National champs, book awards, handsome fellowships and more

Maccolades is a monthly round-up of the most recent accolades and accomplishments earned by members of the Macalester community. Below are highlights from January and February 2025.

The most ethical

The Macalester Forensics Ethics Bowl team won the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Championship, defeating Stanford by one point in the final round. This marks Macalester’s second national championship in three years. Coached by Casey Moerer ’23, the team included Sihaam Barre ’28, Madeleine Heafey ’28, Colette Lawler ’27, Vin Leang ’27, Rūta Rupeikyte ’27, and Eva Sturm ’26.

The competition brought together 36 teams of undergraduate students from across the country to analyze and discuss ethical dilemmas on topics such as space weaponization, tracking devices, tipping culture, and food waste. Nearly 200 teams compete in regional events each fall to qualify. Watch the final round here. 

Ultimate goals

Kyle Suelflow ’26 was named to the USA Ultimate Under-24 Mixed National Team, which will compete in the World Flying Disc Federation World Under-24 Ultimate Championships in Logroño, Spain in June. His brother Owen Suelflow ’26 was named as one of Ultiworld’s breakout players of the year. Both played for Drag’n Thurst, a mixed club team that tied for third at nationals in November. 

“It is not very often that Division III players get the chance to play at this national team level, and I’m so excited to prove that I belong,” Kyle said. “Hopefully people in the ultimate community can start to see Macalester as a frisbee school.”

A powerful voice for higher education

President Suzanne Rivera was selected to serve in two new leadership roles at national and international organizations dedicated to higher education. The Council of Independent Colleges announced that she is one of six new board members for the organization, which works to support college leadership, advance institutional excellence, and promote understanding of independent higher education’s important contributions to society. President Rivera also was appointed to the Presidential Ambassadors Council of the Association of International Education Administrators, an organization dedicated to equipping leaders to shape the future of higher education in a global context.

A winning first verse

Sarah Ghazal Ali, assistant professor of English, won the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award for her debut poetry collection, Theophanies. The award recognizes promising writers who have published a first volume in either poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Winning writers receive invitations to visit association member colleges, where they give readings, meet with students and faculty members, and discuss technique and creativity in the writing process. 

About her book, the judges note: “With language that is both luxuriant and spiked, the poems in Theophanies are tender, with a soft and quiet voice that transforms their contemplations into powerful meditations on religion, gender, and philosophical thought.”

A big stage for big ideas

Zhijun He ’26 was invited to present research at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, one of the largest political science conferences in the field, with over 4,500 presenters from more than 65 countries.

“This provides an excellent platform to share findings on the impact of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative on development in Ghana and Zambia,” he said. “This analysis helps us understand whether and how international debt relief programs contribute to economic and social development in recipient countries.”

The program committee selected He to present through a competitive review process. The conference provides valuable networking opportunities and the chance to receive feedback from leading scholars in political science. 

Scholarship meets social change

Macalester graduate Abaki Beck ’15 received the University of Minnesota’s Scholarly Excellence in Equity and Diversity Awards, which honor underrepresented undergraduate, graduate, and professional students for their outstanding work in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion while at the University of Minnesota and in the community.

Beck researches the intersection of incarceration, criminalization, and health within the Health Services Research, Policy and Administration PhD program at the School of Public Health on the Twin Cities campus. The awards range from $3,000 to $5,000 for one academic year.

Tops statewide

Several Macalester faculty members were named as finalists for the 2025 Minnesota Book Awards, selected by 30 judges from around the state. Dr. Lisa Mueller, associate professor and chair of political science, was selected for The New Science of Social Change: A Modern Handbook for Activists in the general nonfiction category. In the poetry category, English Professor Sarah Ghazal Ali’s Theophanies was selected as a finalist. Former English faculty member Sally Franson was named a finalist in the genre fiction category, with Big in Sweden. The winners will be announced in a ceremony April 22 at the Ordway in St. Paul.  

