Along N. 13th, Page 5

Supported by a grant from the Reading Musical Foundation, Mike D’Errico, Ph.D., chair and assistant professor of music as well as director of music technology and composition at Albright, completed an eight-week workshop series, teaching core music elements to kindergarten students at Albright Early Learning Center.

D’Errico captured the children’s attention with BlipBlox synthesizers — designed specifically for children with abstract colors and symbols to represent different musical components. Kindergarteners learned about instrumentation, rhythm, frequency, synthesis, modulation and effects, recording and sequencing.

Albright has been named an inaugural member institution of the Liberal Arts Colleges Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), a consortium of liberal arts colleges focused on confronting racism and racial equity.

LACRELA offers discussions and strategies on confronting explicit acts of racism and racial violence on campus, strategically hiring, supporting and retaining faculty and staff of color, and creating equitable pathways to leadership roles for employees of color. Presidents of alliance colleges meet at least quarterly to share strategies, seek advice and identify ways to leverage the alliance for collective impact on racial equity in higher education.

In addition to professional learning experiences and a repository of resources and tools, founders are developing a pair of workplace climate surveys for LACRELA member colleges.

Thania Inoa De Jesus ’21 was selected as the sole 2021 CUPRAP Diversity Scholarship recipient by the College and University Public Relations and Associated Professionals (CUPRAP) organization.

CUPRAP sponsors the annual $2,500 scholarship in recognition of the need to attract a more diverse group of professionals to the communications field. Awardees are selected based on academic ability, communication skill and creativity as demonstrated through work samples and financial need.

With aspirations to own a public relations firm focusing on women-owned businesses, Inoa De Jesus was a highly-involved senior, fluent in both English and Spanish, working four jobs while studying business and communications and minoring in Spanish and art.

“As a first-generation college student, I understand that I have an advantage that my family did not have, therefore it is important for me to make a difference,” said Inoa De Jesus. “I want to be able to help women through advertisement, product design, website design and more.”

Promoting engagement over prestige, Colleges of Distinction has recognized Albright College as a student-centered school, whose primary goals are based on student success and satisfaction.

More than half of Albright’s students personalize their degrees by crossing or combining majors. And with a fully residential, close-knit community, students get to know their professors on an individual basis. Students in all programs are encouraged to work one-on-one with faculty mentors through programs like the Albright Creative Research Experience. A number of students are also led abroad by faculty to locales such as Costa Rica and Ecuador and more to engage in culture, research and coursework.