Friday, March 27, 2009

Professor vanOyen Witvliet Receives Major Grant

Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet of the Psychology Department is the recipient of a $72,000 grant from the Fetzer Institute for two studies related to her ongoing study of forgiveness. Her first project contributes to the emerging field of research in self-forgiveness with a focus on relational measures. The second project will be a psychophysiological investigation of relationships among trait and state forgiveness, rumination, suppression, grudge-bearing, revenge-seeking, happiness, flourishing, and cardiovascular physiology.

Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, Ph.D., joined the faculty in 1997. She trained as a scientist-practitioner clinical psychologist at Purdue University and completed her predoctoral internship at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center affiliated with Duke University. Her teaching responsibilities have included Introductory Psychology, Positive Psychology, Behavior Disorders, Clinical Psychology, Internships, and Advanced Research Lab. In the research laboratory, she has enjoyed mentoring students, many of whom have gone on to graduate school in psychology. She publishes in the field of emotion and psychophysiology research, with a specialized focus on gratitude, unforgiveness, forgiveness, and justice. With the support of the John Templeton Foundation, the Fetzer Institute, the Towsley Research Scholar Award, the Faith and Learning Fund, and the Frost Center for Social Science Research, she has conducted programmatic research on forgiveness, published peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters, and given professional presentations in local, national, and international venues. Professor Witvliet has mentored 29 Hope College students in psychophysiology research, 16 of whom have co-authored journal articles or professional conference presentations with her, and 9 of whom have co-authored projects winning Psi Chi Regional Research Awards. She has conducted 100 media interviews about forgiveness, with her research featured in venues such as Time, Newsweek, O: The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and CNN.

Brian Morehouse Contributes to Book

A book series that allows real people to share real stories, "Chicken Soup for the Soul," has a new series that features basketball experiences including one contributed by Hope College women's basketball coach Brian Morehouse. The book, "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inside Basketball," was released on February 9. A book-signing was held Saturday, February 14, at DeVos Fieldhouse prior to the Hope/Adrian women's basketball game. The collection was gathered by Pat Williams, senior vice president of the NBA's Orlando Magic. More than 15,000 individuals were invited to contribute an article. The editors selected 101 submissions. The article by Brian Morehouse focuses on Hope's 2006 national championship run. It tells the story of a player, Becky Bosserd, who didn't get to play in the NCAA Division III tournament by her own choice. The NCAA limits the roster for teams in the tournament to 15 players; Hope's regular season roster had 16. Bosserd approached her coach and volunteered to be the player to sit out. Hope went on to win the national title and when it came time to accept the championship trophy it was Becky Bosserd who was chosen by the team to be the first person to accept it. A Hope basketball fan subsequently created a scholarship in recognition of unselfish service to others. Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short, inspirational stories. The more than 100 titles have sold over 100 million copies in print and in 54 languages world-wide.

Robin Klay Presents at "American Evangelicalism: Then and Now"

Dr. Robin Klay of the Hope College economics faculty was one of seven scholars or theologians from across the country invited to make presentations during the two-day conference "American Evangelicalism: Then and Now (1984, 2009)," held at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 27-28. The interdisciplinary conference was organized to encourage evangelical Christians to exercise discernment as they consider the issues confronting the church today, particularly in the context of political, economic and social changes across the past 25 years. Klay presented "In a Time of Trouble: Economic Insights and Christian Hope" on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Klay is a professor of economics at Hope, where she has taught since 1979. Her primary research emphasis is on the connections between Christian faith and practice and economic theory and policy. Her publications include the books "Economics in Christian Perspective: Theory, Policy and Life Choices" (2007) and "Counting the Cost: The Economics of Christian Stewardship" (1986), as well as articles published in journals such as "The Christian Century," "Perspectives," "Faith and Economics," and "Markets and Morality." During the Winter Happening event at Hope on Saturday, Jan. 31, she co-presented the seminar "How Can We Be Christians in Our Economic Life?," which examined how Christians can bring their faith and values into the public sphere as workers and employers, savers and consumers, and citizens and leaders. The Toccoa Falls College's History Society and Philosophy Club hosted the conference.

