Dordt University Appoints New Center Directors

Dr. Channon Visscher will serve as director for the Andreas Center for Scholarship and Service. In his role as director, Visscher will lead efforts to support and develop a vibrant teaching faculty that excel in scholarship and vividly embody Dordt’s Reformed, Christ-centered worldview. He will provide oversight for Dordt Press and the Pro Rege faculty publication, helping to develop a comprehensive vision for Dordt’s publications. The Andreas Center will collaborate with departments, programs, and academic leaders to foster and promote Dordt’s faculty expertise in providing serviceable insight to the broader community and shaping the culture of Christian higher education within and beyond Dordt University.

Dr. Kristin Van De Griend will serve as director for the Kielstra Center for Research and Grants. The Kielstra Center supports faculty in pursuing and administering external grants and funded research. In her role as director, Van De Griend will provide oversight for the Kielstra Center staff and for Dordt’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Kielstra Center will continue to serve as the portal for faculty who apply for internal grants, facilitate peer review processes, publish the annual report of faculty research and scholarship, and lead implementation of initiatives that promote undergraduate and graduate research and scholarship. She will also serve as the primary liaison to the Northwest Iowa Research Institute.

“Through their partnership and collaboration, Dr. Visscher and Dr. Van De Griend will create strong through-lines of Reformational vision and practice for Dordt University research and scholarship,” says Dr. Leah Zuidema, vice president for academic affairs. “They will support faculty across disciplines and career stages—from facilitating the incubation of ideas, to providing nominations/recommendations for recognition and material support, to assisting faculty who seek forums for presentations and publications, to celebrating accomplishments and achievements.”

Working collaboratively, both directors will foster faculty development and growth, not only through on-campus and conference-based opportunities, but also through avenues such as scholar exchange and visiting scholar programs," says Zuidema.

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Dordt, located in Sioux Center, Iowa, is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, Forbes.com, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review. To learn more, visit dordt.edu.