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Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 3 Welcome

Page 5 Conference Schedule

Participants

1 Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary

Page 13 Bethel College

Page 17 Bluffton University

Page 21 Canadian Mennonite University

Page 23 Conrad Grebel University College

Page 25 Eastern Mennonite Seminary

Page 27 Eastern Mennonite University

Page 31 Goshen College

Page 35 Hesston College

Page 39 Mennonite Education Agency

Page 41 Overview and History of Mennonite Faculty Conferences

Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012 Page 1

Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012

Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012WELCOME

Welcome to the 2012 Mennonite faculty conference!

Each participating Mennonite college, university and seminary was invited to send five faculty and one academic dean to the conference. Participants were selected by their respective academic deans. Approximately half of the participants at the conference are newer faculty and the rest are longer-term faculty. Marpeck Deans Fund and Mennonite Education Agency sponsor the event, and their funds cover the costs of all onsite conference activities—a wonderful gift for participating Mennonite educational institutions.

Working with the theme of “God’s Reconciling Mission in the World,” the planning committee’s goal was for each conference participant to be given opportunity to

embrace a commitment to God’s purposes of reconciliation that requires our schools to be multi-cultural, racially and ethnically diverse, equitable, peaceable, and just

examine our experiences of failure or success in teaching or participating in campus life in light of the values (distorted or honorable) that fundamentally guide our behavior

imagine what a peaceable and just multi-cultural campus might look like in the near or far future

identify practices, attitudes, or values that must change in our classrooms, departments, and/or campuses for everyone’s gifts and resources on our campuses to find their fullest offering to the community

At this conference, we will meet new friends and reconnect with old friends from across the U.S. and Canada. Bios of each person attending the conference can be found in the participant section of the program book. During our time together, we will see that our failures and successes in living together in culturally diverse learning communities are set within God’s larger mission, which can shed light on ways in which we are called to live freely, justly, equitably, and peacefully together.

Welcome to Indiana!

2012 Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference Planning Committee:


Rebecca Slough, Associated Mennonite Biblical SeminaryPatricia Shelly, Bethel CollegeCrystal Sellers, Bluffton UniversityOwen Byer, Eastern Mennonite UniversityAnita Stalter, Goshen CollegeRuss Gaeddert, Hesston CollegeElaine Moyer, Mennonite Education AgencyVeva Mumaw, Mennonite Education Agency


Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Host/moderators: Rebecca Slough, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS)Anita K. Stalter, Goshen College

Worship leader: Crystal Sellers Battle, Bluffton University

Meeting room: All events will take place in the Koinonia Room of College Mennonite Church on the Goshen College campus unless otherwise indicated.

WEDNESDAY, August 1

5:00-7:30 p.m. REGISTRATION Student Apartments

7:30-8:30 p.m. REFRESHMENTS & REGISTRATION Koinonia Room

8:30 p.m. OPENING SESSION & WORSHIP

Introduction to the conference – Carlos Romero, MEA

Welcome – Anita Stalter, Goshen College

Hymn – HWB #397, “God loves all his many people” (vs. 1 & 2)

Prayer – Jon C. Peterson, Bluffton University

Prayer of Response – “Here Our Prayer, O Lord” (supplement)

Hymn – HWB #307, “Will you let me be your servant”

Scripture: Matthew 6:6-15 – Janeen Bertsche Johnson, AMBS

Hymn – STJ #69, “Cuando el pobre” (Led by Jon C. Peterson)

Readers TheaterMeditationSending Hymn – “This Little Light of Mine”

Benediction – Janeen Bertsche Johnson


THURSDAY, August 2

7:30-8:45 a.m. BREAKFAST Dining Hall

9:00-10:45 a.m. WORSHIP & PLENARY SESSION

Greetings – President James Brenneman, Goshen College

Hymn – HWB #579, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”

Prayer – Julie DeGraw, Bluffton University

Hymn – HWB #167, “For God so loved us” (vs. 1, 2 & 4)

Scripture: John 3:16 – Sally Weaver Sommer, Bluffton University

Hymn – HWB #6, “Here in this Place”

Celebration of DiversityLeader: We come from many backgrounds.All: We come from many generations.Leader: We come from many spiritual walks.All: We come from many ethnicities.Leader: We come from many experiences. Let us …All: Celebrate our unity in Christ.Leader: Let us …All: Celebrate our diversity in Christ. Leader: As Christ welcomed all who came to him,All: Regardless of social status, wealth, family,Leader: Ethnicity, race, gender,All: Holiness, righteousness, purity,Leader: Illness, disabilities, limitations,All: Intelligence, mental health, abilities,Leader: Religion, faith, or commitment,All: So do we welcome all who come, all who are sent,

all who join us. For God has called us all to be one family in Christ. Amen.

Meditation – Crystal Sellers Battle, Bluffton University

Sending Hymn – “Walk in the light” (supplement)

PRESENTATIONSWhy “diversity” is not a choice, but a gift and responsibility of faithful living as Christians (providing theological and/or “on the ground” perspective).

Luke Hartman, Eastern Mennonite University Rebecca Hernandez, Goshen College Walt Paquin, Bluffton University Regina Shands Stoltzfus, Goshen College


THURSDAY, August 2 (continued)

10:45-11:00 a.m. BREAK

11:00 a.m.-noon TABLE DISCUSSIONS What did we hear? What seems significant for informing our ongoing conversations during the conference? On our campuses?

12:00-1:15 p.m. LUNCH Dining Hall

1:30-2:30 p.m. TABLE DISCUSSIONSCase studies: Each participant brings a case study (an outline will be provided) from her/his own experience in classroom, department, or on-campus related to “diversity.” Smaller groups will be arranged by department, discipline or responsibility to discuss the cases and the learning that emerges .

2:30-2:45 p.m. BREAK

2:45-3:30 p.m. TABLE DISCUSSIONS (continued)

3:30-4:45 p.m. FREE TIME Rec-Fitness Center (one-day pass required, available at registration)Goshen College campus tour

5:00 p.m. Leave for AMBS If you need transportation or want to follow someone, meet outside the Koinonia Room at 4:45 p.m.

5:30 p.m. AMBS CAMPUS TOUR

6:00 p.m. DINNER Lambright Center Ritual of table fellowship and casual conversationAMBS Campus


FRIDAY, August 3

7:30-8:45 a.m. BREAKFAST Dining Hall

7:30-8:50 a.m. CHECK-OUT FROM APARTMENTS

9:00-10:45 a.m. WORSHIP & PLENARY SESSION

Hymn – HWB #546, “Guide my Feet”

Prayer – Dale Schrag, Bethel College

Hymn – HWB #395, “Here I am Lord”

Scripture: Isaiah 6:8-9 – Kent Palmer, Goshen College

Hymn – STJ #13, “My Soul is filled with joy”

Litany for the Beauty of Diversity

Leader: In Christ there is no longer Jew or GreekAll: For God delights in many races, cultures and faiths.Leader: In Christ there is no longer slave or freeAll: For God calls us to care for one another in freedom

and equality.Leader: In Christ there is no longer male or femaleAll: For we are all created in God’s image.Leader: Look, see the beauty and diversity of God mirrored in the

faces of those around us.All: Look, see the beauty and diversity of God mirrored in

the faces of humanity across the world. Look, see the beauty and diversity of God transforming us to be all that we can be.

