There's never been a better time to consider Hope College.

The look of relief and joy was quite evident on the masked face of Dr. Alyssa Cheadle, assistant professor of psychology, as she rolled up her sleeve to get her second COVID-19 vaccination recently at a CVS pharmacy in Holland, Michigan.

Just two months into 2021, a year that rang in with oxymoronic anxious optimism, heavy reality struck the Hope College athletics program with the force of a 500-pound barbell dropped from 1,000 feet. One of the longest-standing, tradition-laden staples in Hope athletics’ diet was removed from a limited menu of competitive offerings on its plate.

As a Marine veteran and military historian, Dr. Fred L. Johnson III is regrettably too familiar with the atrocities of war. As a college professor, he has not tucked away that horrific knowledge, but instead is adding a new perspective to it.

From 12-hour time differences during remote learning to staying on campus year-round, Hope helps international students navigate the unexpected.

For many, chemistry brings to mind the apparatus: ethereal blue flames, miles of plastic tubing with interestingly-colored chemicals snaking through, and — perhaps above all else — test tubes and beakers of all shapes and sizes. But for Dr. Brent Krueger, chemistry research often occurs on a computer screen, in the form of molecular models.