In This Issue

• Meet JMC’s Homecoming Court ambassadors and walk with Madison alums in this year’s parade

• An MSUToday feature on Lorenzo Santavicca (IR ’18)

• More college news, including the recipients of this year’s Waltzer Teaching Excellence Awards

• Upcoming JMC Events

• Fall Visit Days for high school students

• Alumni Notes, including Dr. Yvette Efevbera (IR ‘09), the 2026 recipient of the DC Spartans Innovator Award

JMC’s Homecoming Court Ambassadors

For the second year in a row, there are two Madisonians on MSU’s Homecoming Court, which is considered one of the highest honors for MSU seniors. Anastasia Breen and Taylor Regester were recognized for their leadership, involvement and contributions to the Spartan community.

Join JMC in the Homecoming Parade: MSU’s 2026 Homecoming Week will take place Oct. 5-10, including the annual Homecoming parade on Oct. 9. Madisonians are invited to celebrate by walking in the parade with fellow JMC alums. Learn more and RSVP by Oct. 5 via Eventbrite.

Alum Spotlight: Lorenzo Santavicca

From representing nearly 40,000 students as ASMSU president to helping teams at Google DeepMind navigate complex challenges in artificial intelligence, JMC alumnus Lorenzo Santavicca (IR ’18) has carried lessons from MSU into every stage of his career.

Now a senior technical program manager working at the intersection of research and engineering, Santavicca says the leadership experience he gained as a student continues to shape how he mentors colleagues and leads at Google.

Read more about his path from JMC to the evolving field of AI on MSUToday.

More College News

Faculty members honored for teaching excellence: JMC professors Louise Jezierski and Myunghee Lee have been named the most recent recipients of the Ken and Sandy Waltzer Teaching Excellence Awards, recognizing their contributions to undergraduate education and student development at JMC.

Celebrating 20 years of dialogue: For 20 years, MSU’s Muslim Studies Program has brought scholars, students and communities together to deepen understanding of Muslim societies and cultures. Read more about its origins, growth and impact and the connections supported by JMC faculty members.

From MSU campus to housing policy: JMC senior Lila Abdullah is exploring housing policy through government internships, service on the East Lansing Housing Commission and the Spartan Housing Alliance she founded at MSU. This summer, she expanded that work as a Public Policy and International Affairs fellow at the University of Michigan.

From Case Hall to a global career: JMC alumnus and former CNN international correspondent Marc Stewart (IR ’95) returned to Case Hall earlier this month to share stories from his career and insights into the importance of building relationships across borders. Joining Stewart for the conversation were JMC faculty members Robert Brathwaite and Norm Graham. Graham was one of Stewart’s professors during his time as a JMC student.

Putting international relations into practice: Last spring, International Relations senior Colt Gray studied South Korea’s military and civilian control of its armed forces in a JMC international security course. Three months later, he was in South Korea with his U.S. Coast Guard unit supporting a multinational military exercise.

Pedagogies of Hope: James Madison College faculty members are working with international collaborators to explore how educators around the world conceive of and practice hope, and how pedagogies of hope can foster connection, collaboration and meaningful action. The initiative will bring educators together online for asynchronous sessions in October and a live symposium from Nov. 8-19, where both presenters and participants will share how they understand and practice hope in their teaching.

New perspectives in South Asia: This summer, Class of 2026 graduate Colin Reese joined 10 fellow Madisonians in Sri Lanka and India for JMC’s Global Development in South Asia education abroad program. Led by professors Sejuti Das Gupta and Linda Racioppi, the program took students beyond the classroom to explore questions of development, gender, environment and natural resources alongside local communities, organizations and university partners. In a JMC Student View, Reese reflects on the relationships, complexities and new questions that shaped his experience abroad.

JMC Prof. Jordan Cash recently appeared on The Constitutionalist podcast to discuss how early state constitutions influenced deliberations over the framing of the Federal Constitution.
Listen online »

Class of 1996 Reunion

JMC alumni Alison Farmer (SR ‘96) and Dayne Walling (SR ‘96) organized an informal 30th reunion for the Class of 1996 earlier this month. Madisonians gathered before the MSU football game to reconnect and were joined by Professor Emeritus Ron Dorr.

Giving Spotlight

Before the semester began, a group of new Madisonians got a head start finding their place at MSU. JMC’s Early Start program welcomes incoming first-generation students to campus ahead of the fall semester for several days of community building, academic preparation and introductions to the people and resources that will support them throughout their time on campus.

This year’s students connected with JMC faculty, staff, alumni and fellow classmates while getting to know Case Hall and the broader MSU community. Early Start is generously funded by JMC alumnus Troy Calkins (IR ’88), who students met during this year's program.

