Coe News & Features

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.

Coe College mourns the passing of Henry Tippie, a friend and benefactor of the college. Our condolences are with the Tippie family. Henry’s contributions to Coe are numerous, and while not an alumnus of Coe, he and his wife, Patricia, supported the college as if they were.

Author and educator Viet Thanh Nguyen will speak at Coe College as the featured guest of the 17th annual Contemporary Issues Forum. His visit will be Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium on Coe’s campus and is open to the public.

Ashley is pursuing a master’s degree in behavioral economics at Cornell University after gaining a deep appreciation of the highly specialized field at Coe College. The business administration, political science and economics triple major was influenced to pursue behavioral economics because of professors like Associate Professor of Economics Drew Westberg ’05.

A college road trip doesn’t typically lead to a major scholarship, but the road traveled by Faith Zeonweh ’23 has hardly been typical. An immigrant from the Ivory Coast at the age of two, an unforgettable three weeks on the road over the summer of 2021 with a fellow Kohawk was the catalyst to pursue a Gilman Scholarship

Coe College and the University of Iowa have formed a new partnership that will streamline the process for Coe students to be admitted to the Master of Science in Finance program in the university’s Tippie College of Business.

Alexa Eastburg ’21 may be a recent graduate, but she’s already experiencing major career firsts. She was the first Coe student to intern at the Common Sense Institute (CSI) and accepted her first full-time job offer with the organization as a research analyst.

Whether Kohawks are in need of tutoring, research assistance, writing guidance, peer-to-peer support or even a pick-me-up from the coffee shop, Stewart Memorial Library is truly a vibrant hub for academic success. And now, it’s also a place for generosity as a student-led philanthropic project is in full swing.

As fervent believers in the power of unity for the good of humankind, Mimi Daoud ’23 and Rebecca Pacetti ’23 are inspiring the community with their new mural for the Reintegration Initiative for Safety and Empowerment (RISE) program in Cedar Rapids.

At the fourth annual Kohawk Startup, Coe students were awarded $2,500 in funding to launch entrepreneurial ideas. Kohawk Startup is an innovative 24-hour event led by NewBoCo Chief Relationship Officer and Coe Entrepreneur-in-Residence David Tominsky ’98 that engages students through the brainstorming, pitching and presentation process of developing their ideas. Business leaders and Coe alumni from across the country participated and mentored Coe students.