Megan Andrews (Midland, MI) will graduate with honors in Social Work and has also done honors work in Biology, Communication, and English. Her honors research includes a published study with Prof. Kevin Dougherty on the high turnover rate in Christian college admissions employees, an analysis of American immigration policies since 1880, and another statistical study on the effect of cerebral palsy on people in middle age. After graduation Megan plans to spend a year in India as a Fellow with the American India Foundation or work in the southern United States.
Chris Beaumont (Troy, MI) will be graduating with honors in Physics and minors in Astronomy and Mathematics; in his sophomore year he was a McGregor Scholar. He has done research on protostellar outflows in the Orion Nebula at the MIT Haystack Observatory, studied supernova detection techniques at the National Solar Observatory, and explored the quiescent behavior of the Cataclysmic Variable Star U Gem. Chris plans to enter graduate school in astronomy.
Katie Bergman (Byron Center, MI) will graduate with honors in Psychology and minors in Business and Gender Studies; she has done other honors work in Economics and History. With Prof. Lavonne Zwart she has done research on sex education which will be published in Perspectives. She plans to work for a year or two before pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology.
Kaitlyn Bohlin (Northfield, IL) is graduating with honors in English, a major in Spanish and a minor in Religion. She is currently writing her honors thesis for Prof. Jennifer Hardy Williams. Through a rhetorical analysis of anti-racism documents of various protestant denominations, she is comparing the realities of church communities with the findings of contemporary social scientists in order to understand the limits of rhetoric and the profundity of embodied racism in individuals and communities. Kaitlyn is currently applying for Teach for America but may also pursue a public relations path in the NGO sector.
Jon Bratt (Silver Spring, MD) will graduate with honors in History, a major in Netherlandic Studies, and a minor in International Relations. He is currently writing his senior thesis for Prof. James Bratt on American foreign policy and the Boer War. He has also completed independent research on political culture in 17th century New Amsterdam and on the Irish nationalist movement. Jon plans to teach English in China for a year and then attend graduate school.
Andrew Butler (Grand Rapids, MI) will be graduating with honors in Physics and minors in Astronomy and Mathematics. Some of his research involved measuring the density of dust grains between Earth and a few stars near the Orion Nebula, using data he took with Calvin's remote telescope in Rehoboth, NM. He has also measured the rate at which the direction of the earth's spin axis is changing, using data from the MOTESS telescopes in Arizona. Another honors project was a paper on Augustine's theology of creation and how it relates to the modern creation science controversy. After graduation Andrew plans to do graduate work in astronomy at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.
Brittani Campbell (Mt. Prospect, IL) will graduate with honors in Business and a minor in Spanish. She was a McGregor Sophomore Scholar and has also done honors work in Communication, History and Economics. Brittani has conducted a full marketing research analysis on the city of Lowell, Michigan and co-created with Kelli Muilenberg and Prof. Bob Eames an extensive marketing plan based on that research. She has also written an honors thesis for Prof. Margaret Edgell on the political economy of China. After graduation Brittani plans to work in Chicago.
Daina Carr (Haslett, MI) will be graduating with honors in English. She was a McGregor Sophomore Scholar and attended the Scholars' Semester in Oxford during her junior year. Her honors thesis involves working with South East Community Association (SECA), a predominantly African American neighborhood near the Madison area on writing the history of the residents there. Daina is writing their stories and also working in collaboration with a film class which is making a documentary on the SECA area. After graduation Daina will be getting married and moving to Vancouver where her husband will attend Regent Seminary. She hopes to work with Jacob's Well, a ministry of making friendships with the homeless, drug addicts and the mentally ill. She hopes to volunteer there, get a part time job, and find some time to write creatively, especially about the people she meets.
Miriam Diephouse (Grand Rapids, MI) is graduating with honors in Religion and Theology and a minor in Classics, as well as honors credit in Communication and Psychology. During her sophomore year she was a McGregor Scholar. She has completed honors research on Emil Brunner and Menno Simons, and she will be writing her senior thesis for Prof. Thomas Thompson on the effect of postmodernism on the Christian doctrine of revelation. Miriam plans to study for a master's in theology and eventually go on for a Ph.D. so that she can teach at the undergraduate level.
