July 2020 WMU News

Business professor secures Fulbright award

Dr. Tim Palmer, professor of management and director of the Center for Sustainable Business Practices, has earned a highly competitive Fulbright Specialist Award from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. His Fulbright project will center around developing service courses at a partner institution abroad.

WMU Theatre, Face Off Theatre partner to bring “Black Lives, Black Words” back to Kalamazoo

"Do Black lives matter?” That’s the question local artists aim to answer with the upcoming three-part series “Black Lives, Black Words.” Hosted in partnership by Western Michigan University’s Department of Theatre and the Black Arts and Cultural Center’s Face Off Theatre Company, the series will feature an "art as activism" workshop, a panel discussion and a talent showcase.

How can we improve STEM learning outcomes? WMU professor wins $1.3M NSF award to find out

Research is underway at Western Michigan University that could impact science, technology, engineering and mathematics—STEM—teaching and improve learning outcomes in multiple states. The National Science Foundation awarded Dr. Jessaca Spybrook, professor of evaluation, measurement and research, a $1,328,108 grant for her project entitled “Improving Evaluations of STEM Programs: An Empirical Investigation of Key Design Parameters.”

WMU professor takes the helm at state board

Dr. Ola Smith, chair, Department of Accountancy, has been elected chair of the Michigan State Board of Accountancy, one of the highest oversight posts in the field. The board is responsible for the certification, licensure and regulation of certified public accountants and public accounting firms.

Alumna helps craft Michigan K-12 fall return-to-learn framework

Western Michigan University alumna Angela Blood Starr, a regional school health coordinator for Calhoun Intermediate School District, served on the the Michigan Return to School Advisory Council. Find out what her main concerns for K-12 fall education are and how her expertise helped the council formulate reopening guidelines.

Landscape Services plants seeds of stewardship, innovation on WMU campus

Spared from pandemic closures by greenhouse specialist Christopher Jackson, native plant seedlings are now being planted across campus. The effort is part of Landscape Services' larger goal of increasing naturalized areas on campus and enhancing learning opportunities for the WMU community.

WMU supply chain program once again named top program in U.S.

The WMU integrated supply management program once again claims a spot on Gartner's list of top programs. A national leader in supply chain education, the program has been recognized by Gartner for its excellence for more than a decade.