Goshen College students in an Ecology and Evolution class sample macroinvertebrates from the Elkhart River, with the help of community volunteers, as biological indicators of the quality of the water.
Photos by Alysha Landis.

Goshen College’s alma mater proclaims, “There’s a spot in Indiana where the leafy Maple grows; Tis our dear and glorious Parkside where the Elkhart River flows.”

But how much e-coli and lawn fertilizer are also flowing in the river, and is it safe?

Some Goshen College students are collaborating with community members to monitor the water quality of the nearby Elkhart River – and the students are using their new iPads to do it.

On Oct. 1, Associate Professor of Biology Ryan Sensenig’s Ecology and Evolution class launched a five-week collaborative project between a local company, Hertzler Systems Inc., the Goshen College Informatics and Biology departments and members of the Community Clean Water Project to test the water quality of the Elkhart River. With their new iPads, the students can enter the water quality data they collect at the river directly into their tablets using an app designed by Goshen College sophomore Jacob Shetler during an internship with Hertzler Systems, Inc.

After being entered into the app, the water quality data is automatically uploaded to a server on campus where a software program, donated by Hertzler Inc., compiles the data and presents trends, means and some basic analysis. These data include everything from chemical results to counts of invertebrate species. Students of Sensenig’s biology class will each design a website that communicates these data to the public. The best designs will be selected by Hertzler Systems staff to be implemented with the help of a Goshen College informatics class in the spring.

“This will eventually allow anyone using a mobile device to access weekly water data in real-time in a user friendly way that promotes increased awareness,” said Sensenig.

Out in the field, students sampled macroinvertebrates from the Elkhart River as biological indicators of the quality of the water. Volunteers from the Community Clean Water Project helped the students gather samples. The volunteer group, which was formed about four years ago by Sensenig and local environmental educator Melissa Kinsey, adopted the statewide monitoring program of Hoosier Riverwatch at a local level. The group is made up of community volunteers who monitor the river year-round.

“Our goal is to learn about the quality of the water and to educate interested citizens,” said Kinsey. “We’re interested in creation care, protecting the earth’s resources, being aware of the human impact on the quality of the water and the safety of the water.

With the introduction of the iPad for all first-year students at Goshen College, Sensenig has adjusted the clean water project. “With the iPads, it allows us to emphasize to students the importance of using technology to communicate scientific findings to the public,” he said. “And having the ability to type in data right in the field is a compelling way of using the iPad.”

For many students in the class, this project is an introduction to citizen science. People who fish or boat on the Elkhart River, live along the river or are just concerned citizens will soon easily be able to access the latest information about the river’s water quality.

“It’s important for the students to be able to take everything they learned from class and figure out what are the most important things to communicate, and what is the best way to communicate it in a user-friendly way?” said Sensenig. “It’s not just enough to know the science, but they need to be able to engage the community.”

Evan Miller, of Hertzler Systems, Inc., which has donated thousands of dollars of time and software to the project, said, “At a personal level, as a member of my local community, it feels great to participate in something that brings together town, gown, and business for the good of a community asset, our river.”

– By Alysha Landis

Maple Scholars gives students the opportunity to participate in independent research projects alongside Goshen College faculty of various disciplines. Each scholar is paired with a faculty member who serves as both colleague and supervisor.

Paul Keim & Marcelle Al-Zoughbi

Marcelle Al-Zoughbi, an elementary education/special education and TESOL double major from Bethlehem, Palestine worked with Professor of Bible and Religion Paul Keim on a project to envision, develop and institute a program of Arabic Studies that embodies the unique ethos of our Anabaptist heritage and equips students for further study and service in the Arab world.

David Housman & Philip Bontrager

Philip Bontrager, a junior informatics major from Goshen, Ind., worked with Professor of Mathematics David Housman on a project developing visualizations to assist in better understanding notions of fairness and their interrelationships in resource allocation problems.

Lisa Horst & Deb Brubaker

Lisa Horst, a 2012 graduate who majored in music education from Goshen, Ind., worked with Professor of Music Debra Brubaker on a project archiving and digitizing field recordings that Professor Emeritus Mary Oyer recorded between 1969 and 1987.

Caleb Hostetler & Kent Palmer

Caleb Hostetler, a senior informatics major from Souderton, Pa., worked with Professor of Informatics Kent Palmer on developing a higher education application for mobile technology.

