Tag Archives: Grand Valley

GVSU corpse flower

GVSU corpse flower set to bloom again; public invited to see unique plant

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, Education, Kent County, West Michigan, , ,
The GVSU corpse flower back in 2022. (Photo Courtesy: GVSU)


By Wyoming-Kentwood News Today Staff
greer@wktv.org

The corpse flower at Grand Valley State University is getting ready to bloom again and emit its rotting-flesh odor, continuing a blooming timetable that is significantly more prolific than expected.

The Amorphophallus titanum in the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse last bloomed in 2024, when it was on loan at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for visitors, as it was during a quiet time on campus when staffing was low. The plant first bloomed in 2022, when Grand Valley welcomed about 3,500 visitors to the greenhouse.

Starting Oct. 12, Grand Valley will welcome the public once again at the greenhouse on the Valley Campus in Allendale to view the rare tropical plant lovingly nicknamed “The Beast.” While it is not expected to be in peak bloom – and odor – until later in the week, when the peak appears imminent, visiting hours will expand.

GVSU corpse flower 2026
Environmental and Sustainability Studies student, Izzy Cuncannan, waters plants including the corpse flower affectionally known as “The Beast” in the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse Oct. 7. (Photo Courtesy: GVSU)

The plant, which is native to Sumatra, smells like rotting flesh to attract the flies that pollinate the plant. It is one of the largest plants in the world and the peak bloom is fleeting, usually lasting only 24-36 hours, said Christina Hipshier, greenhouse supervisor.

For a plant teeming with unique characteristics, the corpse flower at GVSU has added another one with its blooming schedule. After its initial bloom in 2022 – it was gifted to Grand Valley in 2015 by a former faculty member – it wasn’t expected to bloom for another seven to 10 years.

The 2024 bloom seemed a botanical aberration. With this newest expected bloom, Hipshier is “assuming now this is an established pattern.”

She said the plant grows in the greenhouse’s tropical room, with a general temperature of around 70 degrees and a humidity level of around 70 percent, with regular misting.

But for a plant so spectacular, it doesn’t need special attention, aside from ensuring it isn’t overwatered during its dormant period, Hipshier said. She also sets the plant in a woolen bag to better wick moisture.

How to see GVSU’s corpse flower on the Valley Campus in Allendale:
*Starting Oct. 12, the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse in the Kindschi Hall of Science will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for visitors.
*When the bloom is imminent, the greenhouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
*For fastest updates on expanded hours for peak bloom, check HERE and HERE ON INSTAGRAM.
*Visitors may obtain a free day parking permit at GVSU’s Parking Services office near the Lake Michigan Drive entrance. They can also utilize pay-to-park options.

West Michigan Aviation Academy advances to state Science Olympiad competition

3-bottom, City of Kentwood, Tech Trends, West Michigan, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

About 700 middle and high school students competed in 46 different events for the Regional 12 Science Olympiad competition which was at Grand Valley State University. (Supplied)

West Michigan Aviation Academy beat out 46 other teams to snag one of six high school spots to advance to the Michigan Science Olympiad state competition.

Around 700 middle school and high school students from Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties displayed their STEM-related work during the competition. at the Regional 12 Michigan Science Olympiad which was held Saturday, March 19, on the Grand Valley State University’s Allendale campus. Six middle school and six high school teams qualified for the state tournament, said tournament co-director Chelsea Ridge.

Besides West Michigan Aviation Academy, the other five high school teams were Grand Haven High School, Hudsonville High School, East Grand Rapids High School, Allendale High School and Forest Hills Central High School.

The middle school teams that qualified were Grand Haven’s Lakeshore Middle School, Forest Hills’ Northern Hills Middle School. Hudsonville’s Riley Street Middle School, Grand Haven’s White Pines Intermediate School, Chandler Woods Charter Academy in Belmont, and Allendale Middle School.