Meditation – Janeen Bertsche Johnson, AMBS

Hymn – HWB #399, “Now go forward”

EXAMPLES FROM CLASSROOM TEACHINGHow does what we do in our classrooms, departments, and campus life contribute to God’s reconciling mission in the world?

Jon Sears, Canadian Mennonite University Dorothy Jean Weaver, Eastern Mennonite Seminary Mark Metzler Sawin, Eastern Mennonite University Laura Kraybill, Hesston College Jason Swartzlander, Bluffton University Francisca Méndez-Harclerode, Bethel College Kent Palmer, Goshen College Troy Osborne, Conrad Grebel University College Daniel Schipani, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary


FRIDAY, August 3 (continued)

10:45-11:00 a.m. BREAK

11:00-11:45 a.m. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONSWhat needs to change in our classrooms, departments and campus life for us to better reflect and align ourselves with God’s reconciling work?

11:45 a.m. CLOSING WORSHIP

Hymn – “God, Creator of all Nations” (supplement)

Prayer – Ross Peterson-Veatch, Goshen College

Song – “All around” (supplement)

Scripture: Matthew 28:19-20 – Troy Osborne, Conrad Grebel University College

Prayer for JusticeLeader: Almighty God, you created us in your own image.

Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil,And to make no peace with oppression.

All: And, that we may reverently use for freedom,Help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice to the glory of your holy name;Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Sending Hymn – STJ #78, “Sizahamba naye” (We will walk with God)


Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference 2012PARTICIPANTS

Janeen Bertsche Johnson, M.Div., Campus Pastor, [email protected]

Janeen brings to her ministry a passion for worship, music, community, and encouraging the gifts of others. She graduated from Bluffton College (now University), then entered seminary at AMBS, graduating with an M.Div. in 1989. After serving six years on the pastoral team of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church in Wichita, Kan., she returned to AMBS as campus pastor. She also teaches Formation in Ministry and a ministry colloquium. Janeen has been a member of the Executive Board of Mennonite

Church USA since 2003, and has served on many other conference and denominational committees and boards.

Jamie Pitts, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Anabaptist Studies, [email protected]

Jamie is interested in articulating a constructive Anabaptist theology rooted in Scripture, church history and congregational mission. In his doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, he took initial steps in this direction by revising John Howard Yoder’s theology of the principalities and powers in light of Trinitarian theology and contemporary social science. His current research and teaching seek to develop this line of thought through

engagement of global currents in Anabaptist theology, music and the arts. Jamie earned his M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary.

S. Robert Rosa, D.Min., Director of Enrollment Services, [email protected]

Bob began as director of enrollment services for AMBS in summer 2007. Previously he was dean of student development at Ashland (Ohio) Theological Seminary for 12 years. In addition to this role, he was the senior pastor of Richland Church of the Brethren in Mansfield, Ohio, 1996 to 2000. He has also served as a hospice chaplain, program director of Toronto (Ontario) Teen Challenge Center and


mailto:[email protected]



associate pastor of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle in Hamilton, Ontario. Bob grew up in Toronto and attended elementary and secondary school there. He holds a M.A. in biblical studies, a M.A. in pastoral counseling and a D.Min. from Ashland Theological Seminary.


Daniel Schipani, Ph.D., Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, [email protected]

Finding ways for people to live wisely is a goal for Daniel as he draws on the wisdom of God and the transforming vision of the reign of God in his teaching, research, and practice of pastoral care and counseling. Prior to coming to AMBS in 1985, he was associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico for nine years. He lectures widely in North America, Latin America and the Netherlands, and has written extensively in English

and Spanish, including several recent works on pastoral and interfaith spiritual care. His research interests include intercultural hermeneutics and human formation and transformation processes. Daniel also serves as a pastoral counselor at a health clinic in Goshen, Ind., and provides supervision of pastoral counseling and chaplaincy students. Daniel earned his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1981 and his M.A.R. from Goshen Biblical Seminary (which eventually formed AMBS) in 1974.

Rebecca Slough, Ph.D., Academic Dean; Associate Professor of Worship and the Arts; Director, Spiritual Formation Program, [email protected]

Rebecca’s gifts in worship, music, ministry and the arts come together in her teaching at AMBS. She is a musician, and in the classroom Rebecca helps students discover new insights by testing artistic responses to biblical texts. Before coming to AMBS in 1998, she served as managing editor for Hymnal: A Worship Book (1989–1992) and also was on the faculty at Bethany Theological Seminary. She is a member of the Hymn Society of the United States and Canada and of

the North American Academy of Liturgy. Rebecca extends her teaching beyond the AMBS classroom by leading retreats and workshops for pastors and congregations on worship, music and the arts. She earned her Ph.D. from Graduate Theological Union, M.A. from the University of Notre Dame, M.Div. from Goshen Biblical Seminary, and a B.A. from Goshen College.

“Good pastors are artists who improvise countless variations on the theme of God’s saving work in Jesus Christ and the inauguration of his reign. Pastors listen for the themes in the lives of their people, extending or altering the themes, shifting the accents, changing the harmonies, and then offering them back for response. Often through this improvisational work, God’s Spirit opens unimagined possibilities for healing, confession, reconciliation, deepened love, and extended grace. I thrill to watch students, colleagues, and even strangers risk the transforming possibilities of improvisation.”





Aaron Austin, M.Ed., Vice President for Student Life, [email protected]

Before joining Bethel College as vice president for student life, Aaron served as assistant director of residence life at Texas Tech University. Previous educational experience included assistant resident dean at Revelle College at the University of California San Diego, residence hall coordinator and graduate hall coordinator at Arizona State University, and senior admissions representative and coordinator of multicultural recruitment at Kansas State University. He also

worked for three years as the vice president of operations at California Capital & Investments Group. Aaron earned his M.Ed. from Arizona State University and B.A. in music education from Kansas State University.

Brad Born, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of Literary Studies, [email protected]

Prior to coming to Bethel College in 1995, Brad Born taught at the University of Kansas and Tabor College. At Bethel he has taught a wide range of English classes and courses across the general education program, including the freshman seminar, a cross-cultural learning course with travel to Ireland and England, and the senior capstone class, “Basic Issues of Faith and Life.” He has published essays and presented professional papers on a wide range of literary topics, including Henry James, Barbara Kingsolver, Herman Melville, early African-American fiction, literature of the sea, and Gordon Friesen—a little-known Mennonite novelist of the 1930s.

Brad has served as dean and vice president for academic affairs since 2005. In that role Brad’s professional interests include faculty development, collaborative governance models, and institutional accreditation procedures. Personal interests include traveling, bicycling, cooking and reading detective fiction—all for pleasure. Brad is married to Diane (Kinser) Born, and they have two children.




Francisca M. Méndez-Harclerode, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology, [email protected]

Francisca was born and raised in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the state of Tamaulipas, the most northeastern state in Mexico. Her parents wanted her to learn English so after finishing high school in her hometown, she came to the U.S. Francisca spent four summers as a summer missionary along the Rio Grande and finished her B.S. in biology at East Texas Baptist University. She then completed a M.S. in biology at the University of Central Missouri and a Ph.D. in biology at Texas Tech University.

After three years of work at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, she came to teach at Bethel College, where she has just finished her fourth year of employment.

