Hope College | Public and Community Relations

A mystery leads to history in the children's book "The Secret of the Lonely Grave" by Dr. Albert Bell Jr. of the Hope College faculty.

The story centers on two 11-year-old friends, Steve and Kendra, when they notice that someone has taken an interest in the long-neglected grave of a young girl who died in the 1860s. Their investigation leads them not only to discover her story, but to lessons on the Civil War, slavery and the Underground Railroad.

"MyShelf.com" describes the book, which is being released at the beginning of August, as "an entertaining mystery that even adults could enjoy. It has some memorable characters, as well as lessons about why hatred and bigotry are wrong... while they learn, kids are treated to a great can't-put-it-down mystery."

Although the story is fictional, its setting in southern Kentucky is real. It was inspired by Bell's visits to see his wife's family in the area, and a tombstone that he had noticed set off by itself while walking through an old cemetery.

Professor Edits Translation
of Argentine Plays

Dr. Maria C. Andre of the Hope College Spanish faculty is editor of "Seven Plays by Argentine Playwright Susana Torres Molina," an anthology published by Edwin Mellen Press of Lewiston, N.Y., and Ceredigion, United Kingdom.

The volume translates the seven contemporary plays to English from their original Spanish. The plays that are featured are "Strange Toy," "That's All That," "Mystic Union," "Sirens' Song," "Paradises Lost," "Zero" and "She."

In addition to serving as editor, Andre wrote the anthology's introduction and also conducted an interview with Molina, who is an actress as well as a playwright, that is featured in the volume. Andre also translated six of the seven plays, with "Strange Toy" having been translated previously by Dr. Barbara Younoszai, who is a professor of Spanish and Latin American studies at Hamline University of St. Paul, Minn.

Grant Supports Academic
Exchange with China

Hope College is one of four colleges and universities participating in a new academic exchange program with Chinese universities through support from the John Templeton Foundation.

The exchange program is part of a larger project titled "Science, Philosophy and Belief: A Program for Chinese Scholars" initiated by Calvin College's Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity in conjunction with the Society of Christian Philosophers, and supported by a $2 million grant from the foundation.

Hope, Calvin, Baylor University and the University of Notre Dame are each participating in the exchange program. Each of the four institutions will receive $40,000 a year for three years to support visiting graduate students in philosophy and religious studies from China.

Chapbook of Poems by
David James Published

The latest chapbook of poetry by David James of the Hope College faculty is his second publication in as many years.

James is the author of "Lost Enough," recently published by Finishing Line Press. James's chapbook "A Little Instability without Birds" was released last summer by the same publisher.

James describes "Lost Enough" as "fictionally autobiographical," and notes that the volume spins off of William Stafford's epigraph in the title poem: "If you're lost enough, then the experience of now is your guide to what comes next."

"We're all a product of our pasts, yes, but we really only live a series of now's, and that done consciously frees us from what may feel like the lostness of inevitability," James said. "There is always the next now."

Hope Participates in
International Science Program

Hope College is one of nine colleges and universities from Canada, Mexico and the United States participating in the North American Mobility Project, a consortium focused on the study of ethics and public policy issues in the sciences in North America.

Through the consortium, students from any of the nine participating institutions will have an opportunity to spend a semester at an institution in one of the other two nations represented. The program includes three institutions each in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

"We believe that Hope College has a great deal to offer the consortium, just as the consortium has a great deal to offer Hope," said Alfredo Gonzales, who is associate provost and dean for international and multicultural education at Hope.

"Come On Over" Wins
Six Michigan Emmy Awards

"Come On Over!," the children's television program filmed at Hope College, has won six Emmy Awards from The Michigan Chapter of The National Television Academy.

"Come On Over!" is the brainchild of Joel Schoon Tanis, who is an artist and 1989 Hope graduate living in Holland, and the creation of Enthusiastic Productions LLC, a venture between Schoon Tanis and the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. The program features Schoon Tanis as a stay-at-home artist with a great imagination, and is set primarily in his backyard and studio - both of which were built in the studio of the college's Martha Miller Center for Global Communication.

The first eight episodes were filmed at Hope between May and August of 2006, with additional episodes filmed during December and January. Several members of the Hope family have been involved in the production, including not only Schoon Tanis but also other alumni as well as students, members of the faculty and staff, and cast and crew of Hope Summer Repertory Theatre.

Hope Receives One of Only
11 Phi Beta Kappa Grants

Hope College is one of only 11 colleges and universities nationwide chosen to participate in "Deliberation about Things That Matter," an initiative sponsored by Phi Beta Kappa to encourage the teaching and learning of deliberative skills through the discussion of major issues of meaning or value.

Through the support, Hope is developing a program with an academic focus for incoming freshmen in conjunction with New Student Orientation that will also link with campus-wide events scheduled for later in the school year.

"We are honored that Phi Beta Kappa selected Hope for participation and recognized our longstanding commitment to a liberal education that engages students in the deliberative thinking about issues that impact our world," said Dr. James Boelkins, provost at Hope. "The opportunity to engage our first-year students in discussions of important cultural issues will contribute to our efforts to grow world citizens in the soil of Hope."

Dr. Elton Bruins (left) is surprised by Dr. Jacob Nyenhuis' (right)
announcement of the publication of the festschrift
"A Goodly Heritage: Essays in Honor of the Reverend Dr. Elton J. Bruins at Eighty."

Book Celebrates Birthday and Career

A career spent serving and studying church, community and college has been celebrated by a collection of essays doing the same.

