Faculty, Staff & Student Achievements
ACADEMIC YEAR 2008 - 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
June 2009
June 11, 2009
Chemist William Polik
Receives Teaching Award
Dr. William F. Polik, who is the Edward and Elizabeth Hofma Professor
of Chemistry at HopeCollege, has received the 2009 James Flack Norris
Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistry from the
Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS).
Polik was selected in recognition of his outstanding work as a teacher
and mentor, his development of innovative materials for teaching physical
chemistry, and his leadership as chair of the ACS Committee on Professional
Training in developing and implementing the society's new guidelines
for undergraduate chemistry. Polik will receive the award, which consists
of a plaque and $3,000, during the NESACS's monthly meeting on Friday,
Nov. 12, at Boston University.
"The student letters submitted as part of the nomination all pointed
to Dr. Polik's commitment to both the academic and personal success of
his students," said longtime colleague Dr. Michael Seymour, professor
of chemistry, who prepared Polik's recommendation while serving as chairperson
of the department. "While his professional work as a chemist has
broad national recognition, his ability to effectively engage students
in both the classroom and laboratory and to help them achieve at their
highest level is the hallmark of an outstanding teacher and scholar."
Read
the announcement
June 5, 2009
State Agency Praises
Hope for Health Monitoring
Hope College and its health center have been praised by the Michigan
Department of Community Health for the manner by which it managed a potentially
serious situation during the recent H1N1 virus emergency.
Hope participates in the Michigan component of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention Influenza Sentinel Surveillance Program.
Reports from Hope health officials of a spike in influenza among its
campus community during late April played an integral role in the early
detection of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in Michigan, according to
Janet Olszewski, director of the Michigan Department of Community Health.
"Your involvement and efforts have contributed greatly to the public
health of Michigan's citizens," said Olszewski.
Read
the announcement

June 5, 2009
Hope's Graduation Rate
Among the Best in Michigan
The rate of graduation at Hope College ranks among the best in Michigan,
according to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
in a new report, "Diplomas and Dropouts: Which Colleges Actually
Graduate Their Students (and Which Don't)."
The study of nearly 1,400 colleges and universities was in response
to a challenge from President Obama that America have the highest proportion
of colleges in the world.
The Institute conducted its study using the classifications of the Carnegie
Commission on Higher Education and admissions selectivity scheme from "Barron's
Profiles of American Colleges."
PDF
of the complete report
June 4, 2009
Book Highlights Hope’s
Approach to Science Education
Hope College's approach to preparing future scientists through involvement
in undergraduate research is highlighted in a new book that advocates
extending such efforts nationwide.
A team of Hope faculty contribute a chapter to the book "Broadening
Participation in Undergraduate Research: Fostering Excellence and Enhancing
Impact," published recently by the Council on Undergraduate Research
(CUR). The Hope-authored chapter, "Enriching a Culture of Research:
Expanding Opportunities to a Broader Community," provides an overview
of programs at Hope designed to broaden the college's decades-long practice
of involving students in undergraduate research as a teaching tool.
"Hope has a well-documented record of success in training students
for careers in science by giving them the opportunity to do science,
through collaborative research with faculty mentors," said Dr. Moses
Lee, who is dean for the natural and applied sciences and a professor
of chemistry at Hope.
Read
the announcement
June 3, 2009
Susan Dunn Appointed to
Peer-Review Committee
Dr. Susan Dunn of the Hope College nursing faculty has been appointed
to serve as a peer reviewer for the federal Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ).
The AHRQ is the lead federal agency charged with improving the quality,
safety, efficiency and effectiveness of health care for all Americans.
As one of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services,
the AHRQ supports health services research that will improve the quality
of health care and promote evidence-based decision making.
The peer reviewers serve on one of four subcommittees or study sections
that review applications submitted to the AHRQ for research grants and
training grants. The study sections convene three times per year, and
Dunn's appointment is for four years.
Read
the announcement
June 3, 2009
Multiple Students Receive Fulbright Awards
For the second year in a row, multiple graduating Hope College seniors
have received highly competitive fellowships through the Fulbright U.S.
Student Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Robin Litscher of Lebanon, Ind., Lani Pickard of Minnetonka, Minn.,
and Molly Smith of Urbana, Ill., all of whom graduated in May, have received
fellowships to teach English abroad during the coming year.
Last year, four graduating seniors or recent graduates also received
Fulbright fellowships to teach abroad, and Hope has had multiple other
recipients through the years. During 2008-09, Hope tied for 30th nationally
among Bachelor's institutions for the number of students receiving the
awards.
"That we have multiple students receive Fulbrights makes it look
easy, but that's far from the case," said Dr. David Cunningham,
who is a professor of religion and director of the CrossRoads Project
and serves as the Fulbright Program advisor at Hope along with colleague
Dr. Janis Gibbs of the college's history faculty. "The Fulbright
program is highly selective - only about 1,500 fellowships are presented
nationwide each year. It is a tremendous compliment to our students to
have received them, and a strong affirmation of the high quality of a
Hope education that we have had multiple students receive them."
Read
the announcement
June 3, 2009
Student Receives Fellowship
to Explore Ministry
Hope College senior Jeffrey R. Skaff of Flint has been selected to
receive a 2009 Fund for Theological Education (FTE) Undergraduate Fellowship.
FTE Undergraduate Fellowships recognize students who have gifts for
leadership and are exploring the possibility of ministry as a vocation.
As an FTE Undergraduate Fellow, Skaff will receive $2,000 for tuition,
other educational expenses or a self-designed experience related to the
exploration of ministry. He will also attend the 2009 FTE Conference
on Excellence in Ministry, "Becoming Rich toward God: Pastoral Leadership
and Economic Justice," which will run Wednesday-Sunday, June 17-21,
at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va.
FTE Undergraduate Fellows are selected competitively from a pool of
applicants from across the U.S. and Canada. They must be nominated by
a professor, school administrator, pastor or campus minister; hold a
minimum 3.0 grade point average; have an interest in exploring ministry
as a vocation; and demonstrate leadership in a church or school community.
Read
the announcement
June 3, 2009

Hope Nursing Program to Expand
In response to strong national need and student interest, Hope College
is expanding its nursing program.
Students begin studies in the program as sophomores, and since starting
in 2002 the department has enrolled 36 students per year, for a total
of 108 students in the nursing program at any given time. The program,
which leads to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), is growing to
45 students per class year, a 25 percent increase that will be phased
in beginning during the 2009-10 school year with the incoming sophomore
class.
Nursing programs are addressing an increasingly critical national shortage
of Registered Nurses, according to Dr. Susan Dunn, associate professor
of nursing and chairperson of the department. According to projections
in 2007 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one million
new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2016, with government analysts
projecting that more than 587,000 new nursing positions will be created
through 2016, making nursing the nation's top profession in terms of
projected job growth.
Read
the announcement

June 3, 2009
TV Production of Vespers Receives Awards
The television production of the 2008 Hope College Christmas Vespers
service has received recognition through three different awards programs.
The program was produced by WGVU-TV in Grand Rapids in cooperation with
the department of music at Hope. The program was produced and edited
by WGVU producer/director Deb Kirk. Dr. Brad Richmond, professor of music
and director of choral activities at Hope, was director of the 2008 Vespers.
The program received a Second Place Silver Screen Award in the Arts:
Music category from the U.S. International Film & Video Festival's
42nd Annual Awards Competition; an Award of Distinction in the Arts category
in the Videographer Awards competition; and a Bronze Award in the 30th
annual Telly Awards competition.
Read
the announcement
May
2009
May 26, 2009
Recent Graduates Receive
NSF Fellowship Honors
Six Hope College graduating seniors or recent graduates have received
either Graduate Research Fellowships or honorable mention through the
program from the National Science Foundation.
"Given the size of Hope College, this is an exemplary accomplishment
and it is a testimony to the value of pursuing productive research in
undergraduate education," said Dr. Moses Lee, who is dean for the
natural and applied sciences and a professor of chemistry at Hope. "For
the natural and applied sciences, this moves the division closer to the
Vision 20/20 strategic goal of reaching a higher and uncharted level
of academic excellence."
Named fellowship recipients this year were Kristin Dittenhafer of Midland,
who graduated earlier this month; Rebecca Lathrop, a 2007 graduate from
Gladwin; and Emily Timmons, a 2007 graduate from Kalamazoo. Recognized
with honorable mention were Jamin Dreyer, a 2006 graduate from Holland;
Alicia Hofelich, a 2007 graduate from Midland; and Jonathan Moerdyk of
Paris, who graduated earlier this month.
The NSF awarded 1,236 fellowships this year and presented another 1,836
students with honorable mention.
Read
the announcement
May 19, 2009
Maria Burnatowska-Hledin
Appointed to Professorship
Dr. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin of the Hope College biology and chemistry
faculty has been appointed to the college's Frederich Garrett and Helen
Floor Dekker Endowed Professorship.
Her 10-year appointment to the chair will begin July 1.
The professorship was established through the estate of Dr. Fred H.
Decker and Marie V. Buranek Decker to provide financial support for a
faculty member who has an established record of excellence in biophysics,
biomedicine or biology. Dr. Decker was a 1921 Hope graduate.
The chair was established in the 1980s. Its first recipients were biologist
Dr. Harvey Blankespoor, who held the chair from 1988 until retiring in
2002; and chemist Dr. Michael Silver, who held it from 2002 until retiring
at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
Burnatowska-Hledin has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1992.
Her research concerns the protein VACM-1/cul 5, seeking to understand
the role that it may play in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells as
well as cancer-induced angiogenesis (growth of blood capillaries).
Read
the announcement
May 15, 2009
Memoir Focuses on Breaking
Cycle of Family Violence
A memoir by Kim Douglas of the Hope College English faculty is geared
toward helping others break the cycle of family violence that marked
her own life growing up.
Douglas, who is an adjunct assistant professor of English, is the author
of "High Desert: A Journey of Survival and Hope," published
this month by Baha'i Publishing. In the memoir, she reveals her childhood
experiences in an abusive home and shares her journey to healing, hoping
that her story will make a difference to others who have endured similar
circumstances.
"There are a lot of hurting people out there," she said. "We
need to break the cycle of violence. How do we go about doing that? I
hope my story offers inspiration."
Therapist and nutritionist Dr. Marla Friedman has said, "This beautiful
book by Kim Douglas is a touching, poignant story that is exquisitely
sensitive and powerfully insightful. It is a story about enduring abuse,
survival, healing through adversity, the resilience of the human spirit
and hope. I am recommending this book to all my patients, colleagues
and all those who care about in-depth healing."
Read
the announcement
May 15, 2009
Students Receive Hope
Summer Research Awards
Seven Hope College students have received Dean's Science Division Research
Awards from the college.
The students who have been honored are Jessalyn Bolkema, Terra R. Fox,
Jeff Largent, Courtney Long, Eric Lunderberg, Peter Van Heest and Valerie
J. Winton.
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.
