Initiative Category: Chemistry

As humans, it is our nature to try to separate out Creation. But according to Sandra Biedron ’94, research professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of New Mexico, “There is only one model of the universe, it is the universe. Or, as my aunt, a retired Professor of Anatomy and Physiology and Nursing, says, ‘All systems work together.’”

Biedron, who graduated from Trinity with a double major in chemistry and biology and a mathematics minor before earning her Ph.D. in accelerator physics from Lund University in Switzerland, returned to campus as part of a recent lecture for Cooperativity Club.

She shared insights into analytical research tools that discover and help Creation, including the systems that make them whole. She also discussed how she brings her faith to her work and interests, which include particle accelerator systems, laser systems, using artificial intelligence in controls, modelling and predicting complex systems, sensors and detectors, and applying these technologies in science, security and defense. “We all have a calling,” she said. “Some of us head into science, technology, and engineering. I think we were given the gift to explore and leverage Creation. We need analytical tools to do this, as we cannot see alone things with our eyes.”

And we are all created differently, Biedron said. So, she urged the students and others in attendance to collaborate as a way to practice faith and to do the right thing every day. “Hold hands to solve problems,” she said. “Use this to bridge areas of science as well as people. Be mindful also of different viewpoints and faith.”

OPUS,  Trinity’s annual festival of student scholarship, is taking place on Wednesday, April 20.  The word “opus” is Latin for work. Whether it’s the arts & humanities, natural & applied sciences, or social sciences, students from all disciplines can present their work or attend this annual celebratory conference.

We invite you to attend OPUS 2022 and imagine the possibilities of your own OPUS!

OPUS SCHEDULE

12:30-12:45             OPUS Parade

12:45-1:15               Opening Ceremony

1:30-4:15                 Student Presentations

4:30-5:15                 Presentation Showdown

All students are given the opportunity to enter into a competition for all solo and group presentations. Top scorers advance to the Presentation Showdown where they give a 5-minute summary of their presentation in front of their peers and additional judges.

4:30-6:30                 Trinity Trolldown Dinner in the Dining Hall

5:00-6:00                 Dunk Tank Fundraiser for Ukraine

6:00-7:30                 Raffle & Closing Ceremony

7:30-8:30                 Senior Student/OPUS Art Reception

6:30-8:30                 GRUMPUS Graduate OPUS

9:00-10:00               Outcry

Special Thank you!

The Trinity Christian College community is grateful to alumni Yvette Madany (’85) and Peter Madany (’82), who generously provided financial support to underwrite expenses for OPUS 2022.

The OPUS 2022 committee is also grateful for the support of Trinity administration, faculty, and staff, including the departments of admissions, student life, physical plant, audio-visual services, information technology services, marketing and communications, and Creative Dining.

OPUS Committee Members

Brian Cerney

Inglebert Christiansen (Student Graphic Designer)

Sarah Hoeksema (co-chair)

Jeff Nyhoff

Mary LoGalbo

Deb Majewski (co-chair)

Katie Oomkes

Julianna Padilla (Student Government Representative)

Aron Reppmann

Omar Sweiss

Kevin Schenke

Maura Sukamto (Student Graphic Designer)

A Bachelor’s Degree from Trinity Christian College prepares students to flourish in their careers and vocations. And our graduates are well-prepared. According to data from Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation and Career Development, 97.7 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2021 are employed or in graduate school. That far surpasses the nationwide average of 82.4 percent. 

Each year, Trinity seeks career outcome data from new alumni. For 2020-’21 degree conferrals, 82.1% of graduates are employed, 15.1% are enrolled in graduate school, and one is serving the United States in the military.  

“We are excited to see our students successfully launch into their life after Trinity and continue to make meaningful contributions in the world,” said Director of Vocation and Career Development Jeff Timmer. “This metric is just one way that Trinity demonstrates how it prepares students for positive engagement in their communities and for contributions to the Kingdom.” 

Companies that employ recent Trinity graduates include Amazon, BDO USA, Chicago Public Schools, La Rabida Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Topel Forman. 

The class of 2021 has a range of job titles, reflecting the diversity and depth of Trinity’s liberal arts education: medical surgical/oncological nurse; special education teacher; art therapist; communications coordinator; graphic designer; tax associate; internal events coordinator; pastor; business analyst; baseball coach; police officer; and occupational therapy technician, among others. 

Trinity graduates are also pursing further education at the graduate level at institutions such as Duke Divinity School, John Marshall Law School, Northwestern University, Rush University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  

Avery Johnson ’21, is currently attending Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and she cited the support she received from Trinity in helping her on her journey.  “I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of the Trinity’s staff and professors,” said Johnson, who double majored in Biblical Studies and Communication Arts at Trinity and plans to become an ordained minister. 

For more information about Trinity’s 98% placement rate, visit Trinity’s Cooper Center for Vocation & Career Development. 

The education program at Trinity produces incredible teachers—because it’s more than just pedagogy and the classroom. The Christian perspective prepares teachers to cultivate relational peace, educational equity, and justice for all children and to impact every student’s life through excellence in teaching.

Trinity’s emphasis on its education program was recently recognized by College Factual, which named Trinity’s chemistry education degree among its “most focused.” According to College Factual, “Schools that focus their resources on a specific field may provide you with a better education in this area than those that do not. The Education students at these colleges represent the largest percentage of the student body, making these excellent school choices for students who desire a laser-focused education in a specific subject.”

College Factual also honored several other education degree programs at Trinity for their focus, including:

–Education

–Mathematics Education

–English Education

–Arts Education

College Factual honored Trinity in multiple other categories, including as a “Best Value” for special education.

