Taj Matumbi—Exploring Identity Through Art

Taj Matumbi—Exploring Identity Through Art

by | Sep 27, 2022 | Achievements, MIU News

September 27, 2022 • ISSUE 640

Taj Matumbi

Exploring Identity Through Art

MIU alumnus Taj Matumbi grew up in Northern California, influenced by his dedication to skateboarding and his parents’ affinity for Eastern spiritual traditions. He spent his sophomore year of high school at an international school in India, followed by two years at Maharishi School in Fairfield, staying with friends of his family.
 
After graduating from Maharishi School, Taj enrolled at MIU and took a variety of classes before majoring in art. He studied ceramics and painting and graduated with a BFA in 2018.
 
From the several graduate schools that accepted his application, Taj chose the University of Wisconsin, Madison, for his MFA. In 2020, the COVID pandemic forced him out of his campus studio to work at home, which led to a burst of creative expression and increased confidence as an artist. 

Taj’s mural on the side of the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin

His practice of the Transcendental Meditation® technique has been especially helpful during those times of uncertainty. “TM and getting to my studio got me through some anxiety and stress of the last few years,” he said. “I have always enjoyed meditation and feel grounded when I do it.”
 
In the summer of 2020, he accepted a commission for a mural for the city of Madison during the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.

Taj’s MFA exhibit called Parallel Planes

For his MFA exhibit he decided to explore his identity as a biracial person through Black history and his personal experiences, highlighting the paradoxical nature of his existence in a series of self-portraits presenting possible versions of himself.
 
Since his graduation in 2021, Taj has been included in multiple group shows in Birmingham, Alabama; Los Angeles; Minneapolis; and Seattle; as well as an art fair in Berlin, Germany. He appreciates getting the exposure and having a community of artists in Madison and Iowa as well.

Dean Menigoz Reimagining Agriculture

Dean Menigoz Reimagining Agriculture

by | Sep 20, 2022 | Achievements, MIU News

September 19, 2022 • ISSUE 639

Dean Menigoz

Reimagining Agriculture

MIU student Dean Menigoz grew up in California and earned a BS in bioresource and agricultural engineering from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. While studying there, he participated in a precision agriculture club and enjoyed applying mechanics, electronics, and programming to the field of agriculture. 
 
Dean was introduced to the Transcendental Meditation® technique by a friend in 2018 and learned about MIU at the local TM® center. As he was applying for graduate school in 2021, MIU launched the online MS in Regenerative Organic Agriculture program and Dean knew he wanted to enroll.
 
“I became aware of where conventional farming has led us and wanted to learn how to do it better so I can be an example and teach others,” he said.

Harvesting greens at the MIU Student Farm

A month after he began the program, MIU advertised a position at the student farm. Dean decided to apply and move to Fairfield. He now performs day-to-day tasks at the farm, including weeding, watering, and harvesting, as well as helps teach the undergraduate students. He enjoys the benefit of gaining hands-on experience at the farm along with his online studies.
 
“The beautiful thing is that MIU makes room for employees to experiment, as long as it’s practical and they present a plan,” he said. Dean is piloting a small static composting system and planted a polyculture raised bed, where he observes the symbiotic relationship between corn, beans, and squash.

Dean managing the MIU farm’s microgreen production

Dean wanted to expand his practical knowledge of regenerative farming beyond vegetables, so he took a part-time position at Fairfield’s Radiance Dairy milking the cows.
 
Over the past four years, Dean has noticed that the TM technique has lessened his anxiety, and he has become much calmer. “TM helps me internalize and stabilize new experiences in a comfortable way,” he said.
 
Dean is graduating in December and wants to find a job where he can combine his experience in technology and design with his interest in ecological systems, sustainable building design, and ecological restoration

Harvesting honey from MIU’s beehives

Students Learn Ayurvedic Cooking in Class

Students Learn Ayurvedic Cooking in Class

by | Sep 20, 2022 | Achievements, MIU News

September 12, 2022 • ISSUE 638

Students Learn Ayurvedic Cooking in Class

During the first two weeks of each academic year, management professor Sabita Sawhney has taught an Ayurvedic cooking course for the past twelve years. This for-credit course is one of MIU’s Forest Academy class series, which aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore more deeply the principles associated with the development of their own inner intelligence.
 
Dr. Sawhney says she began teaching the class in order to give students life skills. “My first love is teaching, and this just came out of it,” she said. “It’s very fulfilling for me.”

Professor Sawhney demonstrating how to make panir

Professor Sawhney taught the first cooking course in a campus apartment. Eventually, the course outgrew the space and, inspired by her students, she opened Sabi’s Cafe, where she serves Indian vegetarian lunches and hosts her annual Ayurvedic cooking class.
 