Making history in healthcare

Macalester graduate and trustee emeritus Lois Quam ’83 was named CEO of Blue Shield of California, the first woman to serve as CEO in the organization’s 86-year history. She joined the company as president in 2024.   

“For her entire life, Lois has worked to make health care better and more affordable for people from all walks of life,” said Kristina (Kris) Leslie, chair of the Blue Shield of California Board of Directors, in a news release.

“I am focused on the challenges facing our members in every corner of our state, who gather at their kitchen tables and wrestle with their healthcare decisions and whether they can afford them. As the only statewide nonprofit health plan, we can help make those conversations — and their lives — better,” Quam said. 

Empowering students to repair and reuse

The Mansergh-Stuessy Fund awarded a $2,500 grant for Macalester’s Sustainability Office to advance their “Empowering Students to Repair and Reuse” project. The Mansergh-Stuessy Fund supports one-year seed grants for innovative ideas developed and implemented by Gustavus Adolphus College, Hamline University, and Macalester College in Minnesota. 

Mac athletes make the grade

The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced that 101 student-athletes from Macalester earned a spot on the Fall 2024 Academic All-Conference team. This is the highest number of fall honorees for Macalester, surpassing the previous high of 99 set in 2022-23.

To earn Academic All-Conference honors, MIAC student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale while having completed one full-time academic year at their current institution prior to becoming eligible for the award. 

Civically engaged and nationally recognized 

Dr. Dan Trudeau, professor and chair of geography, was recognized as a finalist for the Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award from Campus Compact. The award recognizes senior faculty members for exemplary engaged scholarship, including leadership in advancing students’ civic learning, conducting community-based research, fostering reciprocal community partnerships, building institutional commitments to service-learning and civic engagement, and enhancing higher education’s contributions to the public good.

“Community-engaged research is a core part of what I do as an educator in the Geography Department at Macalester, so I am honored and proud to be recognized by a national organization as a leader in this area,” Prof. Trudeau said. 

Professor Dan Trudeau and his GEOG 277 class (Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography) at East Side Freedom Library with Professor Emeritus Peter Rachleff

A governor’s vote of confidence

Governor Tim Walz appointed Macalester graduate Audrey Partridge ’07 as commissioner of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

“Partridge is a proven leader with expertise in regulatory policy and extensive background in energy and environmental work,” said Governor Walz in a press release. “She will be an effective leader, positioned to guide Minnesota towards 100 percent clean energy while ensuring the delivery of safe, reliable, and sustainable utility services across the state.”

Partridge, the director of policy for the Center for Energy and Environment, expressed gratitude for the appointment. 

“I will work each and every day to meet Minnesota’s ambitious clean energy goals, while maintaining affordability and reliability, and supporting Minnesota’s communities and our highly skilled energy workforce,” she said. 

Fast in the pool, sharp in school

The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association selected Macalester’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams for their Scholar All-America award.

This recognition honors programs that achieve the highest standards in the classroom while representing their institution in the pool. 

“Coach Kyllian Griffin, their staff, and the entire team have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to success both academically and athletically, setting a standard of excellence we can all be proud of,” the association said. 

Hitting all the right notes

Macalester graduate Ross Hutchens ’15 won a McKnight Composer Fellowship. The McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Hutchens will receive a $25,000 fellowship in unrestricted funds, the opportunity to attend an artist residency program coordinated by the Artist Communities Alliance, financial support up to $3,500 to develop works-in-progress, and other resources. 

Hutchens, aka Lonefront, is a multi-instrumentalist. He began with the violin at an early age and earned a bachelor’s degree from Macalester in music with a focus on jazz guitar. He eventually shifted toward audio engineering, transitioning into performing live sets using hardware and modular synthesizers as Lonefront. 

Bringing vision to the board

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, Minnesota’s largest community foundation, elected Macalester graduate Christine Marvin ’03 to its Board of Directors. As chief marketing and experience officer at Marvin, she leads brand growth strategies and marketing and customer experience teams. Passionate about community development and engagement, she volunteers for several causes and nonprofit organizations. Marvin holds a psychology degree from Macalester and an MBA from the University of Denver.

