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Dr. Clay Carlson, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, has been named Trinity’s Professor of the Year for 2018-19.
“Dr. Carlson’s nominations from students and faculty pointed toward his excellent and creative teaching, his commitment to students, his investment in undergraduate research, and research within his own guild,” noted Trinity’s provost Dr. Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “All of this, for Dr. Carlson, is situated within a personal commitment to Trinity’s mission and powerful articulation of his own vocation as a Christian biologist.”
Carlson said he was honored and surprised to receive the award, since he had nominated other faculty members. “Some students who had nominated me came to me with their personal affirmations of why they nominated me,” he said. “And that really meant so much.”
As 2018-19 professor of the year, Carlson will be honored at the May 5 commencement and offer the message at Trinity’s 60th Annual Convocation this fall.
Carlson, who joined Trinity’s faculty in 2010, was recognized for his work on the molecular consequences of probiotics, as well as mentoring Trinity’s undergraduate students. According to the nominating committee, Carlson also is deeply invested in exploring the interaction and intersection between Christian worldview and molecular sciences, and has helped his students engage their disciplines through the Christian worldview.
Carlson has also published in prestigious outlets, including disciplinary journals, scholarly publications and popular media. These publications include: PLOS One; Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology; The Journal of Biological Chemistry; Christian Scholar’s Review; Perspectives on Science and the Christian Faith; Christianity Today; and Think Christian. This past year, he was named a SCIO (Scholarship & Christianity in Oxford) Visiting Scholar in Science and Religion, a prestigious grant that will continue to extend his work at the intersection of science and Christianity.
An increasingly global world needs bi-lingual professionals, and Trinity has introduced a new Spanish for the Professions major, starting in Fall 2018.
“This degree is designed as a second major for students whose first major is in a professional field that serves Spanish-speaking populations,” said Dr. Yeon Lee, Ph.D., chair of Trinity’s World Languages Department. “By double majoring in Spanish for the Professions, students will be equipped with bilingual proficiency and cultural competency in their careers, including nursing, social services, professional counseling, health services, ministry, and other professions.
This program provides students with a practical foundation for professional use of the Spanish language, including formal presentation techniques, technical translation skills, and advanced cultural competency. In addition to general classes in language and culture, students take two semesters of “Spanish for the Professions,” a sequence of courses that teach industry-specific terminology and basic translation methods.
The Spanish for the Professions degree joins the previously announced five-year Bachelor plus Master of Divinity degree program being introduced this fall.
Speaking on the topic of Reformed Protestantism in the Dutch East Indies in the 1600s, Dr. Yudha Thianto, Ph.D., professor of theology and department chair, provided the keynote at Wheaton College’s recent Graduate Students Conference.
Thianto was accompanied to the April 21 conference by Trinity students Dustin Huckstep, Sabrina Rodriguez, Katherine Newendorp, Alaina Kats, Avery Johnson, Jonathan Sturrus, Jinho Yang, and Cassidy Buss.
“Inheritance” was the theme of this year’s annual conference, which celebrates students from the Biblical and Theological Studies department and their research and accomplishments. The conference is a time for faculty, students, and guests to come together to engage in discussions and fellowship. Topics ranged from the early Christian church to the modern period.
The title of Thianto’s keynote address was: “Reformed Protestantism in Seventeenth Century Dutch East Indies: Cultural Encounters, Struggles, and Progress.”
Thianto, who is the incoming president of the Calvin Society, has been teaching at Trinity since 2001. He earned his Ph.D. in historical theology from Calvin Theological Seminary. Originally from Indonesia, his current research focuses on the history of the earliest establishment of the Dutch Reformed Church in the East Indies (now Indonesia) in the seventeenth century.
At Trinity, we prepare our Education majors for the classroom. And our recent 100% pass rate on the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for traditional undergraduate students is further proof of that.
“This is a great testament to our students’ abilities and the education they receive at Trinity,” said Dr. Rick Snoeyink, professor of education. “The edTPA is a strong indication of what teachers face in the classroom.”
And Trinity graduates agree that they are prepared when they enter the classroom. “Trinity (and the edTPA) prepared me so well for my first evaluation in the real teaching world!” one graduate recently reported. “All of the reflections, full-out lesson planning, and observations are worth more than I could’ve ever known.”
edTPA is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from Day 1 in the classroom. The assessment features a common architecture focused on three tasks: Planning, Instruction, and Assessment.
Trinity offers majors in art education, biology education, business education, chemistry education, elementary education, English education, mathematics education, middle grades education, music education, physical education, Spanish education, and special education.
When Trinity became a university partner with Chicago-based incubator 1871, the benefits extended far beyond business students.
Faculty members from our Special Education and Psychology Departments, working with students from Trinity’s graduate program in counseling psychology, recently created a podcast series in 1871’s studio.
Dr. Sara Baillie, associate professor of special education, and Dr. Kara Wolff, associate professor of psychology, worked with students Garsca Brooks and Jeanine Bakker to develop the podcasts.
The first episode centers on how the brain processes novel ideas. The second episode interviews Trinity Assistant Professor of Special Education Christine Scholma about what it is like to live with health challenges that others might not be able to see. The third and final episode centers on thinking through the ways in which intersecting identities are explored and addressed in daily life.