Dr. Elton Bruins, who is retired from the Hope College faculty and from directing the A.C. Van Raalte Institute, has been honored through the publication of the festschrift "A Goodly Heritage: Essays in Honor of the Reverend Dr. Elton J. Bruins at Eighty." Featuring 15 essays that examine dimensions of the Reformed Church in America and aspects of Holland-area and Hope history, the book commemorates Bruins's forthcoming 80th birthday (July 29) and honors him as he plans to retire from his active continued involvement with the institute as a researcher.

Planned and edited by Dr. Jacob E. Nyenhuis, who is director of the A.C. Van Raalte Institute and provost emeritus and professor emeritus of classics at Hope, the volume has been published this month by the William B. Eerdmans Company of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Cambridge, United Kingdom, as part of the Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America.

Grants Support CASA Summer Program

Local elementary-age children will be learning about the natural world in their own neighborhood this summer through a grant to the Children's After School Achievement (CASA) program at Hope College from the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area.

And then they'll go into the new school year well-equipped thanks to further support from the Holland Junior Welfare League.

The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area has awarded CASA $6,600 to help underwrite "CASA Goes Wild: Amazing Lessons in Nature," which will be featured throughout CASA's summer program, running Monday, June 18, through Thursday, July 26. The theme will provide the framework for a variety of activities for the approximately 110 second- through fifth-grade students the program anticipates hosting.

Students Honored at
National Research Meeting

Three Hope College students received awards for poster presentations they made during the annual meeting of the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB), held in Washington, D.C., on Saturday-Wednesday, April 28-May 2.

All three were recognized with "Honorable Mention" in the 11th annual ASBMB Undergraduate Research Achievement Award Poster Competition for presentations concerning original research conducted in conjunction with members of the Hope faculty. The students who were honored were: Alyssa Johnson, who is a 2007 graduate from Muskegon; Caitlin Rice, a junior from Spring Lake; and Charles Sierzant, a 2007 graduate from Grand Rapids.

Johnson has been conducting research in molecular biology with Dr. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin, professor of biology and chemistry at Hope, and is continuing this summer before going on to graduate school. Rice has been working in biology with Dr. Virginia McDonough, who is an associate professor of biology at Hope. Sierzant, who graduated in May, conducted research in neuroscience with Dr. Leah Chase-Wallar, who is an assistant professor of biology and chemistry and a Towsley Research Scholar at the college.

Thomas Ludwig and Caroline Simon Appointed to Chairs

Hope College faculty members Dr. Thomas Ludwig and Dr. Caroline Simon have been appointed to endowed chairs at the college.

Ludwig, a professor of psychology, has been appointed to an eight-year term as the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology. Simon, a professor of philosophy, has been appointed to a four-year term as the John H. and Jeanne M. Professor of Philosophy.

They are each the second member of the faculty to hold their respective chairs. Their appointments will begin with the new school year.

Collection of Poems by
Jackie Bartley Published

Jackie Bartley of the Hope College English faculty is the author of "Ordinary Time," a collection of poems published recently by Spire Press Inc. of New York City.

The collection has been published as the winner of an annual competition sponsored by Spire Press Inc. for collections of poetry.

"Jackie Bartley's 'Ordinary Time' is a collection of extraordinary poems: each one shimmering in metaphoric richness; each one unwavering in its quiet sense of truth," author Linda Nemec Foster has written. "There are no casual observations in Bartley's universe where every single event is infused with wonder and grace - whether it occurs in an exotic village in Bolivia or the familiar landscape of a Midwest plain."

Book Discusses Smartphone
Operating System

Dr. Michael Jipping of the Hope College computer science faculty is author of a new book that demonstrates operating system concepts with experiments on smartphones.

The book, "Smartphone Operating System Concepts with Symbian OS," has been published by John Wiley and Sons as part of Symbian Press.

Smartphones are mobile phones with expanded capabilities usually found on desktop computers. These capabilities include Internet and e-mail access, the ability to read documents and scheduling software. Mobile phone manufacturers that use the Symbian operating system include Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Samsung.

Students Receive Hope
Summer Research Awards

A total of eight Hope College students have received Dean's Science Division Research Awards from the college.

The students who have been honored are Jon Barrus, Tim Boman, Amanda Brisbin, Emilie Dykstra, Justin Mark Lunderberg, Chelsea Schrotenboer, David Visser and Timothy Wahmhoff.

Inaugurated this year and presented by the division of natural and applied sciences, the awards provide stipends for summer research at the college. A recipient has been named for each department within the division.

Professor Vicki Ten Haken
Receives Fulbright Award

Vicki Ten Haken, associate professor of management at Hope College, will spend the fall and winter teaching and conducting research in Krakow, Poland, through an award from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program.

Ten Haken is the fourth member of the Hope faculty to receive one of the awards in the past four years, and it is the second year in a row that a member of the economics, management and accounting faculty has received one. Dr. Victor Claar, associate professor of economics, has spent the 2006-07 school year teaching at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan, Armenia, through a Fulbright award. In 2004, Dr. William Cohen, professor emeritus of history, and Dr. David Klooster, professor of English, received Fulbright awards to teach in Japan and Austria respectively.

Ten Haken will be teaching management classes at the Krakow University of Economics in the university's MBA and international business studies programs. She will participate in an orientation program in Warsaw during the latter half of September and then be in Krakow from October through the end of the university's first semester in February.

Poetry Collection by
Jack Ridl Wins Honor

The Society of Midland Authors has named "Broken Symmetry," a collection of poetry by Jack Ridl, professor emeritus of English at Hope College, one of the two best volumes of poetry published in 2006.

The society is giving awards to the year's best books in six categories: adult and children's fiction and non-fiction, biography and poetry. The winners will be honored during the society's 92nd annual banquet meeting, being held on Tuesday, May 8, at the Chicago Athletic Association in Chicago, Ill.

