LU Lights

Jesús Smith, Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies, rehearses with Pamela Cribbs for Shall We DanceFox Cities. Photo: Danny Damiani

CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LAWRENCE COMMUNITY

# Twelve Lawrence students are setting the foundation for the Social & Environmental Justice Cohort program, an innovative new summer internship initiative at Lawrence made possible by donor support. It’s focused on social and environmental justice issues and has been developed as a shared experience across multiple nonprofit organizations doing work in a particular geographic area. The inaugural participants, guided by Stephen Edward Scarff Professor of International Affairs Jason Brozek, were: Marelis Alvarez (Center for Urban Teaching), Fernando Ismael Delgado (Center for Urban Teaching), Ben DePasquale (Milwaukee Riverkeeper), Jae Franklin (Walker’s Point), Sierra Johnson (Bay Bridge), Jasper Kashou (Blue Lotus Farm), Adya Kadambari (Bay Bridge), Kenneth Penaherrera (Pathfinders), Naomi Torres Solorio (Center for Urban Teaching), Jessica Toncler (Legal Action Wisconsin), Layna Wang (Alderperson Bob Bauman), Lili Xu (Pillars Appleton).

# More than 3,300 donors stepped up to contribute more than $1.97 million to the Lawrence Fund during the record-setting 8th annual Giving Day. # 2021 DownBeat Award makes four in a row! The Lawrence Conservatory of Music’s jazz program has received the national honor that speaks to its ability to creatively make music amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, earning an Outstanding Performance award in DownBeat magazine’s annual Student Music Awards.

# And the honors keep coming for the Conservatory! Five Lawrentians earned recognition from the prestigious American Prize: Director of Opera Studies Copeland Woodruff and Director of Orchestral Studies Mark Dupere and alumni Evan Williams ’11 (Orchestral Performance), Nicolas Bizub ’16 (Composition), and Nick Fahrenkrug ’20 (Opera).

# Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies Jesus Smith has been named part of the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Future 15, a recognition for “outstanding young professionals … chosen based on their professional dedication, strong sense of vision for the future of the Fox Cities, and personal commitment to philanthropy in the community they call home.” In addition to this honor, Smith