Sarah Webb, who graduated in April with a major in Digital Media Production and a focus on entertainment design and technology, will join Yale University as a year-long intern specializing in projection engineering.

Webb shared that EMU prepared her academically and empowered her to think boldly and pursue opportunities she once thought were out of reach, crediting EMU’s hands-on learning environment for preparing her to thrive in competitive creative industries.

“EMU allowed me to explore different creative spaces and truly find my passion,” said Webb. “The hands-on experiences in media production and entertainment design gave me a unique combination of technical and storytelling skills that prepared me for this next level. I was trusted with leadership roles, pushed to take the initiative, and constantly encouraged to innovate,  all of which made me confident in stepping into a place like Yale.”

Beyond academics, Webb took full advantage of EMU’s co-curricular opportunities to sharpen her professional and leadership skills.

Her journey began as a technical assistant in EMU’s digital media program, where she gained behind-the-scenes experience and launched Keeping It E, a show spotlighting student life. Her discovery of projection design led her to work on numerous productions on and off campus.

“Once I found my path in projection design, I dove in headfirst,” said Webb. “I’ve worked on numerous projects as a designer, both on campus and professionally, while still a student,” she said. Webb points to Professor Jeromy Hopgood as instrumental in introducing her to the world of projection design.

“His mentorship completely changed the direction of my life,” she said. “He helped me build the skills, confidence, and portfolio that opened doors I never imagined possible.”

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Eastern Michigan University’s Forensics team capped off a successful season with a third-place finish at the National Forensics Association National Tournament, held April 17–21, 2025, in Detroit. The team competed against 53 colleges and universities from 23 states, reaffirming its national reputation for excellence in competitive speaking and performance. The team’s performance surpassed that of other institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, Rice University, the University of Minnesota, and George Mason University.

The team brought 19 students to the national stage, participating in more than 80 performances across a variety of categories. Of those performances, 54 advanced to elimination rounds, with every student competing in extemporaneous and persuasive speaking advancing past the initial stage — a testament to the depth and quality of the program. 

This achievement follows the recent fifth-place finish in the American Forensics Association Competition. The competition occurred April 5-9, and Eastern competed against  57 schools from 26 states. EMU beat teams from Harvard, Cornell, University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Rutgers, among others.

“This year, the team was led by six seniors who put in hours practicing and helping their teammates,” said Bill Heinze, director of Forensics, School of Communication, Media and Theatre Arts. “I believe the team's most recent success can be attributed to the support of staff and alumni. Lee Schwab, who teaches the acting events, was the reason we were able to have three students compete in the same national final for the first time in decades. Along with their work, more than 30 alumni returned to help students, send letters of encouragement, or make donations to the team.” 

Highlights from the  tournament include:

• Caroline Buxton: Novice National Champion in Pros Interpretation

• Izzy Drummer: Quarterfinalist in Rhetorical Criticism

• Sasha Greer: Quarterfinalist in Poetry Interpretation

• Ethan O’Neill: Quarterfinalist in After-Dinner Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking

• Teagan Fuller: Semifinalist in Prose

• Jason Folk: Quarterfinalist in Extemporaneous Speaking and After-Dinner Speaking

• Hannah Ihrig: Quarterfinalist in Prose, Duo, Poetry, and Program Oral Interpretation

• Estelle Hackos: Quarterfinalist, Impromptu Speaking

• Olivia Wetzel – Quarterfinalist, Persuasive and After-Dinner Speaking; Semifinalist, Informative Speaking; sixth place in both Extemporaneous and Impromptu Speaking

• Meghan Heulsman – Quarterfinalist, After-Dinner Speaking and Duo Interpretation with Gavin Millard; also earned fifth place nationally in Duo with Louise Engohang

• AbdurRahman Elder: Quarterfinalist in Poetry and Rhetorical Criticism; fourth place, Informative Speaking

• Gavin Millard: Quarterfinalist, Duo and After-Dinner Speaking; Semifinalist, Prose and Rhetorical Criticism; third place, Program Oral Interpretation; 12th overall, Individual Sweepstakes

• Louise Engohang: Quarterfinalist, Informative Speaking; Semifinalist, Persuasive Speaking and Rhetorical Criticism; fifth place, Duo; third place, Prose and Poetry; sixth overall speaker in the nation

“It was amazing to take third (at NFA), said Heinze. “I'm excited that this year's success only sets us up for a better 2025-26 season.”

