Jim Jadrich, Physics & Astronomy
Jim is Professor of Science Education and Physics and is the chair of the Science Education Group at Calvin. He obtained a B.S. in physics (1982) from California State University at Fresno, and a Ph.D. in physics (1991) from the University of California, Davis. His primary professional interests turned from physics to science education during graduate school, and he has now worked in that field for twenty years. His research and professional interests include the development of scientific reasoning skills in children and adults and science curriculum development in grades
K-16. His teaching responsibilities include science content and methods courses for pre-service teachers.
Irene Konyndyk, French
Irene has been teaching at Calvin since 1977, first in the German Department, then Dutch, and finally French. She has a B.A. in French from Calvin, a B.A. in German and an M.A. in French from Michigan State University. She is certified to teach K-12 in the state of Michigan and she taught at the
high school level for several years. At Calvin she has also taught and coordinated CPOL (forerunner of DCM), supervised student teachers of foreign languages, and was the founding Director of CCE. Her major area of interest is foreign language learning and learning disabilities and she has developed a
3-course sequence called Multisensory Structured French for students with learning disabilities, the only modified foreign language program in French in the nation. She was born in the Netherlands, and grew up in Canada. She and her husband Rog have 3 adult children (all Calvin grads - and all world travelers), and they recently built a “green” cottage on Lake Cecelia near Baldwin, MI. She is an avid movie buff and an ad hoc soloist for her church. For relaxation she likes to travel, and spend time up north, reading, swimming, kayaking, going for walks, bird watching, and playing board games.
