Heritage

(graduated more than 50 years ago)

Pierson J. Van Alten ’50, has been honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists. He was recognized as a leader in immunology and education for his many years of teaching and breakthrough research. Pierson is a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois, where he taught from 1960 to 1993.

Graydon Meints ’55, has authored a new book titled The Fishing Line: A History of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad. Published by Michigan State University Press, the book presents for the first time an extended description of the company’s early corporate life. This is Graydon’s eighth book on Michigan’s railroad industry; it’s available through the Calvin Campus Store. In 2017, Michigan State University Libraries published the last volume in his five-volume compilation of township maps documenting all the railroad lines operated in Michigan since the 1830s.

Jacob “Jack” Neynhuis ’56, has been honored with a Festschrift celebrating his career, character, and impact. Friends, family, and colleagues wrote tributes for Jack: A Compassionate Compendium, A Tribute to Dr. Jacob E. Nyenhuis, Scholar, Servant, Leader and presented it to him at a May banquet at the A.C. Van Raalte Institute. For more than four decades, Jack has served Hope College as a professor of classics, dean for the arts and humanities, provost, and now as the interim director of the A.C. Van Raalte Institute. He is also editor-in-chief of Van Raalte Press. The book is available from the Calvin Campus Store.

In early July these Knights, members of Calvin’s 1958 cross country team and 1960 track and field team, reunited on campus. Both teams won MIAA championship titles, Calvin’s first in each sport. Besides reminiscing and renewing friendships, several of the athletes visited their coach, Dave Tuuk, in hospice.

These nurses from the Blodgett Memorial Hospital Class of 1963 reunited last summer at the Prince Center on Calvin’s campus. They enjoyed recounting their year of pre-nursing classes at Calvin and their subsequent training at the hospital.

Three hundred books in 35 years and they still don’t have a name! These nine alums, plus one University of Michigan grad, meet about 10 times a year, they report, “to read, laugh, and cry. (The guys just cough.)” When they began in 1983, this book club agreed they would read anything. Their selections have ranged from God’s Grace to A Travel Guide to the Netherlands, from Infidel to Storming Heaven. Besides their friendship, members think that their logistics may help account for the  club’s longevity. Meeting dates are set two months in advance, and the host for a meeting selects, purchases, and brings to the preceding meeting six copies of the book for the next meeting. So at each meeting members return home with a copy of their next “literary adventure.” Club members: Mary Wildeboer Buitendorp ’63 and Gord Buitendorp, Dot Brondsema Hekman ’66, Cal Hekman ’66, Lucille Likkel Jager ’59, Nelvin Jager ’60,  Jo Lanser Meyer ’59, Marilyn Ver Hage Postema ’67, Jerry Postema ’66, and Lois Hekman Vanderwell ’62.

1960's

A shareholder in the Grand Rapids office of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, Lynwood VandenBosch ’68 has been included in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Woody is a member of the firm’s business and tax practice group, with expertise handling entity and personal issues facing family-owned businesses.

David Claerbaut ‘69, has published his 15th book: Duffy Daugherty: A Man Ahead of His Time. Daugherty was the most famous football coach in Michigan State University history and was known for being among the first Northern coaches to recruit African- Americans from the South. David is currently a master methodologist in the College of Doctoral Studies at Grand Canyon University.

The 2018 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine includes John M. DeVries ’70, an attorney in the Grand Rapids office of Mika Meyers. John litigates particularly in the areas of oil, gas, and water law; eminent domain; and zoning law.

After mostly retiring from a career as a tax accountant, John Haeck ’72 took inventory of his talents. Then he traveled to Tanzania where he taught classes on business planning and entrepreneurship through a local Lutheran church. Now he’s assembling teams to travel with him to the country to partner with Christians there in a mutual discipling experience. John welcomes any inquiries at JRHaeck@gmail.com.

A senior attorney in the Southfield office of Michigan law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, Bruce Vande Vusse ’74 has been included in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Bruce is a litigator who has tried some 100 cases to verdict in both state and federal courts, many of them in defense of health care providers.

