July 17, 2025 GRCC graduate Dallas Hansen is diving headfirst into the world of AI, with his eyes toward working in the science field. A recent GRCC graduate, Dallas returned to college for a second time to explore courses in Computer Information Systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It was a move driven by curiosity and a desire to build something new — and it paid off. Jonnathan Resendiz , Assistant Professor at the Computer Information Systems Department and the Faculty Director of the AI Incubator, saw the potential in Dallas and recommended him for an internship at Kyros Digital. Dallas started his internship in June and felt confident stepping into the role. “The work I’m doing now is very similar to what I was doing in class,” Hansen said. “What surprised me a little bit was how experimental this field still is. There are so many modeling tools, and we have to figure out which one to use with every job. I was expecting it to be a lot more concrete, but this is actually more like a playground where you get to try different things.” Though it might seem like a leap, Dallas’s interest in AI has roots in his original academic path. “The first time through GRCC, I was interested in chemical engineering,” Hansen said. “There are a lot of similarities between that and computer science. With both disciplines, you need to understand the core mechanics. Then you can experiment to find answers and solve problems. Computer science is different, however, because you can see the results of your tests right away.” Now, Dallas is focused on where AI can go next — especially in the field that intersect with science and innovation. “I think it’s fascinating to try and mimic the human mind,” Hansen said. “I’ve been working with large language models in my internship as I write code for conversational AI. For example, I’ve written code to make outbound calls for scheduling appointments, and for helping people obtain product information. The human mind is so complex, and for AI, language is a guessing game. It looks at a word and guesses the probability of what the next word could be. I like to say that it hallucinates, because sometimes it guesses wrong! The better job the person does of prompting the AI with concrete questions, the better job it can do of answering. I love the troubleshooting and debugging that goes into creating the right flow and producing correct answers.” While the conversational language AI models are interesting, for Dallas, the real draw of AI comes from its potential in the sciences. That’s where he also hopes to leverage his chemical engineering skills. “AI is a fantastic tool when you are working with a lot of data,” Hansen said. “It allows you to hyper-focus on very specific tasks. For example, people are creating models that decode proteins in order to figure out how to decompose plastics. That depth and level of work would be impossible to do without AI. I want to train and model AI to solve problems like this.” Dallas intends to leverage what he learned at GRCC into a four-year degree from the University of Michigan. “I found out about the Go Blue Guarantee , which provides free tuition to in-state students,” Hansen said. “I went back to GRCC using the Michigan Reconnect program to pay for my tuition. I got the basics here so I can transfer to the University of Michigan School of Information. I wasn’t accepted this year, but I’m planning to try again. Or, if this internship turns into a job, I may consider further schooling online. But either way, I’m excited about what I can do in the future with what I’ve learned.” Learn more about the Computer Information Systems Pathway or the Artificial Intelligence Certificate . This story reported by Julie Hordyk

July 15, 2025 It’s not every day a 21-year old brewer takes home an international award. But, on May 1, 2025, Archival Brewing’s head brewer, Garret Fox, did just that — earning a Silver Award in the Historical Beer Category at the World Beer Cup, one of the most prestigious competitions in the craft brewing industry. Fox, a graduate of Grand Rapids Community College’s craft brewing program , is one of the youngest brewers to medal at the global event. The award-winning beer, Aegir’s Wreath, stood out for its adherence to historical brewing techniques and distinct flavor.  A Foundation Built at GRCC Fox’s brewing journey began at GRCC, where hands-on learning and real-world experience are central to the craft brewing program. “GRCC really introduced me to the community quickly,” Fox said. “We toured a lot of breweries during the program. It was very hands-on.”  Every student in the program is required to intern at a local brewery. That’s how Fox began working with Levi and Callee Knoll, owners of Archival Brewing and alumni of GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education .  “We got really lucky when we met Garret,” said Levi Knoll. “He has an incredible drive and skillset. His knowledge for craft beer and the brewing process, along with his ability to learn quickly, is a winning combination. He has an amazing work ethic to go along with it all.” The Recipe for Success   Aegir’s Wreath was part of Archival Brewing’s opening lineup — but it didn’t win over every brewer. “Our brewer at the time hated it,” Levi said, laughing. “But it was a popular beer, so we kept it on the menu. Garrett is the only one who can brew it consistently. He’s the reason we took home silver.”   While the Knolls created the recipe, they credit Fox with executing it to perfection. “Recipes are one thing,” Levi said. “Knowing the technique and having the skill set to execute the recipe is an entirely different thing. I can hand the same recipe to 30 different brewers and you’ll get 30 different beers.”  Fox credits his early success to his education at GRCC.  “The program was very beneficial,” he said. “GRCC gets us into the brewery as quickly as possible. They make sure we’re hitting our temperatures and know what we’re doing overall. Once I took over and started brewing, I felt like I had all the experience I needed to succeed. I felt confident brewing beer.”  Brewing Tradition, Honoring History Aegir’s Wreath takes up to 10 hours to brew and demands a patient mind, a diligent approach and historical knowledge.  “You just have to know, with this particular beer, it’s going to be a long day,” Fox said. “If you diligently go through the steps of the recipe, stay patient and know it’s going to come out, you’ll have a great beer at the end of it.” The beer is inspired by Scandinavian brewing traditions. Aegir, a figure from Norse mythology, is a sea giant associated with brewing. The “wreath” refers to a kveik ring —  yeast-preserving tool passed down through generations. “There is a wide history in how beer was brewed,” said Callee Knoll. “It was actually the women who used to brew it. They were the foragers and did the work while the men were out hunting. Putting together the name Aegir’s Wreath helped us tell the story of the beer. We felt it captured the history of it all.”  Raising a Glass to the Future Levi and Callee started Archival Brewing in their garage, driven by a love for traditional brewing methods and storytelling through beer. Today, that passion is paying off. Not just in awards, but in the rising talent of brewers like Fox.  In a community that thrives on coming together and supporting one another, it only makes sense that a beer celebrating that same sentiment would be recognized on a world stage. The next time you visit Archival Brewing in Belmont, Michigan, order a pour of Aegir’s Wreath. Not only will you be sipping on an award-winning beer, you’ll be part of a legacy carried forward by one of the craft brewing industry’s rising stars. Learn more about Archival Brewing in Belmont, MI. This story was reported by Anjula Caldwell