ACE Fest Keynote Address
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 10:15-11:15 a.m.
Location: Lehman Auditorium
More info:

Dr. Deborah Lawrence, chief scientist and director of forest and land at Calyx Global, will open the 2026 Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival as keynote speaker at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, in Lehman Auditorium.

At Calyx Global, a Colorado-based carbon credit ratings agency, Lawrence ensures the scientific integrity of its greenhouse gas ratings. She spent 25 years as an environmental sciences professor at the University of Virginia, where she conducted global forest and climate research.

She also served as a science advisor to the U.S. Department of State and established SilvaCarbon, a U.S. federal program for forest carbon measurement and monitoring, according to a staff listing on . 

Lawrence holds a BA in anthropology from Harvard University and a PhD in botany from Duke University. 

Her keynote address will reflect on “our connections to nature and how they have changed over the course of my life,” Lawrence said, “informing my scholarship, my work, and my daily life.”

Jennifer Ulrich, chair of the Intellectual Life Committee, said Lawrence’s teaching experience, research, and international background were key factors in selecting her as keynote speaker. 

She said Lawrence readily embraced both the university’s annual theme of environmental sustainability and its Common Read, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, as she developed her address.

“I am grateful for her willingness to speak with us and look forward to her keynote address,” Ulrich said.

91����Ƶ ACE Festival

91����Ƶ’s Academic and Creative Excellence Festival provides an opportunity for students to learn from their peers and to showcase their own research, creative projects, and papers. It’s also an opportunity to continue conversations sparked by 91����Ƶ’s Common Read for the year.

In addition to poster and oral presentations held throughout the day on Thursday, April 15, ACE Fest events include a music department student recital at noon in Lehman Auditorium, an art exhibition opening for senior capstone projects at 4:45 p.m. in the Margaret Martin Gehman Gallery, and a wind ensemble concert at 7 p.m. in Lehman Auditorium.

The 17th 91����Ƶ Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation will be held from 3:45-5 p.m. in Old Common Grounds (University Commons 177) on Thursday. The annual event, hosted by the Office of the Provost, recognizes and celebrates winners of the university’s Excellence in Teaching Awards and recipients of student writing awards, as well as 91����Ƶ faculty, staff, and students who have published scholarly work since Jan. 1, 2025. The awards presentation part of the program will begin at 4:30 p.m.

An 91����Ƶ Career Fair, hosted by the Alumni Engagement Office, will be held from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday at the Hall of Nations. It will provide an opportunity for students to interact directly with employers, connect with alumni professionals, explore career options, and potentially secure internships or employment. 

The ACE Festival is hosted by the Provost’s Office and made possible by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the Center for Interfaith Engagement, and the Daniel B. Suter Endowment, which supports 91����Ƶ’s commitment to fostering curiosity, discovery, and scientific learning. 

For more information about the festival and a schedule of events, visit .

“These people are my friends and they’re my colleagues and they’re my inspiration,” Flowe told a roomful of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Harrisonburg residents during a dedication ceremony of the mural on March 27. “I may not know them on a personal level, but every time I see them on the wall of this building, I know that people recognize the work they’ve done.”

That feeling extends beyond just the students at 91����Ƶ. Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success, said that seeing the mural fills her with joy. “Every time I see it, it makes me happy,” she told the crowd gathered for the ceremony at Suter Science Center 106.

The Inclusivity in Science Mural, completed in summer 2022, celebrates the scholarship and contributions of seven scientists whose identities as women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), and/or queer individuals have historically been underrepresented in scientific spaces. The mural’s stylized portraits depict chemist Asima Chatterjee, mathematician Gladys West, mathematician Katherine Johnson, arachnologist Lauren Esposito, astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, eco-philosopher Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd, and ADM (ret.) Rachel Levine.

“[The mural] names the contributions that have too often gone unrecognized,” said Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus in her remarks at the dedication ceremony. “And perhaps most importantly, it offers reflection and invitation to those who walk these halls every day, especially to students who may be asking quietly or aloud, ‘Is there a place for me in this field?’” 

“Together, these figures and all of those represented remind us that excellence in science has never been limited to a single identity, even if recognition has been,” Dycus added. “And we’re affirming something today about 91����Ƶ itself: that we are a place that’s willing to name gaps and then do the work to address them, and that we believe representation is not symbolic alone—it is formative.”

Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus presents her remarks at a dedication ceremony for the Inclusivity in Science Mural.

Dr. Rachel Levine (left) and Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd (right) pose next to their portraits on the mural.

Work on the mural began in spring 2022 and was funded by an Inclusive Excellence Grant made possible by the generous support of Jose Koshy ’76 and Jean Koshy-Hertzler ’79. Learn more about the process behind the project in our article from last month. Veronica Horst ’23, Asha Landes Beck ’22, Grace Harder ’23, Molly Piwonka ’23, Afton Rhodes-Lehman ’24, and Jake Myers ’22 are listed as co-leaders for various stages of the project

A dedication ceremony on March 27 honored the scientists represented on the mural, the artists who brought it to life, and “every person in the arts and sciences who has had to push a little harder against systems that were not built with them in mind,” said event organizer Dawn Neil, coordinator for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.  

“This mural is both a celebration and a call to continue the work of building a truly inclusive community,” she said. “When more people belong in science, science belongs to all of us.”

