Grand Valley State University has recently partnered with Michigan State University and the Ottawa County Planning Department to find a solution for inconsistencies in groundwater quality within Ottawa County. As the county’s population continues to grow and the agricultural and productive industries in the community flourish, maintaining access to clean water is becoming a challenge.
On Saturday, Sept. 8, Grand Valley State University hosted a number of inaugural matches of the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge season. Students from across west Michigan—such as the Red Storm Robotics team from East Kentwood High School and the TriSonics Robotics team from Allendale High School—gathered on the Pew Campus in Grand Rapids to compete in a robotics competition where teams construct, program and control a robot of their design and test it against other groups’ creation.
On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center collaborated with the GVSU Department of Campus Recreation to put on the second QueeraPOOLooza party—a free event open to all Grand Valley students, staff, and faculty and the general public.
rand Valley State University’s annual DeVos Medical Colloquy will speak about health care access on Monday, Sept. 17 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Eberhard Center located on the GVSU downtown campus. The Colloquy began in March 2005, when the DeVos’ created a forum where medical and ethical significance could be discussed with a speaker and the addition of the public.
Around the beginning of the school year in August, the Papa John’s location in the Commons on GVSU’s Allendale campus was replaced by Oath Pizza. According to GVSU Vice President of Finance Greg Sanial, the location in the Connection is also on its way out. Although the timing of this change has much to do with the comments Schnatter made in June, Sanial says the university has been considering ending their business relationship with the company for quite some time.
Filled with collections of LED lights, 3D printers, computers and virtual reality sets, the technology showcase in the bottom level of the library provides students and staff members with access to innovative technology. This year, the showcase is celebrating its five-year anniversary and a celebratory open house was held on Friday, Sept. 14 in the atrium of the library.
On Thursday, Sept. 13, the Padnos International Center of Grand Valley State University will host the first-ever Story Slam, an event tailored toward students who have studied abroad and the stories they bring home with them. Students will be able to share their foreign experiences with others while connecting and hearing from others who’ve traveled to unique corners of the earth.
During the spring, Grand Valley State University was recognized as a top performer in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2018 Sustainable Campus Index. The university was ranked fourth out of 17 for waste minimization and 10th for well-being and work for master's level universities.