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Faculty, Staff & Student Achievements


ACADEMIC YEAR 2007 - 2008

April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007

Highlights from Academic Year 2006 - 2007

Highlights from Academic Year 2005 - 2006

Highlights from Academic Year 2004 - 2005


April 2008


April 24, 2008

Beckman Foundation Award
Funds Student Research

Hope College has received a fifth consecutive award for student research from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation of Irvine, Calif., the only college or university in the nation to have received continuous support through the program since it started. Hope is one of only 15 institutions nationwide to receive a "Beckman Scholar Award" for 2008. Hope also received awards in 1998, the year that the program began, and 2000, 2002 and 2005.

The Beckman Scholars Program is an invited program for accredited universities and four-year colleges in the United States. It provides scholarship support to select students at the recipient institutions in chemistry, biochemistry, and the biological and medical sciences with an emphasis on sustained, in-depth laboratory research experiences with faculty mentors.

The $77,200 award to Hope will support a total of four students across the next three years as they conduct research in biology, biochemistry/molecular biology or chemistry. The award will support the students as they conduct research with faculty members full-time during two summers and part-time during the intervening school year.

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April 24, 2008


Hope Named Outstanding Employer

For the third 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 2008 winners will be recognized during an awards luncheon at The Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville on Thursday, May 1.

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.

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April 22, 2008

Major Grant Emphasizes
External Research Ties

A major grant to Hope College from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) will enable the college to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones as the college continues to emphasize its acclaimed model of teaching through faculty-student collaborative research in the sciences.

HHMI has awarded Hope a $1.4 million, four-year grant, part of $60 million in grants to 48 institutions in 21 states and Puerto Rico. The recipients include three colleges from Michigan, all from the west side of the state: Hope, Calvin and Kalamazoo.

The new grant to Hope will fund multiple initiatives, many building on the success of efforts that have been supported by a $1.5 million, four-year grant that the college received from HHMI in 2004. Emphases will include enhancing research efforts in the biomedical sciences at Hope, with particular attention to collaborations with other institutions; increased emphasis on training K-12 science and mathematics teachers; increasing diversity in science, both at Hope and beyond; and initiating and participating in efforts to promote and develop scholarly lessons concerning teaching and learning at the college as well as within the broader higher education community.

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April 22, 2008

Students Earn Regional
Psychology Research Honors

For the ninth year in a row, Hope College psychology students have earned regional recognition for excellence in research.

Papers by two teams of students will each receive Regional Research Awards in May from the Midwestern chapter of Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology. It is not only the ninth year in a row that Hope students have received the honor, but the third consecutive year that at least two projects from Hope have been recognized.

Senior Kim Boelkins of Ada, senior Megan Kleinheksel of Zeeland and junior Krista Mehari of Grand Rapids have been honored for their paper "The Relationship of Self-Esteem, Parenting Practices and Gender to Externalizing Behaviors Among Latino Adolescents," based on research conducted with Dr. Lorna Hernandez Jarvis and Dr. Patricia Roehling. Junior Nova Hinman of Portage and senior Ross Knoll of Grand Haven have been honored for their paper "Forgiveness Through Altruism: The Emotional and Physiological Impact of Suppression and Reappraisal Responses to a Real-Life Offense," based on research conducted with Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet.

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April 15, 2008

Book Examines Genesis Linguistically

A new book by Dr. Barry Bandstra of the Hope College religion faculty provides a detailed linguistic analysis of the first 11 chapters of Genesis.

Titled "Genesis 1-11: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text," the book is geared toward intermediate and advanced students of biblical Hebrew. It is the second volume in "The Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible" series published by Baylor University Press of Waco, Texas.

The 629-page book's emphasis is on enhancing students' understanding of the Hebrew language and the biblical text. It uses an approach to linguistic understanding called "functional grammar," which explores why clauses are worded and used together as they are.

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April 4, 2008

Student Film Places
Second in National Contest

A film by Hope College junior Tyler Depke of Grayslake, Ill., has placed second nationally in the first annual "Preserve Our Planet" College Film and PSA Contest held by National Geographic Channel (NGC).

Depke will receive a $1,500 prize during an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 8-9, when he will see the world premiere of the NGC film "Human Footprint" Tuesday evening during the annual global gathering of National Geographic Explorers and have an opportunity to network with the explorers during conference activities Wednesday morning.

Depke directed, edited and produced the film "STOP! Think Green and Save," which follows Hope junior Jake Gilliland of Round Lake, Ill., as he demonstrates simple ways to conserve energy as he goes through his daily routine. Topics include conserving water while brushing one's teeth; turning down the thermostat at night and dressing warmly; using cold water while doing laundry; using natural light during the day; choosing not to heat-dry dishes when using the dishwasher; and installing high-energy light bulbs.

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April 8, 2008


Student’s Photo Wins First Place

Hope College senior Tarin Coulas of Lansing has won first place in this year's annual Alumni Photo Contest sponsored by the AustraLearn study-abroad program.

The contest received more than 350 submissions from students throughout the United States and Canada who had studied in Australia, New Zealand or the South Pacific through AustraLearn. Coulas won for her photograph "Sheep Traffic Jam," which shows a lone car surrounded by a throng of sheep crossing the road. As the winner she is recognized on the AustraLearn Web site, which shows the photograph, and will also receive additional prize-related materials from the program.

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April 7, 2008

Seth Weener Receives
Accounting Scholarship

Seth Weener, a Hope College senior from Grand Rapids, has won a "Fifth/Graduate Year Scholarship" from the Michigan Accountancy Foundation and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants.

The $4,000 scholarships are awarded to accounting students who are entering their fifth year of study, either at the undergraduate level or graduate level and who intend to practice public accounting in Michigan.

A public-accounting major, Weener will use the scholarship this coming fall as he completes his degree at Hope. He hopes to begin working for a public accounting firm after graduating in December; his long-term career interests include working in the not-for-profit sector.

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April 4, 2008

Student Film Places
Second in National Contest

A film by Hope College junior Tyler Depke of Grayslake, Ill., has placed second nationally in the first annual "Preserve Our Planet" College Film and PSA Contest held by National Geographic Channel (NGC).