The ceremony included appearances by two special guests whose portraits are on the mural. Sinopoulos-Lloyd, who participated earlier that day in the second annual Mornings with the Mayor Convocation, gave a talk and contributed to a panel conversation. Levine, the former U.S. assistant secretary for health, chatted with 91����Ƶ News and also attended the event. Both Sinopoulos-Lloyd and Levine signed their names on their portraits as part of the dedication.

Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd gives a talk during the mural dedication ceremony at the Suter Science Center on March 27.

Dr. Rachel Levine (left) and Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd (right) sign their portraits on the mural.

Sinopoulos-Lloyd is an Indigiqueer wildlife tracker, writer, and guide whose work bridges Indigenous ecological knowledge, field-based science, multispecies studies, and poetic inquiry. 

In their talk, they recited poetry, shared photos of wildlife tracks—including a rattlesnake, puma, and toad—recounted their experiences following an elk herd, and discussed how their work connects science, art, and sustainability. They also spoke about the importance of representation. 

“This mural we’re honoring today is not just artwork,” Sinopoulos-Lloyd said. “It’s also a constellation. It represents scientists whose work has expanded what is possible, not only through curiosity, but through devotion, imagination, and care.”

Third-year biochemistry major Dante Flowe shares their connection to the mural during the dedication ceremony at Suter Science Center 106 on March 27.

Afton Rhodes-Lehman ’24, who helped design and paint the mural, speaks during a panel conversation (left). Veronica Horst ’23 reflects on the mural (right) while Pınar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd looks on.

A panel conversation following the talk included several alumni who helped bring the mural from concept to creation. Landes Beck, Horst, Piwonka, and Rhodes-Lehman spoke about their roles in the project, the intertwined relationship of art and science, the importance of representation, and their reflections on what the mural means to them. Kishbaugh and Sinopoulos-Lloyd also joined the panel, along with Flowe, who served as a voice for current students. Senior Madelynn Hamm moderated the discussion.

Horst said they hope the mural continues to honor those who haven’t been recognized for their contributions. “One of the names on the mural that people are probably most familiar with is Katherine Johnson’s, because of her story being told through the book and film Hidden Figures,” Horst said. “I think that made us realize how much we don’t know about how women of color and people from minority identities were involved in a lot of influential work. We don’t get to hear about it because it was overshadowed.”

The program included a message from Jenny Burden, executive director of the Arts Council of the Valley, on the role that public art plays in shaping a healthy, thriving, and inclusive community. It also included remarks from Mavalvala, who is depicted on the mural but was unable to attend the ceremony. 

“I am honored to be included with so many wonderful luminaries,” Neil said, reading a statement from the astrophysicist. “Inclusivity in the sciences is critical, and I’m proud that 91����Ƶ continues to strive toward this goal. Ensuring that people feel a sense of belonging strengthens our educational communities and strengthens science itself.”

Watch a video recording of the ceremony below!

The summit will be held at 91����Ƶ’s Suter Science Center (1194 Park Road, Harrisonburg, Virginia) with events starting at 9 a.m. It aims to bring together students, educators, and community members to explore undergraduate research, innovative initiatives, and real-world solutions.

Students will attend from Sustainable Shenandoah Valley’s five member institutions: Blue Ridge Community College, Bridgewater College, 91����Ƶ, James Madison University, and Mary Baldwin University.

“By celebrating the impactful work already happening across the region, this event seeks to inspire new ideas, partnerships, and pathways toward a more just and sustainable future,” the summit’s website says.

A schedule on the website lists presentations by local students and officials, posters and networking opportunities, and a keynote speech by John C. Jones.

Jones is an assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences and Sustainability at Virginia Commonwealth University. His main research interests surround the intersection of urban food system development, urban food insecurity, local governance, and the challenges facing America’s cities. In recent years, he has begun to research interventions to mitigate college student food insecurity. 

91����Ƶ students Ciela Acosta, Kate Stutzman, Jenna Oostland, and Tara Cahill are among those who will deliver presentations at the summit.

Acosta will present on examples of campus organizing and advocacy that have taken place on 91����Ƶ’s campus, including bell ringing for Palestine and direct action for sustainability, according to the summit’s website. Her presentation will include an empowerment discussion for students to be able to notice where inequity is present on their own campuses and be able to effectively and peacefully call for change.

Stutzman, Oostland, and Cahill will lead a comprehensive analysis of 91����Ƶ’s carbon emissions for the 2024-25 academic year in accordance to the university’s climate goals. Emissions from a number of sources are considered including, but not limited to, food production and waste, purchased electricity, natural gas, fertilizer and pesticide use, student and faculty travel, and 91����Ƶ’s solar grid.

Register for the summit .

For more information, visit the event’s website .

Nearly four years after its final brushstroke was applied, the Inclusivity in Science Mural inside the Suter Science Center will get its long-awaited dedication ceremony on Friday, March 27.

The ceremony will begin at 4 p.m. in SSC 106 with a 30-minute talk led by Pinar Ateş Sinopoulos-Lloyd, one of the seven people featured on the mural. Sinopoulos-Lloyd (they/them) is an Indigenous eco-philosopher, artist, and wildlife tracker, and will speak about the way their work connects science and art with sustainability.

Following the talk, Nicole Litwiller ’19, MACT ’20 will host a panel conversation with Sinopoulos-Lloyd, mural artist and alumna Veronica Horst ’23, a current 91����Ƶ science student, and Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success. The program will also include reflections from Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus and Jenny Burden, executive director of the Arts Council of the Valley.