Considerations for the $3,800 awards include interest in science, promise
of research and scientific accomplishment, academic standing and departmental
endorsement. The recipients are also eligible for a subsidy for summer
housing on campus.
Read
the announcement
May 11, 2009
Darin Stephenson Elected
Chair of State Mathematics Group
Dr. Darin Stephenson of the Hope College mathematics faculty has been
elected chair of the Michigan Section of the Mathematical Association
of America (MAA).
He will serve during the 2009-10 school year. He was elected during
the section's annual meeting, held at Central Michigan University on
Friday and Saturday, May 8-9.
Stephenson is a professor of mathematics and chairperson of the department
at Hope, where he has taught since 1997. His involvement with the MAA
has included serving as the section vice-chair for four-year colleges
during 2008-09. He also served for three years on the planning committee
for the yearly Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference (MUMC),
and chaired the Organizing Committee for the MUMC when it was held at
Hope in 2006.
Within the field of mathematics he specializes in ring theory, geometry
and probability. He has also become involved in curriculum development,
and is writing a textbook that is being used in Hope's sophomore-level
mathematics courses, Multivariable Mathematics I and II. Stephenson regularly
involves students in research, and has collaborated with 19 students
over the course of seven research projects since coming to Hope.
Read
the announcement
May 5, 2009
Jeana Longoria Wins Nursing Scholarship
Hope College junior Jeana Longoria of HowardCity has won a scholarship
from the Kalamazoo-Muskegon chapter of the National Black Nurses Association
(NBNA).
Applicants for the $1,000 awards competed on the basis of essays on
why they chose to pursue a career in nursing. Longoria was recognized
during the chapter's award banquet on Friday, May 1, at the AmwayGrandPlaza
in Grand Rapids. She was one of five recipients along with students from
Grand Rapids Community College, Michigan State University, WesternMichiganUniversity
and the University of Michigan.
Longoria is a nursing major at Hope. In the fall, she received one
of only six $500 scholarships awarded statewide to Hispanic students
by the National Association of Hispanic Nurses-Michigan Chapter (NAHN-MI).
After graduation, she hopes to pursue a doctorate in nursing.
Read
the announcement
May 5, 2009
GLCA Honors Alfredo Gonzales for Service
Alfredo
Gonzales, who is associate provost and dean for international and multicultural
education at Hope College, has been honored for his role as a founding
member 20 years ago of the Great Lakes Colleges Association's Committee
on Institutional Commitment to Educational Equity (CICEE).
The GLCA celebrated the 20th anniversary with a dinner during the committee's
spring meeting, held at DePauwUniversity on Friday and Saturday, March
27-28. Gonzales, who is also a past chair of the committee, and the other
founding members were honored not only for helping establish the committee
but for their "continued commitment to the well-being of people
of color on GLCA member campuses."
The GLCA is a consortium of 13 private liberal arts colleges located
in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In addition to Hope, the
member colleges are AlbionCollege, AlleghenyCollege, AntiochCollege,
DenisonUniversity, DePauwUniversity, EarlhamCollege, KalamazooCollege,
KenyonCollege, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, WabashCollege
and The College of Wooster.
Read
the announcement
May 3, 2009
John Krupczak Presented H.O.P.E. Award
Dr.
John Krupczak of the Hope College engineering faculty has been presented
the 45th "Hope Outstanding Professor Educator" (H.O.P.E.) Award
by the graduating Class of 2009.
He was named the recipient during the college's Commencement ceremony,
held at Holland Municipal Stadium on Sunday, May 3.
The award, first given in 1965, is presented by the graduating class
to the professor who they feel epitomizes the best qualities of the Hope
College educator.
Krupczak has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1994 and has been
actively involved in enhancing technological literacy among non-science
students throughout his time at the college. He developed and teaches
the college's course "Science and Technology of Everyday Life," through
which students learn about the science behind objects that they use daily,
including by building items ranging from radios to keyboards. More than
1,500 non-engineering students have enrolled in the course since it debuted
in 1995.
Read
the announcement
April
2009
April 29, 2009
Brieann Bryant Receives
Student Teaching Recognition
Brieann Bryant, a graduating Hope College senior from Farwell, has
received honorable mention in the 23rd annual Intern/Student Teacher
of the Year competition coordinated by the Michigan Association of Teacher
Educators (MATE).
A total of 59 participants from 13 institutions across the state competed
on the basis of videos they submitted showing a lesson each had taught
while student teaching. MATE is honoring individual first- and second-place
finishers, four finalists and 12 honorable mention candidates.
Bryant is majoring in special education with a focus in learning disabilities,
and submitted a language arts lesson from her fall student-teaching placement
in a fifth-grade, general-education classroom at Hamilton Elementary.
Read
the announcement
April 27, 2009
Tony Van Houten Receives
Vanderbush-Weller Award
Tony
Van Houten, physical plant event manager at Hope College, has been named
recipient of the college's ninth 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. Van Houten
will be honored during a dinner on Thursday, April 30, held in conjunction
with the spring meeting of the college's Board of Trustees.
"Tony gives selflessly in all of his work, brings joy, offers encouragement,
provides fellowship to everyone he encounters, has a positive impact
on everyone he meets, and goes beyond what is expected," 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. "Hope is a better place because of his many contributions.
He sets a standard for all of us to emulate."
Read
the announcement
April 27, 2009
Phelps Scholars Program Recognized
as Exemplary Diversity Program
The Hope College Phelps Scholars Program has been recognized by the
Association of American Colleges and Universities as an exemplary diversity
program in higher education.
HopeCollege is one of 32 institutions featured in the AAC&U publication "More
Reasons for Hope: Diversity Matters in Higher Education." Others
among the featured honorees include the University of Michigan; DukeUniversity
in Durham, N.C.; EmoryUniversity in Atlanta, Ga.; and WheatonCollege
in Norton, Mass.
The Phelps Scholars Program--an academic/residential program for students
interested in race and culture--is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Started in the fall of 1999, the program is coordinated through the college's
Provost's Office in collaboration with the Office of Student Development
and the Admissions Office. The program's director is Dr. Charles Green,
who is a professor of psychology at Hope.
Read
the announcement
April 24, 2009
Physics Presents Awards to Students
The department of physics honored seven students with awards for excellence
earlier this semester.
Recognition as Outstanding Teaching Assistants in the department has
been awarded to senior Deborah Denby of Westmont, Ill.; senior Joanna
Gundersen of Bolingbrook, Ill.; senior Christopher Hall of Pataskala,
Ohio; senior Ricky Kelley of Burton; and junior Christopher Ploch of
Redford.
Seniors John McNutt of Elgin, Ill., and Gregory Pavlak of Hopkins have
been inducted into the Hope College chapter of Sigma Pi Sigma
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Margaret Mohr Receives
Conference Award for Research
Margaret Mohr, a Hope College senior from Reed City, has received recognition
from the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology for original research
that she has been conducting at the college investigating the onset of
puberty.
Mohr has been chosen to present her research during the society's 13th
annual meeting through one of only 12 "Travel Awards" that
the society has given for the international conference, which will be
held in June at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The winners
were chosen from among more than 100 applicants, who included not only
other undergraduates but also graduate students and post-doctoral students.
Mohr is a biology and psychology double major. She has been conducting
research with Dr. Gregory Fraley, associate professor of biology, concerning
what times the mechanisms that regulate onset of puberty.
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Students Receive Awards
for Academic Achievement
Awards for academic achievement during the current school year were
presented to HopeCollege students during the college's annual Honors
Convocation on Thursday, April 23.
Awards presented for achievement in specific areas of study
Hope College students received a variety of special awards during the
college's annual Honors Convocation held on Thursday, April 23.
Special prizes and awards
April 23, 2009
Seniors Receive Sigma Xi Awards
A total of 93 HopeCollege seniors or recent graduates were honored
with Senior Sigma Xi Awards during the college's annual Honors Convocation,
held on Thursday, April 23, in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
Sigma Xi is the Scientific Research Society. The Sigma Xi club at Hope
is one of 500 clubs and chapters in North America dedicated to the encouragement,
support and recognition of scientists.
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Seniors Receive Sigma Xi Awards
A total of 93 HopeCollege seniors or recent graduates were honored
with Senior Sigma Xi Awards during the college's annual Honors Convocation,
held on Thursday, April 23, in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.
Sigma Xi is the Scientific Research Society. The Sigma Xi club at Hope
is one of 500 clubs and chapters in North America dedicated to the encouragement,
support and recognition of scientists.
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Students Inducted into Mortar Board
Thirty-seven Hope College juniors have been inducted into Mortar Board,
a national honor society that recognizes students for scholarship, leadership
and service.
The students were recognized during the college's annual Honors Convocation
on Thursday, April 23.
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Outstanding Senior
Student-Athletes Named
Awards as the outstanding senior athletes among Hope College graduates
in the class of 2009 were presented to two students during the college's
Honors Convocation on Thursday (April 23).
 Nora Kuiper of Parchment (Parchment HS) was presented the John Schouten
award while Jesse Reimink of Hudsonville (Hudsonville HS) received the
Otto van der Velde All-Campus Award.
The van der Velde award is presented to a senior man for outstanding
contributions to the college in athletics, scholarship and participation
in student activities. The award, presented annually since 1932, is named
in memory of Dr. Otto van der Velde, a 1915 HopeCollege graduate who
lettered in four sports and was later the college's team physician for
more than 40 years.
Read
the announcement
April 23, 2009
Seniors Honored for
Athletic Accomplishments
Sixty-eight Hope College seniors have been awarded monogrammed blankets
for their participation in athletics at Hope.
The orange and blue "H" blankets are presented to seniors
who earned at least three varsity letters while at Hope. One of the varsity
letters must have been earned during the student's senior year.
The students were recognized during the college's Honors Convocation
on Thursday, April 23, and will also be honored during a reception on-campus
on Monday, April 27.
Read
the announcement
April 22, 2009
Megan Haserodt Receives NOAA Scholarship
Megan Haserodt, a Hope College sophomore from North Olmsted, Ohio,
has received a highly competitive, two-year Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate
Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
NOAA is presenting the awards to approximately 100 college undergraduates
to further academic studies related to NOAA science, research, technology,
policy, management and education activities. Haserodt is double-majoring
in geology and chemistry with a minor in environmental science, and as
a career is interested in hydrogeology or some sort of water quality
work.
"Meg is certainly deserving of this honor, given her performance
in the geological and environmental sciences department and the natural
and applied sciences division," said Dr. Jon Peterson, professor
of geology and environmental science, with whom Haserodt has been conducting
research during the spring 2009 semester. "It is particularly exciting
for us because this is the first NOAA scholarship of this type awarded
to a Hope student."
Read
the announcement
April 18, 2009
Named Fund Honors
Herb Dershem for Service
Dr. Herbert Dershem, who played a leadership role in developing the
department of computer science at Hope College, is being recognized through
a lasting tribute with a fitting focus: a student research fund in his
name.