Rhiannon Jones, a senior biology major from Lafayette, Ind., worked with Professor of Physics Carl Helrich on a project attempting to establish the form of cholesterol structures on phospholipid (biological) membranes experimentally.

Jenna Nofziger & Stan Grove & Nathaniel Tann

Jenna Nofziger, a junior molecular biology/biochemistry major from Archbold, Ohio, and Nathaniel Tann, a 2012 graduate with majors in biology and psychology from East Petersburg, Pa., worked with Professor of Biology Stan Grove on a project generating algal biomass inexpensively enough to allow the derived biofuel to compete with petroleum-based fuels.

Beth Martin Birky & Grace Parker

Grace Parker, a senior English and Bible and religion double major from Wichita, Kan., worked with Professor of English Beth Martin Birky on researching the theme of social justice in the work of Virginia Woolf.

Rebecca Weaver & Lauren Stoltzfus

Lauren Stoltzfus, a senior English writing major from Lancaster, Pa., and Rebecca Weaver, a 2012 graduate with a major in psychology from Harleysville, Pa., worked with Professor of English Ann Hostetler on a project collecting research data on the pedagogy of multicultural literature studied at the college level.

Mara Swartzendruber & Andy Ammons

Mara Swartzendruber, a senior biology major from Albuquerque, N.M., worked with Assistant Professor of Biology Andrew Ammons studied stress on honeybees.

Bob Yoder & Leanna Teodosio

Leanna Teodosio, a junior sociology and Bible and religion major from Lima, Ohio, worked with Campus Pastor Bob Yoder on a project exploring how Goshen College can better support the faith development of students.

Emily Trapp & Bev Lapp

Emily Trapp, a senior music and communications major from Canby, Ore., worked with Professor of Music Beverly K. Lapp on a project analyzing the content of several popular piano methods to determine the balance of creative work and effectiveness of these within the curriculum for developing pianists, with hopes of producing an online resource that summarizes this research to aid piano teachers.

John D. Roth & Kate Yoder

Kate Yoder, a junior art and English writing major from Elkhart, Ind., worked with Professor of History John D. Roth on a project compiling an in-depth bibliography of sources related to Christian martyrdom, the “Martyrs Mirror,” and costly discipleship in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition in preparation for an August international consultation called “Bearing Witness: A New ‘Martyrs Mirror’ for the 21st Century?”

The college’s Maple Scholars program began in 1998. Unlike undergraduate research projects at many larger universities where students work only with graduate students, students in Maple Scholars work with professors who can answer their questions and guide them in their research and learning. Students also get the chance to share their work together in a colloquium each Friday and engage other students across disciplines.

– By Anna Ruth

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Deane-Drummond has been professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame since August 2011. Her unique appointment is concurrent between the Department of Theology in the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Science. She was elected fellow of the Eck Institute for Global Health at the University of Notre Dame in September 2011.

Deane-Drummond graduated with a degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University and obtained a doctorate in plant physiology at Reading University prior to two postdoctoral fellowships at the University of British Columbia and Cambridge University. She subsequently took up a lectureship in plant physiology at Durham University before turning her attention more fully to theological study, obtaining an honors degree in theology and then a doctorate in systematic theology from Manchester University.

During her scientific career Deane-Drummond lectured both nationally and internationally, and published over 30 scientific articles. Since then, she has published numerous articles, books, edited collections and contributions to books, focusing particularly on the engagement of systematic theology and the biological sciences, alongside practical, ethical discussion in bioethics and environmental ethics. She has lectured widely both nationally and internationally on all areas relating theology and theological ethics with different aspects of the biosciences, especially ecology and genetics.

From 2000 to 2011 Deane-Drummond was professor of theology and the biological sciences at the University of Chester, and was director of the Center for Religion and the Biosciences that was launched in 2002. In May 2011, she was elected chair of the European Forum for the Study of Religion and Environment. She was editor of the international journal “Ecotheology” for six years.

Since 1992 Deane-Drummond has published as a single author or as an editor 22 books, as well as 33 contributions to books and 43 articles in areas relating to theology or ethics. Her more recent books include: “Ecotheology” (DLT/Novalis/St Mary’s Press, 2008); “Christ and Evolution: Wonder and Wisdom” (Minneapolis: Fortress/London: SCM Press, 2009); “Creaturely Theology: On God, Humans and Other Animals,” edited with David Clough (London: SCM Press, 2009); “Seeds of Hope: Facing the Challenge of Climate Justice” (London: CAFOD, 2010) and “Religion and Ecology in the Public Sphere,” edited with Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (London, Continuum, 2011).

