Public Spaces in the New Urbanism: Noah Schumerth worked with Calvin College professor Mark Bjelland examining a normative urban planning movement called New Urbanism, which features mixed use buildings, sidewalks, front porches, and public squares that promote social interaction and civic engagement. The project explores questions of access, ownership, and management of the "public" spaces in existing New Urbanist development projects.
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| Noah Schumerth Junior, majoring in Geography minoring in Architecture from Appleton, WI |
Mark Bjelland Calvin College Geography and Environmental Studies |
Measuring the Long-Term Effects of Service Learning on Calvin College Alumni: Joanna Jaimes and Professor Jeffrey Bouman worked on a mixed-methods research project, including a survey on current civic and political behavior administered to 1,650 Calvin College alumni who graduated between 2002 and 2012, as well as a follow-up interview protocol administered to seven participants in an original summer 2017 survey. The survey explores whether student participation in service-learning activities while in college influences post-college civic and political expression.
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| Joanna Jaimes Senior, majoring in Social Work and Political Science from Vernon Hills, IL |
Jeffrey Bouman Calvin College Service Learning Center |
Religious and Political Polarization in America: Kelly Looman, Josh Parks and Kathryn Post assisted Calvin History Professor Kristin DuMez with research on two separate but related projects. First was a religious history of Hillary Clinton set against the backdrop of the polarization of American Christianity from the 1960s to the present, and the second involved a study of evangelical constructions of militant masculinity from 1980 to the present.
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| Kelly Looman Junior, majoring in International Relations, minor in Geography and History from Newaygo, MI |
Joshua Parks, Senior, majoring in English Literature and Violin Performance from Holland, MI |
Kathryn Post, Senior, majoring in Political Science and Writing from Midland Park, NJ |
Kristin DuMez Calvin College History Department |
Rural Consciousness and Religion in the Rustbelt: Calvin Seniors Erica Buursma and Elena Van Stee, along with Professor Mark Mulder drew on fieldwork and interviews in central Wisconsin, reviewing evidence on the voting behavior of rural whites and reconsidering the inter- and intra-personal practices of religiosity amidst continued changes in American religious institutions. Their research will offer scholars and public policy leaders a re-conceptualization of how religion inherently structures the political orientation of rural white voters.
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| Elena Van Stee Senior, majoring in Religion and Sociology, minor in French from Western Springs, IL |
Erica Buursma Senior, majoring in Sociology, minors in Gender Studies, Communication and Spanish from Grand Rapids, MI |
Mark Mulder Calvin College Sociology Department |
Water and Justice: Jonathan Winkle, with Institute Director Kevin den Dulk, researched the appropriate role of government in addressing problems surrounding availability, stewardship and economic justice issues that surround distribution of water as a matter of public justice.
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| Jonathan Winkle Sophomore, majoring in Political Science from Grand Rapids, MI |
Kevin R. den Dulk Calvin College Political Science Department; Henry Institute Executive Director |
Reduction of Recidivism: Mapping Applications for Returning Citizens: Taek Soo Nam and Jason VanHorn refined the user-friendly intuitive map created during earlier research for this project which lays out Kent County (Michigan) facilities and organizations that would be indispensable to new parolees and those returning as citizens from incarceration. The project also explores service coverage gaps and language evaluation for populations most affected, and has been recognized for the work it is doing to empower returning citizens (see the article).
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| Taek Soo Nam Senior, majoring in Data Science and Sociology from Gimposi, South Korea |
Jason Van Horn Calvin College Geology Department |
Visualizing Faith and Citizenship: Cassidy Dykstra and Claire Hinkel assisted Calvin Sociology Professor Roman Williams in collecting photographic images from students studying off-campus which convey a momentary, unique perspective about faith and public life.
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| Cassidy Dykstra Senior, majoring in Social Work with minor in Congregational and Ministry Studies from Hamilton, MI |
Claire Hinkel Junior, majoring in Sociology with minor in German from Mattawan, MI |
Roman Williams Calvin College Sociology Department |
What is Good Food? Kaitlyn Eekhoff continued ongoing research on food and faith on an urban farm in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working with Professor Roman Williams. Three years ago, as a McGregor Fellow, she conducted ethnographic research on the farm and during the spring of 2018, Kaitlyn returned to the project, as the research work moved on to interviews, data analysis, and literature review.
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| Kaitlyn Eekhof Senior, majoring in Mathematics, Sociology and Philosophy from Dexter, MI |
Roman Williams Calvin College Sociology Department |
Communicating Virtuously across Division in the Church: Karolyn DeKam and David van Dokkumburg worked with Professor Stacey Wieland on a qualitative project considering how Christians who disagree about significant social issues can engage in productive dialogue. The project considers how dialogue might be enacted in contexts where participants share a deep commitment to core Christian beliefs, yet diverge in their understanding of the implications of those beliefs for a modern social issue.
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| Karolyn DeKam Freshman, majoring in Sociology with minor in Women and Gender Studies from Muskegon, MI |
David van Dokkumberg Freshman, majoring in Business and Human Resources from Mount Hope, Ontario |
Stacey Wieland Calvin College Communication, Arts and Sciences Department |