News and Stories

Calvin University appoints Dr. Wiebe Boer as next president
The Calvin University Board of Trustees has accepted the presidential search committee’s unanimous recommendation and appointed Dr. Wiebe Boer as the institution’s 11th president.
March 28, 2022 | Matt Kucinski

A presidential search led by prayer
The presidential search committee is providing a weekly Biblical text, prayerful response, musical reflection, and a blessing, as a tangible way to help lead the community through discerning God’s leading.
December 23, 2021 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin professor helping to shape the future of education
Clarence Joldersma, director of the master of education program at Calvin University, contributed to a once-in-a-generation UNESCO report called the Futures of Education.
December 16, 2021 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin's cohort programs help students find community
Navigating through college is challenging. Joining a cohort group not only builds community from day one, but it also makes the college experience more enriching and enjoyable.
December 09, 2021 | Kayliani Powlison

Calvin remembers Doug Nagel
Doug Nagel supported his alma mater cheerfully and generously for nearly half a century. His life helped make a Calvin education accessible to more people and to spread God's Word around the world.
December 08, 2021 | Matt Kucinski

Fulbright Recognizes Three Calvin Students in Record-Breaking Year
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program had a record high number of applicants this year. Three graduating Calvin seniors stood out among the 11,700+ applicants.
May 27, 2021 | Shelly DeJong

Germany Bound: When A Requirement Opens Doors
Calvin senior Alec Twining first took a German class because it was required for the engineering department's summer program in Berlin, Germany. And then he happened to fall in love with the language.
May 05, 2021 | Shelly DeJong

Calvin professor receives high honor from France
Calvin University French professor Jolene Vos-Camy was recently awarded the rank of chevalier, one of the oldest and most prestigious honors given by the French Republic, first created by Napoleon in 1808.
April 13, 2021 | Shelly DeJong

Researchers find energy savings from improved energy efficiency to be overestimated
Matt Heun, professor of engineering at Calvin University, is among a team of researchers who published their conclusions today that the models used to produce global climate scenarios may overestimate the energy and emission savings from improved energy efficiency.
March 03, 2021 | Staff

No borders at Calvin University
Calvin University created an online cohort so that international students who could not make it to campus this fall would have an option to begin their time at Calvin. This fall, 65 students completed their first semester online, and all 65 intend to continue online or in-person this spring.
December 23, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Building a bridge for Spanish immersion students
Calvin University is helping high school students who are fluent in Spanish build on their Spanish immersion experience and deepen their understanding of the language. Better yet, students are able to earn a minor in Spanish and a semester's worth of college credit before they graduate high school.
December 14, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin students place in top 10% of worldwide programming competition
A trio of electrical engineering majors at Calvin University tackled 24-hours worth of programming problems and finished near the top of a 3,700-team field.
November 11, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin professor named fellow of American Academy of Nursing
On Saturday, October 31, Adejoke Ayoola, professor of nursing at Calvin University, is being inducted into the 2020 Class of Fellows of the American Academy of Nursing.
October 30, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

The January Series moves into living rooms in 2021
Conversations about the future of the Supreme Court, climate change, global trade, civil discourse, racial tensions, and economic uncertainty, will all happen at Calvin University’s 2021January Series. And access to the award-winning lecture series will be easier than ever.
October 07, 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

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

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

Guiding churches through COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruption in churches around the world. Fortunately, the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has been helping churches navigate the seasons of the church for years, and is stepping up to guide churches through this novel season.
April 08, 2020 | Matt Kucinski

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

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

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

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 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

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

Daniel Bourdanné awarded 2018 Kuyper Prize
The general secretary of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students will receive the Abraham Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Life at the Kuyper Conference hosted by Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary.
April 27, 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

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-led conference explores the many complexities of home
From February 8-10, 2018, Calvin College hosts the 13th-annual Faith and International Development Conference. Student directors talk about the exciting things attendees can expect at the conference.
February 05, 2018 | Hannah Ebeling

Children’s book invites anyone to explore the Lord’s supper
En la mesa de Dios-At God's Table is a Spanish-English children's book that explores the richly symbolic practice of the Lord's Supper in Christian worshiping communities.
November 01, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin welcomes 965 new students for fall 2017
The 2017 incoming cohort of 965 students, combined with a strong retention rate, led to Calvin College exceeding its overall enrollment goal for the 2017-2018 academic year.
September 18, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

