Ripon College President Zach Messitte announced today that he will leave his position at the end of the fall 2021 semester and return to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Messitte became the 13th president of the 170-year-old institution in 2012. “I have loved being the president of Ripon College and feel honored that the Board […]
Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas has an essay in the newly published anthology Hope is the Thing: Wisconsinites on Perseverance in a Pandemic. The collection is edited by B.J. Hollars and published by Wisconsin History Press. Contributors include Wisconsin Poet Laureate Dasha Kelly, former poet laureates Margaret Rozga and Kimberly Blaeser, and other lauded […]
Seventeen students collaborated with Professor of Chemistry Joe Scanlon and Associate Professor of Chemistry Patrick Willoughby on ground-breaking research that resulted in a published article this summer. The article was published in Journal of Organic Chemistry and addresses the discovery of a new chemical reaction, the aryne-Abramov reaction. It also details how Scanlon, Willoughby and […]
Ripon College welcomes new staff and faculty members who have joined Ripon College during this calendar year. FACULTY Steve Bellin-Oka, Wisconsin’s Own Library poet-in-residence. Lillian Brown, visiting professor of theater. Paul Thompson, assistant professor of music. Jeremiah Vaughan, assistant professor of exercise science. ADJUNCTS Christopher Cramer, adjunct instructor of music, guitar lessons. Paul Dietrich, director […]
Brian Smith, professor emeritus of religion and co-director of the Center for Politics and the People, gave a ZOOM presentation Sunday, Aug. 8, for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In “The erosion of truth in American Society,” he discussed the spread of what he refers to as disinformation and lies on […]
The Ripon Historical Society will hold an ice cream social from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, at the Pedrick-Lawson House museum, one block from campus at 515 Ransom St., and the Pickard House, 508 Watson St. This summer, Associate Professor of Art History Travis Nygard and three students have been working with volunteers […]
An article highlighting a recent town-gown collaboration between the College and a community group was published July 7, 2021, in the Ripon Commonwealth newspaper. “Ripon College steps up to replace veterans’ display on Ransom Street” details efforts by Vice President and Dean of Faculty John Sisko and U.S. Army Capt. Thomas Ivey, head of Ripon’s […]
Work by Associate Professor of Psychology Julia Meyers-Manor was cited in the article “Do Dogs Recognize Sadness?,” published recently by Newsweek, Washington Newsday and other outlets. Findings from several studies were included in the article. The study to which Meyers-Manor contributed was published in 2018 and “found that dogs not only recognize when their owners […]
“Inquiry into the educational implications of voting practices of young adults in U.S. mid-term elections,” a paper co-written by Matthew Knoester, associate professor of educational studies, has been published in The Journal of Social Studies Research. “This study examines political attitudes and experiences of young adults in the United States, with particular focus on voting practices,” […]
At this spring’s Awards Convocation, Steve Martin ’96, professor of communication, received the Senior Class Award. Dakota Marlega ’21, a member of the Senior Class Board, says of the selection process, “We felt Professor Steve Martin really embodied a lot of what we appreciated during our time at Ripon: a commitment to the liberal arts, […]
At this spring’s Awards Convocation, Associate Professor of English Megan Gannon received the Faculty/Staff Mentor Award. Sara VanSteenbergen, director of student activities and orientation, says selections are made based on contributions to the success and growth of a student involvement opportunity. “As the Parallax advisor, (Megan Gannon) guided the editorial board through a busy year, […]
At this spring’s Awards Convocation, Nicholas Eastman, assistant professor of educational studies, received the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award. Established through a bequest from Severy in 1956, the award is presented to faculty members who have shown the highest degree of excellence in teaching. The established criteria include innovating existing courses and/or developing […]
Among the faculty honored at this spring’s Awards Convocation was Professor of Art Rafael Francisco Salas. Salas received the James Underkofler Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The award is named in honor of James Underkofler, past president and chairman for Wisconsin Power and Light, for his 48 years of service to the utility industry […]
Adjunct Instructor of Music Andrew Schaeffer, organist, will be featured in a hybrid virtual/live performance Wednesday, June 23, at Sinsinawa Mound in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. The performance will begin at 7 p.m. and can be accessed at www.sinsinawa.org/live during the concert time or later in an archived format by clicking “on demand.” Schaeffer is a Chicago […]
Rebecca Matzke, associate dean of academic affairs and the Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of History, served as commentator on a panel at the Society for Military History Annual Meeting May 21-23. The panel was titled “Blockades in History: The Evolution of the Blockade, 1846-1958,” and Matzke provided comments and critique on research papers by […]
“A meta-analysis of benthic rotifer community structure as a function of lake trophic state,” to which Robert L. Wallace, professor emeritus of biology, contributed, was published during the spring semester by Aquatic Ecology. The abstract states: “Our understanding of the ecological drivers that control community structure of benthic rotifers is poorly known. By reviewing 21 […]
“Reinvention, Revolution: An Experiment in the Museum of the Future is Taking Shape in Appleton, Wisconsin,” a review written by Professor Art Rafael Francisco Salas, was published recently by Newcity Art, a website dedicated to news, reviews and features about Chicago’s visual art world. “The review is of a ground-breaking exhibition at the Trout Museum […]
Sandra Polcyn will receive the 2021 Distinguished Educator Award during Ripon College’s Commencement. While the ceremony is limited to graduates and their families, the event will be streamed live and available to watch at ripon.edu/commencement Polcyn grew up in Chilton, Wisconsin, and graduated from Lawrence University with a bachelor of music degree in instrumental music […]
Ripon College’s annual recognition event to honor faculty and staff was held virtually Thursday morning. Recognition was made for significant years of service, the earning of terminal degrees, retirement and the Presidential Staff Award. Presidential Staff Award: Kathy Welch, College nurse. Terminal degree: Dr. Changsok “Isaac” Sung, assistant professor of computer and data sciences, Ph.D. […]
“Can Faith Leaders Shift Public Opinion Toward Climate Action?”, an opinion piece by Brian Smith, professor emeritus of religion, was published Monday, April 26, 2021, on EarthBeat. EarthBeat is an initiative by the National Catholic Reporter, a publication that reaches progressive-thinking Christians and humanists with weekly paper and daily digital copy. He says the piece […]