Aquinas College Outreach and Engagement

11/12/2025

🏀 – Join the Game, Support the Mission!

Aquinas College students from Professor Mark O'Toole's
class are turning their coursework into . They’re hosting *Hoops For Hope*, a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise support for Mel Trotter Ministries and help people who are experiencing in Grand Rapids.

📅 Date: Saturday, November 16
🕚 Time: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Location: Aquinas College, Sturrus Sports & Fitness Center, Main Gym
🗓️ Sign-up Deadline TODAY >>> November 12 at 11:59 p.m.

All players and spectators are encouraged to bring donations such as clothing, toiletries, or canned food to support the cause.
💸 Entry Fee: $5 per player (teams of 3–4)
🏆 Prizes: $50 Amazon gift card per player for the winning men’s and women’s teams

are also welcome—come join the fun, cheer on your classmates, and make a difference in our community!
👉 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gwpJKpYz

09/02/2025

📢 Calling all Grand Rapids Area K-8 Teachers!
Aquinas College is excited to invite you to a hands-on that is designed especially for K–8 teachers like you!
This one-day workshop will provide engaging, classroom-ready strategies and activities to help you bring the wonder of physics alive for your students!

✨ "All the Physics I Need to Know, I Learned on the Playground!"
📅 Saturday, September 13, 2025
⏰ 8:30 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Aquinas College, Albertus Science Hall - Room 131
🏫 1607 Robinson Rd SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
👨‍🏫 Kevin Boyd & Mike Fillman, Aquinas College Faculty

Fee: $50 (includes coffee service, box lunch, all workshop materials, and 4 SCECHs)

👉 Register HERE to save your spot! ✅
https://lnkd.in/g8MXpp9w

We hope you’ll join us for this exciting day of learning and discovery! Your participation will not only strengthen your own teaching practice, but also spark curiosity and excitement in your students.

This will be a physical science phenomenon, showing how something as simple as a playground, is where our knowledge of physics began.

03/17/2025

New Aquinas College Partnership with The Mackinac Technology Company Creates Innovative Research Internship for Students

🤝 Aquinas College is excited to announce a new partnership with The Mackinac Technology Company, providing a work-based research internship for chemistry students. Funded by a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant, this collaboration allows students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-world research and development.

🎓 Sophomores Emilie Poirier and Andrew Moody are the first interns testing materials for Mackinac’s ultra-clear silicone window attachments, which significantly reduce energy loss. Through hands-on experimentation, they are developing testing procedures, gaining valuable lab skills, and contributing to a cutting-edge sustainability project.

💡 This partnership is a win-win—under the thoughtful leadership and guidance of AQ Chemistry professor, Dr. Kevin Boyd, students gain industry experience without leaving campus, while Mackinac benefits from access to Aquinas’ state-of-the-art lab facilities. CEO John Slagter and COO Dr. Amy Richards recognize the value of collaborating with passionate young researchers in an academic setting.

🔬 For students like Moody and Poirier, this internship is a stepping stone toward graduate school and careers in scientific research and development. By integrating industry partnerships into its curriculum, Aquinas College continues to prepare students for success beyond the classroom.

Read the full story here: https://www.aquinas.edu/news/2025/mackinac-aquinas-partnership.html

03/17/2025

🌟 Calling all Summer Camp Enthusiasts! 🌟
Join Us for an Unforgettable Summer at Aquinas College!

Get ready for an exciting summer of learning, fun, and friendship at Aquinas College’s *2025 Academic and Athletic Summer Camps*!
Whether you're exploring new STEM concepts 🔬💡, unleashing your creativity in the arts 🎶🎨, having fun exploring new RPG adventures 💎⚔️ , or training with top coaches in your favorite sport 🏀⚽, while enjoying the beautiful nature of the Aquinas campus 🏕️🌿—there's something for everyone!

Make lifelong memories, develop new skills, and connect with friends—all while experiencing the Aquinas Saints spirit! Plus, opportunities are available for each camp, ensuring that every camper has the chance to participate.
Don’t miss out—secure your spot today! 🎉🏆📚
https://lnkd.in/gxeMFnzq
https://lnkd.in/g5xshCTj

🌟 📚 🎉 🏕️ 🤩

07/17/2024

🎉 Exciting News from Aquinas College: https://lnkd.in/gsXgWsAC

This summer and fall, Aquinas students Cameron Moore, Kaitlyn Yonker, and Arzabe Mecchia are thriving in their internships through the Michigan Colleges Alliance - Cooperative Learning Collaborative (CLC), a Program that aims to re-envision the liberal arts of the 21st century by engaging in a collaborative approach to that brings together higher education, industry, and the .

During the summer, the CLC provides participants with a high-impact and placement opportunities with leading employers. In the fall, students will work on and present a defined, value-added that encompasses several positive and for both the intern (i.e., enhanced skills and knowledge, personal and professional growth, project management experience) and the employer (i.e., new and innovative perspectives, positive organizational impact, and access to a well-trained talent pipeline).

