Calvin News

For three decades Thedford P. Dirkse (far right, with wife Theresa) taught physical and analytical chemistry at Calvin College. His career spanned a variety of distinct decades. He began in 1947 when Calvin was still on the Franklin Street campus and the nation was still within recent memory of World War II. He ended in 1980 with Calvin on the Knollcrest campus and Vietnam largely a fading memory. 

In between he witnessed Calvin's move from one campus to another as well as a number of historic milestones -- everything from a man on the moon to the assasinations of JFK and MLK to Vietnam, Kent State and the disco era. 

One constant during Dirkse's tenure was his work with students. His summer research projects -- many of which were supported by Department of Defense funds -- included about 50 students over the years. He is considered a "pioneer" in offering undergrad research opporunities in chemistry at Calvin.

Now former student Dr. Brandon Wiers (far left) is setting up an endowment, with his wife Patricia (second from left), for The Thedford P. Dirkse Summer Research Fellowship. Wiers, a 1956 Calvin graduate, went on to a long career with Procter and Gamble, following his time at Calvin. In fact, the Procter and Gamble Fund is providing assistance in setting up the endowment. Wiers notes with pride that his first publication as a scientist was co-authored with Dirkse.

The award is intended to support students who are interested in careers in chemistry and biochemistry. The first recipient is Joel Visser of McBain, Michigan. He will be working with Calvin professor of chemistry Kumar Sinniah.

Visser worked for Sinniah last summer on a project funded by the Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation on monitoring indoor and outdoor airquality on Calvin's campus. He spent most of last summer testing the new equipment Calvin had purchased and setting up protocols to test the air based on EPA guidelines. 

Says Sinniah: "This was quite an achievement for him (Visser) since he was only a first-year student doing research and using instruments that usually junior or senior level students handle. He did a remarkable job with it. The work Joel did last summer impacted one of my upper level courses where students in that course used the methods which Joel had developed."

This summer Visser will continue the investigation of volatile organic compounds in the Calvin Art Department. He will quantify the organic components present in the art studio and investigate the efficiency of scrubbers. He will work with a variety of high-tech instruments.