The society has presented awards for excellence to authors and poets each year since its inception in 1915. The juried Society of Midland Authors Literary Competition is open to authors and poets who reside in, were born in or have strong ties to the Midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. A few of the writers who have been recognized through the years have included Saul Bellow, Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Jones, Ted Kooser, Kathleen Norris, Richard Russo and Studs Terkel.

Dale Austin Receives
Vanderbush-Weller Award

Dale Austin, director of career services at Hope College, has been named recipient of the college's seventh annual "Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund" award for strong, positive impact on students.

The award recognizes and supports the efforts of Hope faculty and staff who make extraordinary contributions to the lives of students. Austin will be recognized during a luncheon held on Friday, May 4, in conjunction with the spring meeting of the college's Board of Trustees.

"Dale is a remarkable friend of students and an unsung treasure of the Hope College experience," said Dr. Richard Frost, vice president and dean of students at Hope, whose office coordinates the award, which is presented based on nominations from the campus community. "He walks with them on their journey as they search for meaning and their calling, provides guidance in preparing to launch a career and provides wisdom as they seek to sort through the options that are presented to them upon graduation."

Hope Named Outstanding Employer

For the second consecutive year, Hope College has been named one of the "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" in West Michigan.

The competition is a program of the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA) and the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). Hope and the region's other 2007 winners will be recognized during an awards luncheon at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 3.

Businesses are evaluated in nine categories: communication, community initiatives, compensation and benefits, diversity and multiculturalism, employee education and development, employee engagement and commitment, recognition and retention, recruitment and selection, and work-life balance. Considerations within each category include a unique thought process with top support from senior management and policy makers; the quality of programs, services and solutions for employees; and adaptation to new factors in the marketplace.

Students Recognized for Achievements

Departmental prizes and awards for academic achievement and service were presented to Hope College students and recent graduates during the college's annual Honors Convocation held on Thursday, April 26.

Departmental prizes & awards

Thirty-seven Hope College juniors have been inducted into Mortar Board, a national honor society that recognizes students for scholarship, leadership and service.

Mortar Board Inductees

A total of 110 Hope College seniors or recent graduates were honored with Senior Sigma Xi Awards during the college's annual Honors Convocation, held on Thursday, April 26, in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.

Sigma Xi Awards

Sixty-six of Hope College's graduating seniors and recent graduates have been elected to the Zeta of Michigan chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest scholastic honorary society.

Phi Beta Kappa

Awards as the outstanding senior athletes among Hope College graduates in the class of 2007 were presented to four students during the college's Honors Convocation on Thursday (April 26).

Senior Scholar-Athlete Awards

Seventy Hope College seniors have been awarded monogrammed blankets for their participation in athletics at Hope.

H-Blanket Awards to Senior Athletes

Nursing Student and Professor Honored

Catherine Clarey-Sanford & Ashley Bainbridge

A Hope College student and professor each received individual recognition for excellence during the recent induction and installation ceremony of the Kappa Epsilon Chapter-at-Large of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

The chapter presented senior Ashley Bainbridge of Schoolcraft with its "Excellence in Student Performance" award and Catherine Clarey-Sanford, assistant professor of nursing, with its "Excellence in Education" award.

The event was held on Monday, April 9, at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids. The chapter includes the Calvin College, Grand Valley and Hope nursing programs.

Meditations Feature Literary Works

From "Watership Down" to Shakespeare's "King Lear," literary works provide the inspiration for a series of meditations written by Dr. David Cunningham of the Hope College faculty for those experiencing sorrow and change.

The nine meditations are featured in the book "Friday, Saturday, Sunday: Literary Meditations on Suffering, Death, and New Life," published earlier this year by Westminster John Knox Press.

Cunningham, who is director of the college's CrossRoads Program and a professor of religion at Hope, draws from novels, poems and plays in considering the themes of suffering, death and new life. The events of Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday provide a framework for the meditations' reflections on grief and pain, separation and absence, and transformation and renewal.

Hope Project in Cameroon
Designed to Save Lives

There are many ways to measure success, but for Amanda Barton of the Hope College nursing faculty saving young lives ranks right at the top.

An ongoing service and research project run cooperatively by the departments of nursing and engineering at Hope began in March 2006 with the goal of improving water quality in the village of Nkuv, Cameroon, and educating the local population about related health issues.

Nursing's initial survey of the population found that 100 percent of the children had some form of water-related disease, often manifested through diarrhea or even bloody diarrhea. The problem was so acute that experience had shown that four to six children under the age of five could be expected to die in any given six-month period.

Keith Mulder Receives
Goldwater Scholarship

Keith Mulder, a Hope College junior from Portage, has received a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year.

The scholarships were awarded by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to 317 undergraduate sophomores and juniors. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,110 mathematics, science and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. The scholarships are for one or two years, depending on the recipient's year in school, and cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

Mulder is one of three students honored by the Goldwater Foundation this year and one of four to receive national recognition in the sciences in recent weeks. Another two Hope juniors received Honorable Mention recognition through the Goldwater program: Marlie Johnson, a biology major from Petoskey, who also received Honorable Mention last year; and Martha Precup, a mathematics and economics major from Boyne City. In addition, senior James Lajiness, a chemistry major from Beech Grove, Ind., had received Honorable Mention in the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship program.

Book Offers a Christian Response to Poverty

Dr. Kent Van Til of the Hope College religion faculty is the author of a new book that presents a Christian response to world poverty, calling for those in the wealthiest nations to help those in the poorest.

His book, "Less Than Two Dollars a Day: A Christian View of World Poverty and the Free Market," was published earlier this year by the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. of Grand Rapids and Cambridge.