Nathaniel Fischer (Wappingers Falls, NY) will graduate with honors in both Economics and Political Science, and has also done honors work in Mathematics. He participated in the Scholars' Semester at Oxford University, where he studied political theory and developed a love of rowing. His economics honors thesis for Prof. Kurt Schaefer examined the effects of globalization on capital returns. After graduation Nathaniel plans to attend law school.
Hannah Forsythe (Pittsburgh, PA) is graduating with honors in Spanish and minors in Mathematics and International Development studies. She was a McGregor Sophomore Scholar, and has done additional honors work in Chemistry and English. She is currently completing her honors thesis for Prof. Diane Zandstra comparing the worldview of Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar to that of Qohelet, the teacher of Ecclesiastes. After graduating Hannah plans to work as a translator and interpreter, then go abroad with Mennonite Central Committee.
Sarah Greenlee (Cleveland, OH) will be graduating with honors in Philosophy, a major in Psychology, a minor in Gender Studies, and other honors work in Communication and Political Science. During her sophomore year Sarah was a McGregor Scholar. Her honors thesis for Prof. Christina Van Dyke is on female genital cutting, feminisms, and western cultural imperialism. After graduation Sarah plans to pursue a joint degree program in law (JD) and public health (MPH) with a focus on women's health, human rights, and international law.
Melanie Hebert (Bow, NH) will graduate with honors in Biology and a minor in Biochemistry, having done additional honors work in Communication, English, and Sociology. Her senior honors research was done in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh in a summer program in 2005. Her research focused on the possibility of using peptides in diabetes therapy, and she presented her results both in Pittsburgh and at a Calvin biology seminar. Melanie plans to volunteer with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps or obtain a job in science for a year after graduation and then possibly enter graduate school in public health or medical school.
Christine Holst (Jenison, MI) is graduating with honors in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy, and has also done honors work in English. In 2005 she was selected as a McGregor Summer Research Fellow to work with Prof. Corwin Smidt in research on civic responsibility. After graduation Christine plans to attend law school.
Joshua Holtrop (Grand Rapids, MI) will graduate with honors in Computer Science, a major in Mathematics, and additional honors work in Engineering. His senior honors project for Prof. Joel Adams in computer science is developing a personal virtual reality graphics system for the Computer Science Department. After graduation Joshua is hoping to buy a house in West Michigan and work full time.
Audrey Horstman (Grand Rapids, MI) is graduating with honors in Communication Arts and Sciences (speech pathology), a major in Spanish, and additional honors credit in Classics and Psychology. Audrey was a McGregor Scholar during her sophomore year and is currently finishing an honors thesis detailing the results of an early literacy intervention study, which she and Prof. Judith Vander Woude will submit for review by the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association with hopes that it will be accepted for presentation at the 2007 national convention. Audrey plans to pursue a master's program in speech-language pathology at Marquette University in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Jennifer Hunt (Rochester Hills, MI) will graduate with honors in History, a minor in Psychology, and other honors credit in English and Religion. She was a McGregor Scholar during her sophomore year and did an internship at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids in 2006. Her honors thesis for Prof. Bruce Berglund is on women's religiosity in late Soviet and post-communist Russia. Jennifer plans to attend graduate school to pursue a master's in museum studies at the University of Leicester, England.
Brian Klassen (Albuquerque, NM) is graduating with honors in Psychology and has also done honors work in Art History, English, and Religion. With Prof. Paul Moes he has done research on the roles each of the brain's hemispheres has in processing emotion, and in February he presented some of his results at the International Neuropsychological Society in Portland, Oregon. Brian will also make a poster presentation at the Midwestern Psychological Association in Chicago in May. After graduation he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology.
Ryan Kruis (Grand Rapids, MI) is graduating with honors in Religion and a major in English. He was a McGregor Scholar during his sophomore year and has done other honors work in Classics and Communication. Ryan plans to either teach high-school English or pursue a Ph.D. in theology.