Trinity’s bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and clinical mental health counseling were also highly ranked.

To determine its rankings, College Factual analyzed almost 5,000 colleges and universities in the United States. Schools were assessed across 1,784 different majors & concentrations, 60+ different and four degree levels to come up with what amounts to over 800,000 distinct lists to help students find the best-fit college for them.

An education from Trinity Christian College doesn’t just change lives—our graduates go on to change the world. And the life-changing value of a Trinity education has once again been recognized by U.S. New and World Report, which named Trinity to several of its “best” lists for 2022, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. And in U.S. News’ inaugural ranking, Trinity’s nursing program has been ranked among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States. 

U.S. News uses multiple criteria for its highly regarded rankings. To be named among the “Best Colleges,” Trinity was rated for its graduation and retention rates; social mobility; academic reputation; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduate debt, among other factors. 

“I am confident that, under the tutelage of a talented and dedicated faculty, Trinity students work hard and learn well as they prepare for a lifetime of opportunity and service,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “While no one set of data can measure that kind of transformative experience in full, it is gratifying to, once again, be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top college in the Midwest.” 

Trinity’s performance on social mobility deserved its own category, according to U.S. News, which looked at Trinity’s ability to enroll and graduate students from less-advantaged backgrounds. U.S. News also recognized Trinity’s undergraduate nursing program. (see “U.S. News Recognizes BSN Program among Best in Country”) 

“We are honored and excited to be recognized as an institution that excels at making a college education possible for students from all backgrounds,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “This recognition is the result of the significant dedication of an excellent faculty and staff – but, most truly, it is a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and amazing gifts of Trinity’s students. It is such a privilege to serve the students who come to Trinity to learn, to be challenged, to be transformed, and to discover the joy of their vocation.”  

Along with the U.S. News rankings, Trinity is frequently recognized by many organizations for preparing students for a world that needs them. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction;” routinely ranked the best BSN programs in the state of Illinois; part of the “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program;” and a “best value” among special education programs. 

Continuing a years – long tradition of excellence and recognition, Trinity Christian College has been named among the “Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report for 2021.  Trinity was ranked 21st among  Midwestern regional colleges in this year’s survey. Trinity was also named a “Best Value” college and a “Top Performer on Social Mobility.”

“At Trinity Christian College, our community is focused on providing a rigorous, life-changing education, and our graduates go on to find success in their careers and vocations,” said Trinity’s President Kurt D. Dykstra. “We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report has once again recognized how Trinity prepares our students to change the world.”

Said Provost Aaron J. Kuecker, Ph.D., “We are proud of the excellent academic programs that are supported by Trinity’s world class faculty. Rankings like these are a recognition of the top quality, whole-person vision of education that we pursue at Trinity.”

Trinity is frequently recognized for its high academic standards. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction,” a “Best BSN Program in Illinois,” and a “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program,” among others. Trinity, which is a university partner with 1871, the world’s top university-affiliated startup incubator located in downtown Chicago, also has a world-class business department that recently led the State of Illinois with both the highest pass rates and average scores on the most recent certified public accounting (CPA) exam. The Trinity Athletics Department was also recently listed among the Champions of Character Five-Star institutions by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The U.S. News rankings are based on qualitative and quantitative information in several categories, including peer assessments, graduation rates, social mobility, and faculty information. The “Best Value” ranking is determined by a school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The “Social Mobility” ranking is based on how successful a college is at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.

When Josh DeJong ‘14, was in high school, his desire to dig his roots deeper into his faith began to grow significantly. His Christian Reformed background helped lay the foundation for his faith, but he wanted to learn what it meant to be a Christian living in the world and not of the world – and that’s exactly what led him to Trinity.

Josh said, “Trinity was a stepping stone of what it means to be a Christian in the world, not just praying and going to church, but having those values in every aspect of your life.”

Receiving a double major in biology and chemistry, Josh had plenty of learning opportunities at Trinity. “I never had an experience where I went to talk to a professor and their door wasn’t wide open.” Midway through his time at Trinity, Josh partnered with Dr. Bob Boomsma, Professor of Biology and Chair of Sciences, to study how stem cells differentially secrete proteins after a heart attack for a protective effect on the heart. One year after Josh graduated, this study was published in the International Journal of Cellular Biology.

Outside of the classroom, Josh was the president of student activities, involved in Trinity’s weekly praise and worship service, held the role of Resident Assistant, and started a drum circle on campus.

With Trinity being just a short drive from downtown Chicago, Josh was afforded numerous educational opportunities he might not have received elsewhere. After graduation, he conducted research at the University of Chicago and Northwestern University, and then moved to Wisconsin with his wife, Katie, where he did research at the Blood Center of Wisconsin. He is currently in his final year at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is in the process of applying for pediatric residency. Josh has his heart set on pediatric hematology oncology – working alongside kids with blood disorders and cancer.

Earlier this summer, Josh was inaugurated into the Gold Humanism Honor Society – a peer-nominated society for medical students who are recognized for exceptional leadership, mentorship, and patient care. He was one of 25 students (out of the 250 in his program) who was elected into this society.

Reflecting on his time at Trinity, Josh pointed to the value of the Christian liberal arts education he received. “This type of education showed me the basics to approaching different aspects of society…and how to celebrate those while maintaining my own beliefs and my own Christian worldview and what the Bible has to say about it. You gain an understanding and appreciation for a lot more than what’s in the textbooks – and this is the basis to take you into the world.”

PHOTO CAPTION: Organs provided by the Anatomical Gift Registry at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

More information about Dr. Bosscher and Dr. VanderWoude’s work can be found here.