Goshen College’s Religion and Science Conference is designed to provide maximum interaction with one of the principal thinkers in the dialogue between religion and science. A single invited speaker presents three lectures, two of which are open to the public. Small, moderated discussion sessions provide conference participants an opportunity to address topics from the lectures, and others, in conversation with the speaker.

Conference attendants and participants include pastors and interested laypersons, as well as academic scientists, mathematicians, theologians and students. For more information about the conference, visitwww.goshen.edu/religionscience.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Modeled after the Olympic games, participating schools field teams of 15 students, who prepare to compete in a variety of science events at the regional and state competitions. Nearly all of the events are hands-on, making them more meaningful and fun for the students. Volunteers, many of which are Goshen College science students and faculty/staff, will oversee and judge the events.

With approximately 180 students participating, two middle school teams and one high school team will advance to the state tournament. A wild card tournament for teams who almost qualified for the state tournament will be held on Saturday, March 10 at Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette to fill any remaining spots at the state tournament. This year’s state competition will be held at Indiana University Bloomington on Saturday, March 24. The national tournament will be held May 18-19 at the University of Central Florida, in Orlando, Fla.

The day will begin with registration, at 7:30 a.m., and a welcome ceremony, at 8:30 a.m., both in the Church-Chapel. The participants will then proceed to compete in various events throughout campus. An awards ceremony at 3:15 p.m. in the Church-Chapel will conclude the day. The Science Olympiad opening and awards ceremonies are open to the community, but some competitions are closed to observers. The competitions will take place in Goshen College’s Music Center, Administration Building, Union Building, Wyse Hall and Science Building.

The teams in Division B (grades six to nine) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, Imagine MASTer Academy, Manchester Junior/Senior High School, Northridge Middle School, South Bend Career Academy, St. Pius X, Catholic School and The Stanley Clark School. Teams in Division C (grades nine to 12) will come from the following schools: Bethany Christian Schools, John Adams High School, LaPorte High School, Manchester Junior/Senior High School and Mishawaka High School.

The Science Olympiad began in 1983 and involves more than 12,000 schools nationally. For more information and a schedule of the day’s events, contact Professor of Mathematics David Housman at (574) 535-7405 or visitwww.goshen.edu/bio/SciOlymp.

The Goshen College Indiana Science Olympiad is supported by Bayer Healthcare LLC.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Acting News Bureau Coordinator Alysha Bergey Landis at (574) 535-7762 or alyshabl@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s ”America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. — Members of the Goshen College community reacted with shock, disbelief and sorrow when they learned about the homicide of Professor of Biology James S. Miller. Since then, a candlelight vigil and convocation on campus and visitations and two church services have helped students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends cope with the tragic death and given them a deeper appreciation for Professor Miller’s many contributions to Goshen College.

The Goshen Police Department reported that Professor Miller, 58, was killed during a home invasion robbery at his home about 1 a.m. on Oct. 9. Linda Miller, Professor Miller’s wife, was wounded in the attack and was hospitalized for five days. She continues to recover.

While police spent countless hours investigating the case, family, friends and members of the college community gathered six times over nine days following the homicide to praise God, pray for the Miller family and to remember Professor Miller’s 31 years of service to the college.

At the most recent gathering, two hours after his burial on Oct. 17, nearly 900 people crowded into Clinton Frame Mennonite Church in Goshen for a memorial service led by Terry Diener, lead pastor at the church. Two of Professor Miller’s children played a duet on flute and piano while his brother and sister offered recollections of their childhood with Professor Miller.

President James E. Brenneman offered condolences to Linda Miller, and their children, Lisa Rose Martin and Leanne and Robert Miller. In a moving tribute, the president said that Professor Miller understood better than most the Scripture’s claim that  “If one part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part experiences joy, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

“We not only suffer with you in your loss, we extend to you our deepest heartfelt sympathies, our ceaseless prayers and abiding support. We, along with you, will lose parts of Jim in bits and pieces for a long, long time to come. The body is broken,” Brenneman said.

“We also rejoice with you in the human, loving, thoughtful, fallible, quirky, gift that was Jim’s person. We are thankful that in major research facilities and makeshift medical hovels, at countless bedsides, in operating rooms and drop-in clinics all across the globe and right across the street, thousands are being tended to, cared for, blessed and will be so for years to come by those taught by Dr. Jim Miller,” Brenneman said. “Jim was passionately driven to keeping Goshen College among the top colleges and universities in the nation for getting pre-med students into medical school.  He wanted our future nurses, our budding research scientists and physicians to be among the best in the world, as they are.”

