Coe News & Features

Five Coe students have been selected as Clark Merit Scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year. This prestigious scholarship carries an award equal to one year's tuition. Clark Merit Scholars are chosen each year by a committee of two faculty members and one member of the Board of Trustees. Award recipients are chosen based on demonstrated qualities of character, integrity, intellect, leadership and social responsibility.

Austin Ciesielski ’15 first developed an interest in forensic science during an analytical chemistry course at Coe. During this course, Ciesielski and his classmates learned how to use instrumentation to extract illicit substances from money. “It was interesting to learn that almost all money has traces of illicit substances on it,” Ciesielski said.

Tieranny Keahna ’20 recently was awarded the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative (NASI) Undergraduate Summer Internship. Keahna was one of three students chosen from a nationwide pool of candidates for this summer-long paid internship.

Health care workers concerned about exposing their families and loved ones to COVID-19 now have an additional housing option. An expanded partnership between Coe College and UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s hospital makes college-owned housing available to health care workers.

Across the world research teams are finding ways to apply their knowledge and resources to battling COVID-19 and supporting health care workers. Coe alumna Madeline G. Jensen ’17 is among them.

Coe alumna and first-year medical school student Victoria Vuckovic ’17 is fueled by the need to make a difference. In addition to attending virtual classes, Victoria plays a vital role in #GetMePPE Chicago. Along with other medical school students, she is part of this organization that collects personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychology major Mia Resa ’20 and Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Renee Penalver have been named Iowa Campus Compact Presidents’ Award (IACC) recipients. Resa is the recipient of a Student Leadership Award, and Penalver is the recipient of a Civic Engagement Leadership Award.

Political science and philosophy major Laura Niday ’20 recently returned to Coe College following a week in New York on a U.N. externship. Niday’s externship involved observing the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s (UNCITRAL) 71st session of Working Group II (Dispute Settlement) with Coe alumnus and Board of Trustees member Alan M. Anderson ’78.

The Coe College Marquis Series will feature internationally known jazz vocalist, pianist and composer, Sarah McKenzie at 7 PM March 6 in Sinclair Auditorium on the Coe campus.

This weekend David McInally announced his decision to retire as president of Coe College after the 2020-2021 academic year. Dave took office as the 15th president of Coe College on July 1, 2013.

Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) AgeLab, Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D. will speak at the 17th Annual Coe College Contemporary Issues Forum at 7:30 PM Feb. 18 in Sinclair Auditorium.

For the third consecutive year, Coe College has been named a Best Value College by The Princeton Review and is included in its Top 25 Best Schools for Internships.

Coe College President David McInally and Vice President Larry Lee announced the hire of Steve Cook as Coe College’s new director of athletics & recreation.

FOX NFL co-host Curt Menefee partners with Coe College to provide internship experience. Coe alum Curt Menefee ’87 is giving back. And he’s not shy about telling his fans he got his start in television media, right here in Cedar Rapids. Menefee completed an internship at CNN during his time at Coe. But the experience he speaks most fondly of and credits the start of his career with was an internship with now-retired KCRG Sports Director John Campbell.

Kohawk Startup, Coe’s second annual 24-hour entrepreneurship and innovation event, generated 35 aspiring innovators. Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Coe alum David Tominsky ’98 led the group through the entrepreneurial process from idea generation and business modeling to pitching and presenting.

Coe College, along with three other corridor colleges and universities, won a 2019 Gazette Business Award for its implementation and use of Handshake.

Approximately 70% of Generation Z has the ‘entrepreneurial spirit’ or dream of owning their own business. This new partnership between Coe and NewBoCo creates an on-campus Entrepreneur-in-Residence position. NewBoCo Chief Relationship Officer David Tominsky, Coe Class of 1998, will lead the entrepreneurial way for Kohawks.

This year’s theatrical season explores LGBTQ community issues and offers humor, drama and love while conducting an exploration of humanity.

For many, fall is synonymous with football, leaves changing to crimson and gold and college-ranking season. And Coe College has plenty to celebrate this fall.

Over the past seven years, Coe has welcomed the college's largest classes in its 168-year history. On August 17, new Kohawks arrived from 260 cities, 23 states and 9 countries across the world. Over half of Coe’s incoming first-year students are from outside the state and the Class of 2023 is one of the most diverse and academically talented classes in Coe’s history.