Under the guidance of Katharina Häusler-Gross, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Outreach and Engagement at Aquinas, and Amber Titus, Director of Corporate Relations at MCA, these students are gaining invaluable professional experiences and making significant strides in their careers. The MCA-CLC program is a testament to Aquinas College's commitment to providing outstanding career preparation and experiential learning opportunities.
Kudos to our and all MCA-CLC participants!🌟

05/21/2024

The Michigan Colleges Alliance CLC Leadership Program is a
multidisciplinary, cooperative education initiative that connects employers with interns from 15 MCA institutions to enhance student career readiness through a unique format by offering real-world work experience, leadership development, and professional mentoring over two academic sessions in summer and fall.

Renowned and highly experienced business leaders from various industries engage with the intern cohort each Friday thoughout the summer to present 3-hour zoom workshops and discuss topics that are relevant in today's global economy and in the workplace. Partner employers benefit from early access to top talent and faculty-guided projects that support their organizational needs.

Kicking off the 2024 CLC Program, TaRita Johnson, Sr. VP for Talent & Diversity from The Right Place presented on "Emotional Intelligence (EQ)", followed by Doug Peterson, ret. VP of Global HR at Shape Corp., who delivered a session on "Mastering Change in the Workplace".
This week it's my turn, presenting an interactive and hands-on workshop on two (connected) topics: Effective Presentation Skills, and How to Structure, Write and Present a Value Proposition for an Internship Project.
To learn more about MCA, visit https://michigancolleges.org/

05/20/2024

The month of May is just full of celebrations, both personally and professionally, which is why it has taken me so long to share the many wonderful events.
On May 1, we celebrated Aquinas College's Catholic and Dominican heritage and OLLI at Aquinas College by honoring the incredible contributions made by our Dominican Sisters Grand Rapids and Dr. Paul Farr. Dr. Farr's dedication to education and his unwavering commitment to our institution have left an indelible mark on Aquinas College. His legacy of excellence, mentorship, and leadership continues to inspire us all.
Celebrating our Dominican Sisters, whose foundational role and ongoing support have been integral to the growth and success of Aquinas, we are deeply grateful that their spirit of service, faith, and community has profoundly shaped the values we uphold today.
And, of course, it was wonderful to reconnect with so many Aquinas Alumni and Friends, including Aquinas' new OLLI director, Ian MacNeil, and friends from the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids!

04/10/2024

🚴‍♀️ Pedal into Spring with the ! 🌸
Get your wheels ready for the season ahead with Upcycle Bikes and Aquinas College on April 16th!
✔ Join us for a day of FREE bike tune-ups and gear checks to ensure a smooth ride all spring long.
✔ Drop off your old bikes at Aquinas to support Upcycle Bikes' Project, giving transportation to those in need!
✔ Help us by promoting a greener, more connected community!
✔ Let's ride together towards a brighter future! 🌟

03/25/2024

Please join us on Wednesday, March 27 for a faculty-led Panel Discussion on “The Wars in Ukraine and in the Middle East” with Aquinas College scholars Bethany Kilcrease and Jason Kennedy Duncan from the department, and Roger Durham from . Faculty will share their research and perspectives on the topic, and welcome your questions and comments in the following Q&A.

Wednesday, March 27
12:15 pm
Aquinas College - Donnelly Conference Center
Free and Open to the Public
Event Info: https://bit.ly/AQPanelonWars

10/04/2023

Starting in Fall 2024, Aquinas College will introduce , a new financial aid program that completely covers the standard tuition and fees of students with the greatest financial need.
As Brian Matzke, Vice President of Enrollment Management, states: “Aquinas College is committed to making a high quality education affordable for all. Our vision for education focuses on the development of the whole person, and to do that, we must attend to their needs. The Aquinas Assurance will reduce students’ financial anxiety, allowing them to turn their full focus to their studies and discovering their purpose. It’s another step towards ensuring their success.”
For more details on the AQ Assurance please visit: https://lnkd.in/gXTMMQnE

October marked the return of student loan payments for the first time in three years, but incoming freshmen at Aquinas College could avoid them altogether.

09/08/2023

Aquinas College UG and CE students:
Don't miss this wonderful community-engaged and experiential learning trip that is offered during Fall Break.
by September 18!

Interested in a engaged learning trip this fall? Join us for out Fall Break Cultural Education and Engaged Learning Trip to northern Michigan in which we’ll explore cultural awareness and understanding of the modern Native Community, the theological framework of Catholic Social Teaching in the context of multicultural education, and build equity, inclusion and communication skill. Spots are limited and open to all majors and class standing, so apply soon!

Link to apply: https://forms.gle/PRABd3zHVViQm9fz5