Summer 2025: College news and fall volunteer opportunities
In This Issue
A message from Dean Cameron G. Thies
Summer stories from current Madison students
Fall volunteer opportunities for alumni, including the annual Early Start mixer and the new Alumni-in-Residence program
Alumni Notes
Message from Dean Cameron G. Thies
While summer brings a decidedly slower pace to Case Hall, it remains a remarkably busy season for the James Madison College community. Our students have marked pathways around the globe since classes ended in April, participating in summer study abroad and internship programs across the U.S. and around the world. Madison faculty led programs in Italy, Brussels, Poland and closer to home in Yellowstone National Park, exemplifying how Madisonians carry the college’s mission far beyond East Lansing.
As we look ahead to a new academic year, however, faculty and staff are in the midst of preparing for the return of students to Case Hall in August. This year’s planning brings new challenges as the university enters a period of significant financial constraint. Earlier this summer, MSU President Kevin Guskiewicz asked all units to implement 9% cuts to operating budgets over the next two years (find more information on the Office of the President website).
A 9% reduction represents a significant challenge for a small college like James Madison, but I am pleased to share that we were able to avoid any personnel loss in our revised budget.
That said, we are still assessing the full impact of these cuts and working to minimize any potential effects on student experience. Our ongoing priority is to maintain essential student services, and faculty and staff are exploring how they can continue to offer programming with reduced budgets. They are also seeking partnerships that might allow for resource sharing across units and working to identify alternative funding sources. With our development team, we hope to restore and maintain any affected programs through donor support. I encourage anyone interested in making a gift to JMC to connect with Joseph Agosta (agostaj@msu.edu), our associate director of development.
We will continue to keep you informed as we navigate these changes and welcome your continued partnership in supporting our students and programs. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to JMC.
Cameron G. Thies
Dean and MSU Foundation Professor
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.
JMC Student Features
View student photos from JMC summer programs in Italy, Brussels, Poland, Brazil and Yellowstone on Facebook.
Jasnoor Kaur Jasnoor Kaur (SRP and Neuroscience) has had the extraordinary opportunity to live and work in both Paris and Oxford this summer. In a recent Student View, she discusses her internship experiences abroad and how they shaped her path for the future.
Sammy Leggett Sammy Leggett (SRP and PTCD) participated in the “Comparative Republicanism in Rome and Florence” program earlier this summer. He reflected on his transformative experiences traveling abroad as a first-generation college student in a story for the Office for Education Abroad.
Olivia Schaefer (SRP) Olivia Schaefer (SRP) has spent the summer working as a horse wrangler in Northwest Montana. Read about how a Madison course on environmental justice deepened Olivia’s education and helped shape her journey from East Lansing to Montana.
Gabriel Hoover (IR), center right in grey and red shirt Gabriel Hoover (IR) was a participant of this summer's Yellowstone Study Away program, led by JMC Profs. Sherman Garnett and Daniel Kramer. In a Student View Q&A, Gabriel reflects on the program and how it shaped his perspectives on both domestic and global environmental issues.
Giving Spotlight
Dr. Barbara R. Lowrey (B.A. Political Science '63, Ph.D. Economics '70) became the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in Economics from MSU and went on to a distinguished career with the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. Her connection to Brazil runs deep: she spent four years there during high school while her father, Dr. Leonard Rall, helped establish a major business education institution at the invitation of MSU President John Hannah. Through an endowment fund, Lowrey provides scholarship support for the "Politics, Culture and Society in Brazil" program, allowing Madison students to have similar transformational experiences abroad.
In July, Dr. Lowrey visited the program in Salvador, Brazil, witnessing firsthand the transformational power of cross-cultural learning. Her hope is that these students will discover the same open-hearted welcome and joy for life that shaped her own formative years in Brazil.
Alumni Volunteer Opportunities
This fall, we’re excited to introduce new opportunities for you to connect with fellow Madisonians!
At JMC, community is at the heart of everything we do, and that community wouldn’t be complete without you. Your ongoing support and engagement mean the world to us, and we’re deeply grateful for the vital role you continue to play in the life of the college.
Contact JMC Alumni Coordinator Elizabeth Newman (enewman@msu.edu) with questions about the opportunities below.
Remember your first days at JMC? A kind word can make all the difference. Help us welcome incoming students by writing a short letter filled with advice, encouragement and positivity.
Each first-year JMC student in Case Hall will receive a letter from an alum. Your message could be the one that makes them feel at home. Submit a few short paragraphs (we’ll sign it with your name, major and graduation year), and we’ll deliver it to their mailbox before move-in.
Submit your letter by Aug. 15 via Google Forms.
Network with our incoming Early Start students at a casual mixer on Monday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m. in the Kellogg Center. This program enables first-generation students to acclimate to life on campus, fosters a sense of belonging among incoming students, and equips participants with a range of academic tools and resources. The annual mixer is an opportunity for alumni to welcome these students to the JMC community.
Interested in sharing your JMC experience? Sign up via Google Forms (space is limited).
Fall semester is right around the corner!
Participate in our Fall Colloquium on Friday, Aug. 22. Share your Madison experience with incoming first-year and transfer students during our in-person breakout sessions. This is an opportunity to share advice and answer questions students may have on the James Madison experience.
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on campus.
Interested? Sign up via Google Forms.
Be among the first to take part in an exciting new opportunity. As an Alumni-in-Residence, you’ll serve as a trusted resource for students seeking guidance on a wide range of topics, including:
Career paths and job-search strategies
Study abroad and global experiences
Industry insights and personal growth
Each Alumni-in-Residence will create their own schedule, committing 4-8 hours per month. We will have 1-2 Alumni-in-Residence each month. Students will sign up for time slots to meet with you in 15 or 30-minute increments.
This is more than just volunteering — it’s your chance to give back, make an impact and empower the next generation by sharing the lessons you've learned along the way.
If you are interested in participating in this program, apply via Google Forms.
For questions regarding this program, please contact Elizabeth Newman at enewman@msu.edu.
Alumni Notes
Claudia Clark (SRP ‘95) has published her second book, a children’s book titled Hannah’s Call to Care: How One Girl Discovered the Power of Protecting Wildlife. Find more information on Clark’s website.
Andrew Hutson (IR ‘96) started a new role as Vice President of the Agriculture team at Environmental Defense Fund, which works across the U.S., India, EU and China to ensure abundant and affordable food supplies, prosperous rural economies, and clean air and water. He focuses on expanding financial incentives, technical assistance and innovation investments so that farmers and ranchers have the support they need to continue growing food in the face of more extreme weather, while also reducing agriculture’s climate impacts. The role has given him the opportunity to come back to MSU to visit parts of campus he never set foot on as an undergraduate.
Rachel Eberhard (IR ‘09) was named the Senior Director of Real Estate Development for CASA, a non-profit permanent supportive housing provider located in Raleigh, NC. CASA has over 33 years experience of building, owning and managing affordable housing for individuals with disabilities, households experiencing homelessness, veterans, seniors living on fixed incomes, among other vulnerable populations.
Lizbeth Lopez-Bermudez (CCP ‘17) was accepted as a 2025 summer associate for Plunkett Cooney law firm.
Olivia Menosky (PTCD ‘22) was honored as the student commencement speaker at William & Mary Law School this past spring.
Share great news about yourself or a fellow JMC alum.
Join the JMC Alumni LinkedIn group.
Update your contact information with MSU Alumni.