Alumni eNewsletter
Fall 2020
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Message from Dean Michele Jackson |
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As we begin a new academic year, we are both excited for another year of teaching and learning and, also, disappointed that we won’t gather in Holmes due to the complications of the global pandemic.
Yet, as much as we, and, I imagine, you, have great affinity for Holmes Hall, Briggs has never simply been about the hall. This semester, perhaps more than ever before, we recognize that Lyman Briggs is about the people who make up our community. It is our unique way of studying science and exploring its role in every facet of our society. It is our curiosity. It is our commitment to supporting one another. It is our ability to empower the next generation of scientists and leaders. And it is the college’s commitment to our students.
Thank you for being a special part of our community, once as a student, and now as one of our alumni.
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Briggs alumni welcome the Class of 2024 |
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We invited LBC alumni to share favorite memories and advice for incoming and continuing Briggs students for the Fall of 2020. We created a wonderful video that will be sent to students today, and we think it will entice future students as well. Thank you to all of the alumni who gave us their videos and voices for this special project. |
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Briggs Connect: alumni to student mentorship platform |
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The LBC Engagement Office is proud to announce the launch of Briggs Connect: a networking and mentoring hub within the MSU Connect platform.
We are excited about this opportunity for our students, alumni, faculty, and staff to connect through mentorship and career discussions. We look forward to supporting the ongoing successes of the Briggs community in the coming years.
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September 30, 2020 and October 1, 2020
4:00–7:00 p.m.
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Meet some of the university’s best, brightest and most dedicated students pursuing careers and internships in STEM. The virtual career fair will be open to ALL Michigan State University alumni and students.
We know how important it is to create meaningful connections with students who are ready to excel in their new jobs and internships. During the fair, you will be able to chat via video and text in real-time with Michigan State students from all majors and degree levels.
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Always a Briggsie Webinar |
October 6, 2020
11:30 a.m–12:00 p.m.
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Join Dean Jackson and the LBC engagement office for a 30-minute webinar outlining examples of how alumni can engage with Lyman Briggs College, connect with our students, and support our priorities. Topics of discussion will include the Briggs Connect mentoring platform, guest-speaking opportunities, donating to the Student Emergency Fund, and examples of how other alumni have made an impact on the college. |
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Save the Date: Planned Giving Education Webinar |
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October 21, 2020
2:00–3:00 p.m.
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Lyman Briggs College is joining forces with our partner residential colleges at MSU – James Madison College and the Residential College for Arts & Humanities – to host an hour-long webinar diving into how you can leave your legacy at MSU. During this hour you will learn about many of the most popular ways in which other Spartans have chosen to make an impact at MSU. Through these examples, we hope you will learn how you might be able to maximize your philanthropy toward a lasting legacy at MSU. Connection information will be available at a later date. |
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Alumni share encouraging messages for graduating seniors though the Briggs Kindness Campaign
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Universities across the nation postponed or cancelled in-person spring commencement ceremonies and MSU was no exception. This was disappointing for many of our graduating students in the Class of 2020. But these graduating Briggsies were mailed messages of encouragement, messages from YOU, our alumni, through the Briggs Kindness Campaign.
Although the Class of 2020 did not physically walk across the stage in May, their accomplishments are still momentous. Diann Krywko, one of our alumnae, wrote, “Your accomplishments are made no less grand by the absence of a ceremony. The grandeur is in the past years of hard work.”
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Alumni offer advice to students through professional development focused webinars |
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Experience Through Service: Making the Most of Every Opportunity |
In July, Jeff discussed his personal background with volunteering and service, and how they set him up to be a successful doctor. He described how, even in a pandemic, volunteering can provide valuable life experiences (and work experience). |
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Briggs: Beyond the White Coat |
With a degree from Lyman Briggs, career options are endless. Sometimes it can be hard for students to know what those opportunities are, especially outside of the medical field. In this webinar, Dan, Jay and Lauren share their unique career paths. Their expertise and insights were refreshing, encouraging us to keep an open mind when thinking through your future professional career. |
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Kent Workman establishes fund for diversity, equity and inclusion at LBC |
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The fund’s intent is to financially support student initiatives related to diversity and inclusion, funding initiatives like DEI-focused undergraduate research, conference and workshop expenses, and speaker honoraria. It is Workman’s hope that students benefiting from the fund will present what they’ve learned to the community of LBC students, faculty, advisors, staff, and alumni.
Workman recently retired after 32 years of service in alumni relations, residence life, student affairs, and academic advising at MSU, and, for approximately 25 of those years, he worked within Lyman Briggs College. He served as advisor to over a dozen Briggs and MSU student organizations focusing on service to communities here and abroad, racial justice, and multicultural education. In 2018, he was awarded the MSU Excellence in Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives.
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In February, LBC students visit Grand Rapids for networking tour with LBC alumni |
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In February 2020, the LBC engagement office took LBC students on a tour of workplaces, interacting with alumni in West Michigan. Students participated in three site visits where they were able to envision life after the classroom: touring family medicine practices, surgery centers, etc. At each site visit, alumni introduced themselves, shared more about the industries they worked in and told how Briggs had impacted their lives. The day ended with a networking reception at the Secchia Center in downtown Grand Rapids where students were able to interact with many alumni from around the area. |
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If you are interested in participating in something like this in the future,
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LBC senior makes PPE in GM plant during the summer |
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For LBC senior Brendan Wiley, a physiology major, the summer of 2020 went a different direction than he had anticipated. When his ideal scribe position in the emergency room became unfeasible because of COVID-19, he found another useful way to help people with the difficulties of the pandemic: make PPE.
Read about his experience in the GM Warren plant on the LBC website.
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LBC welcomes new Career Consultant |
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Krysta Coleman works closely with members of the college and the Career Services Network to ensure that Briggs students are ready to tackle whatever comes next for them after graduation. She most recently worked at Lawrence Technological University where she served as the Director of Alumni Relations for three years. Prior to that, she worked at MSU as the Assistant Director of Student Life, advising the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU) and coordinating large scale programming with campus partners.
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Interested in giving, volunteering, or connecting with students?
Contact the LBC Engagement Office
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Jackie Richardson
Director of Development and Engagement
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Sarah Dickinson
Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator
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Michele Beltran
Assistant to the Engagement Office
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Krysta Coleman
Career Consultant
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