"Kent Van Til's timely analysis of poverty and free markets allows readers to revisit basic economic theories from a distinctly Christian frame of reference," says David R. Befus, author of "Where There Are No Jobs" and president of Latin America Mission. "Whether one agrees with his conclusions or not, this book is a fantastic resource for the current discussion about globalization and the world economic marketplace."

Jazz Concert Will Celebrate
Music Prof's Book

Hope College music faculty member Rob Hodson's book is receiving a slightly different academic reception. The Hope College Jazz Studies Area is celebrating with a book release party on Thursday, April 12, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Butch's Dry Dock.

Hodson's book, "Interaction, Improvisation, and Interplay in Jazz" was recently published by Routledge Press. The release party will feature a jazz jam session featuring both Hope College faculty and students. Light appetizers will be provided as well.

Hodson is an associate professor of music and serves as coordinator of the music theory and composition area at Hope, where he has taught since 2002.

Seniors Named to Phi Beta Kappa

Sixty-six of Hope College's graduating seniors and recent graduates have been elected to the Zeta of Michigan chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest scholastic honorary society.

For more than 200 years, election to Phi Beta Kappa has been a recognition of intellectual capacity well-employed, especially in acquiring an education in the liberal arts and sciences. The objectives of learning encouraged by Phi Beta Kappa include intellectual honesty and tolerance, range of intellectual interests and understanding, not merely knowledge.

Hope faculty who are members of Phi Beta Kappa have elected students in recognition of their high grade point average in liberal arts courses, their exceptional scholarly ability, and their independent and creative scholarly activities.

Barry Werkman Ends
40 Years Service to Hope

These past two years it was pretty easy to guess the location of Barry Werkman's office at Hope - his name is on the building.

In May 2005, the Board of Trustees voted to name the college's building at 100 E. Eighth St. the "Anderson-Werkman Financial Center" in honor of Bill Anderson and Werkman, vice presidents in finance who had both been at Hope since the 1960s, celebrating their significant service in fostering Hope's financial stability and strength.

Anderson retired in June of that year. Werkman retired at the end of this March, capping a career at Hope that began in 1967.

Book Views Theology,
Political Theory and Pluralism

Dr. Kristen Deede Johnson of the Hope College faculty is the author of the book "Theology, Political Theory, and Pluralism: Beyond Tolerance and Difference," published recently by Cambridge University Press.

In the book, Johnson advocates adding the voice of Christian theology to help inform and guide the ongoing conversation concerning difference, tolerance and co-existence in a diverse world.

In his review, Trevor Hart, a professor of divinity at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, calls the book particularly timely. "The interplay between religious commitments and political realities has resurfaced in the new millennium with unpredicted force as a matter of serious intellectual and practical concern," he said. "Rarely has there been a more urgent need for careful theological engagement on the question of how to deal with difference."

Haworth Center Named
"Employer of the Year"

The Haworth Inn and Conference Center at Hope College has been named an "Employer of the Year" by Kandu Incorporated of Holland.

The award was presented on Thursday, March 22, during Kandu's annual meeting, a dinner event that was held at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center.

Kandu Incorporated is a not-for-profit organization that couples a menu of business, product and services offerings with the overarching mission of building work skills and creating opportunities for people with employment barriers. Four of Kandu's client-employees are working as members of the Haworth Center's housekeeping staff.

Scott VanderStoep
Elected Society President

Dr. Scott VanderStoep of the Hope College psychology faculty has been elected national president of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.

VanderStoep is an associate professor of psychology and chairperson of the department at Hope. He will serve as president-elect during the coming year, beginning this summer, and will then serve a year as president beginning in the summer of 2008 and another year as past-president.

He has been active with Psi Chi in a variety of ways through the years. He was vice president of the society's Midwest Region from 2002 through 2006, was a member of the Midwest Region's Steering Committee from 1997 through 1999, served as an ad hoc reviewer of the "Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research" from 1998 to 1999, and was a program reviewer for undergraduate presentations made through Psi Chi in conjunction with the Midwestern Psychological Association from 1994 through 1999. He is also advisor to Hope's chapter of Psi Chi, and chartered chapters at the two institutions at which he previously taught, Calvin College in Grand Rapids and Northwestern College in Iowa.

December Graduation Honors Announced

December 2006 Hope College graduates have been awarded graduation honors for outstanding academic accomplishment during their years of study at Hope.

Summa Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum cumulative 3.87 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Magna Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.6 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Cum Laude honors are awarded to graduates who achieved a minimum 3.3 grade point average on a 4.0 scale.

Hope Announces Promotions
in Business Services

Hope College has promoted two employees in its business services office. Doug VanDyken has been promoted to director of finance and business services, and Jacqueline Kacmar has been promoted to accounting manager. Both will assume their new responsibilities at the beginning of April.

VanDyken is succeeding Barry Werkman as director of business services. Werkman is retiring at the end of March after having been at the college since 1967.

VanDyken joined the Hope staff as director of accounting in 1987, the year that he graduated from the college with a major in accounting. He was named assistant controller in 1995 and was promoted to controller in 2001.

Students Earn Honors
During Model Arab League

Two Hope College students earned recognition during the Michigan Model League of Arab States, held on Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 22-24, at Grand Valley State University.

Lydia Hartsell, a junior from Alexandria, Minn., was named an "Honorable Mention Outstanding Delegate" for her participation on the Council of Arab Environmental Ministers. August Miller, a senior from Southfield, was named an "Honorable Mention Outstanding Delegate" for his participation on the Council on Palestinian Affairs.

In portraying representatives of the member states of the Arab League, participating students attempt to solve problems and achieve consensus on questions faced by diplomats on a daily basis. The Model League of Arab States is sponsored by the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, based in Washington, D.C.

