Dr. Jon Vander Woude

Dr. Jon Vander Woude ’10 wants his students to understand that science and Christianity are not opposed to each other. “Rather, they work together wonderfully.” He also wants students to know that their education extends beyond his classroom. “I expect my students to work hard in their classes. But if that’s all they get out of their time at Trinity, then they are missing out. Most of my students are involved in music, theatre, sports, student government, and any other number of extracurricular groups at Trinity, and I think that is awesome! I always try to make sure my students know I support their involvement in these other areas by taking an active interest in them and attending at least one public event they are involved in, whether that is a concert, a performance, a sporting event, or anything else.”

What drew him to Trinity:

Vander Woude’s favorite thing about teaching at Trinity is how he can connect the fascinating aspects of chemistry to shared faith in the amazing God who created all of that science. “It’s incredible to learn about how hydrogen bonding in water makes life possible, the simple yet intricate way our bodies get glucose from our digestive tract into our blood stream, or how subtle changes in the concentration of H₃O⁺ change the pH and thus have a dramatic impact on the chemistry that takes place. Any of these ideas are fascinating on their own, but then when you stop and think about how the God who created all of them also created and loves you, that gives the chemistry a whole new meaning.”

Research interests:

Drs. Bosscher and VanderWoude collaborate on research. Their research areas focus on chemistry as worship through green and environmental chemistry; including hazard and waste reduction in laboratory, inquiry-focused laboratory pedagogy, and environmental remediation. Current projects include a safe-at-home synthesis of benzoin from imitation almond extract, vitamin B1 tablets, and baking soda; pedagogically relevant Grignard reactions with safer reagents; biodegradable spectroscopy sensitizing agents; teaching periodic trends with hard-soft acid-base theory; bond dissociation energies with absorption spectroscopy of polymerization initiators; and environmentally friendly synthesis of phenytoin derivatives.

When he’s not teaching:

Vander Woude loves spending time with his wife. “We especially enjoy time together outdoors or engaging in our shared nerdy passions, including–but not limited to–Harry Potter and Doctor Who. I am also an avid musician who plays guitar and sings in a church praise band, and I enjoy both watching and playing sports when I can find the time.”

American Chemical Society

National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions