2015-16 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellows: Ben Ridder (senior Political Science and History major)
Abbie Schutte (senior Political Science major, Sociology and Urban Studies minor)
Faculty Member: Dr. Micah Watson (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Examining issue topics and producing position papers for each major "hot button" issue considered in the Challenges for the Next President series.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Jean-Luc Garside (senior Economics major, Political Science minor)
Faculty Members: Dr. Mikael Pelz (Calvin Political Science Department), Dr. Steven McMullen (Hope College Economics Department), Dr. Stephen Monsma (Henry Institute Senior Research Fellow)
Research Focus: Researched the relationships between school choice policy in the U.S. and private school enrollment.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Colleen Beunk (junior Political Science major, French minor)
Faculty Members: Dr. Kevin denDulk (Calvin Political Science Department), Dr. James K.A. Smith (Calvin Philosophy Department
Research Focus: Prepared for seminars including scholars and practitioners who are confronting challenges to their faith in their public roles.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Sung Hun Choi (senior International Relations and Philosophy major, Economics minor)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin denDulk (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Explored how North American churches and denominations respond to religious liberty and persecution around the world.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: John Gordon (senior Sociology major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin denDulk (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Collected information about resources available to individuals in Kent County when they are released from incarceration and began development of a web-based, interactive map of those services and a data source for studying inequities in resource allocation.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Kara Bilkert (junior Sociology and Social Work major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Roman Williams (Calvin Sociology Department)
Research Focus: Facilitated a database of photographs taken by Calvin College students studying in Honduras, Ghana, Washington D.C. and Hungary to document the experience of faith and public life in their off-campus experiences and locations.
2014-15 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Sung Hun Choi (junior International Relations and Philosophy major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Becca McBride (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Investigated more effective pedagogy for teaching across cultures, and also assisted in preparation of manuscript for forthcoming The Globalization of Adoption.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Jennifer Lamb (senior Political Science major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin R. den Dulk (Calvin Political Science Department and Paul Henry Institute)
Research Focus: Current action and views within the Christian Reformed Church on the issues of religious persecution around the world.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Joshua Nederhood (senior Political Science major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin R. den Dulk (Calvin Political Science Department and Paul Henry Institute)
Research Focus: Current action and views within the Christian Reformed Church on the issues of religious persecution around the world.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Abbie Schutte (junior Political Science major with Sociology and Civic Studies minor)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin R. den Dulk (Calvin Political Science Department and Paul Henry Institute)
Research Focus: Civic education
2013-14 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Alicia Smit (senior Political Science and Philosophy major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kristin Du Mez (Calvin History Department)
Research Focus: The extent to which Hillary Clinton’s religious background and commitments formed a basis for her foreign policy views and practices; Du Mez intends to explore Clinton’s religious faith during early periods of her life, particularly high school and college.
“By taking seriously Clinton’s early religious faith and by refusing to compartmentalize faith in the ‘private’ realm, this research is both innovative and timely,” noted Du Mez. “With speculation rampant that the former Secretary of State will be running for President in 2016, this is a topic of current interest, and the assistance of a McGregor scholar will be essential in bringing the project to timely completion.”
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Ian Graham (senior Political Science major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Becca McBride (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: An investigation of adoption as a global, interconnected phenomenon, with the work used in scholarly articles and books on intercountry adoption and the flow of adopted children across borders.
“As Christians, we should care about...protecting children without parental care," noted McBride. "My research investigates how adoption has become a gloval, interconnected phenomenon through states learning...that [adoption] can provide a solution to a domestic child welfare crisis...and it is a solution they can easily initiate."
Undergraduate Research Fellows: Carolyn Vos (senior Psychology and English-Linguistics major) and Michael Bloem (senior Economics major, Math minor)
Faculty Members: Dr. Kevin den Dulk (Henry Institute and Calvin Political Science Department), Dr. Steve McMullen (Hope College Economics) and Dr. Mikael Pelz (Calvin Political Science)
Research Focus: An exploration of school choice policy and private school enrollment, with the students using advanced technical skills to play key roles in data-coding and cartographic design
"The overall study will be focused on the effects of education policy on non-public schools," explained den Dulk. " We hope to determine how various policies intended to expand school choice have impacted private school enrollments across states and over time. An important first step in our research is to record and quantify data that will be used as we continue our research, and our two students this summer are a critical part of that initial task."
2012-13 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Taylor Soderling (senior Geography major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin den Dulk (Henry Institute Director)
Research Focus: Initial research on deliberative debate citizenship efforts
Undergraduate Research Fellow: James Randall (senior International Relations, Spanish and Political Science majors)
Faculty Member: Dr. Joel Westra (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Reforming the Post War Global Security Order
2011-12 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Jesse (Zexi) Sun (senior Political Science major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Kevin den Dulk (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: Religious freedom in mainland China
Undergraduate Research Fellows: Nicole Vander Meulen and Brad Wassink (both senior Political Science majors)
Faculty Member: Dr. Amy Patterson (Calvin Political Science)
Research Focus: The role and effectiveness of HIV support groups in Zambia, a country with an HIV rate of 14%. In these support groups, HIV positive patients can talk about their experiences living with the virus, encourage each other, talk about the challenges they face concerning medications, consider how they interact with family and friends, and also get support to receive anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs).