Student Entrepreneurs
Win First and Third Place

Hope College students have won both first and third place in a local competition designed to foster the entrepreneurial spirit.

A total of seven students from area colleges and universities, including four from Hope, competed in the first West Michigan "Lakeshore's Next Top Entrepreneur" contest on Friday, March 2. Seniors Andrew Popchock of Rochester Hills and Leonardo Morales of Zeeland took first and third place respectively.

Popchock's idea is to develop a computer chip that marathon runners will wear so that spectators can use global positioning technology to track their progress during races, inspired by his interest in following his brother's participation in a marathon. His first-place award includes a $1,000 prize and assistance from local businesses in getting started.

Hope Scholars Make Academy Presentations

Several Hope College students and professors led sessions or presented research during the annual meetings of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts and Letters, held at Ferris State University on Friday, March 9.

In the Education section, research on "Why Parents Choose Charter Schools for Their Children with Disabilities" was presented by Jane Finn, who is an assistant professor of education; and seniors Kate Caldwell of Streamwood, Ill., and Tara Raub of Carmel, Ind.

Hope Science Division
Honors Two Professors

The Division for the Natural and Applied Sciences at Hope College has honored two faculty with new awards designed to recognize excellence in teaching or research.

Dr. John Krupczak Jr., associate professor of engineering, has received the "Dean's Science Division Mentoring/Advising/Teaching Award" and Dr. William Polik, who is the Edward and Elizabeth Hofma Professor of Chemistry at Hope, has received the "Dean's Science Division Faculty Research Award." Both awards were presented during a luncheon at the college on Thursday, March 15.

"We have an extremely talented faculty and these awards are a way of recognizing significant accomplishments that have an important impact on our students and the profession," said Dr. Moses Lee, who is dean of the division as well as a professor of chemistry at Hope.

The 2007 Hope College Dance Marathon raised $116,073.98
for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital of Grand Rapids
through the Children's Miracle Network.

“Dance Marathon”
Fundraiser Begins March 9

Since 2000, two days in early March have been "Dance Marathon" days at Hope College.

This year, the designation applies city-wide. A proclamation signed by Holland Mayor Albert McGeehan designates Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, as "Dance Marathon" days in the city of Holland. Organized by Hope students, the 24-hour Dance Marathon raises funds for and builds awareness of Helen DeVos Children's Hospital of Grand Rapids through the Children's Miracle Network. The mayor's proclamation celebrates the students' "selfless spirit of giving through the Children's Miracle Network to those individuals and families who are dealing with the fallout that is the result of serious childhood illness."

This year's Dance Marathon will be held at the college's Dow Center beginning on Friday, March 9, at 7 p.m. A variety of events have been scheduled to punctuate the event, including testimonies by families served by the hospital, various performances by student and local groups, and the popular annual lip-sync. The total raised this year will be announced during a celebration that will begin shortly before the conclusion of the marathon on Saturday, March 10, at 7 p.m.

Students to Participate in
Spring Service Trips

More than 200 Hope College students be spending their spring break serving others.

Some 16 service and mission trips have been planned for the college's spring break, which runs Friday, March 16, through Sunday, March 25. The trips span the U.S. and also include sites abroad in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Nearly 200 of the students will be participating in multiple mission trips organized by the college's Campus Ministries Office. In addition, 18 students involved in the college's chapter of Habitat for Humanity will participate in a work project in Florida, and another 18 students will travel with associate professor of kinesiology Dr. Steven Smith to Jamaica.

Symphonette Invited to
National Conference

The Hope College Symphonette is one of only four orchestras from around the country invited to perform during the 2007 National Conference of the American String Teachers Association.

The 32-member Symphonette, which is directed by Richard Piippo of the Hope music faculty, was chosen from a pool of more than 100 college orchestras that had applied for the honor. The conference will run Wednesday-Saturday, March 7-10, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center. The Symphonette will perform on Friday, March 9, featuring work by Bizet, Dvorak, Rossini and Wiren.

"This is quite an honor for the Symphonette and Hope College," said Piippo, who is director of orchestral activities and an associate professor of cello/chamber music at Hope. "We are proud to have been selected from among so many applicants, especially since this year's annual meeting is taking place in our home state."

Hope Students Named Opera Finalists

Two Hope College students have been named finalists in the Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Competition.

Junior Meghan Moore of South, Bend, Ind., and senior Elizabeth Skaff of Flint were both selected during the competition's preliminary round, held on Friday, Feb. 23, at Grand Rapids Community College. They are two of eight finalists chosen from among 24 contestants from Hope; Aquinas College; Calvin College; Grand Rapids Community College; and Grand Valley State University.

Both Moore and Skaff study with Linda LeFever Dykstra, who is an associate professor of music and chair of the voice division at Hope.

Steve Hoogerwerf Receives MCC Award

Dr. Steven Hoogerwerf of the Hope College religion faculty has been presented a Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) Faculty/Staff Community Service-Learning Award.

The award recognizes outstanding community service and service-learning by faculty and staff at the colleges and universities that are members of MCC. Recipients are honored for engaging or influencing students to be involved in community service or service-learning through modeling, influence or instruction. The award recipients are nominated by peers at their institutions.

Hoogerwerf was honored on February 8 as part of MCC's 11th annual Institute, "Service Learning and Civic Engagement."

Employees Recognized
for Service to College

Hope College staff members were recognized for service during the college's 27th annual service award celebration, held in conjunction with a luncheon at the college's Haworth Inn and Conference Center on Friday, Feb. 2.

Honored as a retiree was Roger Veldhof of the college's physical plant staff, an employee for more than 23 years.

Recognized for 35 years of service were William D. Reynolds, dean for the arts and humanities; and Dawn Esther Van Ark, Van Wylen Library.

