News and Stories

Calvin University moves up in U.S. News categories
In U.S. News & World Report's 2021 Best Colleges Guidebook, Calvin gained some ground in some U.S. News categories and maintained the school's overall ranking of #3 in the Midwest Regional Universities category.
September 14, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Study shows your media habits are linked to your voter participation
Professor Jesse Holcomb and two recent Calvin University alums published a report that explores non-voters' news diets and the role that the media plays in their decision of whether or not to cast a ballot.
September 09, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Creating a dune on Calvin's campus
Realizing bringing her class regularly to the lakeshore to do research would be riskier this year, Calvin professor Deanna van Dijk decided to bring the research site to the students. 450 cubic yards of sand is coming to campus.
July 30, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin receives $11 million gift for faculty development
Calvin University is receiving an $11 million gift that will deepen the institution's commitment to teach from a Reformed Christian perspective and expand its ability to shape Reformed Christian thought leadership around the world.
June 29, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

A teacher to teachers, known for scholarship and service
Education professor Robert Keeley is the recipient of the 2020 Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching, Calvin's highest teaching honor.
June 12, 2020 | Staff

Calvin University School of Business Announces New Bachelor of Science in Financial Planning
With a new degree offering from the business department, Calvin becomes one of the few faith-based institutions in the United States to offer an accredited financial planning program.
June 09, 2020 | Andy Rau

Richard Mouw comes home to Calvin
After 35 years at Fuller Theological Seminary, Richard Mouw, a widely-respected theologian and philosopher, is returning to Calvin University where his career in academia began. He's joining the Henry Institute as a senior research fellow.
June 04, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin alum responds to the pandemic with innovative diagnostics
What 2011 grad Cheri Ackerman is doing in the lab as a postdoctoral fellow at the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard is about as relevant as it gets in the current environment.
May 18, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin University receives $22.25 million gift to launch School of Business
Less than a year after changing its name, Calvin University is adding its first school: the Calvin University School of Business. University leaders hope the new school is the first of many.
May 14, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Discovering a path forward in a COVID-shaped world
Fifteen faculty experts from Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary will lead 23 courses this summer that help participants discover what it means to be a Christian witness in a world shaped by COVID-19.
May 06, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Engineering majors pivot final project to respond to pandemic
A team of five engineering majors are using their time and skills to help a local company print PPE.
May 04, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Discovering beauty at the intersection of disciplines
Beginning in January 2021, Calvin senior Jason Entingh will be heading to Eastern Europe for six months as an English Teaching Assistant through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. His journey started with a love of language.
April 29, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Nursing professor heads to hot spot of COVID-19 pandemic
On March 30, Dr. Katherine Kunnen, an assistant professor of nursing at Calvin University, headed to New York City, to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. We caught up with her via a video Q&A on Wednesday, April 8, 2020, during her lunch break.
April 09, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

When research on the water turns to gold
Laura Dykstra started research at Calvin University right away. Now, three years in, her research has been published, her passion for research deepened, and she recently earned what's widely considered as the top undergraduate research award in her field.
April 06, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin remembers Robert Bolt
For three decades Robert Bolt brought American history to life for his students at Calvin. After he retired from teaching, he spent another two decades helping in Heritage Hall, collecting and preserving records for the Christian Reformed Church. Bolt, 89, died on March 23.
March 27, 2020 | Lynn Rosendale

When meetings become risky business
A data expert at Calvin University's Center for Social Research has created a COVID-19 visual meeting risk calculator that projects how risky one’s social behavior can be based on the estimated infection rate of the region one lives and works in.
March 23, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin creates associate provost position
In January, Kevin den Dulk became Calvin's first associate provost, a position that focuses on extending Calvin's mission to reach new populations.
February 11, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin remembers Al Bratt
For nearly four decades, Al Bratt helped students at Calvin fall in love with the natural world. Bratt, 86, died on December 11, 2019.
December 20, 2019 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin University ranks high in leading guidebooks
U.S. News & World Report is the latest ranking guide to give Calvin University high marks in 2019.
September 09, 2019 | Matt Kucinski

