stephanie-mouw, Author at News from Hope College

Common Ground for Luther and an 11th Century Hindu Leader

The year 2017: It marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s 95 Theses. It also marked the 1,000th year, tradition holds, since the birth of Ramanuja, one of the most influential Hindu thinkers. To Dr. Rakesh Peter Dass, these coinciding mile-markers presented an opportunity to explore one of his favorite topics — the interaction of… Continue Reading →

Exploring a Link between DNA and Forgiveness

Imagine this: You tell a friend something important in confidence, only to have that friend breach your trust and gossip about you with others. It was wrong, and it hurts. A collaborative research project underway at Hope College suggests that your reaction to unsettled conflicts and your ability to forgive those who wronged you may… Continue Reading →

The Power of Immigrants’ Personal Narratives

For Canadian-born Dr. Deborah Van Duinen, the topic of immigration hits close to home. She is especially attuned to the history and shifting demographics of Hope College’s hometown, Holland, Michigan. “This is an immigrant town,” Van Duinen says. “I think sometimes we forget that.” So when the opportunity arose to collaborate with an English professor… Continue Reading →

Sleep and Body Chemistry

Getting a good night’s rest isn’t always as easy as counting sheep. We might need to rethink our diets, too. Dr. Andrew Gall has investigated whether a high-fat diet may play a role in irregular sleep patterns, and based on lab results, he thinks the answer may be yes. This 2018 research was part of… Continue Reading →

Bolstering a Line of Defense in the Battle Against Sex Trafficking

Michigan has the sixth-most reported cases of human trafficking in the United States. Dr. Llena Chavis is teaching people on the front lines how to recognize the signs of trafficking — and how to intervene. In 2016, when one of her students was doing research about trafficking, Chavis and the student learned that health professionals… Continue Reading →