About Our People

Melanie Mock (English) released a book, Worthy: Finding Yourself in a World Expecting Someone Else (Herald Press) in April. According to the publisher, the book “sifts through the shape and weight of expectations that press Christians into cultural molds rather than God’s image. By plumbing Scripture and critiquing the 10-billion-dollar-a-year self-improvement industry, Mock offers life-giving reminders that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Aida Isela Ramos (Sociology/Student Success Coordinator) has published two coauthored peer-reviewed articles this year, “The Growth and Diversity of Latino Protestants in America” in Religion Compass and “Latinx Conversion and Miracle Seeking at a Buddhist Temple” in the International Journal of Latin American Religions. She also authored a book chapter, “A Changing Landscape: A Sociological Perspective,” in A Plentiful Harvest: Practices for Effective Ministry among Latinos (Pathway Press) and an article, “The Rise of Latino Protestants,” in Sojourners magazine. Last year, she published a lead peer-reviewed article, “The Contexts of Conversion Among U.S. Latinos,” in the Sociology of Religion and a book, Latino Protestants in America: Diverse and Growing (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers).

Sunggu Yang (Christian Studies) recently published book chapters in two books. “A Three-Fold Homiletic Lesson from Dr. King’s Pastoral and Prophetic Preaching on Violence” was published in Preaching Prophetic Care (Wipf & Stock) and “The Promised Land: A Postcolonial Homiletic of Promise in the Asian American Context” was published in Homiletic Theology Project Vol. 3 (Wipf & Stock). Yang also delivered sermons at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and Bethel Korean Presbyterian Church in Portland in July.

Elizabeth Roark and Stephanie Matthew (Nursing) were asked to present at the Innovations in Faith-Based Nursing Conference at Indiana Wesleyan University on June 19. The event featured a variety of presentations and posters demonstrating how universities merge Christianity and nursing to improve practice. Stephanie and Elizabeth presented their original research on “Navigating Mismatched Expectations on an International Nursing Service-Learning Trip,” sharing about their service-learning experiences in Kenya, Haiti, Nicaragua and India, where they utilized their nursing skills to mentor students and community members. Each country has unique needs, which presents a challenge and results in personal and professional enrichment for faculty and students alike.

Mark Pothoff (Student Life) was part of the leadership team that facilitated the New Professionals Retreat as part of the Association for Christians in Student Development’s (ACSD) annual conference, held at Biola University in La Mirada, California, June 4-7. Joining him at the conference were Brad Lau, Rebecca Hernandez, Jenny Elsey, Bryce Coefield, Kristi Welker, Min Choi, Elizabeth Anderson, Kristina Van Der Eems and Stephanie St. Cyr.

At the conference, Elsey (Intercultural Life) and Hernandez (Chief Diversity Officer) presented a workshop, “Race, Ethnicity, and the Future of Christian Higher Education,” featuring a panel of select authors who wrote the book Diversity Matters.

Erik Comfort Bay (Plant Services) recently passed the exam required to be a licensed journeyman electrician.

Ed Higgins (English Faculty Emeritus) published two poems, “Adam Names the Animals” and “Imago Dei,” in the April 25, 2018, issue of Statement Magazine, a journal of creative writing and art published each spring by the English Department, the College of Arts and Letters, and Associated Students, Inc. at California University, Los Angeles. Also, his poem “Blue Heron” appeared in the Summer 2018 issue of Terrene, an online literary magazine “dedicated to an earth worth writing for,” according to the publisher.

Grant Burns, Jenny Elsey and Dave Johnstone (Student Life) published an article, “The motivation of students of color for pursuing leadership positions at faith-based universities,” in the Spring 2018 issue of Growth: The Journal of the Association for Christians in Student Development. It was the result of conversations and surveys with student leaders of color from across the U.S.

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