Faculty Research
We do research not for personal gain, or "just because", but to:
- know God
- Inform our teaching
- Give our students opportunities for future success
"My students and I have been investigating genetic factors that determine compatibility between a parasite, Schistosoma mansoni, and its snail host. I also co-teach a lab-based course for freshman in which we research phage biology and genomics (funded by HHMI).”
“Whether learning about what makes invasive plants incredibly competitive, researching how we might use invasive plants to restore degraded soils and provide biofuel, or describing what more sustainable food production systems could look like in the U.S. or Cambodia, I have found Calvin to be an awesome place to engage students in what it means to learn and live reformed Christianity in biological context.”
"I study the effects of environmental pollutants on the health of fish eating birds - gulls, terns and herons of the Great Lakes and loons in the Adirondack Mountains. My research is funded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wildlife Conservation Society.”
"I study bacteria and how they form communities called biofilms. Biofilms are interesting because when bacteria grow in these communities they are more resistant to antibiotics, chemical biocides, and host defenses. It's great to have students work with me during the summers on this project, funded by an NIH AREA grant."
Anding Shen"I have ongoing research at Johns Hopkins studying latent reservoirs of HIV infection. We are testing anti-latency mechanisms to fight the latent reservoir. My newest work involves the role of Endothelial cells in HIV latent reservoir in T cells.”
"The students in my lab are studying the mechanisms by which ultraviolet light can damage the cornea of the eye and possible protection of the cornea from UV by components of the tears. They are also investigating effects of artificial tear solutions and contact lens solutions on corneal cells with the goal of developing improved products treating dry eye and for contact lens care.”
“My research interests are Pacific lowland prairie restoration, plant succession on abandoned oil well sites in northern Michigan, and forest succession of the Calvin College Ecosystem Preserve. My work is funded by Au Sable Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and Calvin College Alumni Association.”
"Peter Hiskes (former student) and I just published a paper describing a very rare plant, Glyceria acutiflora, previously thought to have been extirpated from Michigan. We found this delicate grass growing in a bog near Rockford. This was the first record of this species occurring in Michigan since the 1940s.I have also been working with Gabe DeJong on a naturally occurring hybrid poplar that we discovered in Sleeping Bear Dunes and Wilderness State Park.”
“With students at Calvin I have the daily opportunity to make discoveries of novel microbiological diversity and function. From the isolation of new microaerophilic bacteria in the human gut to the genomic characterization of novel viruses from the soil, the moment that a student and I realize we are holding in our hands an organism that only we and God know exists is beyond words.”
"I enjoy doing research at Calvin because it provides me with the opportunity to work closely with very talented and curious students. My students often ask wonderful, thought-provoking questions that prompt the exploration of new research avenues.”