Her fields of expertise are population genetics and phylogenetics. Francisca has published eight articles in peer-reviewed journals and one in a book. Her ongoing research focuses on the population genetics of a group of woodrats (genus Neotoma) in southern Texas (Dimmit and La Salle counties). However, at Bethel College, she has supervised senior theses focusing on a wide array of topics—everything from physiologic responses to gene knockout. “Working with students and helping them figure out issues of identity and meaning (Who am I? Who do I want to be? Why?) are my favorite professional goals.”

Francisca and her husband just celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary. They have no children, “but we do have a cute (albeit stinky) dog.”

Dale Schrag, M.A., Director of Church Relations, [email protected]

Dale is director of church relations and campus pastor at Bethel College. Dale graduated from Bethel College with a degree in history in 1969. After two years of voluntary service in Arvada, Colo., he taught high school history for two years in McPherson, Kansas. He served as a librarian in various capacities at Wichita State University for nine years (during which time he and his family were active members of Lorraine Avenue Mennonite Church). He came to Bethel College in 1984 as director of libraries. From 1996-2002, he served part-time as secretary of the Higher Education Council of the General Conference Mennonite Church.

In addition to his B.A. from Bethel College, Dale holds a M.A. of library science from Indiana University, and a M.A. in history from Wichita State University. To the extent that he has any historical specialty, it would focus




on the 16th-century Anabaptist movement. Dale lectures frequently in area churches on topics related to Anabaptism.

Dale is married to Margaret (Margo) Loewen, and they are members of Bethel College Mennonite Church. They have two adult children and six grandchildren, all of whom live within 12 miles of North Newton, Kan. “Life is good!”


Patricia Shelly, Ph.D., Professor of Bible and Religion, [email protected]

Patty is professor of Bible and religion at Bethel College, where she has taught since 1985. She also served as campus minister of chapel and worship from 1986-1996 and 2000-2003. Patty graduated from Bethel College in 1976 and did graduate work at the Iliff School of Theology (M.Div.) and the University of Denver (Ph.D., 1992). At Bethel, she teaches courses in biblical studies and theology; one course in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and another in eastern

religions. She also coordinates and regularly teaches in the capstone course for all seniors, “Basic Issues of Faith and Life.” Patty has been leading study seminars to Israel/Palestine since 1981. Every other January, she leads a travel course to Jerusalem for Bethel students and interested others (the next one will be in January 2013). From 1996-2000, Patty served as country director for Mennonite Central Committee’s West Bank and Gaza program based in Jerusalem. She also serves as core adjunct faculty for Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary-Great Plains Extension. She is finishing a second term on the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA.

Doug Siemens, Ed.D., Assistant Professor of Education, [email protected]

Before becoming an assistant professor of education, Doug was a special education teacher at Newton (Kan.) High School. His educational experience includes serving as a principal intern at Buena Vista (Colo.) High School and Avery Parsons Elementary School, member of the Principal’s Advisory Committee at Buena Vista High School, and special education department chair at Los Alamos (N.M.) High School.

In 2012, he earned his Ed.D. from Wichita State University. His dissertation was entitled, “Boys’ Achievement Gap and the Ethic of Care: A Participatory Action Research Study.” He earned his educational leadership principal licensure from Adams State College in Alamosa, Colo., M.A. in special education from the University of New Mexico, and B.A. from Bethel College.

Megan Upton Tyner, B.F.A., Director of Theatre, [email protected]

Megan is the Director of Theatre at Bethel College. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre performance as well as a M.A. in communication from Wichita State University. Her undergraduate studies focused not only on performance but also costume design and individual research and study of





alternative and improvisational theatre. Her graduate studies focused on documentary theatre and audience perception. As an actress she performed extensively at Wichita State University as well as in community theatres and small professional companies in the Wichita area. She was a member of several alternative theatre groups that embraced politically motivated presentations and was a member of a comedic improv troupe that performed across the city of Wichita. Megan is an energetic supporter of theatre for young people and has directed multiple children’s productions.


Hamilton Williams, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., Associate Professor of Social Work, [email protected]

Hamilton’s undergraduate degree is in experimental psychology from the University of South Carolina. His M.A. and Ph.D. are in social work from the University of South Carolina as well. He taught at East Carolina University for three years working with their Distance Education Program to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. His interests have been in working with Native American and Hispanic border populations, which were reflected in his seven years in New Mexico at Western New Mexico University. His family lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where he grew up.




Crystal Y. Sellers Battle, D.M.A., Assistant Professor of Music, [email protected]

Crystal is an assistant professor of music at Bluffton University, where she teaches voice and vocal pedagogy and conducts the university and community gospel choir. At The Ohio State University—where she earned her doctorate in voice performance—she was the first doctoral student to complete the Singing Health Specialist interdisciplinary graduate specialization. In that program, she studied medical tactics for repairing vocal injuries and rehabilitation of

professional vocalists. Her DMA document is titled “ ‘I sing because I’m Free:’ Developing a Systematic Vocal Pedagogy for the Modern Gospel Singer.” A Bluffton faculty member since 2009, Crystal earned a postgraduate artist diploma from Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and M.A. and B.A. degrees in voice performance from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Ill., and Bowling Green (Ohio) State University, respectively. In 2012, she married Lawrence Battle in June.

Julie DeGraw, Ph.D., Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, [email protected]

Julie DeGraw received her undergraduate degree from Calvin College in English and music as well as secondary education. She then went on to receive her M.A. in counseling from Michigan State University and her Ph.D. in higher education from the University of Michigan. Julie returned to Calvin as a resident director. She then served, 1994 to 1997, as a counselor and as coordinator for student leadership development. In 2004 Julie moved to Santa

Barbara, Calif., to serve as director of first-year programs at Westmont College where she worked with orientation, academic advising and students with disabilities. Most recently, before coming to Bluffton, Julie served as dean of counseling, advising and transfer at the College of Lake County, a community college north of Chicago.




Walt Paquin, M.S.W., Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work, [email protected]

Walt received a B.A. in social work from Western Carolina University in 1992. Following graduation he served for 18 months in Boston as a homeless service coordinator at Metropolitan Baptist Church. Both his M.A. and Ph.D. are from the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. He also worked in the social work field for several years in St. Louis, primarily with the homeless population. His dissertation, “When

City Renters Buy Homes, Do They Buy in Better Neighborhoods?” examined mobility and neighborhood quality for first-time home buyers with an emphasis on black households. He taught for eight years at Southeast Missouri State University before joining the Bluffton University faculty in 2011. He has done several presentations at the Urban Affairs Association, Council on Social Work Education and Society for Social Work and Research conferences. His main interests are the impact of race on housing and education.

Walt has been married for over 18 years to Rhonda, and they have a 10-year-old daughter Grace. He enjoys reading, cycling and being outdoors. After years of searching for a “spiritual home,” Walt is finding his place in the Mennonite tradition and realizing this connects with who he is and where he feels Christ has called him to be. He is seeking ways to incorporate faith and racial reconciliation into his work inside and out of the classroom.

Jon C. Peterson, D.M.A., Assistant Professor of Music, [email protected]

Jon serves as assistant professor of music at Bluffton University. This year he will be conducting the University Chorale as well as the annual performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Choral Society. He teaches courses in music history, music ministry and general education. Jon also currently serves as artistic director of the Columbus-based Magpie Consort, an 18-voice chamber chorus that specializes in early music, world music and other a cappella literature. He

has prepared choirs for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Philander Smith College, the University of Arizona and Southern Methodist University, and has sung with such respected choral organizations as the Dallas Symphony Chorus and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Jon received his Ph.D. and M.A. in choral conducting with a minor in historical musicology from The University of Arizona and Southern Methodist University, respectively. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Austin College with a B.A. in music performance. His recent research has focused on hymnology, global worship music and Baroque oratorio. He has




also contributed to GIA Publications’ Teaching Music Through Performance in Middle School Choir, which was released in 2011.

