Dordt has had a profound impact on Kate (Van Weelden, ’18) De Vries as a wife, a friend, and a church member. “Because of my time in Dordt’s education program, I am a more effective Christian educator at Des Moines Christian School,” she says. “I have a passion for Christ-centered teaching, and I’m more prepared to answer questions like, ‘What …
Making a Defense
I have served for nearly a decade as president of Dordt University. One question I’ve been asked often is about Dordt’s identity as “the Defenders.” It’s a name that we have begun to use more often, from referring to our alumni base as “Defender Nation” to establishing our place athletically as “Defender Athletics.” Where did the name “Defender” come from? …
Student Trains Pup for Partners for Patriots
This year Katie Ribbens, a senior psychology major, plans to raise, train, and care for a service dog while living and studying on campus. Ribbens is participating in Partners for Patriots, a nonprofit organization that pairs war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with trained service animals. “Approximately 22 veterans with PTSD take their lives every day,” she says. …
Hearing B.J. Haan Once More
A few years ago, Archives Coordinator Ingrid Mulder opened a drawer and found two boxes of deteriorating cassette tapes. Upon further examination, she realized that 11 of the cassettes were interviews of B.J. Haan, Dordt’s first president, narrating his recollections of Dordt’s early years. Knowing that these tapes were a special part of Dordt’s history, Mulder brought them to Hulst …
Emeriti after Retirement
What do professors do after they retire? These recent Dordt emeriti are continuing their academic interests—and so far, they love it. Dr. Mary Dengler, professor emerita of English, says she feels busier than ever since retiring. She enjoys spending time reading novels and books on theology, political theory, as well as literary and art theory; watching films; and having conversations …
Dordt Ranks First in “Best Undergraduate Teaching (Regional Colleges Midwest)”
Dordt University ranks number one for “Best Undergraduate Teaching (Regional Colleges Midwest)” in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 rankings. This means that Dordt is a school where “faculty and administrators are committed to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner,” as described in the rankings’ methodology statement. “I am excited and proud that our talented and hard-working faculty …
Dordt Has Largest Enrollment Ever
Dordt University’s overall enrollment is 1,786 for the fall 2021 semester—the largest enrollment in the institution’s history, breaking the fall 2020 semester record of 1,666 students. This figure includes a record 1,401 full-time undergraduate students. In addition, Dordt has record full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment at 1,544; FTE is a measure of how many credits students are taking. There are 424 …
Criminal Justice Majors Gain Experience through Deputy Program
Dordt criminal justice majors have a work experience requirement for graduation, and this year, three Dordt criminal justice are taking advantage of a unique opportunity to become Iowa reserve peace officers, also known as deputies. The Woodbury County Sheriff, their training unit, and reserve unit have agreed to partner with Dordt to train junior and senior criminal justice majors to …
Actuarial Science
In high school, Gabriel Garcia loved taking mathematics courses. When he thought about what he wanted to be when he grew up, he envisioned doing something with numbers—perhaps something related to statistics and finance. That interest in mathematics ran in the family; both of his parents work for insurance companies in Honduras. During his junior year of high school, he …
The Upside of Upcycling
During a trip to Zambia several years ago, Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Jeff Ploegstra witnessed a different side of waste management. “I saw people burning trash to get rid of it, because there wasn’t an infrastructure for waste removal,” he says. “I also saw people repurpose materials; one person used round water bottles to build walls for a building.” …