National Forensics Powerhouse

With an unwavering dedication to excellence and a storied history of success, the Eastern Michigan University Forensics Team has consistently demonstrated its prowess as a collegiate forensics powerhouse. Notable achievements include:

• Maintained a top 10 national ranking for over four decades.

• Secured 2nd place at the 2023 National Forensics Association Championship, competing against the nation's elite.

• Clinched victories in Duo Interpretation, Impromptu, and Critical Analysis, among others.

• Benefited from intensive one-on-one coaching sessions, fostering meticulous analysis and strategy refinement to ensure continuous improvement.

• Achieved 11 national championships with the guidance of over 100 alumni coaches.

For over four decades, EMU Forensics has established a legacy of success that is second to none. As one of the founding members of the National Forensic Association, EMU has consistently excelled on the national stage. With 11 national championships and numerous runner-up titles, EMU has maintained its position among the top 10 teams in the nation, solidifying its legacy as a powerhouse in the world of collegiate forensics. "For over four decades, EMU Forensics has upheld a legacy of excellence that stands as a testament to our commitment to the art of forensics," said Ray Quiel, former EMU forensics director and inductee into the EMU Forensic Hall of Fame. "We have consistently ranked among the nation's top 10 teams, with 11 national championships and numerous runner-up titles, making EMU a true powerhouse in collegiate forensics."

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Eastern Michigan University sophomore Jason Folk was selected for the 2025 Student Voting Honor Roll by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (All IN). Nominated by their university, recipients nationwide are recognized for their outstanding efforts to increase college student voters and democratic engagement on campuses nationwide. 

"This award doesn't just represent me, but the amazing work, dedication, and tenacity of the EMU community," said Folk. "I am beyond proud to be an Eagle, and this is my way of supporting the community that has given me so much."

Folk, an Honors College student from Akron, Ohio, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Communication with a minor in Political Science, has demonstrated a significant commitment to public service and voter engagement. He recently completed his term on the Michigan Collegiate Student Advisory Task Force, which was founded to increase youth voter engagement and civic participation. On the force, he helped propose changes in Michigan’s legislature to make voting more accessible to college students. 

Folk also served as a Campus Vote Project Democracy Fellow through the Campus Vote Project, which works with schools nationwide to help fund student leaders and support democratic engagement work.

Much of Folk’s work has been through Voting at EMU, Eastern's sponsored voter education initiative on campus, run by Eastern's Engage office. Additionally, he is the founder of Eastern Votes, a student-led organization that hosts events such as election night watch parties and down-ballot dialogue. 

Folk feels his reach has expanded, and his primary focus is on increasing civic engagement. "Being an active citizen goes far beyond just voting," said Folk. "It involves staying current, contacting elected officials, and so much more."

ALL IN, established in 2016, supports over 1,000 colleges and universities nationwide, encouraging students to participate in nonpartisan democratic engagement. According to ALL IN’s history, during the 2018 and 2020 elections, campuses that participated in ALL IN were associated with voter registration and turnout rates 2.2% higher than non-participating campuses. 

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Eastern Michigan University’s APEX (Atmospheric Physics Experiment) students are taking science to new heights. In collaboration with teams across the country, EMU students recently launched a high-altitude weather balloon as part of a national initiative to measure changes in galactic cosmic rays during periods of heightened solar activity. The mission aimed to study a rare event known as the Forbush Decrease—a dip in galactic cosmic rays caused when a coronal mass ejection from the sun disrupts the Earth’s magnetic field. 

EMU APEX provides student scientists with a platform to design, build, and conduct experiments to study the atmosphere. The group started as part of a NASA-funded project to make atmospheric measurements from high-altitude weather balloons during solar eclipses.

“Projects like EMU APEX get students to go beyond the classroom and put the knowledge and tools they have been building into practice,” said Dave Pawlowski, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at EMU. “The students get experience participating in a project in much the same way they will when they enter the workforce. These students leave EMU much better prepared to help solve various problems we care about as a society, from engineering and building safe vehicles to designing more robust and sustainable energy systems.”

For EMU students Joud Bamehriz and Isaac Thompson, APEX shaped their academic path.

“The idea of contributing to a mission that combines atmospheric science, particle detection, and engineering was exciting,” said Bamehriz, physics senior. “I wanted to be part of a team that builds, tests, and launches real systems, and APEX gave me that chance.”

“This project has allowed me to explore new interests that I may pursue further down my academic career,” said Thompson, physics research senior. “I treasure the chance I had to broaden that part of my professional toolbox.”

