Author: Madeleine Jepsen (Madeleine Jepsen)

Home Madeleine Jepsen
Stargazing and supermoons: Astronomy over the weekend
Post

Stargazing and supermoons: Astronomy over the weekend

Although a telescope was necessary to see some of the celestial bodies in the sky during Friday’s telescope viewing, anyone on campus could see the first and only supermoon of 2017 Sunday night. Supermoons occur when a full moon appears larger and brighter than normal.  This phenomenon occurs because of the moon’s elliptical orbit around the...

Untangling the proteins in Parkinson’s disease
Post

Untangling the proteins in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease that results from the death of dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain, affects more than 10 million people worldwide, according to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Although the disease includes a variety of symptoms, patients often experience shaking or tremors, slowness of movement, or trouble balancing. For the past two summers, senior Taylor...

The Michigander  ‘in the middle of the American century’
Post

The Michigander ‘in the middle of the American century’

A portrait of former Republican Sen. Arthur Vandenberg hangs in the U.S. Capitol’s Senate reception room — a rare honor bestowed upon only nine senators — in part due to his role in establishing the Marshall Plan, the United Nations, and NATO. Although he was also a writer of newspaper columns, speeches, and books, he...

A ‘cheerleader at heart,’ Aumock teaches fitness for 33 years
Post

A ‘cheerleader at heart,’ Aumock teaches fitness for 33 years

Upbeat pop music, color-coded dumbbells, and a cheerful face greet students walking into a fitness class led by Lecturer in Sports Studies Alesia Aumock. “When I think of Alesia Aumock, I think of her contagious, cheerful disposition,” said Associate Dean of Women Rebekah Dell ’06, who participated in Aumock’s classes as a member of the...

Antibody analysis for autoimmune diseases
Post

Antibody analysis for autoimmune diseases

In autoimmune diseases, the human body’s own defense system turns against itself, attacking healthy cells and their protein components.  Junior Christine Ausherman spent her summer at the Van Andel Research Institute as part of their Frederik and Lena Meijer Summer Internship Program, where she worked on a new method to pinpoint which proteins are being...