Depke will receive a $1,500 prize during an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 8-9, when he will see the world premiere of the NGC film "Human Footprint" Tuesday evening during the annual global gathering of National Geographic Explorers and have an opportunity to network with the explorers during conference activities Wednesday morning.

Depke directed, edited and produced the film "STOP! Think Green and Save," which follows Hope junior Jake Gilliland of Round Lake, Ill., as he demonstrates simple ways to conserve energy as he goes through his daily routine. Topics include conserving water while brushing one's teeth; turning down the thermostat at night and dressing warmly; using cold water while doing laundry; using natural light during the day; choosing not to heat-dry dishes when using the dishwasher; and installing high-energy light bulbs.

Read the Press Release


April 2, 2008

Four Long-Time Professors to Retire

A total of four long-time members of the Hope College faculty are retiring at the conclusion of the current school year.

Retiring are Charles Aschbrenner, professor of music, who has taught at Hope since 1963; David Jensen, director of libraries with the rank of professor, who has been at the college since 1984; Roberta Kraft, adjunct associate professor of music, who has taught at Hope since 1975; and Dr. Nancy Sonneveldt Miller, dean for the social sciences and professor of education, who joined the faculty in 1968. Their combined service to the college totals 142 years.

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April 3, 2008

Kelly Jacobsma Appointed
Director of Libraries

Kelly Jacobsma has been appointed director of libraries at Hope College.

She succeeds David Jensen, who is retiring at the end of the school year after serving in the position since 1984. A member of the Hope library faculty herself since 1988, Jacobsma was chosen following a competitive national search during which her experience and vision made her the best choice for the position, according to the college's provost, Dr. James Boelkins, who chaired the search committee.

"Through the search process, Kelly demonstrated her understanding of the current and future challenges facing the 21st century library, a strong desire to increase the engagement of the academic program and the library, a vision for ways to strengthen the library, and a strong commitment to Van Wylen Library and the college's mission," Boelkins said. "I am confident that Kelly will provide strong leadership for Van Wylen Library and help take it to the next level of excellence."

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April 1, 2008


Three Hope Students
Receive Goldwater Scholarships

Three Hope College juniors have received prestigious Goldwater Scholarships for the 2008-09 academic year out of only 321 awarded nationwide.

The three recipients, all of whom are chemistry majors at the college, are Kristin Dittenhafer of Midland; Jonathan Moerdyk of Paris; and Amy Speelman of Darien, Ill.

The scholarships were awarded by the Board of Trustees of the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation to undergraduate sophomores and juniors. The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,035 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.


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April 1, 2008

Seniors Named to Phi Beta Kappa

Sixty-eight 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.

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March 2008

March 25, 2008

Debra Swanson to Receive Teaching Award

Dr. Debra Swanson, professor of sociology at HopeCollege, has been named recipient of the 2008 "John F. Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award" by the North Central Sociological Association (NCSA).

She will receive the award on Saturday, March 29, during the NCSA's annual conference, which is being held in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday-Saturday, March 27-29.

The principal criterion for the award, according to the association, is "excellence in some activity enhancing the teaching of Sociology for the NCSA or within the North Central region." Those considered must have been nominated by another member of the organization with additional support from at least two other members.

Swanson has been a member of NCSA for 15 years and has been active in the organization's teaching section. She has made several presentations on teaching during association meetings through the years, and will be the featured keynote speaker during the NCSA's 2009 annual conference in Dearborn.

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March 13, 2008

Hope Science Divisions Honors
Two Professors

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

Dr. Miguel Abrahantes, assistant professor of engineering, has received the "Dean's Science Division Faculty Research Award." Dr. Amanda Barton, assistant professor of nursing, has received the "Dean's Science Division Mentoring/Advising/Teaching Award." Both awards were announced during a luncheon at the college on Thursday, March 13.

The "Faculty Research Award" is based on research accomplishments including publications, grant awards, significant presentations at professional meetings and external professional recognition, and the winner is chosen by an anonymous panel of faculty members from among nominees by the division's department chairs and the dean. The "Mentoring/ Advising/ Teaching Award" recognizes a faculty member who has gone beyond the call of duty in being an exceptional mentor, advisor and teacher to students, and the winner is selected by a panel of students.

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March 8, 2008

Student Dance Work Chosen
for Regional Concert

A work choreographed and performed by HopeCollege senior Michael Kaffka of Naperville, Ill., was selected to be performed during the Gala Concert of the 2008 East Central Regional Conference of the American College Dance Festival Association on Saturday, March 8.

Kaffka's work, titled "Singin' in the Rain Part II," was one of only 12 chosen to be performed from among 37 other dances representing 24 colleges and universities.

Founded in the early 1970s, the American College Dance Festival Association (ACDFA) exists to support and affirm the role of dance in higher education primarily through the sponsorship of college/university regional conferences and national festivals. More than 300 institutions are members of the association, which is divided into 10 regions. The East Central region includes institutions in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.


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March 6, 2008

Students to Participate in
Spring Service Trips

More than 270 Hope College students be spending their spring break serving others.

Some 18 service and mission trips have been planned for the college's spring break, which runs Friday, March 14, through Sunday, March 23. The trips span the U.S. and also include sites abroad in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Some 235 of the students will be participating in multiple mission trips organized by the college's Campus Ministries Office. In addition, 13 students involved in the college's chapter of Habitat for Humanity will participate in a work project in Georgia, and another 24 students will travel with professor of kinesiology Dr. Steven Smith to Jamaica.

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March 5, 2008

Hope Theatre Production
Chosen for National Festival

The Hope College Theatre production of "Rose and the Rime" is one a select group of plays nationwide invited to be presented during the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF) National Festival in Washington, D.C., in April.

"Rose and the Rime," which was written at the college, is one of only three full-length college/university-staged plays chosen for this year's national festival from among the best productions highlighted during the eight ACTF regional festivals held around the U.S. in January and February. "Rose and the Rime" was the only production from the ACTF Great Lakes Region festival in Milwaukee, Wis., to have the honor of being under consideration for the national festival.