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

Calvin College's Nagel Institute awarded $2.2 million grant
The Templeton Religion Trust has awarded Joel Carpenter and the Nagel Institute a $2.2 million grant award titled African Theological Advance.
June 22, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Walking Boldly: Beka Agava
Beka Agava ’17 learned from amazing professors, engaged the mission of Calvin and re-evaluated her decisions—and now she’s a software engineering analyst.
June 20, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Simon Boenaidi
Now working with a church planting network in Oregon, Simon Boenaidi ’17 says Calvin shaped his understanding of his own faith, the place of God in the world and his role in God’s redemptive plan.
June 15, 2017 | News and Stories Staff

Childhood Lure Leads to Compelling Historical Work
After years of intensive research, Douglas Howard has published an intriguing and unique history of the Ottoman Empire.
June 12, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Empowering Communities Through Women’s Health
This summer, Adejoke Ayoola is heading to Nigeria to design women's health programs through the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program.
June 06, 2017 | Hannah Ebeling

Calvin celebrates the Class of 2017
On Saturday, May 20, 2017, more than 900 students participated in the college's 97th annual Commencement ceremony.
May 19, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin alum's Fulbright focuses on conservation efforts in Nicaragua
Through a Fulbright scholarship, Joel Betts '14 will be assessing the extent of agricultural and hurricane-induced forest loss in an indigenous territory in Nicaragua.
May 10, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Fulbright allows student to pursue trio of passions
Micah Warners will be heading to Honduras to teach English to students from economically disadvantaged sectors.
April 22, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Guatemalan artists are focus of alum's research
In March 2017, Peter Cahill '16 presented his ceramics research at the National Council of Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Portland, Oregon.
April 13, 2017 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Calvin College professor receives Fulbright to study history of global hockey
Bruce Berglund will do research on three continents as he pursues a deeper understanding of hockey's emergence as a global sport.
April 04, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin College observes 500th anniversary of the Reformation
A series of events have been planned to commemorate the milestone year.
March 08, 2017 | Matt Kucinski

Asian Studies grads influencing multiple fields
Graduates of Calvin's Asian Studies program are serving in multiple fields, using the knowledge of Chinese or Japanese language and culture they began to acquire at Calvin College.
February 01, 2017 | Larry Herzberg

Empowering Cambodian youth through education
Rachel Meyer '06 is teaching elementary school children in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
November 18, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

First Fulbright scholar received by Calvin College
Annefleur Muller, a recent high school graduate from the Netherlands, is studying for a year at Calvin on a Fulbright scholarship.
November 14, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Expert provides insight into Boko Haram
Edlyne Anugwum, a Nigerian anthropologist, believes the best way to find out what a group is up to is to ask them—so he did. On Wednesday, November 2, Anugwum will present his lecture, “Boko Haram and the Gospel of Terror in Nigeria.”
October 31, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

A just response to natural disasters
Using first-hand experience and primary research, Haitian national Daniel Jean-Louis confronts the inadequacies of current foreign aid strategies and offers effective alternatives.
October 27, 2016 | Matt Kucinski

Class of 2020 shows academic strength, international breadth
Calvin welcomes 984 new students for fall 2016.
September 19, 2016 | Matt Kucinski

From learning Japanese to teaching in Japan
Roz Scoular '13 teaches English to elementary school children in Ono City, Japan.
August 18, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Farm knowledge from the engineering lab
Annie Stegink '09 works at Community Harvest Project, a non-profit farm in Massachusetts, using her engineering education daily.
August 15, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Engaging the church in global justice through media
Jason Fileta '05 recently produced a documentary about climate change and the church.
August 12, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

In concert and in a lab coat
Andrew Plaisier '16 is beginning a two-year cello performance master’s program at the University of Michigan in the studio of Anthony Elliot.
August 04, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Eastern Europe: Following the childhood dream
Kelly Organ '12 is a program coordinator for New Horizons Foundation in Lupeni, Romania.
July 25, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Walking Boldly: Silas Kukaewkasem
One year into his Calvin experience, Silas Kukaewkasem returned to Thailand with a fresh perspective and understanding on a place he thought he knew so well.
July 19, 2016 | News & Stories Staff