Brenneman described Professor Miller as a man of faith who was dedicated to science, fascinated by the human body and committed to helping his students. To better connect with students, Professor Miller told jokes and puns, faithfully attended campus athletic events, worked long hours and maintained an open-door policy. He also supported his faculty colleagues.”Faculty members remember Jim as someone who would go the second mile for his students, giving retakes on exams, coming back to the office on Sundays to help a student prepare for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). He was someone to emulate in his availability and the number of student scholars he mentored,” Brenneman said. “He reached out to new faculty time and time again to make them feel at home at Goshen College.”

President Brenneman also recalled Professor Miller’s pride in Robert and Leanne, who are members of the Goshen High School band. The entire Crimson Marching Band attended the memorial service and played three hymns, which drew tears from some people.

Brenneman ended his remarks by returning to the theme of the body, saying, “We are, along with you, part of what Scripture calls ‘the body of Christ.’ Like the human body, such a body with its spiritual DNA is a miracle to behold, able to decode beauty, experience joy, bear pain, and generate healing.

“On behalf of all of us at Goshen College, I pray that each one of us — touched as we were by the life of Professor Jim — will discover here on earth what he now knows in heaven. Discover that wondrous new and living body that is now his forever and ever. So, as Leanne has taught us with such poise on the performance field, here’s to you, Jim,” Brenneman said as he raised his head and right arm and blew a gentle kiss toward heaven.

Less than 19 hours after Professor Miller died, President Brenneman and Campus Pastor Bob Yoder led an equally emotional candlelight vigil on campus, which was attended by nearly 500 people. The crowd gathered beside the south entrance of the Science Building and heard words of comfort and sorrow from Brenneman and Yoder. Many people prayed, cried and sang hymns.The next morning, President Brenneman led a convocation to remember Professor Miller. The convocation began with the lighting of an oil lamp while the president said: “We light this lamp in prayer, remembrance and recognition of the life and light of Christ and his servant Professor Jim Miller. In so doing, we are reminded that light overcomes all darkness, love overcomes all hate, and life overcomes even death itself.”

In between hymns and periods of silence, students, faculty and staff members offered brief comments about Professor Miller, which evoked tears as well as laughter. Throughout the week, sorrow, joy and gratitude were common emotions expressed as students and colleagues coped with Professor Miller’s death and recalled his legacy amid extensive news media coverage.

Meanwhile, administrators kept the campus community informed about the status of the homicide investigation and encouraged students and employees to keep safety foremost on their minds. The Goshen Police Department provided extra patrols around campus and adjacent neighborhoods.

In the following days, prayers for the Miller family as well as for friends, students and colleagues were offered both on campus as well as during a prayer service at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church on Oct. 12 and during two periods of visitation at the church on Oct. 16. Professor Miller’s life was celebrated in displays of photos, documents, personal items and written reflections at the visitations and the memorial service.

Clinton Frame Pastor Terry Diener gave a call to worship to the nearly 900 people who gathered at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church on Monday, Oct. 17 for a memorial service for James Miller.

James Steven Miller was born Aug. 6, 1953, in Millersburg, Ohio, to Oscar Miller and Elizabeth (Bixel) Miller. He grew up in Berlin, Ohio, and graduated in 1971 from Hiland High School, where he was valedictorian. He also was a member of the National Honor Society, the Science Club, the Quiz Team and the yearbook staff and was the statistician for the basketball team.He graduated summa cum laude from Bluffton University in 1975 with a B.S. degree in chemistry. He was a C. Henry Smith Fellow, a member of the Academic Policies and Services Committee and secretary of the Investment Club. During summers, he did factory work at Berlin Wood Products.

He completed his doctorate degree in physiological chemistry (now known as medical biochemistry) at Ohio State University in 1980. His research interests included lipids, prostaglandins, platelets, tissue culture, atherosclerosis and nutrition. At Ohio State, his work experience included serving as a graduate research assistant, a computer programmer and a laboratory assistant.

He came to Goshen College to teach in 1980. The Goshen College Board of Directors granted him tenure as associate professor of biology in June 1985. He primarily taught upper-level courses taken by students in health-related tracks. He taught pre-med students, counseled them about medical school applications and wrote many references for students resulting in admission to medical schools. He also was chair of the Pre-Med Committee and adviser to the Pre-Med Club and supervised Maple Scholar researchers in the summer and numerous lab assistants.

