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Ralph Hauenstein Helps Students Learn To Be Leaders

SPR ING 2014 | A GR A N D VA LLEY U N IVERS I TY FOUNDATI ON PUBL I CAT I ON

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For more information, please contact the Grand Valley University Foundation.

(616) 331-6000 | WWW.GVUF.ORG | WWW.GVSU.EDU/GIVING

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4|Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies

IMPACT STORIES4 | Passions and Leadership

6 | Creating Pathways

7 | AWRI Follow Up

CAMPAIGN NEWS8 | Wesorick Center

9 | Health Professions

EVENTS10 | 2013 Dedications

+ Events Recap

+ Robert B. Annis Field Station

+ Mary Idema Pew Library

+ L. William Seidman Center

15 | Foundation Holiday Reception

16 | Friends of Alten

17 | Community Leadership Celebration

18 | Alumni Leadership Celebration

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rand Valley’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, named for Ralph W. Hauenstein, a longtime supporter of Grand

Valley, is developing capable and confident students who are prepared to lead inside and outside the university thanks to donor support. Joseph Hogan, a senior double majoring in English and film and video production, is one of these leaders.

As one of 40 fellows in the Hauenstein Center’s Cook Leadership Academy, Hogan has discovered his

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L E A D E R S H I Ppassions and developed skills to lead in the future.Hauenstein who recently gave a major gift to the center says “I have ample opportunities to invest in many worthwhile programs and projects, but I can think of no better investment than the one to ensure our future leaders are wise and ethical”.

Hogan and other students are growing as a result of Hauenstein’s generosity. “The Hauenstein Center creates a small community for students to really identify what they ought to do, what they are most

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›› WWW.HAUENSTEINCENTER.ORG

In photos (from left to right) Ralph Hauenstein, Joseph Hogan, members of the Cook Leadership Academy

called to do or what their vocation is, and helps them develop those talents and abilities, even on a global level,” Hogan said.

One area Hogan has benefitted from is the Hauenstein Center’s Common Ground initiative. The initiative challenges students to find the roots that connect the two major political parties and learn how to develop collaborative solutions in any setting. Hogan said he has been studying how debates can be civil and constructive—which they often are not.

“I find that a lot of times debate is acrimonious,” he said, “more about entrenching yourself than trying to find common ground. The Hauenstein Center is trying to put on events that try to find or develop common ground between groups.”

As a developing student leader, Hogan is interested in helping and participating in groups that find common ground, and shared his ideas with other students in February 2014 in a presentation about civil discourse and conflict resolution as they apply to leadership.

Hogan and other student leaders are also using their skills to address and help improve or fix issues in the university and Grand Rapids community. Hogan is a lead consultant at the Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors, is a member of the Frederik Meijer Honors College, is a columnist for The Lanthorn, Grand Valley’s student newspaper, and founded and is editor of Cinesthesia, a student film journal. He was also an instructor at Grand Rapids Job Corp., and taught a course called “The Art of Film: How Movies Make Us Think.”

Hogan said that one of the reasons he chose Grand Valley was because he saw it as a university where

professors and mentors take students seriously and are invested in their growth and development.

Ralph Hauenstein is one of the leaders Hogan is interested in and who has had a significant influence on all Cook Leadership Academy fellows.

“Ralph Hauenstein had to deal with a lot of challenges living through the major events in history, but he was able to develop a vision and implement it in the world,” Hogan said. “He provides an example for addressing the hardest, most difficult issues in the world, and doing it boldly.”

Hauenstein knows that supporting student leaders like Hogan will have an exponential impact as they become the community leaders making positive impacts on their communities.

“We’re seeing the fruits in the young people who have been mentored in the program and are out taking their place in the world,” Hauenstein said.

Hauenstein Center director Gleaves Whitney added that Hauenstein’s investment is crucial to the center’s success. “None of this would be possible without Ralph, who steadfastly supports our efforts to form ethical, effective leaders who can make a difference in our communities,” Whitney said.

“We’re seeing the fruits in the young people who have been mentored in the program and are out taking their place in the world.”

- Ralph Hauenstein

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CREATING PATHWAYSNew scholarships benefit students in the middle

hough a Grand Valley education is a good value, it remains a financial stretch

for many families with modest incomes. The university’s new Pathway Scholarships support students whose families do not qualify for federal need-based aid, but cannot afford the entire cost of a college education. Students from these families are often left to borrow the entire cost of their education.

Briette Bryant, Scholarships and Fellowships Giving Manager for University Development, worked with the Financial Aid office to see what Grand Valley students were in most need of assistance. “It’s been this middle income group,” she said. “Pathway Scholarships were created in order to make education more affordable and more accessible for them.”

