GVSU - College of Education and Community Innovation

On August 6th, 2026, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced appointments to several statewide boards and task forces, and one of those appointed was a GVSU CECI alumni!

A huge congratulations to John Piggot, who was appointed to the Michigan Community Corrections Board. John is the chief of police at the Farmington Hills Police Department, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from GVSU. The Michigan Community Corrections Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections. It is charged with approving many components of community corrections programs, including goals, eligibility criteria, program guidelines, program standards and policies, the application process, procedures for funding, and criteria for evaluation.

We would like to once again wish John a huge congratulations on behalf of the CECI community!

Taking care of your community can serve as the beginning of a student’s journey into civic education.
That theme ran through this summer's Groundswell Stewardship Initiative Summer Institute. Around 40 K-12 teachers spent three days taking part in experiential place-based education training as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

Groundswell partnered with the Michigan Center for Civic Education for a panel discussion that included state and local elected officials who shared insight on ways that students can take part in or influence the governmental process to make positive environmental change. Thanks to everyone who attended to help get the upcoming year off to a positive start!

One of our Master's of Health Administration students is spending her summer at a unique internship that could help her become a CEO in just a few years. Learn more about a CECI partnership that's making it all possible at the link in the first comment. GVSU Public, Nonprofit, and Health Administration

We would like to congratulate Dr. Lihua Huang, professor in the GVSU School of Social Work (SSW), on her recent appointment to the Council on Social Work Education's (CSWE) Center for Gerontology Education! Members of the council play an important role in improving gerontological competence within social work education.

Dr. Huang also recently completed her second term as a Board of Accreditation (BOA) member for CSWE, which is CECI’s accrediting body for the SSW. She served in this role for six years, which required a heavy workload for service to her profession and she supported CECI’s accreditation efforts as a consultant based on this expertise.

Huge congratulations to Dr. Huang on her accomplishments!

We would like to give a congratulatory shout-out to CECI alumni Josh Owens! Owens has been appointed as the Charter Township of Texas superintendent. Texas Township is located in Kalamazoo County, west of Portage, MI.

Owens graduated from GVSU in 2018 with his Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.). He also previously served as an administrative analyst for the City of Grand Rapids.

Owens brings several years of high-level public and private sector experience to his new role as superintendent. Outside of his work in Grand Rapids, Owens served as the deputy supervisor of Oshtemo Charter Township, and as the director of operations for Phoenix Construction Management & Services.

Huge congratulations Josh – we’re wishing you the best as you take the next step in your career!

Congratulations to the Master's of Health Administration (MHA-SCLD) program for earning an eight-year reaccreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). The reaccreditation recognizes the program's commitment to healthcare leadership education and the work of program director, Raymond Higbea, and all the faculty and staff. You can read the full announcement from CAHME at the link in the first comment.

GVSU Hospitality & Tourism Management Affiliate Professor Duane Zuber led a team of five outstanding HTM students to this year's Asian American Hotel Owners Association Convention in Philadelphia for a multi-day student competition. Competing against 12 other universities, the two GVSU teams advanced to the finals with one team winning in the simulation category and other team winning the overall competition! Congratulations to these students, who continue to make us proud!

We're extremely proud of the Bellamy Creek program which confers a Bachelor of Science degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration through CECI's School of Community Leadership and Development. This program offers incarcerated students inside the Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility the opportunity to prepare for a career in the nonprofit sector or in hospitality and tourism management.

The program's location requires creativity from faculty and students to adapt to the unique location. Take a look at how this is done at the link in the first comment.

Recently, Teacher Education hosted a Pinning Ceremony for their graduating teacher interns. More than 200 teacher interns from Birth-Kindergarten, Elementary, Secondary, and Graduate Teacher Certification programs were recognized and presented with their apple pins, as they transition into their professional careers as educators.

Pamela Madrigal, Hadley Halterman, and Brianna Miller (Zukowski) served as student speakers for this event, each sharing thoughtful reflections and inspiring words to their fellow student body.

While Pamela Madrigal addressed her classmates, her baby, Leilani, held by Dr. Christine Kenney, cheered her mom on from the audience! Congratulations to all of our graduating interns! GVSU Education Programs

K-12 students from across the area came to the DeVos Center to showcase their outdoor projects at the annual Groundswell Student Project Showcase. 27 projects were on display, all involving hands-on, community-based learning in environmental science.

The event was hosted by the Groundswell Stewardship Initiative, a coalition of partners across West Michigan that is led by CECI's Center for Educational Partnerships and provides teachers the resources they need for these real-world learning opportunities.