Right on target

Dowvince (Yucen) Pan ’28 is a world champion in archery. He recently represented his home country, the People’s Republic of China, at an Indoor World Series event in Chicago, one of the six indoor tournaments happening around the world in 2025. He won the Recurve Under 21 Men’s Division championship, and is near the top of the rankings worldwide in this group. Pan, a geography major, competes frequently in tournaments in the U.S. and internationally. 

 

Data insights from Iceland

Dr. Alix Johnson, professor of international studies, won the Best First Book Award for 2025 from the Society for Cinema and Media Studies. Since 1971, the society has annually honored the year’s best in cinema and media studies scholarship, teaching, and professional service. Professor Johnson’s book, Where Cloud is Ground: Placing Data and Making Place in Iceland, is the result of years of ethnographic research into Iceland’s growing data storage industry. More information about the book is available here.

Book smart

Ginny Moran ’90, research and instruction librarian, was selected as an M. C. Lang Fellow in Book History, Bibliography, and Humanities Teaching with Historical Sources, a competitive two-year program. She noted that the fellowship highlights Macalester’s commitment to using rare books and special collections to create impactful student experiences.

As a fellow, Moran will explore book history and bibliography, gaining hands-on experience to enhance teaching with historical sources. Her research will support a course she is developing, Alternative Libraries and Info Shops, which examines how people collect and share information. She also plans to collaborate with faculty and staff on community-facing programs that highlight use of primary sources and book history.

Scots make a splash

The Macalester College women’s swimming and diving team turned in its best finish in the history of the program at the MIAC Swimming and Diving Championships, taking second place. 

Among the highlights, Izzy Uhlhorn-Thornton ’26 finished first in the 200-yard breaststroke with a school-record time of 2:20.83. Verity Wray-Raabolle ’25 won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 55.68. The Scots closed out the meet with a thrilling performance in the 400-yard free relay. The team of Caroline Chapon ’25, Olga Merkadeau ’25, Natalie Pollock ’25 and Wray-Raabolle won with a school-record time of 3:33.26.

The men’s swimming and diving team earned 4th place. Macalester’s Kean Pajarillaga ’28 won the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 1:53.77.

Art runs in the family

A new exhibition at the Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University in St. Paul showcases the work of Macalester alumna Monica Rudquist ’83 and her father and former art professor Jerry Rudquist. Reflections and Conversations explores the visual connections between Monica’s ceramic art and the paintings of her late father (1934-2001), who taught painting at Macalester for 45 years.

Filming the forever chemicals story

The Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship named Dr. Morgan Adamson, professor and chair of media and cultural studies, as the 2025-2026 Faculty Fellow. Prof. Adamson, who works at the intersections of nonfiction film and cultural studies, will engage the Macalester and Twin Cities communities in producing Forever and Forever and Forever, an experimental documentary film that follows communities in the East Metro as they come to terms with their own toxic legacy as the birthplace of forever chemicals. The institute praised Adamson’s work as aligning with its mission to foster critical global engagement, examine power structures, and impact social change.

Fulbright excellence, year after year

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recognized Macalester College as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for having one of the highest numbers of students selected for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. These institutions value global connection and support international opportunities for their students.

“Macalester’s tradition of being named a top producer of students for the Fulbright U.S. Student program is just one excellent example of our community’s longstanding commitment to making the world a better place,” said President Suzanne Rivera. “The cultural exchange that the program fosters takes on even more importance in our rapidly changing world, and we’re proud that our students continue to seek knowledge and build relationships in cultures different from their own.”

How to be considered for future Maccolades

If you or someone you know recently earned an award, fellowship, or honor and would like it to be considered for inclusion in next month’s Maccolades, please let Communications & Marketing know by filling out this Maccolades form. For recent book publications, please use this book publication form.