When it came to a career in aviation, Alexis Brown always seemed to know she was on the right "track." During their college careers, her parents competed in that sport and, listening to their stories about travels and meets while growing up, she wanted to follow in their spike marks as well. Good enough as an athlete at LakeVille Memorial High School in Genesee County, Brown earned a track-and-field scholarship to Western Michigan University. The aviation part of the equation was spawned a little earlier when Brown was a youngster in her hometown of Otisville, a small hamlet northeast of Flint.

When it came to a career in aviation, Alexis Brown always seemed to know she was on the right "track." During their college careers, her parents competed in that sport and, listening to their stories about travels and meets while growing up, she wanted to follow in their spike marks as well. Good enough as an athlete at LakeVille Memorial High School in Genesee County, Brown earned a track-and-field scholarship to Western Michigan University. The aviation part of the equation was spawned a little earlier when Brown was a youngster in her hometown of Otisville, a small hamlet northeast of Flint.

Led by Dr. Michael Famiano, a professor of physics, a contingent of WMU faculty, staff, alumni, parents and community members is banding together to collect and deliver food and household products to students still living on or near campus.

Eleven CFA workers are participating in the project aimed at helping fight the COVID-19 spread.

Similar to an in-person visit, telehealth appointments use video to have a conversation by computer, tablet or smartphone with a provider.

Julie Garrison, dean of University Libraries at Western Michigan University, has been elected as vice-president/president-elect of the Association of College and Research Libraries, or ACRL.

The grant program, designed to support small-scale research projects and creative scholarship, is open to WMU faculty as well as administrators and those staff who meet  the University's requirements to serve in the role of principal investigator to apply for the grant program.

WMU Libraries’ special collections staff and librarian recently helped the Smithsonian Archives find answers about the designer of their iconic sunburst seal, Crimilda Pontes.

Western Michigan University industrial and entrepreneurial engineering student Tyler Skibicki and mechanical engineering student Noah Schultz earned a $3,000 prize from the Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge e-Fest competition in March.

Compassion and empathy amid the COVID-19 pandemic are the foci of a social media campaign designed and launched by students in Western Michigan University's chapter of the Society for Public Health Education, Eta Sigma Gamma.

Dr. Alan Rea, professor of business information systems, and Dr. Marcel Zondag, associate professor of marketing, are mentoring college of business faculty and staff in the transition to distance education and will serve as experts for the wider campus community in transitioning summer I courses to distance learning. Their take: teaching online is not one size fits all.

Thousands of miles apart, a Western Michigan University faculty member and alumnus hope to bring people together—through music. They're challenging the WMU community to sing or perform renditions of the University's alma mater and fight song and post them on social media.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, students are looking to WMU career development specialists to guide them though an uncertain time in terms of internship and job searches, and are seeking out opportunities to build their portfolio of skills.

Climate Change Teaching Fellow mini-grant awards seek to foster the integration of climate change as a topic in WMU courses at all levels and in all disciplines.

Birdwatching at the preserve, which offers a publicly-accessible visual and symphonic feast, remains an easy, free, soothing and educational option amidst social distancing mandates and closures that have altered life as we knew it.

WMU is using 3D printers to produce face shields for health care workers who desperately need them for the fight against COVID-19. Several University departments are collaborating on this effort.

For an impressive second time, Dr. Kuanchin "KC" Chen, professor of business information systems, co-director of the Center for Business Analytics and John W. Snyder faculty fellow at Western Michigan University, has earned a highly competitive Fulbright Specialist Award.

A team of faculty members in the Gwen Frostic School of Art is designing aerosol boxes, which could reduce the risk of doctors contracting COVID-19 while intubating patients.

Housed within WMU's Haworth College of Business, the Small Business Development Center is working with clients to provide needed direction and assistance in filling out the various forms needed for government aid.

Business student Willow Martin is balancing distance education and family commitments, aided by communication skills, clear expectations and accessible faculty.

For the safety of students and workers, the Invisible Need Project food pantry is extending service to Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing visits by appointment only. INP is also broadening the scope of assistance available through the Student Emergency Relief Fund.

Several fashion design students joined together to sew face masks to help fill the critical need for personal protection equipment in local hospitals.

Jazz student Eddie Codrington is opening up his composing process, collaborating in live, online sessions with WMU alumnus Yakiv Tvietinskyi.

When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, 100 leadership and business strategy students pivoted on their original consulting projects, in order to support crisis management for businesses.

WMUx and Office of Information Technology teams have partnered with dozens of offices from across the University to make sure students have accesses to services, including academic advising, tutoring and other academic support teams as they navigate distance learning.

Various colleges and units on the WMU campus are collecting personal protection equipment such as gloves, masks, disposable gowns, face shields, respirators and ethanol or isopropyl alcohol for Sindecuse Health Center and local health professionals.

Dr. Scott Cowley, assistant professor of marketing, shares that empathy is just as important as course content in WMU's move to distance education.

Jenna Silverstein, a special education teacher and master's student in WMU's Interdisciplinary Preparation in Autism program, shares how she's effectively transitioned her student reading interventions online.

A global pandemic isn't an easy load to carry emotionally. WMU Counseling Services explains the warning signs for your mental health, and when you may need to reach out for help.

Dr. Jim Eckert, Robert S. Kaiser professor of sales, has long incorporated video content into his courses. He shared with us how he is shifting his courses to a distance learning model and what students and faculty can gain from the experience.