As department chair, he was chief spokesperson for the Biology Department on the committee for the renovation of the Science Building. He took the lead in selecting and purchasing new lab equipment for measuring metabolic rates of individuals and supervised other faculty in learning to use this equipment. His “Fetal Pig Dissection Guide, Including Sheep Heart, Brain and Eye,” which was copyright in 1993-1994, is still used as a major resource in this area.

Professor Miller was known as a serious and dedicated academician and researcher. Family members and colleagues say he loved computers and applied a rigorous scientific approach to much of what he did — from teaching and administering tests to researching ways to ease his chronic back pain and improving his sense of humor.

After noting that some students gave him low marks for his sense of humor, he set about to change that. He collected jokes, eventually compiling an extensive database of jokes and puns, and practiced his delivery by telling jokes to family members. When he was off campus and an administrative assistant was assigned to administer a test in his absence, he would leave a joke to be delivered to students his behalf. Eventually, student evaluations confirmed an increase in his humor scores.

“Professor Miller was highly respected by students for his knowledge of the content he taught and for his understanding of current developments in the biological sciences,” said Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean Anita Stalter.”His classes were difficult but as one student noted, ‘Dr. Miller does a good job of relating course material to real-life situations and problems, which helps to keep students focused and interested.’

“Jim cared deeply about student learning and often worked with students outside of class who needed additional instruction. He will be missed at Goshen College as a teacher and colleague,”

Ryan Sensenig, chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, said Professor Miller’s death has left a void in the Biology Department that will not be easily filled. In the short term, however, retired and adjunct faculty will teach Professor Miller’s students for the rest of the fall semester.

Professor Miller was an active participant at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church, and before that College Mennonite Church. He was an avid member of the Millersburg Radio Control Modelers (airplane) Club.

He married Linda Suderman July 7, 1991, in Fresno, Calif. She survives.

Also surviving are two daughters: Lisa Rose (Jeff) Martin, and Leanne Miller, both of Goshen; a son, Robert Miller, Goshen; a grandson, Jared Martin; and his mother, Elizabeth (Marlin) Jeschke, Goshen; a sister, Kathy (Willard) Fenton-Miller, Marcellus, Mich.; and a brother, Tom (Crystal) Miller, Portland, Ore. Professor Miller was preceded in death by his father, Oscar Miller.

—Written by Richard R. Aguirre

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Director of Public Relations Richard R. Aguirre at (574) 535-7571 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. — Goshen College President James E. Brenneman today sent the following statement to students, faculty and staff:

“It is with profound sadness that I inform you of the death this morning of Professor James S. Miller, 58, a professor of biology at Goshen College since 1980.

“The Goshen Police Department has issued a press release to the news media reporting that as the result of a home invasion robbery, Professor Miller and his wife, Linda, were attacked early on Oct. 9. Jim died at the scene and Linda was wounded, and was being treated at a regional hospital.

“Police are conducting an investigation into the death, so we encourage all members of the campus community to cooperate fully. Police have asked anyone with information in connection with the case to please contact the Goshen Police Department at (574) 533-8661 or the Michiana Crime Stoppers at (800) 342-STOP.

“Words cannot adequately convey our grief over the enormity of this tragedy. We offer our prayers and support to the Miller and Jeschke families and we ask that you please keep them in your prayers. We also will be holding in our prayers Professor Miller’s students, colleagues, friends and alumni.

“In the coming hours we will pass along any information we receive about arrangements. We also will be contacting Professor Miller’s students about arrangements being made for his classes.

“At 8 p.m. tonight, there will be a brief time of prayer and reflection for the campus community outside the south entrance to the Science Building to give all an opportunity to grieve and to pray for our brother and friend.”

Professor James Steven Miller came to Goshen College to teach in 1980, the same year he completed his doctorate degree in medical biochemistry at Ohio State University. He received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1975 from Bluffton (Ohio) University. The Goshen College Board of Directors granted Professor Miller tenure in June 1985. He primarily taught upper-level courses taken by students in nursing, pre-medical and other health-related tracks.

Professor Miller is survived by his wife, Linda, three children, his mother and other family members.