Natalia Lentini (Princeton, NJ) will be graduating with honors in English and other honors credit in Economics, History, and Religion. She is completing her honors thesis for Prof. Linda Naranjo-Huebl on portrayals of motherhood in Toni Morrison's novels Beloved , Jazz and Paradise . After graduation Natalia plans to seek a master's of science in nursing to become a nurse practitioner.
Amy Lewis (San Antonio, TX) is graduating with honors in English, a minor in Writing, and other honors work in Communication and Religion. For her honors thesis, supervised by Prof. John Timmerman, she created a collection of original poems exploring the intersection of earth and infinity. Amy hopes to attend graduate school to pursue an MFA in poetry and non-fiction.
Andrew Lohse (Sioux Falls, SD) will graduate with honors in Chemistry and has also done honors work in Biology, Communication, and Physics. With Prof. Eric Arnoys he has completed an honors independent research project in Biochemistry, characterizing the nuclear import signal of an intracellular protein related to cancer. He has also been involved in an organic synthesis project throughout the academic year and is one of two students working for Prof. Ron Blankespoor under the recently endowed Brummel Chair in Organic Chemistry. Andrew plans to attend graduate school to earn a Ph.D. in organic chemistry.
Thomas Mazanec (Hudson, OH) is graduating with honors in English and a major in Asian Studies (Chinese), and he has served on the Honors Student Council. In 2006 Tom received a McGregor Summer Research Fellowship to work with Prof. David Urban in compiling and editing a comprehensive annotated bibliography on John Milton. For his honors thesis with Prof. Debra Rienstra and Prof. Jennifer Hardy Williams, he is writing companion graphic poems titled “The Nameable” and “The Unnameable.” After graduation he plans to teach English in China for a year and then study literature at the graduate level.
Zachary Meyer (Hancock, MI) will graduate with honors in History, minors in Latin and Greek, and additional honors work in English and Philosophy. In his sophomore year he was selected as a McGregor Scholar, and he is currently working with Prof. Frans van Liere on an honors research project about the transformation of imperial power in the Later Roman Empire, based on the historical work of the Latin author Ammianus Marcellinus. Zach plans to attend Cornell Law School in the fall.
Kristin Michael (Troy, MI) is graduating with honors in Sociology, a major in Studio Art, and other honors work in Religion, Classics and Biology. She has served as an intern with the manager of Plainfield Township, designing and implementing a township-wide telephone survey measuring correlations between housing type and car usage, interaction with neighbors, and perception of neighborhood attractiveness. Results will be compared with those from Eastown for her honors thesis on sociology of urban planning with Prof. Mark Mulder. After graduation Kristin plans to pursue a master's degree in urban planning with a focus on transportation.
Kelli Muilenburg (Elkhorn, NE) will be graduating with honors in Business and has also done honors work in Communication, Economics, English, and Geography. She conducted a full marketing research analysis on the city of Lowell, Michigan and co-created with Brittani Campbell an extensive marketing plan based on this research. Kelli's honors thesis, supervised by Prof. Shirley Roels, deals with the state of the book publishing industry in the United States, with particular emphasis on the importance of location for publishing houses, in light of technological changes. After graduation Kelli plans to move to Seattle where she will work as an Associate Buyer in Amazon.com's Grocery Division
Kerrie Notman (Zeeland, MI) is graduating with honors in Biology, a minor in Psychology, and other honors work in Environmental Studies and Sociology. For her honors thesis she conducted research with Dr. Tim Evans at Hope College using DNA sequencing of certain genes to map the phylogeny of Lymania (how closely related certain neotropical trees are). Kerrie plans to enter the field of public health and environmental sustainability, so she will be going to graduate school either in the fall or next year.
Elizabeth Osinga (Brookfield, WI) will graduate in August 2007 with honors in History, a major in Art History, minors in Archaeology and French, and other honors credit in Psychology and Biology. In 2005 she was a McGregor Summer Research Fellow working with Prof. Bert deVries on his project “Religion and Society in the Transition from Arabia Petraea to Roman Arabia”. Elizabeth will be working on an excavation in Jordan during June and July 2007. She then plans to work and take language courses for a year before beginning graduate school.