Plaster Creek Stewards receive national award
Plaster Creek Stewards, an initiative of Calvin University, received national recognition for their work returning health and beauty to one of the most contaminated urban waterways in West Michigan.
August 05, 2019 | Staff

Calvin remembers Daniel Bays
Calvin professor emeritus of history Daniel Bays is remembered by his colleagues as a voracious learner, dedicated scholar, and as a key partner in growing the Asian Studies Program at Calvin.
May 17, 2019 | Staff

A classroom for the ages
The grant-funded Intergenerational Connections Project is providing a rich learning environment where traditional college students and adult learners are thriving together.
May 14, 2019 | Hannah Ebeling

Ecosystem Preserve adds Venema Plaza and Gardens
Calvin introduces the Venema Plaza and Gardens, West Michigan’s largest public native gardens.
May 08, 2019 | Staff

Spurring innovation in 24 hours
At CalvinHacks, Calvin's first marathon software and hardware development competition, Calvin students raced to create a variety of innovative computing projects.
March 27, 2019 | Connor Bechler

Calvin student opens classic Christian work to Turkey
Debora Haede, a student at Calvin College, is doing something that's never been done before: translating Dietrich Bonhoeffer's classic works into Turkish.
February 27, 2019 | Matt Kucinski

Seeing Detroit differently
Calvin students recently studied the shifts in urban politics toward the latter half of the 20th century, applying literature they were reading to the unfolding story of Detroit.
February 27, 2019 | Hannah Ebeling

Beckman Scholars Award advances undergraduate research at Calvin
The 2019 Beckman Scholars Award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation both honors Calvin's current commitment to undergraduate research and funds new research in chemistry and the life sciences.
February 25, 2019 | Connor Bechler

Expanding opportunities for women in engineering
Fewer than 20 percent of all bachelor's degrees in engineering were awarded to women in the United States in 2015. Calvin College students are taking action to see that statistic change.
February 21, 2019 | Hannah Ebeling

Interim course examines the world of Jesus and the Early Church
Over Interim, students in Religion W42: The World of Jesus and the First Christians explored the vibrant context of the gospels in class and at the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C.
February 05, 2019 | Connor Bechler

Conference calls students to be servants, not saviors
From February 7-9, the student-led Faith and International Development Conference will offer students, scholars, and international development organizations the opportunity to network and engage with pressing issues in the field.
February 02, 2019 | Connor Bechler

NSF grant spurs innovation in parallel computing
Calvin College computer science professor Joel Adams is using a nearly $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to collaborate with several other universities in developing new methods of teaching parallel computing.
January 23, 2019 | Connor Bechler

Public Health Initiative deepens community partnerships
Over the past four years, Calvin College's Public Health Initiative has sparked collaboration among various disciplines at Calvin, deepened relationships with community partners, and produced research that's addressing neighborhood needs.
January 02, 2019 | Hannah Ebeling

Student concerts celebrate Calvin's long tradition of music and performance
Sarah Griffioen, a musical performance and computer science double major at Calvin College, spent months practicing on her own as well as under the private instruction of Calvin music professors.
December 18, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Exploring the intersection of Faith and Democracy
At Calvin College, experts will dig deeper into the national discussion of the relationship between Christianity and American politics.
December 03, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin Prison Initiative students lead restorative justice conference
A population of students in the Calvin Prison Initiative (CPI) program are helping facilitate some important conversations related to restorative justice, hoping to lead change from behind bars.
November 26, 2018 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Leading Climate Action with The Gospel
Kyle Meyaard-Schaap is the national organizer and spokesperson for the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, an organization that includes more than 10,000 young people.
November 20, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin students among best in the nation for CPA exam pass rate
In 2017, 75% of Calvin students taking the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam for the first time passed, a rate 25% higher than the national average.
November 16, 2018 | Connor Bechler

French interim celebrates 50 years of language and learning
This year, the Calvin French interim celebrates its 50th anniversary. Professor Art Otten, chair of the French Department in 1968, decided to organize Calvin’s first-ever interim abroad to Paris and Montpellier.
November 12, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin receives $1 million NSF grant to increase student retention in STEM
Calvin College faculty are working on finding solutions that will give every student an equal opportunity at success in STEM fields.
November 08, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

