2001
The Voice: Fall 2001
Faculty News
Simon du Toit presented a paper “Playing With Fire: Towards a Biblical Approach
to Theatre Performance” at the Association for Theater in Higher Education (ATHE) conference
in Chicago this summer.
Social Work Professor Jim Vanderwoerd gave a presentation at the North American Association
of Christians in Social Work annual convention Oct 18-21 in San Antonio. Joining
him in the presentation were 2001 Dordt social work graduates Eunice Muthengi, Leah
Kreykes, and Jill Van Voorst. The presentation was titled “BSW Students Initiating Change
for Minorities in Rural Communities.” Vanderwoerd was also invited to be a panel member at another workshop at
the same conference titled “Research for Practice with Faith-Based Organizations and Congregations” which
featured a presentations of current research projects by faith-based social services.
Dr. Duane Bajema attended several workshops this summer, one on assessment and one
on information technology titled “Collaboration on Technology Proficiency Standards and Literacy for Entering
College Freshmen.” He also attended Interaction Forum 2001 in Washington, DC, on June
4 to 6, which deals with issues of community development, world hunger, and
food distribution via non-government organizations as well as government organizations. Bajema attended at
the request of the Food Resources Bank, for whom he serves as a
volunteer consultant, and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. And he attended a
queen bee rearing workshop in Lincoln, Nebraska, examining the latest techniques.
Dr. Ronald Vos, professor of agriculture, took a group of students to Ukraine
this summer as part of a cross-cultural learning experience.
Dr. Dennis Vander Plaats, professor of education, met with a panel of middle
school educators in Grand Rapids to outline the process of writing a new
book on middle level educational practice.
In August Vander Plaats led two day-long middle school workshops, one for Orange
City Christian School and one for Calvin Christian School in South Holland, Illinois.
Dr. Ken Bussema completed a site-visit/program evaluation of Dordt’s Summer Mexico program in
Durango, Mexico. He also participated in planning and orientation meetings for a potential
East Africa Studies Program in Nairobi, Kenya.
Dr. James Mahaffy completed two manuscripts on reports of prairie rattlers in western
Iowa (see http://homepages.dordt.edu/~mahaffy/homepage/profact3.htm) He believes that he may have discovered that the swamp rattlesnake (massasauga) existed south of Sioux City on the flood plains of the
Missouri and Little Sioux Rivers.
Dr. James C. Schaap is currently writing a serialized novel, Things Hoped For,
Things Not Seen, for publication in The Banner. It will begin to appear
in the January 2002 issue.
Dr. Leen Van Beek from Dordt’s foreign language department spent a month in
France studying and preparing to teach French courses this fall.
Dr. John Van Dyk conducted the professional development day for teachers at Covenant Christian School in Leduc, Alberta, on
April 23. He also taught elementary school classes and worked with teachers at
Penticton Christian Community School in Penticton, B.C.
During July, Van Dyk taught a graduate course in the foundations of curriculum
development at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
Over the summer, Van Dyk participated in a meeting of the CRC Eastern
European Mission Team discussing a proposed Christian pedagogical institute in Moscow; participated in
an ACSI-sponsored All-Africa conference in Pretoria, South Africa, where he also gave three
workshop presentations; and he participated in the Educational Leadership Enablement Consultation in Pretoria,
South Africa, where he also gave one presentation.
Dr. Jasper Lesage, dean of the social sciences, made a presentation titled “Increasing
Commitment to Assessment by Working with Regional and Professional Accreditors” at the American
Association for Higher Education’s 2001 Assessment Conference.
Dr. Jonathon Warner, professor of economics, presented a paper titled “Poverty, Justice, and
Shalom” at the von Hugel Institute Conference on Justice and Poverty held at
Cambridge University in June.