Kory Plockmeyer (Holland, MI) will graduate with honors in Greek, Latin and Classical Studies. In his sophomore year he was selected as a McGregor Scholar, and he has done honors research on the comedies of Aristophanes and Menander. He presented some of his results on campus for the SPQR (Classics) club and at the recent conference of the Michigan Academy. Kory plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Classics.
Janelle Rekman (Sarnia, ON) will be graduating with honors in Biology, a minor in Biochemistry, and other honors credit in Communication and English. In her sophomore year she was a McGregor Scholar, and she has served on the Honors Student Council. Janelle has developed two self-guided tutorials for use in introductory and upper level biology classes to teach light and inverted microscopy techniques. Her honors thesis research with Prof. Larry Louters focused on glucose transporters and their role in type 2 diabetes. She studied the effects of verapamil and other chemical reagents on glucose uptake in an attempt to elucidate a mechanism for the activation of glucose transporters. After graduation Janelle plans to attend the University of
Western Ontario's Medical School, the Schulich School of Medicine in
London, Ontario.
Julie Saksa (Livonia, MI) is graduating with honors in Religion, a Gender Studies minor, and other honors work in Communication, English, and Geology. Her honors research projects include several on gender and Biblical studies. She studied in Jerusalem during the fall of 2006, exploring the physical settings of the Bible and specifically researching the Phoenicia-Carmel gateway into the land. Julie was a Jubilee Fellow during summer 2006. She plans on going to Princeton Theological Seminary on a 3-year full
tuition scholarship (The Presbyterian Leadership Fellowship) this fall,
working towards an M.Div. degree.
Thomas Schneider (Kentwood, MI) will graduate with honors in English, a major in Latin, a minor in History, and other honors work in Communication and Philosophy. For his honors thesis with Prof. Gary Schmidt he researched a religious theme in Arthurian literature, primarily in Malory's le Morte d' Arthur and the romances of Chretien de Troyes. Tom sought to understand how Sir Thomas Malory engaged with Christianity, and how that relates to his sorrow at the ending of his cultural world. Tom will be getting married in June and plans to enter graduate school to study medieval literature.
Jae Hee Shim (Seoul, South Korea) will be graduating with honors in Biology, a minor in Biochemistry, and other honors credit in Communication, Chinese, and Sociology. As part of her honors research for Prof. Keith Grasman she has given a poster presentation on the impact of draining the seminary pond and algaecide treatment on aquatic invertebrate communities. Jae Hee plans to enter Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in the fall of 2007.
Lisa Szumiak (Cerritos, CA) is graduating with honors in Chinese, a Gender Studies minor, and other honors credit in Communication, Geology, and History. She is finishing her honors thesis with Prof. Larry Herzberg on the one-child policy and its effects on present and future Chinese society and culture. After graduation Lisa plans to move to Beijing to teach English and hopefully do some freelance writing.
Nathan Tonlaar (Tamale, Ghana) graduated in December 2006 with honors in Biology, a minor in Biotechnology, and other honors credit in History, Physics and Mathematics. He has served on the Honors Student Council, won a Pfizer research award for summer research at the Pfizer Global Research and Development internship program in 2006, and made two biology seminar presentations on “in vitro expansion of messenchymal stem cells” in fall 2005 and “correlation of rat and human aortic smooth muscle cell-based assays for cGMP production by heme-dependent sGC activators” in fall 2006. Nathan also conducted honors research on “the effects of high molecular weight Hyaluronic acid on phagocytosis” with Dr. David DeHeer. He is planning to attend medical school and has been admitted to the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago.
Jonathan Vance (Grand Rapids, MI) graduated in December 2006 with honors in Philosophy. His honors thesis, supervised by Prof. Kelly Clark, critiques Alvin Plantinga's defense of belief in God as properly basic. Jonathan spent the past year teaching English in Chicago with AmeriCorps. He and his wife, Rebecca, a singer and musicologist, will begin PhD programs in Fall 2007. Jonathan has been offered the Lilly Presidential Fellowship at the University of Notre Dame and the Sproull Fellowship at the University of Rochester . He and Rebecca are considering offers from Cornell, Florida State, and North Carolina (Chapel Hill).
