Gain new skills, work alongside engaged professors and upperclassmen, and tackle real-world problems through research that begins on day one of your college career!
As part of Day1 you can:
Investigate water quality and help the local community address issues
- Design a product to meet the needs of the community
- Learn professional geology skills while exploring Northern Michigan
- Discover a new virus and investigate its genome
- Study environmental issues in the Great Lakes region
- Live with other Day1 students in the newly renovated Lichty Hall during your first year
Each Day1 course program explores unique questions using science, mathematics and engineering techniques. The Day1 programs are part of your first-year academic coursework — each program will count towards your graduation requirements. Day1 offers an inclusive community that encourages collaboration and fosters genuine friendships among a diverse group of students. Become part of the program that best fits your interests today!
Why Day1?
- Work with passionate and engaging faculty mentors
- Collaborate with upper-level students and peers
- Make a difference solving real-world problems
- Prepare for exciting careers in science, engineering and mathematics
Find the Day1 program that’s right for you
- Phage Discovery
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Discover the hidden world around you. Join your classmates and other student-scientists from schools all across the U.S. and beyond in a hunt for phages — viruses that infect bacteria. Day1: Phage Discovery allows you to isolate, characterize and name your newly discovered phage in a process of exploration that culminates with the opportunity to sequence the DNA of your phage and explore its genome. All discoveries are shared in public databases used by researchers across the world as part of a nationally recognized research program.
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Joseph Stukey and Dr. Aaron Best
- EDGE
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Student engineers tackle a design challenge posed by a customer from the local community. Team up with other first-year engineering students to explore the challenge, develop possible technological solutions and present prototypes to your customer. Join a dynamic community of peers and mentors while doing engineering in a real-world context.
Faculty Mentors
Dr. John Krupczak and Ms. Susan Ipri Brown
- Michigan Rocks
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Travel to northern Michigan in this immersion experience before classes begin! Join upper-level mentors to explore rock formations that record events from throughout Michigan’s geological history. Study ancient volcanoes and mineral deposits, fossil-rich inland seas, glaciers and modern geological processes as you build the skills to be a professional geologist or environmental scientist.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Ed Hansen
- Watershed
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What is the impact of human activity on our local rivers and lakes? Day1: Watershed will engage you in the efforts of our local community to improve the water quality in the greater Holland area and the Great Lakes. Before classes begin, immerse yourself in this environmental science research project alongside students and faculty with trips to the field for sample collection and time in the lab learning how to process those samples.
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Aaron Best and Dr. Brent Krueger
- Great Lakes
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Dunes, invasive species and statistics! Jump into this field study with your research team and faculty mentors to investigate a threatened native species. Throughout the semester, you will explore important issues affecting the Great Lakes in ecological, political and moral contexts while learning practical statistical methodology.
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Paul Pearson, Dr. Yew Meng Koh and Dr. Brian Yurk
Recent blog posts
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Expanding Research Horizons
Posted by Thomas GarciaI knew that I wanted to do research over the summer, but  I had to choose between research in Water...
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Returning to Watershed
Posted by Thomas GarciaI initially decided to come to Hope due in part to its immensity of undergraduate research opportuni...
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From Macatawa To Eleuthera — Opportunities After Watershed
Posted by Thomas GarciaI wasn’t sure what I was going to do in college, and so I initially had mixed feelings about apply...
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Hands-On Engineering Experience with Day1: EDGE
Posted by Karey Frink“This experience has impacted me in many ways, including the sense of being a part of something bi...
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Research after Day1 Watershed?
Posted by Catherine MaderHope College junior Ashley Trojniak of Sterling Heights won the “Outstanding Student Poster Awardâ...
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Immersed in the Sciences from Day1
Posted by Karey FrinkFor many people, coming to college is an anxiety-ridden time. Like many freshmen, I had what ...
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