In addition to Klay, the invited speakers included Norman Geisler, co-founder and former president of Southern Evangelical Seminary; Barry Hankins, professor of history at Baylor University; D.G. Hart, director of academic programs at The Intercollegiate Studies Institute; Reginald McLelland, professor emeritus of philosophy at Covenant College; Darwin Smith, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Georgia; and Clifton Taubert, president and founder of the Building Community Institute. Presenters also included members of the Toccoa Falls faculty as well as students from both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT HOSTS TEAC WRITING WORKSHOP

Seventeen teacher preparation institutions from Michigan and Ohio will meet at the Haworth Inn on Hope's campus on March 26 and 27 to participate in a two-day Teacher Education Accreditation Council Writing Workshop (TEAC) hosted by the Education Department at Hope College and TEAC. Vice President for Membership, Rebecca Pelton; Dr. Mark La Cell Peterson, Education Department Chair at Houghton College New York; Dr. Robert Wiggins, Oakland University; Michelle Nimer Weber State University, Utah University and Utah TEAC Consortium Director will be facilitating the workshop. Dr. Catherine Smith from the Michigan Department of Education will be on hand to answer questions regarding State of Michigan requirements. All of the teacher preparation institutions taking part in the writing workshop have chosen TEAC as their accrediting agency.

The purpose of the workshop is two-fold: 1) Institutions will have the opportunity to interact and work closely with other TEAC institutions from across Michigan and Ohio, and 2) institutions will have the opportunity to work on their Inquiry Briefs with their faculty in an uninterrupted environment with guidance from TEAC and Michigan Department of Education representatives.

TEAC's accreditation process is one of extensive self-study. As a result of the self-study each program must write an Inquiry Brief that addresses how their teacher education program aligns with TEAC's three Quality Principles: 1) Student Learning 2) Valid Assessment of student learning and 3) Institutional learning, as well as the three cross cutting themes of Learning how to learn, Multicultural perspectives and understanding and technology. In the Inquiry Brief each teacher preparation institution must address how their program meets all three of TEAC's Quality Standards, the cross cutting themes, and State standards for each content area for which the Education Department recommends students for teacher certification. Three years of assessment data must be included in the Inquiry Brief to back up an institution's claims.

Hope College Earning Reputation for Video Game Rehabilitation Research and Practice

Dr. Kirk Brumels of the Hope College athletic training staff had an intuitive sense and a fair bit of anecdotal evidence that popular activity-based video games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" Balance Board programs could play a positive role in helping athletes with balance rehabilitation, but he hadn't located any hard data to support the notion. So, this fall he and student researchers tackled the topic themselves. They conducted a study, published in the winter 2008 edition of "Clinical Kinesiology," that found that such games offered the best of both worlds: they were more effective than traditional rehabilitation tools and the athletes enjoyed them more. Ironically or, rather, perhaps because the athletes were enjoying using the activities, participants in the study also believed that the games were less difficult than the traditional tools even as they were more effective. "They perceived it as easier, yet the data suggested that it was as effective as, if not more effective than, the other exercises," Brumels said. The athletic training program at Hope has been using "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" with athletes who have had ankle sprains, knee injuries and other lower-extremity injuries to help restore balance, coordination and agility. "We also use it a lot to help facilitate the transition from crutch use to ambulation," he said. In "Dance Dance Revolution," the athletes stand on the game's one-square-meter pad and step in a direction indicated by the game's video screen. Through the "Wii Fit" system they stand on a platform and adjust their posture, leaning and shifting their weight through games such as "Ski Slalom," "Table Tilt" and "Balance Bubble." "We've had incredible compliance with the athletes on it," Brumels said. "As long as it's fun, and they're doing it and it's beneficial to them, that's what we want."