Honored for 30 years of service were Kenneth L. Aalderink, physical plant; and Laurie Brock, admissions.

Recognized for 25 years of service were Dale F. Austin, career services; and Karen L. Barr, admissions.

Education Professors Co-Author Textbook

Jeanine Dell'Olio and Tony Donk of the Hope College education faculty have co-authored "Models of Teaching," a textbook designed for students en route to becoming teachers themselves.

The book is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying elementary or secondary teaching methods. "Models of Teaching" presents 10 different approaches to teaching, using case studies to show how each can be implemented at both the elementary and secondary level. The book also addresses how the models can be implemented to incorporate state content standards and technology standards. In addition to the book itself, related resources include a Web-based study site for students and a compact disc with additional materials for course instructors.

"'Models of Teaching' is a great asset for beginning teachers as they integrate their pre-service training with the standards-based curricula in schools," said Amany Saleh of the faculty at Arkansas State University. Margaret M. Ferrara of the University of Nevada at Reno noted, "'Models of Teaching' provides excellent case studies that will enable students to 'see' models of teaching in practice in the classroom."

Book Features Jean Reed Bahle
of Hope Faculty

Jean Reed Bahle, assistant professor of theatre at Hope College, is one of 35 area women featured in the book "Amazing Women of West Michigan."

The book has been published by the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., which describes it as "a celebration of women who strive to make their community a better place to live. From doctors and lawyers to social workers and artists, the 35 women featured here are each unique in the role they fulfill. They come into the story of western Michigan from a wide variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, yet all exhibit the same sort of courage, strength and determination." The book features profiles written by Crystal Bowman with black-and-white photographs by Tim Priest.

Bahle, who has taught at Hope since 1994, has been involved with the arts in West Michigan for 30 years as an actor, director, writer and teacher. The profile focuses on her love for theatre and her passion for sharing it with students, noting, "Jean enjoys connecting with great people, laughing together, and working hard. She calls it 'serious fun.'"

Program Adds Research
Opportunities for Students

Hope College is part of a group of colleges and universities working together to increase the number of Chicago-area students who pursue careers in science.

The City Colleges of Chicago are leading the consortium, which links several two-year colleges in the Chicago area with Hope and other schools whose research programs in the sciences actively involve undergraduate students. The goal is to more effectively inspire and prepare the two-year-college students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, especially from groups traditionally underrepresented in these disciplines.

The program has received funding through a $2.7 million, five-year grant awarded to the City Colleges of Chicago by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Through this effort, students at the two-year schools are funded to engage in research activities during the academic year with their faculty mentors at their home institutions. These research activities are typically conducted in cooperation with ongoing research at the partner schools. During the summers, the two-year-college students and some of the faculty will participate in the research activities full-time at the partner schools.

Grant Supports NSBE Chapter

The Hope College chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) has received a grant from the DaimlerChrysler Corporation Fund in support of professional development opportunities for its student members.

The $2,500 grant will enable students to attend the regional and national conferences of the NSBE.

The NSBE is the premier organization serving African Americans in engineering and technology. With 15,000 members and more than 300 chapters, NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of university and pre-college students and technical professionals. The society's mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.

Research Celebration to Feature Variety

Discoveries during a dinosaur dig in Wyoming. A classroom role-playing exercise focused on the issues of the Civil War. Spider populations in a local forest. The effect of chemicals on area bodies of water. The physical impact of forgiveness. A project to provide better drinking water for a village in Cameroon. The 2008 presidential election. Serves in volleyball.

More than 160 research projects, focused on topics near and far, and past, present and future, will be highlighted during the sixth annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance at Hope College on Monday, Jan. 29, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse.

How-to Guide Designed for Book Writers

The latest book by Dr. Heather Sellers of the Hope College English faculty is designed to help others who wish to write and publish books of their own.

The book, "Chapter after Chapter: Discover the Dedication and Focus You Need to Write the Book of Your Dreams," is based on her experiences as both a writer herself and a teacher of creative writing. It serves as a companion volume to her earlier book "Page after Page," which was published two years ago and provides inspiration for new authors.

Sellers's emphasis is on suggesting approaches to writing and assisting her readers in pursuing the writing life itself, rather than on telling them what to write or how to structure their opus.

Hope Presents Awards to Faculty

Hope College presented awards honoring teaching, service and scholarship to multiple faculty members during the college's annual recognition luncheon on Monday, Jan. 8.

The Janet L. Andersen Excellence
in Teaching Awards
Presented to Dr. Edward Hansen (pictured left), professor of geology and environmental science, and Dr. John Krupczak Jr., associate professor of engineering
The Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Awards are presented to faculty members who have been teaching at Hope for at least seven years and who have demonstrated recognizable excellence in specific activities or aspects of teaching. The award is named in memory of Dr. Janet Andersen, a professor of mathematics.

Provost's Award for Service
to the Academic Program
Presented to Carol DeJong (pictured left), associate registrar, and Dr. Caroline Simon, professor of philosophy and director of general education and interdisciplinary studies.
Presented to individuals who have provided special contributions to the academic program through student academic support, general education, assessment work, implementation of programs that support/enhance the curriculum, and any activity outside of formal teaching that contributes to the overall excellence of the academic program.

The Ruth and John Reed Faculty
Achievement Awards
Presented to Dr. Christopher Barney (pictured left), the T. Elliott Weier Professor of Biology, and Dr. James Herrick, the Guy VanderJagt Professor of Communication.
The Ruth and John Reed Faculty Achievement Awards recognize members of the Hope faculty who are superior teachers and have also contributed significantly in some other area of professional life. The award was established in memory of Dr. Ruth Yzenbaard Reed, a 1965 Hope graduate who was associate dean of Macomb Community College.

