Maccolades for Summer 2024: One of the Best Books, Career Advice, Waste Reduction, and More

Maccolades is a monthly roundup of the latest awards and achievements from members of the Macalester community. Below are highlights from the summer of 2024.

GOTV Macalester Style

Macalester has earned the Highly Established Action Plan Seal for the 2024 election cycle from ALL IN Campus Democracy ChallengeThe college’s nonpartisan Democratic Engagement Action Plan was recognized as one of the best in the country for promoting civic learning, political engagement and student participation in voter participation. Macalester is one of 192 campuses recognized for this cycle, with action plans evaluated using the Section for action planning to strengthen American democracy.

Intercultural care for snakebite victims

Chloë Vasquez ’24 co-author of an article published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseasesbased on her field research in the summer of 2023. The article, “Therapeutic pathways for snakebite victims and access to antivenom in southern Mexico,” was a collaboration with Doctor Eric D. Carter, Edens professor of geography and global health and Mexican biologist Edgar Neri Castro.

The study focused on rural areas in Oaxaca and Chiapas, where snakebite is particularly dangerous due to the long distances victims must travel to obtain antivenom. The team interviewed 47 snakebite victims and explored the challenges they face in obtaining treatment and the reasons behind their use of traditional remedies. The authors emphasize a cross-cultural approach and advocate for interventions that respect both Western and indigenous health beliefs. The study was supported by the The Mann-Hill Fellowship for Student-Faculty Research.

Student group saves lives, one donor at a time

A new student organization called NMDP at Macalester is partnering with the national nonprofit formerly known as Be the Match and the National Marrow Donor Program. NMDP helps connect patients who need a stem cell or bone marrow transplant with suitable donors.

In their first year, the student group held several recruitment events, added over 150 people to the registry, and raised $1,151. They also partnered with the football team to coordinate a two-day recruitment event and walk-a-thon. Their efforts have received national recognition, with the chapter president attending the 2024 NMDP National Chapter Leadership Summit. The Macalester chapter received the Chapter of Excellence Award and a Top 5 Fundraising Award for their dedication to this cause.

Star panel on public health

Chairwoman Suzanne Rivera will join a distinguished panel with Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Amy Acton and LeVar Burton, an actor and director. The academic symposium, “Addressing Moral Imperatives in Public Health, Locally and Globally,” will take place on September 19 as part of Case Western Reserve University’s Inamori Ethics Prize Symposium.

Before being named president of Macalester, Dr. Rivera was vice president for research and technology management at Case Western Reserve University and was a lecturer in the departments of Bioethics and Pediatrics at CWRU. He led original research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the federal Office of Research Integrity, and the Cleveland Foundation.

A top book of the century

Marlon Jamesemeritus professor of English, achieved #42 on The New York Times list of “100 Best Books of the 21st Century” for his novel A Brief History of Seven Murders. With an eye to determining the most important and influential books of the era, the New York Times Book Review compiled the list with the voices of 503 novelists, non-fiction writers, poets, critics and other book lovers.

About the book, The Times wrote: “To skip even a paragraph would be to miss the giddy pleasures of James’s semi-historical novel, in which the attempted assassination of an unnamed reggae superstar who strongly resembles Bob Marley collides with a CIA conspiracy, international drug cartels and the vibrant, violent Technicolor of post-independence Jamaica.”

Alum to lead Illinois Department of Children and Family Services

Graduated from Macalester Heidi Mueller ’96 was appointed head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Mueller had been director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice since 2016.

“Director Mueller’s work over the past several years at the Department of Juvenile Justice has been transformative for Illinois’ juvenile justice system, and I am thrilled that she will bring her unique experience and talents to DCFS,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

“As someone who has dedicated my career to serving children and families, I am honored and humbled that Governor Pritzker has entrusted me with the responsibility of leading DCFS,” said Mueller. She holds degrees in psychology and history from Macalester, a master’s degree in social psychology from Stony Brook University, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

Paving the way for safer roads

Aram Petrosjan ’27 was named a 2024 Traffic Safety Scholar and attended the Lifesavers Conference in Denver, where he learned about traffic safety topics such as large vehicle safety, autonomous vehicles, data systems, post-crash care and teen driver testing.