"We are incredibly excited and honored to be selected to perform 'Rose and the Rime' at the Kennedy Center in our nation's capital," said Michelle Bombe, who is director of theatre, professor of theatre and resident costume designer at Hope. "This honor is the culmination of an amazing journey - from humble ideas of what might happen if we brought in a guest artist to write a play with and for our students, to a challenging and motivating process of creation, to the incredible success it had on our campus last spring, to having college theatre students jumping to their feet at the regional festival in Milwaukee, and now to be recognized on a national level - truly amazing."


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March 3, 2008

Students Place in Regional
Singing Competition

Hope College freshman Sarah Ashcroft and high school student Audrey Rink, both of Holland, each earned honors during the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Great Lakes Regional Competition, held at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., on Saturday, March 1.

Ashcroft took third place in the First-Year College Women's Division. Rink, who is a junior at Holland Christian High School, took second in the High School Women 16-and-Under Division. They both study with Linda LeFever Dykstra, who is an associate professor of music and chair of the voice division at Hope.

Ashcroft and Rink were among four students studying voice at Hope who competed in the regional event based on their achievement at the NATS Michigan State Chapter Auditions in November. Ashcroft had earned second place in the First-Year College Women category, and Rink had earned first place in the 16-and-Under High School Girls Division.


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February 2008

February 25, 2008

Tom Hoover Named “Chef of the Year”

Tom Hoover, executive chef with Hope College Dining Services, has been named the "Chef of the Year" by the Greater Grand Rapids Chefs Association of the American Culinary Federation (ACF).

He was recognized during the "Grand Culinary Affair" held at Grand Rapids Community College on Tuesday, Feb. 19, which was sponsored by the association and "Grand Rapids Magazine" to recognize the restaurants presented with 2007 dining awards by the publication as well as the top chefs, educators, students and other culinary professionals honored by the association. The winners are also highlighted in an article in the March 2008 issue of the magazine.

The "Chef of the Year" award is the most prestigious award given by the American Culinary Federation Greater Grand Rapids Chefs Association. It is presented annually to recognize a culinarian who demonstrates continuous commitment to the food service industry through personal and professional development, leadership and educational support to fellow culinarians.

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February 23, 2008

Hope Students are Finalists
in Opera Competition

Hope College seniors Isaac Droscha of Mason and Meghan Moore of South Bend, Ind., were named finalists in the Opera Grand Rapids Collegiate Competition held on Friday, Feb. 22, at Calvin College in Grand Rapids.

They are two of nine finalists chosen from among 23 contestants from Hope; Aquinas College; Calvin College; Grand Rapids Community College; and Grand Valley State University.

They and the other finalists will compete in the final round scheduled for Sunday, March 30, at 7 p.m. at Kreschmer Recital Hall in the Art and MusicCenter at AquinasCollege. The public is invited to attend the event, and admission is free.


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February 23, 2008

Hope Recognized Nationally
for Service Focus

Hope College has been named to the national President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for a second consecutive year for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovativeness of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

The 2007 Honor Roll, which recognizes schools for their community service activities during the 2006-07 academic year, was announced at the American Council on Education's Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 11.


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February 21, 2008


“Anchor” Staff Members
Honored During Convention

The Associated Collegiate Press honored two members of the staff of the weekly Hope College student newspaper "The Anchor" during the "Best of the Midwest College Newspaper Convention" held in Minneapolis, Minn., on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 15-17.

Ashley DeVecht, who is features editor and a junior from Byron Center, received seventh place in the Single Page Design category for her features spread "World Travelers," which she developed with "The Anchor's" production manager, senior Nicholas Engel of Grand Blanc. Senior Evelyn Daniel of Dearborn, who with senior Emily Papple of Holly serves as editor-in-chief, received 10th place in the Editorial/Commentary category for her column "Voice of Dissent."

"World Travelers" was the center-spread of the Wednesday, Feb. 7, issue of "The Anchor." Additional contributors to the spread included junior Amanda Anderson of Grandville (writer); sophomore Meghan Fore of St. Charles, Ill. (writer); freshman Gina Holder of Midland (graphics); and senior Dylana Pinter of Mundelein, Ill. (graphics). The spread examined off-campus study and featured question-and-answer interviews with four students: senior Theresa Fernandez of Grand Rapids, who had studied in Philadelphia, Pa.; junior Ryan Gary of Ada, who had studied in Wollongong, Australia; junior Erin Richards of Clarkston, who had studied in Salamanca, Spain; and junior Leah Wyatt of Colts Neck, N.J., who had studied in Queretaro, Mexico.


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February 18, 2008


Book Views Teaching in
Lewis’s Christian Writings

With the live-action, big-budget film "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" scheduled for release on Friday, May 16, a Hope College professor's book offers insights building on a key scene in "Prince Caspian," from C. S. Lewis's famous fantasy series.

Dr. Peter Schakel of the Hope English faculty is the author of "Is Your Lord Large Enough? How C. S. Lewis Expands Our View of God," published recently by InterVarsity Press of Downers Grove, Ill. The book began with a Hope College chapel talk in 2001 and was extended and refined in a number of Senior Seminar courses at the college.

In "Prince Caspian," Aslan, the great Lion and Christ figure, says to the young girl Lucy, "Every year you grow you will find me bigger." Schakel's book uses that sentence as the starting point for an examination of how Lewis's writings provide help for readers seeking growth in their Christian lives through an expanding, deepening understanding of God.


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February 6, 2008

Jorge Capestany Named
Michigan Pro of the Year

Jorge Capestany, manager of the DeWitt Tennis Center at Hope College, has been named the "Michigan Pro of the Year" by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).

He will receive the recognition during the PTR annual awards dinner in Hilton Head, S.C., on Monday, Feb. 18.

It is the sixth time that Capestany has been named the "Michigan Pro of the Year" by either the PTR or the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA).

Capestany has managed the college's DeWitt Tennis Center since the fall of 2003 and is a 26-year veteran of the tennis industry. In 1992 he became the youngest Master Professional in the history of the USPTA, and he is currently one of only 120 Master Professionals worldwide.

