E-News - March 2026
Day of Giving - mark your calendars & get involved!
Join us on April 9 as Coe celebrates its 12th Annual Day of Giving! This community-wide tradition highlights the collective power of our community and the impact we make when we act together.
Gifts to the Annual Fund play a vital role in strengthening Coe. They support scholarships, academic departments, hands-on learning opportunities and the everyday essentials
that shape the student experience. This year, we're proudly highlighting the outstanding academic areas that benefit from the Annual Fund and fuel Coe's momentum. By participating, you help ensure that Coe continues to evolve, inspire and thrive for generations to come.
The fun continues: Join fellow alumni and friends for a special Day of Giving celebration in Cedar Rapids. Enjoy an evening of great food from Ian's Pizza, drinks, 175th Anniversary beer tasting and meaningful connections while reminiscing about your time at Coe and meeting fellow Kohawks in the area. Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to Coe's giving traditions, this is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all that we love about Coe and our students. This event is free to attend -- just bring your Coe pride and join the celebration!
Location: Lion Bridge Brewing Co.
59 16th Ave SW Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Date & Time: Thursday, April 9, 5:00 - 7:00 PM
Register here: https://alumni.coe.edu/e/2026-day-of-giving-city-celebration-cedar-rapids/
Celebrating Coe's 175th anniversary with an Oral History Project
In anticipation of celebrating Coe's landmark 175th anniversary starting this fall, we are excited to announce the launch of a comprehensive alumni data verification and Oral History Project starting in mid-April. This year-long initiative, conducted in partnership with Publishing Concepts (PCI), aims to capture and preserve the diverse stories and memories that define the Kohawk experience, from our founding in 1851 to the present day. By sharing your unique perspective, you will help memorialize the history of the campus experience for future generations of the Coe community as we prepare to celebrate this historic milestone.
Starting next month, alumni should expect to receive postcards and emails with an invitation to participate. When you call the toll-free number provided in these materials, a PCI associate will first help you verify your current contact information to ensure our records are accurate. You will then be invited to share a story about your time at Coe, such as your favorite traditions like Flunk Day or ringing the Victory Bell, the influence of a particular professor, staff member or friend or how your time on campus impacted your career and life after graduation.
The collected stories will be transcribed and compiled into a commemorative hardbound book that celebrates the collective history of Coe College. During your call, you will also have the opportunity to purchase the book and exclusive branded apparel, including sweatshirts, t-shirts and a travel bag. Please note that your participation in the project is entirely voluntary; there is no obligation to make a purchase to have your story included or to update your information. Following your interview, you will receive an email with a link to upload high-resolution photos that may be included in the publication to supplement your story.
We look forward to hearing some of your core Coe memories and celebrating our collective pride in the Kohawk community. Your stories will be a vital part of our 175th anniversary celebration by ensuring our shared history is preserved for years to come. If you have any questions regarding the Oral History Project or the outreach you receive, please contact the alumni office by reaching out to Claire Sagers, Director of Alumni Engagement, at 319.399.8663 or ctupper@coe.edu.
Coe College Festival of Bands returns in April
Mark your calendars for Coe's annual Festival of Bands, held this year on Saturday, April 18 and featuring new music by two alumni band members.
The Festival of Bands, under the administration
of Director of Bands Dr. William Carson, was established in 1994 and has featured a number of respected composers, conductors and performers from across the country. Adrian Sims, this year's major guest conductor, will assist in the celebration of many facets of band music. Adrian is a musician from Seattle, Washington who has composed and conducted music for bands, orchestras and chamber ensembles of all levels. Included in the performance is new music by Duroje Gwamna '10 and William Pollock '19. Duroje received a bachelor's degree from Coe in music theory and composition, studying under Dr. Carson, and William received a degree in music and currently works for Coe as an administrative assistant.
The performance is free (no tickets required) and open to the public, Saturday, April 18, at 7:00 PM in Sinclair auditorium on the Coe campus.
Get Coe-nnected with Students and Alumni
Take part in an alumni-student networking social on Tuesday, March 31, from 4:30 - 6:00 PM in the Clark Alumni House. Practice networking with alumni, staff and faculty in a welcoming environment -- it's a great opportunity for you to mingle, practice your elevator pitch and learn how best to build a professional network, in person and online. Learn more and register here!
Kopelman bringing weather to life for Kohawk aviation students
There are two connecting points between the newest industry professional to teach a course at Coe and their subject. One is obvious, the other a dream that never came to fruition.
Rebecca Kopelman, chief meteorologist at the Iowa News Now television stations, is teaching Principles of Meteorology this term within Coe College's aviation management & flight operations concentration.