A formal dedication of the mural will proceed shortly after 5 p.m., with Sinopoulos-Lloyd signing their portrait. The event is open to the public and will include light refreshments.

91����Ƶ the mural

During the spring of 2022, students involved in 91����Ƶ’s Art Club and the Earthkeepers group wanted to make the Suter Science Center more welcoming and reflective of who contributes to the sciences, said Dawn Neil, coordinator for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“They noticed two things: the space felt visually sterile, and the sciences have historically centered white male voices while overlooking women, scientists of color, and queer scientists,” she said. “They wanted to highlight those hidden figures.”

Work on the mural, funded by an Inclusive Excellence Grant made possible by the generous support of Jose Koshy ’76 and Jean Koshy-Hertzler ’79, began that semester. 91����Ƶ students Veronica Horst ’23, Asha Beck ’22, Grace Harder ’23, Molly Piwonka ’23, Afton Rhodes-Lehman ’24, and Jake Myers ’22 served as co-leaders at various stages of the project.

“STEM is a field in which, historically, gaining recognition and representation has been challenging for non-white, non-male, and non-heteronormative cisgender individuals,” reads an artist statement for the project. “This mural is intended to be a joyful statement of representation, emphasizing that we have, are, and will continue to make a significant impact on the world.”

“We want to recognize and celebrate these individuals and their contributions to the academic world,” the statement continues. “Our hope is that women, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color), and LGBTQIA+ individuals at 91����Ƶ will experience a positive impact through increased awareness of successful individuals like themselves in STEM.”

The project leaders distributed a campus-wide survey to students, faculty, and staff asking whom they would like to see depicted on the mural and then took a vote to determine who those seven figures would be.

The mural features seven professionals who have made and/or are making an impact in STEM-related fields and are queer and/or BIPOC women. In addition to Sinopoulos-Lloyd, the portraits depict chemist Asima Chatterjee, mathematician Gladys West, mathematician Katherine Johnson, arachnologist Lauren Esposito, astrophysicist Nergis Mavalvala, and admiral Rachel Levine.

For bios of each of these professionals, scroll to the bottom of this article.

Students from the Visual and Communication Arts (VACA) department designed and painted the mural. Although the project was completed during the summer of 2022, this is the first time it’s officially been dedicated, said Neil.

With sustainability serving as the university theme for the 2025-26 academic year, it seemed like the perfect time and Sinopoulos-Lloyd the ideal guest to help make it happen.

“Their work challenges the idea of what science is,” said Neil. “They’re exploring how the environment connects with things visually, artistically, and also scientifically. It’s a different side of science, one rooted in global and community contexts rather than a strictly data-driven one.”

“They would fit in perfectly as a student here,” she added. “What’s exciting is that their values really align with ours.”

91����Ƶ the speaker

Sinopoulos-Lloyd is an artist and scientist known for their powerful work at the intersection of sustainability, science, and art. They are the co-founder of Queer Nature, an interdisciplinary project focused on ecology, identity, and decolonization. Their work has been featured in The Guardian and The New York Times and archived by the Library of Congress. They lecture nationally at institutions including Stanford University, Colorado College, and the Guggenheim Museum.

In 2020, they were honored with the Audubon National Society’s National Environmental Champion award, as well as the R.I.S.E. Indigenous 2020 Art & Poetry Fellowship.

For more information, visit their website at . 

Sinopoulos-Lloyd will participate in several events throughout the day on Friday, March 27. In addition to the mural dedication, they will serve as a panelist at the second annual Mornings with the Mayor, a special edition of Convocation hosted by Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections, at 10:15 a.m. in the University Commons Student Union. 

They will also meet with students, faculty, and staff for a lunchtime discussion in the West Dining Room of Northlawn Dining Hall at noon.

Sinopoulos-Lloyd is one of seven people featured on the Inclusivity in Science Mural, located on the second floor of the Suter Science Center south of SSC 106 (Swartzendruber Hall). Biographies of each of the people featured on the mural are included below.

A new $11,905 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) will expand capacity at the 91����Ƶ Free Food Room to meet sharply rising demand. 

Funding will also provide enhanced outreach, better data tracking and reporting methods, and other improvements to the access and security of the campus food pantry.

Rising demand

Data collected from a door counter at the Free Food Room indicates that demand has risen sharply over the past two years. Average monthly usage (August through May) was 256 visits in 2023-24 and 318 visits in 2024-25, and is projected to reach 630 visits in 2025-26.

The cost of purchasing food has risen significantly to keep pace, increasing from $189 per month in 2023-24 to $263 in 2024-25, and is projected to reach $371 in 2025-26.

Based on utilization trends and observations, an estimated 25% of 91����Ƶ undergraduates experience some level of food insecurity each year, wrote Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, in a grant application. “Given this data, our best estimate is that approximately 183 undergraduate students use the food pantry each year, most of them regularly,” he wrote.

Partnerships and priorities

The Free Food Room has relied on the dedication of the Food Insecurity Task Force, a group led by 91����Ƶ staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, as well as donations and community partnerships with the local food bank and area farms.

Current funding sources are no longer sufficient to meet demand, underscoring the importance of grant support, Swartz wrote in the application.

Swartz said members of the task force submitted the application in mid-December, expecting to receive between $2,000 and $3,000 in funding. A month later, they learned they had been awarded $11,905.

“The Free Food Room has sustained itself but has had no significant budget, so any amount of money would’ve helped us,” Swartz said. “We’re surprised and grateful to receive almost $12,000, which will help us more strategically increase the food supply.”