Make a donation to the Early Start program through the Troy Calkins Student Success Fund.

JMC Events

2026 Sennholz Lecture: Caleb Fuller, associate professor of Economics at Grove City College, will be the featured speaker at JMC’s Fall 2026 Sennholz Lecture on Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m. in Case Hall. Fuller will deliver a lecture based on his book, No Free Lunch: Six Economic Lies You’ve Been Taught and Probably Believe, which unpacks common economic misconceptions and offers an understanding of why economics is important in everyday life.
Interested in attending? Share your email to receive an event reminder.

2026 Paynter Lecture: Hugh Liebert, professor of political science at the United States Military Academy, will deliver this year’s Paynter Lecture on Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. in Case Hall. The annual event celebrates the life of founding JMC faculty member Jack Paynter. Liebert will present on “The Decline and the Declaration: Gibbon and the American Founding.”
Interested in attending? Share your email to receive an event reminder.

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 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

Yvette Efevbera (IR ‘09) will receive the 2026 DC Spartans Innovator Award at the DC Spartans’ Green & White Gala on Oct. 3. The Innovator Award is given annually to an MSU alum who has distinguished themselves through a high level of professional accomplishment early in their career.

Efevbera is a global health and gender equality leader whose work has helped inform more than $100 million in investments around the world. Efevbera is the founder and CEO of SHE Thinks Group LLC and an adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

Over nearly two decades, Dr. Efevbera has worked across philanthropy, academia, nonprofits and global partnerships, including leadership and advisory roles with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Harvard University and Girls First Fund. Her work has focused on global health, gender equality, adolescent girls’ health and rights, partnerships, organizational strategy and systems change. Read more about Efevbera’s work via DC Spartans.

Lindsay (Meehan) Andrews (IR ‘03) was promoted to Director of Member Engagement of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry in August. In this role, she helps plan and execute dozens of member-driven events attracting thousands of attendees for the chamber throughout the year, develops sponsorship packages and drives revenue and ensures that PA Chamber members are getting the most of their membership through advocacy, engagement and other unique experiences throughout the year.

Bridgette Bauer (SRP ‘22), Director of Public Affairs at Bellwether Public Relations, was awarded the 10 Over the Next Ten Award by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes emerging leaders based on their professional accomplishments, leadership potential, and meaningful commitment to community involvement.

Grace Ann Bourne (IR & PTCD ‘97) has served as the Executive Director of Business Advisers of Cleveland since 2022. The non-profit organization is focused on mentoring small business owners and early-state entrepreneurs in Northeast Ohio.

Garrett Jones (PTCD ‘17) recently began the position of Assistant Professor at University of Florida’s Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education.

Linus Kaechele (CCP ‘24) recently started a new position as a Research and Evaluation Associate with Everett Evaluation.

Harrison Leffel-Jones (CCP ‘16), Vice President of Small Business & Innovation of Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), was awarded the 10 Over the Next Ten Award by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce. This award recognizes emerging leaders based on their professional accomplishments, leadership potential and meaningful commitment to community involvement.

Joelle (Simon) Letts (SRP ‘11) is the Executive Director of Grant Development at Davenport University. Joelle lead the team in receiving the school’s largest grant ($10M) in university history.

Nick Micinski (IR & PTCD '08) recently published a new book, Aiding Autocrats: Migration Management, Governance, and Repression in Africa, through Cambridge University Press. Micinski is currently an Assistant Professor at American University.

Laith Mihyar (IR & CCP ‘22) has been working with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs as a Departmental Analyst in the Bureau of Professional Licensing since graduating from MSU College of Law in 2025 and passing the Michigan Bar Exam. In this role, Laith drafts disciplinary documents, negotiate with attorneys and recommend administrative sanctions for Michigan’s licensed healthcare professionals.

Hannah Smith (SRP ‘18), an attorney with Wright Beamer, was celebrated as a Rising Star within Business Litigation in the 2026 Michigan Super Lawyers list. Rising Stars recognizes attorneys earlier in their careers who meet Super Lawyers’ selection criteria.

Kaycie Smith (PTCD ‘26) is earning her Master’s in Public Policy and is currently working in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Erika (Swanson) Sponsler (SR ‘96) was elected to represent District 6 as part of the board of the Michigan Council for the Social Studies. MCSS supports teachers and social studies curriculum and professional development in Michigan. Sponsler also currently serves as Jackson County representative as part of Michigan Social Studies Leaders Association.

Dondré Young (SRP ‘14), manager of federal partnerships for the Council on Foundations, was recognized in AND magazine’s “Flint & Genesee’s 2026 40 Under 40” list.

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