Highlights of Hope 20th Anniversary

INSTITUTE TRUSTEES
Van Andel Institute Board of Trustees
David Van Andel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Van Andel Institute
John Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Autocam Medical
Mark Meijer, President, Life E.M.S. Ambulance
Van Andel Research Institute Board of Trustees
David Van Andel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Van Andel Institute
Tom R. DeMeester, M.D., Professor and Chairman Emeritus, Department of Surgery,
Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California
James B. Fahner, M.D., Chief of Hematology and Oncology, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Michelle Le Beau, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology; Director,
University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center; Director, Cancer Cytogenetics
Laboratory, University of Chicago
George Vande Woude, Ph.D., Distinguished Scientific Fellow, Founding Research Director,
Van Andel Research Institute
Ralph Weichselbaum, M.D., Chairman, Department of Radiation; Head, Ludwig Center for
Metastasis Research, University of Chicago
Max Wicha, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine;
Founding Director, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Van Andel Education Institute Board of Trustees
David Van Andel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Van Andel Institute
James E. Bultman, Ed.D., Former President, Hope College
Donald W. Maine, Former President, Davenport University
Juan R. Olivarez, Ph.D., President, Aquinas College
LETTER FROM DAVID VAN ANDEL
Dear Friends,
Twenty years have passed since Van Andel Institute was founded for the betterment of
mankind and the improvement of the human condition through biomedical research and
science education.
In the ensuing two decades, we have accomplished much, perhaps more than we even
dared to dream at the beginning. This 20 th anniversary issue of Highlights of Hope provides
a small snapshot of the Institute’s history and accomplishments.
Much of the support that has allowed us to carry out this vital work comes from you, and
for this we owe you profound gratitude. Your generosity has enabled us to recruit giants
in the world of biomedical research, like Dr. George Vande Woude and Dr. Peter Jones, to
come to Grand Rapids and make this city their home.
It has been my privilege to work with an incredible group of people who have provided
direction for the research taking place in the Institute’s labs and in collaborative projects
in laboratories and clinical sites throughout the world. These talented individuals have
created a critical mass of biomedical research in the areas of cancer, neurodegenerative
disease, and most recently, in the growing field of epigenetics.
In addition to our work in biomedical research, we remain committed to science education
that leverages vibrant new technologies and uses these tools in the service of knowledge,
mentorship and discovery. Our devotion and passion for science education comes from
an understanding that the many discoveries of the future will be uncovered by the
students of today.
As I look back, I am gratified by how far we’ve come in these two decades, and I am even
more excited by the future and the impact we can have 20 years from now when we
celebrate Van Andel Institute’s 40 th anniversary.
I recall my father saying early on that to become a world-class research institute would
require building the dream a step at a time—meticulously putting one stone upon another.
I have no doubt that he would be proud of the many stones we have placed on the
foundation of his dream.
Working together, one step at a time, we will continue to build an Institute that serves
humanity and makes powerful, lasting contributions to human health.
Warmly,
DAVID VAN ANDEL
Gordon L. Van Harn, Ph.D., Emeritus Provost and Professor of Biology, Calvin College
David Van Andel
Chairman and CEO
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