newari snack platter) — Nepal
• Jollof rice, chicken, Nigerian salad, and zobo (hibiscus drink) — Nigeria
• Arroz tapado (rice layered with seasoned beef) — Peru
• Lumpiang Shanghai (spring rolls) and mango sago — Philippines
• Lu rou fan (braised pork rice) and pearl milk tea — Taiwan
• Bún chả (grilled pork with noodles), chả giò (fried spring rolls) and palm sugar honeycomb cake — Vietnam

This fall, 319 international students from 54 countries are enrolled at SVSU.

Several dancers and drummers from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe will perform at the event, which celebrates Indigenous traditions, history and community through the sharing of Native American culture and practices.

Tonya Antoine of the Tribe noted that ancestral lands of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe are throughout Michigan, including in the Great Lakes Bay Region. She also emphasized the importance of sharing the Tribe’s customs with those outside the tribal community and passing down Indigenous traditions.

SVSU’s Office of Multicultural Student Affairs coordinated the powwow and other events celebrating Native American and Indigenous culture. In addition to the powwow, SVSU will host a dreamcatcher craft night on Tuesday, Nov. 10, a cornhusk doll-making event on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and zhiiba bingo night on Monday, Nov. 23. All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs webpage.  

Throughout the month of November, SVSU’s Melvin J. Zahnow is presenting a Native American History Month display in the Roberta Allen Reading Room.

A Professional Accountancy major, Makayla transferred to SVSU this fall after earning her associate degree from Oakland Community College. As a first-generation student, she understands what it means to navigate unfamiliar experiences while remaining focused on long-term goals.

"Being a first-generation college student means creating opportunities for myself while figuring out a lot along the way," she said. "It means being willing to ask questions, step into unfamiliar spaces, and keep going even when I don't have everything figured out."

Although she's only in her first semester at SVSU, Makayla has already found ways to become an active member of the Cardinal community. One of her proudest accomplishments has been joining Student Association as a House Resources Committee Representative, where she represents the student body and contributes to campus life.

The transition to a new university and a new city has challenged her to grow in unexpected ways.

"I've learned that I'm capable of adapting to more than I give myself credit for," Makayla said. "I can be nervous about something and still show up and do it."

Makayla credits SVSU with helping her connect classroom learning with her career aspirations through campus involvement, career fairs, and relationships with faculty and fellow students. These experiences have strengthened her confidence as she works toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant and pursuing a career in corporate accounting.

Like many first-generation students, one of her biggest challenges has been feeling like she should already know how college works. Instead of letting uncertainty hold her back, she learned to ask questions, seek guidance, and use available resources.

Her advice for future first-generation students reflects that lesson:

"Don't feel embarrassed about asking questions or needing help. You deserve to be here just as much as anyone else."

As a first-generation student, Makayla says she stands out because she is willing to step into unfamiliar spaces, learn as she goes, and use what she learns to support others along the way.

Military Times named SVSU to its annual Best for Vets: Colleges rankings for 2026-2027. SVSU is ranked No. 106 of 370 colleges and universities across the United States and No. 3 in Michigan. The Best for Vets designation is awarded to colleges and universities that demonstrate commitment to active service members, veterans and military families. This marks the 13th year SVSU has made the Best for Vets list.

SVSU also earned recognition from the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency’s Veteran-Friendly Schools program for the 12th consecutive year. SVSU has earned a Gold designation for the 2026-2027 cycle.
This year, the Veteran Friendly Schools program enrolled a record-breaking 73 institutions, including universities and colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship programs in Michigan.

“We're proud to receive these recognitions year after year, but what matters most is the support we provide our military-connected students,” said Bethany Alford, director of SVSU’s Military Student Affairs and special assistant to the associate provost/dean of students. “At SVSU, we're committed to making sure our veterans, service members and their families feel valued, supported and have every opportunity to succeed. It's a commitment we take seriously and work to strengthen every day.”

Sam Lenhart, a general studies major, is one of more than 400 military-affiliated students at SVSU. After graduating from St. Charles High School, Lenhart joined the U.S. Air Force, serving as an aircraft mechanic. After separating from active duty, Lenhart enrolled at SVSU and connected with the Military Student Affairs Office, where staff helped him navigate education benefits and meet other military-affiliated students.

“I can't speak for all veterans, but it's (connection with other veterans) something you kind of yearn for after you get out of the military. You know, you're active duty and you've been surrounded by nothing but active-duty servicemen for years and you relate to them in a way on a kind of a deep level because you've all gone through it. And when you get out, you're trying to find your way and trying to find what's familiar. So surrounding yourself with veterans in this way, you just feel accepted and like this is kind of a place where you need to be or you'd like to be,” he said.

The Military Times Best for Vets program evaluates how well institutions serve military-connected students to help service members, veterans and their families determine where to go to school following their military service. Rankings are based on a detailed survey of each school’s policies, programs and outcomes, including university culture, student support services, academic policies, costs and financial assistance, and military-connected student success rates.

The full 2026 Best for Vets: Colleges rankings are available here.

The MVAA’s Veteran-Friendly Schools recognition is based on a range of veteran-focused services, including dedicated resource centers, academic advising, peer-to-peer mentoring and career readiness initiatives. To earn the Gold designation, a school must meet six of the seven criteria:

• A process for identification of veteran students
• A veteran-specific website
• An active veteran student organization or club
• Veteran-specific career services, resources, advising and/or outcome monitoring
• An on-campus veteran’s coordinator and/or designated staff point of contact
• A system to evaluate and reward academic credit based on prior military training and experience
• Monitoring and evaluation of student veteran academic retention, progress, and graduation rates

In addition to the Lansing Promise Scholarship and the Promise Guarantee Scholarship awarded by the Lansing Promise Zone Authority, Lansing Promise Scholars will receive SVSU’s Cardinal Commitment Scholarship or other federal, state or external scholarships and grants to cover their entire tuition.

Jayme King, executive director of Lansing Promise: “What excites us most here at Lansing Promise about this partnership with Saginaw Valley State is that it gives our students more options for their future. It expands opportunities and still allows them to dream big.”

“We look forward to a strong partnership with the Lansing Promise and to continuing to welcome Lansing students to our campus,” said Ken Fettig, SVSU’s vice president of enrollment management. “We know SVSU is a great place for Lansing students to come for a world-class education and our top-ranked campus and housing.”

SVSU enrollment this fall stands at 6,849 students. The university’s award-winning residence halls, ranked No. 2 among all public universities in the United States, are filled to capacity, SVSU residence halls are ranked No. 2 among all public universities in the United States, and the campus is ranked No. 3 in Michigan.

The Gobi Desert in China is vast — roughly 500,000 square miles — and sparsely populated, so when a small Chihuahua mix joined ultrarunner Dion Leonard on day two of a grueling 155-mile, seven-day race across the desert in 2016, it was surprising, to say the least. What is even more surprising is that the dog, which Leonard later named Gobi, ran with him for approximately 80 miles in extreme conditions.

Along the journey, Leonard decided to adopt Gobi and take her back to his home in Edinburgh. While Leonard was making arrangements at home, Gobi went missing in Urumqi, China, a city of three million people. Leonard returned to China at once and formed a search party to find Gobi. Despite long odds, the dog was found, largely unharmed. Following surgery and a four-month quarantine in Beijing, Gobi joined Leonard in Edinburgh.

The “Finding Gobi” lecture is free and open to the public. Doors open one hour before the lecture begins. This event is co-sponsored by SVSU’s Office of International Programs, Zahnow Library, College of Education and Department of Athletics.