Shakespeare’s Prayers

Dr. John Cox ’67
9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Among many things Shakespeare imagined his characters doing was praying. He wrote prayers for every play he composed, both Christian and pagan, and a surprising variety of characters pray in his plays—in comedies and tragedies alike. Not all the prayers Shakespeare wrote are equal; in fact, some are merely frivolous, and some are evil, like prayers in the real world. No matter how serious, slight, or devious it might be, however, prayer is distinct from other ways of speaking, and Shakespeare’s prayers tell us a great deal about how much he understood the function of prayer in the Christian moral life. This presentation will illuminate Shakespeare’s use of prayer without assuming that those who attend already know the plays.

Dr. John D. Cox is the DuMez Professor of English at Hope. He has taught at Hope since 1979, when he succeeded Henry ten Hoor as the college’s “Shakespearean.” He studied with Dr. ten Hoor as an undergraduate and went on to earn his doctorate at the University of Chicago. Cox is the author or editor of several books and many scholarly articles. He is currently writing a book on Shakespeare’s prayers.

Helping People to See Better
with Mobile Phones

Dr. Michael Jipping
9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Across the world, there are approximately 400 million people suffering from the challenges of visual impairment. Also across the world, there are over 5 billion mobile phones in use. The ubiquity, power, and flexibility of mobile phones combine to provide a unique opportunity in the search for technological assistance for visual impairment: a computing platform already accessible to many. The challenge in providing this kind of assistance is in the rendering of real-world images, everything in the outside world most of us take for granted. This seminar will discuss the work Dr. Jipping has done to allow mobile phones to read these images and to provide this as assistance to those with low vision. Dr. Jipping will also discuss ways to use this technology as free assistance to developing countries.

Dr. Michael Jipping is a professor of computer science and the chair of the department. He has taught at Hope for 25 years. His research is supported by the GLCA and the National Science Foundation. He teaches courses in computer architecture, operating systems, and networking.

Reading and Writing on the Nanoscale: Imaging and Manipulating Nanoparticles, Molecules, and Atoms

Dr. Jennifer Hampton and Dr. Beth Anderson
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Scanning probe microscopy has permitted the exploration of the nanoscale regime at unprecedented levels of resolution, enabling us to “see” and “maneuver” nanoparticles, molecules, and atoms. The technique is not only able to characterize and construct the topography of the sample, but also to map and control physical properties such as magnetism, friction, and conductivity. Drs. Hampton and Anderson received a Major Research Instrumentation grant this summer from the National Science Foundation to acquire a scanning probe microscope to enable new avenues for materials characterization research at Hope. It arrived in October and is already generating results. This seminar focuses on their research utilizing scanning probe microscopy and lithographic techniques for manipulating materials on the nanoscale.

Dr. Jennifer Hampton, assistant professor of physics, joined Hope College in the fall of 2007. Her research interests span the boundaries between physics, chemistry, and materials engineering. The Hampton research group uses the scanning probe microscope to study the topography, conductivity, and magnetism of mixed metal thin films, which have applications in magnetic data storage and catalysis.

Dr. Beth Anderson, assistant professor of chemistry, joined the Hope faculty in the fall of 2010. Exploring and capturing images of the nanoscale world is one of her passions and is an integral component of her research. The focus of projects in the Anderson lab is on nanomaterial synthesis, assembly, and characterization. The overarching goal of this research is to direct the assembly of complex technologically-relevant materials into hierarchical structures for potential applications ranging from nanoelectronic to biomimetic systems.

“The Gardens of Post-Industrial Michigan”

Professor Steve Nelson
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Professor Steve Nelson will present a portfolio of his photographs of abandoned industrial sites found throughout remote areas of Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula and Western Upper Peninsula. His photographs explore themes that relate the seasonal cycles to evidence of the industrial ambitions of the past, presenting unique perspectives of abandoned structures found within the expanse of remote natural vistas.

Nelson will discuss the influences on his work, from his childhood experiences of exploring the industrial remains, to the various travel-related projects he has pursued in the later stages of his artistic development, leading up to the current project. He will also discuss how he was able to meet the challenges of taking large-format photographs in these remote areas during the various seasons of the year.

An examination of images that document and celebrate the industrial sites, both from historic sources and his personal collection, will provide a backdrop for the conversation of his current work.

Professor Steve Nelson serves as chair and associate professor in the department of art and art history. He has taught photography at Hope since 1989. His photographs have been exhibited widely, including in solo and group exhibitions in Chicago and New York. While on sabbatical from teaching last year, Nelson traveled to remote areas in the Western Upper Peninsula during the fall and winter to complete the seasonal portfolio of images for the “Garden of the Industry” series. Images from this series have been exhibited locally at the Grand Rapids Public Library and the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art, and regionally at the Black Cloud Gallery in Chicago.

Bicycles, Volleyballs, and the Arab Spring: Insights from Mathematical Modeling
with Undergraduates

Dr. Tim Pennings and Morgan Smith

11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Increasingly, mathematical models are used to understand and predict phenomena in the world around us. In fact, faulty economic models were partially responsible for the recent housing and stock market collapse. At Hope College, Professor Tim Pennings, collaborating with undergraduate students, has developed models which have explained everything from volleyball flight to the recent Arab Spring. In this presentation, Pennings will explain the process, promise and pitfalls of mathematical modeling, as well as the joys of collaborating in research with undergraduate students. Then Pennings, and recent collaborator Morgan Smith, a Hope student, will describe some recent published models which explain how bicycles stay upright, how to more effectively serve a volleyball, and why after decades of subjugation, the Arab Spring seemingly spontaneously occurred.

Dr. Tim Pennings, professor of mathematics, has taught at Hope since 1988. His research interests include chaos, the mathematical infinite, and mathematical modeling. He teaches a Senior Seminar course, “Infinity and the Absolute: Pondering the Big Questions,” in which he and his students grapple with the rich questions in the confluence of cosmology, philosophy, theology and mathematics. His papers have been published in "Perspectives", Christian Scholars' Review and Martin Marty’s Context. His interest in mathematical modeling – regularly done in collaboration with Hope students - has led to published papers on topics ranging from distributing washing machines to whether dogs know calculus.

For additional information, please contact:
Lynne Powe ’86, (616) 395-7860, powe@hope.edu