Prior to coming to Bluffton University in fall 2011, Jon served as Director of Music and Fine Arts at the First United Methodist Church of Little Rock in Arkansas. His experience in music ministry has taken him to congregations of varying sizes and denominations in Texas, Arizona and Arkansas. Jon lives just outside of Bluffton with his wife Karen and their son Ian.


Sally Weaver Sommer, Ph.D., Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Professor of Economics, [email protected]

Sally graduated from Bluffton College in 1974 with majors in mathematics and economics. At the end of her senior year, she married Jon Sommer. After spending a year living and traveling in South America and then the eastern United States, they entered Mennonite Voluntary Service. Their service assignment was managing a low-income apartment complex in Arvada, Colo. Sally completed her Ph.D. in economics at the University of Colorado.

In 1981 she and Jon moved back to Bluffton to open a natural foods store. In 1982 she began teaching as an adjunct professor at Bluffton College. Within a few years she became a regular part-time faculty member and then became full-time in 1992. In 1999 she accepted the position as associate dean and registrar and in 2007 was appointed to her current position. Sally’s research interests have been in economic conversation from military to civilian activities, migratory farm labor in northwest Ohio, and Central American economic development. Sally has three adult children living in Cincinnati, Ohio; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Champaign, Ill.

Jason Swartzlander, M.B.A., Assistant Professor of Accounting, [email protected]

Jason earned his undergraduate degree in accounting from Bowling Green State University and M.B.A. from Tiffin University. Currently he has ABD (All But Dissertation) from Anderson University, pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration in accounting. Jason’s dissertation focuses on the relationship between the use of temporary labor and financial performance. In the fall he will begin his sixth

year as a full-time professor at Bluffton.

Prior to joining Bluffton he spent 13 years in corporate accounting while serving as an adjunct instructor at various institutions. Jason lives in Bluffton with his wife Jennifer (executive director at Children’s Mentoring Connection in Findlay, Ohio), son Derek (entering sixth grade), and daughter Lauren (entering third grade).

Jacklyn Wells, M.A., Director of Residence Life, [email protected]

Jackie is currently beginning her fifth year as director of residence life for Bluffton University. Her job entails staff supervision, housing assignments, resident advisor/hall director recruitment and selection, student conduct and





parent relations. Jackie also coordinates the Restorative Justice in Campus Conduct program on Bluffton’s campus. She’s been actively involved with the Damascus Road antiracism team as well as the civic engagement committee. She is a 2005 Bluffton University graduate with a degree in early childhood education. She completed her graduate work in college student development at Appalachian State University in 2007. Before joining the student life staff at Bluffton, she worked in residence life at Bowling Green State University. Some of her interests include reading, enjoying a cup of coffee, photography, snowboarding and, of course, her dog Scarlet.



Earl Davey, Ph.D., Vice-President Academic and Interim President, edavey @ cmu.ca

Earl, vice president academic and professor of music at Canadian Mennonite University, holds a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. While engaged in post-doctoral studies at Darwin College of Cambridge University, he was a rehearsal guest of Claudio Abbado and the London Symphony Orchestra, and a student of Sergio Celibidache, conductor of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

Earl’s research includes articles published in the Journal of Aesthetic Education, Canadian Music Educator, American Arts Quarterly, British Journal of Music Education and Canadian Journal of Higher Education. For many years, he was a tenured member of the Faculty of Music at Brandon University, where he worked in the areas of conducting, philosophy of music and philosophy of music education. While at Brandon University, Earl served in various capacities, including chair of music education and chair of graduate studies. From 1995 to 1998, he taught at Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, under the auspices of Mennonite Central Committee. He also served as provost and vice-president academic at Tyndale University College & Seminary in Toronto before returning to Manitoba in 2008.

Earl is married to Marion Dick Davey. They have three children: Jordan, Harrison and Rachael. He and Marion attend the L’Eglise Communautaire de la Riviere Rouge, a Mennonite Brethren Church in St. Boniface, Winnipeg.

Jeff Huebner, M.B.A., Associate Professor of International Business, [email protected]

Jeff recently joined the Redekop School of Business at Canadian Mennonite University as associate professor of international business. He holds an M.B.A. from the University of Calgary (2004), B.A. of commerce degree from the University of British Columbia (1994), and has studied



overseas at the European Business School in Germany and Erasmus Universiteit in The Netherlands.

Jeff’s main areas of interest are international business and economic development, including an innovative course in microfinance he has developed that teaches students about providing financial services to microentrepreneurs in developing countries. Students conduct research consulting for microfinance organizations in Latin America and also have the opportunity to take part in travel studies to visit and see first-hand the partners’ programs in the field. Jeff also teaches courses in global business and leads travel studies to Europe looking at economic and political integration in the European Union. This type of experience-based learning can be a powerful facilitator, inspiring young people to apply their business skills in practical and meaningful ways that benefit individuals, communities and ministry organizations globally.

Originally from the Niagara region of Ontario, Jeff and his wife Lori-Anne have three children and recently moved from Calgary to Winnipeg to join CMU.

Craig Martin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business and Organizational Administration, Redekop School of Business, [email protected]

Craig teaches economics and business in the Redekop School of Business at Canadian Mennonite University. His areas of teaching are micro- and macro-economics, finance, decision science, statistical analysis and managerial accounting. He has a B.A. in economics from the University of Waterloo and has an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in agricultural economics and business from the University of Guelph. He is an alumnus of Conrad Grebel University

College. His research interests include the demand for food, monetary economics and the economics of altruism. He grew up in Elmira, Ontario, and is a member of Elmira Mennonite Church. In Winnipeg, he attends Fort Gerry Mennonite Fellowship. He is married to Nancy Martin (nee Yee) who is also an alumnus of Conrad Grebel University College. They have one daughter Natalie.

Jonathan M. Sears, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, International Development Studies, [email protected]

Since 2007 Jon has taught international development studies at Menno Simons College (affiliated with the University of Winnipeg). Since 2009, Jon has also taught political studies at CMU’s




Shaftesbury campus, and since 2011 led pre-departure sessions for CMU’s Outtatown Discipleship School French Africa program. Thus, Jon’s teaches in development ethics and theory, comparative politics of Africa, aid policies, and political philosophy. Jon earned a Ph.D. in political studies from Queen’s in Kingston, Ontario; M.A. in political philosophy from Brock in St. Catharines, Ontario; and B.A. in honours anthropology from Saint Thomas in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Jon’s scholarship includes a forthcoming article, in a special issue of the Canadian Journal of Development Studies (Fall-Winter 2012-2013), “Teaching theory through thinker-practitioners: contexts, challenges, and strategies of development and peace-building praxis.” Working from his doctoral thesis and subsequent fieldwork, Jon continues to investigate how citizen identity in African contexts is rooted in multiple cultures, and how these political cultures are affected by responses by individuals and groups to economic and political liberalization. Most recently, Canadian Mennonite magazine (July 9, 2012) published Jon’s letter “Becoming the men ‘we might become,’” which reflects on how students are challenged by more and more complex images of contemporary masculinity.

