E-News- August 13, 2024

C3 launches new events and programming

The Center for Creativity, Careers, Community is changing things up this fall with new programs to help students. Part of C3’s mission is to help students succeed, whether that is inside the classroom or out in the community. 

This September, students have the opportunity to take the Strong Interest Inventory. This online assessment can help students define their interests and sort them into categories like majors, career fields and hobbies that they may find fulfilling. This inventory can provide students insights on what classes they might like to explore, job descriptions they might want to pursue and majors that might jumpstart their future career. First developed by psychologist E.K. Strong in 1927, this career exploration tool has been extensively researched and fine-tuned over decades by the Myers-Briggs company. This inventory provides college-aged students insights to help them choose majors and careers. Jenny Long, a career specialist in the C3 office, will receive the official certification to give the Strong Interest Inventory to students this fall. 

This October, students will also have the opportunity to network with alumni and explore local businesses through a new event, Kohawk Connection: Career Insight Program. Veronica Reece, a C3 career specialist, is unveiling this new program over fall break. Each participating student will experience an individual job shadow at a Cedar Rapids business and will network with alumni at a mixer event. This program will allow students to gain a better understanding of what their future career goals may look like and to speak with successful Coe alumni that may have had these same questions when they were a student. If you are an alum who wants to participate in this mixer event on Wednesday, October 9, please register here or reach out to Veronica Reece at vreece@coe.edu. 

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Early bird registration is open for Homecoming

Registration for Homecoming 2024 is officially open! We can't wait to welcome alumni from all over the globe to come back to Coe for a weekend full of high-fives, hugs and reminiscing. Register to attend today to reconnect with classmates and faculty, celebrate traditions and make memories. Early bird pricing is available through August 19. Not only that, but all registrations received by September 12 will be entered into a drawing to win one of five (5) Homecoming weekend packages, including one complimentary VIP access to all Homecoming activities for you and one guest and a welcome bag of Kohawk swag. One grand prize winner will also receive the chance to kick a field goal at half-time of the Homecoming football game. You don't want to wait!

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Coe to honor three Kohawks with Alumni Awards at Homecoming

Every year during Homecoming weekend, Coe’s Alumni Council recognizes exceptional alumni and friends who have made significant contributions to their professions, the college and their communities. This year, the college is recognizing three alumni for their accomplishments.

Anna Hegland '13 obtained her B.A. in English at Coe before moving to the United Kingdom to complete an M.A. in Shakespeare studies (University of Birmingham – Shakespeare Institute) and a Ph.D. in medieval and early modern studies (University of Kent – Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies). Her work is published in the British Shakespeare Association’s Teaching Shakespeare magazine, Shakespeare Bulletin and Symbolism and a chapter on Middleton and pedagogical duties of care appears in the edited collection Boundaries of Violence (Routledge, 2023). She is a co-editor for a new collection, The Theatrical Legacy of Thomas Middleton, 1624-2024 (Routledge, 2024), a regular contributor to national and international conferences and a plenary speaker at the 2024 British Graduate Shakespeare Conference. Anna will be recognized with Coe's Young Alum Award at Homecoming. Read more about Anna.

Tony Patterson, Jr. '70 was born in Binghamton, New York. After high school he headed to the Midwest to attend Coe. At Coe, he met many fellow students, college staff and professors who were instrumental in his later accomplishments and engendered a love of learning and service to others. During his time at Coe, Tony was student body vice president, a member of Sachem academic honor society, played varsity tennis, held several department assistantships, worked in food services and was named Outstanding Senior Man. He also had the privilege of serving on the Coe College Board of Trustees for many years and, even better, his daughter Kristin Lenz '96, wife of Coe Athletic Hall of Famer Brian Lenz '96, now serves on the Board of Trustees and is secretary of the board. Grandson Barron Lenz '25, number 44 on the Coe football team, is a third generation Kohawk. Tony says the best thing about attending Coe was meeting and marrying his wife, Marylou Patterson '70. Coe is pleased to recognize him with the Distinguished Service Award. Read more about Tony.