Both were attending a committee meeting of the Commission on Colleges, the regional accrediting body of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, when a colleague mentioned he was from Hope College. That sparked conversation, and Steven House ’77 and Dave Rozeboom ’91 discovered they were both Calvin grads. Steve is the provost at Elon University in Elon, North Carolina, and Dave is the vice president for student life at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas.

1980's

Ruth Dykstra Price ex’81, recently published a biography of her son, Daniel J. Price, a gunnery sergeant in the Marine Corps who was killed in July 2012 in Afghanistan. No Stray Bullets: The Making of an American Hero tells the story of Dan’s childhood through his three deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Ruth writes, “His story gives evidence to the providence and plan of God in his life and in the life of his family.” The book is available only through Amazon.

Jack Van Coevering ’82, a shareholder in the Grand Rapids office of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, has been included in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. A former chair of the Michigan Tax Tribunal, Jack’s work is primarily property tax litigation involving power plants, mines, and large industrial properties.

Lynda Dykhouse Witte ’83, has been presented with a Distinguished Achievement Award from American Medical Technologists (AMT), a national nonprofit certification agency. The award recognizes Linda’s outstanding service to the national organization and to its Michigan society. She currently serves the state society as vice president. A registered medical assistant, Linda is the program developer, manager, and director of the medical assistant program at Grand Rapids Community College.

Verde River Elegy by Jon Fuller ’83 is a new book that recounts Jon’s 196-mile solo canoe trip, the longest known continuous boat journey on the Verde River. One of the few flowing rivers left in Arizona, the Verde is threatened by excessive groundwater pumping, water diversions, and urbanization. When he’s not canoeing or writing, Jon works as a hydrologist and geomorphologist at J.E. Fuller, the engineering company he founded in Tempe. His book is available through Vishnu Temple Press.

Ross Leisman ’84 has been included in the 2018 edition of Michigan Super Lawyers magazine. An attorney with the Grand Rapids-based firm Mika Meyers, Ross specializes in civil itigation, land use, and municipal law. He has served on several community boards, including the Kent County Building Authority.

Thirty-four years after their graduation in 1984, these four are still fast friends. Marion Verrips Vanden Berg, Gert Van Der Groef Sweeney, Sharon Meyers Buisman, and Diane Oosterhof Vande Meent traveled to a point roughly equidistant from their respective homes—a cabin at the edge of the Adirondack Mountains in New York—for a summer reunion. Besides reminiscing and renewing their friendship, they enjoyed a hike to the top of Bald Mountain, where they took this photo.

Sandra Rozendal Hahn ’85 was recently appointed director of clinical care for Hospice of Holland in Holland, Michigan.

This Calvin foursome represented the college at Hamilton District Christian High School’s annual golf outing in September, helping raise more than $41,000 for the Ontario school. They are Wil vanDokkumburg ’87, Tony Kamphuis ’85, Rick Stroobosscher ’87, and John DeBoer ’85. Of their day on the links, Wil said, “We played a consistent game of golf and thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing about Calvin, catching up on our lives since Calvin, and sharing commentary on each other’s golfing prowess.”

Steve Baas ’86, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce senior vice president of government affairs and public policy, was one of 11 chamber executives from across the country who earned the professional designation Certified Chamber Execu- tive (CCE) this year from the National Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. The CCE designation represents the highest achievement in the chamber management profession. Only 500 individuals have earned this honor since its inception 40 years ago.

Kim Verhulst Belez ’89 met her husband, Carlos, in the Dominican Republic, and now the couple will be returning to the country to serve as Resonate Global Mission missionaries. They will help train national pastors and church leaders and support ongoing ministries as well as work with North Americans who come for short- or longer-term service trips.

1990's

Scott Millen ’95 and Shelly Westers Millen ’95 own and run 2 Fish, a marketing company in Holland, Mich., now eight years old. Scott writes, “We’re having a terrific time growing the business!”

Jennifer Van Regenmorter ’90, a shareholder and attorney in the west Michigan offices of Foster Swift Collins & Smith, has been included in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Her experience covers a wide range of business disciplines, with a particular expertise in health care law.

