Calvin College Makes Two Appointments

Rev. y Hulst has been named chaplain of Calvin College.  Hulst,  a Christian Reformed Church pastor, has spent the past two years teaching at Calvin Theological Seminary.

Meanwhile, Calvin College has selected Michael Harris as the next executive director of its Enterprise Center. Harris is a University of Michigan graduate with undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering.

Huslt is the first woman to serve as Calvin College’s chaplain. She says she’s excited to help guide students on their walk with Jesus Christ. She begins the new job this summer.

"My hopes are that they (the students) come to know Jesus and that the prayer that we sing … will become true and real in their lives: 'May you grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior,'" said Hulst.

Hulst graduated as a Classics major from Calvin in 1991. She earned her Master of Divinity from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1995. A year later she became the second woman to be ordained by the Christian Reformed Church and the first woman CRC pastor in the United States. She served eight years as pastor of Eastern Avenue CRC before earning a doctorate in communication ethics from the University of Illinois.

"It was clear to our committee that she genuinely cares about students and their well-being and growth," said Karen Saupe, a professor of English who chaired the chaplain search committee.

In announcing the hiring of Harris, Calvin president Gaylen Byker said: "Michael comes to Calvin with experiences in strategic planning, technology and innovation assessment, market research, legal and regulatory compliance, and teaching.  Mike’s passion for development and marketing of meaningful innovations to meet today’s current needs, his understanding of the business and academic communities, as well as his desire to engage in furthering our students' education will serve him well in this position."

The center was launched at Calvin in November 2007 to facilitate the commercialization of intellectual properties developed jointly by the college and partners in the business community. Harris already has begun his work and also is teaching labs in the Calvin engineering department.