Alumni and faculty colleagues of the department announced the creation
of the "Herb Dershem Summer Research Fund" on Saturday, April
18, during an appropriate milestone, a reception scheduled in celebration
of the department's 35-year anniversary. Once fully endowed, the fund
will provide support for a student to conduct research full-time with
the department for eight to 10 weeks during the summers, joining students
who are conducting research in the program through other external and
internal sources of support.
Dershem is a professor of computer science and director of institutional
research at Hope. He has taught at the college since 1969, five years
before the department of computer science was established in 1974, and
served as the department's chair from 1975 through 2003. In addition
to teaching and helping develop the program's curriculum, he played a
significant role in shaping the department's practice of involving students
in original, collaborative research projects with members of the faculty.
Read
the announcement
April 16, 2009
Hope Students Win Stryker “ Engineering Challenge”
A
three-student team has won the second-annual "Engineering Challenge" organized
by Stryker Corporation in Kalamazoo.
The Hope team was one of nine teams competing in the challenge, held
on Saturday, March 28.
The students on the Hope team were junior Joel Blok of Schoolcraft;
senior Bo (Christopher) Buckley of Caro; and junior Joel Mulder of Jenison.
Representing Hope as well as the college's student chapter of Engineers
Without Borders, they won a $1,000 prize that will be used to support
the chapter's involvement in the on-going, interdisciplinary project
at Hope focused on water quality and health in the village of Nkuv, Cameroon.
Read
the announcement
April 13, 2009
Hope Participates in
International NASA Project
Hope
College has received support for summer student research through a national
program designed to increase the number of women who pursue careers in
mathematics.
Dr. Stephanie Edwards, associate professor of mathematics, has received
a grant through the "Women and Mathematics Grants" program
sponsored by the Tensor Foundation of Oak, Park, Ill., through the Mathematical
Association of America (MAA). The $6,000 award will support two undergraduate
students in conducting original research with Edwards for eight weeks
this summer. The one-year grant is renewable for up to two more years.
The Tensor-MAA Program grants are for projects designed to encourage
college and university women or high school and middle school girls to
study mathematics. Edwards noted that women are underrepresented in the
discipline nationally. For example, according to the American Mathematical
Association's "2008 Annual Survey of the Mathematical Sciences," women
represented only 31 percent of the 540 U.S. citizens to receive doctoral
degrees in the mathematical sciences during 2007-08, and 32 percent of
the 695 non-U.S. citizen new doctoral recipients during the same time
frame.
Read
the announcement
April 13, 2009
Grants Supports Women
Students in Math Research
Hope College has received support for summer student research through
a national program designed to increase the number of women who pursue
careers in mathematics.
Dr. Stephanie Edwards, associate professor of mathematics, has received
a grant through the "Women and Mathematics Grants" program
sponsored by the Tensor Foundation of Oak, Park, Ill., through the Mathematical
Association of America (MAA). The $6,000 award will support two undergraduate
students in conducting original research with Edwards for eight weeks
this summer. The one-year grant is renewable for up to two more years.
The Tensor-MAA Program grants are for projects designed to encourage
college and university women or high school and middle school girls to
study mathematics. Edwards noted that women are underrepresented in the
discipline nationally. For example, according to the American Mathematical
Association's "2008 Annual Survey of the Mathematical Sciences," women
represented only 31 percent of the 540 U.S. citizens to receive doctoral
degrees in the mathematical sciences during 2007-08, and 32 percent of
the 695 non-U.S. citizen new doctoral recipients during the same time
frame.
Read
the announcement
April 13, 2009
Michael Misovich Presents Invited Address
Dr.
Michael Misovich, associate professor of engineering at Hope College,
was among the invited speakers during the national "Best Assessment
Processes Symposium XI" organized by ABET Inc. (formerly the Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology) and held in Indianapolis, Ind.,
on Friday and Saturday, April 3-4.
ABET presents the annual symposium to provide interactive and lecture-based
opportunities for applied science, computing, engineering and technology
educators to learn about assessment methods and how they can be used
to validate and improve student learning outcomes. The two-day event
included a variety of invited addresses and workshops, roundtable discussions
and a keynote address.
Misovich presented "Results from an Ongoing Student-Centered Assessment
Plan," describing some of the features of the assessment process
used by the college's department of engineering for continuous improvement
of the program. His co-authors were Hope engineering colleagues Dr. Miguel
Abrahantes, Dr. Jeff Brown, Dr. John Krupczak and Dr. Roger Veldman.
Read
the announcement
April 9, 2009
Research Finds Bias against the Obese
On
their climb to the top rungs of the corporate ladder, researchers at
Hope College have found, women who are overweight appear to have it tougher
than their overweight male counterparts, and both men and women who are
obese face major obstacles in their quest for success in the business
world.
The results appear in the article "Weight discrimination and the
glass ceiling effect among top U.S. CEOs," published in the most
recent issue of "Equal Opportunities International," a British
journal.
The research team focused on the chief executive officers (CEOs) of "Fortune
100" and "Fortune 1000" companies, reasoning that the
effects of weight-based discrimination would be most concentrated among
CEOs of the nation's largest companies.
"When you look at people who are at the top of their fields, that's
where you see the cumulative effect of discrimination based on factors
such as race and gender. For example very few women and people of color
are represented among Fortune 1000 CEOs," said the article's lead
author, Dr. Patricia Roehling, a professor of psychology. "We wondered
if we'd see that same cumulative effect based on weight."
Read
the announcement
April 9, 2009
Lori Mulder Elected to Association Office
Lori
Mulder, who is director of human resources at Hope College, has been
elected to the board as president-elect of the Michigan College and University
Professional Association for Human Resources (MI-CUPA-HR).
Her service on the board will include a year as president elect, a year
as the association's president and then a year as past-president.
MI-CUPA-HR seeks to promote cooperation between human resources professionals
at colleges and universities in Michigan for the purpose of advancing
the practice of personnel and human-resource administration in higher
education. The association represents two-year and four-year public and
private chartered higher-educational institutions across the state.
Read
the announcement
April 8, 2009
Hope Named Outstanding Employer
For the fourth 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). Hope and the region's other 2009 winners will be
recognized during the "West Michigan's 101 Best and Brightest Companies
to Work For" annual human resources symposium and awards luncheon
on Thursday, May 7, at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville.
Each company's entry was evaluated by an independent research firm.
The nominated companies were assessed in categories including 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.
Read
the announcement
April 7, 2009
Psychology Students Earn
National and Regional Awards
Hope College students are receiving three national and regional awards
for excellence in research from Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in
Psychology.
Krista Mehari, a senior from Grand Rapids, has been chosen to receive
one of only four undergraduate research awards being presented nationwide
by Psi Chi during the national convention of the American Psychological
Association being held in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 6-9.
Seniors Nova Hinman of Portage and Ross Knoll of Grand Haven will each
be receiving Regional Research Awards from the Midwestern chapter of
Psi Chi during the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association
in Chicago, Ill., on Thursday-Saturday, April 30-May 2.
Read
the announcement
April 1, 2009
Four Hope Students
Receive Goldwater Recognition
Four Hope College science students - as many as colleges and universities
were invited to nominate - have received national recognition from the
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.
Juniors Mark Lunderberg of Grandville and Blair Williams of Fenton have
each received Goldwater Scholarships for the 2009-10 academic year, out
of only 278 awarded nationwide. Juniors Joel Blok of Schoolcraft and
Paul Frybarger of Muskegon have each received honorable mention, out
of only 175 students to be accorded the recognition.
"It is a tremendous accomplishment for our students to have been
recognized by the Goldwater Foundation in this way," said Dr. Moses
Lee, who is dean for the natural and applied sciences and professor of
chemistry at Hope. "It also demonstrates the high quality of our
programs in the natural and applied sciences, particularly our focus
on learning by doing through undergraduate research."
Read
the announcement
March
2009
March 30, 2009
Seniors Named to Phi Beta Kappa
Awards as the outstanding senior athletes among Hope College graduates
in the class of 2009 were presented to two students during the college's
Honors Convocation on Thursday (April 23).
Nora Kuiper of Parchment (Parchment HS) was presented the John Schouten
award while Jesse Reimink of Hudsonville (Hudsonville HS) received the
Otto van der Velde All-Campus Award.
The van der Velde award is presented to a senior man for outstanding
contributions to the college in athletics, scholarship and participation
in student activities. The award, presented annually since 1932, is named
in memory of Dr. Otto van der Velde, a 1915 HopeCollege graduate who
lettered in four sports and was later the college's team physician for
more than 40 years.
Read
the announcement
March 12, 2009
Hope Science Division
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. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin, professor of biology and chemistry, has
received the "Dean's Science Division Faculty Research Award." Dr.
Mark Pearson, assistant professor of mathematics, has received the "Dean's
Science Division Mentoring/ Advising/ Teaching Award." Both awards
were announced during a luncheon at the college on Thursday, March 12.
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.
Read
the announcement
March 10, 2009
Thomas Bultman Named to
Journal’s Board of Advisors
Dr.
Thomas Bultman of the Hope College biology faculty has been named to
the Board of Advisors to the Editors of "New Phytologist," an
international scholarly journal focused on plant science.
Established in 1902, "New Phytologist" offers publication
of high-quality, original plant-science research within four sections:
physiology and development, environment, interaction and evolution. The
monthly journal is owned by the New Phytologist Trust, a not-for-profit
organization that is dedicated to the promotion of plant science.
Bultman, who is a professor of biology and chairperson of the department,
has been appointed to a three-year term that began earlier this month.
His responsibilities include reviewing research papers submitted to the
journal's interaction section.
Read
the announcement
March 10, 2009
Students Honored in
Regional Singing Competition
Multiple Hope students earned honors during the National Association
of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Great Lakes Regional Competition, held
at YoungstownStateUniversity in Ohio on Saturday, March 7.
Jared Graybiel, a junior from Lebanon, Ind., took first place in the
College Musical Theatre Division. Ross Green, a junior from Plainwell,
took first place in the Third-Year College Men Division. Sarah Ashcroft,
a sophomore from Holland, took third place in the Second-Year College
Women Division. Briana Sosenheimer, a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., received
honorable mention in the Third-Year College Women Division.
Graybiel also received the "Most Promising Musical Theater Performer" award
through a vote of the teachers who were present. The special awards were
presented in conjunction with a concert in which all the first-place
winners performed at the conclusion of the competition.
Read
the announcement
March 5, 2009
“Anchor” Staff Members
Honored During Convention
The Associated Collegiate Press honored four 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. 20-22.