Jon and his partner Dorothea live in the Daniel McIntyre neighborhood of Winnipeg’s inner city. They share in church worship and service at Saint Benedict’s Table (Anglican) and Fort Garry Mennonite Fellowship (Mennonite Church Canada).



Troy Osborne, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of History, [email protected]

Because his parents worked at Hesston College and served with Mennonite Central Committee, Troy’s earliest memories are of Mennonite higher education and Mennonite institutions. After graduating from Hesston College in 1991, he spent a year in the Netherlands with the Intermenno exchange program, learning to know Dutch Mennonites in Amsterdam and Schoorl. After returning to the U.S., Troy studied at Goshen College, where he majored in history and

Bible/ religion/ philosophy. Following graduation, he worked at several jobs in the area, including Menno-Hof in Shipshewana and a factory in Middlebury.

In 1995, he became the first person to re-enlist with Intermenno and traveled to Germany, where he worked at a Mennonite nursing home in Enkenbach and a retreat center near Thomashof. Thereafter, Troy studied theology and ethics at AMBS, earning his M.A. degree in theological studies. He (finally!) left the Mennonite world for the Twin Cities, earning a Ph.D. in early modern history at the University of Minnesota. His dissertation examines church discipline in the Amsterdam Mennonite Church during the 17th century, funded with the help of the Fulbright Foundation. Troy’s first teaching position was as a visiting professor at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn.. In 2008, he joined the faculty at Bluffton University, where he taught until moving to Conrad Grebel in 2011.

Troy’s wife Emma is English and takes care of daughters Millie (6) and Iris (4) who enjoy reading and singing, but not Mennonite history and theology.

James Pankratz, Ph.D., Academic Dean, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Director of Theological Studies (Graduate), [email protected]

Jim is academic dean at Conrad Grebel University College and associate professor of religious studies at the University of Waterloo. His teaching and research area is the




interaction of religious traditions. He teaches a graduate course “Christianity’s Encounter with Other Faiths.”

He earned his Ph.D., M.A. and B.A. degrees from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. His master’s thesis was on early Buddhist Scriptures and his doctoral thesis was on Rammohun Roy, an early 19th century Hindu who integrated insights from both Islam and Christianity into his reformulation of Hinduism. Jim spent two years in Calcutta conducting his doctoral research.

Jim taught at a Mennonite college (now part of the Canadian Mennonite University) in Winnipeg for 20 years, during which he was also dean (four years) and president (nine years). He spent three years with Mennonite Central Committee in Bangladesh, and was dean of Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif., for seven years.

He enjoys “teaching on the road,” leading travel-study tours in Bangladesh, China and India. He has also had the privilege of helping to establish new institutions and programs such as Lithuania Christian College and the Outtatown program at CMU. His wife Goldine is a nurse. They have two married daughters, two sons-in-law and two grandchildren—one family living in Winnipeg and the other in Bermuda.



Stephen Kriss, M.Div., Associate Director of Pastoral Studies, Eastern Mennonite Seminary Pennsylvania, [email protected]

Steve lives in Philadelphia where Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Pennsylvania recently opened an office on the campus of Lutheran Theological School of Philadelphia. He works also with Franconia Mennonite Conference and is on a study leave to finish his dissertation on organizational communication in post-Christendom contexts from Duquesne University. Primary study, teaching and

research include pastoral leadership, intercultural engagement and communication ethics. Steve earned a M.Div. from Drew University, M.A. from Duquesne University and B.A. from EMU.

Dorothy Jean Weaver, M.Div, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament, [email protected]

Dorothy Jean is professor of New Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary where she has taught since 1984. She holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Va.; an M.Div. from AMBS; and a B.A. in modern languages (German/French) from EMU. Internationally she has studied in Marburg, Germany (1971-1972), Berne, Switzerland (1981-1982), and Damascus, Syria (2010).

Her publications include Matthew’s Missionary Discourse: A Literary Critical Analysis (Sheffield, 1990), Bread for the Enemy: A Peace and Justice Lectionary (Mennonite Church Peace and Justice Committee, 2001), and numerous articles in published volumes, academic journals and church publications. Dorothy Jean leads regular Israel/Palestine study tours for EMS and Nazareth/Bethlehem work groups for Virginia Mennonite Missions. She has taught New Testament courses and/or




presented New Testament lectures in Beirut, Lebanon; Bethlehem, Palestine; Jerusalem, Israel; Cairo, Egypt; and Debre Zeit, Ethiopia.

At home in Harrisonburg, Dorothy Jean sings regularly with the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society and with the Festival Chorus of the annual Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival. She enjoys digital photography, bread baking and hosting friends for such culinary events as pancake breakfasts, Christmas Eve suppers, Easter dinners and Middle Eastern meals. Out and about, Dorothy Jean travels regularly to Mennonite World Conference Assemblies (Wichita, Strasbourg, Winnipeg, Calcutta, Bulawayo, Asuncion). She is a member of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Va., where she serves the congregation by ushering, song leading and occasional Sunday School teaching. Lonnie D. Yoder, M.Div, Ph.D., Associate Dean/Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling, [email protected]

A native of rural southeast Iowa, Lonnie served as youth minister and assistant pastor in his home congregation, East Union Mennonite Church, for 12 years before engaging doctoral studies at the University of Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. in religion and personality from the University of Iowa, M.Div. from AMBS, and B.A. in mathematics from Drake University. A professor at Eastern Mennonite Seminary since 1991, in 2010 he assumed the role of associate dean at the seminary while continuing to teach in the areas of pastoral care/ counseling and leadership. He has published on various topics including distance learning, lived religion, pastoral care and counseling, leadership, and aging.

Married to Teresa Boshart Yoder, a nurse administrator, and father to two young adult daughters, Lonnie enjoys family time, sports, genealogy and gardening. In addition to his academic roles, he is a consultant to the Harrisonburg District churches of Virginia Mennonite Conference. He also serves as a pastoral elder at Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg.




Deanna Durham, M.S.W., Assistant Professor, EMU Department of Applied Social Sciences, [email protected]

Deanna helps her students weave their way through issues related to immigration (who’s welcome and who’s not?) and gender and race and how they are privileged and marginalized (sometimes simultaneously)—often without being aware of how their narratives have impacted and are currently impacting others. Her graduate education at Howard University in Washington, D.C., focused on transgressing boundaries, especially hierarchical and social

boundaries. She enjoys helping students imagine how they, too, might be “boundary-breechers.” She also serves as faculty adviser for the student organization, Safe Space.

“In every course I teach, students are asked to imagine what it would be like to be marginalized, pushed to the edges of society, the church, institutions, peer groups, etc. We explore ways of moving toward inclusion, reaching beyond our own comfort zone into other worlds and communities and deep within ourselves to discern what God is calling us to personally, vocationally, spiritually.”

Deanna lives on a family farm with cows, sheep, cats, two teenage boys and a good husband (Byron Peachey). They enjoy watching lots of soccer games, The Colbert Report and finding humor in their sons’ antics. She especially enjoys digging, gardening and good coffee.

Cathy Smeltzer Erb, Ph.D., Undergraduate Chair/Professor of Teacher Education, [email protected]

Growing up as the daughter of a Mennonite pastor launched Cathy’s residency in many Mennonite meccas. She attended Iowa Mennonite School and graduated from Bethany Christian High School. Following Hesston College and Eastern Mennonite University where she earned a B.Sc. in home economics education, she moved to Ontario where she taught middle/high school family studies at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate and two public schools in Kitchener,




Ontario, and earned M.Ed. and Ph.D. degrees in curriculum, teaching, and learning from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. During graduate school, Cathy researched and published in the area of secondary school reform, particularly the role of the department head structure.

