HOLLAND, Mich. -- A nationwide search for a new chief academic officer at HopeCollege has led to a choice close to home: Dr. James Boelkins has beennamed provost effective July 1.
The appointment was made by the college's Board of Trustees on Thursday,Jan. 24. He succeeds Dr. Jacob Nyenhuis, who retired as provost on June 30,2001.
Boelkins is a 1966 Hope graduate who is currently vice provost of GrandValley State University's Pew Campus in Grand Rapids. His career has been spent in higher education, including more than 16 years in senior positions inacademic administration.
I'm very excited about this appointment, said Dr. James E. Bultman,president of Hope College. Jim Boelkins brings a wealth of experience atboth private and public institutions. His commitment to the faith iscompatible with Hope's mission, and his leadership and vision for excellencein the academic program have been evident everywhere he's been.
Our search committee believes that he will very ably fulfill the Trustees'goal for Hope to be a leading Christian liberal arts institution, Bultmansaid.
Boelkins noted that he has high regard for Hope not only as hisundergraduate alma mater, but also for the excellence he has seen demonstrated in theyears since his student days.
Hope College has established itself as one of the best liberal artsinstitutions in the nation as demonstrated by quality programs, extensivescholarship, and outstanding faculty and students, he said. I am bothhonored and humbled by the opportunity to serve the Hope community and tohelp implement Hope's mission and vision.
Boelkins has been with Grand Valley since July of 2000. He was previouslywith Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., for 15 years, first as vicepresident for academic affairs and then, starting in 1992, as provost.
From 1972 to 1975, and from 1977 to 1985, he was a member of the faculty ofthe University of North Dakota School of Medicine, Grand Forks, where hechaired and developed a new department of pharmacology. He received avariety of awards at the university, including recognition in both 1978 and 1983 asthe Outstanding Basic Science Teacher.
From 1975 to 1977, Boelkins was a member of the pharmacology faculty atSouthern Illinois University School of Medicine. He was also a postdoctoralfellow at The Pennsylvania State University during 1971-72.
He was an elected member of several national scientific organizations andpublished research during his tenure in the medical schools.
He majored in biology at Hope. He completed a master of science degree atthe University of North Dakota, Grand Forks in 1968, and a doctorate inpharmacology at the University of Missouri at Columbia in 1971.
He and his wife, Barbara, who also attended Hope, have three children.