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February 6, 2008

Hope Students Participate in Honors Band

A total of four Hope College students participated in the 2008 Michigan Intercollegiate Honors Band, which presented a concert on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Alma College.

The band featured students from several colleges and universities, including Albion, Alma, Calvin, Cornerstone, Grand Valley, Hillsdale, Hope, Olivet and Spring Arbor. The band's members were chosen from lists submitted by conductors at the participating schools.

The participating Hope students were senior Rachel Daley (flute) of Cleveland, Ohio; senior Catherine Ellis (percussion) of Hudson; junior Joy Oosterbaan (French horn) of ByronCenter; and senior Allison Walter (bassoon) of Mandeville, La.

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February 5, 2008

Hope Cameroon Project
Named Statewide Finalist

A successful and growing Hope College service project focused on water quality and community health in the village of Nkuv in Cameroon has been named one of four finalists for Michigan's 2008 Carter Partnership Award.

The Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration is given annually by Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) to one partnership involving a Michigan college or university and a community group, with its $10,000 prize divided equally between the campus and community partners for working together in exceptional ways to improve people's lives and enhance learning in the process. The winner from among the four finalists will be announced and the award will be presented during the annual Governor's Service Awards this spring, on a date yet to be determined.

The Hope program, 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 the remote village with purified water. 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.

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February 5, 2008

Robin Klay to Receive MCC Award

Dr. Robin Klay of the Hope College economics faculty has been chosen to receive 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. Each of MCC's member institutions has the opportunity to nominate one recipient annually for the award, which is the highest that MCC bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan.

Klay is a professor of economics at Hope, where she has taught since 1979. She was recognized for her role in establishing the college's "Hope Blooms" off-campus study program in Mexico, an internship-based experience that emphasizes service and cultural immersion and reflects her longstanding commitment to helping others.

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February 1, 2008

Employees Recognized
for Service to College

Hope College staff members were recognized for service during the college's 28th annual service award celebration on Friday, Feb. 1.

Honored as retirees were Barry L. Werkman, business services office, 40 years of service; Betty J. Dolley, copy center, 30 years of service; Barb Helmus, health services, 28 years of service; Elaine VanWieren, campus safety, 22 years of service; and Ronald Evink, physical plant, 21 years of service.

Recognized for 40 years of service were Tom Renner, public relations, and Maria C. Tapia, computing and information technology.

Honored for 30 years were Rick Middlecamp, physical plant, and Cheryl McGill Schairer, social sciences.

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January 2008

January 23, 2008

Vanessa Greene to Receive Giants Award

Vanessa Greene, director of multicultural education at Hope College, will be honored during the 26th annual Giants Banquet and Awards Ceremony, to be held at Grand Rapids Community College on Saturday, Jan. 26.

The Giants awards honor individuals and organizations for making exceptional contributions in shaping the history and quality of life in Greater Grand Rapids. Each is named for an individual who pioneered change that fostered the inclusion of minorities into all walks of life in the community.

Greene will be among 11 community members and two organizations to receive the awards during the evening. She will receive the Phyllis Scott Activist Award, named for Phyllis Scott, who fought for the rights and dignity of minority students in a time when many inequalities were prevalent in the Grand Rapids Public Schools.

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January 15, 2008

Hope Recognized for
Peace Corps Volunteers

Hope College has entered the annual rankings of the Peace Corps on the organization's top-25 list of small colleges and universities producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2007.

Hope is the only school from Michigan on the top-25 listing for small colleges and universities, and is fifth among all Michigan colleges and universities of any size for its number of alumni volunteers in 2007. The Peace Corps announced its top-25 listings for 2007 on Monday, Jan. 14.

Hope is ranked 24th nationally among small colleges and universities, with 14 alumni serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, up from 13 the year before. Since the Peace Corps' inception in 1961, a total of 153 Hope alumni have joined the ranks, making Hope the number-283 producer of volunteers of all time.

The Peace Corps ranks schools according to the size of the student body. Small schools are those with fewer than 5,000 undergraduates, medium-size schools have between 5,001 and 15,000 undergraduates, and large schools have more than 15,000 undergraduates. Hope has 3,226 students this year.

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CONGRATULATIONS COACH GLENN VAN WIEREN
600 Career Collegiate Victories!

January 15, 2008

Flying Dutchmen Win #600
Under Coach Van Wieren

The Flying Dutchmen posted the 600th victory under men's basketball coach Glenn Van Wieren on January 12, 2008 when they defeated Olivet 80-71 in a road game.

Van Wieren becomes just the sixth coach in NCAA Division III men's basketball history to achieve 600 victories. His 31-year record is 600-201. His winning percentage (.749) is the best in this elite coaching group.

He also has reached 600 victories faster than any other Division III coach (801st game). The previous mark was by Glenn Robinson of Franklin & Marshall who won number 600 in his 821st game.

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Great Lakes Region College Theater Festival Photo Gallery

Hope Theatre Production is
Great Lakes Region Winner

January 13, 2008

The Hope College production of "Rose and the Rime" has been judged the winner at the Great Lakes Region of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival held this weekend in Milwaukee. It was selected from nine productions presented at the festival from a five-state region. "Rose and the Rime" is now eligible for consideration at the national festival to be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April. That decision will be made in early March after all region festivals have been held.

Senior Sarah Watkins of Bloomfield Hills won the region festival's scenic design competition for her paper project for "A Flea in Her Ear."

Senior Dane Clark of Grand Rapids was one of 16 finalists of the Irene Ryan Acting competition. The competition began will more than 300 competitors. Dane first did a scene from a contemporary play, "Bugs", then a comic scene from "Tartuffe" and finally a monologue from "Romeo and Juliet."

"Rose and the Rime" premiered at Hope during the 2006-07 school year. The show was written and created by Nathan Allen who was a guest artist at the college at the time. He worked with our students in creating the play. Allen is the artistic director of the House Theatre Company in Chicago. The play is set in the fictional town of Radio Falls, Mich., where it is always winter. The community has been laid to waste by the terrible Rime Witch, and is a world without flowers, apples, mail or dancing -- but with an abundance of snow, wind and ice cream. The shining beacon in the wintry gloom is a young, mute girl named Rose, who takes it upon herself to make a treacherous journey to the frozen cave of the Witch in the hope of changing her town's fate.