First-year students researching Lake Michigan dunes
Now in its seventh year, Calvin's First-Year Research in Earth Science course continues to immerse first-year students in hands-on research along the Lake Michigan coastline.
November 06, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin social work program ranked in top 40 nationwide
Calvin College received recognition for its outstanding social work program, ranked in the top 40 programs nationwide by The Best Schools.
November 06, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin remembers John Beebe
John Beebe is remembered for his passion for plants and people. Beebe served on the biology faculty of Calvin College for 37 years.
October 29, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Ottawa Hills and Calvin partner in preparing education majors to teach all students
This fall, Calvin secondary education students have the opportunity to learn about content literacy and urban education in Ottawa Hills High School classrooms through Calvin and Ottawa Hills' developing partnership.
September 25, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Expert considers Hurricane Florence's impact on infrastructure
With Hurricane Florence fast approaching, professor of engineering Fred Haan lends his wind engineering expertise to predict the effect the storm may have on infrastructure in its path.
September 13, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Masters of Education program takes step toward Hong Kong
Leaders from Calvin College and Lumina College signed an agreement signaling an important step forward in Lumina College offering Calvin’s Masters of Education program in Hong Kong. The program is pending approval from the Higher Learning Commission in the United States and the Education Bureau in Hong Kong.
September 11, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin remembers Marten Vande Guchte
Founder of Calvin's speech pathology and audiology program, Marten Vande Guchte, is remembered for his quiet good sense.
September 10, 2018 | Lynn Rosendale

Team of researchers challenge bold astronomical prediction
A paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters reevaluates Calvin astronomy professor Larry Molnar's prediction that a binary star in the constellation Cygnus is a strong candidate to merge and explode in the near future.
September 07, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

New program equips students for leadership in the church
The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) announces the establishment of the Ministry Leadership Cohort—a two-year program available to incoming Calvin College students.
September 05, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Education program again receives national accreditation
Dean of Education James Rooks explains the process behind the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation's recent accreditation of Calvin's education program, the program's third national accreditation in 17 years.
September 04, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Investigating humanity's ecological impact at Flat Iron Lake
Student researchers and biology professors spent their summer at Flat Iron Lake Nature Preserve studying how noise pollution affects bluebirds and how climate change affects native prairie plant species.
August 24, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Reactivating a 2,000-year-old water system in Jordan
This June, Calvin College engineering student Sarah Cok joined the Clean Water Institute of Calvin College, the Umm el-Jimal Project, and Jordanian experts to restore an ancient water system in a Jordanian village.
August 15, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Exploring the unseen impacts of inaction on shalom
Business professor Tim Bergsma and graduate student Nathaniel Finneran are seeking to account for the effects of fraud in the context of sin theology.
August 08, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin College among Princeton Review's Best 384 Colleges
The Princeton Review features Calvin in its annual college guide. Calvin students touted the institution's lab and recreation facilities, internship possibilities, and the vibrant city of Grand Rapids.
August 07, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin launches Kuyper Institute for Global Faculty Development
Named in honor of 19th-century Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper, the institute will enable Christian leaders and faculty to deepen their understanding of the Reformed tradition broadly, and Kuyperian thinking particularly.
July 19, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin prof using AI to hear whisper in Twitter's whirlwind
Calvin prof Keith Vander Linden and senior Roy Adams are using artificial intelligence to analyze public opinion on Twitter.
July 16, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Hymn database captures attention of millenials
Celebrating its tenth birthday July 19th, Hymnary.org has evolved and expanded since its 2008 release to serve the needs of an ever-increasing user base.
July 13, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Creating community for refugees
Ahee Kim and Kate McLain, 2018 Calvin grads, are interning in the German Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr for 2018-2019 supporting recent refugees to Berlin.
July 12, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Fiske Guide highlights Calvin business and engineering programs
The Fiske Guide to Colleges touts Calvin College as one the country’s best and most interesting colleges in its 2019 guidebook, and highlights its business and engineering programs as particularly strong.
July 11, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Measuring Plaster Creek's progress in microbes
As part of the Plaster Creek Stewards, Prof. Kelly DuBois and three student researchers are assessing how Kreiser pond is affecting the microbial contamination of the Plaster Creek watershed.
July 02, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Grant program dedicated to revitalizing worship across borders
On June 20th, a poster session for the Vital Worship Grants Program displayed a wide variety of both grant recipients and bold visions for the revitalization of worship.
June 29, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin collaborating to promote diversity in health care professions
Calvin College is collaborating with the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute and six area higher ed institutions to create “Pathways to Careers in Healthcare” for area students of color.
June 28, 2018 | News & Stories Staff