Walking Boldly: Lauren Manck
Now conducting research at sea, Lauren Manck '12 says her love for chemistry and research, her decision to pursue graduate studies and her goals for her future career had their genesis in a first-year class at Calvin.
July 08, 2016 | News and Stories Staff

From fulfilling core to following passion
Brad Boelkins is the director of business development for Tesa, a German company.
June 30, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

An unexpected source infuses inspiration
Sarah Kluitenberg will be pursuing a masters degree at the University of London after three years of teaching at CRC Primary School in Kabala, Sierra Leone.
June 30, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Foreign service officer as an ambassador for the U.S. and for Christ
Adam Vogelzang has served as a foreign service officer for 12 years and will soon begin his sixth assignment.
June 23, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Big issues met with a bigger vision
Abby Skeans works for Clapham Group promoting justice and child welfare.
June 23, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

From pursuing business on a whim, to leading hundreds
Jared English has been the Shanghai general manager of CMP since November 2014.
June 23, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

A deeper pursuit of religion in poetry
Tom Mazanec is studying Chinese literature at Princeton University in hopes of becoming a professor.
June 22, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Longtime history prof earns third Fulbright Award
Jim Bratt, history professor emeritus at Calvin College, is headed to China as a Fulbright Scholar to teach U.S. history and European cultural history at Xiamen University.
June 15, 2016 | Jacquelyn Hubbard

Calvin grad hiking 500 kilometers to raise awareness of Multiple Sclerosis
2016 grad Katie Slemp was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a few years ago, now she's hiking 500 kilometers on the "Camino De Santiago Pilgrimage" to raise awareness of the disease.
May 31, 2016 | Jackie Hubbard

Fulbright student to map geography of refugees
Janaya Crevier will be heading to Austria in September 2016 to explore the journeys of a half dozen refugee families.
May 10, 2016 | Matt Kucinski

Brand Design class welcomes Clean Water Institute of Calvin College as its next client
ARTS 355 students will help CWICC gain support and build its reputation through creation of a digital brand.
February 26, 2016 | Rachel Watson

Calvin professor takes on living and learning abroad in new book
Don De Graaf’s book “There and Back: Living and Learning Abroad” was recently published by the Calvin College Press.
February 12, 2016 | Rachel Watson

Calvin celebrates five decades of interim programs
The director of off-campus programs says he hopes interim studies continue to help students learn to “dwell well” wherever they are.
December 23, 2015 | Rachel Watson

Economics professor writes book on gender discrimination in the Arab world
Adel Abadeer aims to “give a voice to the voiceless” in a region of the world where women are treated like property.
December 10, 2015 | Rachel Watson

Calvin College ranked second nationally for students studying abroad
Calvin College is again among the national leaders in terms of the number of students who study abroad and total international student enrollment.
November 17, 2015 | Matt Kucinski

Calvin College announces 2016 January Series lineup
Pulitzer Prize winning journalists and global health and security experts among impressive 2016 January Series lineup.
November 04, 2015 | Matt Kucinski

Student-faculty project maps history of Dutch immigration
Junior Matt Raybaud spent the summer creating maps that will be used in an atlas.
October 29, 2015 | Rachel Watson

An expert's take on the Syrian refugee crisis
Social work professor Joe Kuilema answers a trio of questions about the impact the Syrian refugee crisis has on the refugees and the countries which host them.
October 08, 2015 | News & Stories staff

UnLearn Week 2015 strives to bring everyone into the circle
UnLearn Week, which provides a forum for discussions of race and cultural awareness, is hosting events from panel discussions to an international food festival to a hip-hop-style worship service.
October 01, 2015 | Rachel Watson

Nagel Institute funnels Templeton grant toward assisting African scholarship
A $2 million grant will help African scholars address social and religious issues that have been long neglected.
September 21, 2015 | Rachel Watson

The Prophets' Chamber welcomes theologians from around the world
A new program by Calvin's Nagel Institute of World Christianity provides hospitable space for visiting theology scholars.
September 16, 2015 | Gina de Haan

Walking Boldly: Paulina Heule
Paulina Heule '15 is a paralegal at a large international law firm.
July 31, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale

Engineers tackle global issue with innovative design
Senior engineers design a water disinfection system for a rural village in Nicaragua.
July 13, 2015 | Gina de Haan