The Pathway Scholarships fill the gap between savings and financial aid; widening the pathway to graduation and helping students complete their education and achieve their goals. Each scholarship, which can be an endowed or annual award, offers $1,500 of aid to a student.

Taylor Krohn,’13, is an alumna who worked in the financial aid office. In her student position, Krohn helped students and parents understand their financial aid options, and noticed the frequent need of middle income families. She said that before Pathway Scholarships, many middle income students and families felt like they were overlooked.

“These Pathway Scholarships mean a lot more to students than donors might think,” Krohn said. “They really contribute to students being able to finish a degree and not have as much of a burden of loans.”

Michelle Rhodes, Director of Financial Aid, pointed out that extra financial assistance like a Pathway Scholarship could determine if a student pursues higher education or could be the deciding factor between different institutions.

“Getting a Pathway Scholarship could be the difference of coming to Grand Valley or not,” Rhodes said. “These students won’t take the vote in their success for granted. They’re coming to school to make a better future for their future generations and families, and a Pathway Scholarship would be a great start to that.”

›› WWW.GVSU.EDU/GIVING/PATHWAYSCHOLARSHIPS

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THROUGH THE WINTERNew AWRI Field Station expands research season

n August 2013 the Robert B. Annis Field Station at Grand Valley’s Robert B. Annis Water Resources

Institute (AWRI) opened thanks to more than 220 donors who gave $2.32 million in just one year. The new field station on the Muskegon Lake shoreline has dramatically increased the research organization’s ability to conduct experimental research, helping West Michigan be a leader in the blue economy which leverages Michigan's fresh water assets.

Ryan Thum is a Grand Valley professor and molecular ecologist who studies invasive aquatic plants and herbicides resistance. “My students and I try to understand and predict where, why, and how these plants cause problems,” Thum said.

To research aquatic plants Thum and undergraduate and graduate students use mesocosms—350 gallon tanks that replicate freshwater environments. Before the new field station was built the facility that housed those tanks was not climate controlled, making winter studies in the water brutally cold. The research season had to be cut short, limiting the work AWRI staff and students could complete.

Thanks to the new facility, Thum’s mesocosms are now in a climate controlled facility, allowing year-round research to take place for the first time. “Climate control seems like a simple change, but it really is an incredible difference,” Thum said.

The ability to work year-round is benefiting students who have the opportunity to research at AWRI. In 2013, over 30 graduate and undergraduate students assisted a number of AWRI staff on a variety of projects.

While at AWRI these students actively learn by participating in hands-on research. Many have their work published in academic journals and are able to network with experts in their fields. The experience “hooks the students” and encourages many to pursue master’s or doctorate degrees. “Grand Valley students go on, highly recruited, to programs around the country,” Thum said.

The field station, in addition to allowing for climate-controlled research, also expanded laboratories and facilities, added office and conference spaces, and increased storage. These physical improvements will help AWRI grow and have increased collaborations with many other groups—including local and state agencies, policymakers, and industry leaders who look to AWRI’s findings to make decisions in their fields.

“Research from AWRI changes the way people think and behave,” Thum said. “There is a return on the investment that these donors made. There are returns to the students, to the scientific community, and to the environment.”

›› WWW.GVSU.EDU/WRI/

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WESORICK CENTER ENDOWMENT CAMPAIGN NEARS COMPLETION

C A M PA I G N N E W S

›› WWW.GVSU.EDU/WESORICK

“My research project with the Wesorick Center has opened my eyes to the importance of nursing and has affirmed my passion for patient-focused healing.”

- SAMANTHA UTTER, BSNCLASS OF 2014

The Bonnie Wesorick Center for Health Care Transformation helps research best practices and educates students about a philosophy of interprofessional, patient-centered care using evidence-based medicine to improve outcomes. The Wesorick Center helps students like Samantha Utter, BSN, Class of 2014, learn how to be better nurses and better colleagues to other health professionals in real-world settings. Samantha’s work on a research project, entitled Integrated Health Care Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, helped her better understand the value of interprofessional communication and teamwork to heal the whole patient. Through research projects like Samantha’s, along with classroom and clinical education, the center has tremendous potential for reaching hundreds of future nurses and health professionals each year. Wherever the hands of those who give and receive care meet, Grand Valley alumni who have learned through the Wesorick Center will be making a difference.

If you would like to help launch the next generation of nurses and health professionals through the work of the Wesorick Center, please consider making a gift at www.gvsu.edu/giving/wesorick. Your gift will help complete the center’s current funding needs and provide a platform for future growth.