The four-week Hope study involved 25 athletes who were asked to rate their experience with the three systems between one and five according to difficulty, engagement and enjoyability. While the traditional methods earned a relatively low 2.17 for enjoyability and a 3.33 for engagement, "Dance Dance Revolution" earned 4.14 in both categories and "Wii Fit" earned 4.40 in each. The traditional methods rated 3.17 out of five for difficulty, while "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" weighed in as easier at 2.71 and 1.60.

In addition to being featured in "Clinical Kinesiology" in the latter part of 2008, the Hope study is slated for additional presentation later this year. Brumels is scheduled to give talks about it during meetings of the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association and the National Athletic Trainers' Association Annual Educational Symposiums in March and June respectively.

Hope College Professors Selected for Japan Study Program

Professors Stephen Smith and Deidre Johnston have been chosen for a highly selective program sponsored by the GLCA Fund for the Study of Japan. A group travel project with approximately five other professors from GLCA member colleges, Work and Leisure in Japan will study how Japan’s history and culture have impacted the modern Japanese perception of meaningful work, compensation, and leisure practice. Travel will include time spent in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. Tours and visits are planned with major company laboratories and offices, the Waseda University campus, and some of the leading cultural and tourist sites in those parts of Japan. Through discussions with business, governmental and academic leaders, Johnston and Smith will examine how work and leisure time are being influenced by the trend towards globalization. The project is supported by a grant from the Japan Foundation of New York. Travel will be May 28 through June 9, 2009. The co-leaders of this project are Don Capener, Professor of Business at Monmouth College, and Kay Widdows, Professor of Economics at Wabash College. Professor Johnston will use her experience in Japan to investigate questions related to her interest in global communication. How do women in Japan construct their worker-mother identities? How do working women respond to the ideological stereotype of Japanese at-home mothers? How has the impact of global communication (internet, film, entertainment, news) affected how women perceive careers, motherhood and the possible integration of both? How do working men and women construct leisure differently? What are the effects of these constructions on family life and the distribution of domestic responsibilities?

Dr. Smith's 20-year career has been dedicated to the study of children's growth and development. Since 1994 he has partnered with his colleague, Professor Mark Northuis, to study and develop interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity. Though commonly thought to be a U.S. problem, youth obesity is fast becoming a worldwide phenomenon. The "flattening" of the world economy and the expanding middle class in places like China and India have resulted in a rapid rise in "lifestyle diseases" such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancer. Each of these has significant roots in childhood obesity – a phenomenon that Professor Smith knows very well. The lifestyles of the Japanese people – particularly their leisure time choices – should provide an interesting lens into the youth obesity problem extant in that nation.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Psychology Students' Research Honored

Several psychology students have had their research accepted for prestigious regional and national professional conferences. This makes the ninth consecutive year that a Hope College psychology student has won either a regional or a national research award. Krista Mehari has authored a paper with her faculty co-investigator, Dr. Patricia Roehling, titled Parenting Practices and Externalizing Behaviors among Latino(a) and White Youth. The paper has won the American Psychological Association National Convention Research Award. This award is given to the top four undergraduate research papers that are submitted for presentation at the American Psychological Association convention. The paper will be presented in Toronto in August, 2009.

Nova Hinman and Ross Knoll authored two papers with their faculty co-investigator, Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet - Finding the Silver Lining and Loving the Enemy: Linguistic Analyses of Brief Benefit-Finding and Altruistic Forgiveness Interventions to Cope with an Interpersonal Offense and Thinking and Thanking: The Effects of Forgiveness and Gratitude Reappraisal Imagery in Response to a Real-Life Offense. Both papers won Psi Chi Regional Research Awards and will be presented in Chicago in May 2009 at the convention of the Midwestern Psychological Association. Professor Mary Inman's Advanced Research Lab students also had two papers accepted for the MPA convention: Role of Emotions on the Perception of Ageism (Sarah Vernon, Stephanie Dykema, Sarah Brower, Jamie VanHeest, Megan Campbell, Alexa Williams) and The Effects of Pride, Guilt, and Sympathy on Perceptions of Racism (Lauren Wright, Akiko VanAntwerpen, Katie Moloney, James Snyder, Erin McCarthy).