We do understand that this tragedy will be of interest to the news media as well as other members of this community. However, we hope that the news media will respect the privacy of the family and our campus community for the next few days. If further information is needed, please contact Richard R. Aguirre, director of the Public Relations Office, at (574) 535-7571 (office) or (574) 524-5946 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

 —Information provided by Richard R. Aguirre

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College Director of Public Relations Richard R. Aguirre at (574) 535-7571 (office) or (574) 524-5946 or rraguirre@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. – While most college students spent their summers working a summer job and taking a break from studies, four Goshen College students and recent alumni spent the summer riding around the African savanna in a Land Rover, spotting elephants and studying fire ecology with their professor.

For six weeks this summer, the students had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in Kenya as they worked alongside Associate Professor of Biology Ryan Sensenig on his fire ecology research. The four students were: Laura Schlabach, a 2010 graduate from Goshen who majored in communication and environmental science; David Stoesz, a senior biology and environmental science major from Indianapolis, Ind.; Tori Yoder, a 2011 graduate from Goshen who majored in biology and environmental science; and Luke Zehr, a junior biology and environmental science major from Tiskilwa, Ill. The students worked at the Mpala Research Center in Laikipia, Kenya, and helped re-survey burns that Sensenig completed in 2004-05 when he was doing his doctoral research there.

The research
The Fire Ecology Research Team surveyed more than 13,000 trees and gained some insight about local sustainable development. “I think the team returned with a better idea of the process of scientific research, but they also spoke highly of the opportunity to work with the local community and tackle questions of conservation and sustainable development,” said Sensenig. “Working in Laikipia, Kenya, affords us the opportunity to wrestle with how to do conservation of wildlife, while simultaneously working to address needs in the local human community.”

Sensenig’s previous research included conducting burns in different ranches in Laikipia. Fire is a natural part of savanna ecosystems, as it removes old plant parts and allows young, tender plants to grow. His previous research also tracked different animals’ grazing patterns.

From that research – recently published in the journal “Ecology” – he and his team found that smaller animals preferred the fresh re-growth that sprouted after the burns took place, and larger animals continued to graze mostly in unburned territories. In this way, they found that fires could increase diversity.

The students’ research involved tracking which habitat animals chose to graze in, as well as surveying whistling thorn trees at the old burn sites. As the group surveyed the trees, they assessed the tree growth, the species of ants that resides in the tree and evidence of elephant browsing.

When Sensenig and his team began recording post-burn data years ago, they found that elephants seemed to push over trees more in burned areas than unburned areas. The students continued investigating the role of elephants, in the hopes of finding out whether elephants choose to browse more heavily in burned areas and why. This area of research will most directly affect the large cattle ranches present in certain areas of Kenya.

An intercultural experience
Living at the Mpala Research Center allowed the students to interact with researchers from all over the world. “Living at the Mpala Research Center was an exiting time of learning more about the international scientific community, and how effective collaborating with researchers of diverse backgrounds can be in strengthening a team’s approach to a project,” said Zehr.

But the students’ time in Kenya wasn’t only spent surveying trees. The times in between being out in the field researching were filled with hiking and animal spotting. Travelling to different burn sites in the Land Rover often provided opportunities for animal sightings. Herds of elephants would obstruct their path, gazelles leapt in the distance and lion cubs played not far away.

“I now have a better appreciation for the role of curiosity in the research process,” said Yoder. “Becoming curious about one’s surrounding and asking a lot of questions is essential to both designing and implementing a research project. Whether I return to Kenya to continue investigating these questions someday or move on to other projects, I hope to maintain an avid curiosity about the ecosystems of which I am a part.”

Beyond the awe of the wildlife, the students had the opportunity to get to know the Kenyan people and culture, too. One day, a native Kenyan and a research assistant for the team invited the students and Sensenig’s family to his home for a Maasai naming ceremony for his youngest daughter.

“It was a tremendous honor to be invited to this special event as honored guests, and was one of the most memorable days of my time in Kenya,” wrote Schlabach in a post on the group’s blog. “The experience highlighted for me again the importance of respect, family and prioritizing time and energy into relationships with people from different cultures around the world.”

– By Alysha Landis

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Northwestern University

Luke Skywalker may have gotten his bionic arm “in a galaxy far, far away,” but Lee E. Miller ’80 is leading cutting-edge research to restore lost limb movement no farther away than Chicago. Miller uses advanced surgically implanted electronics and signal processing systems with a goal of helping people regain mobility and independence after spinal cord injuries or amputations.