Keeping students ‘on track’

91����Ƶ’s grant is among a total $500,000 awarded to 48 colleges and universities throughout Virginia. 

According to a , Shenandoah Valley neighbors received the following funding: Mary Baldwin University, $14,882; Blue Ridge Community College, $11,905; Bridgewater College, $8,928; and James Madison University, $5,952.

The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no charge to students, the release states. In addition, grant funds can be used to increase partnerships and build more sustainable solutions for campus hunger. Funding amounts are based on the percentage of in-state Federal Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled at the institution.

“More than 40% of college students experience food insecurity at some point, which can lead to several adverse outcomes, including dropping out of school. Virginia’s investment in campus food pantries will help keep our students on track to reach their educational goals,” said Scott Fleming, SCHEV’s executive director, in the release.

The grants are funded by the enacted by the General Assembly in 2025. SCHEV published a on campus food insecurity in November 2024 that made several recommendations and offered resources for institutions.

The Free Food Room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 91����Ƶ students and employees in need. It is also an unsupervised space so that people can take what they need anonymously and with dignity. 

But times are tough, demand is high, and funding is scant. The organizers behind the Free Food Room initiative, which relies on donations to continue operating, say that it stays afloat “on a wing and a prayer.” And, they say that without more financial support, it won’t have enough funding to operate after this semester. 

With your help, you can contribute to keeping this invaluable resource alive. Make a gift to the Free Food Room fund, and ensure it will continue serving those in our campus community who experience food insecurity.

Donations of nonperishable food can be left inside the Free Food Room. People can also donate gift cards that will be used at grocery stores. 

The Free Food Room is a joint initiative of the Food Insecurity Task Force—a group comprising 91����Ƶ staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas and Trina Trotter Nussbaum—and the Sustainable Food Initiative (SFI). Members of the task force collect donations, write grant requests, order monthly deliveries through their partnership with the (at discounted pricing), pay bills, and send emails about fresh fruits and vegetables when they arrive. 

The resource is a collaborative effort between various groups on campus. Work-study students through the Black Student Alliance and the Office of Faith and Spiritual Life sweep the floor, unload deliveries, restock shelves and check inventory. Students from SFI stock the freezer with meals from the dining hall and supply the room with fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from 91����Ƶ gardens. A list of the items grown on campus, dated from August, noted: Roma and Big Beef tomatoes, Swiss chard, figs, jalapenos, and bell and banana peppers.

Last year an agreement with Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community’s , just down the road on Harmony Drive, provided the Free Food Room with any produce that didn’t sell at its farm stand. Members of the task force anticipate partnering with VMRC’s USDA organic-certified farm again if possible.

The Free Food Room could use all the help it can get. According to data shared by task force organizers, its busiest month over the last school year, February 2024, saw 346 visitors (a sensor inside the room keeps a tally). Organizers spent $535 to order 1,110 pounds of food from the food bank that month.

Identifying a need

Food insecurity is an epidemic afflicting college campuses nationwide and 91����Ƶ is no exception. A federal analysis released in July estimated that 23% of college students in 2020, or about 3.8 million students, experienced food insecurity.

From a Sept. 9 article on :

“The report again shed light on what previous analysis of federal data have shown—that a large share of students struggle to put food on the table. The study reported that about 2.2 million of those 3.8 million students had low food security, or ate less than they should or skipped meals altogether.”

Prior to having its own space on campus, food assistance was funded through the Faith and Spiritual Life Compassion Fund, which helps students with emergency needs, and supported by Y-Serve food drives held twice a year. But the grassroots initiative was often disjointed and lacked a central system in place.

In 2018, after reading an in The Washington Post about the widespread hunger problem on campuses, a group at 91����Ƶ was spurred to action. The group identified food insecurity as a major need to address and began putting together the pieces that would eventually become the Free Food Room. In 2022, after years of talks and meetings, the Free Food Room began operating out of its current space in the Heatwole House. Organizers were approved for membership at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank near the end of that year. The task force pays a yearly $50 membership fee, which is covered by Y-Serve.

The Free Food Room aligns with 91����Ƶ’s 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow’s Unifying Leaders, and its vision to open new pathways of access and achievement. As 91����Ƶ continues to live into its commitment to belonging—this year marked the most diverse incoming class in school history—and provide access to more students in financial need, the task force aims to take a proactive approach to securing funding to sustain its services.

The Free Food Room experiences higher periods of need during school breaks when the dining hall is closed and cannot supply the pantry with frozen meals. Nussbaum said graduate and international students are among those most susceptible to food insecurity in the 91����Ƶ community. Many of them are far from home, have families to feed, and lack their own transportation.

“People don’t often think about college students as being needy, whether in terms of food or shelter,” she said. “I think we’re attending to a need that might not be universally known.”

A more welcoming space

This summer the Free Food Room received some much-needed updates. A grant from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was used to purchase a new two-door freezer, three-door cooler and shelving. The new appliances and shelves help create a more welcoming space, drawing in more visitors, and can store much more food than before.  

“We’re grateful for this grant,” Thomas said. “We’ll now be able to accommodate larger orders from the food bank.”

“It makes a huge difference,” Nussbaum said.

The organizers say they have some ideas for future grant requests, which might include funding for hygiene products and signage.