Press Release


January 07, 2008


Hope Presents Awards to Faculty

Hope College presented awards honoring teaching, service and scholarship to faculty members during the college's annual recognition luncheon on Monday, Jan. 7.

The "Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Awards" were presented to Dr. L. Maureen Odland Dunn, associate professor of kinesiology, and Dr. John Shaughnessy, professor of psychology.

The "Ruth and John Reed Faculty Achievement Awards" were presented to Dr. David Klooster, professor of English and chairperson of the department, and Dr. Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, associate professor of psychology.

Named a "Towsley Research Scholar" was Dr. Nathan Tintle, assistant professor of mathematics.

The "Provost's Awards for Service to the Academic Program" were presented to David Jensen, director of libraries with the rank of professor; Dr. Nancy Sonneveldt Miller, who is dean for the social sciences and professor of education; and Dr. William Mungall, who is the Elmer E. Hartgerink Professor of Chemistry.

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 at Hope who died of injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Thursday, Nov. 24, 2005.

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January 07, 2008

Annual Recognition Luncheon
Honors Faculty

Hope College honored faculty members for service, academic achievement and professional involvement during its annual recognition luncheon on Monday, Jan. 7.

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

Honored for 45 years of service was Charles Aschbrenner (music). Recognized for 40 years of service were Nancy Sonneveldt Miller (education, and dean for the social sciences) and John Tammi (theatre).

Honored for 30 years of service were Al Bell (history), Donald Cronkite (biology), Billy Mayer (art), Barbara Mezeske (English), John Patnott (kinesiology), Mike Seymour (chemistry) and Kathleen Verduin (English).

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December 2007

December 12, 2007

Hope Chosen for National
HHMI Science Initiative

Hope College is one of only a dozen colleges and universities nationwide and the only institution in Michigan selected by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) to implement a new genomics course that will involve incoming freshmen in cutting-edge research during their first semester in college.

The program, the Phage Genomics Research Initiative, has been developed by HHMI's Science Education Alliance, which is a new initiative intended to help shape science education nationwide. HHMI is committing a total of $4 million overall over the first four years of the program, including the support given to all of the individual colleges and universities.

The research-based, year-long laboratory course has been designed to provide beginning college students with a true research experience that will teach them how to approach scientific problems creatively and hopefully solidify their interest in a career in science.

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December 12, 2007


Book Analyzes Writing of
Walter Wangerin Jr.

The latest book by Dr. Dianne Portfleet of the Hope College English faculty offers a critical analysis of the writing of contemporary author Walter Wangerin Jr.

Her book "Walter Wangerin, Jr.: Artist, Poet, and Prophet" was published earlier this year by Greenleaf-Wilcop Press.

Wangerin, whose fiction and non-fiction alike focuses on faith and Christianity, is the author of more than 30 books, including novels, collections of short stories and essays, collections of poetry, children's books, volumes focused on practical theology and devotionals. His first novel, "The Book of the Dun Cow" (1978), won both the 1980 National Book Award and the New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year award.

Writing for scholar and layperson alike, Portfleet, who is an adjunct associate professor of English at Hope, examines Wangerin's work in light of its exploration of faith and the way that he seeks to guide the Christian community "down faith's thorny path" away from complacency into commitment.

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December 11, 2007

Benefit Performance
Precedes Festival Honor

The Hope College production of "Rose and the Rime," which was written at the college, has been chosen for presentation during the annual festival of the Great Lakes Region of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (ACTF) in January.

West Michigan theatergoers will have an opportunity to enjoy the production a few days earlier. A benefit performance has been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. at Hope in the DeWitt Center main theatre.

"Rose and the Rime" is one of only nine productions selected for presentation during the festival from among a field of 35 entries submitted from throughout the five-state region. The event will run Tuesday-Sunday, Jan. 8-13, at Cardinal Stritch University and Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. "Rose and the Rime's" festival performance has been scheduled for Friday, Jan. 11.

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December 11, 2007

Anne Larsen Receives Award for Book

Dr. Anne Larsen, professor of French at Hope College, has been awarded the "Translation or Teaching Edition Award" for her book "From Mother and Daughter: Poems, Dialogues, and Letters of Les Dames des Roches."

The University of Chicago Press published the book in its series "The Other Voice in Early Modern Europe" in 2006. The Society for the Study of Early Modern Women presented Larsen the award during the annual meeting of the Sixteenth-Century Studies Conference in October in Minneapolis, Minn.

The award citation states: "Madeleine (1520-87) and Catherine (1542-87) des Roches, mother and daughter, count among the most celebrated and prolific French women writers of the sixteenth century. Members of the emerging urban elite in a society torn by religious wars, the Dames des Roches boldly advocated female education and defended women's right to participate in poetic and political discourse. Anne R. Larsen's introduction to her exemplary bilingual edition clearly elucidates the historical context in which these early modern intellectuals and proto-feminists flourished."

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December 4, 2007

Multi-Media German Course
Materials Published

A collaborative effort to develop computer-based, multi-media teaching materials for college-level German courses has led to the publication of "Weiter geht's!" for second-year students.

Released earlier this year, "Weiter geht's!" ("Let's Keep Going!") continues the multi-media "Auf geht's!" ("Let's Get Going!") published in 2005 for beginning German students. Both packages are produced by Live Oak Multimedia Inc. and distributed by Evia Learning Inc.

Dr. Lee Forester of the Hope College faculty is the initiative's co-creator and project director. The development team also includes Dr. Pennylyn Dykstra-Pruim of the Calvin College German faculty, and David Antoniuk and Olga Antoniuk of Live Oak Multimedia Inc.

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November 2007


November 30, 2007


Tom and Carole Renner
Honored for Service

After spending more than four decades helping to put the spotlight on Hope College students, faculty, teams, coaches and athletes, Tom Renner is in turn receiving some enduring recognition from the college.

