Mallinson Institute namesake leaves lasting legacy for science education
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Jacqueline (Jackie) Vella Mallinson once said, “I have always believed that—to use a trite phrase—‘teachers are born, not made.’ And I seemed to have been a ‘born teacher.’”
A beloved professor emerita, Mallinson passed away on Jan. 15, 2025, in Kalamazoo. She left an indelible mark in science education and at Western.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and chemistry from Kalamazoo College in 1948, Jackie went on to receive a master’s degree in science education and guidance counseling from the University of Michigan, where she met her future husband, Dr. George Mallinson. Married in 1954, the two became instrumental in developing WMU’s graduate programs, particularly in science education. Together, they established the Mallinson Institute for Science Education, which advances knowledge through research to improve the teaching and learning of science.
Mallinson co-authored textbooks, ran seminars, trained teachers and published more than 400 articles. Her work garnered numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate from WMU in 2006. The late Dr. Russel Siebert, vice president emeritus for academic affairs, once wrote of her: “Teacher par excellence, scholar, author, gracious hostess, culinary artist—this is the way a citation would begin if we were to prepare one about you to be read at some public ceremony.”
Beyond her professional achievements, Mallinson was a mentor and role model. “She was more than an academic mentor to her former students,” adds her grandson, Matthew Childers, M.A.’12. “Many of them considered her to be like their own grandmother.”
As accomplished as Mallinson was professionally, her world revolved around her family. Over 40 years of marriage, she and George raised four children. Later in life, she formed special bonds with her 10 grandchildren and became a loving figure to her 10 great-grandchildren. Mallinson relished traveling, kayaking—even into her mid-90s—taking friends on boat tours around the Les Cheneaux Islands, baking and making people feel loved.
A dedicated philanthropist, she gave to Western for a total of 49 years—47 consecutively. “She was so proud to see and hear about the progress at the Mallinson Institute,” Childers says. “WMU was near and dear to her.”