Since she could not mastermind moving EMU to Canada, her family relocated to Harrisonburg in 2002 so she could join the EMU faculty. In 2007, she became chair of undergraduate education. Her teaching and research interests lie in the areas of equitable instruction, emotions of teaching, beginning teaching, and action research. Recent publications focus on pedagogical approaches in equitable classroom environments.

She is married to Ross Erb, a social-worker-turned-pastor who is associate pastor of children, youth and families at Park View Mennonite Church. They have three young adult children: Peyton, an EMU alum, will soon begin her first year of teaching in Harrisonburg, and Brendan and Aaron are entering their junior year at EMU.

Luke Hartman, Ph.D., Vice President for Enrollment, [email protected]

Luke began his recruitment experience serving as an associate director of enrollment and head basketball coach. Currently serving as the vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, Luke oversees the areas of admissions, financial, and retention. He resides in Harrisonburg, Va., with his wife Staci and their three daughters.

Luke taught public middle school and high school students with exceptional learning and behavioral needs, and served as a behavioral consultant aiding teachers with challenging students. He has taught in the education departments at Hesston College, Bethel College and EMU, and has been teaching graduate courses for EMU Harrisonburg and EMU Lancaster for the last 11 years. He most recently served the Harrisonburg City Public School system as an administrator of the most diverse middle school per capita in the state of Virginia, a school that he helped to open.

A graduate of Hesston College, EMU, and Wichita State University, he will soon be awarded a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. His dissertation was focused on prejudice reduction through diversity coursework, and he continues to focus on multiculturalism and social justice in the field of education. He is a widely sought-after public speaker in both secular and religious settings, speaking all across the country on various topics including but not limited to: discipleship, educational pedagogy and meeting the needs of the diverse learner.



Nancy R. Heisey, Ph.D., M.Div., Professor of Biblical Studies and Undergraduate Academic Dean, [email protected]

Nancy is undergraduate academic dean and professor of biblical studies and church history at Eastern Mennonite University. Her life and work have been greatly influenced by a childhood growing up with Brethren in Christ missionary parents among the Navajo people of the Southwestern United States. She also was shaped by her years as a secondary school teacher under Mennonite Central Committee in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Together with her husband Paul Longacre, she later spent two years visiting churches around the world on behalf of Mennonite mission and service agencies in North America.

Nancy holds M.Div. from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Ph.D. from Temple University. She served as president of Mennonite World Conference, 2003 to 2009. In the past year she has been learning many new things about caregiving and has been grateful to have kind and willing-to-share nursing colleagues.

Beth Lehman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education, [email protected]

Beth Lehman is an assistant professor of teacher education at EMU. She earned her Ph.D. in literacy, culture and language education at Indiana University, M.A. in English education at Indiana University, and M.A. in English at Butler University. Beth’s past work in education includes teaching middle school language arts, middle school literacy coaching, consulting in the teaching of writing, and working within urban high school reform as a teaching and learning

coach.

Participation in the Hoosier Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, deeply influenced Beth’s professional concerns. Additionally, Beth’s work with equity-focused urban school reform impacts her educational priorities. Beth’s research and teaching interests include: the teaching of writing and critical literacy, the development of teacher identities and teacher discourses, and the roles of narrative in school reform and educational research. Beth enjoys teaching, learning and researching within and across educational settings as a means for building partnerships, exploring multiple meanings, and seeking equity and inclusion within richly diverse learning communities.




Mark Metzler Sawin, Ph.D., Professor of History; Director, University Honors Program, [email protected]

Mark Metzler Sawin grew up in Hesston, Kan., graduated from Goshen College in 1993 with a B.A. in English and political science, and then earned his M.A. (1997) and Ph.D. (2001) in American studies from the University of Texas, Austin. He began teaching U.S. History at Eastern Mennonite University in 2001 and in 2011 became the director of the Honors Program.

Mark has served as the president of the Mid-Atlantic American Studies Association, as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Zabreb in Croatia (2008-2009), and is currently chairing one of the standing committees of the national American Studies Association. His research interests include American popular culture of the 1840-1850s and of the post-WWII era. His book, Raising Kane: Elisha Kent Kane & the Culture of Fame in Antebellum America, came out in 2008, and he is now working on a project about Ned Buntline, a prolific and scandalous author, impresario and political rabble-rouser of the 1840-1880s.

Mark is also currently working with Howard Zehr on an illustrated book about Virginia people and their pickup trucks. Mark is married to Erika Metzler Sawin (Goshen College, 1993) who is a professor of nursing at James Madison University in Harrisonburg. They have two children, Cora (12) and Isaac (10).




Rebecca Hernandez, Ph.D., Director, Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning; and Assistant Professor of Nursing, [email protected]

Born in Joliet, Ill., and a daughter of migrant farm workers, Rebecca has been working on Latino issues throughout her career. She began as a schoolteacher, then served as a community program director and now directs the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning at Goshen College. She is also an assistant professor in the School of Nursing.

Previously, Rebecca was the director of community building for the Hacienda Community Development Corporation in

Portland, Ore. She also held faculty appointments at Oregon State University and at Oregon Health and Sciences University School of Nursing, where she worked to develop community-based programs to reduce health disparities among Latinos.

Rebecca completed her doctoral work in human development and family studies at Oregon State University. She earned her M.A. in public administration from Portland State University and B.A. from Southeastern College.

Randy Horst, M.F.A., Professor of Art, [email protected]

Randy Horst is a 1979 graduate of Hesston College, a 1983 graduate of Goshen College with a B.A. in art education, and a 1986 graduate of Bowling Green State University in Ohio with a Master of Fine Arts in drawing. He has just completed his third year teaching art at Goshen College and previously taught art at Bowling Green State University and The University of Montana Western in Dillon, Mont. At Goshen College Randy teaches a variety of 2-D studio classes and art

history, and has also taught classes in graphic design and art education.

As an artist Randy has exhibited his mixed media drawings in regional and national juried exhibits. His most recent figurative work has focused on




exploring the psychological realities of the religious figures of Job and Saint Sebastian. Randy has also worked as a graphic designer for Goshen College, Mennonite Mutual Aid (now Everence), and Great Harvest Bread Company as well as for a variety of freelance clients.

Randy is married to Laura Lerch Horst, currently the marketing director at Ruthmere Museum in Elkhart, Ind., and they have two adult children.

Kent Palmer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Informatics, [email protected]

Kent Palmer is passionate about finding ways to use information technology to increase effectiveness of nonprofit organizations. He has 15 years of experience either working or volunteering full time with nonprofit organizations, including Eastern Mennonite Board of Mission and Charities, Society for Environmental and Educational Development, Habitat for Humanity International, Brethren Volunteer Service, Peace Brigades

International, Koinonia Partners, and Menno Home Repair (Oklahoma City).

Kent’s B.A. degree is from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he had a concentration in science and environmental change with a discipline in physics. As an undergraduate, he did research at the Laboratory for Surface Studies on reflection absorption spectroscopy and at Argonne National Laboratory on liquid metal MHD power plants.

Kent’s M.A. degree is in environmental administration from University of Illinois-Springfield. While completing his master’s degree, Kent worked at the Radiochemistry Laboratory of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety. His research focused on the measurement of radon gas in homes.