Click here to learn more and listen to the episodes.
At Trinity, our psychology students develop theoretical insight and professional skills through study, research, and practice, all from a Christian perspective.
Several Trinity undergraduate and graduate students and faculty recently presented their research at conferences, including:
90th Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Meeting, Chicago
–Jenna Van Der Pol ‘19, Stefany Moses ‘18, Richard Yelnick ‘18, & Alexandra Giampapa ‘18 (2018). The effects of introversion on time spent working out at a gym. Poster presentation.
–Dr. Jessica Clevering, Dr. Kara Wolff, Roberto Rosario ‘17, & Elijah Lemkuil ‘18 (2018). Emotional reactions to racism: Definitions and social dominance orientation matter. Paper presentation.
–Dr. Kara Wolff, Dr. Jessica Clevering, Ashley Fazekas ‘18, Olivia Otte ’20, & Jenna Van Der Pol ‘19 (2018). The relationships among rejection of racism, colorblindness, guilt, and empathy. Paper presentation.
Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference in Kalamazoo, Mich., and the Associated College of the Chicagoland Area Conference in Lisle, Ill.
–Ashley Fazekas ‘18, & Jenna Van Der Pol ‘19 (2018). Why do people justify a racist system? Understanding the psychological motivator of powerlessness in relation to system justification. Poster presentation
We live in a polarized society and church with disruption in the higher education field, according to WorldView lecturer John Hwang, founder and CEO of Lanio.
To bridge those gaps, colleges and faculty should explore ways to distribute scholarship more widely, said Hwang, who presented his lecture on April 19. “Faculty do wonderful work, but the audience is often limited,” he said.
In his discussion, “A Public Scholarship Manifesto,” Hwang stressed the importance of faculty building their own brands. Among his suggestions, Hwang advised developing audiences before publishing books—not afterwards. Among his other points, he stressed the importance of building a tribe, specializing, and learning to behave like a media company.
WorldView is Trinity’s annual community and college series for film, word, current events and music, held at the college.
At Trinity, our students get to experience a small college campus with big city opportunities. And Trinity’s relationship with Future Founders and our university partnership with 1871, the world’s top university-affiliated startup incubator, located in downtown Chicago, exemplifies those opportunities.
Over the weekend, Future Founders, which is located in 1871, held its 2nd Annual Entrepreneurship U Awards to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation at Illinois colleges and universities. The awards recognize institutions and individuals that have demonstrated exceptional entrepreneurial accomplishments.
Trinity was honored to be named Future Founder’s Partner of the Year.
Students and faculty also received accolades:
–Entrepreneurial Student Leader of the Year: Gabe Soler
–Entrepreneurship Professor of the Year: Omar Sweiss, assistant professor of business, Honorable Mention for the second year in a row
–Student Startup of the Year (multiple winners): Ryan Hesslau for Above The Waves
Future Founders believes every youth can become an entrepreneur. They offer age-appropriate and stage appropriate programs to connect youth with mentors and help them build a toolkit of entrepreneurial skills. They are one of the leading organizations in the nation in entrepreneurial education and mentoring.
Trinity students also excelled at 1871’s recent Campus 1871 Weekend, where Soler and Josh York took second place in the pitch contest.
“What a week it has been,” said Prof. John Wightkin, assistant professor of business and department chair. “And it all happened because Trinity had the courage and faith to jump into the Chicagoland entrepreneurial world – particularly with Future Founders and 1871.”
Trinity’s Social Work Department recently welcomed the newest inductees to the College’s Phi Xi Chapter of Phi Alpha, the national honor society for social work.
As Dr. Allison Tan, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work, said during the ceremony, member of Phi Alpha agree to recognize and encourage scholastic schievement among the students who are majoring in social work; improve and further the goals and objectives of social work by encouraging objectivity and awareness of current developments and practices in the various fields of social work; and further these goals by stimulating research in preparation for a career in social work.
Honorees:
- Karlyn Boens
- Mallory Boes
- Mallory Boyce
- Mikayla Cairo
- Michael Carthage
- Emily Groelsema
- Tiffany Henderson
- Haley Hoffman
- Faith Moore
- Vanessa Murillo
- Francesca Strolia
- Daisy Vazquez
- Nicole Wiegers
- Kylie Wilson
“These candidates have been elected by this society on the basis of their scholarly achievement and interest in social work,” said Tan. “I congratulate them and welcome them into the Phi Xi Chapter of the Phi Alpha Honor Society.”
Trinity also inducts an honorary member into the chapter. This year’s honorary member is LaVon Engbers ’99, a Trinity graduate who has served on the Social Work Department’s advisory group and as a guest lecturer at the College.
Trinity was honored to welcome Dr. Derke Bergsma, one of its first professors, back to campus for Chapel last week. In a wide-ranging interview with Trinity President Kurt Dykstra, Bergsma recalled teaching Latin 201, the very first class at Trinity, hours after the old Navajo Hills Golf Course ceased operations. Bergsma also shared memories of Trinity founder Dr. George DeJong, who passed away on April 8 at age 100 and gave a reading from his newest book, “Monday Through Friday in the Word.”
You can view the entire interview here.