Conducting a chemical orchestra
This summer, a Calvin College professor and a pair of student researchers are building a chemometrics website on the institution's new supercomputer.
June 20, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Finding answers and building network for rare disease community
Calvin profs Rachael Baker and Amy Wilstermann are working with a team of student researchers examining the function of a protein involved in several rare diseases and building a web platform for the rare disease community.
June 13, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin pre-med students excel on MCAT
Four Calvin pre-med students link their high scores on the MCAT to the strength of Calvin's academics and undergraduate research program.
June 11, 2018 | Connor Bechler

Calvin College graduates the Class of 2018
On Saturday, May 19, 2018, nearly 900 students will participate in Calvin College’s 98th Commencement ceremony, held at 2 p.m. in the Van Noord arena.
May 18, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin students earn Goldwater honors
Over the past decade, Calvin has been a national leader in producing Goldwater scholars and those recognized as honorable mentions; this year was no exception, with four students recognized as honorable mentions.
May 17, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Eric Washington awarded Professor of the Year
Professor of history Eric Washington is Calvin College's 2018 Professor of the Year, an award given annually by the senior class.
May 14, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Animating words, shaping students
On Friday, May 4, 2018, English professor Lew Klatt received Calvin College's highest faculty honor, the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching.
May 07, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Off-campus programs celebrates 50 years of cross-cultural living and learning
On April 9, 2018, Calvin College celebrated 50 years of off-campus programs, which included an expo where students were invited to explore more than 30 off-campus opportunities for the 2019 school year.
April 27, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin remembers Gordon Van Harn
Gordon Van Harn served his alma mater faithfully for nearly 40 years. He's remembered as someone who was committed to the integration of faith and learning and to the development of his colleagues and students.
April 05, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

New software enhances the study of animal ecology
Recognizing a need for freely available, easy-to-use tools for bio-logging, Calvin professor Stacy DeRuiter led a collaborative project to develop new software to enhance the study of animal ecology.
March 06, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Global Religion Research Initiative Grant spurs intercontinental collaboration
Notre Dame's Global Religion Research Initiative awarded international development studies professor Tracy Kuperus, in collaboration with faculty from five other institutions, a grant to study youth, faith, and politics in Africa.
February 28, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Student photography guides senior citizens in their living space
Calvin students create artwork for the walls of Samaritas' memory-care unit in an effort to help residents in varying stages of dementia better navigate their living space.
February 22, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin classroom pilots cutting-edge Google technology
In collaboration with Google, the Michigan Colleges Alliance is piloting the Google Course Share Collaboration, a new approach that aims to expand course options at smaller private colleges.
February 08, 2018 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin College collaborating on innovative fall prevention program
Calvin’s speech pathology department recently received a $433,394 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, allowing Calvin to develop a new model to address fall prevention for seniors.
January 22, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

An elevator pitch moves Calvin College Rehabilitation Services up a level
Jill Bates went to Blythefield Country Club with the intention of networking. She left with the commitment of 162 women to write $100 checks to Calvin College Rehabilitation Services.
December 21, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin students debate whether free speech is worth the cost
The debate, “The Constitution and Free Speech: Is It Worth the Cost?,” was the third and final event in the department’s Constitution debate series and grappled with issues of free speech.
November 28, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin remembers John VandenBerg
John VandenBerg served at Calvin College for 35 years as an economics professor, dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs.
November 28, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Navy Veterans, Calvin Knights
Husband and wife, Daniel and Darcy Stubbs, both served in the U.S. Navy for over six years prior to coming to Calvin in fall 2017.
November 09, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin students present research at Midwest Enzyme Conference
In fall 2017, five Calvin students presented their research at the Midwest Enzyme Chemistry Conference at Loyola University Chicago.
November 03, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