January will see the release of a new middle-grade fantasy adventure by Heather Bouwman ’90. A Tear in the Ocean is a companion to her award- winning 2017 release, A Crack in the Sea. The new story follows Putnam on his quest to save the water of Second World from becoming salty. Once launched, he finds an unlikely stowaway in his boat. Heather is an associate professor of English at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her new book is available through the Calvin Campus Store.

In his new book, Seeing the Spectrum: Teaching English Language Arts to Adolescents With Autism, Rob Rozema ’93 argues that secondary English teachers are uniquely equipped to prepare students with autism for future success. Writing for preservice and current English language arts teachers, he offers practical strategies for teaching literature, informational texts, writing, and communication to students on the spectrum—strategies appropriate for inclusive classrooms. Rob is a professor of English at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids. His book is available through the Calvin Campus Store.

A general surgeon, Daniel DeCook ’93, and his wife, Cecilia, a primary care physician, recently returned from Togo, West Africa, where they spent three weeks serving at Karolyn Kempton Memorial Christian Hospital. This is the couple’s third trip to the country with Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization. They’ve also served with the organization in Bangladesh. “We make a good team with our different clinical skills,” Cecilia said, “as well as our ability to keep each other sane in stressful situations.”

Though scattered across four states, from North Carolina to Minnesota, these five friends have managed to get together every two or three years since their graduation. Here they are enjoying each other’s company at Short’s Brewery in Bellaire, Mich. They are Jon Terry ’93, Jeremy Lloyd ’94, Greg Snyder ’94, Mark Harvey ’93, and Rob Patete ’94.

At a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 18, Tim Lieuwen ’95 was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest professional honors accorded to engineers. Tim was honored for his contributions to research and development in low emissions gas turbine combustion systems and U.S. energy policy. He is the executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute and holds the David S. Lewis Jr. Chair in the School of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

Nathan DeWard ’98 will become the new executive director of Forgot- ten Man Ministries. For the past four years, Nathan has served the organization as a fund developer, regional director, and assistant director. Forgotten Man Ministries brings worship services, Bible studies, and other Christian literature and support to those incarcerated in Michigan’s county jails.

Michelle Voss Roberts ’98 is the new principal of Emmanuel College, the theological college of Victoria University in Toronto. The 13th principal in the school’s history, she began her five-year term in July. She had been at the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University since 2011, most recently serving that school as associate dean of academic affairs. An expert in comparative theology, Michelle has also written widely about aesthetics, gender, and embodiment and contributed to curriculum changes at Wake Forest University School of Divinity to highlight issues of race and class, gender and sexuality, and religious pluralism.

Lisa Huisman Koops ’99 has been promoted to full professor of music education at Case Western Reserve University, where she is area head of music education. Her research with families in the Cleveland area, funded by a Grammy Museum Grant, is the basis for her book, Parenting Musically, forthcoming from Oxford University Press. Lisa also teaches early childhood music classes at The Music Settlement in Cleveland.

In July, Rebecca Vander Meulen ’99 became the executive director of the J.C. Flowers Foundation. In her new role she will manage the Isdell: Flowers Cross Border Malaria Initiative, which supports malaria elimination programs in Angola, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. She will also oversee the Harlem Circles of Support Initiative, which focuses on successful re-entry of people coming home from prison to Harlem, New York. Since 2017, Rebecca has served as the Isdell: Flowers senior director for Africa. For 15 years prior, she was the community development director in the Anglican Diocese of Niassa in northern Mozambique, where she oversaw the formation of more than 400 social action groups.

Aaron Jonker ’99 and Curt Mulder ’00 are celebrating their first anniversary as the new owners of Wolverine Building Group, the third largest construction firm based in Grand Rapids. Curt began working with the company as an intern while he was a Calvin student; Aaron joined him at the company in 2007. They served as co-presidents from 2016 until December 2017, when they assumed ownership.

2000's

Last summer the Vanden Bosch and Marcusse families enjoyed a fun two- family vacation exploring Yellowstone and other parts of Montana. The grads are Mindi Andringa Vanden Bosch ’00, Frank Vanden Bosch ’00, Lisa Demots Marcusse ’00, and Steve Marcusse ’01.

