News

Calvin experience leads to Fulbright in Germany
On Saturday, May 4, Jonathan Holdridge will receive his diploma from Calvin University. A few months later, through the U.S. Fulbright program, the secondary chemistry education major is heading to Germany to teach English as a second language. May 1,2024

Creating a more beautiful space for teaching and learning
On Thursday, April 25, David I. Smith was awarded Calvin University's Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching—the highest teaching honor the university bestows on its faculty. April 26,2024

Stacia Hoeksema Named Professor of the Year
Stacia Hoeksema has been teaching in Calvin's social work department for more than two decades. On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, she received the most meaningful honor of her career--being named the 2024 Professor of the Year. April 24,2024

Calvin Announces Inaugural Dean of Graduate Studies
Following an international search, Calvin University announces the hiring of Dr. Kyle J.A. Small as the institution’s first-ever dean of graduate studies. April 9,2024

First-Year Research Turns Up Gold
Three Calvin University students have been named 2024 Goldwater Scholars. The scholarship is widely considered to be the most prestigious award for undergraduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering in the United States. April 2,2024

Equipped to navigate conflict on international stage
Sophomore Lathan VanderLeest is gaining a lot of experience on the world's stage through Model UN. In March, he was part of the Calvin University team that received the Distinguished Delegation Award at the premier Model UN event in New York City. April 2,2024

A Well-Balanced Education Leads to Flourishing Life
On April 2, 2024, Noah Praamsma ‘17, a nutrition coordinator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C., returns to his alma mater to talk about plant-based nutrition, the same place where he discovered a passion for preventative healthcare. March 26,2024

From Life Sentence to Life Calling
A self-centered life led Chris Bernaiche to a life sentence. After more than a decade of destructive behavior inside prison walls, he turned his life over to Christ. Now, through the Calvin Prison Initiative program, he's helping his peers find meaning in their lives. March 26,2024

Calvin's Festival of Faith & Writing Returns in April
Calvin University’s literary extravaganza, the Festival of Faith & Writing, returns in person to Grand Rapids on April 11-13, after a long COVID hiatus. March 19,2024

Calvin's Graphic Design Students Steal the Show
Students from Calvin University took home more than half of the awards given out at the 2024 American Advertising Award Federations West Michigan ADDY awards. March 19,2024

Calvin makes significant investment in the arts
The return of the theatre minor and the music education program paired with recent improvements to arts facilities, curricula, and student opportunities, reflect the growth and vibrancy of the arts at Calvin University. March 12,2024

Opportunities illuminated in student's first year at Calvin
As a sophomore, Mariana Dykstra has already co-authored a paper that is published in the Journal for Chemical Education, which is considered the top publication for chemical educators. February 13,2024

Master of Science in Nursing Program Goes Beyond Industry Demands
Calvin University is introducing the Master of Science in Nursing program. The new program is flexible, online, and designed to be part-time and finished within two years. February 13,2024

A rare and regular opportunity at Calvin University
For junior biology major Luke Schipper, his rare disease research experience at Calvin University provided him a path to pursue his passion and opened doors to future opportunities. February 7,2024

Faith Formation is On The Table
Calvin University offers a buffet of options to help students grow in their faith. On January 28, one of those options kicks off: a campus-wide Bible study of the Gospel of John. January 23,2024

Calvin Remembers Edna Greenway
On January 9, 2024, Edna Greenway died at the age of 88. When asked for words to describe Greenway, former colleagues and students at Calvin most often expressed "faithful" and "encourager." January 23,2024

Students create viable path for Calvin University to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030
Calvin University President Wiebe Boer posed the question: “What earlier year should Calvin University choose for its carbon neutrality date?” to Engineering 333 students. The team discovered a way to move the target date up decades. December 12,2023