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HEALTH CAMPUS EXPANSION PLANS BEGIN

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In 2003 Grand Valley established its health care presence in Grand Rapids by opening the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences. A decade later, in November of 2013, Grand Valley’s Board of Trustees approved the purchase of 11 acres of land north of interstate 196 to expand the health campus. The university now owns a total of 18 acres on the Northeast side of Grand Rapids near Medical Mile.

The land purchase is part of the Grand Valley’s vision and long-term strategy, and shows the university’s commitment to educating students to meet the needs of the community. Grand Valley is the top provider of health care professionals in the region, but the university’s 12 programs are at physical capacity, forcing the university to turn away qualified applicants each year.

“We have an urgent need to expand so that we can support this community’s needs and retain the best and brightest young talent for our region,” President Haas said. “Education and health care are two of the most critical needs for the future, and there will be a continued demand for health professionals and nurses as the West Michigan population grows and ages.”

Plans for the health campus expansion are being developed, knowing that the university will need more space for simulation training, fully-equipped laboratories, including anatomy labs and classrooms, and additional technology and increased partnerships with health organizations in order to continue to build the talent base of health care professionals in the region.

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Generous donors

were the force that built Grand

Valley, and still continue to support

the university today. As students were welcomed

back to campus for the fall 2013 semester, they entered

three new buildings made possible by private gifts.

The Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons, the newest

addition to the Allendale Campus, was dedicated in September. The new center of

learning is three times larger than the previous library, and was designed to meet students’ needs.

The $65 million building was made possible by funds donated by more than 1,400 donors.

Friends of the university celebrated the dedication of the L. William Seidman Center in October. The Seidman Center is the new home for the L. William Seidman College of Business and a fitting tribute to the life and legacy of Bill Seidman, Grand Valley’s founder. The building, made possible by the gifts of more than 600 donors, is helping Grand Valley students become the next generation of talent for local businesses.

Grand Valley’s commitment to preserving our region’s freshwater resources was shown with the opening of the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute Field Station, dedicated in August. The entire lakeshore community and 200 donors supported the campaign for the field station, which expanded the institute’s research capabilities and will help West Michigan become a leader in the blue economy.

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R O B E R T B . A N N I S

F I E L D S TAT I O N D E D I C AT I O N

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M A R Y I D E M A P E W L I B R A R Y

L E A R N I N G A N D I N F O R M AT I O N

C O M M O N S D E D I C AT I O N

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Each year, Grand Valley University Foundation directors gather to celebrate the holidays together. This year, the Holiday Reception took place at Cascade Country Club in December. Grand Valley President Thomas Haas thanked Foundation Directors for their work, and said that Grand Valley is successful because collaboration is valued and achieved by all.

F O U N D AT I O N H O L I D AY

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The West Michigan community, including Grand Valley students, appreciate and produce great art. Grand Valley’s George and Barbara Gordon Gallery houses the world’s largest collection of Mathias J. Alten works. Those who support the gallery and collection, called the Friends of Alten, gathered in November to witness the unveiling of a timeline of Alten’s work and life.

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Leaders in West Michigan gathered at the Bissell Tree House at the John Ball Zoo to celebrate the impact that community support is having on Grand Valley and its students. These committed leaders recognized ten years of changing students’ lives though the Community Leadership Scholarship, which encourages students who have already demonstrated leadership to develop further as leaders in West Michigan.

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Grand Valley’s alumni believe in the university and its students, and give back to support their alma mater. Alumni leaders gathered at the Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons in August to celebrate the past year and chart the course for the future. The university’s three living presidents spoke about their visions for the university, and remarks were made by Alumni Association President Julie Bulson ’99, ’07, and alumni Hannah ’04 and Justin ’04 Hendges.

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Giving a planned gift to Grand

Valley State University shows your

commitment to the university and its

mission. By including Grand Valley in

your will or estate plan, you will ensure

that your interests and passions are

supported after your lifetime. Those

who give planned gifts are inducted

into the Gillett Society and may

receive financial benefits.

The Development Office staff will be

happy to help you choose which of the

many planned giving opportunities is

right for you. Help ensure the long-

term success of the university and its

students by giving a planned gift today.

This photo was taken at our inagural Founders Day, a celebration of L. William

Seidman and the many others in West Michigan whose high hopes and dedication

created Grand Valley State University. For more photos from this event, please visit

www.gvsu.edu/giving/foundersday.

To learn more about planned giving, please visit

WWW.GVSU.EDU/GIVING/GIFTPLANS

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