 

“The team dynamic helps students to foster a community at their school where they can dig deeper in STEM areas they are passionate about that may not be covered in a traditional science class,” Ridge said. “The tournament is an opportunity for them to showcase all they have worked so diligently to master throughout the season.”

Hosted by the GVSU’s Regional Math and Science Center, the 46 scheduled events included competitions involving airplanes, indoor bottle rockets, vehicles and more.

The state competition is set for April 30 at the Michigan State University campus, which is located in Lansing. 

New classical concert series showcases piano-baed chamber music

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,

By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org

A new classical concert series curated by a Grand Valley State University piano faculty member will present chamber music in venues both on campus and at locations throughout West Michigan.

The inaugural GV Piano Chamber Series will showcase more than a dozen musicians, including several GVSU faculty members, in a series of free, open-to-the-public concerts. The performances start Sept. 20 at the Haas Center for Performing Arts on GVSU’s Allendale Campus and extend into 2022.

The series will feature the totality of German composer Johannes Brahms’ chamber music work written for piano and other instruments, segmented into six programs, said Sookkyung Cho, the associate professor of piano for GVSU who curated the series. Besides the on-campus location, the off-campus concert venues include locations in Grand Rapids as well as along the lakeshore.

Cho will be joined by musicians playing violin, viola, cello, clarinet and horn. These acclaimed musicians have vast experience performing at venues across the globe; many also are current members of, or have appeared, with symphony orchestras in West Michigan.

BrahmsFest, as the series is called, is an opportunity to present piano-based chamber music on some of the most beautiful pianos in the West Michigan area, Cho said.

“This will give us a rare opportunity to explore one composer’s musical world throughout the year, and Brahms’ chamber works are some of the most beautiful music ever written,” Cho said. “The timing also just seemed perfect to me — chamber music is all about coming together, being in harmony with one another, and conversing with each other.

“Most of all, I would just love for audiences to indulge in and enjoy beautiful music.”

Find out more about the series and schedule by visiting the GV Piano Chamber Series website.

GVSU reports regional impact of $816 million

3-bottom, Area Education, Citizen Journalism, Our Cities, ,

 

By Mary Eilleen Lyon, Grand Valley State University

The annual economic impact that Grand Valley State University (GVSU) has on the region is estimated at $816 million. Grand Valley issued its yearly tri-county economic impact report during its April 28 Board of Trustees meeting held at the L. William Seidman Center on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

The economic impact report covers Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties and used 2015-2016 data. Grand Valley employs more than 3,600 people and enrolls more than 25,400 students who spend money and pay taxes in the region.

Some additional highlights of this year’s report include:

  • New construction and renovations pumped more than $83 million into the local economy in 2016, creating more than 1,760 trade and construction jobs.
  • Construction of the $37.5 million Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall will be finished in May 2018 and will expand Grand Valley’s health campus in Grand Rapids.
  • On the Allendale Campus, an addition to the Performing Arts Center will add 44,000-square-feet of additional space to the existing building. The $20-million project will be finished in August.
  • Grand Valley alumni now number more than 106,000 and nearly half are living or working in West Michigan’s tri-county area.

The entire Economic Impact brochure can be found at http://www.gvsu.edu/economicimpact.

For more information on Grand Valley’s impact visit www.gvsu.edu/accountability.

In other board action/discussion, the board approved a resolution for:

  • Reauthorization of three charter schools (Global Heights Academy in Dearborn Heights, Legacy Charter Academy in Detroit, Statewide Cyber);
  • The authorization of a new school (Flint Cultural Center STEAM Academy);
  • The approval of a site addition for another school (Michigan Mathematics and Science Academy in Center Line);
  • The merger of Detroit Achievement Academy and Detroit Prep;
  • The approval of new Charter Contract Terms and Conditions for 6a, 6e, and 6c schools;
  • The appointment or reappointment of charter school board members to GVSU-authorized public school academy boards.