“There is a lot of practical knowledge here,” said student Christian Parker. “We are learning how to make dishes that are easy and balancing, and there are a lot of modifications as well.”

Students learning how to make Indian flatbreads called parathas

The course provides knowledge on the basics of Ayurveda and helps students select their own specific diet based on their body type. The course also addresses proper digestion, the role of spices in supporting digestion, and the effects of food on the development of higher states of consciousness.
 
“What I like most about this class is the emphasis that the professor puts on conscious cooking and the understanding that the consciousness of the cook will be infused into the food,” said Zan Muller.

Students preparing parathas

Professor Sawhney likes to take input from the class and provide students with menu options. In addition to learning how to make Ayurvedic staples like ghee, panir, rice, and dal, students also make full meals and help Professor Sawhney prepare meals for the restaurant.
 
“I like the opportunity to nurture myself,” said Jacqueline Slater. “It is really empowering to form a relationship with food, and feel nurtured, and feel good about all the ingredients as well.”

Jennifer Farron O’Laughlin—Applying Conflict Resolution in the Yoga Studio

Jennifer Farron O’Laughlin—Applying Conflict Resolution in the Yoga Studio

by | Sep 20, 2022 | Achievements, MIU News

September 5, 2022 • ISSUE 637

Jennifer Farron O’Laughlin

Applying Conflict Resolution in the Yoga Studio

Jennifer O’Laughlin graduated from MIU’s online MBA in Leadership and Workplace Conflict Resolution Program this June and has already applied the communication and negotiation skills she acquired in her own business.
 
Jenny holds a bachelor’s degree in French, Spanish, and international comparative politics from Western Michigan University. She became passionate about practicing Yoga as a teenager and, in 2000, she became a certified Bikram Yoga teacher. In 2007 she founded Thrive Hot Yoga with her husband, Ian O’Laughlin, in Detroit, Michigan. Their mission is to “create positive transformation in their community and a peaceful, healthy planet.”
 
Jenny learned about the Transcendental Meditation® technique from Ian and began practicing soon after. They both became TM® teachers in 2009 and taught the TM technique in Detroit schools with the David Lynch Foundation.

Jenny (in the center) at her 2022 MIU graduation

Jenny and Ian now have two young children, and for several years Jenny was a full-time mom. Two years ago she decided to get a master’s degree. She has always been interested in conflict resolution and leadership, and MIU’s online part-time program allowed her to get a degree while continuing to raise her family and manage their business.
 
“What I learned in this master’s degree is information everyone should know,” she said. “I got so much more out of it than I thought; I learned a lot about human interaction.”

With husband Ian and their two children

Jenny learned that most conflict arises when employee roles and goals are not defined clearly. For her senior capstone project, she wrote an employee handbook, which she is in the process of implementing. She has also created a video for her employees on how to handle difficult people, and a four-part video tutorial for Yoga teachers on using interpersonal skills to become better teachers.
 
Jenny would like to gain more experience in workplace conflict resolution and develop a consulting practice.

Emily Mauntel Raises Sheep Under MIU Solar Array

Emily Mauntel Raises Sheep Under MIU Solar Array

by | Sep 20, 2022 | Achievements, MIU News

August 22, 2022 • ISSUE 636

Emily Mauntel Raises Sheep Under MIU Solar Array
For the past several months, a small flock of Dorper sheep has been grazing under the MIU MEG’Array west of campus. The solar array, installed by Ideal Energy in 2018, provides a shaded, fenced-in enclosure, perfect for Emily Mauntel’s first flock of her own.
 
Emily graduated from MIU in 2020 with a BS in regenerative organic agriculture. She has worked on several farms in Oregon, Virginia, Missouri, and South Carolina tending sheep and cattle. Last winter she returned to Fairfield and has been working on the MIU Student Farm.
 
“I saw these large solar arrays around the country and realized we have something here in Fairfield,” she said. Emily contacted Tom Brooks, vice president of operations, with her idea to put a flock under the solar array. She then partnered with Robert Barker in nearby Keosauqua, who bought the sheep and gave Emily thirty head to graze. Since May the flock has grown to 35, with several ewes pregnant.

Sheep grazing under the solar panels

“Sheep are my favorite livestock,” said Emily. “They are easy to manage and they don’t damage the solar panels.” The sheep have enough grass to eat on the five-acre lot, and all Emily has to provide is water, which she delivers with a water truck twice a week.
 
“We are very pleased with the results of this summer grazing project,” said Tom Brooks. “Emily is very knowledgeable and the sheep eliminated a tough mowing job. This is certainly a low carbon sustainable alternative to mowing 4-5 times a year.”

The flock now has five new lambs