Renner and his wife Carole are being honored for their significant roles in the life of the college by having the media section of the Richard and Helen DeVos Fieldhouse named in their honor. A bronze plaque commemorating the recognition will be unveiled during pre-game activities for the Hope men's basketball game that begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, as part of the Holland Sentinel Community Tournament.

"It is time to recognize Tom and Carole for their distinguished service to Hope College for the past 40 years," said President Dr. James E. Bultman. "Tom has received accolades from so many different organizations, and it is fitting now for this place that receives most of his attention to honor him and his wife Carole. Their work at Hope, especially in intercollegiate sport, has been a team effort. No one could give what Tom has given without the involvement and support of an understanding spouse."

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November 28, 2007

Aaron Best Contributes
to Article in “Science”

Dr. Aaron Best of the Hope College biology faculty contributed to an article published in "Science" that studies the genetic make-up of a common intestinal parasite in the hope of leading to better treatments for the disease it causes and even to better understanding of how human life functions.

The parasite, Giardia lamblia, is found in water systems throughout the world, including in the U.S. It can cause diarrhea, stomach aches and nausea, and in chronic cases leads to malnutrition and poor development in children.

Giardia lamblia changes forms when it goes from being outside the body to residing within a human or animal host. Best's research focused on analyzing the genome sequence for the organism, identifying the genes and proteins that are involved with how it turns its genes on and off - a process called transcription - to change.

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November 27, 2007

Anne Larsen Co-Edits Book on
Renaissance-Era Women

Dr. Anne Larsen of the Hope College French faculty is co-editor of the "Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England," which draws on current historical, literary, art, and medical scholarship from 103 contributors to document the contributions of well-known and lesser-known Renaissance women from Italy, France and England.

Larsen co-edited the volume with Diana Robin, who is a scholar in residence in Classical and Italian literature at Chicago's Newberry Library, and Professor Carole Levin, who is the Willa Cather Professor of History at the University of Nebraska. The reference volume was published in April of this year by ABC-CLIO of Santa Barbara, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; and Oxford, England.

The work provides portraits of famous women such as Catherine of Siena, Christine de Pizan, and Elizabeth I, and those less famous like Elena Lucrezia Cornaro, who was the first woman in history to receive a doctorate, and Louise Boursier, who wrote medical textbooks. It contains as well numerous thematic essays on diverse subjects such as "Marriage"; "Music and Women"; "Printers, the Book Trade, and Women"; "Literary Patronage"; "Hospital Administration and Nursing as Careers for Women"; "The Practice of Pharmacology and Laywomen"; "Music in the Churches and Convents"; and "Religious Reform and Women."

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November 27, 2007


Children’s Book by Albert Bell Wins Award

The children's book "The Secret of the Lonely Grave" by Dr. Albert Bell Jr. of the Hope College history faculty has won the inaugural Evelyn Thurman Young Readers Book Award from Western Kentucky University Libraries.

To be eligible for the award, books must have a significant Kentucky-related theme or have been written or illustrated by a Kentucky author or illustrator. Bell's book is set in modern-day southern Kentucky and focuses on a mystery dating back to the Civil War.

Bell will be honored with a reception at the university on Saturday, Feb. 16. He will also be the featured speaker during an event sponsored by the university's Center for Gifted Studies for students in grades one through seven.

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November 27, 2007

Physics Researchers Work
with Australian Company

A new connection between researchers at Hope College and a company in Australia is prized for the benefits that it can bring to both sides of the partnership.

Dr. Stephen Remillard, assistant professor of physics, has contracted with Microwave and Materials Design (M&MD) PTY LTD of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to contribute Hope expertise as the company seeks to commercialize superconducting electronics. "We will support their R&D organization, which is already a top-notch group of people in Australia," Remillard said.

Remillard, who worked in industry for several years before going into teaching, sees great benefits to companies in such arrangements, since they present a chance to involve additional expertise and facilities in meeting their research needs.

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November 19, 2007

Book Explores Faith and
Doubt in Shakespeare

Dr. John Cox of the Hope College English faculty is author of "Seeming Knowledge: Shakespeare and Skeptical Faith," which revisits the question of Shakespeare's connection with religion by focusing on the intersection of faith and skepticism in his writing.

The book was published earlier this fall through the new "Studies in Christianity and Literature" series of Baylor University Press of Waco, Texas.

Cox, who is the DuMez Professor of English at Hope, examines Shakespeare's works in the context of the 16th century, when thinkers such as Thomas More and Erasmus wrote skeptically to expose the weaknesses of Christians without doubting the truth of Christianity itself.

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November 19, 2007

Chemist Participates in NSF-Funded Project

Dr. Joanne Stewart of the Hope College faculty is one of seven chemists from colleges and universities across the nation participating in a project recently funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop an online resource to help professors of inorganic chemistry work together to improve their teaching.

The project is titled "IONiC," for "Intellectual Online Network of Inorganic Chemists." It has received a $150,000 award for development during 2008 and 2009 through the NSF's "Course, Curriculum and Laboratory Initiative."

IONiC will use a Web site and other Internet technologies to develop a virtual community that will serve as a way for colleagues from a variety of institutions to work together conveniently regardless of distance to share and develop materials related to teaching in the discipline and to help each other improve through online discussions and workshops. Following the network's development and initial testing, it will become part of the National Science Digital Library, an online library for education and research in science that is available to scientists around the world.

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November 19, 2007

Charles Aschbrenner Speaks
at European Conference

Charles Aschbrenner of the Hope College music faculty was an invited speaker during the annual conference of the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA) held in Novi Sad, Serbia, on Friday-Monday, Nov. 2-5.

He presented the address "Intractable Tension and Rhythmic Incoordination: Chicken or the Egg?" Following the conference he gave a master class to piano students at the Music Academy of the University of Novi Sad.

Aschbrenner is a certified Dalcroze Eurhythmics instructor, and is intensely interested in the issues of movement, rhythm and physical freedom in performance. He has presented lecture-demonstrations across the United States as well as at the College Music Society international conference held in Vienna, Austria. His articles on rhythm and movement have appeared in the "Journal of the Dalcroze Society of America," and his Web site "Pulse Patterning for Pianists" has attracted international responses.

