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The address 鈥淢aking Water Insecurity Visible: New Ways to Think about and Measure Water,鈥� geared toward a general audience, will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m.  The address 鈥淲hat鈥檚 in our water? A journey from basic research to societal scale synthetic biology,鈥� a more technically-oriented talk, will be presented on Friday, Feb. 14, at 3 p.m.  The public is invited to each, and admission is free.

The lectures will be presented jointly by Dr. Julius Lucks, who is a professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern University, and Dr. Sera Young, who is a professor of anthropology at Northwestern University.  Both events are sponsored by the Global Water Research Institute (GWRI) at Hope College through the college鈥檚 Dr. Harrison C. Visscher 鈥�51 and Dr. Robert D. Visscher 鈥�51 Lectureship in Genetics.

Lucks鈥� research has enhanced understanding of the molecular principles that enable biological systems to sense and adapt to changing environments, and to understanding how the principles can be used to engineer synthetic biological systems that benefit humankind. A focal point of his team鈥檚 work is RNA 鈥� a fundamental component of all living systems that enacts genetic, regulatory and catalytic functions by folding into intricate shapes within cells. His group has discovered new ways in which the complexity of RNA folding can be distilled into simple rules. Combining the discoveries with cutting-edge cell-free synthetic biology techniques has allowed his team to design low-cost, on-demand diagnostic technologies that can detect water contaminants and pathogens.

Young鈥檚 research focuses on obtaining and evaluating high-resolution, globally comparable data that go beyond physical availability to assess access and use to enhance understanding of the human health impact of problems with water quality and quantity.  She has led the development of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE) and the Individual Water Insecurity Experiences (IWISE) scales, the first cross-culturally equivalent way of measuring water access and use (). These scales have been implemented in at least 50 countries by more than 100 governmental, policy, research and civil organizations. The Young Research Group is currently using these scales to estimate the prevalence of water insecurity globally, and to investigate its causes and consequences.

The college鈥檚 Dr. Harrison C. Visscher 鈥�51 and Dr. Robert D. Visscher 鈥�51 Lectureship in Genetics, which was created to bring recognized scholars in the field of genetics to campus, premiered in the fall of 2013 with an address by Nobel Laureate Dr. Thomas R. Cech of the University of Colorado, Boulder.  The biennial lectureship was established by Dr. Harrison C. Visscher and Dr. Robert D. Visscher, 1951 Hope graduates and twin brothers who each pursued careers in medicine.  They practiced obstetrics and gynecology together for almost 20 years in Grand Rapids, and in 1965 initiated an obstetrics and gynecology residency training program at Blodgett Memorial Medical Center and Saint Mary鈥檚 Hospital.  Harrison Visscher鈥檚 career included 15 years in Washington, D.C., as director of education for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; Robert Visscher鈥檚 career included starting the first in vitro fertilization program in 1982 in western Michigan and serving as executive director of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.  Harrison Visscher died in December 2013, while Robert Visscher lives in Holland.

The Global Water Research Institute (GWRI) at Hope College enables water-centered research that seeks to transform health and well-being of local, regional and global communities.  The institute鈥檚 interdisciplinary collaborative student and faculty research provides improved understanding of water and equips communities to make data-driven decisions about their water use.  Launched on World Water Day in 2022, the institute is grounded in experience honed at Hope since the latter 1960s in conducting research on water quality and related issues.  GWRI involves faculty and students from the departments of biology, chemistry, geological and environmental science, mathematics and statistics, political science and religion, and works with the college鈥檚 Global Health Program.

To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu.  Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.

Graves Hall is located at 263 College Ave., between 10th and 12th streets.