Dr. Suban Nur Cooley is an Assistant Professor of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University. Her work examines the intersections of cultural rhetorics, Black feminist theory, and migration and displacement studies. Her scholarship has been recognized with the 2021 CCCC James Berlin Outstanding Dissertation Award and the 2023 Charles Kneupper Award for best article published in the Rhetoric Society Quarterly. As a Black African woman scholar who understands Black displacement firsthand, she brings an insider’s perspective to Somali diasporic life, connecting embodied research and narrative analysis with deep community engagement across Black diaspora communities.

Q&A session and reception with free food to follow. 

Event Flyer

The Professional Support Staff Organization, the organization that advocates for the hourly, non-bargaining staff, is rebooting our Annual Spring Luncheon! The event will take place on Friday, May 15 at Heritage Hall from 11:30-1 p.m. All campus employees are welcome to attend. This year's theme is "80s Party", so start thinking about your rad costumes! We hope you can join us for an afternoon of chillin' with colleagues, a sweet lunch, totally awesome prizes, and big time fun with a special guest speaker! Get stoked, and stay tuned for RSVP information.

www.wmich.edu/psso

Please join President Russ Kavalhuna Wednesday, Feb. 11, for the spring session of the President's Leadership Series. President Kavalhuna will interview featured guest Alan Turfe, vice chair of the WMU Board of Trustees, who will share insights on servant leadership and cross-industry innovation.

The event will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Lee Honors College lounge.

The President’s Leadership Series provides a platform for distinguished leaders to share their perspectives and personal experiences with the campus community.

The Make A Difference Award committee would like to remind all WMU shareholders that nominations for the spring 2026 Make A Difference Semiannual Awards are due no later than February 28, 2026. The Make A Difference Award is a campuswide peer-to-peer program that recognizes Western Michigan University staff members for their outstanding accomplishments, daily investment of energy and creativity and for going above and beyond in their daily endeavors to make WMU a better place for all. 

If you know of a coworker or staff member who deserves to be honored for outstanding service to WMU, please nominate them using the following link: https://wmich.edu/makeadifference/nominations.

The WMU Board of Trustees will convene at noon on Thursday, Feb. 12, in the WMU Student Center ballroom to consider the election of its officers, revisions to board bylaws and a proposal to transition stewardship of the Asylum Lake Preserve to Kalamazoo County. A raft of curriculum proposals and a personnel report are among items that round out the agenda. The meeting will be accessible by livestream.

Individuals wishing to address the board during the meeting’s public comment sections must email Dr. Kahler Schuemann by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Access agenda items and the livestream link. 

We Talk, Western Michigan University's civil discourse and open inquiry initiative, will host a two‑panel conversation with national and campus experts on the benefits and risks of international education at 3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, in WMU Student Center ballroom A. International students strengthen STEM fields, fuel the U.S. talent pipeline and enrich research, yet immigration barriers and security concerns create new challenges. We hope you can join us for this timely discussion on balancing openness, innovation, and national security. Learn more: wmich.edu/wetalk/upcoming-events 

Additional spring semester sessions for formal headshots specifically for faculty and staff are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24,  in Room 3120 in Sangren Hall and on Thursday, April 9, in Room 4550 of Sangren Hall. Photos are taken on a walk-in basis, and no appointments are needed.