Tuesday, June 30, 2009

WGVU to Show Hope Cameroon Documentary

WGVU (Channel 35) will show the Hope-made documentary "When the West Brings Civilization Back to Africa" on Wednesday, July 1, and Sunday, July 5. The 1.5-hour documentary will show on Wednesday, July 1, at 10 p.m. and Sunday, July 5, at 11:30 p.m. Created by Dr. Ji Hoon Park, Assistant Professor of Communication, with recent graduate Samantha Webbert of Holland, the film focuses on the college's ongoing service and research project involving the village of Nkuv in Cameroon. It explores how the project, which has focused on improving water quality and hygiene education in the remote and rural community, has had some unintended consequences, with some of the villagers feeling discouraged even as it has literally saved lives. The documentary premiered at the college's Knickerbocker Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 18. Park emphasizes that the documentary is not a criticism of the project or its goals. Since beginning during the 2005-06 school year, it has been overwhelmingly successful, cutting the death rate of young children due to waterborne disease from four to six per year to zero. "I definitely think that they are doing such a great job," he said. However, even as he and Webbert, a communication major, accompanied the Hope team in May 2008 to document the successes, they were also interested in observing the project's effect on the village in other ways. And thus while Webbert developed a documentary about the water quality and hygiene training for other programs to use in helping similar communities, Park focused on Webbert's experiences as a first-time visitor and her conversations with the villagers themselves. They found that while the villagers appreciated the team's work and the difference it was making, some were also experiencing a sense of inferiority, becoming painfully aware of the resources and opportunities they lacked in comparison. "People from America came to this village, and children no longer die. How can you not develop a sense of Western superiority?," Park said. "The people often say, 'No, I'm not happy because we don't have the things that you people have.'" "We may accidentally teach them that they're poor," he said. "And that's the saddest part."

Park noted that the documentary doesn't offer a solution to the problem. Instead, he hopes that it helps build awareness among organizations that engage in service efforts concerning the broader effect that their visits to such communities can have. "There are no easy solutions to these questions," he said. "At least we can be more aware of these cultural dynamics in a small village like Nkuv and help the community members develop strong self-esteem and self-confidence." It's a lesson that's very much on the minds of the Hope team. Dr. Jeff Brown of the Hope engineering faculty has been a part of the project since it began, and has experience with service in Africa that includes time with the Peace Corps. "This film identifies a number of critical issues related to development work," said Brown, who is an Assistant Professor of Engineering. "Cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity have always been major priorities for our group, but the film does capture glimpses of underlying cross-cultural dynamics that have forced us to ask very difficult questions." The Hope service initiative, which is partnered with the Life and Water Development Group of Cameroon, began during the 2005-06 school year as a service project for the college's then-new student chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA), with an emphasis on providing Nkuv with purified water through the construction of free-standing bio-sand filters. During the first year the effort expanded to include the college's Department of Nursing, which surveyed the villagers' health and began working with them to improve hygiene, sanitation and nutrition. Starting in 2007, the college's Department of Education became involved in helping to develop instructional materials that the people of Nkuv can use to teach themselves and others the health and hygiene lessons needed to improve health. The engineering effort has since expanded to include developing a piping system to bring water closer to the village from a river that is up to an hour's hike away. The team is also emphasizing providing training so that the villagers can help themselves and train other remote communities as well. The villagers now build their own filters based on an initial design developed by the Center for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST) in Canada.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Psychology Student Garners National Award

Psychology major Alicia Hofelich '07 has been recognized as an honorable mention awardee of a prestigious graduate research fellowship by the National Science Foundation. Five other Hope College students were also recognized. The NSF awarded 1,236 fellowships this year and presented another 1,836 students with honorable mention. The awards are for students in the early stage of pursuing a research-based master’s or doctoral degree. Fields of study supported by the fellowships include chemistry, computer science, engineering, the geosciences, the life sciences, the mathematical sciences, physics and astronomy, psychology, and the social sciences. The fellowships are for up to three years, and pay a $30,000 annual stipend, a $10,500 cost-of-education allowance and a $1,000 one-time international travel allowance. Hofelich is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Social Science Faculty Participate in GLCA Japan Program

Professor of Kinesiology Steven Smith and Professor of Communication Deidre Johnston recently returned from Japan where they participated in a GLCA Japan Studies program. The GLCA received a grant from the Japan Foundation of New York to support interdisciplinary, investigative travel projects for faculty with little or no prior Japan expertise and representing a diverse set of disciplines. The goals of this travel project are to study how Japan's history and culture have impacted the modern Japanese perception of meaningful work, compensation, and leisure practice. Travel included time spent in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. Tours and visits with major company laboratories and offices, the Waseda University Campus, and some of the leading cultural and tourist sites in those parts of Japan were part of the experience. Through discussions with business, governmental and academic leaders, Smith and Johnston examined how work and leisure time are being influenced by the trend towards globalization. Professor Smith examined the physical activity trends in Japanese society with an emphasis on rising levels of obesity in youth. Professor Johnston studied a variety of issues related to global communication and women's constructions of work, motherhood, and leisure.