2010-11 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Tianna Wierenga (senior Studio Art major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Mandy Cano Villalobos (Calvin Art and Art History Department)
Research Focus: A visual arts project entitled Voces, which told the stories of the women of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico where, since 1993, mass femicide has been taking place. The project sought to combine a social justice focus with a visual awareness of the existing social and political distress of the area.
“The Undergraduate Research Grant was such a benefit for both Tia and myself. It allowed me to share my knowledge of a topic about which I care deeply. But more profoundly, the grant provided Tia with the opportunity to broaden her understanding of an under-recognized social justice issue and a marginalized culture through her passion for art.”
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Andrea Lima (junior Nursing major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Gail Zandee (Calvin Nursing Department)
Research Focus: Community health, including disparities in health care in local Grand Rapids-area neighborhoods that have historically been underserved. As part of their research, they interacted with neighbor-hood members and collaboratively identified action plans to address disparities, conducted focus groups and surveys within the target neighborhood, and designed a report of the study’s finding, which received an award for research efforts in community nursing.
“The Henry grant was an integral part of continuing our nursing department’s work in community health. The learning opportunity for Andrea was very valuable, and our ongoing program certainly benefited.”
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Elliott Spronk (senior Architectural Engineering major)
Faculty Member: Dr. You-Kyong Ahn (Calvin Art and Art History Department)
Research Focus: A study of the architectural history of the Calvin College campus, including recording the architectural characteristics of the current campus and conducting a survey examining perceptions of those features. The resulting report on their research suggests significant design elements related to maintaining the architectural integrity of Calvin College in the future, as additional buildings are added and altered in the public space of the campus.
“The Henry Institute’s support was a great incentive for both Elliott and for me. It is difficult to find time for research work during the semester; the grant helped me to find a motivated individual to assist in the project. It was a rewarding and enjoyable experience to work with a student.”
2009-10 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Lindsay Clutter (senior Nursing major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Gail Zandee (Calvin Nursing Department)
Research Focus: An exploration of local disparities in health care within three underserved Grand Rapids neighborhoods, identifying problem issues within the community, and evaluating the role of the Christian nurse in addressing health care disparities.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Michelle Fraser (senior International Development major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Amy Patterson (Political Science & International Relations)
Research Focus: The role of African churches in advocating on HIV/AIDS, exploring political activities of churches, such as publicizing AIDS statements, encouraging public discussion about government policies, and direct participation by leaders and parishioners in lobbying efforts.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Amy Surbatovich (sophomore English major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Bruce Bergland (Calvin History Department)
Research Focus: Teligious and cultural history, focusing on the intersection of the arts, philosophy and Christian faith in turn-of-the-century and interwar Prague, especially focusing on architect Joze Plecnik.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Andrew Warren (senior Economics and Mathematics majors)
Faculty Member: Dr. Steven McMullen (Calvin Economics Department)
Research Focus: The relationship between church attendance and crime in the United States between 1970 and 1990, using national crime data by state, along with General Social Survey church participation information.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Rachel Stehouwer (senior Studio Art and German majors, Environmental Studies minor, Pre-Architecture focus)
Faculty Member: Dr. Jamie Skillen (Calvin Geology, Geography & Environmental Studies Department)
Research Focus: The role played by religious values and arguments in the political debate surrounding the Interior Columbia River Ecosystem case study.
2008-09 Academic Year
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Kevin Wuest (junior German major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Randall Bytwerk (Calvin Communication Arts and Sciences Department)
Research Focus: Further development of the German Propaganda Archive created by Dr. Bytwerk, which includes material from Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic, both of which claimed religious scope but held an ultimate goal of eliminating religion from the public sphere.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Paul Hartge (junior Political Science and Religion majors)
Faculty Member: Dr. Janel Curry (Calvin Geography Department)
Research Focus: The range of Christian responses to climate change, including examining the responses and arguments of different Christian groups within the public policy realm and in public policy debates.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Michelle Fraser (junior International Development major)
Faculty Member: Dr. Amy Patterson (Calvin Political Science Department)
Research Focus: The role of Protestant churches in shaping policies to fight HIV/AIDS in Zambia and Ghana.
Undergraduate Research Fellow: Moriah Ophart (senior Theater and German majors)
Faculty Member: Dr. Stephanie Sandberg (Calvin Communication Arts and Sciences Department)
Research Focus: The relationship between poverty, race and faith in Grand Rapids, interviewing individuals about their personal experiences and ultimately turning those interviews into a theatre piece with assistance from.
2007-08 Academic Year
Jonathan Hirte, Austin Knuppe, and Kristine Tuinstra
2006-07 Academic Year
Dr. Corwin Smidt with Paul Davis, Abigail Rockey, Nathaniel Fisher, Paula Simoni, and Stephanie Vogelzang.
2005-06 Academic Year
Dr. Corwin Smidt with Nathaniel Fischer, Carolyn Yu, Audra Groenendal, and Philip Boonstra
(not pictured: Sarah Berg, Shiko Nguru, Melissa Rick, Rob Zandstra)
2004-05 Academic Year
Dr. Corwin Smidt with Hyun Jin (Deborah Kwak), Faith Nguru, Joo Eun Kim, Robert Zandstra
(not pictured: Nate Bulthuis)
2003-04 Academic Year
Back Row: Joo Eun Kim, Katie Boorsma, Nate Bulthuis, Ben Haven, James Kuipers
Front Row: Zhen (Jackie) Tao, Mark Schemper, Dr. Corwin Smidt, Anne Uitvlugt
(not pictured: Brett Anderson)