Cheri Vande Bunte (Grandville, MI) will graduate with honors in Biology, a minor in Spanish, and additional honors work in Mathematics and Psychology. She has also served as a member of the Honors Student Council for four years. After graduation she plans to attend St. Louis University to pursue at Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Science.
Nathan Vande Burgt (Salem, OR) will be graduating with honors in Biology and a major in Biochemistry, with additional honors work in History and Physics. During the summer of 2005 he completed a research project at The Baylor College of Medicine on “The Mechanism of Adaptive Amplification in Escherichia coli.” Nathan plans to obtain a Ph.D. in the Microbiology, Virology and Parasitology Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Amy Vanden Berg (Grand Rapids, MI) will graduate with honors in Psychology, a major in Spanish and a minor in Business, in addition to honors classes in Communication, Economics, and English. She has done honors research with Prof. Robert Terborg on agoraphobia, investigating its causes and possible treatments. After graduation Amy plans to pursue a graduate degree in psychotherapy.
Melissa Vanden Berg (Grand Rapids, MI) will graduate with honors in Biology, a minor in Biochemistry, and other honors work in History, Philosophy, and Psychology. Her honors research project with Prof. Elizabeth Howell was an investigation of Dapi staining techniques on saccharomyces cerevisiea in order to more accurately determine cell proliferation time under various conditions. After graduation Melissa plans to attend graduate school to obtain her Master's degree in genetic counseling. Following this practice, she may return to teach at the secondary level.
Erica Vandergaast (Newcastle, ON) is graduating with honors in Biology and a major in Environmental Science. In her sophomore year she was a McGregor Scholar and she has also earned honors credit in Communication, French, and Geology. With Prof. David Dornbos she has done research on the invasive shrub buckthorn: how it is affected by shade stress and how its photosynthesis capabilities compare with other native shrubs – research she presented at the Michigan Academy. She also created a poster presentation for the results of Prof. David Warners' research in Costa Rica, and they presented their report in Costa Rica during interim 2007. Erica plans to work for a year and then attend graduate school in zoology.
Jonathan VanderHoek (St. Thomas, ON) will graduate in December 2007 with honors in Philosophy and minors in Theology and English. He plans to write his honors thesis defending Kierkegaard against claims of hyper-individualism. After graduation Jonathan hopes to enter a Ph.D. program in the history of philosophy, particularly with a focus on 18th, 19th and early 20th-century continental philosophy.
Caroline Vanderloo (New Westminster, BC) will graduate in December 2007 with honors in English, a major in French, a minor in Philosophy, and other honors work in History. With Prof. Chad Engbers she wrote an honors thesis on the pursuit of virtue, happiness and authenticity in Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina . After taking a couple years off, Caroline hopes to study comparative literature (English, French, and Russian) in graduate school.
Dena Vander Tuig (Silver Spring, MD) will be graduating with honors in Biology and additional honors work in Philosophy and Physics. In her sophomore year she was selected as a McGregor Scholar, and she did research for her honors thesis with Prof. Elizabeth Howell. They investigated the safety of nanoparticles as drug delivery agents by examining their effects on cell membranes. Dena presented this research at a biology department seminar. She will attend Emory University medical school and graduate school in public health to obtain M.D. and Master of Public Health degrees.
Rachel Van Harten (Thorndale, ON) will graduate with honors in English, a Philosophy major, and additional honors work in Biology and Sociology. After doing honors research on John Donne's ecstatic poetic, she is writing her honors thesis with Prof. Chad Engbers on sacramental metaphor in the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert. After graduation she plans to teach English abroad and then pursue a Ph.D. in English literature.
Amy VanNocker (Petoskey, MI) will graduate with honors in International Relations, a major in International Development, and additional honors credit in History and Philosophy. Her honors research includes an examination of inequalities exacerbated by NAFTA, an essay concerning religion in the public square, and a linguistic study of “peace” as used in historical literature. She is currently working with Prof. Roland Hoksbergen on her senior thesis, concerning development economist William Easterly and the effect of US agricultural subsidies on developing economies. After graduation Amy plans to work with a development organization for a few years and then pursue graduate school.
