In This Issue

• In Memoriam: Dixie C. Platt

• Class of 2026 grads share their summer and fall plans

• The JMC Academy for Civic Education

• More college news, including four Madisonian recipients of 2026-27 Fulbright teaching awards

• Faculty Mentions

• Save the Date: Early Start Alumni-Student Mixer

• Fall Visit Days for high school students

• Alumni Notes

In Memoriam: Dixie C. Platt

It is with great sadness that we share that Dixie C. Platt, who spent nearly three decades at JMC and shaped the student experience for generations of Madisonians, passed away in early July 2026.

Platt joined the college in 1969, its second year, and served as Director of Academic and Student Affairs from 1975 until her retirement in 1996. She was a steadying presence who welcomed first-year students, advised families, supported faculty and helped students find their way through moments of uncertainty.

The Dixie C. Platt Endowed Scholarship, established at her retirement, continues to support Madison students today. Since the endowment was founded, it has provided 60 awards totaling more than $115,000 in support for JMC students.

We remember Dixie with gratitude for her lasting influence on JMC and for the many lives she touched.

Class of 2026 Summer Plans

As JMC’s Class of 2026 officially makes the transition from students to alumni, we are celebrating the many ways the college’s newest graduates are already putting their Madison education to work. We asked a few Class of 2026 grads to share their summer and fall plans, along with the Madison experiences that shaped their time at Michigan State.

From law school and graduate study to journalism, public service, consulting, humanitarian work and international fellowships, these Spartans are taking their next steps in communities around the world.

JMC Academy for Civic Education

Launched with support from a $1.3 million federal grant, JMC’s new Academy for Civic Education is bringing the college’s longstanding strengths in civic education to Michigan teachers and high school students as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

In late June, 28 middle and high school teachers from across Michigan gathered in Grand Rapids for a week of seminars with JMC faculty, pairing close reading of foundational American texts with practical strategies for the classroom. Now, 24 rising high school seniors are midway through ACE’s inaugural student program on MSU campus. They are exploring college-level seminars, campus life and enduring questions of citizenship, self-government, statesmanship and civic dialogue.

Know a high school teacher or student who might be interested in joining the 2027 summer cohorts? Share the JMC ACE mailing list.

More College News

• JMC Fulbright Recipients: Four JMC graduates will bring their Madison education to classrooms around the world through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s English Teaching Assistant program. As 2026-27 Fulbright ETAs, Natalie Harmon, Belma Hodzic, Hannah Faye Nassar and David Rabinkov will teach and learn in Brazil, Türkiye, Taiwan and Azerbaijan, respectively, while supporting English-language learning and building connections across cultures.

  

• Wealth of Nations at 250: JMC Assoc. Prof. Brianne Wolf is helping new audiences revisit Adam Smith’s influence on economics, law and democratic life as the world marks the 250th anniversary of Wealth of Nations this summer. Over the past few months, Wolf brought her scholarship to an Edinburgh colloquium for U.S. federal judges, student seminars in Ohio and Chicago and JMC’s new Academy for Civic Education. Read more about Wolf’s research, teaching and the continuing relevance of Smith’s ideas (and listen to her interview on The American Idea podcast).

  

• Field Experience in Action: This summer, JMC students are applying what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world professional settings through internships in government, law, advocacy, business, international organizations and community-based settings. In a new series, we ask Madisonians to share where they’re interning, what they’re learning and how field experience is shaping their future plans. Read the first and second installments on JMC’s website.

  

• Graduate Spotlight: Class of 2026 graduate Liam McDonald (IR) brought his National Guard experience into the Madison classroom. During his four years on campus, he learned to balance the demands of military service with the expectations of a rigorous academic program, shaping a path toward a career in national security.

  

• Full Merit Scholarship Recipients: Three incoming JMC students — Eli Zaksek, Safia Behmen and Lucky Cofone — are among 51 new Spartans awarded MSU’s highly competitive full merit scholarships. Their awards include support for tuition, room and board, stipends and paid faculty research opportunities through the Honors College.