Kenneth McMartin '73 received a B.A. in chemistry from Coe College in 1973. During a January term, he participated in a health science internship by conducting toxicological research at the University of Iowa. This led to him entering graduate school and receiving a Ph.D. in pharmacology at the University of Iowa in Iowa City in 1977. For over 40 years, eventually as a professor, he conducted research to discover the mechanisms by which poisonous substances produced toxic effects, in order to design new antidotal therapies to improve the treatment of such poisonings. His research claim to fame is the invention and development of 4-methylpyrazole (drug name, fomepizole) as the antidote for methanol and ethylene glycol (antifreeze) poisonings. Coe is pleased that Kenneth will be recognized with the Alumni Award of Merit at Homecoming. Read more about Kenneth.

If you know of someone deserving of next year’s awards, the Alumni Council is looking for your nominations! Submit nominees for consideration by January 1, 2025. You can also learn more about each award, its criteria and past recipients. 

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Global exploration ahead for Coe's newest Gilman scholars

As Coe College seniors Maggie Wanyana Nansamba ’25 and Celestte Panduro-Orellana ’25 prepare for a term abroad, they share more than just the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship helping to facilitate their adventures. Both exemplify Coe's commitment to creating globally minded graduates equipped to make an impact.

In recent years, Coe has had the highest percentage of Gilman applicants receiving awards among bachelor’s institutions in Iowa. Kohawks have also won Truman and Goldwater scholarships and National Science Foundation fellowships. In all, Coe has produced 43 national fellowship or scholarship winners in the past decade. Coe’s dedicated National Fellowship Advisor Amber Shaw works with students 1-1 and makes introductions to other campus resources to support the pursuit of a high-level scholarship or fellowship. Read more about Nansamba and Panduro-Orellana here.

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Coe College's REU site renewed for three years

Coe College’s Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site has been officially renewed for three years with an award of $464,737 funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

The REU program supports active research participation by undergraduate students in any of the areas of research funded by the NSF. Through Coe’s REU site, 10 students and two high school teachers participate in meaningful scientific research each summer. The group spends seven weeks at Coe carrying out research in glass science, optics, particle physics, molecular biology, applied data science, detector modeling, biomaterials and other areas. In addition to the research work, participants also present their work at local, regional, national and international conferences.

This renewal is introducing a new workshop on the use of machine learning and AI tools in spectroscopy; expanded training of faculty and students; and the addition of student journaling.

“The REU site has permitted us to leverage the research to obtain state-of-the-art instrumentation,” said Professor of Physics Mario Affatigato ’89. “Coe remains one of only a handful of small colleges to host such a site, truly a distinguishing characteristic.” 

All Coe students are guaranteed an internship, research project or off-campus study before graduation. Kohawks have published over 300 peer reviewed articles in dozens of journals, and more than 300 students have presented research at over 70 conferences. Coe has received numerous NSF research grants, totaling nearly $15 million, and has sent interns to NASA, Google and Fortune 500 companies including Corning, Inc.

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Coe honored as 2024 Major Champion by the Zach Johnson Foundation in recognition of its Kids on Course partnership

Coe was recently honored as a 2024 Major Champion by the Zach Johnson Foundation (ZJF) at the organization’s annual gala. The recognition celebrates the ongoing Kids on Course partnership.

Based in Cedar Rapids, Kids on Course provides tutoring, enrichment, parent engagement, summer learning and long-term mentoring for students at high poverty schools, beginning with programming in elementary school and continuing throughout their education.

As an advocate for students in Kids on Course, Coe supports students in the program who enroll at Coe and meet requirements with a generous scholarship. It's part of Coe's commitment to open doors for students of all backgrounds to pursue their dreams and reach their full potential through higher education. Read more about Coe's partnership with Kids on Course here.

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Share your life updates online

Class Notes have historically been a feature in the Courier. Now, you can keep up with fellow Kohawks online and in (almost) real time through Coe’s digital Class News on Coe Connect! If you have a life update of your own, share it with the alumni community.

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Upcoming & virtual events

There are always ways for the Coe alumni community to be involved with Coe and events on campus. You can stream music events and athletic home games from wherever you are, and stay up-to-date on the Coe calendar to find other interesting and exciting events.