Affiliated Faculty
Calvin College faculty affiliated with the Center for Social Research
VanAntwerp presents engineering retention findings at ASEE
 | Engineering professor Dr. Jennifer Jewett VanAntwerp will present findings from a pilot study of engineering student retention at Calvin at the annual conference of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) on Tuesday, June 24 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The presentation will describe a new measurement model that attempts to document students’ experiences of seven important dimensions of engineering education, including recruitment efforts, the cultural setting, and others. CSR staff assisted in survey design, deployed the online survey for engineering students, and used AMOS 16.0 software to conduct a confirmatory factor analysis of the measurement model. We will post a link to the paper here as soon as ASEE makes a public version available.
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Business development mentoring in Haiti, Kenya and Nicaragua
In summer and fall 2007, CSR assisted Roland Hoksbergen, professor of economics and international development, and student Jeremy Veenema in their evaluation of the Partners Worldwide “Million Mentors Initiative.”
In addition to other information sources, Hoksbergen and Veenema conducted a survey of the target population for the initiative, entrepreneurs and employees in small businesses in Haiti, Kenya and Nicaragua. Local field interviewers in each country conducted interviews with business owners and employees in the field, then returned to their home bases (often colleges and universities) and entered their data into web forms created by CSR (you can view preview versions of the forms for owners and employees). Hoksbergen and Veenema also received statistical analysis consulting support from CSR.
Their final report is posted here. They found strong evidence for the program’s effectiveness, with a total of 84 business associations, 6,419 individual members and 4,516 businesses across the three countries.
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Monsma publishes book on Christian evaluation of public policy
 | Adapted from the Christians in Political Science newsletter for March 2008:
Just published, Healing for a Broken World: Christian Perspectives on Public Policy is written by Steve Monsma, a research fellow at the Henry Institute at Calvin College and a former CPS president. In his book, Steve lays out foundational biblical principles for guiding Christians’ evaluation of current public policy issues and then applies them to several key issue areas. His goal is not to prescribe specific public policy positions, but to assist believers to evaluate and reach their own public policy positions in a thoughtful manner, guided by biblical principles. It is published by Crossway Books; more information can be found at
The Henry Institute has also produced a DVD and study guide to accompany the book, which is suited for use in introductory college classes and study groups. More information on it can be found at the Henry Institute publications page. |
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Prof. Corwin Smidt and student to publish paper on political cues during worship
Political science professor Corwin Smidt and senior Calvin College student Brian Schaap have co-authored a paper which will be published in a future issue of the Review of Religious Research (RRR). The paper is titled "Public Worship and Public Engagement: Pastoral Cues within the Context of Worship Services". An advance PDF copy of the unpublished working paper is available.
 Dr. Corwin Smidt |  Brian Schaap |
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Calvin team maps health care for low-income patients
 | In summer 2007, Dr. Fred De Jong and social work student Lauren Vander Plas (at left) completed a significant report for the Grand Rapids Healthy Communities Access Program (GRHCAP), a federal grant awarded to Cherry Street Health Services as the head of a regional consortium of health care organizations. |
The report’s maps illustrate the depth and breadth of low-income coverage provided by Grand Rapids’ growing clinic network. For example, the green areas in the map detail below show that the low-income patient population living in central Grand Rapids is a substantial proportion of the estimated low-income population in those same areas.
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