As part of Day1 you can:

• Investigate how humans are changing the microbiology and chemistry of our local rivers and lakes
• Apply data science tools to real scientific data
• Create a prototype product to solve a real-world design problem
• Learn professional geology skills while exploring Northern Michigan
• Discover a new virus and investigate its genome
• Study how climate change impacts critical peatlands throughout Michigan
• Build friendships with other Day1 students 

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’s courses count toward your graduation requirements. Become part of the program that best fits your interests today!

Every Day1 course has the intentional goal of building community among its students, peer mentors and faculty. We’ve also designed two additional opportunities students can choose to amplify that community-building:

1. The You Are Mostly Not Human first-year seminar (FYS) course is specifically designed to accompany the Day1: Watershed and Peatlands courses, and also fits well with Phage and Rocks. Choosing this FYS, which is taught by an experienced Day1 instructor, brings you together with your Day1 classmates in a seminar to balance your Day1 laboratory course.
2. Voorhees Hall is the designated Day1 residence hall. Choosing Voorhees extends Day1 community-building into your residence hall, enriching your first-year experience beyond the classroom. Day1 alumni routinely cite living together in the same hall as the best experience of their entire time at Hope College.

Why Day1?

• Improve our world during your college experience
• Join an inclusive and diverse community of support and friendship
• Work closely with upper-class student and faculty mentors
• Through authentic research, gain critical thinking skills and problem solving skills that will be valuable to all careers

Find the Day1 program that’s right for you

Design

Student engineers tackle a real-world design challenge. Team up with other first-year engineering students to explore the challenge, develop possible technological solutions and present prototypes. Join a dynamic community of peers and mentors while doing engineering in a real-world context.

Faculty Mentors

Dr. Jeffrey Christians and Dr. Katharine Polasek

Visit the Day1: Design page to learn more

Michigan Rocks

Travel to northern Michigan in this immersion experience before classes begin! Join upper-level students and faculty mentors to explore Michigan’s geological history through study of rock formations, ancient volcanoes, mineral deposits, fossil-rich inland seas and footprints of glaciers. Through your exploration, you will learn skills that professional geologists and environmental scientists use.

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Sarah Dean

Visit the Day1: Michigan Rocks page to learn more

Peatlands

Participate in an active research project investigating the impact of climate change on Michigan ecosystems. Start a week before classes begin and bond with your peers (both first-year students and upperclass TAs) during a three-day field trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Back on campus, you will use the samples you collected in an authentic research project on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these important ecosystems — all while developing essential chemistry lab techniques.

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Michael Philben

Visit the Day1: Peatlands page to learn more

Phage Discovery & Genomics Research

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. Sean Beckwith and Dr. Aaron Best

Visit the Day1: Phage Discovery & Genomics Research page to learn more

Watershed

Learn microbiology, environmental and chemical techniques as you investigate the health of our local Matacatawa watershed. Build community with other first-year students, upperclass TAs and faculty mentors a week before classes start. Continue through the academic year with an interdisciplinary team contributing to discoveries that support ongoing, long-term efforts by the community to improve our watershed.

Faculty Mentors

Dr. Aaron Best, Dr. Kenneth Brown, Dr. Brent Krueger, Dr. Michael Philben, Dr. Mike Pikaart and Dr. Brian Yurk

Visit the Day1: Watershed page to learn more