Sponsored Research and Programs

Faculty, staff, and students from Hope College received 18 new Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) awards totaling $78,485 for 2021-2022!  Details regarding the individual projects appear below. 

MSGC creates, develops, and promotes programs to reflect the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) strategic interests and support cooperation between academia, industry, state and local governments in science and technology in Michigan. 

Congratulations to our faculty, staff, and students on their MSGC awards!  And a special kudos to Peter Gonthier, Hope’s MSGC Affiliate Representative, who works tirelessly all year in promoting MSGC programs to our campus community. 

Program	Last Name	First Name	Mentor	Project Title	Award
Education Programs	Dummer	Carrie	—	Engineering the Future Academies	$15,000
Education Programs	Ipri Brown	Susan	—	Preparing STEM Teachers	$15,000
Research Seed	Elinski	Meagan	—	Multifaceted Surface Coatings from Composite Dry Lubrication Schemes	$ 5,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Boltz	Lindsey	Natalia Gonzalez-Pech	Design of Nanomaterials for Enhanced Sensing, Extraction, and Recycling of Lithium	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Bryan	Lauren	Michael Philben	Uronic Acid Content of Sphagnum as a Proxy for the Response of Peatlands to Climate Change	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Davenport	Steven	Natalia Gonzalez-Pech	Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles for Solar Disinfection from Aqueous Solutions	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Diephuis	William	Natalia Gonzalez-Pech	Synthesis of Zirconium Oxide-Based Nanomaterials to Catalyze Oxygen Reduction in PEM Fuel Cells	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Gagnier	Bridget	Brooke Odle	Developing and Validating a Sensor Fusion Algorithm	$ 2,985
Undergraduate Fellowship	Harlow	Blake	Darin Stephenson	Streamlining and Validating Algorithms for Constructing Digital Elevation Models of Lake Michigan Dune Imagery	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Kowalski	Jacob	Matthew Smith	Investigating Cinnamate Functionalized Liquid Crystal Oligomers for Facile Material Synthesis and Alignment	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Mandeville	James	Jeff Christians	misovich@hope.edu	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	McLinden	Molly	Kelly Ronald	Ecotoxicity of the Nanoparticle: Changes in the behavior and physiology of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus)	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Molloy	Anna	Natalia Gonzalez-Pech	Synthesis of nanomaterials for urea removal from aqueous solutions	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Porter	Tristan	Natalia Gonzalez-Pech	Synthesis of ZnO and Fe2O3 nanomaterials as Antibacterial Agent	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Shaw	Rachel	Michael Philben	Determination of the Bioavailability of Organic Nitrogen in the Decomposition of Peat Moss	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Sherrard	Morgan	Kelly Ronald	Chromatic contrast of avian plumage is altered in forests subjected to increased deer browsing	$ 3,000
Undergraduate Fellowship	Vance	William	Peter Gonthier	Developing efficient code for computing spin-dependent Compton cross section in magnetar magnetospheres	$ 3,000
MSGC Affiliate	Gonthier	Peter	—	MSGC Affiliate Budget	$ 1,500
				Total	$78,485

Erika Calvo-Ochoa, Assistant Professor of Biology and Neuroscience, has received a $20,000 award from the Kenneth H. Campbell Foundation Research Grants Program.  The project is titled Establishment of a novel model of retrograde degeneration in zebrafish to study olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease.

This project seeks to establish a novel model of retrograde neural degeneration by dopaminergic toxicity in the olfactory system of zebrafish in an effort to understand the mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease in humans.

Congratulations on your new award, Erika!

Susan Ipri Brown, Director of Explore Hope, Fonda Green, Director of Children’s After School Achievement (CASA), and Kate Lozon, Step Up Coordinator, received a $10,000 award from the Community Foundation of Holland-Zeeland Endowment. The project is titled Youth Expression of Diversity.

This project will provide a literacy-focused summer program for CASA and Step Up students utilizing diversity focused or themed books. Additionally, the project will provide scholarships for up to 25 CASA and Step Up students to attend one of ExploreHope’s week-long summer camps.

Congratulations on your new award, Susan, Fonda, and Kate!

Mihyun Han, Visiting Assistant Professor of Education, has received a $20,000 award from the Community Foundation of Holland-Zeeland COVID-19 Community Stabilization Fund. The project is titled English Language Learner Tutoring Program in partnership with the OAISD.

This project will fund a collaborative project between Dr. Han and Pam Schwallier at the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD). This project will link Hope College students with English Language Learners in OAISD to provide intensive, one-on-one virtual tutoring in math, science, and social studies.

Congratulations, Mihyun, on your award!

Stephanie Edwards, Professor of Mathematics, and Dyana Harrelson, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, have received a $5,000 award from the Mathematical Association of America Dolciani Mathematics Enrichment Grants Program. The project is titled Integration of Vertical Mentoring into the Black River Public School Math Teams.

This project is a collaboration between Black River Public School (BRPS) and Hope College to engage 20-35 BRPS middle and high school math team students and two to four Hope College undergraduates in mathematical enrichment activities. This project will provide challenging mathematics problems encouraging creativity; participation in regional, state, and national math contensts; establishing a supporting and inspirational community; and encouraging students to take more math courses in their secondary and post-secondary education.

Congratulations on your award, Stephanie and Dyana!

Lindsey Hanson, Assistant Professor of Dance, has received a $16,310 award from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Teacher-Scholar Grant Program. The project is titled Sanctuary.

This project is a cross-disciplinary collaboration of dance, architectural design, and film within a worship space culminating in a site-specific, multimedia dance performance titled Sanctuary. Set at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, this project will utilize dance performed live and captured by film to challenge, reveal, and enhance the congregation’s awareness of the worship space inside their church.

Congratulations, Lindsey, on your new award!

Jeff Johnson, Professor of Chemistry, and Jason Gillmore, Professor of Chemistry, received the NINTH renewal of our Beckman Scholars Program from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.

Read more about our latest award in the official press release.

Congratulations, Jeff and Jason, on the renewal of our program!

Susan Ipri Brown, Director of ExploreHope and Assistant Professor of Engineering Instruction, has received a $720 award from the DiscoverE Engineers Week Outreach Grant Program. The project is titled Remote Engineering in the Classroom.

The puropose of this project is to develop design kits for delivery to local classrooms ahead of Engineering Week activities. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the design kits will allow students to participate in sessions remotely and still allow activities to go forward–sparking interest in engineering careers among local high school students.

Congratulations, Susan, on your new award!

Kate Finley, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, has received a $14,644 award from TheoPsych/Blueprint 1543.  The project is titled Mental Disorder & Faith.

The purpose of this project is to explore the relationship between mental disorder and religious faith.  Specifically, this project will explore an often ignored facet of this relationship—how and why mental disorder may have a positive impact on one’s faith.

Congratulations, Kate, on your new award!

Deborah Van Duinen, Associate Professor of Education, has received a $25,000 award from the Lilly Fellows Network Exchange Program via Valparaiso University.  The project is titled Literature-based programs at church-related colleges/universities. 

This award will support a three-day network exchange workshop in November 2021 for 12 faculty members from the Lilly Network of church-related colleges and universities.  The workshop will focus on the intersections of literature, faith, and campus and community engagement using Hope College’s NEA Big Read Lakeshore Program as the springboard for this workshop.

Congratulations on your award, Deborah!