HIGHER ED

For Janaja Harris, cooking is both a career and a calling. She founded her catering company, Fires Kitchen, in 2020 to feed people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sometimes she offers free food to those who are hungry on the streets of Allentown, Pennsylvania, calling out, “Hey, do you need a plate?”

Harris built her skills at Northampton Community College, recently graduating with an associate degree in culinary arts. Her generosity and entrepreneurship drew front-page attention in February from a local newspaper, The Morning Call, which recognized her as one of Lehigh Valley’s Most Influential People.

Harris tried catering after she was laid off from a restaurant job. At one of her early gigs, she churned out meals for 120 people at a local park. Guest after guest complimented her food.

“I decided to take Fires Kitchen as something serious. I decided to say, ‘Let’s go to culinary school.’”

She was drawn to Northampton’s program for its community involvement and its record of hosting famous chefs such as Emeril Lagasse. Her path to a degree at the public college took some twists and turns, including a stint cooking at a Disney theme park. But her Northampton faculty mentor, Chef Domenico Lombardo, stuck with her until she finished.

“You’re not in it alone,” he told her.

Now Harris sees herself teaching young people about cooking. “I want to be the culinary Miss Frizzle,” she said, citing the fictional teacher from The Magic School Bus book and television series.

Read here to learn more about Harris and Northampton.

Northampton Community College, with about 9,000 students in Bethlehem, has been building Pennsylvania and America since it opened in 1967.

This is higher education growing business and community leaders.

Some murders go unsolved. Some people go missing indefinitely. But these cold cases are getting fresh eyes in Michigan, thanks to Western Michigan University students who are teaming up with state police detectives to crack them back open.

Launched in 2020, the Cold Case Program has given Western Michigan University (WMU) students hands-on experience with 88 homicide and missing-person cases. They’ve made a difference, helping Michigan State Police resolve seven cases and contributing to eight felony arrests.

The students also are learning about public service, victim advocacy, and the complexities of justice.

“This immersive experience of working side by side with detectives gives students firsthand insight into professional investigative practices and teaches them many things,” said Ashlyn Kuersten, a sociology professor at WMU who leads the program. “They see public service not as an abstract concept, but as a lived calling.” Kuersten is shown in the photo above, working with a student in the program.

Two students who participated are now state troopers. Another six are in training to become troopers.

State Trooper Shelby Wilmot said Kuersten “stands unmatched—not only for her expertise in the field, but for the lasting impact she has had on my life and future.” She credited Kuersten’s guidance with opening her eyes to a career in public service. “She consistently encouraged me to step far beyond my comfort zone, to engage meaningfully in the investigative process, and to consider how my skills and experiences could serve the public good,” Wilmot said.

Read more about the Cold Case Program and about an award Kuersten received.

WMU—with more than 16,000 students—is a public research university in Kalamazoo. It has been building Michigan and America since it was founded in 1903.

For public safety, for public service: Higher education builds America.

For two U.S. Navy commanders who happen to be twin sisters, East Carolina University has been central to their ambitions to serve the country.

Brenda and Linda Sharpe, from Pinetops, N.C., graduated in spring 2025 from ECU with doctorates in public health. Years ago, both of them had earned bachelor’s degrees from ECU in environmental health science.

Choosing that field was not random. When the sisters were growing up, their mother worked in a toy factory. They recalled that their mother was exposed to bits of plastic. Worried about such health threats, the sisters resolved to try to prevent them.

“I was tired of seeing my mom come home full of plastic and coughing,” Linda Sharpe says. “I remember I wanted to do something to change this.”

Eventually they became industrial hygienists in the Navy, with responsibility for monitoring safety aboard hospital ships and aircraft carriers. They were able to continue their naval duties while taking courses online from ECU, over a six-year period, to earn their doctorates. Their expertise and leadership are contributing to the safety of our armed forces.

East Carolina University, with about 27,000 students in the city of Greenville, has been building North Carolina and America since it was founded in 1907.

Read more about ECU and the Sharpe sisters at news.ecu.edu.

This is higher education building our national security.