° Senior Karie Luidens of Altamont, N.Y., who is a senior staff
writer and assistant graphics editor, received fifth place in the News
Story category for her story "Hope swaps shuttle vans for bus," which
was published on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
° Sophomore Karen Patterson of Rockford, Ill., who is co-sports
editor, and freshman Chris O'Brien of Midland, a guest writer, received
fourth place in the Sports Story category for an article they co-authored
concerning Title IX, which was published on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
° Sophomore Kevin Soubly of Plymouth, who is photo editor as well
as the paper's Web master, received fifth place in the News Photo category
for "No Zebras, No Excuses," which was published on Wednesday,
Feb. 18, with a story about a visiting group's presentation on sexual
assault.
Read
the announcement
March 3, 2009
Robin Klay among Presenters
during Conference
Dr.
Robin Klay of the Hope College economics faculty was one of seven scholars
or theologians from across the country invited to make presentations
during the two-day conference "American Evangelicalism: Then and
Now (1984, 2009)," held at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia on Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 27-28.
The interdisciplinary conference was organized to encourage evangelical
Christians to exercise discernment as they consider the issues confronting
the church today, particularly in the context of political, economic
and social changes across the past 25 years. Klay presented "In
a Time of Trouble: Economic Insights and Christian Hope" on Saturday,
Feb. 28.
Klay is a professor of economics at Hope, where she has taught since
1979. Her primary research emphasis is on the connections between Christian
faith and practice and economic theory and policy.
Read
the announcement
February
2009
February 29, 2009
Hope Students Participate in
Model Arab League
A team of four Hope College students participated in the Michigan University
Model Arab League Conference that was held on Thursday-Saturday, Feb.
19-21, at Grand Valley State University, with one member of the group
earning Outstanding Delegate/Honorable Mention Award recognition.
Sophomore Aftan Snyder of Bigfork, Mont., received the Outstanding Delegate/Honorable
Mention Award for her work on the Council on Palestinian Affairs. The
award honors a student who exhibited the highest degree of excellence
in preparation, debate, caucusing, representation, teamwork, diplomatic
leadership, and overall positive contribution to the work of her council.
The other students who represented the college at the conference were:
senior Femi Alabi of Jos, Nigeria, the Council of Arab Environmental
Affairs Ministries; sophomore Stephen Pedersen of Vernon Hills, Ill.,
the Joint Defense Council; and sophomore Lacie Rawlings of Ludington,
the Council of Political Affairs. Hope College's country assignment for
this year's conference was Syria.
Read
the announcement
February 19, 2009
Art by Bruce McCombs
Featured in Exhibitions
Work
by Bruce McCombs, professor of art at Hope College, has recently been
featured in exhibitions across the United States as well as abroad.
The exhibitions include the "15th International Print Biennial," Seoul
Museum of Art, Seoul, Republic of Korea; the "Texas Watercolor Society
60th Annual Exhibition," The Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas; the "32nd
Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition," Bradley University,
Peoria, Ill.; the "2008 Midland Arts Association Exhibition," Museum
of the Southwest, Midland, Texas; the "32nd Art on Paper Exhibition," Circle
Gallery Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, Md.; and the "2009
West Michigan Regional Exhibition," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts,
Kalamazoo.
McCombs actively displays his prints and paintings throughout the U.S.
and around the world. His artwork has been procured by many permanent
collections both nationally and internationally, including the Fort Wayne
Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American
Art, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum
of Fine Arts in Hanoi, Vietnam. A member of the Hope faculty since 1969,
he holds his B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his M.F.A.
from TulaneUniversity in New Orleans, La.
February 18, 2009
Meg Frens Named MATS Committee Chair
Meg
Frens, who is an assistant professor of kinesiology and 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.
It is the second consecutive appointment of a member of the Hope faculty
to the position. Kirk Brumels, who is an associate professor of kinesiology
and director of athletic training at Hope, had served in the role since
2006 prior to beginning a two-year term earlier this year as president-elect
of the MATS.
Frens, who is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers'
Association (NATA), has been a member of the Hope faculty since 2002,
following a previous two-year appointment as a visiting instructor from
1998 to 2000.
Read
the announcement
January
2009
January 19, 2009
Lyra Pitstick of Religion Faculty
Receives International Award
Dr.
Alyssa (Lyra) Pitstick of the Hope College religion faculty is one of
only 12 young scholars worldwide to receive a 2009 "John Templeton
Award for Theological Promise."
The recipients are recognized on the basis of their doctoral dissertations
related to the topic of God and spirituality, and chosen by an international
and inter-religious panel of 25 judges. Each recipient receives an award
of $10,000 plus an additional stipend of up to $10,000 for two years
to support giving public lectures at the invitation of academic institutions.
The award program is a cooperative effort of the Research Center of
International and Interdisciplinary Theology of the University of Heidelberg
in Germany and the John Templeton Foundation of Pennsylvania. The winners
will be honored during an awards ceremony and also participate in a colloquium
at the university in May.
Read
the announcement
January 15, 2009
Hope in Top 10 for Peace Corps Volunteers
Hope College is in the top-10 nationwide among small colleges and universities
producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2008.
Hope is the only school from Michigan in the top-25 for small colleges
and universities for 2008, according to the "Peace Corps Top Colleges
and Universities 2009" listings released on Monday, Jan. 12. With
18 alumni serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Hope is in a five-way tie
for 10th on the listing with Colgate University, Dartmouth College, Gustavus
Adolphus College and Willamette University. In last year's report, Hope
ranked 24th nationally for 2007 with 14 alumni serving as volunteers.
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 3,238 students this year.
Read
the announcement
January 12, 2009
Video Games Find Role in
Athletes’ Rehabilitation
Sometimes,
something can be both good for you and fun.
Dr. Kirk Brumels of the Hope College athletic training staff had an
intuitive sense and a fair bit of anecdotal evidence that popular activity-based
video games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" Balance
Board programs could play a positive role in helping athletes with balance
rehabilitation, but he hadn't located any hard data to support the notion.
So, this fall he and a team of student researchers tackled the topic
themselves. They conducted a study, published in the winter 2008 edition
of "Clinical Kinesiology," that found that such games offered
the best of both worlds: they were more effective than traditional rehabilitation
tools and the athletes enjoyed them more.
Read
the announcement
January 12, 2009
Book Discusses Lake Macatawa Watershed
The
aerial photograph on the cover of a new book about the Lake Macatawa
Watershed was chosen not just because it presents an inviting view of
the lake on a picture-perfect summer day, but because of what it shows,
literally, beneath the surface.
Taken from high above Lake Michigan and facing eastward, the image shows
how the deep blue of Lake Michigan turns green near the channel, an effect
of eroded topsoil washed into the big lake through LakeMacatawa. The
sight is just one indication of man-made problems with the 179-square-mile
watershed that have endured for years and will continue if left unchecked,
according to Dr. Graham Peaslee of the Hope College faculty, who edited
the book, "An Environmental History of The Lake Macatawa Watershed," which
was co-authored by area high school teachers Carl Van Faasen and Jennifer
Soukhome.
The book, published through funding provided by the Macatawa Area Coordinating
Council (MACC) and Hope, is intended for a general audience. It is based
on the trio's research together concerning the watershed, and has been
written to help those living in the area to understand the watershed,
how it came to be the way it is and how it can be healed.
Read
the announcement
January 7, 2009
President Bultman Elected to
NCAA Presidents Council
Hope
College President James E. Bultman has been elected to the Division III
Presidents Council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The 15-member Presidents Council is Division III's primary governance
body, overseeing the Division III Management Council and the division's
committee structure. The four-year term will begin in April.
Presidents Council members are elected in balloting open to all presidents
and chancellors at Division III member institutions. Division III is
the largest of the NCAA divisions with 444 active and provisional member
institutions.
Read
the announcement
January 5, 2009
Kirk Brumels Chosen for MATS Presidency
Kirk
Brumels, associate professor of kinesiology and director of athletic
training at Hope College, is president-elect of the Michigan Athletic
Trainers' Society (MATS).
He began a two-year term as president-elect this month and will be president
of MATS for 2011 and 2012.
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.
Read
the announcement
January 5, 2009
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. 5.
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; Richard Ray, dean for the social sciences; and William Reynolds,
dean for the arts and humanities.
Recognized for 40 years of service were: Herb Dershem (computer science),
Jack Holmes (political science), Jon Huisken (registrar, and dean for
academic services), Bruce McCombs (art) and Peter Schakel (English).
Read
the announcement
January 5, 2009
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. 5.
Named a "Towsley Research Scholar" was Dr. Ji Hoon Park, assistant
professor of communication.
The "Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Awards" were
presented to Andy Nakajima, assistant professor of Japanese; and Todd
Swanson, assistant professor of mathematics.
The "Ruth and John Reed Faculty Achievement Awards" were presented
to Dr. Jeff Brown, assistant professor of engineering; and Dr. Debra
Swanson, professor of sociology.
Read
the announcement
December
2008
December 16, 2008
Library Director Kelly Jacobsma Appointed to Endowed Position
Kelly
Jacobsma, who is director of libraries at Hope College, has been appointed
the first recipient of the college's new Genevra Thome Begg Director
of Libraries endowed chair.
A member of the Hope library faculty since 1988, Jacobsma became director
of libraries on July 1, 2008, following the retirement of long-time director
David Jensen. Her appointment to the endowed position will become effective
on July 1, 2009.
In addition to recognizing faculty members for excellence, endowed chairs provide
funding for summer research projects as well as some salary support. The college
has a total of 19 endowed chairs for faculty and three endowed administrative
positions.
Begg's interest in the college stemmed from the year early in the 20th century
that her late husband Raymond had attended the high school that Hope had operated
in its earlier decades. Married only 11 years prior to his untimely death in
1956, they had visited Hope and Holland together just once, because she wished
to see one of the places in which he had spent his youth. From that single
visit her relationship with and appreciation for the college grew.
Read
the announcement
December 16, 2008
Senior Molly Smith Chosen
for National Program
The
Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society (MATS) has named Hope College senior
Molly Smith of Urbana, Ill., one of only two students who are attending
Michigan colleges or universities to participate in the student leadership
program of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).
Smith and Kent Games of Grand Valley State University were selected
to participate in the iLead ("I... Lead, Engage, Activate, Develop")
program, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on Saturday-Monday,
Feb. 21-23. The program is designed for a maximum of 150 students nationwide
- up to three per state.
The program will present a series of interactive sessions designed to
help the students develop leadership skills. Presented in conjunction
with the 2009 Hill Day Campaign and Athletic Training Educators' Conference,
the program will also prepare students for future participation in NATA's
StarTRACK program, which is designed to develop future leaders in the
athletic training profession.
Read
the announcement
March
2009
March 12, 2009
Hope Science Division
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. Maria Burnatowska-Hledin, professor of biology and chemistry, has
received the "Dean's Science Division Faculty Research Award."
Dr.
Mark Pearson, assistant professor of mathematics, has received the "Dean's
Science Division Mentoring/ Advising/ Teaching Award." Both awards
were announced during a luncheon at the college on Thursday, March 12.
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.
