News in Brief
Funding for Beloit’s McNair Scholars Program was renewed by the U.S. Department of Education for another five years in the fall. The federal grant is worth $1.61 million. For 21 years, Beloit has been contributing to changing the landscape of higher education by preparing underrepresented students with strong academic potential for their doctoral studies.
The Interfraternal Panhellenic Council, the governing body of Greek life on campus, is spearheading a number of public service efforts, including bystander intervention training for sexual assault. The IFPC will require every house on campus to send five members for mandatory training that leads to certification.
The Roy Chapman Andrews Society, which honors one of Beloit’s most notable alumni and a celebrated 20th century explorer, presents its Distinguished Explorer Award on March 2 in Beloit. The honor will go to American geologist Richard Alley, the first Nobel Prize recipient among the honorees.
The latest development in Beloit’s downtown renaissance is a footbridge that spans the Rock River and connects to the recreation trail that follows the river’s east side. The bridge crosses between the Ironworks Hotel and the Ironworks campus, an award-winning redevelopment of the former Beloit Corporation foundry. Ironworks is now home to businesses and startups, a tech incubator, and the city’s new YMCA.
Beloit’s Duffy Community Partnerships center on the question: “What makes a good society?” This spring, the program celebrates its 15th year with a spring colloquium on March 22 featuring four accomplished Duffy alumni in a panel discussion about how Duffy and other beyond-the-classroom educational experiences plant seeds for meaningful work and engaged citizenship.
News and updates about Beloit’s Powerhouse are being posted to a blog called “The Conduit” until the building opens in fall 2019. Recent posts addressed the completion of design development and the accessibility of bathrooms and changing spaces in the integrated student union and recreation center.
In September, the college’s political science department hosted a panel discussion about the “Unite the Right” protests in Charlottesville, Va., the rise of the “alt-right,” and the increased visibility of white supremacist movements. Questions on the table included whether these are temporary or longstanding forces in American politics, and how or whether they relate to neo-fascist activities in other countries.
Dr. Jim Ferwerda’53 was the guest of honor at a Scholarships Change Lives luncheon held on campus in November. Ferwerda and his late wife, Constance, were recognized for supporting hundreds of Beloit science majors through scholarship gifts. Ferwerda, a college trustee, received a book containing messages of gratitude from alumni who had received support, many of whom were in the audience.
