Faculty at full throttle, star-level access, a legacy celebrated, and more

Maccolades is a monthly round-up of the most recent accolades and accomplishments earned by members of the Macalester community. Below are highlights from November 2025.

Honoring five who elevate Macalester

Five faculty members received Trustee Awards this fall: Sam Asarnow (Philosophy), Darcy Burgund (Psychology), Paul Cantrell (Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science), Bill Moseley (Geography), and Lisa Mueller (Political Science).

Established in 2013 by Trustee Steve Euller ’71, the Trustee Awards provide $5,000 to faculty demonstrating exemplary achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to the Macalester or professional community.

A rare chance with a powerful telescope

Macalester graduate Jackson Codd ’23 was awarded coveted observing time on the National Radio Astronomy Observatory’s Very Large Array — one of the world’s most powerful radio telescopes. As principal investigator, Codd will observe the rho Ophiuchi star formation complex. Securing observing time on this competitively scheduled telescope is difficult for any researcher, making this post-baccalaureate accomplishment especially remarkable.

A remarkable contribution to Islamic Studies

Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature Haci Gündüz was named co-winner of the 2025 Alwaleed Bin Talal Dissertation Prize in Islamic Studies by Harvard University’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program. The honor includes a $1,500 award.

Dr. Gündüz’s dissertation, “A Rūmī in the Lands of Shām: Life, Poetry and Legacy of a Janissary-Turned-Poet Māmayya al- Rūmī (d. 985-7/1577-9),” examines 16th-century Damascene poet Māmayya al-Rūmī, whose popular poetry was later excluded from the modern Arabic literary canon. 

Khaled El-Rouayheb, faculty director of the Islamic Studies Program, praised the dissertation as “a remarkable achievement and substantial contribution to the field of Islamic Studies.”

Prof. Gündüz earned his doctorate in Arabic and Islamic studies from Harvard University.

Moot Court on a roll

Over two weekends, every duo Mac sent to the Moot Court regional competitions returned home with a trophy. Needing to finish in the top 25% of the field to advance in the national competition, Sayuri Cumaranatunge ’27 and Kofi Anyimadu ’28 finished 2nd in Akron, where Willow Albano ’26 and Reece Robinson ’26 also secured their bid. Then in Des Moines, first-year competitors Mae Bradford ’29, Breanna Elmer ’29, Julia Taitano ’29, and Rohini Chatwani ’29 secured their bids with semifinal runs, with Guillermo Munoz-Calanche ’28 and Lillie Perez ’29 advancing to the quarterfinals. Four bids is a team best. Five of these students also won individual speaker honors. 

Making a splash in the Hall of Fame

Former Macalester head swimming and diving coach Bob Pearson was selected for induction into the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America Division III Hall of Fame: Class of 2026. He will join 20 fellow inductees during the association’s annual awards celebration in May 2026. 

Samantha Barany, executive director of the association, underscored the significance of this year’s class: “This recognition honors swimmers, divers, and coaches whose exceptional careers have made a lasting impact on Division III swimming and diving,” she said. “We celebrate these inductees not only for their achievements in competition but for the meaningful contributions they’ve made to their programs, their communities, and the sport as a whole.” 

A long tradition of global citizenship

The Institute of International Education recognized Macalester with an Open Doors 75 Seal of Excellence. A historical review identified Macalester as one of 642 U.S. colleges and universities that reported international student data in both 1949 and 2024. The Open Doors report is the only long-standing, comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars in the United States, as well as U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit.

How to be considered for future Maccolades

If you or someone you know recently earned an award, fellowship, or honor and would like it to be considered for inclusion in next month’s Maccolades, please let Communications & Marketing know by filling out this Maccolades form. For recent book publications, please use this book publication form.