Read
the announcement
March 10, 2009
Thomas Bultman Named to
Journal’s Board of Advisors
Dr. Thomas Bultman of the Hope College biology faculty has been named
to the Board of Advisors to the Editors of "New Phytologist," an
international scholarly journal focused on plant science.
Established in 1902, "New Phytologist" offers publication
of high-quality, original plant-science research within four sections:
physiology and development, environment, interaction and evolution. The
monthly journal is owned by the New Phytologist Trust, a not-for-profit
organization that is dedicated to the promotion of plant science.
Bultman, who is a professor of biology and chairperson of the department,
has been appointed to a three-year term that began earlier this month.
His responsibilities include reviewing research papers submitted to the
journal's interaction section.
Read
the announcement
March 10, 2009
Students Honored in
Regional Singing Competition
Multiple Hope students earned honors during the National Association
of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Great Lakes Regional Competition, held
at YoungstownStateUniversity in Ohio on Saturday, March 7.
Jared Graybiel, a junior from Lebanon, Ind., took first place in the
College Musical Theatre Division. Ross Green, a junior from Plainwell,
took first place in the Third-Year College Men Division. Sarah Ashcroft,
a sophomore from Holland, took third place in the Second-Year College
Women Division. Briana Sosenheimer, a junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., received
honorable mention in the Third-Year College Women Division.
Graybiel also received the "Most Promising Musical Theater Performer" award
through a vote of the teachers who were present. The special awards were
presented in conjunction with a concert in which all the first-place
winners performed at the conclusion of the competition.
Read
the announcement
March 5, 2009
“Anchor” Staff Members
Honored During Convention
The Associated Collegiate Press honored four 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. 20-22.
° Senior Karie Luidens of Altamont, N.Y., who is a senior staff
writer and assistant graphics editor, received fifth place in the News
Story category for her story "Hope swaps shuttle vans for bus," which
was published on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
° Sophomore Karen Patterson of Rockford, Ill., who is co-sports
editor, and freshman Chris O'Brien of Midland, a guest writer, received
fourth place in the Sports Story category for an article they co-authored
concerning Title IX, which was published on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
° Sophomore Kevin Soubly of Plymouth, who is photo editor as well
as the paper's Web master, received fifth place in the News Photo category
for "No Zebras, No Excuses," which was published on Wednesday,
Feb. 18, with a story about a visiting group's presentation on sexual
assault.
Read
the announcement
March 3, 2009
Robin Klay among Presenters
during Conference
Dr. Robin Klay of the Hope College economics faculty was one of seven
scholars or theologians from across the country invited to make presentations
during the two-day conference "American Evangelicalism: Then and
Now (1984, 2009)," held at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia on Friday
and Saturday, Feb. 27-28.
The interdisciplinary conference was organized to encourage evangelical
Christians to exercise discernment as they consider the issues confronting
the church today, particularly in the context of political, economic
and social changes across the past 25 years. Klay presented "In
a Time of Trouble: Economic Insights and Christian Hope" on Saturday,
Feb. 28.
Klay is a professor of economics at Hope, where she has taught since
1979. Her primary research emphasis is on the connections between Christian
faith and practice and economic theory and policy.
Read
the announcement
February
2009
February 29, 2009
Hope Students Participate in
Model Arab League
A team of four Hope College students participated in the Michigan University
Model Arab League Conference that was held on Thursday-Saturday, Feb.
19-21, at Grand Valley State University, with one member of the group
earning Outstanding Delegate/Honorable Mention Award recognition.
Sophomore Aftan Snyder of Bigfork, Mont., received the Outstanding Delegate/Honorable
Mention Award for her work on the Council on Palestinian Affairs. The
award honors a student who exhibited the highest degree of excellence
in preparation, debate, caucusing, representation, teamwork, diplomatic
leadership, and overall positive contribution to the work of her council.
The other students who represented the college at the conference were:
senior Femi Alabi of Jos, Nigeria, the Council of Arab Environmental
Affairs Ministries; sophomore Stephen Pedersen of Vernon Hills, Ill.,
the Joint Defense Council; and sophomore Lacie Rawlings of Ludington,
the Council of Political Affairs. Hope College's country assignment for
this year's conference was Syria.
Read
the announcement
February 19, 2009
Art by Bruce McCombs
Featured in Exhibitions
Work by Bruce McCombs, professor of art at Hope College, has recently
been featured in exhibitions across the United States as well as abroad.
The exhibitions include the "15th International Print Biennial," Seoul
Museum of Art, Seoul, Republic of Korea; the "Texas Watercolor Society
60th Annual Exhibition," The Witte Museum, San Antonio, Texas; the "32nd
Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition," Bradley University,
Peoria, Ill.; the "2008 Midland Arts Association Exhibition," Museum
of the Southwest, Midland, Texas; the "32nd Art on Paper Exhibition," Circle
Gallery Maryland Federation of Art, Annapolis, Md.; and the "2009
West Michigan Regional Exhibition," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts,
Kalamazoo.
McCombs actively displays his prints and paintings throughout the U.S.
and around the world. His artwork has been procured by many permanent
collections both nationally and internationally, including the Fort Wayne
Museum of Art, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American
Art, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and the National Museum
of Fine Arts in Hanoi, Vietnam. A member of the Hope faculty since 1969,
he holds his B.F.A. from the Cleveland Institute of Art and his M.F.A.
from TulaneUniversity in New Orleans, La.
February 18, 2009
Meg Frens Named MATS Committee Chair
Meg Frens, who is an assistant professor of kinesiology and 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.
It is the second consecutive appointment of a member of the Hope faculty
to the position. Kirk Brumels, who is an associate professor of kinesiology
and director of athletic training at Hope, had served in the role since
2006 prior to beginning a two-year term earlier this year as president-elect
of the MATS.
Frens, who is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers'
Association (NATA), has been a member of the Hope faculty since 2002,
following a previous two-year appointment as a visiting instructor from
1998 to 2000.
Read
the announcement
January
2009
January 19, 2009
Lyra Pitstick of Religion Faculty
Receives International Award
Dr.
Alyssa (Lyra) Pitstick of the Hope College religion faculty is one of
only 12 young scholars worldwide to receive a 2009 "John Templeton
Award for Theological Promise."
The recipients are recognized on the basis of their doctoral dissertations
related to the topic of God and spirituality, and chosen by an international
and inter-religious panel of 25 judges. Each recipient receives an award
of $10,000 plus an additional stipend of up to $10,000 for two years
to support giving public lectures at the invitation of academic institutions.
The award program is a cooperative effort of the Research Center of
International and Interdisciplinary Theology of the University of Heidelberg
in Germany and the John Templeton Foundation of Pennsylvania. The winners
will be honored during an awards ceremony and also participate in a colloquium
at the university in May.
Read
the announcement
January 15, 2009
Hope in Top 10 for Peace Corps Volunteers
Hope College is in the top-10 nationwide among small colleges and
universities producing Peace Corps Volunteers in 2008.
Hope is the only school from Michigan in the top-25 for small colleges
and universities for 2008, according to the "Peace Corps Top Colleges
and Universities 2009" listings released on Monday, Jan. 12. With
18 alumni serving as Peace Corps Volunteers, Hope is in a five-way tie
for 10th on the listing with Colgate University, Dartmouth College, Gustavus
Adolphus College and Willamette University. In last year's report, Hope
ranked 24th nationally for 2007 with 14 alumni serving as volunteers.
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 3,238 students this year.
Read
the announcement
January 12, 2009
Video Games Find Role in
Athletes’ Rehabilitation
Sometimes, something can be both good for you and fun.
Dr. Kirk Brumels of the Hope College athletic training staff had an
intuitive sense and a fair bit of anecdotal evidence that popular activity-based
video games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and "Wii Fit" Balance
Board programs could play a positive role in helping athletes with balance
rehabilitation, but he hadn't located any hard data to support the notion.
So, this fall he and a team of student researchers tackled the topic
themselves. They conducted a study, published in the winter 2008 edition
of "Clinical Kinesiology," that found that such games offered
the best of both worlds: they were more effective than traditional rehabilitation
tools and the athletes enjoyed them more.
Read
the announcement
January 12, 2009
Book Discusses Lake Macatawa Watershed
The
aerial photograph on the cover of a new book about the Lake Macatawa
Watershed was chosen not just because it presents an inviting view of
the lake on a picture-perfect summer day, but because of what it shows,
literally, beneath the surface.
Taken from high above Lake Michigan and facing eastward, the image shows
how the deep blue of Lake Michigan turns green near the channel, an effect
of eroded topsoil washed into the big lake through LakeMacatawa. The
sight is just one indication of man-made problems with the 179-square-mile
watershed that have endured for years and will continue if left unchecked,
according to Dr. Graham Peaslee of the Hope College faculty, who edited
the book, "An Environmental History of The Lake Macatawa Watershed," which
was co-authored by area high school teachers Carl Van Faasen and Jennifer
Soukhome.
The book, published through funding provided by the Macatawa Area Coordinating
Council (MACC) and Hope, is intended for a general audience. It is based
on the trio's research together concerning the watershed, and has been
written to help those living in the area to understand the watershed,
how it came to be the way it is and how it can be healed.
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the announcement
January 7, 2009
President Bultman Elected to
NCAA Presidents Council
Hope
College President James E. Bultman has been elected to the Division III
Presidents Council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The 15-member Presidents Council is Division III's primary governance
body, overseeing the Division III Management Council and the division's
committee structure. The four-year term will begin in April.
Presidents Council members are elected in balloting open to all presidents
and chancellors at Division III member institutions. Division III is
the largest of the NCAA divisions with 444 active and provisional member
institutions.
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the announcement
January 5, 2009
Kirk Brumels Chosen for MATS Presidency
Kirk
Brumels, associate professor of kinesiology and director of athletic
training at Hope College, is president-elect of the Michigan Athletic
Trainers' Society (MATS).
He began a two-year term as president-elect this month and will be president
of MATS for 2011 and 2012.
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.
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the announcement
January 5, 2009
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. 5.
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; Richard Ray, dean for the social sciences; and William Reynolds,
dean for the arts and humanities.
Recognized for 40 years of service were: Herb Dershem (computer science),
Jack Holmes (political science), Jon Huisken (registrar, and dean for
academic services), Bruce McCombs (art) and Peter Schakel (English).
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the announcement
January 5, 2009
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. 5.
Named a "Towsley Research Scholar" was Dr. Ji Hoon Park, assistant
professor of communication.
The "Janet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Awards" were
presented to Andy Nakajima, assistant professor of Japanese; and Todd
Swanson, assistant professor of mathematics.
The "Ruth and John Reed Faculty Achievement Awards" were presented
to Dr. Jeff Brown, assistant professor of engineering; and Dr. Debra
Swanson, professor of sociology.
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the announcement
December
2008
December 16, 2008
Library Director Kelly Jacobsma Appointed to Endowed Position
Kelly
Jacobsma, who is director of libraries at Hope College, has been appointed
the first recipient of the college's new Genevra Thome Begg Director
of Libraries endowed chair.