Kent’s Ph.D. degree is in information science from Nova Southeastern University. His dissertation focused on ways to increase the effectiveness of websites of large nonprofit organizations.

Kent teaches in Goshen College’s newest academic program, informatics. In this program, Kent helps students learn how to use computers to solving real world problems. Goshen’s informatics students choose to focus on problems from one of the following areas: biology, business, media and communication, mathematics, and peace, justice, and conflict studies. Kent uses his experience in government and mission agencies to assist students working in all the areas.

Gilberto Pérez, Jr., M.S.W., A.C.S.W., Associate Professor of Social Work, [email protected]




Gilberto holds a B.A. in social work and a graduate certificate in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University. He also holds a M.S.W. from the Universidad Interamericana in San Juan, P.R. Gilberto is the founder and author of the Bienvenido Program. The Bienvenido Program is a nationally sought out program for educating Latino immigrants on mental health. Gilberto recently contributed to two national

reports on health disparities in the Latino community.

Gilberto has served as a peace evangelist for the Mennonite church and is a regional pastor for Indiana/Michigan Mennonite Conference. He lives in Goshen with his wife Denise and three children.

Ross Peterson-Veatch, Ph.D., Associate Academic Dean and Director of Curriculum, Teaching and Faculty Development at the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning, [email protected]

Ross is the associate academic dean at Goshen College where he serves as Director of the Core Curriculum program. He is also the director of curriculum, teaching and faculty development at the Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning (CITL), and will begin in winter 2013 as academic director of the Master in Intercultural Leadership program. He holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in folklore from Indiana University, and a B.A. in Spanish

and sociology/anthropology from Earlham College. He is a former high school and university Spanish teacher, instructional coach and school transformation coach, and held faculty positions at Earlham College and Indiana University before coming to Goshen College. He is also a national facilitator with the School Reform Initiative, and his research interests include intercultural leadership, equity in education, transformative adult learning and higher education administration. He and his wife Erika, who also holds a Ph.D. in folklore, have two sons.

Anita K. Stalter, Ph.D., Vice President for Academic Affairs and Academic Dean, [email protected]

Anita became vice president for academic affairs and academic dean in 2001 following 14 years as a professor in the education department and director of teacher education at Goshen College. Before coming to Goshen College she was a teacher in the Harrisonburg, Va., public




school system and served as director of the school for youth and adolescents at Oaklawn Hospital in Goshen.

As vice president for academic affairs, Anita is responsible for managing and administering the academic programs consistent with the mission of Goshen College and overseeing the Good Library, Mennonite Historical Library, International Education, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, core curriculum, Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning, adult and online programs and the registrar’s office. Anita earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University, M.Ed. from James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Va.), and B.S. from Eastern Mennonite College.

Regina Shands Stoltzfus, M.A., Assistant Professor: Peace, Justice, Conflict Studies/Bible, Religion and Philosophy, [email protected]

Regina is currently a doctoral student in theology, ethics and contemporary culture at the Chicago Theological Seminary. She earned her M.A. in biblical studies-Old Testament from Ashland Theological Seminary and B.A. from Cleveland State University. Regina’s research interests include an analysis of how race, gender and faith shape identity, and how such an analysis might be used foster reconciliation and justice in local communities as well as in

a globalized context.

Laura S. Meitzner Yoder, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Sustainability and Environmental Education, Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, [email protected]

Laura earned a Ph.D. in social ecology, forestry & environmental studies from Yale University, M.P.S. in international agriculture and rural development from Cornell University, and B.A. in natural science/biology from Messiah College.

Laura’s work focuses on the politics and practices of sustainable land use and human-nature relationships. After

several years of working on seed systems and plant varieties used by smallholder upland farmers in Latin America, she has focused since 1998 on resource access issues of forest dwellers and rural villagers. For more than a decade, she has taught in local universities and environmental study abroad programs in Asia (Indonesia, Timor Leste, Thailand, Bhutan).

Current research areas and projects:1. Sustainability education for diverse audiences

• environmental education priorities of Latino communities in Northeast Indiana




• teaching sustainability concepts with multidisciplinary student groups

2. Political ecology of natural resources• intersections of government and customary land and forest

regulation institutions in Southeast Asia• environmental history of land use change (encroaching pine forests

in central Bhutan; water management systems in Indiana)3. Rural livelihoods in subsistence agriculture

• farmer-based biodiversity conservation• community seed flow dynamics• politics of swidden forest farming



Tony Brown, M.S.W., Sociology Faculty, Artist in Residence, Internal Diversity Consultant, [email protected]

Tony teaches in the sociology department, is artist in residence and internal diversity consultant at Hesston College. He is a graduate of Goshen College, receiving his undergraduate degree in psychology. He received his master’s in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tony is a professional singer and uses music as a tool to promote peace and good will around the world. In 2007 he founded the not-for-profit organization, Peacing It Together Foundation. Peacing It Together Foundation seeks to serve the global community as a resource and catalyst for the work of peace and social justice, using music and the spoken word to uplift areas of despair to hope. He is currently performing a tribute show to honor the great African American performer Paul Robeson. You can learn more about the show at www.IGoOnSinging.com . He is married to Erika Shinya and resides in Albuquerque, N.M., and Hesston, Kan.

Russ Gaeddert, M.Ed., Director of Disaster Management Program, [email protected]

Russ Gaeddert is the director of the disaster management program (DMP) at Hesston College, a position he has held for seven years since the inception of the program in August 2005. The program is affiliated with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) and emphasizes service-mindedness, leadership development and introduces disaster response and recovery concepts to the students. In addition to participating in local service opportunities

throughout the year, students in the DMP serve eight weeks on active MDS sites in the summers after their freshmen and sophomore years. Russ also helps organize local service events for Hesston College students, such as the Numana meal-packaging event. Prior to this position, he was an elementary school teacher for 24 years in the central Kansas area and also coached high school girls’ basketball.



http://www.IGoOnSinging.com/


Russ is a 1980 graduate of Bethel College and got his M.A. from Wichita State in 2000 in curriculum and instruction. He lives in Hutchinson with his wife Jean and has two grown sons, Adam and Sam. He is an active member of First Mennonite Church in Hutchinson. He enjoys many sports (both playing and watching), woodworking, traveling with his family and solving word puzzles.


Marissa King, M.A., Education and English Faculty, [email protected]

Marissa earned her M.A. in education from North Central University in Prescott, Ariz.; B.A. in Spanish and TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from Eastern Mennonite University; and A.A. from Hesston College. She lived in Guatemala and attended the Central American Study and Service program where she taught English for two and half months. She also attended the University of Querétaro (central Mexico) for six months because of her love for

Spanish. While in Guatemala she came to believe that education is the means for change so she applied for Teach for America, an organization that works in under-resourced schools. Marissa taught first grade in Phoenix, Ariz., in a neighborhood where 97 percent of the population are not native English-speakers. The program helped her become certified to teach and complete her master’s degree.

Laura Kraybill, M.A., Director of Theatre, [email protected]

Laura earned her M.A. in theatre education from Emerson College in Boston, Mass., and B.A. in communication from Goshen College. Her research interests include theatre in ministry, theatre for social change and theatre across the curriculum. Publications include several articles in The Mennonite and contributions to the

Anabaptist prayer book, Take Our Moments and Our Days. She planned and led worship and drama at the Mennonite South Central Conference in 2011 and helped plan several Mennonite Church USA conventions. Prior to teaching at Hesston College, Kraybill taught at the Boston Children’s Theatre and wrote and acted in What Say You, Mary Warren?, an interactive play about the Salem Witch Trials performed at the Boston Arts Academy.