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November 7, 2007

Heather Sellers Authors Book of Poetry

Heather Sellers of the Hope College English faculty is author of "The Boys I Borrow," a new book of poetry published by New Issues Press.

The poems are a real-life look into marriage, raising teen age boys, and Nintendo. Sellers looks back at her own childhood in Orlando, Fla., contrasting her experiences there while watching stepsons come of age in the Midwest. Billy Collins has praised the collection as "sensitive and clever," and Beth Ann Fennelly has described the world evoked in the book as "rendered with painterly precision and tender humor."

Sellers recently gave readings at Georgia State College and University and Montgomery Community College in Philadelphia. On Friday, Nov., 16, at 7 p.m., Third Stone Art Gallery, located at 120 E. Main in downtown Fennville, will host a book party that will include a short reading and book signing as well as music and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public.

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November 7, 2007

Students Named Winners
in State Singing Auditions

Multiple Hope College singers and an area high school student who studies voice at Hope earned honors in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Michigan State Chapter Auditions, held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Dane Clark, a senior from Grand Rapids, earned first place in the Musical Theatre category.

Briana Sosenheimer, a sophomore from Fort Wayne, Ind., earned second place in the Second-Year College Women category. Freshmen Sarah Ashcroft of Holland and Lauren Conley of White Lake each earned second place in the First-Year College Women category.

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November 3, 2007

Hope Music Students Honor Professor Lewis

The students of the Hope College chapter of the national Delta Omicron music honorary society have honored Dr. Huw Lewis of the music faculty with induction as a Chapter Patron.

Lewis, who is a professor of music and college organist, received the honor on Friday, Nov. 2, as a surprise during a ceremony held in conjunction with an organ and orchestra concert in which he was performing in Dimnent Memorial Chapel at Hope.

The college's Alpha Chi chapter of Delta Omicron nominated Lewis for the award for the way that he represents the national organization's mission of supporting excellence in music and musicianship.

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October 2007

October 29, 2007


Chapbook of Poetry by
David James Published

The recently released third chapbook of poetry by David James of the Hope College faculty celebrates the seemingly small but sometimes surprising moments and realizations that become the component parts of the individual.

"Psychological Clock" has been published by Pudding House Publications of Columbus, Ohio. The latest volume follows "Lost Enough" (July 2007) and "A Little Instability without Birds" (July 2006), both published by Finishing Line Press. James is credited in each as D.R. James, since another published poet has the same first and last name.

The new volume's 24 poems explore and reflect on a mix of common and singular events, ranging from the familiar rituals of a hometown basketball game, to the agility of squirrels as they raid the birdfeeder, to a conversation with the condominium to which aging parents will soon move. The chapbook's title is shared by one of the poems, which considers the value in taking a new look at old assumptions.

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October 29, 2007

Student Named State’s
AmeriCorps Member of the Month

Hope College junior Jon Van Wyngarden of Holland has been named the AmeriCorps "Member of the Month" for October for the state of Michigan. He has received the honor from the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC), which funds the state's 19 AmeriCorps programs.

Van Wyngarden is beginning his second year as a part-time AmeriCorps member with Good Samaritan Ministries' "Faith in Youth" AmeriCorps program, which is a mentoring program serving children from the area's middle schools. His service site is Calvary Reformed Church, where he works with youth in the after-school program. He has been praised for his commitment to the families--children and parents alike--who live in the community and attend the program.

Van Wyngarden's involvement blends his career interest in working with children with his commitment to applying his faith to making a difference in his community. He is pursuing an elementary and English composite major at Hope, intending to teach in an area where he hopes to make a difference outside the classroom as well.

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October 20, 2007

Relay for Life Raises Record Amount

The 5th annual Relay for Life sponsored by Hope College has raised a record amount for the American Cancer Society.

More than 700 Hope students, faculty and staff raised $52,426 during the event on October 19-20.

The event consisted of a 12-hour overnight walk in the college's Dow Center. The event was moved indoors because of the inclement weather, but it didn't deter the participants from surpassing the previous amount raised by more than $10,000.

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October 18, 2007

Students to Participate in
Van Andel Institute Research Day

A major regional conference designed to highlight the significance of undergraduate scientific research in West Michigan will include more than 40 presentations concerning faculty-student projects at Hope College.

The Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids is hosting its first annual West Michigan Regional Undergraduate Science Research Conference on Saturday, Oct. 20. More than 160 students and faculty are anticipated for the event, representing Aquinas College, Calvin College, Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Valley State University, Hope, the University of Michigan and the Van Andel Institute. The event will feature approximately 100 poster presentations by the participating students, as well as a keynote presentation by Dr. James Lightbourne, who is senior advisor for the integration of research and education with the National Science Foundation; and research seminars by faculty members from Calvin, Grand Valley, Hope and the Van Andel Research Institute, including Dr. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin of the Hope biology and chemistry faculty.

More than 40 projects conducted by Hope students are being featured during the event. The topics range from a study of the limbs of apes, to forgiveness, to the mineralogy of West Michigan dune sands, to the effect of the immigration debate on Hispanic adolescents, to the effect of copper sulfate in algae and pond systems, to the digital three-dimensional modeling of dinosaur bones, to protein/DNA interactions and the control gene expression in cancer and parasite research, to the design of robots for use in space exploration.

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October 17, 2007

English Professor Honored
for Impact on Sport

In a world of well-paid professional athletes, high-profile coaches and notable sports personalities, the selection of a college English professor as one of America's most influential sports educators might seem to be out of place.

Not so, according to the Institute for International Sport which has included Hope College emeritus English professor Jack Ridl on its first list of the 100 most influential sports educators in America.

"In America and in many other countries, we honor elite athletes, winning coaches, wealthy team owners and media moguls. We praise sports educators yet we really do not honor them in a manner befitting their admirable impact on society," said Daniel Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport. "This project is aimed at honoring individuals and organizations who have creatively and effectively used sport in the very best way -- as a means to educate and shape positive values."

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October 17, 2007

Statewide Dance Concert
Includes Faculty Work

Works by three members of the Hope College dance faculty are being featured in the Showcase Concert that will culminate the statewide Michigan Dance Council Dance Day being held at Hope College on Saturday, Oct. 20.