History students create mental health exhibit for public museum
Three Calvin students' class project has spurred an exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
October 31, 2017 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Calvin student contributes to reforming Oklahoma's death penalty protocol
In Spring 2017, senior Andrew Oppong pursued his passion of criminal justice reform through the college's Semester in D.C. program.
October 19, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Prof assesses hurricane damage, develops design solutions
Calvin College professor Frederick Haan went to the Florida Keys to assess and record the damages of Hurricane Irma and develop solutions for the future.
October 18, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

New White Coat ceremony formalizes transition from student to nurse
The nursing class of 2019 took part in Calvin’s first-annual nursing White Coat Ceremony, a formal event that marks the transition from pre-nursing courses to working with clients in clinicals.
October 17, 2017 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Creating an inclusive environment for people with disabilities
Tom Hoeksema, emeritus professor of education at Calvin College, received the Henri Nouwen award from the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
September 13, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin College #1 in the Midwest
U.S. News & World Report ranks Calvin College #1 overall among Midwest regional colleges in its 2018 Best Colleges Guidebook.
September 12, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Potential Unprecedented Loss of People and Place from Hurricane Irma
Calvin College geography professor Jason VanHorn explains how Florida's geography and dense population make it susceptible to catastrophic results from Hurricane Irma.
September 07, 2017 | Jason VanHorn

Creating an award-winning prison reform conference from behind bars
Calvin Prison Initiative student creates prison reform conference that attracts 300 attendees and garners national recognition.
August 22, 2017 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Exploring new ground through summer research
This summer, 85 students participated in Calvin College’s summer research. The program spans 10 weeks and allows students to explore one of 56 projects in eight different STEM fields.
August 04, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Gaining a deeper understanding of congregations in greater Grand Rapids
This year, the Center for Social Research launched a major field interviewing project, the "Greater Grand Rapids Survey of Congregations."
July 27, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Walking Boldly: Virginia Davidson
Virginia Davidson ’17’s Calvin experience—from John’s Hopkins to the Emergency Department at Spectrum—prepared her for a career of love and service as a nurse.
July 25, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Exploring the social sciences and humanities through research
The McGregor Fellowship program provides an eight-week mentoring and research opportunity for social science and humanities students considering graduate school.
July 21, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Walking Boldly: Ana Barahona Reyes
She pushed herself outside her comfort zone, and now Ana Barahona Reyes ’17 has a degree in public accounting.
July 20, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Reitsma Mpindi
“If nothing else,” says Reitsma Mpindi ’17, “learn to love and trust the process.”
July 18, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Sarah Witt
Through engaging classes, dedicated professors, an off-campus interim and the liberal arts, Calvin prepared Sarah Witt ’17 to study veterinary medicine on the other side of the world.
July 11, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Nolan Coallier
Because of a mission trip to Honduras, Nolan Coallier ’17 knew he wanted to pursue medical missions. Calvin, and a full-tuition scholarship to the Medical College of Wisconsin, are helping him achieve that goal.
July 06, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Megan Pluymert
Calvin taught Megan Pluymert ’17 to view the world holistically, with a mind toward renewal. She’s now using her environmental studies major to study urban and regional planning.
July 04, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Brooke Bonnema
Through a semester program in Honduras, Brooke Bonnema '17 discovered her passion for immigration law. Every step of her Calvin journey brought her closer to that pursuit.
July 03, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Young Women's Business Institute helps high schoolers envision a future in business
In June, the Calvin Center for Innovation in Business hosted its Young Women’s Business Institute, a program for students entering their junior or senior year of high school.
June 28, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Walking Boldly: Jeremiah Croft
“Keep an open mind,” says Jeremiah Croft ’17. Through close professors, time with God and self-discovery, his open-mindedness lead him to Princeton Theological Seminary.
June 27, 2017 | News and Stories Staff