Drive to Gather Rehabilitation Aids a Huge Success

The generosity of people in the Hope/Holland community and beyond has resulted in the donation of hundreds of ambulatory and rehabilitation aids for people with disabilities in countries aroundthe world. The students of Hope's athletic training program during the month of February collected the aids on behalf of "Wheels for theWorld," an organization that collects and refurbishes the equipment. Included in the donations from the community were 38 wheelchairs, 65 pairs of crutches, 117 walkers, 43 canes and other aids such as car seats and strollers. The objective of the California-based "Wheels for the World" is to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the disabled all around the world. The organization is a subsection of "Joni and Friends," which provides ministry outreach programs to people with disabilities and their families. "Joni and Friends" was founded in 1979 by Joni Eareckson Tada. At the age of 17, Joni was in a diving accident which left her a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. She has since become a leading disability advocate as well as an author and artist. The project was highlighted in a recent NCAA publication that can be viewed at http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?ContentID=47309

Meg Frens Appointed Chair of the MATS Professional Education Committee

Meg Frens, who is an assistant professor of kinesiology and athletic trainer, has been appointed chairperson of the Professional Education Committee for the Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society (MATS). The committee is responsible for providing continuing education opportunities for the athletic trainers in the state of Michigan. It is the second consecutive appointment of a member of the Hope faculty to the position. Kirk Brumels, who is an associate professor of kinesiology and director of athletic training at Hope, had served in the role since 2006 prior to beginning a two-year term earlier this year as president-elect of the MATS. Frens, who is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA), has been a member of the Hope faculty since 2002, following a previous two-year appointment as a visiting instructor from 1998 to 2000. Her publications have included articles in "Athletic Training Today" and the "Journal of Athletic Training," and she has also made numerous invited addresses at professional meetings. Her professional activities also include serving on the NATA Board of Certification Exam Development Committee and on the Great Lakes Athletic Trainers' Association (GLATA) Education Committee, and previous service as an examiner for the NATA Board of Certification and as advisor to the GLATA Student Senate. MATS is a not-for-profit organization formed to assist its members and to educate the public on the role of a certified athletic trainer (ATC) within the health care profession. The society consists of certified athletic trainers, non-certified athletic training students and other health care professionals.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Political Science Department Hosts Model United Nations

On Thursday and Friday, March 5 and 6, Hope College hosted its 37th annual Model United Nations conference. More than 650 students and faculty from the greater Midwest competed in the various simulations, making the event the largest Model United Nations conference in Michigan. Acting as delegates from the 191 member nations of the United Nations in two General Assemblies, seven Security Councils, one International Criminal Court (ICC), and one Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the students were faced with issues pertaining to the current international affairs. Issues included in this year's conference include the global energy crisis, natural disaster response, child soldiers/child labor, ethnic independent movements and violence against women. The purpose of Model United Nations is to give high school students an opportunity to take on the roles of professional diplomats with the goal of achieving a particular country's national objectives while fostering a desired international consensus for real solutions to the questions facing them. Hope College's department of political science sponsors the event. Professors Virginia Beard and Jack Holmes were the faculty coordinators.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Sonja Trent-Brown Tagged for Prestigious Honor

The Center for Liberal Arts and Society (CLAS) at Franklin & Marshall College has announced its inaugural class of fellows for the Center's first Symposium for Emerging Scholars March 6-7. The symposium will focus on the theme of "Resonance." Among the inaugural class of scholars is Professor Sonja Trent Brown of the Psychology Department. You can read more about the program at: http://www.fandm.edu/x21917

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