Archive - LuxEsto

LuxEsto - The Digital Magazine of Kalamazoo College

Vice President for Advancement

Karen Isble

Editor

Sarah Frink

Creative Director

Craig Simpson

Project Manager

Allison Zorbo

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Lynnette Pryor

Writers

Zinta Aistars

Andy Brown

Tom Wilsted ’66

Photography

AmorSui

Bruce Benton

Kalamazoo College Archives

Kimberly Moss

Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

SeamusMullen.com

Keith Mumma

World Health Organization

Address change

pwhite@kzoo.edu or 269.337.5770

Direct correspondence to:

The Editor, LuxEsto Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy Street Kalamazoo, MI
49006 269.337.7291
info@kzoo.edu

Spring 2021

Where Function Meets Fashion

When Beau Wangtrakuldee ’10 was four years into her doctoral program, an accident in the lab caused a chain of events that changed the course of her career. Today, this Ph.D. chemist-turned-entrepreneur is taking PPE from functional to fashionable with a sustainable and inclusive business model.

Riverblindness in Africa Taming the Lion's Stare

When the Many Pull Together for the One

For generations, the people of sub-Saharan Africa were afflicted by a disabling parasitic disease called riverblindness. Bruce Benton ’64 led two international programs at the World Bank to bring the disease under control, and he looks back on the success of these efforts in his new book, Riverblindness: Taming the Lion’s Stare.

Seamus Mullen's Hero Food

After a debilitating health crisis changed his approach to food, award-winning chef and cookbook author Seamus Mullen ’96 has made it his mission to share how healthy cooking can be muy deliciosa.

1968 Michael Mertaugh writes, “In 1966, Kalamazoo College sent its first group of foreign study students to the University of Clermont-Ferrand—the first class to attend in that foreign study location. We traveled to Le Havre from New York late in September, 1966, on the German liner, the Europa, and stopped briefly in Paris before taking […]

Dr. Richard A. Walker ’41 on October 26, 2020. At K, Dick played on the football, golf and basketball teams. In 2011, he was inducted into the Kalamazoo College Athletic Hall of Fame along with his basketball teammates, honoring the 1939 team for winning the MIAA Championship. In stunning fashion, Dick had scored the winning […]

Winter 2021

Calvert Johnson

Out of The Margins

He could have been a mathematician. He could have been a linguist. Yet a passion for music led Calvert Johnson ’71 on a journey beyond Bach, to the works of composers that history nearly forgot.

Finding A Way Forward

Amidst an economic recession, Sonya Olds Som ’94 took an opportunity to reimagine her career. As an executive recruiter, she now helps other professionals do the same, bringing clients and companies together to build a diverse talent pipeline.

Donald L. Hafner

For Don Hafner ’66, K made it possible to expand his horizons, taking him to Sierra Leone, Washington, D.C., Boston, Geneva—and even back in time to the Revolutionary War. Now he’s ensuring others have the same opportunities.

StudentSpotlight

Student Spotlight

Jonathan Townley ’22 describes his first pop/folk album, It was a privilege to know you when you were shorter, as an ode to grief, healing and the simple joys of life. As the COVID-19 lockdown began this spring—sending K students home amidst an uncertain public health crisis—Townley’s grandfather entered hospice care after a six-year battle […]

1960 On September 27, 2019, Donald H. Sanborn was awarded the 2019 Award for Distinguished Volunteer Service by the Michigan Historical Society at the organization’s state conference in Ludington, Michigan. A World War II veteran and retiree of The Upjohn Company, Don was recognized for his 78 years of combined volunteer service to the Schoolcraft […]

Eugene C. (Gene) Yehle ’41 passed away on Friday, August 7, 2020, at age 100, in Midland, Michigan. Gene is remembered by many for his humility; his faith; his caring for his late wife Millie during her decade-long battle with dementia; his service to the Midland community; and his employment at the Dow Chemical Company. […]

Fall 2020

Walking A New Path

Walking A New Path

K’s new Food and Farming Justice Pathway transforms interconnected ideas into on-the-ground (and in-the-ground) work, empowering students to make change.