For more information about the Free Food Room and ways to help out, contact: brian.burkholder@emu.edu, celeste.thomas@emu.edu, or trina.nussbaum@emu.edu

Laura Ruth ’09 and Rebecca Shelly ’14 are spreading joy and kindness through the power of flowers, while making a positive impact on the planet.

In March, the 91����Ƶ alums launched , a nonprofit in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that gives event flowers another life by refreshing them and donating them to people in need. The dahlia-loving duo collects locally grown flowers and used floral arrangements from weddings, funerals and other events, repurposes them into new bouquets, and delivers them to nursing homes, hospitals, schools, counseling centers and other organizations in the community.

The idea for Friendly City Florals started late last year. When Ruth’s dad passed away in December, Shelly—who had lost her own father just a few years prior—was there to support her. The two stay-at-home moms began talking about all the bouquets they received, and realized there was a way to reuse the flowers to brighten someone else’s day.

By reusing flowers that would otherwise be tossed into the trash, Friendly City Florals is reducing the environmental impact from events and diverting a significant amount of floral waste from landfills. According to , a staggering 400 pounds of trash and 63 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are created at the average wedding. Friendly City Florals reuses all parts of donated floral arrangements, including the flowers, floral foam, wire, vases and ribbons. 

Shelly, who graduated from 91����Ƶ with a psychology degree, has worked in various segments of the wedding industry for the past 10 years and seen firsthand the amount of floral waste that can result from weddings. “We want to change the narrative of wedding waste, especially with flowers,” she said. “We would love to help people rethink that part of planning their big day.”

Ruth, who graduated from 91����Ƶ with a degree in social work, is a licensed clinical social worker and serves on the board of . She said she’s seen the positive effect that their bouquets can have on someone’s mental health and well-being. “They bring so much joy and are so uplifting for people,” she said. “It feels so good to be a little part of that happiness in their day.”

Shelly said the 91����Ƶ and Harrisonburg communities have played such a major part in their lives that “it feels special to be able to give back.”

‘Part of a movement’

Both Ruth and Shelly have roots that run deep into the 91����Ƶ soil. Each of them met their husbands (Ben ’09 and Isaac ’09) on campus and come from families with plenty of alumni. Shelly’s sister and Ruth’s two siblings graduated from 91����Ƶ. Shelly’s mom, Lisa Crist, worked at 91����Ƶ for 37 years, while both of Ruth’s parents are alumni.

At 91����Ƶ, Ruth and Shelly found their roar. They said their passion for sustainability and for building community was jump-started while students. 

Shelly worked at the dining hall during her first and second years at 91����Ƶ and said that seeing people compost their food and napkins helped remind her of “the little instances throughout your day that you can find to be sustainable.” 

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Shelly said. “The little bits add up along the way.”

Ruth said her passion for giving back was shaped by her experiences helping organize Take Back the Night at 91����Ƶ in 2009, interning at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board, and volunteering at nonprofits such as Patchwork Pantry and Mercy House during her time at 91����Ƶ. “These formative experiences sparked my dedication to serving our community and driving meaningful change,” she said.

Friendly City Florals is sponsored by local businesses and grassroots donors, and receives help from many friends, family and community members who volunteer their time and share their expertise.

The nonprofit has been featured on the podcast, in a widely shared video from climate educator , and in . Ruth and Shelly are in touch with a couple daytime talk shows about sharing their story. They look forward to seeing a shout-out to the nonprofit in Reader’s Digest magazine in its February issue.

Ruth said people from all over the country have contacted them asking how they can help out in their own communities. “It’s heartwarming to know we’re inspiring others to be part of a movement to recycle, reuse, and spread joy and kindness,” she said.

To learn more about Friendly City Florals and find out ways to get involved, visit:

Between thousands of acres of forested lands and the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny mountains, nature-lovers at 91����Ƶ have their pick of beautiful scenery and unique ecology.

In September, 14 students traveled two hours to experience one of the rarest ecoclimes on the east coast, Dolly Sods Wilderness Area in the Monongahela National Forest. On the agenda: hiking, rock scrambles, birding, caving, and fossil-hunting, with some downtime to relax and an evening around the campfire at Red Creek Campground. 

Professors Doug Graber Neufeld and Jim Yoder, who teach biology and environmental sustainability, led the trip to West Virginia. 

“We live and work in an amazing place with access to these public lands that are both our laboratory and our home,” Graber Neufeld said. “We wanted to give our students an opportunity to see some of that beauty, get away from campus, and do something fun in ecology without a test or homework hanging over them.”

The trip, with one- and two-night options, was open to all environmental sustainability majors and minors and any first-year student considering the major.

Ally Peachey, a sophomore majoring in environmental science and biology from Champaign, Illinois, says Dolly Sods made the list as one of her favorite wild places, along with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The eight-mile hike on the first day out was, she said, “some of the most beautiful hiking I have experienced,” she said. 

Read more about ecology field trips and students hiking in Shenandoah National Park.

91����Ƶ hikers along the Bear Rocks Trail (right), surrounded by the unique “heath bald” habitat composed of huckleberry bushes and high altitude species of sedges and grasses as well as red spruce trees.

Northland loop trail, which travels through a forest of red spruce into a unique bog area. 

“This unique ecosystem resembles a boreal forest from northern New England, Canada and even Alaska in many aspects, with lots of bogs and specialized plants, including the carnivorous sundew,” said Graber Neufeld. 