How (Not) to Change the World
Student Senate president Jona Eigege offers his remarks to the Class of 2015 on Saturday, May 23, 2015.
June 16, 2015 | News & Stories staff

Walking Boldly: Teunis Verwijs
Teunis Verwijs ’15 is currently applying to galleries and museums in Amsterdam.
June 12, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Lynn Rosendale

Walking Boldly: Troy Ellens
Troy Ellens ’15 is a registered nurse, working at Holland Home and listening to patients every day.
May 27, 2015

Calvin hosts inaugural Medical Mission Symposium
Featuring local and internationally-renowned physicians, the symposium provides physicians and students with stories, tips and resources for practicing medicine internationally.
May 11, 2015 | Lori Dykstra

On the ground in Nepal
Chemistry professor Herb Fynewever, a Fulbright Scholar in Nepal, talks about what it was like to be in fairly close proximity to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country.
May 05, 2015 | Matt Kucinski , Kemp Lyons

At the helm of an international journal
A new journal whose focus is the relationship between Christianity and educational theory and practice will be housed at Calvin College.
May 01, 2015 | Phil de Haan

Calvin student headed to para-swimming World Championships
Sophomore Nydia Langill will swim for Canada at both the Parapan American Games and the IPC Swimming World Championships in summer 2015.
April 20, 2015 | Lori Dykstra

An expert's take on lifting sanctions on Iran
Economics prof Adel Abadeer is keeping an eye on the developments in Iran. Here, he tackles a trio of questions about what the economic implications would be if and when sanctions are lifted.
April 09, 2015 | News & Stories staff

German prof lands Fulbright in Berlin
In spring 2016, Corey Roberts will use his Fulbright Award to study 18th and 19th century German cultural history in Berlin.
February 24, 2015 | Katie Salyer

Rangeela celebrates 20 years of storytelling
Since 1995, Rangeela has been an annual event for the Calvin community to share in the expression of various cultures and celebrate the diversity on campus.
February 20, 2015 | Lori Dykstra

Calvin College debuts on Peace Corps' annual Top Schools rankings
Calvin ranks 20th among small schools nationwide for number of graduates currently serving as Peace Corps volunteers.
February 19, 2015 | Peace Corps Midwest Regional Office , Matt Kucinski

Calvin College and Lions Club partner in shared vision
A partnership between Calvin College pre-med faculty and students and the Lions Club of Grand Rapids is helping bring fresh sight to children in Mexico.
February 19, 2015 | Lori Dykstra

Calvin College is a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars
Calvin College is one of just six bachelor's institutions in the nation to have at least two faculty members awarded prestigious Fulbright grants in 2014-15.
February 12, 2015 | Matt Kucinski

The Carnegie Foundation recognizes Calvin for its commitment to community engagement
Calvin College is one of 361 campuses nationwide to receive the Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation.
January 30, 2015 | Lori Dykstra

Symposium underscores the ripple effect of worship on culture
From Jan. 29-31, some 1,300 people from around the globe will gather at Calvin College for the 2015 Symposium on Worship.
January 23, 2015 | Phil de Haan

Students lead Faith and International Development Conference into its tenth year
From Feb. 5-7, more than 200 students and professionals from schools and organizations continent-wide will gather at Calvin College for the Faith and International Development Conference.
January 23, 2015 | Katie Salyer

New global partnership opens another door for pre-health students
In his new role at Calvin, Larry Gerbens is leveraging his 30 years of medical experience to open up new opportunities for students.
January 06, 2015 | Grace Ruiter

Calvin partners with school in Liberia to fight Ebola
The Calvin community is raising money to fund programming designed to educate, reduce stigma, and respond to the trauma Ebola has caused to families and communities in Liberia.
December 01, 2014 | Katie Salyer

Grant brings together experts on American–Chinese relations
Some of the world’s foremost experts converge on Calvin’s campus next summer for a three-week seminar on the relationship between the two countries.
November 19, 2014 | Grace Ruiter

Students research child welfare system in China
Speech pathology and audiology students put faith and science in action for a group of orphaned children in China’s Henan Province.
August 29, 2014 | Amanda Greenhoe

Semester in Ghana given the green light
After a one-week delay students from Calvin College are on their way to Ghana for the fall semester abroad program.
August 19, 2014 | Matt Kucinski