BMS professor passes away

Steven Hecht, associate professor of biomedical sciences at Grand Valley State University, passed away Wednesday, April 5, after collapsing near the Cook-DeWitt Center. He was 60 years old.

Hecht starting working at GVSU as an assistant professor of biomedical sciences in 1999 and was promoted to associate professor in 2004. He taught several classes at GVSU, including introductory microbiology, public health concepts, bacterial physicology and medical virology.

‘Laker Remembrance’ to honor deceased GV community members

The annual Laker Remembrance event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 12, beginning at 2 p.m. at the Sustainable Agriculture Project and ending at the Cook-Dewitt Center. The event is meant as a time for people to pay their respects to all the members of the Grand Valley State University community who have been lost over the past year, including alumni, faculty, staff and students.

The event will begin with an open service at the Sustainable Agriculture Project from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Following this will be a memorial next to the Zumberge Pond at 6 p.m. where community members will read poetry and light candles for each Laker who has passed. This will be followed by a silent march to the Cook-Dewitt Center for a reception at 6:45 p.m.

The Cook Carillon Tower will chime once for every person who has died.

Event to highlight refugee crisis and humanitarianism today

“The Humanitarian Pendulum: The Refugee Crisis & Humanitarianism Today” will take place Thursday, April 6, at 6 p.m. in the DeVos Center Loosemore Auditorium.

The event will be a roundtable discussion featuring a panel of student activists, refugees, resettlement staff (both local and overseas) and members of academia. They will be focusing on the moral and political challenges tied to the refugee crisis and the problems with the inclusion of people from unstable areas all over the world in the areas of political, environmental and economic instability.

The event is LIB 100/201 approved.

Community Service Learning Center to host ‘civic conversation’ about climate

The Grand Valley State University Community Service Learning Center will be hosting an installment of its new Civic Conversation series about climate change and sustainability Monday, April 10, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center. During this session, attendees will focus on defining climate.

This event is LIB 100 approved. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/events/civic-conversation-what-is-climate/.