The name Dolly Sods came from a homesteading family, the Dahles, and the local word for a meadow, “sods.” The history of human activity in the region includes eras of grazing, logging, burning  and bombing. During World War II, the area was a practice artillery and mortar range. Only in the late ‘60s, under threat of development, was it eventually protected and restored.

Yoder (black vest) and Graber Neufeld (to the left) talk about the bogs on the Northland Loop Trail.

Hikers pause along the Raven Ridge Trail to view a beaver dam.

The 91����Ƶ group poses for a photo in front of the Sinks of Gandy, a mile-long cave through a mountain. Here the group poses before tracing the path of the river into the mountain, wading and climbing over rock areas before climbing through a passageway and chambers to exit at the end. Rock formations and mineral deposits were a highlight, along with sightings of cave wildlife, including bats and spring salamanders.

Spelunking was a highlight of the weekend for Catherine Kirby, a junior environmental science major. Hailing from Loudoun County in northern Virginia, she says the nearby Blue Ridge mountains are a favorite wild place. The Dolly Sods trip gave her some great memories to return to campus with, especially the fellowship of “eating dinner together around the campfire.” 

Senior Ben Bontrager-Singer believes that landing a summer engineering internship at Tesla was mostly due to his leadership of 91����Ƶ’s Eco Shell Marathon team.

The team built a fuel-efficient, or “supermileage” car to compete in the 2020 competition. After a COVID cancellation, the car made its maiden voyage in April 2021. 

Bontrager-Singer worked at Tesla’s headquarters, known as Gigafactory Texas, in Austin. The company is one of the biggest world leaders in sustainable energy with electric cars, solar and integrated renewable energy solutions. 

“[The supermileage vehicle] project really pushed me in so many ways that are relevant for real engineering positions including intense problem solving, teamwork, and leadership,” he said.

“Ben took on tremendous leadership responsibilities and practiced great work ethics in the super-mileage car project,” said engineering professor Esther Tian. “The experience of a successful internship at Tesla surely boosts Ben’s preparedness for his pursuit after graduation. With the attainment of ABET accreditation, our Engineering program is even more poised to graduate students like Ben who are ready to engage in their professions and serve and lead for positive change.” 

Bontrager-Singer was a process engineering intern at the Tesla headquarters in Austin, Texas. He both found the internship and applied online. The hiring process was intense, he said. His two interviews were focused highly on technical skills, theoretical knowledge, and experience: he explained in detail the theory behind the supermileage vehicle’s systems.

At Tesla, Bontrager-Singer was primarily responsible for the design and commissioning of the thermal system for the casting machines, which are used to create the rear and front underbody Model Y and Cybertruck Teslas. Each is created in one piece, eliminating nearly 100 parts from traditional manufacturing processes.

“I was able to get hands-on experience because I was thrown into the deep end,” he said. “While it was at times overwhelming and stressful, I was able to learn that no single issue is as big as it seems.”

In the beginning, every problem that Bontrager-Singer ran into “seemed like the end of the world.” 

“However, the longer I worked the more I realized that isn’t the case. Just because I haven’t had this experience before doesn’t mean I can’t figure it out. I learned to step back and look for the root issue rather than letting myself immediately feel overwhelmed.”

Bontrager-Singer lived with friends of his brother—Joel Castanon ‘16 and Emma Petersheim ‘18—who helped him adjust to life in Austin.

After graduation, Bontrager-Singer plans to apply for either a job in the space launch industry or a full-time job at Tesla.

Calvin “Cal” Redekop passed away on July 20, 2022 at the age of 96 in Harrisonburg. A graduate of Goshen College, he went on to develop many associations with the Mennonite institutions, including serving as vice president of Tabor College, and professor at Goshen and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Redekop was also the co-founder of the PAX service program, the predecessor to the Peace Corps. Upon retiring to the Harrisonburg area, he and his wife Freda were faithful friends to 91����Ƶ and strong partners in the university’s educational mission. 

A will be 2 p.m., Sept. 25 at Park View Mennonite Church.

Redekop served the 91����Ƶ Business and Leadership program as an adjunct faculty member, during which time he became a trusted colleague and mentor to many faculty and staff. He was also the founding chair of the Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society, an organization of elders based at 91����Ƶ.

The couple began several endowed scholarships for 91����Ƶ undergraduate students, including helping to establish the Hubert R. Pellman Endowed Chair, which supports the Language and Literature program. More recently, Redekop helped facilitate the donation of two Hustler mowers and and an all-purpose vehicle to Facilities Management through his ties with Excel Industries in Hesston, Kansas.

Redekop helped inspire and fund many of the solar arrays at 91����Ƶ, at VMRC, and other major organizations around the valley. He was also involved with supporting and connecting VMRC’s Willow Run Farm with 91����Ƶ’s Sustainable Food Initiative to grow and harvest vegetables.  

Two 2020 tributes in magazine (jointly bylined to Wally Kroeker, Burton Buller, and Tom Brenneman) and in the (by Russ Eanes) describe more of Redekop’s works, vision and philosophy.

The full obituary is and below. 

Calvin Wall (Waldo) Redekop peacefully passed away on July 20, 2022 at the age of 96, after a long, eventful, and purposeful life. He was born on Sept. 19, 1925 in a two-room cabin on the prairie, in Volt, Montana, to Jacob and Katherine Redekop. His siblings were Rosa, Ella, Jacob, and Bertha. He spent his early years on the farm in Montana; the Depression and Dust Bowl brought about the family’s relocation to Dalles, Oregon in 1937. His book Enchantment and Despair: Montana Childhood Stories, 1925-1937, fondly records those years. The family spent three years in Dalles, then in the fall of 1940 moved to Mt. Lake, Minn., where Calvin attended high school. Calvin attended Goshen College from 1946-1949, graduating with a degree in social science.