When a community partners to close the education gap in Grand Rapids
According to census data, nearly 65% of the population of adults 25 years or older in the zip code where Calvin University's main campus is located holds at least a bachelor's degree. Its neighboring zip code to the west is 40% less. Calvin's partnering to bridge that gap. November 7,2023

Ten Calvin Teams Currently Ranked in the Top 20 Nationally
It's a record-setting week at Calvin University. For the first time in school history, 10 Calvin Knights teams are nationally ranked all at the same time. November 7,2023

Expert goes beyond the headlines to break down Israel-Hamas War
Joel Westra, a professor of politics at Calvin University with expertise in international relations, international security, and international law, breaks down what's happening in Israel, how this current situation compares to the Yom Kippur War, and he predicts how this war might end. October 16,2023

Calvin University announces 2024 January Series lineup
The 2024 edition of Calvin University’s award-winning January Series features national podcasters and journalists, a world-renowned rock climber, French-American jazz pianist and composer, an American legal scholar, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. October 10,2023

Calvin Knights rising in the national rankings
As of early October, the Calvin University men’s and women’s cross-country teams, men’s and women’s soccer teams, and women’s volleyball team all find themselves ranked inside the Top 25 in Division III athletics. October 10,2023

Student-Faculty Research Informs Prison Education Nationwide
In January 2023, then senior Emily Steen ’23 and her faculty adviser Mark Mulder, received The Hatfield Prize to conduct research on challenges faced by formerly incarcerated individuals upon reentry into society. This past week their research was published by the Center for Public Justice. October 6,2023

A visit to campus turns parent into professor
When Rocky Chang escorted his daughter back to college, he didn't anticipate he'd be joining her on campus a year later. His visit proved fruitful and his calling seemed undeniable. Now, he's doing something he's never been able to do before in his 30-year teaching career: integrate his faith and his teaching. October 5,2023

Professor's research impacts coffee roasting on six continents
An engineering professor at Calvin University helped create a patent for the VortX EcoFilter, which is reducing the detrimental effect conventional coffee roasting is having on the environment. The new product has been installed in about 200 locations on six continents. September 30,2023

Calvin’s GIS Program on The National Map
In 2021, Calvin University introduced an online master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems. Just a few years later, the university’s program is considered among the best in the country. UniversityHQ, a leading independent education organization, ranks Calvin’s program 17th nationwide. September 27,2023

Calvin professor's documentary now available on Kanopy
An award-winning documentary produced by Calvin film and media professor Sam Smartt and featuring Calvin astronomy professor Larry Molnar is now available to stream on Kanopy. September 21,2023

U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin near the top of multiple lists
Calvin University ranks fourth overall among all Midwest regional universities featured in U.S. News & World Report's 2024 Best Colleges Guidebook. The university also received high marks for undergraduate teaching, merit-based aid awarding, international student enrollment, and first-year retention. September 18,2023

Calvin professor emeritus reshapes the study of American religion and politics
For the past four decades, Calvin professor emeritus Corwin Smidt has been a pioneer of the study and research at the intersection of American religion and politics. This year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award for this work from the world's premiere political science association. September 7,2023

One class leads to course correction
Fifteen years ago, Tyler Greenway experienced his first semester as a student at Calvin and a single class caused him to make a course correction. This week, he is beginning his first semester as a professor at his alma mater. His office is next door to the professor who taught that class. August 30,2023

Calvin University in high demand, setting multiple enrollment records
Calvin University is set to welcome 1,150 new students for the 2023-2024 academic year, representing more than a 15% increase over last year’s incoming class. The diversity of learners choosing Calvin is setting university records. August 14,2023

Calvin University Announces Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Program
The launching of the Distinguished Writer-in-Residence program provides students, faculty, and staff unique opportunities to learn from and forge relationships with top-tier literary talents. August 10,2023

When updating spreadsheets opens doors
This summer, two student researchers at Calvin University are glued to spreadsheets. Though the work can be tedious at times, the students are driven by the fact that their daily work is literally helping keep returning citizens from returning to prison. July 19,2023