A member of the Hope library faculty since 1988, Jacobsma became director
of libraries on July 1, 2008, following the retirement of long-time director
David Jensen. Her appointment to the endowed position will become effective
on July 1, 2009.
In addition to recognizing faculty members for excellence, endowed chairs provide
funding for summer research projects as well as some salary support. The college
has a total of 19 endowed chairs for faculty and three endowed administrative
positions.
Begg's interest in the college stemmed from the year early in the 20th century
that her late husband Raymond had attended the high school that Hope had operated
in its earlier decades. Married only 11 years prior to his untimely death in
1956, they had visited Hope and Holland together just once, because she wished
to see one of the places in which he had spent his youth. From that single
visit her relationship with and appreciation for the college grew.
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the announcement
December 16, 2008
Senior Molly Smith Chosen
for National Program
The
Michigan Athletic Trainers' Society (MATS) has named Hope College senior
Molly Smith of Urbana, Ill., one of only two students who are attending
Michigan colleges or universities to participate in the student leadership
program of the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA).
Smith and Kent Games of Grand Valley State University were selected
to participate in the iLead ("I... Lead, Engage, Activate, Develop")
program, which will take place in Washington, D.C., on Saturday-Monday,
Feb. 21-23. The program is designed for a maximum of 150 students nationwide
- up to three per state.
The program will present a series of interactive sessions designed to
help the students develop leadership skills. Presented in conjunction
with the 2009 Hill Day Campaign and Athletic Training Educators' Conference,
the program will also prepare students for future participation in NATA's
StarTRACK program, which is designed to develop future leaders in the
athletic training profession.
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the announcement
December 12, 2008
Hope Student Crowned
Michigan Apple Queen
Hope
College sophomore Amber Nyblad has been crowned the 2009 Michigan Apple
Queen.
The Michigan Apple Queen Pageant took place on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the
Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in conjunction with the annual meeting of the
Michigan Apple Committee.
The queen and her court represent the Michigan apple industry at parades,
fairs, festivals and media events throughout the year. Contestants, between
the ages of 17 and 23, are judged on several factors including poise,
professionalism and apple industry knowledge.
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the announcement
December 9, 2008
Todd Steen Appointed to
New Endowed Professorship
Dr.
Todd Steen of the Hope College economics faculty has been named the first
recipient of the college's new Granger Endowed Professorship in Economics,
Management and Accounting.
The professorship is designated for an outstanding member of the faculty
in the department of economics, management and accounting with a spiritually
mature Christian faith whose teaching and actions are exemplary; and
who makes a positive difference in the lives of Hope students, sharing
his or her own Christianity to help them grow in their own faith, and
the world beyond. It has been established by Ron and Donna Granger of
Lansing, Mich. who are pictured with Prof. Steen.
In addition to recognizing faculty members for excellence, endowed professorships
provide funding for summer research projects as well as some salary support.
The college has a total of 19 endowed professorships for faculty and
two endowed chaplaincies.
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the announcement
December 8, 2008
Jorge Capestany Named
PTR Master Professional
Jorge
Capestany, manager of the DeWitt Tennis Center at Hope College, has earned
Master Professional Status with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR),
becoming only the ninth person worldwide to hold Master Pro distinction
with both the PTR and the United States Professional Tennis Association
(USPTA).
PTR Master Professional certification recognizes individuals who have
made significant contributions to tennis throughout their careers. Considerations
include teaching, coaching and playing experience; service to the community
to facilitate the growth of tennis; service to the PTR and other tennis
associations; professional development; publications, presentations and/or
research; and tournament administration. The eligibility requirements
also include having been certified at the Professional Level for at least
nine years.
The USPTA had named him a Master Professional in 1992. He was the youngest
Master Professional in the USPTA's history.
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the announcement
December 2, 2008
Heather Sellers Has
Work in Poetry Anthology
Heather
Sellers of the Hope College English faculty is among the poets featured
in "When She Named Fire: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by
American Women."
The anthology features 461 poems by 96 poets, and includes photographs
and biographical notes. The collection was edited by Andrea Hollander
Budy and has been published by Autumn House Press of Pittsburgh, Pa.
The poems by Sellers include "Dating Men With Children," "SAT
Words with David Junior" and "Palm Sunday in Pew with Ex." The
poems are collected in her most recent book, "The Boys I Borrow."
A total of 15 of the other poets with work included in the anthology
have previously been featured at Hope through the college's Jack Ridl
Visiting Writers Series. Those who have participated in the series through
the years are: Kim Addonizio, Marianne Boruch, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Toi
Derricotte, Lynn Emanuel, Beth Ann Fennelly, Barbara Hamby, Allison Joseph,
Jane Kenyon, Maxine Kumin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sharon Olds, Mary Ruefle,
Chase Twichell and Ellen Bryant Voigt.
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the announcement
December 2, 2008
Catherine Mader Appointed
to Physics Committee
Dr.
Catherine Mader of the Hope College physics faculty has been appointed
to a three-year term on the Committee on Careers and Professional Development
of the American Physical Society (APS).
The committee coordinates activities and programs which provide information
and advice about physics careers and the professional development of
physicists. The committee also advises the APS leadership in matters
relating to professional development of physicists and future physicists.
Mader's term will begin in January and continue through the end of 2011.
Mader is a professor of physics and chairperson of the department at
Hope, where she has been a member of the faculty since 1993. During a
sabbatical during the 2007-08 school year, she served as an education
projects consultant with the Education and Diversity Group of the APS
in Washington, D.C. Since her return to Hope this fall, she has continued
to work on a variety of projects on behalf of the APS.
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the announcement
December 1, 2008
Students Participate in Chemical Engineering Conference
Three
students who participated in research at Hope College this past summer
made poster presentations during the recent Annual Meeting and National
Student Conference of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE),
one receiving a second-place award.
The National Student Conference ran Friday-Monday, Nov. 14-17, and the
Annual Meeting ran Sunday-Friday, Nov. 16-21, in Philadelphia, Pa. The
undergraduate poster session took place on Monday, Nov. 17, and featured
work grouped within a variety of categories within the field of chemical
engineering.
The presentations included two by Hope students and one by a student
who was among the several from other colleges and universities who participate
in the college's research program each summer. In addition to the award
received, the students' participation as conference presenters was remarkable,
according to Dr. Michael Misovich of the Hope engineering faculty, because
of their relative youth: all three are sophomores.
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the announcement
November
2008
Art Chosen for Collection and Exhibitions
Work
by Bruce McCombs, professor of art at Hope College, has recently
been added to another permanent collection and featured in a
number of exhibitions.
He has had a painting included in the permanent collection of
the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana. His artwork has previously
been procured by many permanent collections both nationally and
internationally, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Whitney
Museum of American Art, the Library of Congress in Washington,
D.C., and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Hanoi, Vietnam.
He has also recently had his work included in three exhibitions:
the 61st National Exhibition, Sioux City Art Center, Sioux City,
Iowa; the 48th Annual Greater Michigan Exhibition, Alden B. Dow
Museum of Science and Art, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland;
and the 45th Annual Exhibition of the Holland Area Arts Council.
In addition, he received the Utrecht Award as an artist featured
in the "88th Annual Exhibition," National Watercolor
Society, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, Calif.
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Nursing Student and Professor Honored
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 Kalin TerHaar of Zeeland with its "Excellence
in Student Performance Award" and Vicki Voskuil, assistant
professor of nursing, with its "Excellence in Nursing Education
Award."
The event was held on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Calvin College in
Grand Rapids. The chapter includes the Calvin College, Ferris
State University, Grand Valley State University and Hope nursing
programs.
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THE PRESS RELEASE
November 18, 2008
Leah Chase Elected to Board
of Neuroscience Groups
Dr.
Leah Chase, who is director of the neuroscience program at HopeCollege,
has been elected to the governing board of the Faculty for Undergraduate
Neuroscience (FUN).
Established in the early 1990s, FUN is a national professional
organization dedicated to neuroscience teaching and research, and
has approximately 700 members. In addition to providing an array
of resources for faculty, FUN holds an annual meeting each fall
for faculty and students, both to share information about neuroscience
education and to feature undergraduate research, and has organized
a variety of symposia to enable faculty to discuss, develop and
refine neuroscience education.
FUN's leadership includes a total of six councilors as well as
a president, president-elect, past president, secretary and treasurer.
Chase's two-year term as a councilor began this month.
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November 18, 2008
Maria Andre Edits Book
on Latin American Women Writers
Dr.
Maria C. Andre of the Hope College Spanish faculty is co-editor of "Latin
American Women Writers: An Encyclopedia," published earlier
this year by Routledge of New York City, part of the Taylor & Francis
Group of London, England.
The book presents the lives and critical works of more than 170 women writers
in Latin America between the 16th and 20th centuries. Focusing on drama, poetry
and fiction, the encyclopedia features thematic entries as well as biographies
of female writers whose works were originally published in Spanish or Portuguese,
and who have had an impact on literary, political and social studies. Each entry
is followed by extensive bibliographic references, including primary and secondary
sources.
Andre is a professor of Spanish at Hope. She co-edited the volume with Dr. Eva
Paulino Bueno, who is an assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese at St.
Mary's University of San Antonio, Texas.
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THE PRESS RELEASE
November 18, 2008
Ion Agheana Featured in
Book on Emil
Cioran
Dr.
Ion Agheana, professor of Romance languages at Hope College, is one
of only six scholars worldwide featured in the book "Cioran. El
pesimista seductor" ("Cioran. The Seductive Pessimist"),
which focuses on the work and life of Romanian philosopher and essayist
Emil Cioran.
The book was published in Spanish by Sirpus Literaria of Barcelona,
Spain, in the fall of 2007. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education
in Spain, the volume
features two scholars from Spain, two from France and two from the U.S. It
was edited by Carlos Caneque and Maite Grau, and includes interviews
with Agheana
as well as Fernando Savater, Simone Boue, Matei Calinescu, Ana Simon and Philippe
Garnier.
Cioran (1911-1995) was born and raised in Romania but spent most
of his adult life in France. His work, which was initially written
in Romanian and from
the 1940s onward in French, is characterized by pessimism, considering life,
ideologies,
religions, love and other concerns as delusions of imagination.
Agheana is celebrated among those interviewed as among the greatest
scholars of the work of Cioran, and his interview is among the
most extensive in the
book.
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THE PRESS RELEASE
Coach Becky Schmidt Elected
to National VB Board
Hope
College volleyball coach Becky Schmidt has been elected to
the board of directors of the American Volleyball Coaches
Association (AVCA) as the NCAA Women's Division III representative.
Schmidt just completed her fifth season as head coach of
her alma mater. The 2008 Flying Dutch posted a 26-7 record
en route to winning the championship of the Michigan Intercollegiate
Athletic Association (MIAA) and earning a berth in the NCAA
Division III championships.