In July 1949 Calvin joined the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). He spent the first six months of voluntary service doing peace witness and education in Alberta, Canada, and Akron PA. Then in January 1950 he sailed for Europe and served as PAX Program Organizer and Mennonite Voluntary Service Director until December 1952. In 1953 Cal returned to America and spent one semester at Goshen College Seminary, and then 1-1/2 years studying for the MA in sociology and anthropology at the University of Minnesota. He then taught social science courses at Hesston College (1955-62), with time spent from 1955-58 at the University of Chicago pursuing a PhD in Sociology and Anthropology (completed in 1959). While in Europe, Cal had met Freda Pellman, who was working for Menno Travel Service in Amsterdam, and they were married in 1955. Freda was a faithful companion and mentor to Calvin.

In 1962 the growing family moved to Richmond Indiana, where Calvin taught sociology of religion at Earlham School of Religion and Earlham College. In 1967 the family moved to Goshen, Indiana, where Calvin taught at Goshen College as Professor of Sociology, as well as the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart. During 1971-72 the family lived in Paraguay while Calvin pursued research on indigenous-Mennonite relations in the Chaco. This was a formative experience for the family, and eventually resulted in the publication of Strangers Become Neighbors: Indigenous and Mennonite Relations in the Paraguayan Chaco (1980).

In 1976 the family moved to Hillsboro, Kansas, where Cal served as vice president and dean of Tabor College, before heading to Canada where Calvin spent the final ten years of his academic career at Conrad Grebel College in Waterloo, Ontario, from which he retired in 1989. 

Starting in the 1970s, Cal and Freda led a number of travel tours, many with an Anabaptist focus, in Europe, Central and South America, and Jamaica, and throughout their marriage they traveled widely. In 1989 Cal and Freda moved to Harrisonburg, Virginia, where they spent many fine years together before Freda passed away in 2011. There he was involved in numerous activities and organizations, which included serving as a founding member of the Brethen-Mennonite Heritage Center; a founding member of Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society; an early and active supporter of Willow Run farm; and an active member of Park View Mennonite Church. He also taught courses as an adjunct in the 91����Ƶ Business Department.

During his academic career Calvin was an invited lecturer at numerous Mennonite colleges, and he published many books and articles on Anabaptist/Mennonite topics, including The Old Colony Mennonites (1969); Mennonite Society (1989); Mennonite Entrepreneurs (1995), Creation and the Environment: An Anabaptist Perspective on a Sustainable World (2000); Power, Authority, and the Anabaptist Tradition (2001), and most recently Service: The Path to Justice (2022, with Terry Beitzel). 

Calvin was a popular college teacher and his sons remember the many times Cal and Freda invited students into the home for discussion, socializing and laughter. Over the course of his career he forged many friendships in the Mennonite world and beyond, continuing to make new friends and colleagues as his own generation left the stage.

Calvin was involved in numerous ventures and organizations over the course of his life, both public and private, business and civic, Mennonite and non-Mennonite. His first major business venture was to join a nascent startup, Excel Industries, Inc., a turf equipment company with which he and Freda remained affiliated for the rest of their lives. He was a founding member of Sunflower Energy Works, one of the first solar energy companies in Kansas. Cal was an active board member of EnerSource, a Canadian solar energy company; Secure Futures, a Virginia Solar company; Wood Composites Inc., a recycled decking company; and Real Associates, Inc., a small real estate company.

He also served on many community boards and associations in the Mennonite world. Among other involvements, Cal was instrumental in the formation of the “second MEDA” (Mennonite Economic Development Associates), and served as founding editor of The Marketplace, the official publication of MEDA. Towards the end of his life he and his family created the JustPax Fund and Redekop Family Endowment, charitable organizations devoted to economic, gender, and environmental justice.

Calvin is survived by sons Bill (Diana), Ben (Fran), Fred (Ria), and granddaughter Katarina. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Rosa, granddaughter Sallie, and loving wife and life-companion Freda. Calvin is also survived by brother Jacob and sisters Ella and Bertha, and many friends and extended family members including the Pellman clan.

91����Ƶ’s Earthkeepers club and Sustainable Food Initiative (SFI) presented at the first annual Student Sustainability Summit on April 9 at the Staunton Innovation Hub. Around 15 91����Ƶ students and a few faculty members attended the event, which included 10  research and project presentations from undergraduates from the attending schools.

The event was co-hosted by (SSV) and , with the goal of bringing together networks of undergraduate students and community organizations who work in similar areas of impact relating to the United Nations’ .  

Sustainable Shenandoah Valley is a regional consortium facilitated by representatives from 91����Ƶ, Mary Baldwin University (MBU), James Madison University (JMU), Bridgewater College, and Blue Ridge Community College.

SFI presenters Felicity Zimmerman, Levi Geyer, Evelyn Shenk, Jessica Chisolm, and MeLeah Bustamante focused on ways to increase food education, access, and sustainability through on-campus gardens, chickens, food access initiatives, and educational spaces. 

Earthkeepers presented on 91����Ƶ’s Climate Action Plan, exploring more of the progress the university has made thus far in its climate commitments and potential next steps to meet the next benchmark goals. They also spoke about initiatives that Earthkeepers has pushed for, like a sustainability coordinator position at 91����Ƶ. Earthkeepers’ presenters were Jake Myers, Isaac Alderfer, and Andrea Troyer.