Towsley Research Scholar
Presented to Dr. Aaron Best, assistant professor of biology
The Towsley Research Scholars Program is funded through an endowment made possible through a grant from the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation of Midland. Through the program, newer Hope faculty members receive support for a project for four years.

Annual Recognition Luncheon
Honors Faculty

Hope College honored faculty members for service, academic achievement and professional involvement during the college's annual recognition luncheon on Monday, Jan. 8.

The luncheon traditionally marks the beginning of the college's second semester. Participating were James N. Boelkins, provost; Alfredo Gonzales, associate provost and dean for international and multicultural education; Moses Lee, dean for the natural sciences; Nancy S. Miller, dean for the social sciences; and William D. Reynolds, dean for the arts and humanities.

Honored for 40 years of service was David Myers (psychology). Recognized for 35 years of service were Jane Dickie (psychology), Stephen Hemenway (English) and Richard L. Smith (theatre).

William Polik of Hope
Faculty Elected AAAS Fellow

Dr. William F. Polik of the Hope College chemistry faculty has been elected a Fellow of the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

AAAS Fellows are elected for having made scientifically or socially distinguished efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications. Polik was chosen for outstanding accomplishments in physical chemistry, especially the vibrational properties of small molecules; for mentoring of undergraduates through research; and for leadership in educational policy.

A total of 449 AAAS members have been elected Fellows this year and will be honored on Saturday, Feb. 17, during the association's annual meeting, being held in San Francisco, Calif. Polik is one of only 60 scientists nationwide being honored in chemistry.

Violinist Mihai Craioveanu Performs in China

Mihai Craioveanu, professor of violin in the department of music at Hope College, was invited to perform a series of solo performances at the Shanghai International Festival in China in October.

The festival hosted artists and performers from 22 countries and four continents. Craioveanu performed as part of 10 concerts from Oct. 13 to Oct. 24, including the highly acclaimed opening ceremony concert which was broadcast on the Chinese television as well as worldwide on satellite channels.

Hailed by the prestigious magazine "The Strad," as "stunning... brilliant," Craioveanu, who has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1992, has concertized to great acclaim throughout the world. Renowned pianist Radu Lupu and violinist Jamie Laredo have described him as "very impressive" and a "superb violinist." "Strad" magazine critics described his Carnegie Hall debut concert as "fresh and distinguished with a keen appreciation of proper style."

Book Examines Demographics
of CRC and RCA

Is there a possibility that the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Church in America, which split over a century ago, could someday reunite?

A new book, released at the beginning of this month and written appropriately enough by four professors at two colleges closely identified with the denominations, is adding to that conversation.

"Divided By A Common Heritage: The CRC and the RCA at the Beginning of the New Millennium" is authored by Calvin College political scientists Corwin Smidt and Jim Penning, and Hope College sociologists Donald Luidens and Roger Nemeth. It has been published by Eerdmans through the historical series of the Reformed Church in America.

Computer Game for Family Keeps on Giving

Dr. Ryan McFall of the Hope College faculty developed a computer game in a spirit of giving, and now he's selling it that way as well.

McFall, who is an associate professor of computer science at Hope, developed "Photo Match" - a computer memory game which lets players use their own photos--as a gift for his children last Christmas. He had no notion of making it available commercially, and instead was simply applying his professional expertise in a way that his family and friends could enjoy. They liked his creation so much, however, that they had other ideas.

"I wrote it for my kids strictly as their Christmas present, and gave it to people in our small group at church," he said. "My wife and they were the ones who said, 'You've got to sell this.'"

SAC Wins "Excellence
in Programming" Award

The Social Activities Committee (SAC) at Hope College has again won the "Excellence in Programming Award" from the Mid America Region of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA).

A school may receive the honor at most every other year, and Hope was also recognized in 2004 and 2002. SAC has also received a variety of other awards from NACA through the years, including the national "Excellence in Programming Award" for 1994 for colleges and universities with 2,000 to 7,000 students.

This year's award was presented on Friday, Nov. 10, during the region's annual conference. The event was held on Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 9-11, at the Civic Center in Peoria, Ill., with some 900 delegates from 125 colleges and universities attending.

Gordon Van Wylen to
Receive Leadership Award

Dr. Gordon Van Wylen, president emeritus of Hope College, will receive the "West Michigan Dutch-American Leadership Award" during the West Michigan Dutch Heritage Community Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Van Wylen is being honored for his contributions to Dutch-American heritage and the West Michigan community. The event will be held at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville.

He is one of two members of the extended Hope family being recognized during events scheduled locally in conjunction with national Dutch-American Heritage Day. Dr. Robert H. Schuller of Orange, Calif., a 1947 Hope graduate who is founding pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, the largest church in the Reformed Church in America, will receive the "West Michigan Dutch-American Legacy Award" for his leadership and contributions to extend and deepen the bonds that link West Michigan, the U.S. and the Netherlands. Schuller will be honored during a banquet being held at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids following the community celebration.

Students Earn First Place in State Auditions

Two Hope College students and two local high school students earned first place honors in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Michigan State Chapter Auditions, held at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Meghan Moore of South Bend, Ind., took first place in the College Junior Women's Division, and Katie Ross of Saint Louis Park, Minn., took first in the Sophomore College Women's Division.

Maxine DeBruyn Elected to
National Dance Presidency

Maxine DeBruyn, who is the Dorothy Wiley De Long Professor Emerita of Dance at Hope College, has been elected to the presidency of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO).

She recently began a year's service as president-elect, and will begin a two-year term as president in June. Her four-year commitment will conclude with a year's active service as immediate past president during 2009-10.