An Ace up his sleeve

An Ace up his sleeve

As the president of E.W. Grobbel Sons, Inc., Jason Grobbel ’84 has learned a few things about growing talent, and he says the secret of his success is too good to keep to himself.

Because of Fresh Peaches

Because of Fresh Peaches

From civil servant to theatre professor to director of FoodCorps Michigan, Addell Anderson ’78 has taken the passions she developed at K and turned them into a colorful tapestry of career experiences.

Ellen Jane (Ossward) Maxfield ’43 of Chesterfield, Missouri, passed away on January 16, 2020. Ellen was the beloved wife of the late Dr. Sterling A. Maxfield. Ellen was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church in St. Louis and the Manchester United Methodist Church in Manchester for over 38 years, where she was an […]

1966 A collection of original essays by some of New York’s most well-known and emerging urban experts, Racial Inequality in New York City since 1965 (SUNY Press) explores what city government has done and failed to do to address racial inequality, providing a comprehensive overview of racial inequality in the city’s economy, housing and education […]

Spring 2020

Working Toward A Cure

Working Toward a Cure

Thirty years have passed since the passage of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. Today, the government’s fight to eradicate HIV and AIDS continues, and Harold Phillips ’88 is helping lead the charge.

For Mary Corcoran ’11, a college internship clarified a calling as an archivist and storyteller; now she mentors others who follow in her footsteps.

Sphere of Opportunity

Sphere of Opportunity

Hey, Alexa, where can you find opportunities for liberal arts graduates? At tech giants like Amazon. These alumni share how their K experiences primed them for success.

The Journey Comes Full Circle

The Journey Comes Full Circle

By Sarah Frink In the fall of 1963, two students travelled from Hong Kong to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to pursue their dreams. Each made the journey alone, unsure of what exactly they would find in this small Midwestern town with a funny name—yet they knew it would bring them one step closer to a better life. […]

1963 In 1959, Bob Brackenridge and Don Schneider, who grew up 45 miles apart in West Michigan, were assigned as freshmen roommates in Hoben Hall. They remained roommates all four years. After multiple terms in the Michigan Legislature, Bob retired to Tennessee with his spouse Sue (Wotila) ’65. After 50 years on the East Coast, […]

Winter 2020

Rooted in Social Justice

Rooted in Social Justice

A commitment to community engagement brought Moises Hernandez ’17 and Viridiana Carvajal ’15 together; in Kalamazoo, they found a place to call home.

If You Seek a Pleasant Michigan Brew, Look About You

K alumni are bringing their own brands of craft brews and sustainable eats to happy customers all across the mitten state.

The Patient Advocate

A childhood disability inspired Amy Houtrow ’96 to become a leader in pediatric rehabilitation medicine and a champion for accessible healthcare.

A Tendency for Tenacity

Whether starring as Mae West in her K senior project or appearing as a “turkey meatball lady” on TV, Deb Snyder ’82 has built a steady career playing quirky characters and clowns.

Spring 2019

Archaeologist Digs Into K-Plan Life Influences: Baseball, Babysitting, Rome and an Extraordinary Professor

Baseball, babysitting, Rome, classical studies and an extraordinary professor have contributed to the “below-ground” life of Terry Brock ’04.

A class reunion inspired Larry Banta ’73 to invest his energy in K’s infrastructure.

Pocket Contents

Barbara Meierhusby ’68 has a unique connection with Abraham Lincoln that still brings chills.

The Poetics of Surprise

For Aaron Coleman ’09 study abroad sparked a fascination with languages that started a pathway to poetry, translation and teaching.

Fall 2019

Drawn to Her Career

Pam Marsden ’78 traces her animation roots back to K theatre.

Lessons from The Park

For Vinay Sharma ’12, the lessons learned at LandSea would shape the course of his life.

Alexis Leverenz

The Right Ingredients

With entrepreneurial spirit, Alexis Leverenz ’97 has dabbled in bonds, pastries and everything under the kitchen sink.

The Write Stuff

Writer Joe Tracz ’04 explores coming of age through the lens of fantasy and a twist of technology.