Calvin News

Calvin College alumni are living and working in leadership positions around the world. 
But other Calvin alumni are working in significant ways behind the scenes, including in politics. Below are just a few selected Calvin alumni and what they do. 
Roberta Green Ahmanson (1972) is an executive with Fieldstead and Company in Irvine, California. She spent a number of years as a respected religion writer for California newspapers before becoming involved in Fieldstead, one of the largest philanthropic organizations on the west coast. 
Marilee Bylsma (1976) is a teacher in Detroit, Michigan. She has served in the Detroit Public School System for over 20 years, and is recognized by state and local associations for her contributions in giving hope to children in the most blighted areas of the city. 
Dr. Silas Cheuk (1963) is a physician in Detroit, Michigan. He has a successful medical practice in Detroit, but also opened up a free clinic for aged Chinese-Americans in Chinatown for those who cannot access the regular health care system. 
Dale S. De Haan (1955) began his work with refugees as foreign policy counsel in the U.S. Senate and its Subcommitte on Refugees. In 1978 he became the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees. In the governmental and private sectors, he has been a leader in international efforts to solve refugee problems. For efforts in Africa and Southeast Asia, he shared in the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the High Commissioner's Office in 1981. 
Dr. Gerben De Jong (1968) is Director of the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Research Center of the Medlantic Research Institute, Washington, D.C. He has received the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine's Gold Key Award that honors persons who have made significant contributions to the field of rehabilitation. 
Dr. Thomas R. DeMeester (1959) is chairman of the department of surgery at the USC School of Medicine. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost specialists in esophageal surgery. He has also served as a board member for the Luke Society, which provides medical and dental care to the economically disadvantaged. Dr. 
Vernon J. Ehlers (1956) left a 17-year teaching career at Calvin as a physics professor to join the political arena. After being elected to the Kent County Commission, he advanced to the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan Senate and next to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1993. Throughout his time in political life, he has gained notice as a leader on issues involving the environment, education and public health. 
Judge John Feikens (1940) began his career as a lawyer in Detroit, Mich., where he served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission for the first three years after its inception. He was appointed United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan and later became Chief Judge. 
William Garvelink (1968) is a Senior Consultant for the U.S. Disaster Relief Commission, based in Washington, D.C. He has had an amazing career of traveling the world over and over, lending assistance and leadership to those devastated by disasters --- natural or man-made. He is currently in Eriteria, Africa, heading up the U.S, effort in that ravaged nation. 
Dr. Donna Brink Fox (1972) is a professor of music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. She is a nationally known expert on early childhood music and the way young ones --- even babies --- learn rhythm and movement. She has developed music exercises that stimulate and encourage disadvantaged parents and their children. 
Dr. James Gage (1960) is director of the Gait Laboratory at the Gillette Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His laboratory is a state-of-the-art center for investigating difficulties in walking or running. His work is known worldwide and he has helped countless patients experiencing mobility problems; he's also been involved in cerebral palsy research of national note. 
Dr, Glenn Geelhoed (1964) is a professor of surgery at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He travels the world lecturing on surgical techniques for hospital staff members. He is an expert on international medical cooperatives and is often called upon to broker deals between international medical agencies and organizations. 
Mary Ann Baas Harkema (1964) is director of Christian Services/LOVE INC in Lansing and developed that program starting in 1981. She now is on the cutting edge of the involvement of faith-based organizations in welfare services and welfare reform. She is not only well-known in Michigan but serves on the national board of LOVE INC, a World Vision program. 
Dr. James Haveman (1966) is Director of Community Health for the State of Michigan. A leader in mental health issues in west Michigan for decades, Dr. Haveman was appointed to consolidate numerous health agencies by Michigan Governor Engler. H. 
Richard Hopper (1970) was a judge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and recently resigned from the bench to give full-time effort to helping the nation of El Salvador set up a fair and independent judiciary --- as well as spend more time with his six children, all adopted from the countries of either Chile, Mexico or Korea. 
Dr. Herbert Hovenkamp (1969) is the Ben and Dorothy Willie Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He is an internationally known scholar in the areas of property law, antitrust law and legal history, and is the author of 10 books and over 100 articles. He served as an advisor in the recent Microsoft anti-trust case. 
Rev. Herman Keizer, Jr. (1965) headed the Army's drug-and-alcohol rehabilitation program. At the Pentagon, he received the Legion of Merit Award (the fifth highest military award) and the Commander's Award for Public Service. Currently he is back at the Pentagon, writing and monitoring the polices on fraternization and sexual harassment for the Army. 
F. Stuart Kingma (1950) worked as a public health employee for his entire 35-year career, with most of his service as a Centers for Disease Control official. Among the efforts he was involved with there were the eradication of the smallpox virus, the attempt to eliminate malaria and an improved national capacity to prevent and/or respond to incidents of biological and chemical terrorism. 
Marvin Kosters (1950) is a resident scholar and director at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. He is one of the nation's leading economic theorists, concentrating on price theory and market organization. He has published over 100 articles on economic issues. 
Dr. Florence Kuipers (1942) had a 32-year career in applied linguistics, working for the National Security Agency of the Department of Defense. Upon her retirement in 1976, she was awarded the National Security Agency's Civilian Meritorious Award. She then began working for Wycliffe Bible Translators. 
Dr. Donald Mulder (1940) spent 32 years as a professor of neurology at Mayo Medical Clinic in Rochester, Minn. His particular research interest has been the area of neuromuscular diseases. He focused on the eradication of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. In the 1950s he was chief investigator of the U.S. Navy research project on ALS in Guam. In 1992 he was recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives for distinguished service on behalf of medicine and humanity. 
Robert G. Ottenhoff (1970) is executive vice president and COO of PBS in Washington, D.C. Mr. Ottenhoff is responsible for the day-to-day operations of PBS, including supervision of the senior staff, implementation of policy and coordination of many of the departments. He had been the executive director of the New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority and has worked for Time-Life, National Public Radio and Rutgers University. 
Brigadier General Dr. Robert Poel (1957) joined the Air Force in 1962. His career has led him to numerous Air Force base hospitals including service as the chief medical officer caring for recently-released hostages. He was honored for his service in the military many times including the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak clusters and the Air Force Medal of Commendation Medal. 
Charles Ryskamp (1950) is director of the Frick Collection of Art in New York. The Frick Collection --- half museum, half library --- is the largest art reference library in the country, with a staff of 65. 
Dr. Harry S. Stout (1969) has had a noted career as a Christian historian. He is the Jonathan Edwards Professor of American Christianity at Yale University, where he specializes in Puritan history. His two books, The New England Soul: Preaching and Religious Culture in Colonial New England and The Divine Dramatist: George Whitefield and the Rise of Modern Evangelism, were both nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. 
Dr. Paul Vanden Bout (1961) is director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia. The observatory he is responsible for is the largest in the United States and often reports and interprets the cutting-edge discoveries of deep space to the world. 
Mark Van Putten (1976) is CEO of the National Wildlife Federation in Washington, D.C. After graduating with honors from law school at the University of Michigan, Mr. Van Putten headed up the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Natural Resources Center, working on cases such as the fish kill settlement with Consumers Power Co. and Detroit Edison. He now heads the entire national organization, so appointed in 1996. 
In addition, a trio of Calvin College alumni is in demand in the film industry. Paul Schrader (1968) is a respected director and screenwriter and one of his recent films, "Affliction," was critically acclaimed. Jeanine Oppewall (1968) is an art director who twice has been nominated for Academy Awards ("LA Confidential" and "Pleasantville"). And Patricia Rozema (1980) is the director of the recently released "Mansfield Park."