Deborah Knott Forger ’03 has begun a three-year postdoctoral fellowship in the Jewish studies program at Dartmouth College. A scholar of Jewish antiquity and the Bible with an additional focus in early Jewish-Christian relations, she earned her PhD at the University of Michigan, where she was awarded the Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship, a multi-year national dissertation award. She is also an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), having received her MDiv from Duke University.

In May, Kevin J. Mejeur ’03 graduated from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he earned a master of laws in international law (LLM) degree and was awarded the Leo Gross Prize for excellence in law-related studies. A lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, he currently serves with the U.S. Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan.

Luis Avila ’05, an attorney in the Grand Rapids office of Varnum Law, was recently recognized by Corp! Magazine as a 2018 Diversity Business Leader at the publication’s annual Salute to Diversity event in Detroit. A partner on the firm’s labor and employment relations team, Luis was selected based on his commit- ment to promoting diversity and inclusion and his contributions to diversity issues in business and the community. His nomination noted that Luis also has an immigration pro bono practice to represent those without resources for legal assistance.

Until recently there was no sign in American Sign Language (ASL) for “Dostoevsky” or “dramatic irony.” Ruth Anna Spooner ’07 is part of a team that is changing that. ASLCore is a project at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf designed to fill in gaps in the ASL vocabulary for terms specific to academic disciplines, from philosophy to computer science. Ruth Anna, a professor of literature, creative writing, and composition at the school, is helping to create new signs for terms in those fields. Her work with ASLCore was noted in a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Daniel Jahn ’08 recently graduated with a master of business administration degree from the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, specializing in corporate finance.

2010's

In 2014, Cameron Morse ’10 was diagnosed with glioblastoma and told he had about 14 and a half months to live. So he enrolled in the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s master of fine arts program. There he turned his diagnosis into a poetry manuscript titled Fall Risk. Having fun with language, he said, gave him “a rare sense of control and freedom.” In August, Spartan Press released his second book of poems, Father Me Again. Cameron credits much of his development as a poet to Calvin College English professor Lew Klatt. Both books are available through the Calvin Campus Store.

It took seven years and a long trip to West Africa for these two classmates to meet. Serving as a nurse on a Mercy Ship, Nicole DeFillipi ’11 discovered she wasn’t the only Calvin grad on board. One of the hospital ship’s eye surgeons told her that the medical resident working with him, Matt Borr ’11, was also an alum of the college. Nicole and Matt—who didn’t know each other on campus — connected and then discovered that there were also two Hope grads on the  ship. The four watched The Rivalry game last winter at port in Cameroon. They’re now docked in Conakry, Guinea.

After successfully passing 11 actuarial exams, Erin Campbell Wagner ’12 is officially a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS). She began taking actuarial exams during her senior year at Calvin and has been diligently studying for the last seven years. “Fellow” is the highest designation for an actuary within the CAS. Erin would like to thank the Calvin math department for its support and encouragement over the years.

Roommates for four years at Calvin, Jessie Yunus ’13 and Kristin Vanderwell ’12 reunited for a fun vacation last summer in Sydney, Australia, where Jessie is studying. She’s an Australia Awards scholar at the University of New South Wales, working toward a master’s degree in public health and a master’s in health manage- ment. Kristin recently completed her doctor of nursing practice degree from Grand Valley State University and now works as a pediatric nurse practitioner for Mercy Health Physician Partners.

Kendra Altena ’14, Tyler DeNooyer ’13, Steve Taplin ’14, and Lucas Timmer ’14 have recently earned their professional engineer licenses from the state of Michigan. All are employees of Prein & Newhof, a firm headquartered in Grand Rapids with offices in six Michigan cities.

Sofia De Jong ’17 is an artist and an Emergency Medical Technician in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She’s put those two vocations together in a book she authored and illustrated, The ABCs of EMS: An Educational Children’s Book for Adults. The colorfully illustrated book gives a glimpse behind the scenes of Emergency Medical Services through the often hilarious inner monologue of an on-duty EMT. The book is available through the Calvin Campus Store.