Faculty Mentions

• JMC Prof. Emeritus Mohammed Ayoob will deliver the inaugural lecture of the First Distinguished Lecture Series of the Association for Civilisational International Relations (ACIR). Ayoob’s lecture, "Post-Independence India’s Unique Contribution to International Relations," will be delivered online on July 26 at 6:30 p.m. (IST). Register to watch via Google Forms.

• In a new article for The Conversation, Prof. Mark Axelrod draws on research about global fishing to show why detailed environmental data matters for understanding fisheries, livelihoods, food security and the communities most affected by environmental decisions.

• JMC Prof. Anna Pegler-Gordon’s article, “Documenting Birthright Citizenship under Chinese Exclusion,” is now available in online scholarly magazine Public Books. It’s part of “The Historical Paths to and from Wong Kim Ark" series, which explores the 1898 Supreme Court case that affirmed birthright citizenship in the United States. Pegler-Gordon examines how identity documents were used both to verify and to undermine Chinese Americans’ claims to U.S. citizenship.

• Assoc. Prof. Jordan Cash revisits The Federalist Papers in a new article for The Conversation. Cash explores why these founding-era essays remain essential for understanding the Constitution’s design, the balance of power and enduring questions at the heart of American self-government. Earlier this year, Cash spoke with the Civics in a Year podcast about presidential succession, the vice presidency and what the rules say about executive power.

Save the Date: Early Start Mixer

JMC alumni in the East Lansing region are invited to attend JMC’s annual Early Start Alumni-Student Mixer on Aug. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kellogg Center.

This annual event builds connections between incoming first-generation students and college alumni, who can provide words of welcome and help introduce students to the Madison community.

Share your email address via Qualtrics to ensure you receive event information as the date approaches.

Fall Visit Days at JMC

Know a high school student who might be interested in JMC? Invite them to attend Fall Visit Days in Case Hall. These events help prospective students and families learn more about JMC’s majors, residential college living, future career paths and Madison student experiences. JMC’s 2026 Fall Visit Days will be held on Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 23 and Nov. 6.

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

Alumni Notes

Ciera Borden (PTCD ‘23) is a J.D. candidate at the University of Chicago Law School. This summer she was awarded an Equal Justice America fellowship, which funds law students and recent graduates working at civil legal aid organizations.

Abby Johnson (PTCD ‘12) was recently named Director of Student Retention Initiatives at MSU College of Social Science. She will provide strategic leadership for efforts that support students through the Academic Standing of Undergraduate Students (ASUS), reinstatement and readmission processes.

Jade McGuffey (IR & PTCD ‘26) recently joined Butzel Long as a Digital Support and Conflicts Coordinator.

Delaney McDermott (CCP ‘21) was selected as a recipient of the 2026 David A. Winston Health Policy Scholarship. McDermott is a Master of Public Health and Master of Public Policy candidate at the University of Michigan.

Alaina Murphy (IR ‘22) earned her Master’s in Public Administration with a specialization in Local Government Management from Northern Illinois University. Upon graduation, she was awarded the American Society of Public Administration’s 2026 Graduate Student Award, the Legacy Project’s Emerging Leader Award for piloting a mentorship program in partnership with the Illinois City/County Management Association. She also graduated top 1% of her class and was promoted to the Assistant to the Village Administrator for the village of New Lenox. She was also nominated as a board director for the Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants.

Patricia Petrowski (PE ‘96) was named the next Vice President and General Counsel of the University of Michigan. Prior to joining the University of Michigan, Petrowski was a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, a large law firm in Chicago, IL., where she worked from 2000 to 2014.

Ross Rogers (SRP ‘26) is participating in the Pitt Public Health Undergraduate Scholars program at the University of Pittsburgh this summer. This program is one of seven CDC-sponsored John Lewis Scholar programs which provide training in public health, health equity and professional development to undergrads and recent graduates.

Prayag Shankar (PTCD & Economics ‘26) joined the Michigan League of Conservation Voters as Lead Voting Rights Organizer.

Claire Smith (SRP ‘25) was accepted to the University of Michigan’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program and will begin the program in the fall as a dual degree with her Master of Public Policy. As a part of this program, she will complete an internship with the Marsal Family School of Education’s Office of Recruitment & Admissions.

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