Miller, who earned a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a Ph.D. in physiology from Northwestern University, is a professor of physiology in Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. He holds a primary appointment in the Department of Physiology and a secondary appointment in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Northwestern’s Board of Trustees recently named Miller the Edgar C. Stuntz Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience (an endowed professorship) in recognition of his research, publications, teaching and stature in the field.

In his Miller Laboratory of Limb Motor Control, Miller and his post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and research technicians conduct research in the emerging and highly interdisciplinary field of neural engineering. Miller directs laboratory efforts and international collaborations that seek to understand the nature of the signals within the brain that control arm movements to someday restore movement and limb sensation to paralyzed patients and amputees.

Miller’s lab is engaged in a new field of research within neural engineering – the development of a “Brain Machine Interface (BMI)” – that seeks to meld mind and machine. He’s developing a BMI that could restore control to the paralyzed muscles of a spinal cord injured patient by using brain recordings and computers to bypass the injury and directly activate the muscles through electrical stimulation. In a closely related project, Miller and his team activate tiny regions of the brain electrically in an effort to restore the sense of touch and limb position lost as a result of the injury.

Miller often returns to Goshen College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physics, to lecture in science division-sponsored forums about his research. He’s also found a way to bring the college to his lab: he has hired five GC science graduates as technicians – Klaus Huebert ’99, Luke Jordan ’02, Matthew Bauman ’06, Rebecca Friesen ’09 and David Bontrager ’08. “They’ve been uniformly terrific. My faculty colleagues are jealous of my steady supply of great technicians,” Miller said.

– By Richard R. Aguirre

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College is announcing a new, unique opportunity for undergraduate students to earn a semester of college credit in a fairly unconventional way. Merry Lea Environmental Learning Centerof Goshen College will offer – beginning in the fall of 2011 – the Sustainability Semester in Residence for students to live and learn in Indiana’s first platinum-rated LEED® facility located on an 1,189-acre nature preserve. A cohort of six to 15 students will engage complex problems related to the regional watershed.”There are no other programs like it,” said Luke Gascho, executive director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center. “There are some that have commonalities, but none focused on sustainability that combine all of the aspects of this program in the way that we do.”

Students will be fully immersed in the ecosystems they are studying. The program will incorporate the Elkhart River watershed with an active style of learning with professors and living in community with fellow students. And while the primary focus of study will be water, students will work with broader themes like regeneration, sustainable living and eco-justice for the whole semester.

“Water is a natural central theme for our program for several reasons,” said Merry Lea Environmental Science Educator Lisa Zinn, director of the Sustainability Semester. “One is that this part of Indiana was at one time a huge complex of lakes, wetlands and swamps that were eventually drained, dramatically changing the landscape. Also, water is one of the things that we all hold in common in this area. We all depend on the water in our watershed for many things, but that water is not owned by one person or entity. Exploring how we manage and treat something that we all value and hold in common is a great model for many environmental issues of our time.”

Participating students will live in cottages that make up Rieth Village, which earned Indiana’s first platinum LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2007. Because of the building’s design, students will flush the toilet with rainwater, heat their coffee with solar power and stay cool with the help of white metal roofs and careful building orientation.The method of teaching for this semester-long program will be problem-based learning, which means that instead of being passive consumers of lectures, students will be solving problems by asking questions, researching answers, integrating theory with practice and communicating what they learn with others. In particular, this kind of learning expects students to draw from multiple disciplines to find the best solutions. Class time will include activities such as visiting local nonprofits and canoeing on the Elkhart River.

“We believe that working on issues of sustainability can never happen from a single discipline and be very effective,” said Gascho. “One can’t just take a scientific perspective without paying attention to the human, political and faith perspectives, or else there is a big gap in terms of effectiveness in responding to real world problems.”

During the semester students will earn 15 credit hours in classes about environmental policy and politics, faith and ethics in relation to the environment, the biology of water sources and more. Though this program may be of particular interest for environmental science majors, students from all majors (and from other colleges) are invited to participate and find ways to connect sustainability with their major or a minor.

Zinn said, “We hope that students will leave this program with hope for the future and feeling empowered to be able to effect change in their own communities. We want them to understand that environmental problems are complex and that there is always a wide range of perspectives on each issue. However, we want them to leave feeling they have the tools to approach those complex problems and work with others to address them in effective ways.”