Hope faculty members Rosanne Barton-DeVries and Linda Graham are among the six choreographers who will have works in the concert as entrants in the statewide Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award competition. In addition, the concert program will feature a work choreographed by Hope faculty member Steven Iannacone and performed by Hope-affiliate dance company dANCEpROjECt (formerly Aerial Dance Theater) as a special guest.

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October 9, 2007


Multiple Authors Write Book
on Measuring Student Learning

In the department of history at Hope College, learning in one class follows the Yellow Brick Road. In an education course, it might include producing a drawing of a refrigerator. In engineering, it can include building a better athletic bandage roller.

More than a dozen educators share their insights into effective teaching strategies as co-authors of the book "Beyond Tests and Quizzes: Creative Assessment in the College Classroom."

The book features 14 chapters by current or former HopeCollege professors concerning ways they have approached teaching and determining how much their students have learned. It is being published this month by Jossey-Bass, an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., and was edited by husband-and-wife faculty members Barbara Mezeske, associate professor of English, and Dr. Richard Mezeske, professor of education and chairperson of the department.

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October 9, 2007

Exihibit Features Work of Hope Professor

The Aquinas College Art and Music Center (AMC) Gallery is featuring the work of celebrated Michigan photographer and Hope College professor Steve Nelson in an exhibit entitled "Simultaneity"through Nov. 9. The exhibit is free and open to the public.

Nelson, who is chair of the art department at Hope, is particularly interested in examining the gap between "what is nature, and what is human." "Simultaneity," which encompasses over twenty original black and white photographs, explores that gap. "I feel like nature is asking us, 'Where have you gone, why have you left, and when will you return?'" said Nelson, who used a 19th century plate camera in capturing the images. "It reinforces ambiguity as well as detail."

The photographer also deliberately chose black and white over color. "In my case, I think color would be a distraction. Ambiguity activates our imagination as well as clarity," he said.

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October 8, 2007

Professor James Herrick
Honored by Students

Dr. James Herrick of the Hope College faculty has received the 12th annual "Favorite Faculty/Staff Member" award presented by the student body.

Herrick received the award on Saturday, Oct. 6, during halftime of the college's Homecoming football game at Holland Municipal Stadium.

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.

Herrick is the Guy Vander Jagt Professor of Communication at Hope, where he has taught since 1984. His research and teaching specialties are rhetoric and argumentation.

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October 3, 2007

Nancy Miller Receives Athena Award

Dr. Nancy Sonneveldt Miller of the Hope College faculty has received the third annual Lakeshore ATHENA Award.

Miller, who is the dean for the social sciences and a professor of education at Hope, was honored during a luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 2, at the Trillium Banquet and Conference Center in Spring Lake. The event celebrated all of the award's 21 nominees, who also included another member of the college's administration: Vanessa Greene, director of multicultural life.

"We at Hope College are pleased to have had two outstanding members of our administrative staff honored through the ATHENA Award program," said Hope College President Dr. James E. Bultman. "Both Nancy and Vanessa have made important contributions to the life of the college and the area, and richly deserve recognition for their dedicated service to Hope and the community.

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October 1, 2007

Student Receives Fellowship
to Explore Ministry

Hope College junior Anna Finger of Anderson, Ind., has been named a 2007 "Undergraduate Fellow" by the Fund for Theological Education (FTE).

Finger is one of only 49 juniors and seniors at colleges and universities across the United States and Canada to receive the awards for the 2007-08 school year. FTE awards the fellowships to college students who demonstrate superior academic achievement and exceptional promise for ministry, with the aim of encouraging them to consider vocations in ministry and teaching and nurturing them in their exploration and study.

The recognition includes a $2,000 award for educational expenses or for an experience relating to exploring ministry. In addition, Finger also attended the FTE's 2007 summer Conference on Excellence in Ministry, held on Wednesday-Sunday, June 20-24, at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.

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September 2007



The alumni H-Club presented it's Hope for Humanity Award to Russ DeVette '45 (left) who spent 37 years at Hope as a member of the faculty and coach. Gord Brewer '48 (right) presented the award to his longtime colleague.

September 30, 2007

DeVette to receive
Hope for Humanity Award

Russ DeVette has a humble, soft-spoken manner, yet his impact on Hope College and Holland has been substantial.
DeVette, 84, of Holland, will be this year's recipient of the Hope for Humanity Award, an annual recognition presented by the Hope alumni H-Club to graduate athletes who have demonstrated the values of Christian commitment and service to others in their careers after Hope.

A 1945 Hope graduate, DeVette taught and coached at Hope for nearly 40 years, from 1948 until retiring in 1988, with three years away in the 1950s to serve with the Marine Corps and on the faculty of the University of Maine.

"I've had the privilege of knowing Russ for a long time, and I'm a better person for it," said Ray Smith, men's athletics director at Hope and H-Club board member.

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Student Places Second in
International Competition

Hope College senior Kevin Steinbach of Downers Grove, Ill., has earned second place in an international competition for translating Japanese.

Steinbach was one of two second-place finishers worldwide, receiving the "Distinguished Translation Award," for translating materials into English from Japanese in the Shizuoka International Translation Competition organized by Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan.

"This is the most respected Japanese translation competition in the world. I commend Kevin for his remarkable achievement," said F. Andy Nakajima, assistant professor of Japanese at Hope. "He possesses not only a high level of understanding of the Japanese language (both modern and classical), but also the esthetic sense of the English language to make the sentences come alive. Kevin is probably the youngest translator who has won such a distinguished international award. I am very happy that Kevin will be able to receive his award from Prof. Donald Keene, the most distinguished Japanologist in the world, whom Kevin highly respects."

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September 25, 2007

Project Will Benefit CASA and
Upward Bound Students

A new effort at Hope College will focus on inspiring a brighter future for the local elementary-age and high school students participating in the Children's After School Achievement (CASA) and Upward Bound program at Hope.

The Michigan Campus Compact (MCC) has awarded a "Brighter Futures" grant to the college for activities to help the two programs place additional emphasis on overcoming obstacles