Laker Effect Challenge returns to campus

The submission window for Grand Valley State University’s Laker Effect Challenge is open until Friday, March 2. 

The competition invites students and faculty to submit pitches that will have an impact on the West Michigan community. A panel of judges will award up to $5,000 to the winning pitch, with another $500 being available to the best poster.

Last semester, a team of students from the Kirkhof College of Nursing won first place and $3,000 for their submission, focused on breastfeeding in the African-American community. A volunteer safety initiative and a children’s book bag project each earned $1,000. 

This semester, students will have until Friday, March 2, to submit their ideas. Online voting will take place from March 5 through March 14 at www.gvsu.edu/challenge. The seven projects with the most votes will make it to the final reception, which will take place Thursday, April 12, in the L.V. Eberhard Center on the Pew Campus.  

Incoming students to be eligible for study-abroad scholarships

On Tuesday, Feb. 13, Grand Valley State University announced that incoming first-year students beginning with the class of 2019 will be eligible for study-abroad scholarships. The initiative is a collaboration between the GVSU admissions office and the Padnos International Center.

The goal of the program, dubbed “Lakers Go Abroad!” is to make studying abroad more accessible for GVSU students. First-year students who qualify will be able to receive $2,000 in scholarship funds to use over the course of their four-year college careers. 

Both the admissions office and PIC hope the scholarships will make GVSU more appealing to prospective students basing their college decisions off of study-abroad programs.

GVSU earns recognition for online graduate program

Grand Valley State University’s online certificate for applied behavioral analysis was named one of the 40 best programs in the country by appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com. 

The rating and ranking methodology factors included faculty to student ratio, average graduate tuition rate and Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification pass rate. The full rankings can be found at www.appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com/rankings/online-aba-certificate-programs/.

‘Sleepless Nights’ taking place this weekend

Grand Valley State University’s Spotlight Productions is holding a “Sleepless Nights” event on Friday, Feb. 16, from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Activities will be available to students in various rooms in the Kirkhof Center. 

The Grand River Room will house comedian Ryan O’Flanagan, and students can play trivia with DJ Mark Witz. The lounge will showcase a mini GVSU talent show and henna. The Kirkhof Center Big Screen Theater will be playing “Thor: Ragnarok,” and popcorn will be provided. Room 2263 will have crafts and a pong tournament. Free food and giveaways will be provided to students throughout the night, too.