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College is a 1,189-acre nature preserve 40 minutes southeast of the main college campus. It contains most of the ecosystems found in northern Indiana and is especially known for its wetlands. Merry Lea”s wetlands feed the headwaters of the Elkhart River and offer an ideal setting in which to study inland waters. Three lakes are part of the property, and a canoe is always handy. Ditches crisscross the property; marshes burst into frog song each spring and 50 acres of wetland restorations are busy fighting off reed canary grass. Eight miles of hiking trails meander through forests and prairies and lead to bogs, fens, shrub carr and vernal ponds.

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report‘s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.

GOSHEN, Ind. – As a biology and environmental science professor, Ryan Sensenig knows that his students need to learn more than how to use a microscope or all of the scientific names of the plants they are studying.

Instead, creating connections – between people, cultures and different academic disciplines – has always been key to the way he has approached his own life and what he strives to teach everyday in the classroom. “There is no dividing line between sociology, biology, ecology and peace and justice issues,” said Sensenig, associate professor of biology at Goshen College. “I love ecology and environmental science because the complexity of connections forever intrigues me, and further binds me to a broader social and biological community.”

Sensenig’s interdisciplinary exploration began as a child in Kenya. Born to parents who were teaching and serving in the East African country, he enjoyed cross-cultural connections with his Kenyan brothers and sisters.

“One significant way to make peace is becoming a member of a community,” Sensenig said. His service at a refugee camp in conflict-ridden eastern Kenya in 1992 clearly demonstrated to him the connections between peace, poverty and ecology. After finishing his undergraduate degree as an international agriculture and biology double major at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), Sensenig was anxious to apply the multidisciplinary tools he acquired.

“I appreciated the connections between disciplines within my work,” he said. “Also there was a focus on rural development overseas as a part of my college study that took me back to Kenya.”

Sensenig initially began his service experience working with refugees reeling from a recent war. He helped distribute food to 50,000 refugees in three different desert camps.

Over time, Sensenig helped meet broader social needs in a larger region. With 150,000 refugees from different ethnic groups and language backgrounds, there was a need to create a community for these people to sustain peace and give meaning to their lives. Sensenig began a recreation program, organizing volleyball games, soccer games and art activities for the refugees.

Sensenig also responded to ecological concerns by establishing a tree-planting project. After the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) cut down hundreds of native acacia trees to create the camp, he and others organized a program to replant shade trees for the refugees and their animals.

“Many people understand the connection between war and the environment; during war the environment suffers due to habitat destruction and excessive exploitation,” Sensenig said. “But the reverse is also true. If the environment is unstable and ecological needs aren’t met, then peace suffers.”

Sensenig’s time in Kenya convinced him to pursue education to teach others about the importance of these connections. He taught high school ecology for six years in Harrisonburg, Va. “As an educator, I see part of my job as to encourage students (and myself) to dig deeply to find and unveil connections, which can help us understand our role in the larger community, locally and globally,” he said.

As a professor and director of the environmental science program at Goshen since 2007, Sensenig continues to bring lessons he learned in Kenya to the classroom and the campus. In his classes – General Ecology, Principles of Environmental Science, Marine Biology in the Florida Keys and Biological World – Sensenig sees his most important goal as demonstrating “ecological thinking,” the idea that any given thing is tied to a multitude of other things.

Sensenig collaborates with students, administrators and professors from other departments on the Ecological Stewardship Committee to make the campus more sustainable, including establishing prairie grass areas on campus. “These challenges are naturally interdisciplinary; solutions require social, economic and technical contributions,” Sensenig said.

And Sensenig is currently involved in two research projects focused on grassland systems. As the Lindsey Fellow at the college’s Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, he has started a tall grass prairie grazing experiment to examine the effect of large herbivores on plant dynamics. And in Kenya’s Laikipia savanna, he is studying the important role grassland fires play in creating food variety for animals. That research was recently published in the journal Ecologyin November 2010.

While in Kenya where Sensenig pursued doctoral work in wildlife ecology, he and his wife, Donna, who also shares experiences growing up in East Africa, adopted their two children, Mara and Isaac, who are both now seven years old.

“Since we both were born in East Africa and have a high interest in staying connected to this part of the world, it felt somewhat natural to become a multi-ethnic family,” Sensenig said.

During the spring 2011 semester, Sensenig and his family are leading a group of Goshen College students to Tanzania through the Study-Service Term program. The family will then spend six weeks during the summer in Kenya where Sensenig will continue his grassland research data collection, along with four Goshen College students.

“I am trying to establish an intercultural tension within my kids,” he said. “This is part of what we should all do to feel global accountability and connection both to our home as well as to another community elsewhere in the world.”

– By Lydie Assefa

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.