Schmidt's record at Hope is 121-58 (.678). Her collegiate
coaching record through the 2008 season, which includes three
seasons at the University of Redlands, Calif., is 159-90
(.639). A 1999 Hope graduate,
Schmidt was an All-American middle blocker as a senior.
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THE PRESS RELEASE
November 13, 2008
Brian Porter Honored for
Blending Faith and Learning
Dr.
Brian Porter of the Hope College management faculty has received
national recognition for blending faith and learning.
He received the "Sharon G. Johnson Award" from the Christian
Business Faculty Association (CBFA) during the group's annual meeting,
which ran Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 6-8, in Indianapolis, Ind. As
described by the association, the award "recognizes God-honoring
intellectual contributions by individuals who incorporate learning,
business and faith into a dynamic process to promote Christian
faith integration in business."
Porter's research interests are in ethics and faith integration
with business and international business. He has several publications
and regularly presents his research at academic conferences.
A member of the Hope faculty since 1999, he has taught a variety
of courses at the college, including Finance, Management Theory,
his department's Management Seminar, and a First-Year Seminar titled "Vocation
and Calling: The Music of U2."
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THE PRESS RELEASE
Book Highlights Mission
Colony that
Preceded Holland
The
journals kept by a pioneering missionary couple provide insights into
life in the Holland area in the years before the arrival of the Rev.
A.C. Van Raalte and his countrymen from the Netherlands.
A new book makes the diaries of the Rev. George N. Smith and his wife
Arvilla available to a general audience for the first time. The writings
are featured in "Old Wing Mission: Cultural Interchange as Chronicled
by George and Arvilla Smith in their Work with Chief Wakazoo's Ottawa
Band on the West Michigan Frontier," edited by Robert P. Swierenga
and William Van Appledorn and recently released by the Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co.
The publication is being celebrated with a book signing featuring
Swierenga and Van Appledorn on Saturday, Nov. 15, from 1 p.m. to 3
p.m. Copies of the book will be available during the signing for $35.
The retail price is $49.
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THE PRESS RELEASE
October
2008
College Advancement
Communication
Programs Honored
Hope
College has won multiple honors in the "Pride of CASE V Awards
Program" sponsored by the Great Lakes District V of the Council
for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The awards will
be presented on Tuesday, Dec. 16, during the 2008 CASE V District
Conference in Chicago, Ill.
Publications used as case statements in fund-raising efforts at
the college were honored in two categories, one at the Gold level
and the other at the Bronze level. Development of the pieces was
shepherded by staff members Jason Cash '07, Kate Frillmann and Scott
Wolterink '88 of the college's Advancement Division.
The video The Mission of Hope College: Anchors of Hope won the Bronze
Award in the "Best Video/DVD/CD-ROM, Fundraising, Alumni Relations
or Commercial Spots" category. Developed by staff members Jason
Cash '07 and Scott Travis '06, the program debuted as the college's
halftime segment during the televised spring 2008 Hope-Calvin basketball
games and has since been used for a variety of college projects.
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October 16, 2008
Science Division Staff
Excellence Award
Initiated
Lori
Hertel, director of Biology Laboratories at Hope since 1984, has been
presented the newly created Dean's Science Division Staff Excellence
Award for going above and beyond the call of duty to serve the department(s)
and students.
The award was presented Thursday, Oct. 16, at the fall divisional
luncheon.
Dean of Natural Sciences Moses Lee noted, "We are extremely proud
of all the accomplishments made by students and faculty in the Natural
and Applied Science Division. These accomplishments include national
merit awards by students and faculty, graduate and professional schools
our students attend after they graduate from Hope, the excellent reputation
of our faculty in their respective national communities, the amount
external funds garnered each year, the level of productivity measured
by the number of peer-reviewed publications and talks at professional
conferences, as well as the size of our research program. These accomplishments
would not have been possible without the outstanding contributions
and professionalism of our staff colleagues."
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THE PRESS RELEASE
Book on Renaissance
Women Receives Honors
A book co-edited by Dr. Anne Larsen of the Hope College
French faculty is receiving two awards later this month.
The book, the "Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy,
France, and England," is being honored by the Society for the
Study of Early Modern Women as the best collaborative project published
in 2007 and is receiving the 2008 "Roland Bainton Prize for Reference
Works" from the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference. The
awards will be presented during the two organizations' annual meetings,
which are being held jointly on Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 23-26, in St.
Louis, Mo.
It is the second consecutive year that Larsen has received recognition
for a book from the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women. In
the fall of 2007, she received the society's "Translation or Teaching
Edition Award" for her book "From Mother and Daughter: Poems,
Dialogues, and Letters of Les Dames des Roches."
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Professor Boyd Wilson Honored by Students
Dr.
Boyd Wilson of the Hope College religion faculty has received the 13th
annual "Favorite Faculty/Staff Member" award presented by
the student body.
Wilson received the award on Saturday, Oct. 4, 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.
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October 3, 2008
Documentary of Janet Chandler Wins Award
"Who Killed Janet Chandler?," a documentary
by a former Hope College professor who involved his students in the project,
won the Audience Choice Award for the Best Feature Documentary during
the TriMedia Film Festival held in Fort Collins, Colo., earlier this
fall.
The film, which premiered in January 2004 at the Knickerbocker Theatre
and then showed on local public television, was crafted by former department
of communication professor Dr. David Schock and staff videographer Phil
Blauw and deeply involved students in the fall 2003 documentary class. "I
asked them if they wanted to work on a film with me," said Schock. "They
all signed on." The film focused on the then-unsolved January 1979
murder of Janet Chandler, a Hope senior who had been working the night
desk of the former Blue Mill Inn in Holland when she was killed.
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Research Will Trace
Presence of Nuclear Materials
A
research project at Hope College is seeking to provide new tools in the
ongoing effort to assure national security, focusing on a specific area
of nuclear forensics: how to determine whether or not nuclear materials
have ever been present in a particular location.
The project, led by Dr. Graham Peaslee of the Hope College faculty,
has recently received a three-year, $149,000 grant from the Department
of Homeland Security. The award is through department's Domestic Nuclear
Detection Office, which is seeking to enhance the nation's ability to
detect and report attempts to import or transport a nuclear device, Special
Nuclear Material or radiological materials intended for illicit use.
Special Nuclear Materials are those elements that fission readily and
can be made into a nuclear device.
The project is a fundamental research initiative that will focus on
developing a method to determine whether or not common minerals have
been exposed to neutron irradiation. The approach, Peaslee noted, is
based on the idea that the radiation will have affected the structure
of the minerals in a way that can be measured even though they will not
be radioactive.
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September
2008
September 30, 2008
David Cunningham Writes
Text on Christian Ethics
A
new book by Dr. David Cunningham of the Hope College faculty
explores Christian ethics in the context of contemporary
life.
Cunningham, who is director of the college's CrossRoads
Project and a professor of religion at Hope, has written
the book "Christian Ethics: The End of the Law," published
earlier this year by Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
of London and New York.
The book is based on the premise that the historical and
cultural impact of Christianity have been so great that
understanding its beliefs, practices and worldviews is
crucial to making sense of the world. Recognizing that
contemporary students may have had varying degrees of exposure
to the biblical and theological sources traditionally referenced
in studying the topic, Cunningham draws on contemporary
examples - from film, literature and music as well as everyday
life - to introduce students to the field, relating each
to the biblical context.
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September 23, 2008
Moses Lee Honored for Fostering
Undergraduate Research
Dr. Moses Lee, who is dean for the natural
and applied sciences and a professor of chemistry at HopeCollege,
is receiving a national award for his role as a mentor
to undergraduate students involved in his research program.
He is receiving the 2009 "American Chemical Society
(ACS) Award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution," which
honors a chemistry faculty member whose research in an
undergraduate setting has achieved wide recognition and
contributed significantly to chemistry and to the professional
development of undergraduate students. The award consists
of $5,000 and a certificate as well as a $5,000 grant by
Research Corporation, the award's sponsor, to Hope in support
of Lee's research.
ACS is presenting awards in more than 50 categories to
scientists around the world who are engaged in education
and industry. The recipients will be honored during a ceremony
that will take place on Tuesday, March 24, in conjunction
with the 237th ACS national meeting, being held in Salt
Lake City, Utah.
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September 23, 2008
Nursing Research Project
Wins National Award
A
nursing research project led by Dr. Susan Dunn of the Hope
College faculty and focused on the recovery of heart patients
has won this year's "New Investigator Award" presented
by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary
Rehabilitation (AACVPR).
The award was presented on Saturday, Sept. 20, during
the AACVPR's national annual meeting, held in Indianapolis,
Ind. A total of six projects selected for oral presentation
during the meeting had been nominated. The award is given
to a scholar making a first-time presentation at the meeting.
Selection for the award is based on the quality and significance
of the research and the presentation.
The Hope project focused on the recovery of patients who
were hospitalized for a coronary heart disease event, and
examined the origins of the symptoms of hopelessness that
persist in some patients for up to eight months later.
Such hopelessness, noted Dunn, who is an associate professor
of nursing and chairperson of the department, is related
to lower physical functioning and also poorer rehabilitation
exercise participation in recovering patients.
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September 23, 2008
Katherine Sullivan Has
Work in
Solo Exhibition
The
University of Indianapolis is featuring a solo exhibition of
work by Katherine Sullivan of the HopeCollege art faculty.
The exhibition is on display in the university's Christel DeHaan
Fine Arts Center Gallery, and opened with a reception on Friday,
Sept. 5, and is continuing through Friday, Sept. 26. In conjunction
with the exhibition, Sullivan has been invited to the university
as a visiting artist, to present a public lecture on Monday,
Sept. 29, concerning her work and to engage in conversation with
several classes of art majors on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 29
and 30. Local interest in the exhibition has included interviews
with area media.
The exhibition of 19 pieces - seven paintings and 12 works on
paper--is titled "Katherine Sullivan: Body Electric." As
described by the university, "the exhibition features a
series of figurative images that engages the language of contemporary
painting, simultaneously representing the formal tensions inherent
in the medium as the figures appear to be both still and moving,
recognizable and abstract, spatial and flat, graphic and painterly."
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John Krupczak Appointed a Senior
Fellow
Dr.
John Krupczak Jr., professor of engineering and chairperson
of the department at Hope College, has been appointed a Senior
Fellow of the Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on
Engineering Education (CASEE), a program of the National Academy
of Engineering.
Through the one-year appointment, which began earlier this
month, he will conduct research on courses on technological
literacy and integrative learning in engineering.
CASEE is the first operating center of the National Academy
of Engineering, and is dedicated to achieving excellence in
engineering education. CASEE Senior Fellows are selected from
among distinguished and well-recognized opinion leaders with
demonstrated abilities to catalyze advancements nationally
as well as within their own organizations, and are chosen based
upon their significant promise to provide revolutionary as
well as evolutionary research breakthroughs.