Jeremy Van't Hof (Edgerton, MN) is graduating with honors in Biochemistry and has done other honors work in Classics, History, and Mathematics. He has done honors research with Prof. Steve Matheson developing a PCR protocol for amplifying DNA to be used in an RNA interference system that would knock down mDia1 protein, so that the function of that protein can be studied. After graduation Jeremy plans to take a year off to go on a six-month medical mission project, then enter medical school.
Stephanie Vogelzang (Holland, MI) will graduate with majors in Political Science and Religion, with honors in Religion. She has done other honors work in Classics. Special thanks is due to the guidance of Prof. Richard Whitekettle and Prof. Simona Goi who helped her in many of her major research papers. This past summer she researched for Prof. Diane Obenchain's book, The Small Dictionary for the Study of Religion , a bi-lingual Chinese and English dictionary in the process of being published, in late 2007-2008. She is awaiting replies from graduate schools and hopes to pursue a master's in Religion.
Tyler Voskuilen (Seattle, WA) is graduating with honors in Engineering with a concentration in mechanical, and has also done honors work in English, Mathematics, and Religion. His honors research included a paper on the formation of the New Testament canon, the design of a kinematics lab, and research and presentation on Command Shaping control systems. After graduation Tyler will be attending graduate school at Purdue where he has received the Laura Winkelman Davidson Fellowship for doctoral studies and will be studying hydrogen fuel storage technologies.
Heather Vrieland (Beaufort, SC) will be graduating with honors in Asian Studies and a Chinese group studies minor. In her sophomore year she was selected as a McGregor Scholar, and she has also done honors work in Communication and English. With Prof. Daniel Bays she is currently researching the origin, development and current status of the Hisabetsu-burakumin (literally: “discriminated village people”), the only ethnically Japanese social minority group in Japan. Heather plans to attend George Washington University in Washington, DC in the fall for a Masters of Arts in Asian Studies.
Donald Weck (Virginia Beach, VA) will graduate with honors in Psychology, a major in Asian Studies (Chinese track) and a minor in Spanish, as well as other honors work in Communication and Religion. His honors research with Profs. Paul Moes and Marjorie Gunnoe includes a study of bicultural influences on the adjustment of Korean-American adolescents. After graduation he may enlist in the Air Force as a linguist or continue his education in clinical psychology.
Justin Westbrook (Beaver Falls, PA) is graduating with honors in Psychology, a minor in Japanese, as well as honors credit in Communication, English, and Religion. With Prof. Paul Moes he completed a research project on self-serving bias and intrinsic religious orientation; the results were presented at the Michigan Undergraduate Psychology Research Conference and will be presented at a larger Midwest conference in May. Justin is also working with Prof. Martin Bolt on a paper about integrating positive psychology and psychotherapy and will be submitting this for publication. Justin plans to attend graduate school in clinical psychology.
Bryan Wuest (Street, MD) will graduate with honors in Film Studies and a major in German, and has also done honors work in English and French. For his film studies honors work he has analyzed several German films, Lola's character in Run Lola Run , and most recently, viewer pleasure from a cognitive theory-based perspective using the film Back to the Future as the basis for the study. In April he presented this research at the Midwest Undergraduate Film Studies Conference at Notre Dame University. This semester for his capstone honors work Bryan is researching narrative theory, as well as working with a fellow film student on independent stop-motion filmmaking. He hopes to work for the Lutheran Volunteer Corps before going on to graduate school, either in film production or film theory.
Robert Zandstra (Hebron, IN) will be graduating with honors in interdisciplinary studies (History of Religion), minors in Asian studies, English, and Environmental Studies and has done honors work in communications and philosophy; he has also served on the Honors Student Council. Rob has completed honors research on natural and Paschal cycles in the poetry of Wendell Berry, and he is writing his honors thesis with Prof. Daniel Bays on the theology of Bishop K.H. Ting, a contemporary Chinese church leader. He recently presented some of his research at the Michigan Academy. After graduation Rob plans to enrich his life through non-academic endeavors before attending graduate school.