Her election is the second major appointment to a national or international dance education organization's leadership within recent months. In July she was appointed to a three-year term as a member-at-large on the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board of Dance and the Child International (daCi).

Professor Chuck Green
Honored by Students

Dr. Chuck Green has received the 11th annual "Favorite Faculty/Staff Member" award presented by the student body. Green received the award on Saturday during halftime of the college's Homecoming football game.

Recipients of the "Favorite Faculty/Staff Member" award are chosen through a vote open to the entire student body and conducted at the same time as elections for the Homecoming court and king and queen. The students are not provided with a list of candidates for the award, but rather are asked to write in the name of the person that they feel should be honored. The award was first presented in 1996.

Green, a member of the Hope faculty since 1983, is a professor of psychology and director of the college's Phelps Scholars Program and First-Year Seminar program. The award is the second major campus honor that he has received within the past six months. In early May he was presented the college's seventh annual "Vanderbush-Weller Development Fund" award for strong, positive impact on students.

Professor Veldman and senior Becky Lathrop show
Congressman Peter Hoekstra materials used in the testing.

Research Seeks to Reduce
Aircraft Blast Damage

Even as security measures internationally endeavor to prevent terrorists from smuggling explosives onto aircraft, Dr. Roger Veldman of the Hope College engineering faculty is conducting research he hopes will make a difference if the unthinkable does happen.

Veldman, an associate professor of engineering, is engaged in a multi-year, ongoing research effort to help aircraft better withstand internal explosions. His work has recently received funding from the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, the third in a series of federal grants in support of his work in the wake of the 9-11 attacks in 2001.

"The idea is, how can you make aircraft structures more robust if something does make it through the security system," he said.

Alfredo Gonzales Named Dean

Alfredo Gonzales, associate provost at Hope College, has been appointed associate provost and dean for international and multicultural education.

Gonzales previously held administrative oversight of the college's programs in international and multicultural education, but will now focus on them even more intentionally as part of the college's ongoing effort to enhance campus diversity and expand global education.

"We selected Alfredo Gonzales for this assignment because of his extensive experience with promoting diversity and global education, his positive relationships internal and external to the campus, and his commitment to the college's goal of educating students for world citizenship," said Dr. James Boelkins, provost at Hope. "The change in title demonstrates the college's commitment to improving international and multicultural education at Hope."

Ron Boeve to Receive
"Hope for Humanity Award"

The alumni H-Club at Hope College will present its "Hope for Humanity Award" to Ron Boeve, a member of the Class of 1960 who is a long-time Holland realtor and assistant baseball coach and volunteer at Hope, on Saturday, Oct. 14.

The award, first presented in 1990, recognizes Hope athletic alumni for consistent service to others and demonstrating the values of Christian commitment and service. The H-Club consists of Hope alumni who were athletic letter winners and other honorary letter winners as approved by the H-Club's Board of Directors.

The group will honor Boeve during its annual Homecoming luncheon, which will be held in the Haworth Inn and Conference Center. During the luncheon the H-Club will also celebrate the 100 years that the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), of which Hope is a member, has featured baseball as a sport.

Kirk Brumels Named MATS Committee Chair

Kirk Brumels, assistant professor of kinesiology and head athletic trainer at Hope College, 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.

Brumels, a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers' Association, has been a member of the Hope faculty since 2001. He had previously spent more than a decade as an athletic trainer with the New England Patriots.

Journals Publish
Writing Students’ Interviews

An interview co-authored by a pair of Hope College students has been accepted by the premiere professional journal in creative writing - an honor that even their faculty mentor has not yet been able to achieve. And she couldn't be prouder.

Juniors Bradley Haveman of Jenison and Elena Valle of Marshall conducted an interview with National Book Award-winning author Carlos Eire that will be published in a forthcoming issue of "The Writer's Chronicle," the journal of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), the primary professional organization in creative writing. The specific issue is still being determined.

"I would be thrilled to be in this publication," said Dr. Heather Sellers, who taught the class through which Haveman and Valle did their work. "I've never gotten in. It's the premiere creative writing journal."

Donald Cronkite to Receive National Award

Dr. Donald Cronkite of the Hope College biology faculty will receive a national award this fall from the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT).

Cronkite is receiving the NABT's "Evolution Education Award," presented in recognition of "innovative classroom teaching and community education efforts to promote the accurate understanding of biological evolution." He wil

Faculty, Staff & Student Achievements

Children’s Mystery Leads to Underground Railroad

Professor Edits Translation of Argentine Plays

Grant Supports Academic Exchange with China

Chapbook of Poems by David James Published

Hope Participates in International Science Program

"Come On Over" Wins Six Michigan Emmy Awards

Hope Receives One of Only 11 Phi Beta Kappa Grants

Book Celebrates Birthday and Career

Grants Support CASA Summer Program

Students Honored at National Research Meeting

Thomas Ludwig and Caroline Simon Appointed to Chairs

Collection of Poems by Jackie Bartley Published

Book Discusses Smartphone Operating System

Students Receive Hope Summer Research Awards

Professor Vicki Ten Haken Receives Fulbright Award

Poetry Collection by Jack Ridl Wins Honor

Dale Austin Receives Vanderbush-Weller Award

Hope Named Outstanding Employer

Students Recognized for Achievements

Nursing Student and Professor Honored

Meditations Feature Literary Works

Hope Project in Cameroon Designed to Save Lives

Keith Mulder Receives Goldwater Scholarship

Book Offers a Christian Response to Poverty

Jazz Concert Will Celebrate Music Prof's Book

Seniors Named to Phi Beta Kappa

Barry Werkman Ends 40 Years Service to Hope

Book Views Theology, Political Theory and Pluralism

Haworth Center Named "Employer of the Year"

Scott VanderStoep Elected Society President