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September 11, 2008
Steve Talaga Named “Musician of the Year”
Steve
Talaga, who is an instructor of music at Hope College, has been
named Jazz Musician of the Year by the West Michigan Jazz Society.
In a feature in its May 2008 newsletter, the society described
him as "The Bruce Lee of The Piano," noting that "his
hands are like musical weapons." The society honored him
with a banquet on Thursday, May 29, at Aquinas College, where
he is an adjunct member of the music faculty.
A member of the Hope faculty since 1999, he teaches jazz piano,
applied composition, and various jazz studies courses. In June,
he, faculty colleague Brian Coyle and the student members of
the college's Jazz Chamber Ensemble represented Hope as participants
in "The Big Hope," a global youth congress held at
Liverpool Hope University in Liverpool, England, during which
he and Coyle taught a jazz styles and history class each day.
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September 8, 2008
Matt DeJongh Receives
Fulbright and
NSF Awards
Dr.
Matt DeJongh, who is an associate professor of computer science and
a Towsley Research Scholar at Hope College, has received support
for his ongoing work in bioinformatics through both the Fulbright
U.S. Scholar Program and the National Science Foundation.
He has received a Fulbright-Aquitaine Regional Council Award to
spend the spring of 2009 conducting groundbreaking functional genomic
research in France. In addition, his ongoing research at Hope in
bioinformatics has been awarded a three-year grant from the National
Science Foundation (NSF).
Through the Fulbright award, DeJongh will be working from mid January
through mid June at one of France's largest academic computer science
laboratories, LaBRI (Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique),
which is based at the Université de Bordeaux. He will be collaborating
with researchers at the laboratory in the field of bioinformatics,
which blends biology and computer science in managing and analyzing
genetic data compiled through projects such as the Human Genome Project.
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September 8, 2008
Donald
Cronkite to Receive
Association’s Highest Honor
Dr.
Donald Cronkite of the Hope College biology faculty has been awarded
the highest honor bestowed by the National Association of Biology Teachers
(NABT).
Cronkite, a professor of biology and member of the Hope faculty since
1978, is receiving the association's "2008 Honorary Membership Award" for
his distinguished teaching and service in the biological sciences. He
will receive the award, which includes lifetime membership in the association,
during the NABT's National Professional Development Conference, which
will be held in Memphis, Tenn., on Wednesday-Saturday, Oct. 15-18.
"Honorary Membership is the highest honor given by NABT and recognizes
individuals who have achieved distinction in teaching, research, and
service in the biological sciences," said Todd Carter, who is the
2008 NABT president and a member of the biology faculty at Seward County
Community College in Liberal, Kan. "Dr. Cronkite's many teaching
awards, publications, and presentations for scientists, educators, and
the public certainly meet the criteria for this honor. However, perhaps
most important to the mission of NABT is his passion for teaching and
his success with helping teachers at all levels improve student learning
in biology."
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September 9, 2008
Hope
Enrolls Record Number of Students
For the seventh year in a row, Hope College has enrolled a record number
of students.
The college has 3,238 students this year, a dozen more than last year's
record total of 3,226. It is the 10th time in the past 11 years that
Hope has set an overall enrollment record.
The total includes 808 first-time students, the third-highest total
in the college's history. Hope had a record number of first-time students
last fall with 819.
The student body consists of 1,301 men and 1,937 women from 42 states
and 30 foreign countries.
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Pictured from left: Robert Swierenga, Elton Bruins, Jacob Nyenhuis
and Nella Kennedy.
The book is dedicated to Dr. Elton J. Bruins who is the
Philip
Phelps Jr.
Research
Professor
and
founding
director,
emeritus,
of the
Van Raalte
Institute, who was one of the founders and an ardent promoter of AADAS.
The three co-editors presented the book to Bruins on behalf of the AADAS
board of directors recently at the Theil Research Center. Bruins is also
the Evert J. and Hattie E. Blekkink Professor Emeritus of Religion at
Hope, where he taught from 1966 until retiring in 1992.
September 4, 2008
Book
Compiles Papers
from Dutch-American Conference
The Van Raalte Institute at Hope College selected an exceedingly appropriate
volume to be the first published through the program's new Van Raalte
Press: papers that were featured during the biennial conference of the
Association for the Advancement of Dutch-American Studies (AADAS) held
on campus last summer.
Titled "Dutch-American Arts and Letters in Historical Perspective," the
234-page softcover book features 17 papers from the June 2007 conference
and was published in August of this year. The book was edited by Robert
P. Swierenga, Jacob E. Nyenhuis and Nella Kennedy, all of whom are on
the staff of the Van Raalte Institute and were also among the conference's
presenters.
"The Van Raalte Institute's decision to establish a press as an
additional means of publishing the work of researchers into Dutch-American
and local history coincided very well with the opportunity to present
papers from last summer's conference," said Nyenhuis, who is director
of the institute. "With its focus on Dutch-American arts and letters,
this volume fits very nicely into the mission of the institute."
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September 4, 2008
Textbook Economy Wins National Award
A
Hope professor's effort to save his students money has led to a national
award.
Dr. Steve VanderVeen, professor of management and director of the Center
for Faithful Leadership, is one of only eight professors nationwide recognized
through the Faculty Recognition Textbook Scholarship Contest coordinated
by the Used Textbook Association (UTA). He has been honored for reducing
students' book-buying costs by choosing to use an earlier edition of
a textbook that he feels continues to be just as relevant in the material
it presents.
The award includes a $500 textbook scholarship from the UTA. The funds
are being used to reduce textbook costs for students at the college.
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September 2, 2008
Art by Bruce McCombs
Featured in Multiple Venues
Bruce
McCombs, professor of art at Hope College, has recently had his work
featured in a variety of venues, including the Governor's Residence,
a national publication and multiple exhibitions.
He has had two pieces chosen for display in the Michigan Governor's
Residence from August of this year through July 2009 through the Governor's
Residence Artists Program. Conducted by the program in conjunction with
the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and the Midland Center for the Arts,
the jurying ran in three phases that culminated in selection of the works
in the third round by the First Family. McCombs's works both feature
classic automobiles: "Gulliver's Lincoln," a 22x28 black-and-white
etching; and "Van Andel Museum," a 22x30 watercolor.
McCombs and his art were featured in a 12-page article published in
the spring 2008 edition of "Watercolor" magazine, which notes
that "Bruce McCombs uses bold drawing and heightened color to present
a powerful and entertaining vision." The text discusses his development
as a watercolorist and his approach to the medium, with which he began
working in 1982 during a sabbatical after 25 years as an etcher. The
19 color illustrations include paintings of scenes as far away as San
Francisco, Calif., and Paris, France, and as nearby as some familiar
Holland locales such as 11th Street near the college's De Pree Art Center,
the Holland Settler's House and private residences in the city's historic
district.
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August
2008
August 26, 2008
Hope
Acclaimed in Multiple College Guides
Hope
College continues its strong showing in national and regional college
and university guides.
Hope remains in the first tier among the nation's best liberal arts
colleges as determined by "U.S. News and World Report," ranking
88th in the publication's 2009 "America's Best Colleges Guide." The
college also continues to be included among the 33 select institutions
listed in the publication's "Programs to Look For" section
in the category singling out schools that are outstanding for "Undergraduate
Research/Creative Projects."
The college is also one of the approximately 310 schools included in
the latest "Fiske Guide to Colleges" as "the country's
best and most interesting colleges and universities." The 2009 edition
notes that "Hope's academic and athletic programs continue to grow
and prosper," quoting one senior as observing that "Hope is
a place where students are challenged to become better students, but,
more importantly, better people."
Hope is one of 159 schools receiving "Best in the Midwest" designation
from "The Princeton Review." In addition, Hope ranks 166th
nationally on the new "America's Best Colleges" guide that
has debuted on Forbes.com, placing third among the 15 Michigan institutions
included in the listing.
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August 26, 2008
Book
Reflects on the Good in Religion
A
short new book by Dr. David Myers of the Hope College psychology faculty
responds to the "new atheist" argument that all religion is
dangerous and false, by suggesting how faith can be - and often is -
reasonable, science-affirming, healthy, hopeful, and humane.
His book "A Friendly Letter to Skeptics and Atheists: Musings on
Why God is Good and Faith Isn't Evil" was published earlier this
month by Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Myers writes as both a social scientist and a person of faith. While
acknowledging ways religion has fueled the worst in human behavior, he
notes that religion more often leads adherents to engage with the world
as forces for good.
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Photo Gallery
1 / Photo
Gallery
2
August 26, 2008
Hundreds
of Students to
Spend Day Volunteering
More than 375 Hope College students will participate in service projects
throughout the area through the college's "Time to Serve" program
on Saturday, Aug. 30.
Most of the students will be members of the newly arrived freshman Class
of 2012, who started signing up for the mass volunteer effort on Saturday,
Aug. 23, only a day after arriving on campus for "New Student Orientation" at
Hope.
The students will be working in groups of five to 20 at approximately
40 sites from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Projects are scheduled throughout Holland
as well as in Zeeland, and will range from sorting and cleaning at Goodwill
Industries, to cleaning and other projects at the Critter Barn, to groundskeeping
and cleaning at many area churches.
The "Time to Serve" program is designed to help new students
learn about service while helping and getting to know their community
and becoming better acquainted with one another. The project began in
the fall of 2000 with 10 projects and about 100 participants, and had
grown to 24 projects and 300 students a year later. In October 2001, "Time
to Serve" 2000 received a 2001 Distinguished Service Award from
Keep Michigan Beautiful Inc. during the group's annual conference.
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August 19, 2008
Hope Mortar Board Chapter
Earns National Honors
For the third year in a row, the Alcor chapter of Mortar
Board at Hope College has received the "Golden Torch Award" for
excellence during the national organization's annual summer conference.
The event's awards program recognized activities during the preceding
school year. Hope also received three "Project Excellence" awards
during the conference, which was held on Friday-Sunday, July 25-27, in
Columbus, Ohio.
Hope's chapter was one of 27 recipients of the "Golden Torch Award," which
honors chapters that have excelled in the areas of scholarship, leadership
and service. For the second consecutive year, the Hope chapter was also
one of the top five "Golden Torch Award" recipients and one
of the five finalists for the national "Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter
Excellence Award."
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August 1, 2008
Student Team Wins Mathematical Contest
A team of four Hope College mathematics students won the "Jeopardy" contest
at the national MathFest conference in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday, July
30.
The members of the Hope team were senior Forrest Gordon of Rockford;
senior Dan Lithio of Downers Grove, Ill.; sophomore Zachary Mitchell
of Stevensville; and junior Blair Williams of Fenton. They defeated teams
from Lafayette College, Texas A&M and MountUnionCollege.
The competition's questions tested knowledge of mathematics, both in
problem solving and general history. The Hope team went into "Final
Jeopardy" with the most points and then answered the final question
correctly to take the victory.
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