Troyer is the leader of Earthkeepers, and she first heard about the summit from Professor Jim Yoder, an 91����Ƶ representative for SSV. She served on a planning committee with students from other universities in the fall. “I’ve known about it for a while, but it was really exciting to see it all play out over the past few months,” Troyer says. 

What stood out most about the event were the projects and initiatives led by students from other campuses and how those were making an impact. It was exciting to meet others also working towards sustainability goals, she says.

Heather Korzun is the president of the MBU chapter of Net Impact, an international organization with the goal of creating a more just and sustainable world. “The event last Saturday was extremely exciting,” Korzun says. “I was very glad to have the opportunity to facilitate so many great connections. I think my greatest takeaway had to be all of the passion and hard work that students in the Shenandoah Valley have around sustainable development.”

Korzun also commended the groups from 91����Ƶ for their work. “I love how the Climate Action Plan is making real change at 91����Ƶ, and my vice president was very excited to hear about SFI’s chickens and how they have such a longstanding and thorough approach to fighting food insecurity and food waste,” she says. 

The event was inspiring for Troyer as well: “There’s always an opportunity to connect my passions and my vocational interests and skills with the work that is needed to create change in sustainable development.”

Erik Curren, author of , will participate in an author talk and book signing at 91����Ƶ on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. Curren, also the author of , is a climate activist and history buff who applies lessons from the past to the world’s biggest challenge today, transitioning to a clean economy.

The event will happen in person on campus at Suter Science Center in Swartzendruber Hall.

Sponsoring organizations include Climate Action Alliance of the Valley, 91����Ƶ’s Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions, , 50by25 Harrisonburg, Shenandoah Faith and Climate, Sierra Club/Shenandoah Group, and Virginia Interfaith Power and Light.

Participate online through  or .

Since opening in 1968, the Suter Science Center has been an important site of learning, research and inspiration for hundreds of 91����Ƶ’s alumni working in the STEM fields. Collin Longenecker ‘20 represented them all at the Saturday, Oct. 16, Suter West dedication ceremony when he called the building his “home away from home” during the four years he earned his engineering degree at 91����Ƶ.

The young alumnus added personal thanks to the more than 700 donors who contributed to the newly transformed, energy-efficient, well-lighted and state-of-the art spaces so important to his education — where he worked on projects, learned in classrooms, studied for exams, and engaged with professors.

The ceremony, attended by a veritable “Who’s Who” of 91����Ƶ STEM history, marked the end of the second and final phase of the multi-year, $12 million Suter Science Center renovations. Suter East, the first phase, and its new biology, chemistry, and physics labs, classrooms and office space, was dedicated in October 2015. []

The ceremony, initially scheduled for 2020 but delayed a year by the pandemic, provided a wonderful “finish line” for a host of guests, including Vice President for Advancement Kirk Shisler, who has led the multi-year fundraising campaign.

“Today’s dedication of Suter Science Center West is a truly exhilarating moment for many people who worked hard over many years, both to raise the $12 million in philanthropic support to fund the renovations, and to design and implement the major renovations of Suter East and now Suter West,” he said. “It’s even more gratifying to see how students and faculty are thriving in the state of the art labs of 91����Ƶ’s strong STEM programs.”

 Among the guests of honor were President Emeritus Loren Swartzendruber, his wife, Pat, and their family. The couple were jointly honored with the renaming of the iconic S-106 lecture hall as “Swartendruber Hall.” 

Along with new seating, lighting and upgraded technology for S-106, Suter West renovations included modernized classrooms, new laboratory space for 91����Ƶ’s engineering program, upgrading of the discovery room and expanded displays from the D. Ralph Hostetter Natural History Collection, upgraded climate-control system and an improved sprinkler system. 

The project’s donors and contributors are recognized in a special display at the building’s west entrance. Accompanying this recognition, Shisler offered special commendations to  individuals “who have been a very special part of this remarkable journey”:

—  Professor Daniel Suter, for whom the building is named, and his exemplary guidance over several decades enabled scores of 91����Ƶ students to qualify for medical school with great success and global impact. His daughter, Jan Suter Showalter, and her husband, Dr. Sam Showalter, were in attendance;

–faculty involved in shaping 91����Ƶ’s outstanding science programs having built upon the legacy of Daniel Suter and others of his era: professors Kenton Brubaker, Glenn Kaufman, Galen Lehman, Robert Lehman, Joseph Mast, Clair Mellinger, Roman Miller, Millard Showalter, Gary Stucky, Robert D. Yoder, and John Horst;������

— project leaders during both major phases Ed Lehman, Eldon Kurtz, Jack Rutt and Phil Martin.  

After thanking the university for the honor and sharing a few anecdotes from his experiences in S-106, Swartzendruber offered praise for 91����Ƶ’s “well-founded reputation across academic disciplines” and the dedication and commitment of its “extraordinary faculty members.”

The importance of science education, of teaching and research, is all the more apparent now, he said. “We will continue to educate future doctors, nurses, and other scientists. Our graduates will serve and lead with compassion and empathy. Some will lead in preparing for future pandemics. Others will partner with health educators and ethicists to address the complexities of distribution and access. Graduates of the engineering program will help solve some of the world’s most vexing problems such as climate change. We owe it to our grandchildren and their children.”