Jean Smucker Rodgers, R.N., M.N., Nursing Faculty, [email protected]

Jean’s younger years were spent in Orrville and Smithville, Ohio. Her home congregation, Oak Grove Mennonite (Smithville, Ohio), and family were a great support to her desire to be an educator. She graduated from Orrville High School, Goshen College and Wichita (Kan.) State University. Most of her teaching career has been at Hesston College with an additional six years in Kathmandu, Nepal, teaching nursing through the Mennonite Board of Mission’s





association with United Mission to Nepal. Jean has been able to teach in the classroom and clinical in a variety of nursing disciplines. One area of instruction she enjoys is assisting students to prepare for the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). She has worked with Prentice Hall to write review notes and questions for students as they prepare to take NCLEX.

Recently Jean co-taught an intercultural nursing class and then traveled with nursing students to Menno Clinic in Chiluvuru, Andra Pradesh, India. This was a learning experience for her and one that Hesston College is planning to repeat in two years.


Sandee Zerger, Ph.D., Vice President of Academics, [email protected]

Sandee earned her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Kansas, M.A. in English from the University of Kansas, and B.A. in English from Bethel College. Her research interests, publications and consulting are in discipline-specific literacy, pedagogy, academic support and faculty development.

For fun and relaxation, she enjoys traveling, walking, reading, creating in fabrics, beading and jewelry making, cooking and knitting. She also loves doing things with her four small grandchildren, their parents and her husband.




Elaine A. Moyer, M.A., Senior Director, [email protected]

Elaine Moyer serves the church as Senior Director of Mennonite Education Agency by resourcing, networking and amplifying the good work of all of Mennonite Church USA educational institutions; early childhood, PreK-12, colleges and universities including seminary and graduate programs. Her current work includes consulting and mentoring. She relates to schools locally, nationally and globally. Elaine continues to have a passion for

discovering how Anabaptism can inspire educational leadership for an intercultural age.

Elaine served as principal of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School for over 20 years leading capital projects, improving enrollment, and strengthening operations. She has led educational program initiatives that inspire lifelong learning through memorable interactive experiences. She has been involved in Christ-centered Anabaptist education since 1976, following several years in public education.

Elaine has led teams of professional educators in both public and private school accreditation reviews. She has served on various boards including 18 years of service on the Bluffton University Board of Trustees. She earned her M.A. from Marshall University in Huntington, W.V., B.A. from Bluffton University and A.A. from Hesston College.

Elaine and her husband David have two married sons and one grandson. They reside in Harleysville, Pa., and are members of Salford Mennonite Church. They hosted 15 IVEPers (MCC’s International Visitor Exchange Program), have traveled to over 30 countries and enjoy the cultural richness that awakens the senses, expands friendships, and inspires the spirit.

Veva Z. Mumaw, B.S., Event Coordinator and Staff Associate, [email protected]




Veva worked in Mennonite education for 15 years prior to joining MEA in 2006. Previously she worked at Eastern Mennonite University, Penn View Christian School and Christopher Dock Mennonite High School. At MEA her responsibilities include the coordination of MEA-sponsored events like this faculty conference and assistance for Mennonite Early Childhood Network, Mennonite Schools Council, and Anabaptist Learning Institute.

Veva also serves as pastor of children, youth and young adults at Olive Mennonite Church. She is in the process of taking courses toward a M.Div. degree. Veva earned her B.S. in education from EMU and A.A. from Hesston College. She and her husband Jeff live in Goshen and have three children. Joseph will be a junior at Bethany Christian Schools, Austin will be a freshman at EMU, and Karla is a 2012 graduate of EMU and will soon begin her first year teaching for Harrisonburg City Public Schools.


Overview and History of Mennonite Faculty Conferences

2000-2008

Hesston CollegeAugust 18 – 19, 2000Theme: “Anabaptist/Mennonite perspectives: Implications for professors at Mennonite colleges”

Forty-four people participated in the first New Faculty Orientation representing Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Bethel College, Bluffton College, Canadian Mennonite University, Conrad Grebel College, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, Hesston College and Mennonite Board of Education.

Participants focused on understanding more fully the ideals that undergird Mennonite higher education. In understanding the distinctiveness of Mennonite higher education, individuals, with the support of colleagues, worked to translate those ideals into authentic practices.

The workshops focused on various aspects of Mennonite higher education: “Our Church,” “Our Students,” “Our Mission,” “Our Strategies,” and “Our Colleagues, Our Selves.” Panel leaders from the represented institutions facilitated discussion.


Canadian Mennonite UniversityAugust 9 - 10, 2002Theme: “Beyond Academic Excellence.”

Fifty-nine people participated in this conference representing Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Bethel College, Bluffton University, Canadian Mennonite University, Conrad Grebel University College, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, Hesston College, Mennonite Education Agency, and Alfred Neufeld, dean of Evangelical University, Asuncion, Paraguay. Harry Huebner, dean of Canadian Mennonite University, presented on the following question, “In what distinctive way should a professor at a Mennonite college or university allow faith and academic discipline to inform, critique, and change each other?”

Dale Schrag, director of church relations at Bethel College, presented on the following question, “In what distinctive ways should a professor at a Mennonite university or college contribute to a hospitable environment?”

Bluffton UniversityAugust 8 - 10, 2006Theme: “Higher Learning and the Wisdom of the Cross” Focal Text: I Corinthians 1-2

Forty people participated in the third Mennonite University Faculty Conference representing Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Bethel College, Bluffton University, Canadian Mennonite University, Conrad Grebel University College, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Mennonite Education Agency.

Dr. Gordon Zerbe, vice president and academic dean of Canadian Mennonite University, presented the keynote, “The Wisdom of the Cross and the Knowledge of Our Age.” He discussed how the entire life and lordship of Jesus Christ shapes (or should shape) the reception and teaching of academic disciplines in Mennonite colleges and universities

Dr. Susan Biesecker-Mast, associate professor of communication at Bluffton University, presented the second keynote address, “The Wisdom of the Cross and the Lives of our Students.” She focused on how teaching practices at Mennonite institutions of higher education, shaped by the life and lordship of Jesus, engage (or should engage) the concerns, culture and world views of students.


Eastern Mennonite University August 7-9, 2008Theme: “Creation, Christ and the Classroom” Focal Text: John 1:1-18

Forty-three deans and faculty members from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Bethel College, Bluffton University, Canadian Mennonite University, Conrad Grebel University College, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Hesston College participated in the two-day event. A number of graduate students and additional EMU faculty and staff attended the general sessions as well.

Willard Swartley, professor emertitus of new testament, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, gave a keynote address entitled “The World via the Word:

How does the incarnated Word of God create all things?”

Doug Graber Neufeld, associate professor, biology department, Eastern Mennonite University, gave the second keynote address entitled “The Word via the World: How does faithful teaching/science make visible the relationship between the created world and the incarnated Word of God?”

The faculty presentations responded to one of the following questions: “How does the incarnated

Word of God orient my scholarship?”

“How does the creativity of the incarnated Word of God shape the discovery and understanding of the creation in my discipline and in my classroom?”


fileshare.mennonites.org file · web vieweducation leaders gathering 2011. page 44. mennonite...

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