Coe News & Features

Nathan Dvorak ’19, a Coe College physics and mathematics major, recently received a Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dvorak joins alumni Emily Roberts ’16 and Dahlia Baker ’18 as the third Coe graduate in the past four years to yield this prestigious fellowship.

Each year the nation’s top college students pursuing careers in public service submit their Truman Scholarship application. This year netted 840 applicants from 346 colleges and universities. The scholarship committee narrowed the field to 199 finalists who participated in formal interviews. Of the 2019 finalists, 62 new Truman Scholars were selected. Coe College is the only college in the state of Iowa to produce a Truman recipient.

With book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, music by Tom Kitt and directed by Professor of Theatre Arts Dennis Barnett, “Next to Normal” leads the audience directly into the heart of a family dealing with mental illness and all that accompanies it.

Coe’s students are going places...literally. Neuroscience, psychology and Spanish major Erica Ernzen ’20 is heading to Princeton University for a nine-week summer internship through the Princeton Neuroscience Institute (PNI). Ernzen also gained acceptance to Princeton’s Leadership Alliance Summer Research - Early Identification Program.

Join Alma A. Turechek Professor of Music William Carson as he presents the stories and music of four fantastic big band leaders who dominated the swing era: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, “the King of Swing” Benny Goodman and Iowa’s own Glenn Miller.

For the second year in a row, a Coe College student was granted access to observe negotiations at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) at the U.N. headquarters in New York City.

Coe College is proud to host political sportswriter Dave Zirin. Named one of UTNE Reader’s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Our World,” Zirin is nationally known as an author, columnist for The Nation magazine and host of Sirius XM Radio’s popular “Edge of Sports” podcast. Zirin is also a columnist for SLAM magazine and the Progressive.

Once again, Coe College is included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2018-19 Fulbright students. Coe has been recognized on this prestigious list for five of the past seven years — positioning the college among the top 12 Fulbright-producing bachelor’s institutions in the nation.

Examine how cities can be redesigned to meet modern challenges with Joan and Abbott Lipsky Professor of Political Science Bruce Nesmith and Assistant Professor of Economics Drew Westberg.

The Center for Creativity and Careers hosted its third annual health care career fair for Kohawks on Feb. 6 from 4-6 p.m. Employers from all areas of health care were on hand to discuss internships, volunteer and job opportunities.

For the second year in a row, Coe College has been named a Best Value College by The Princeton Review and is included in its Top 25 Best Schools for Internships list. This year, Coe isn’t just in the top 25 — it’s in the top 15 and remains the only Iowa school on the list. Coe advanced from its previous rank of 23 in 2018 to a current rank of 15.

Coe College is proud to host Cirque Zuma Zuma — a theatrical circus exhibition featuring talented performers from 16 African nations. This production celebrates the rich history of African music, dance and acrobatics, dating back over 2,500 years.

Written by Charles Mee, directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts Dr. Deanna L. Downes and choreographed by Alvon Reed ’03, “Big Love” is a modern-day adaptation of Greek dramatist Aeschylus’ play “The Suppliants.” The title may imply a simple love story; however, murder, betrayal, gender issues, societal pressures and heartache are woven throughout the script.

Examine the representations of women in the Hebrew Bible with Joseph E. McCabe Associate Professor of Religion Meira Kensky. This Thursday Forum series begins by surveying the issues surrounding women in the Hebrew Bible while introducing interpretive strategies scholars have used to understand these texts — including an examination of Rebecca in the Book of Genesis.

Step into Coe College Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Ben Chihak’s virtual reality world. Through their research, Chihak and his students ask participants to step in front of virtual bicyclists careening down a path. The goal? Safely cross between two bicycles.

Following the discovery of the first radio pulsar in 1967, Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was credited with one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century. Bell Burnell will speak at the 16th annual Coe College Contemporary Issues Forum at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 in Sinclair Auditorium on the Coe College campus.

Examine the rich history and culture of Catalonia — a region in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula — with William P. and Gayle S. Whipple Associate Professor of Spanish Monica Fuertes-Arboix.

Kailey Ann Blunk ’22 is a first-year creative writing and communications major at Coe College. During the fifth grade, Blunk begrudgingly began writing. She was forced by her teacher to enter a short story competition. Ultimately she won first place, and her love of writing was born.

The Coe College chapter of the Society of Physics Students has been recognized for its excellence as a top-tier student-led physical sciences organization.

“This is your future, go further and aim higher,” is a phrase commonly heard by Carolina Sanchez ’19. As the oldest of four and a first-generation college student born to Jose and Luz Sanchez, she takes this advice from her parents to heart.