“I had the opportunity to raise concerns about how international students like me could be incentivized to legally circumvent the phased licensing processes,” he said. He also advocated for better visibility tools for deaf and hard of hearing cyclists.

Petrosyan pointed out that about 1.5 million people die on the roads every year. ““Together we must take action,” he said. “The only acceptable number of road deaths should be zero.”

As a member of the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, he thanked geography and economics professors Laura Smith and Sarah West for their support in attending the conference.

Making waves in the classroom

The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America selected the Macalester men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams for a Scholar All-America award. This recognition honors programs that achieve the highest standards in the classroom.

“Coach Kyllian Griffin and the entire team has demonstrated their commitment to success, both academically and athletically, and has set a standard of excellence that we can all be proud of,” said Samantha Barany, the association’s executive director.

Leading Career Services

Jen Guyer-Wooddirector of Career Exploration, received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor from the Minnesota College and University Career Services Association. During the association’s summer conference, John Bergdirector of student engagement and career guidance, was recognized with an award for his 20 years of service. Kerri Roesnerdirector of employer involvement, and Mia Smith ’19employer, alumni, and parent engagement coordinator, gave a presentation, “Harnessing Student Insights for Intentional Student Programming,” on using focus group data to increase student participation and engage new employers through monthly roundtable meetings.

Eating, hunting, loving

Biology professor Stotra Chakrabarti traveled to Konstanz, Germany at the invitation of the Max Planck Institute for Animal Behaviour to speak at their seminar series and brainstorm and collaborate. His seminar was entitled: “Eat, Hunt, Love: The Role of Food and Mates in Shaping Lion Communities.”

A seat at the World Bank table

Zhijun He ’26 was appointed Group Leader of the World Bank Youth Advisory Group, which brings youth perspectives and innovations to bear on pressing development issues in agriculture.

“I am incredibly excited about the potential impact of this role,” he said. “I grew up in a socio-economically disadvantaged community and have always dreamed of helping countries adapt to our ever-changing world.” Young leaders in the group are spearheading projects such as sustainable poultry farming in Sierra Leone and insect-based animal feed production in Colombia.

“What excites me most is the opportunity to bring youth perspectives directly to the decision-making table at one of the world’s most influential development institutions,” he said.

Extraordinary advisor

Doctor Paul Doshassociate professor of political science, received Pi Sigma Alpha’s 2023-2024 Best Chapter Advisor Award, one of four faculty nationwide to earn this honor. The award recognizes extraordinary dedication, commitment, and leadership in advising political science associations.

Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science association with more than 850 chapters, named Professor Dosh a chapter advisor in 2021, a challenging year for many chapters. Despite obstacles, he maintained an active chapter and sponsored student-focused activities, including a student conference. The award includes a $250 cash prize and honorees are featured in the Journal of the American Political Science Association Political Science Today.

Waste wardens

Macalester won the waste separation category of the 2024 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study Competition. Student employee Sustainability Office Abby Lane ’27 wrote about her work with the Green Residence Program, which aims to increase sustainability in student housing. Lane tested three initiatives in first-year dorms to improve waste separation, using weekly audits to measure their effectiveness. Her case study is now featured on the Campus Race to Zero Waste website as part of their “Learn from your colleagues”source, which shares best practices with colleges and universities across the country.

The Sociology of Cardi B

Macalester Sociology Graduate Shantee Rosado ’09 co-author of the new book The Sociology of Cardi B: A Feminist Trap Approach. The book creatively engages with the topics of Black and Latinx womanhood, motherhood, sexuality, racial and ethnic identity, and political engagement through the life and artistic work of hip-hop artist Cardi B. The authors highlight examples from Cardi’s lived experiences and artistry using a feminist framework of the trap as a starting point for sociological conversations about Black women and the trap. Dr. Rosado is an Assistant Professor of Afro-Latinx Studies at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

How to qualify for future Maccolades

If you or someone you know has recently won an award, fellowship or honor and you would like them to be considered for inclusion in next month’s Maccolades, please let Communications & Marketing know by completing this form. How to make maccolades. For recent book publications you can use this book publication form.