In This Issue

• Thank you for helping us meet our Giving Tuesday goal!

• College news

• Giving Spotlight: Human Rights Data Science Lab

• Alumni notes

Dean’s Note

I’m writing today with gratitude for your support on last week’s Giving Tuesday. Thanks to 44 donors — and a matching gift from a Madison alumnus — we raised $19,801 for JMC’s Experiential Learning Fund, nearly doubling our $10,000 goal.

These contributions will directly support Madison students as they pursue internships, research opportunities and study abroad experiences that are an essential part of the JMC education. This year alone, we awarded 66 experiential learning scholarships. Your Giving Tuesday support ensures we can continue opening doors for our students.

I also want to recognize the many ways Madison alumni have supported our community throughout the year. In 2025, you hosted students during our Career Exposure Programs in Lansing and Chicago, opening your offices and sharing insights about your career paths. You’ve participated in networking events, welcomed students into your organizations for internships, served on career panels and shared insights in an MC 201 lecture. You’ve met with students in our Early Start Program and stayed connected to faculty and staff long after graduation.

This ongoing engagement strengthens our college in ways that extend far beyond a single day of giving. Your willingness to invest time, share your expertise and create opportunities for current students reflects the best of what it means to be part of the Madison community.

Cameron G. Thies
Dean and MSU Foundation Professor

Recent College News

A new internship program — coordinated by JMC, MSU’s Canadian Studies Center and the Consulate General of Canada — provides Madison students with the opportunity to work in international diplomacy and trade while remaining in Michigan. Four Madisonians will begin internships at the Canadian Consulate in Detroit in January. Read more about the program on JMC’s website.

JMC Prof. Mark Axelrod was part of a team of 36 researchers from six continents that has developed a comprehensive framework to address the persistent undercounting of women in small-scale fisheries data systems. The paper proposes 17 indicators across three thematic areas, offering concrete guidance for closing gaps.

Giving Spotlight: Human Rights Data Science Lab

Earlier this fall, JMC junior Ashlin Stover was named MSU’s first Voyager Scholarship recipient. Central to Stover’s nomination was her work with JMC’s Human Rights Data Science Lab, where she analyzes open-source information — social media accounts, geographic data, incident reports — to document human rights violations. For nearly two years, Stover has been part of a team focused on the Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs campaign resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings.

Under the direction of JMC Prof. Robert Brathwaite, Stover is one of four students who help lead the lab. In November, they presented their work to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Students provided the results of their database search of extra-judicial killings in The Philippines, provided satellite images of the ongoing civil war in Sudan, and provided their analysis of social media regarding individuals with outstanding ICC arrest warrants.

Tomorrow (Dec. 10) is International Human Rights Day. In recognition of this event, the JMC community is invited to help support this innovative undergraduate research project by making a gift to the JMC Human Rights Lab.

Donations will help the Lab purchase access to high-resolution satellite imagery and other expenses associated with Lab so students can enhance their professional development while investigating human rights abuses in places like the Philippines, Libya and Sudan.

Make a gift to the JMC Human Rights Lab:

Below, student leaders share four things you should know about the Human Rights Lab:

Interested in learning more about how you can support James Madison and invest in the next generation of Madisonians? Contact Joseph Agosta at agostaj@msu.edu.

Call for Nominations: Alumni Awards

James Madison College's Alumni Board of Directors is currently seeking nominations for its two annual awards that honor distinguished alumni and friends of the college. The Distinguished Alumni and Honorary Alumni awards celebrate individuals who have significantly contributed to the college. Nominations (via Google Forms) are due Dec. 15.

Connect with the JMC Alumni Association
Interested in connecting with the James Madison College Alumni Association and supporting alumni engagement initiatives? The Board of Directors invites JMC alums to share their information via Google Forms.

Alumni Notes

Justin Appleman (IR ‘24) is teaching English as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the country of Moldova.

Trina Van Schyndel (IR ‘06) was selected as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

Share great news about yourself or a fellow JMC alum.

Join the JMC Alumni LinkedIn group.

Donate to James Madison College.

Update your contact information with MSU Alumni.