DIVINITY’S 25TH

Recalling the beginnings of Campbell Divinity School, founding Dean Dr. Michael Cogdill says one of the biggest challenges was coming up with the words to describe the school’s mission. The words needed meaning. They needed to last.

That mission: To provide Christ-centered, Bible-based and ministry-focused theological education.

“This is the DNA of this Divinity School,” says Cogdill, who stepped down as dean in 2009 and retired from higher education 10 years later. “To love the Lord with all of our hearts and minds, to learn all we can about the Bible and to serve God’s people. We encourage our students to make this commitment their personal mission statement.”

Campbell Divinity School celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. And while much as changed for the school in those first 25 years, “Christ-centered, Bible-based, ministryfocused” has indeed stood the test of time.

KRISTA UDD (’15 MPAP), who serves as a physician assistant in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, gave the address at July’s Long White Coat Ceremony for the PA program. Udd has been serving on the front lines of the war on COVID-19 in one of the nation’s busiest hospitals and shared emotional moments from the past year and a half.

Faith In Vocation

Nick Hyer, Dr. Michelle Perez, Dr. Bernice Alston, Tammi Fries, Kate Stoneburner and Jared Fries were among 16 Campbell University staff members who took part in the Office of Spiritual Life’s first vocational discernment cohort, a program committed to a journey of vocational exploration through reading, reflection, conversation and writing their own stories. These six shared their stories in a series of videos about their experiences that can be found at CAMPBELL.EDU/LIFE/SPIRITUAL-LIFE/

SARAH STEELE, who had served in numerous roles in her 13 years with the Norman A. Wiggins Memorial Library, was named Dean of the Library in July. ELIZABETH DOBBINS was also appointed head of research and instruction services and assistant dean of the library.

GINA CALABRO, a veteran attorney of 20-plus years who has represented Campbell University as outside counsel for the past five, was named general counsel. Calabro had served as counsel for Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart since 2015.