CASA Summer Program to Focus on Water

It'll look like - and even be - fun in the sun, but there'll be a serious purpose behind the summer outings planned for the Children's After School Achievement (CASA) program at Hope College. Throughout their six-week summer session, which began Monday, June 15, CASA's elementary-age students will be learning about the significance of water, with particular emphasis on local environmental water issues. Approximately 100 students will participate in the program, which recently received $3,300 in grant support from the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area. Titled "Save the Water," the session will include a mix of field trips and classroom activities and instruction. Outdoor activities will include a trip aboard Grand Valley State University's "Annis" research boat, a visit to Dunton Park to take samples from Lake Macatawa, an opportunity to study wetlands and ponds at the Outdoor Discovery Center, a visit to the water supply plant north of town, and a day at the Smallenburg Park rain gardens.

Activities back on campus will include testing the water samples the students collected at Lake Macatawa, participation in Hope science camp programming related to water, and reading and responding to books related to the water theme. Resource people will include Dr. Graham Peaslee of the Hope faculty and area high school teachers Carl Van Faasen and Jennifer Soukhome, whose research together led to the book "An Environmental History of The Lake Macatawa Watershed," written by Van Faasen and Soukhome and edited by Peaslee.

CASA, a community organization housed at Hope, provides academic and cultural enrichment for at-risk second through fifth grade students. The program, which runs year-round, is intended to improve the students' academic performance by providing the tools they need to succeed in school. The students meet after school twice per week in one-on-one sessions with volunteer tutors, most of whom are Hope students, throughout the school year, and in the mornings during the six-week summer session. The academic-year and summer programs serve Holland and West Ottawa students. A total of 150 elementary-age students participated in CASA during the 2008-09 year. CASA was established in 1987 by Marge Rivera Bermann and Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) and originally housed at First United Methodist Church. CASA moved to Hope College in 1989, and has its offices and summer classes in Van Zoeren Hall and its school-year activities in classrooms in Lubbers Hall.

Molly Smith Receives Fulbright Award

Athletic training major Molly Smith '09 has been awarded a Fulbright fellowship to teach English in Malaysia. She is one of two Hope College students to receive these highly competitive fellowships through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Last year, four graduating seniors or recent graduates also received Fulbright fellowships to teach abroad, and Hope has had multiple other recipients through the years. During 2008-09, Hope tied for 30th nationally among Bachelor’s institutions for the number of students receiving the awards. "That we have multiple students receive Fulbrights makes it look easy, but that’s far from the case," said Dr. David Cunningham, who is a professor of religion and director of the CrossRoads Project and serves as the Fulbright Program advisor at Hope along with colleague Dr. Janis Gibbs of the college’s history faculty. "The Fulbright program is highly selective—only about 1,500 fellowships are presented nationwide each year. It is a tremendous compliment to our students to have received them, and a strong affirmation of the high quality of a Hope education that we have had multiple students receive them."

In addition to the award for Smith, Ashley Holtgrewe, a 2007 graduate and communication and psychology major, received an English teaching assistantship from the French government. The French-government awards are also made based on the recipients' applications to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Holtgrewe will teach in Martinique.

Fulbright grants are made to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Grant recipients include recent college graduates and graduate students, college and university instructors, and professionals in other fields. The U.S. Student Program is designed for recent college graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, young professionals and artists, with awards supporting an academic year of study, research or teaching assistantship experience. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

Hope Hosts Midwest Brain and Learning Institute

A popular conference hosted by Hope College for educators has returned for a ninth year. Professor Emeritus of Education Leslie Wessman and Associate Professor of Education Linda Jordan are members of the planning team for the annual Midwest Brain and Learning Institute, which was held at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center at Hope June 22-25. Co-sponsored by Hope and the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, the institute was attended by 136 educators from area and state-wide school districts as well as Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Hawaii. The institute is intended for educators who work with students of all age levels, including pre-school teachers, K-12 educators and college professors. The event is organized particularly with educators from West Michigan in mind but regularly draws attendees from throughout the state and beyond.

