Each year, Grand Valley presents awards to faculty and staff who have reached landmark service anniversaries with the university. This year, the university reaches a new milestone. For the first time in its history, Grand Valley will present awards to employees with 40 years of service.
The three honorees, John Scherff, Carl Bajema and Don VanderJagt, came to Grand Valley in 1964 the second year the institution was open to students.
Scherff is Grand Valleys longest-serving employee. He started as a groundskeeper and is now maintenance supervisor and project manager. He spearheaded the Plant Services Personnel Scholarship fund, which helps Grand Valley's facilities workers send their children to college. He is a native of the Netherlands and serves on Coopersville City Council.
Bajema is a Biology professor who studies evolution and the environment. His current research focuses largely on environmental history. Bajema enjoys field work and creates GPS maps of the abandoned sites of logging dams, lumber camps, sawmills and the routes of the thousands of miles of logging railroads that penetrated the forests of Michigan. He spends much time searching the microfilm of old newspapers published before 1931 to obtain news accounts relating to environmental history of Michigan and the Grand River valley. In the process, he amassed one of the greatest archives of African-American history in the nation.
VanderJagt is a mathematics professor who came to Grand Valley after teaching for two years at Central College in Pella, Iowa. During his tenure at Grand Valley, he spent 25 years as Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. He continues to be active with his research in graph theory and received the University Service Award recently. He is currently the institutional representative to the NCAA, serving as Grand Valley's Faculty Athletic Representative. He served for 24 years on the Jenison Public Schools Board of Education.
The awards will be presented during the Service Award and Holiday Gathering. All faculty and staff members are invited to attend the event, scheduled from 3-5 p.m. on Thursday, December 9, in the Grand River Room of the Kirkhof Center. Included in the honors seven faculty and staff who will receive 35-year awards, seven faculty and staff who will receive 30-year awards, 15 faculty and staff who will receive 25-year awards, 22 faculty and staff who will receive 20-year awards and 47 who will be presented with 10-year pins. To allow all employees to participate, campus offices may close at 3 p.m.
This year's award recipients are:
40-year award recipients:
Carl Bajema, Professor of Biology
Donald VanderJagt, Professor of Mathematics
John Scherff, Maintenance Supervisor
35-year award recipients:
Ronald Dwelle, Associate Professor of Writing
Kenneth Johnson, Associate Professor of Computing and Information Systems
James Scott, Associate Professor of Movement Science
Donald Williams, Professor of Sociology
Executive, Administrative and Professional
Allen Wygant, Director of Security, Pew and Regional Campuses
Pamela Tober, Academic Department Coordinator, Art and Design
Gary Jaarsma, Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning Specialist
30-year award recipients:
Stanton Lindquist, Professor of Accounting and Taxation
Harvey Nikkel, Professor of Chemistry
Mary OConnor, Professor of Psychology
John Shontz, Professor of Biology
Doriana Gould, Academic Department Coordinator, Modern Languages and Literatures
Sandra Longstreet, Administrative Assistant, Continuing Education Deans Office
Donald Drooger, General Maintenance Specialist
25-year award recipients:
Johnine Callahan, Professor of Biomedical and Health Sciences
Denis Devlin, Professor of History
James Grant, Professor of Education
Deanna Morse, Professor of Communications
Richard Veazey, Associate Professor of Accounting and Taxation
Robert Fletcher, Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Services
Patricia Haynes, Assistant Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Diana Pace, Associate Dean, Student Services
Danny Abbott, Computer Operator II, Administrative Computing
Jeffrey Carlson, Electronic Services Engineer, Telecommunications
Joan Koetje, Administrative Assistant, School of Social Work
Stephan Savasky, TV Engineer
Bonnie Woodman, Course Reserve Coordinator, Library
Cynthia Zehner, Academic Department Coordinator, Anthropology
John Bettys, Hardware Specialist
James Reardon, Custodian
20-year award recipients:
Gordon Alderink, Associate Professor of Health Professions
Gayla Jewell, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Benjamin Lockerd, Professor of English
Marie McKendall, Professor of Management
Alexander Nesterenko, Professor and Director of the School of Communications
Donald Paszek, Associate Professor of Psychology
James Persoon, Professor of English
Patricia Rowe, Associate Professor of Movement Science
H. Bart Merkle, Vice Provost and Dean of Students
Dewey Newsome, Swim Coach and Coordinator of Aquatics
Virginia Randall, Associate Dean, Student Services
Diane Breeman, Academic Department Coordinator, Computing and Information Systems
Michele Golightly, Student Life Assistant
Lisa Ham, Secretary, Counseling and Career Development Center
Lorna Holland, Student Employment Assistant
Andrea Marks, Admissions Office Assistant
Peggy Moore, Financial Aid Assistant
Dan Seeley, Media Services Technician
Susan Speck, Accounting Clerk
Suellen Terry, Charter Schools Assistant
Dorothea Thomas, Administrative Assistant, University-wide Interdisciplinary Initiatives Deans Office
Maurine VanHuis, Accounting Systems Assistant
10-year award recipients:
Susan Allaben, Assistant Professor of Health Professions
Kathleen Bailey, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Deborah Bambini, Assistant Professor of Nursing
Michael DeWilde, Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Polly Diven, Associate Professor of Political Science
Laurie Gasahl, Instructor of Geography and Planning
Nancy Harper, Professor of Communications
Robert Hendersen, Professor of Psychology
Brian Johnson, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Rita Kohrman, Associate Librarian
Neil MacDonald, Associate Professor of Biology
Barry Martin, Associate Professor of Music
Anthony Nieuwkoop, Associate Professor of Biomedical and Health Sciences
M. Gabriela Pozzi, Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures
Min Qi, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Neal Rogness, Associate Professor of Statistics and Interim Associate Dean for Science and Mathematics
Stephanie Schaertel, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Mack Smith, Professor of English
Peter Taylor, Assistant Professor of Communications
Xiaojuan Xu, Associate Professor of Psychology
Pamela Achtyes, Controller
Brian Cole, Associate Dean, Continuing Education
David Feenstra, Assistant Maintenance Supervisor
Jacqueline Hill, Director of Educational Support Program/TRiO
Gary Kesler, Special Events Coordinator, WGVU
Phil Lane, Production Manager
David Lehker, BSW Field Education Director, Social Work
Mary Reimink, Systems Analyst
Richard Rediske, Senior Research Scientist
LeaAnn Tibbe, Special Events Coordinator, Student Life
Brian Van Doeselaar, Assistant Controller
Marjo VanHuelen, Billings and Loan Supervisor
Marietta Ackley, Library Clerk
Kelley Allen, Library Clerk
Sandra Becker, Office Coordinator, Continuing Education
Sandra Jennings, Administrative Assistant, Athletics
Laurel Martinie, Academic Department Coordinator, Mathematics
Lisa Morrissey, Laboratory Assistant, Anthropology
Lisa Surman-Haight, Executive Secretary, Provosts Office
Carol Talsma, Bookstore Assistant
Sally Vissers, Academic Department Coordinator, Political Science
Bonnie Wiekierak, Academic Department Coordinator, Marketing
Theresa Gooden, Custodian
Gordon Lesinski, Service Staff
Rosemaria Lintjer, Custodian
Michael Malloy, Boiler Engineer
Phillip Pyrett, Custodian