Future pilots need to understand how the atmosphere functions and how weather develops -- that's the obvious connection. As a Florida native, Kopelman grew up dreaming of becoming a Hurricane Hunter, one of the pilots who willingly flies into the eyes of hurricanes to gather as much data for forecasting the monster storms' paths as possible. So in a way, working directly with aviation students is a full-circle moment for Kopelman.
Today, however, she is focused on translating her wealth of weather knowledge into practical applications for future Kohawk pilots. Kopelman joins a growing list of working professionals in the greater Cedar Rapids area who are bringing their industry expertise directly into the classroom at Coe as Executives in Residence. Eastern Iowa Airport Director Marty Lenss and retired President & CEO of Mercy Medical Center Tim Charles have also led courses at Coe.
"I go to work and forecast the weather and then I come to campus to discuss that weather from an aviation angle. So I'm bringing real-time, real-world knowledge to help students connect the dots with what's actually happening outside with why it's important to them," Kopelman said.
The college is intentionally inviting professionals to teach select courses to increase real-world viewpoints and practical industry knowledge and to help students build professional networks. The approach pays off for Kohawks as nearly 100% of reporting graduates are employed or in grad school within nine months of graduation.
"There are advantages for our students to get perspectives from working professionals," said Coe College Provost Angela Ziskowski. "In addition to the foundational knowledge we build in the classroom, we want our students to understand the day-to-day know-how as well. With that level of practical knowledge, you have an advantage in going out and starting a career or being accepted into grad school."
Ziskowski and Pam Carstens, professor of business administration and economics, contacted Kopelman looking for someone to teach the meteorology course. Kopelman asked herself, "Why not me?" and submitted her resume. She does the morning news and has afternoons free. The Coe faculty welcomed her, and business faculty have helped the first-time teacher develop a curriculum and get started. Coe faculty are the #18 Most Accessible Professors in the Nation, according to The Princeton Review, and Kopelman has fit right in.
To kick off her first course in January, Kopelman had her students complete a quick questionnaire. She was happy to see that since the course was just for aviation students, the class already had a base layer of knowledge and a thirst to build a proper weather foundation.
"Flying depends on the weather. Whether you can take off or land that day depends on conditions, so they want more depth and understanding in why weather events happen," Kopelman said.
"It's a collaborative atmosphere in the classroom as Kopelman incorporates distinct aviation content into broader lessons. She talks about METARs and PIREPs -- METARs (METeorological Aerodrome Reports) are standardized, hourly aviation weather reports used by pilots and meteorologists to determine current ground-level weather conditions at an airport and PIREPs (pilot reports) are reports of actual weather conditions encountered by an aircraft in flight, providing critical, real-time data on phenomena like turbulence, icing and cloud coverage. Pilots will use aviation weather reports on a daily basis in their professional lives and Kopelman builds them into foundational weather lessons that are heavy in math, chemistry and physics, which are subjects that help explain how thermodynamics impacts the atmosphere.
The experience so far has been "cool," according to Kopelman. Her students are engaged and even "fired up" about METARs. Their enthusiasm for learning about weather mirrors the passion that has driven her own career.
"It's funny that my career has come back around to this aviation program," Kopelman said. "But I love to mentor and I really enjoy being able to help these students grow their weather foundation and understand meteorology."
Coe College's aviation management & flight operations program is helping to close an estimated 17,000 pilot gap due to age-mandated retirements. The increase in demand for commercial pilots is driving starting salaries near $90,000 and Kohawks are able to start their flight training immediately in their first term on campus.
Operating out of Coe's dedicated Aeronautical Field Station at the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID), Kohawk aviators pursue Part 141 flight training with seasoned flight instructors from ATD Flight Systems while working directly with air traffic control and a full commercial flight schedule to mimic realistic flying scenarios, which not all flight schools can offer. An internship at CID is reserved exclusively for a Coe student.
From the desk of President David Hayes
We are excited to share the third paper in a series of reflections from the desk of President David Hayes '93. President Hayes discusses the changing higher education landscape and how to balance essential innovation with nonnegotiable mission and values.
Two Addys, one shared aviation dream
Addy Scardino '29 and Addy LuGrain '29 grew up together, room together and are pursuing an aviation management & flight operations education at Coe together. From discovery flights to inpiring each other, they share how they are becoming pilots, the excitement of their first solo flights and the supportive community among aviation students at Coe.
Kohawk athletes have sprung into action
The spring sports season has arrived, and Kohawks are ready to dominate, whether on the oval, the course, the court or the diamond. Fly Fast. Fly Fierce. Talons Out!
Katie Lindsay '28 loves kickin' it at Coe
Katie Lindsay '28, a kicker for the Coe College football team, reflects on her transition from soccer to football, the challenges of adapting to a new sport and how football helped her find a home at Coe.