This year's institute focused on "Healthy Brains, Engaged Learners." The program's format is designed in light of research and emphasizes the guiding principle that learners must be actively involved. The institute's settings have been varied to include whole-group presentations, question-and-answer panels, small-group learning clubs and opportunities for informal discussion. Enrollment is capped at approximately 135 in keeping with the organizers' goal of enabling all of the participants to be actively engaged. Speakers included Dr. John J. Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of "SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" (2008) and "The User's Guide to the Brain" (2001). Dr. Paul D. Nussbaum, a clinical neuropsychologist and consultant on brain health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and author of "Your Brain Health Lifestyle" (2007). Susan Kovalik, president of The Center for Effective Learning and creator of ITI (Highly Effective Teaching - HET), a comprehensive school improvement model designed to increase student performance and teacher satisfaction. Kimberli Boyd, the CEO and founding director of "Dancing Between the Lines," a nationally known dancer, performing artist and artist educator whose approach to movement with students addresses many items enumerated by the National Standards for Education and No Child Left Behind. Ronna Alexander, a graphic recorder who graphically recorded all the presentations for the week, continuing her involvement in the 2007 and 2008 institutes. Jack Olwell, an award-winning physical educator from Minnesota, who presented on Jump Start, a brain-health program in Otsego.More information about the institute may be obtained online at http://braininstitute.org/

Center for Faithful Leadership's ASI Lands Challenging Project

The Assessment, Solutions, Implementation (ASI) Student Consulting Group has been given an opportunity to make a long-term impact on the lives of thousands of people who need food in Allegan County. The Food Provider Collaborative of Allegan County, an organization convened and funded by the Allegan County Community Foundation, has seen a 30% increase in requests for food, a level of need which far exceeds the capacity of existing food pantries. They have turned to ASI for help. ASI team leaders Jake Rollenhagen and Maria Kotman are moved by the need in Allegan County. In their project proposal, Jake, Maria and project advisor Virgil Gulker observed, "These are challenging times. When the economy gets a cold, the poor catch pneumonia." Working in concert with a support team of professional advisors from the Holland and Hope communities, ASI will conduct an audit of the food distribution network with a primary focus on the six factors cited by food providers: transportation, logistics, networking, media and communications, fundraising, and technology. Students will conduct marketing surveys and interviews, explore food distribution networks in other communities, and research and identify best practices. Based on this audit, ASI will provide specific recommendations to help food providers distribute food more efficiently and effectively now and in the future to those in need in Allegan County. "We see this as a remarkable privilege--the opportunity to serve those who serve the poor," observed Jake.

ASI is fast becoming the interdisciplinary flagship program of The Center for Faithful Leadership at Hope College. For more information, see: http://www.hope.edu/academic/leadership/student_consulting_team.htm. The Center is directed by Steve Vanderveen, Professor of Management.

Hope Among Leaders in NACDA Director's Cup Standings

Hope College finished among the nation's top NCAA Division III schools in the annual NACDA Directors' Cup standings for the 2008-09 school year. Hope ranked 37th among 310 NCAA Division III colleges in the standings compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today. The NACDA Directors' Cup standings are based on points earned by teams that compete in NCAA championship events. Hope College has been ranked among the nation's top 50 NCAA Division III programs in 12 of the 14 years. Hope's place in the standings year-by-year were 1995-96, 26th; 1996-97, 46th; 1997-98, 23rd; 1998-99, 47th; 1999-00, 47th; 2000-01, 38th; 2001-02, 70th; 2002-03,31st; 2003-04, 39th; 2004-05, 56th; 2005-06, 12th; 2006-07, 20th;2007-08, 39th; 2008-09, 37th.

During the 2008-09 school year Hope won the Commissioner's Cupstandings of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) for the best cumulative results in men's and women's sports. Hope qualified individuals or teams in 10 NCAA championships -- men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's track and women's tennis, and volleyball.

Nora Kuiper Receives NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Recent Hope College graduate Nora Kuiper has been awarded a postgraduate scholarship by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship program was created in 1964 to promote and encourage postgraduate education by rewarding the Association's most accomplished student-athletes. Athletics and academic achievements, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated. In maintaining the highest broad-based standards in the selection process, the program aims to reward those individuals whose dedication and effort are reflective of those characteristics necessary to succeed and thrive through postgraduate study in an accredited graduate degree program. Kuiper was a standout sprinter on the track and field team. She was the NCAA Division III champion in the 100-meter dash and has been named the CoSIDA Academic All-American in women's track and field. This spring she was presented the college's Schouten Award which is given to a woman in the graduating class who, in addition to excelling in athletics, possesses strong character traits and leadership abilities and the Sheila Wallace-Kovalchik Scholar-Athletic Award as the outstanding female senior in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Kuiper is the 17th Hope student-athlete, the sixth since 2005, to receive the scholarship. Kuiper's award is one of 58 postgraduate scholarships valued at $7,500 each to be presented to student-athletes in all NCAA Divisions who participated in tennis, golf, outdoor track & field, rowing, baseball and softball. She is the only honoree from a Michigan college or university.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Education Student Receives Student Teaching Recognition

