CAMPUS NEWS
RESEARCH LEADS TO TOYOTA PATENT “People have been studying this for years,” said Rich DeJong, professor emeritus of engineering at Calvin University. “And we’ve figured it out.” The “it” is how to reduce the wind noise in an automobile when traveling at highway speeds. The “we” is a team of faculty and student researchers. Together, their discovery led to a patent for Toyota Motors Co. “It’s very unusual for undergraduates to be involved in this research in the first place,” said DeJong, “let alone be part of a patent.” DeJong’s experience in the automotive and aerospace industry has served students well over the years. Through his connections, Calvin University gained access to a unique piece of equipment used in this research: a wind tunnel, which DeJong says is one of only about a dozen of its kind in the country. Beyond the cutting-edge equipment, it’s the industry connections that are bringing projects like this to Calvin’s campus. One of DeJong’s former students in the 1990s, Todd Remtema, now works in Toyota’s research center in Ann Arbor. He’s been sending research projects Calvin’s way for years, and when he needed someone to find a solution for this specific problem, he asked Calvin to take a shot. DISCOVER MORE To read more about the patent and research, visit calvin.edu/go/toyota.
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University president Michael Le Roy is joined by university leaders and supporters for the ceremonial breaking of ground.
BREAKING GROUND ON BUSINESS SCHOOL On March 2, Calvin University held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new School of Business building. The ceremony was livestreamed at the future site of the new building, just south of the DeVos Communication Center. The establishment of the new school was announced in spring 2020 following a $22.25 million gift, the largest single gift in the institution’s history. The cost of the building project is about $10.25 million, which includes the construction of the 15,000-square-foot building that will house new offices, modern classrooms, contemporary breakout spaces,
and large gathering areas. Funding to improve shared spaces in the existing DeVos Communication Center, which will connect to the School of Business, are also included in the construction cost. The remaining funding from the $22.25 million gift will provide significant endowment funds that will be used to support the new dean of the School of Business and business faculty. The purpose of the endowment is to serve as a catalyst for a number of new academic programs intended to serve new populations of students at Calvin. GDK Construction is managing the project, which will commence in spring 2021 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-summer 2022.
SEE THE VIDEO Watch an inspiring two-minute video of the groundbreaking at calvin.edu/go/groundbreaking