Since December, EMU’s student scientists have modified their high-altitude payloads to enhance data collection. Their recent balloon launch revealed that while ground-based detectors observed a Forbush Decrease, the two instruments they flew did not. The students discovered this because their detectors measure particles at higher energies than the detectors on the ground. 

“We’ve been fortunate to have a diverse group of student participants,” Pawlowski added. “When younger students see people like themselves having fun in real science missions, they start to see themselves in this space.”

APEX solidified career goals for Bamehriz and Nathan Guerra, a Physics senior at EMU.

“It sharpened my skills in instrumentation, systems integration, and data analysis,” said Bamehriz. “I now know I want to pursue a career in aerospace or applied physics. APEX gave me the confidence to tackle complex problems—both independently and as part of a team.”

“After doing this project, I am looking into learning more about the electrical side of it and becoming an engineer,” said Guerra. “This project reinforced what I loved about science: designing and testing it with the new design, and seeing how we can do better, rather than fully looking at the data and analyzing it.”

Looking ahead, the APEX team has several new missions in the works. Students are currently working on payload upgrades, including one project focused on understanding how the balloon vents at extreme altitudes, where temperature and elasticity pose engineering challenges. The group is also considering launching a balloon during the next total solar eclipse, visible from Spain in August 2026. APEX hopes to send a small contingent of EMU and high school students to conduct another high-altitude experiment during the eclipse, pending funding.

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Alum Dr. Joe Sacksteder (MA, 2011, Creative Writing) has published his second novel, Hack House. Hack House turns Dr. Sacksteder’s real life experiences as a house painter while obtaining his M.A. and the lore of a real home into fiction. The story chronicles the work of the six members of the Lotus Painting crew on the Losada family home, a historic Victorian house with a sinister past. Deemed ”unendingly hilarious and inventive” by Angela Woodward, author of Ink and Natural Wonders, Hack House is an experimental horror novel that steadily simmers as home improvement devolves into home invasion over the course of one blistering Michigan summer.

“The more I looked into the history of this house my painting crew was working on—built using absconded investments in the fraudulent Electric Sugar Refining Company of the 1880s in New York City—the more haunted the property started to feel,” Dr. Sacksteder said of the book’s inspiration. “At its heart, though, the novel is about manual labor, prompting readers to think critically about how the effects of repetitive, grueling work cumulatively register on the body, psyche, and environment.”

Read the full Sweet Briar College News story

Eastern Michigan University's Bachelor of Science degree in simulation, animation, and gaming (SAG) has once again earned recognition, securing a spot among the top 25 animation programs in the U.S., according to Animation Career Review. Now in its 14th year, the publication has consistently recognized EMU’s program throughout its rankings. 

"Simulation, Animation, and Gaming is thrilled to be recognized by the Animation Career Review," said Ryan English, assistant professor in EMU’s SAG program. "Animation and game design are ingrained in our society, and EMU's School of Art and Design is positioned to help propel students in these ever-evolving and exciting fields."

In addition to the national ranking, Eastern has been ranked No. 5 in Michigan for best animation school programs. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, EMU’s School of Art and Design offers students both bachelor's degrees and minors that focus on simulation, animation, and gaming. The program gives students a variety of experiences by combining traditional art mediums with creative writing, animation, 3D camerawork, and more. 

Animation Career Review began publishing its rankings in 2012 to help aspiring animators and designers identify the best academic programs in their area. This year's rankings evaluated 207 schools based on factors such as graduation and retention rates, academic reputation, program depth, and more.

“Over the past fourteen years, Animation Career Review has generated nearly 16 million unique visitors, with an average of over 1.1 million per year,” said Shawn Harrell, public relations director at Animation Career Review. “We sincerely hope that in that time, the schools represented in our annual rankings have benefited from the exposure to the prospective animation students and their parents who use our site as a starting point in their college search process.”

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The EMU Theatre for the Young Tour was created in 1968 under the direction of Professor Emerita Thelma McDaniel with the goal of creating innovative and engaging ways to perform for first-time audience members and young people. Over half a century later, the EMU Theatre for the Young Tour still strives to connect students in southeast Michigan to high-quality art. This year our productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Girl Who Swallowed a Cactus performed for over 3,500 students (K-12) in schools and libraries in the greater Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor area and engaged over 40 EMU undergraduate and graduate students as actors, stage managers, crew, and designers.

More information or to book a tour