Brieann Bryant, a graduating Hope College senior from Farwell, has received honorable mention in the 23rd annual Intern/Student Teacher of the Year competition coordinated by the Michigan Association of Teacher Educators (MATE). A total of 59 participants from 13 institutions across the state competed on the basis of videos they submitted showing a lesson each had taught while student teaching. MATE honored individual first- and second-place finishers, four finalists and 12 honorable mention candidates. Bryant is majoring in special education with a focus in learning disabilities, and submitted a language arts lesson from her fall 2008 student-teaching placement in a fifth-grade, general-education classroom at Hamilton Elementary. During the spring 2009 semester she student taught in a ninth-12th grade resource room at West Ottawa High School-South Building. Her career hope is to obtain either a K-5 general-education placement or a K-12 special-education placement.

MATE is an organization for individuals actively involved in the professional growth and development of pre-service and in-service teachers. MATE's membership includes representatives of public and private schools, colleges and universities, professional associations and learned societies, and governmental agencies. The MATE Intern/Student of the year contest is designed to encourage individuals who are preparing to become teachers to demonstrate exemplary teaching skills. This year's honorees were celebrated on Wednesday, May 15, during MATE's Annual Recognition Reception, which was held at Oakland University.

Social Science Students and Faculty Collaborate in Research

Social Science Division students and faculty participated in a record number of collaborative research projects in 2008-09. One indication of this engagement can be found in the large number of projects displayed at the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance. There were 86 Social Science Division students engaged with 25 faculty on 46 projects at this year's celebration. This represents a six-fold increase in student research engagement since the inception of the celebration in 2001. Students and faculty from every department in the Social Science Division were represented. Research project examples include "Comparison of Efficacy between Traditional and Video Game Based Balance Programs," "The Impact of Global Exposure on Personal Uncertainty," "The Role and Potential Bias of Lab Experiments in Economics," "Learning to Teach in a Time of Reform: How One Teacher Candidate Found His Way," "From Notion to Nation: Complications and Implications of a New Southern Sudan," "Changing Perceptions of Racism: Do The Emotions on Pride, Guilt, and Sympathy Affect Privileged Groups’ Perceptions of Discrimination?" and "Perceptions of Independence among College Students and Their Helicopter Parents."

Hope Education Department Exemplary - Again!

The Hope College Education Department has once again been designated "exemplary" by the State of Michigan. This is the third consecutive year that the Michigan Department of Education has rated college and university teacher preparation programs. Hope's program has earned an exemplary rating each year. The ratings are based on such factors as student performance on the Michigan Test for Teacher Competency, student teacher exit surveys, surveys of supervising teachers, program completion rates, program review status, diversity of the teacher education student body, and the presence of high need subject matter in the curriculum. Hope's program earned 68 out of 70 possible points on the state rating system - an increase of three points over last year.

Political Science Honorary Society Receives Grant

The Hope College chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha has received a $1,425 grant from the national organization to support it's ongoing efforts to recruit, involve, and educate present and future political science students. The grant, authored by students Kelli Carrier and Christopher Sikkema under the guidance of Professor Jeff Polet, will allow the chapter to establish a program to educate high school students about careers in political science, expand membership in Hope's chapter of PSA, and host a panel discussion - "Bound in a Common Life: Hope's Election Roundtable" - which will feature professors and students taking on the important issues including environmental and energy policy, healthcare policy, and national security, all from a nonpartisan viewpoint.

Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society, is the only honor society for college students of political science and government in the United States. Pi Sigma Alpha is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) and is designated as a "Specialized, Upper-Division" society by ACHS. There are now over 687 chapters of Pi Sigma Alpha located on college and university campuses in every state of the United States and in Guam.

Professor Deidre Johnston Appointed Campus Facilitator for GLCA Program

Deidre Johnston, Professor and Chair of Communication, has been appointed as Hope College's campus facilitator as part of a new Great Lakes Colleges Association initiative. Deepening Waters, New Directions: Effective Transitions and Professional Renewal in the Long Middle Career of Liberal Arts Faculty is funded through a $400,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. The program is designed to promote professional development for mid-career faculty - those who have earned tenure and seek opportunities to explore new areas of academic interest or new approaches to teaching in their fields of study. Professor Johnston will work with staff from the GLCA office, along with campus coordinators from the other GLCA colleges, in crafting new opportunities for Hope faculty.

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