Coe News & Features

The Coe College Physics Department has received three grants totaling $892,062 to conduct advanced glass research, including separate $600,000 and $262,062 awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Coe College is excited to announce eight lecture topics for the 2022-2023 Thursday Forum series. For more than 30 years, Thursday Forum has been an engaging educational opportunity for adults in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities.

Jeremy Pham ’22 is in his first semester at one of the county’s most prestigious graduate programs in architecture – the University of Pennsylvania. The use of robotics in the curriculum made the program his top choice. After all, his passion for robotics began at Coe.

A life-changing experience steered Sofia Davis towards a career as a psychologist, as she knew she wanted to dedicate her life to serving others. As a rising sophomore at Coe College majoring in psychology, the aspiring doctor is the administrative intern for Lion’s Pride over the summer.

Kohawks Julien Duhautois and Uzir Thapa ’17 realized they had a lot in common when they met through mutual friends at a party at Coe College. They grew up playing tennis and loved the sport well before they played tennis for Coe together during Julien’s exchange year on campus. Since, they’ve started a company together and won the $3,000 first-place prize at the Fifth Annual Young Entrepreneur Convention.

Coe College is partnering with UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s and Mercy Medical Center to provide nursing students with financial aid and guaranteed employment upon graduation. Coe students will have the opportunity to participate in one of the two partnerships that best meets their needs, while also helping to close a gap in health care staffing shortages. This is one of the many unique educational opportunities provided to Coe students as part of the new David and Janice McInally Center for Health & Society (CHS).

Interviewing with a nationally known television personality for a high-profile internship might have been a more nerve-wracking experience for Ariel Montes-Delgado ’23, but it helps when that celebrity has been in your college residence hall.

Coe College is proud to announce Four Oaks Family and Children Services as a recipient of the Presidents' Community Partner Award in conjunction with Iowa & Minnesota Campus Compact (IAMNCC).

Kohawk nursing graduates are a caring and nurturing presence in people's lives every day. The dedication to providing personal instruction and extensive experience within Coe’s nursing program prepares Coe nurses to excel quickly in the field.

After an extensive national search, Coe College President David Hayes ’93 has appointed Chantel Olufsen as the new vice president for advancement. In this role, Olufsen will be responsible for development efforts and alumni relations for the college. She is the first female vice president for advancement at Coe College.

Coe College remains the only college or university — public or private — in Iowa to make both the Best Schools for Internships and Best Alumni Network lists by The Princeton Review. Across all private colleges and universities in the country, Coe is the #10 Best School for Internships and has the #20 Best Alumni Network.

Dr. Jane O. Ebot-Bish, senior advisor at the Center for Government Excellence at the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, will address Kohawk graduates as Coe College’s 2022 Commencement speaker.

Before Matthew Hemesath ’01 stitched his way to the Big Apple to work with celebrities like Halle Berry, Viola Davis and Keanu Reeves as a costume designer, he sewed his first dress for the CoeAlliance drag show at Coe College.

Whether Katherine Blanchard ’10 is presenting to her colleagues at the Smithsonian Science Education Center or in a room full of scientists, she’s confident in her ability to effectively communicate and connect with her audience. And now, Katherine is returning to her alma mater to share her educational, personal and professional journey with Kohawks as the keynote speaker for Coe College’s celebration of student academic achievement at the annual Student Research Symposium April 12.

Coe College President David Hayes ’93 has announced Associate Professor of History and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Dr. Angela Ziskowski will be assuming the role of provost and dean of faculty in an interim capacity.

The research opportunities at Coe lead Kohawks to incredible accomplishments. For the last 30 years 100% of physics majors accepted into graduate school have received full-ride scholarships and fellowships to pursue their graduate degree. Like countless Kohawks before Annie, her experiences in the lab led to a prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) award from the National Science Foundation.

Coe College has been awarded an Iowa Humanities Project Grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs in support of Lives Behind Bars: A Film Discussion Series. The free series is open to the public and will be hosted at Coe College with the goal of creating conversation about the impact of incarceration on individuals and their communities.

Recently COVID-19 has put an extra strain on teacher availability, so the need for subs has become critical. For the last several years, Kohawks studying teacher education have been substitute teaching in Iowa school districts following license requirement adjustments to help alleviate staffing shortages. And more Kohawks than ever before have heeded the call for help this school year.

Coe College and The Restoration Project have partnered to launch a new Empowerment Program for Coe students. The program provides group and individual coaching for eight weeks to nine first-year students plus two young staff members who desire to better understand themselves, improve their life and leadership skills and take another step towards reaching their full potential.

Coe’s Washington, D.C., Term is a popular off-campus study program combining two of Coe’s promises — 100% of Kohawks are guaranteed an internship, research or off-campus study program during their time at Coe. The immersive internship experience in the nation’s capital happened to be an ideal choice for Alisha to help decide between pursuing a career in corporate or criminal law.