Fiske Guide Shortlists Calvin University Engineering Program
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024 edition applauds Calvin University for the strength of its engineering program and calls out its hallmarks of integrating faith and learning and faculty-student interaction. July 11,2023

Film and Media Program Expanding During Program’s Banner Year
The 2022-2023 academic year was full of firsts for Calvin's film and media program. Numerous student and faculty productions were featured in major film festivals and won awards, and a new pathway signals even greater success in the program's future. June 29,2023

Calvin University and Compass College of Film and Media Announce Pathway to Enhance Educational Experience for Film Students
Calvin University and Compass College of Film and Media have created a pathway for students from Compass College’s innovative and nationally recognized film and media arts program are being invited to become part of Calvin University’s award-winning Department of Communication. June 29,2023

Calvin University 2023 grads reflect on earning bachelor's degree behind bars
Graduates from the Class of 2023 reflect on their experience earning a bachelor's degree from Calvin University behind bars. They talk about how the program shaped them and what they hope to do with their degree. May 10,2023

Calvin University Commencement features a few firsts
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, 804 students representing 75 different areas of study graduated from Calvin University. While the 148th Commencement in the history of Calvin included many of the traditional elements, it also featured a few novel moments. May 2,2023

Calvin University Celebrates First Wire-to-Wire Graduating Class
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, more than 800 students will graduate from Calvin University. In doing so, they become the first class to both begin and end their journey at the institution under its current name. April 26,2023

Calvin University creating one-year pathway to the teaching profession
With a nationwide shortage of certified teachers, Calvin University has developed an accelerated and affordable path for anyone with a bachelor's degree to earn both a master's and certification in the state of Michigan in just one year. April 19,2023

Going Beyond the confines to discover community
Ken and James came into prison at the same time and shared a cell in county jail. Over the past decade, their journeys inside prison took very different paths, but God brought them back together through the Calvin Prison Initiative program. Now, they're creating a community unheard of inside prison walls. April 6,2023

Calvin University announces world renowned African Development Bank President as 2023 Commencement Speaker
On Saturday, April 29, 2023, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank Group, will give Calvin University's 2023 Commencement address. April 6,2023

Engineers take Calvin education beyond proof of concept
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, 20 teams of students will showcase the design projects they engineered over the past year. The teams solved real-world problems and are now equipped to not only meet, but exceed their industry's standards for excellence. April 5,2023

Calvin University Receives STARS Silver Rating for Sustainability Achievements
Calvin University has earned a STARS Silver rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. This year's overall score is the highest in the institution's history. March 29,2023

First-year research experience opening doors to student's dream
First-year pre-med student Myles Radersma earned a unique opportunity to gain research experience and professional mentorship through the American College of Cardiology. February 27,2023

From Hostility to Hospitality: How Calvin is Renewing Civics Education
The Civic Hospitality Project, a partnership between the Kuyers Institute and the Henry Institute, gives K-12 educators many curricular tools and exercises they can draw from in putting together their civics lesson plans. The goal? For civics education to aspire to more than simply tolerance. February 20,2023

Four Soft Skills for Navigating the Transition to College
Kyle Heys, director of Calvin's Center for Student Success shares four “soft skills” that will help ease someone’s transition into college life and and that are useful for future transitions in life. February 1,2023

5 Reasons to be Excited About Calvin University Football
When Trent Figg was introduced as the inaugural Calvin University Head Football Coach he talked about how he will build the program and what people can expect on the field. January 20,2023

Calvin University student awarded prestigious Hatfield Prize
Calvin senior Emily Steen is one of three students in the country to be awarded The Hatfield Prize by the Center for Public Justice. January 19,2023

Student documentary helping history come alive
Two Calvin University film and media production students produced "The West Church," a documentary that highlights a partnership in Umm al-Jimal that dates back half a century. January 10,2023